Lin Xuan's words caused another silence to fall over the arena.
Everyone stared blankly at Lin Xuan, somewhat slow to react. Even Tian Guangliang was the same.
Had they heard him correctly? After instantly defeating Tian Guangliang, Lin Xuan said he didn't want the Strong Ranking Token and didn't intend to exchange it?
But wasn't the whole point of challenges between Strong Ranking disciples to vie for the tokens and rankings?
And what did Lin Xuan mean by asking Tian Guangliang how much his Strong Ranking Token was worth? These words were too confusing, weren't they?
Once they snapped out of it, the crowd was filled with confusion. But soon, connecting it to Lin Xuan's previous actions, many began to understand.
Without a doubt, Lin Xuan was likely doing the same as before—earning cultivation resources, right? Just like in the earlier betting arena, where he issued challenges and collected stakes.
Here, it was the same: he actively challenged other Strong Ranking disciples, won effortlessly, and then said he didn't want the token. He asked the opponent how much they thought their token was worth.
The meaning was crystal clear. It essentially meant: if you want to keep your ranking and retain the Strong Ranking Token, you have to pay a price. You decide how much your ranking and token are worth. You set the valuation yourself.
This way, he maximized his gains.
Once they figured it out, everyone wore strange expressions. Using challenges among Strong Ranking disciples to earn cultivation resources—this was a first in history.
Although the sect had no rules against it, and it was a loophole no one would call out, no one had ever thought of it before. Or if they had, they didn't dare to act on it. Lin Xuan was the first to actually put it into practice!
As expected of the sect's top genius—his way of thinking was truly beyond the ordinary.
The crowd let out bitter smiles, unsure what to say. At the same time, a sense of oddity lingered in their hearts.
Was Lin Xuan really that desperate for cultivation resources? Ever since entering the inner sect, every major move he made boiled down to earning resources.
But with all those resources piled up, they could probably push someone to the peak of the Condensation Rotation Realm. Yet Lin Xuan was still in the Qi Transformation Realm, not even reaching Condensation Rotation.
Even so, he still seemed severely lacking in resources, now seeking new ways to earn more.
Though they all understood a common principle: the higher one's talent and potential, the stronger their combat power at the same level. But at the same time, they required far more cultivation resources than their peers.
They knew Lin Xuan's talent was far beyond theirs. But the sheer demand for resources was terrifying—more than ten times what they needed at the Qi Transformation Stage, right?
Even the current true disciples, including the senior true disciple Liu Qianyu, couldn't compare at the same cultivation level.
Suddenly, a bold guess surged in the disciples' minds. Could it be that Lin Xuan's talent was far greater than the rumors suggested? Even surpassing Senior Brother Liu Qianyu by a wide margin?
That would explain why he needed such an enormous amount of resources!
Recalling Lin Xuan's performance since joining the sect—each time he acquired a large batch of resources, he made rapid progress and his strength skyrocketed. Even now, at the Qi Transformation Stage, he could defeat Condensation Rotation cultivators. His combat power was so high that Tian Guangliang, ranked twenty-third on the Strong Ranking, couldn't withstand a single blow and was effortlessly taken down.
All these signs confirmed their guess.
Instantly, they were once again stunned by Lin Xuan's talent. If this guess was true, his level of genius was terrifying beyond words. It couldn't just be described as the sect's top genius—it might even be worthy of being called one of the most exceptional geniuses in the sect's history.
The disciples sank into deeper shock.
Back on the arena, Tian Guangliang, though not overthinking as much as the others, also grasped the meaning of Lin Xuan's words. Simply put, Lin Xuan wanted him to pay to keep his ranking.
Tian Guangliang wore a strange expression. This was the first time he'd encountered such an approach. But while unexpected, it still fell within the sect's rules.
Without dwelling on it further, Tian Guangliang began to ponder. Was paying to keep the Strong Ranking Token worth it?
He didn't deliberate long before deciding to go ahead with it. First, Lin Xuan had boundless potential and formidable strength—there was no need to offend him over this. Second, the Strong Ranking brought him considerable benefits, whether in reputation, resource allocation, or living conditions. He couldn't bear to give it all up at once.
As for the cultivation resources, losing them was fine. He could earn them back. With his strength, going out on missions or hunting demon beasts would take at most a month or two to recoup.
With that, Tian Guangliang looked at Lin Xuan and said, "Senior Brother Lin, I currently only have 100,000 contribution points and 6,000 spirit stones on me. Is that enough? If not, I really can't do anything more."
The surrounding disciples were astonished, a sense of absurdity washing over them. Tian Guangliang actually agreed? And he was offering nearly all his savings? This was too ridiculous!
Some found it hard to believe. But putting themselves in his shoes, they quickly understood his decision. After all, aside from Lin Xuan, each of them had been a Strong Ranking disciple for at least half a year, enjoying the various privileges that came with it—the admiration, envy, and flattery of other inner disciples. Letting that go all at once was tough. After all, it's easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality.
"Alright," Lin Xuan said with a nod, a hint of a smile in his eyes. This was more than he'd expected. It seemed these Strong Ranking disciples were wealthier than he'd imagined. Maybe he could earn a bit more on this trip.
A slight curve formed at the corner of Lin Xuan's mouth.
Seeing this, Tian Guangliang breathed a sigh of relief. He then transferred all 100,000 contribution points and 6,000 spirit stones to Lin Xuan.
Feeling his wallet swell again, Lin Xuan patted Tian Guangliang on the shoulder and said, "Junior Brother Tian, you're doing well. Don't worry, while you're recovering from your injuries for two months, just say you're under my protection. If anyone dares to challenge you, they're going against me, Lin Xuan!"
He added a promise.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Lin!" Tian Guangliang's face lit up with joy as he quickly expressed his gratitude. This was exactly what he'd been worried about. According to sect rules, every Strong Ranking disciple had to unconditionally accept three challenges per month from lower-ranked disciples or those not on the ranking. With his injuries, even if he recovered in a month, he'd still be weak and severely diminished in strength. Next month, he'd be at risk of being challenged by others. But with Lin Xuan's promise, that threat was gone. He was overjoyed.