Staring at the attribute panel that had changed quite a bit in the void before him, Lin Xuan nodded slightly. "Over twenty thousand spirit stones, plus the monthly cultivation resources allocated to a top five elite disciple, and I can only reach the peak of the Qi Transformation stage, not even enough to break through to the Condensing Vortex stage?!" Lin Xuan murmured to himself, frowning involuntarily. The consumption of cultivation resources by the *Golden Scale Barbarian Elephant Art* was terrifying, several times more than what he normally needed. His original talent wasn't bad, requiring several times the resources of his peers. Now, with the addition of the *Golden Scale Barbarian Elephant Art*, it had nearly multiplied to ten or even dozens of times that of his peers. Such horrifying consumption made even him feel a bit alarmed. It seemed delving into alchemy was inevitable. But before that, perhaps he could squeeze some spirit stones from these elite disciples, and at the same time, earn quite a few energy points. Energy points were essential for replicating various treasures, and no amount was too much. With that, Lin Xuan put away the attribute panel, got up, and left the cultivation room. He summoned Zhou Yun. "Go deliver a challenge letter to Tian Guangliang, ranked twenty-third on the elite list. Say I'll challenge him in half an hour. Go." As for the elite list, he had memorized it all after a single glance a few days ago. "Yes, young master!" Zhou Yun bowed, his face full of smiles and anticipation. He had heard that Lin Xuan's strength was close to the top ten of the elite list, but he had never seen it in person. Now he could witness it. He was naturally very excited. With that, Zhou Yun hurried out. Lin Xuan, on the other hand, went to wash up, changed into clean clothes, rested for a while, and then slowly walked out of the small courtyard. He headed straight for the nearby No. 23 pavilion. By now, many disciples had gathered outside the No. 20 pavilion. These people had come after hearing the news of Lin Xuan's challenge. Lin Xuan, a new disciple, had managed to break into the elite list and was even evaluated as having strength close to the top ten. The disciples were very interested and wanted to see it for themselves. After all, although Lin Xuan had been the subject of countless rumors and caused a huge stir, they had never seen him in action and still harbored some doubt. Now that Lin Xuan was taking the initiative to issue a challenge, they naturally couldn't miss it. When they saw Lin Xuan approaching, the crowd buzzed with excitement. "Is he the Lin Xuan who's been making the biggest waves in the sect, undefeated so far?" "He looks too young, doesn't he? But his aura seems pretty ordinary." "We'll see. Tian Guangliang is much stronger than Hu Yuanhua. Let's see how Lin Xuan handles this." "Yeah, this is a good chance to see if Lin Xuan's strength really matches the rumors!" "..." All eyes were on Lin Xuan as the disciples chattered noisily. Hearing this, Lin Xuan remained calm and indifferent, walking over. Zhou Yun quickly approached and said, "Young master, I've already sent the challenge letter for you. This is Tian Guangliang, ranked twenty-third on the elite list." As he spoke, Zhou Yun looked toward a short, stout young man in the crowd. The stout young man, Tian Guangliang, stepped forward, looked at Lin Xuan, and said with a light laugh, "So you're the Lin Xuan who beat Old Hu?" "That's right." Lin Xuan nodded. "You want to challenge me?" Tian Guangliang asked again. "Yes." Lin Xuan replied. "Alright, let's begin!" Tian Guangliang said bluntly. Lin Xuan was a bit surprised that Tian Guangliang was so straightforward. That was fine; it saved time. The surrounding disciples, hearing this, automatically stepped back, leaving a large open space. Outside each pavilion, there was a spacious area. It was used for elite disciples to practice martial arts and spar with each other. Each pavilion was equipped with a specialized defensive formation, and the ground was paved with black steel rock. Even an Opening Spirit realm expert would find it hard to damage. There was no need to worry about the aftermath of the battle. Soon, only Lin Xuan and Tian Guangliang were left on the field, facing each other from a distance. "Lin Xuan, let me see your strength!" Without wasting words, Tian Guangliang shouted and made his move. A black long staff appeared in his hand, sweeping toward Lin Xuan. A one-tenth Earth Intent erupted violently. "Staff Strikes the Sky!" With Tian Guangliang's roar, the black staff's momentum surged, turning into a massive pillar that seemed to press down with the entire sky. The sheer force was terrifying. Lin Xuan, however, remained calm and unconcerned, reaching out his right hand. He didn't activate his true qi or even use any martial technique. There was no display of power. It was a stark contrast to Tian Guangliang's overwhelming momentum. The surrounding disciples felt a chill in their hearts. Was Lin Xuan's arrogance a sign of confidence in his strength, or was he overconfident? They didn't know, but it made them even more curious. The next moment, under the gaze of everyone present, Tian Guangliang's earth-shattering strike came crashing down. *Boom!* A loud explosion rang out. The shockwaves spread, creating visible ripples in the air. Even the nearby pavilion lit up with a protective barrier, absorbing the shockwaves before disappearing. Clearly, Tian Guangliang had held nothing back. He had unleashed his full strength. The gust of wind from the impact made everyone's clothes flutter. Fortunately, most of them were also elite disciples with considerable strength, so they weren't injured by the shockwaves. When they looked again, they were stunned. Lin Xuan stood in place, his right hand raised, gripping the black staff firmly. He was completely unharmed, not even a strand of hair or a fold in his clothes out of place. The crowd was dumbfounded, unable to process what they had just seen. Even Tian Guangliang opposite him was stunned, his mind reeling. He had never imagined such an outcome. According to the new elite list booklet, Lin Xuan was evaluated as having strength close to the top ten. Coupled with Lin Xuan's many rumors, Tian Guangliang hadn't dared to be careless. He had gone all out from the start, even unleashing his trump card—one-tenth Earth Intent. He had used his strongest attack. But Lin Xuan, without even using true qi or martial techniques, had simply raised his hand and caught it. This was too absurd! He couldn't believe it! While Tian Guangliang was still in shock, Lin Xuan didn't hesitate. He gently moved his right hand, which was gripping the black staff. The still-stunned Tian Guangliang felt an immense force transmitted through the staff. In an instant, he was sent flying, completely unable to resist. Lin Xuan then delivered another palm strike. Again, he didn't use any martial technique or true qi. It was just an ordinary punch. But to Tian Guangliang, it felt like a towering mountain bearing down on him, its power terrifying to the extreme. His heart was filled with fear. Every hair on his body stood on end, and cold sweat poured out! Sensing a deadly threat, he knew that if this palm landed, he would likely die on the spot. Desperately, he channeled his true qi and activated his Earth Intent, throwing a punch to counterattack.