Lin Gutian!
As the residence master completed his sentence, a commotion followed.
The disciples who were familiar with the truth, such as Lin Ruyan, Lin Yan, Lin Tian and Lin Sha were especially furious.
They were clear how exceptional Lin Han had been during the martial art exchange. He was the one who defeated every talented disciple, eventually tying with Su He and becoming Broken Sky City's Greatest Genius.
At that moment, even Lin Yu and Lin Cai who stood at the very front were visibly annoyed.
Although Lin Han and Lin Gutian had never fought each other, they understood that Lin Gutian was unlikely to be a compatible match against Lin Han.
During the martial arts exchange, Lin Han and Su He fought a close battle which ended in a tie. On the other hand, Lin Gutian was not even able to defend against Su He's attack.
However, the residence master had always been authoritarian. Besides, standing on the arena was none other than a legendary Chiyang Guard. The disciples were only juniors, they did not have any right to voice out their opinions.
Upon hearing the residence master's verdict, Lin Han's expression remained unchanged. He stood still amidst the crowd, no one knew what he was thinking about.
"Residence master!"
Lin Gutian was filled with excitement as he immediately made his way into the arena.
"Is this the Lin Clan Sect Residence's best disciple?" The young man in black robe slowly spoke.
The residence master nodded, pulling Lin Gutian closer to him and said, "That's right. Gutian was Lin Clan's five-time bearer of the Inner Residence Greatest Disciple title. He is undoubtedly our best."
"I agree, this bloke is definitely the Lin Sect Residence's most outstanding youngster."
"Guard Master, the gifted person that you're looking for is definitely him."
At that point, the residence's accompanying elders who all looked up to Gutian were backing him up unanimously as well.
Lin Gutian's excitement grew as they finished their compliments.
His body was trembling in excitement.
'Is this it? Am I being invited to the legendary Chiyang Imperial Residence? Maybe… Maybe I'll even become King Chiyang's disciple?', thought Gutian.
Observing the trembling Lin Gutian who was unable to contain his excitement, the man in the black robe slightly raised his eyebrows.
'This bloke, even if his talents were unprecedented, he wouldn't be successful if he's this impulsive,' thought the man.
Having been struck with an idea, the man in the black robe said slowly, "Lin Gutian?"
"Yes, Master!" Gutian greeted with a fist-palm salute, still beaming with excitement.
"Unleash your greatest attack on me!" the man said as he rested both hands behind him.
"But…" Lin Gutian hesitated.
"Gutian, the Guard Master's ability is one that's beyond your comprehension. Hurry up and make a move, remember to unleash your greatest technique!" the residence master immediately reminded him.
He always had high hopes for Gutian.
If Lin Gutian could gain access into the Palace of Chiyang, then he would bring the entire Lin Clan Sect Residence glory as well.
Besides, amongst the disciples he had nurtured, Lin Gutian was the one he was most fond of.
"Okay."
Lin Gutian nodded and subsequently turned to face the man in black robe. He said, "Master, I'm attacking now."
"Boom!"
A powerful aura radiated and spread outwards from Gutian's body.
Shockingly, the cultivation base was one that was a half-step to a Grandmaster boundary!
This surprised many of the disciples in the inner residence. What a strong cultivation base coming from Lin Gutian.
Witnessing the scene, the residence master and elders could not help but to nod in approval as well.
They thought they had made the right decision in choosing Lin Gutian.
However, also witnessing the same scene was the man in black robes who was standing on the other end of the arena. His expression was still unmoved, and he calmly said, "Come on, unleash your move."
"Dragon-Tiger Celestial Seal!"
Without warning, Gutian made his move. The True Element within his palms erupted. Gradually, dragon-tiger energy manifested within his surroundings.
The roar of a dragon-tiger instantly echoed throughout the entire survival arena.
Natural martial art - Dragon-Tiger Celestial Seal!
"What a strong repressive aura!"
"I didn't know senior Lin Gutian was so powerful! He really is the Lin Sect Clan Residence's best prodigy!"
"Fusing his half-Grandmaster's boundaries with this natural martial art technique, this attack could already rival the strength of a seventh tier martial art grandmaster."
