Shi Feng's appearance sent a shockwave through the entire hall. Everyone stared at him in disbelief.
Wang Zongquan was no small fry. Even though he had lost to Huo Wu, he was still a master at the peak of Dark Force — the kind of expert who could make any top martial arts school or training hall treat him with the utmost respect.
Moreover, Wang Zongquan had been working as a killer on the side for ten years. If he caused trouble on the outside, even the top training halls and martial arts schools would have a massive headache dealing with it.
"That Shi Feng must be courting death! He barely managed to defeat Wang Zongquan, and now he dares to show his face? Does he really think Wang Zongquan won't challenge him again?"
"What big talk! He really thinks he has the ability to train Dark Force masters!"
The experts in attendance shot Shi Feng looks of contempt, feeling that he was being wildly arrogant. Huo Wu had barely managed to resolve the crisis for the Tiandou Training Hall, and instead of wisely staying out of sight, Shi Feng had the nerve to step forward. He was practically begging for trouble.
"Old Xiao, is that the young man you were talking about?" Chen Tianhe studied Shi Feng and couldn't help but shake his head silently. "Far too hot-headed and young. Even with clan disciples backing him, Wang Zongquan isn't someone to trifle with."
Wang Zongquan might not dare to offend those ancient clans, but killing the rest of the people at the Tiandou Training Hall would be no problem at all — and no one would even be able to trace it back to him.
Even if Shi Feng had already mastered Dark Force, it wouldn't change a thing.
After all, just from what he had heard, more than a dozen Dark Force experts had already died at Wang Zongquan's hands, including some who had reached the peak of Dark Force.
Fighting competitions were fighting competitions — with all sorts of rules and restrictions, many methods simply couldn't be used. Even experts who had beaten Wang Zongquan decisively in the ring would find it easy for Wang Zongquan to kill them outside the arena. Combat sports and killing were two completely different things — each had its own specialty.
"Is he that Shi Feng?" Not far away, Zhang Wuya watched Shi Feng, a faint trace of jealousy flickering in his eyes.
A clan disciple!
The status of each one was practically on par with the heirs of major conglomerates. Even someone of Wang Zongquan's caliber had no choice but to give these clan disciples a certain amount of face.
And yet Shi Feng looked utterly ordinary — like some next-door neighborhood kid — with no distinguished family background to speak of, yet he had somehow won Huo Wu's favor and even had her backing him. How could that not breed envy?
In his view, the most likely reason Shi Feng had become a Dark Force expert was that he'd received Huo Wu's help. After all, the heritage and resources of an ancient clan were something no top martial arts school or training hall could hold a candle to. With even a modicum of talent, becoming a Dark Force expert would be child's play.
If he himself had access to those kinds of resources, he would probably already be on par with experts like Wang Zongquan.
While everyone was whispering among themselves, Shi Feng had walked to the center of the hall. Huo Wu proactively stepped behind him, looking for all the world like a student of the Tiandou Training Hall.
Instantly, a wave of envy and jealousy rippled through the crowd of experts.
"Damn! I have no idea what kind of luck this kid stumbled into to win the favor of a goddess like that!"
"What can you do? The guy hit the jackpot — he's got a clan disciple backing him. Even Wang Zongquan can't do anything about it in the open."
"That's right. We just weren't born with that silver spoon. Otherwise, who cares about a Wang Zongquan? Setting up a top-tier training hall would be nothing."
Many of the men in the hall muttered among themselves, making absolutely no effort to keep their voices down — as if they were afraid Shi Feng might not hear them. If anything, they spoke louder as they went on.
For the experts present, simply mastering Dark Force was already cause for celebration. As for opening their own training hall in a first-tier city and developing it into a top-tier establishment? That was something they wouldn't even dare to dream about.
But with the help of a clan disciple, such things would be effortless.
Now that Shi Feng had Huo Wu backing him, becoming a power player in Fenglin City was a foregone conclusion. In the future, the entire martial arts community of Fenglin City would answer to Shi Feng, and the branch schools of even the top martial arts academies and training halls wouldn't dare step out of line.