Below the arena, the disciples and elders were whispering to one another. They were in awe.
"Boom!"
Lin Gutian hurled his palm facing the guard who stood opposite. The roar of a dragon-tiger sounded, the energy was unstoppable, akin to the gush of a typhoon and the waves of a tsunami.
"Swish!"
However, at that split of a second, the man in black rode gently raised his finger.
Just one finger!
Next, the incredible aura on Gutian's physique was thoroughly and immediately repressed.
It was as if that stroke of a finger had weighed many tonnes and came crashing down like a mountain. Lin Gutian's offensive position was instantaneously disrupted. He vomited a pool of fresh blood while retreating hastily. He was in a state of horrified shock.
"Gasp!"
Despite seeing what happened, the disciples below could not fully comprehend what they witnessed.
Who knew that the seemingly ordinary man in the black robe could have possessed such terrifying power.
With a stroke of a finger, the attack that could have rivaled a seventh-tier Grandmaster was defeated.
The crowd's perception towards this man was elevated to a greater position.
"He's too ordinary," the man in black robe spoke again.
"What?"
"Too ordinary?"
The residence master and the elders who were previously beaming with hope were mortified.
Whereas Lin Gutian's look immediately turned pale.
The man's calm utterance of merely three words shattered the excitement he once harbored and replaced it with a deep sense of panic and hopelessness.
It was only moments ago when he had envisioned himself entering the Chiyang Imperial Residence and even following the legendary King Chiyang's lead, propelling himself into great success.
Alas, a simple comment from this man had dragged him from heaven and cast him into hell. His expression turned powerless and defeated.
The rejection from the man in black robe was also difficult for the residence master to process. Biting his lips, he reluctantly protested, "Master, this kid, Lin Gutian was someone whom I've nurtured since he was a child. He had reached the sixth tier martial arts when he was just nineteen, and today, he's twenty-two and is already halfway through becoming a martial art grandmaster. Does this still not match your standards?"
"I don't think I hesitated," the man in black robe said. His annoyance was getting more visible.
"Master, but…"
"Silence!"
The residence master intended to argue further but was halted instantly by the man. He stared directly into the residence master, with an intimidating tone, he asked, "Are you questioning my judgment?"
"I would never!"
The residence master immediately bowed and apologized.
His expression was one of fear and terror. If he had offended this guard, all it took was a mere finger from him to annihilate the entire Lin Clan Sect Residence.
"Could it be that the report from the Eighth and Ninth Guard was wrong?" the man in black robe murmured, as he glanced through the disciples in the inner residence.
At that instance, he was already mildly disappointed and intended to stop looking.
"Ehh?" a figure caught his attention.
It was the figure of a humbly dressed youngster. Standing among other disciples, he was handsome and delicate, but nothing about him stood out in the crowd.
However, in the perception of the man in a black robe, the humbly dressed youngster had a firm, rigid physique along with bright, clear eyes. It was as if his Essence, Qi and Spirit were deliberately concealed but yet he was unable to contain his excellence and talents.
"I've found the great prodigy!"
Finally, the man with a black robe spoke.
"What?"
"The great prodigy?"
The residence master and the accompanying elders were stunned.
They followed the direction of the man's gaze and saw the figure of a familiar youngster.
Lin Han!
The residence master was shocked, his look expressing much confusion and doubt.
'It can't be that the Guard Master from the Chiyang Imperial Residence has taken interest in this subdivision disciple, right?' the residence master thought.
He was not aware that Lin Han had been titled 'Broken Sky City's Greatest Heavenly Pride' a few days ago in the martial arts exchange. As a result, he was doubtful and incredulous of the man's choice.
In his opinion, Lin Han was definitely talented, but he was far from Lin Gutian whom he had personally nurtured and trained.
"Master… Could it be a mistake? This young man…" the residence master wanted to clarify his opinion.
However, the man in the black robe immediately walked down the survival arena, ignoring the residence master completely.
Having been through the humiliating scene, the residence master's face turned pale and flushed simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Lin Han observed the man in the black robe who was approaching him, his eyes suddenly brightened.
This Chiyang guard was indeed no ordinary person.