At this moment, Tian Guangliang's face lit up with joy, his heart brimming with gratitude toward Lin Xuan. Yet he had completely forgotten that Lin Xuan had just exploited a loophole in the sect's rules to extort all his savings. Such is human nature.
Seeing this, Lin Xuan smiled and said nothing. This was perfect—it saved him from unnecessary trouble.
Then, Lin Xuan turned, scanned the crowd, and announced in a clear voice: "I didn't challenge Tian Guangliang earlier; I merely sparred with him in martial arts. That's perfectly normal, isn't it?"
Though it sounded like he was talking to himself, his voice carried far and wide. The sound waves rippled outward, spreading in all directions.
The crowd on the field exchanged awkward glances, fully aware of Lin Xuan's intent behind this act. Yet they all chimed in agreement.
"Yeah, it's normal." "I only saw Senior Brother Lin sparring with Tian Guangliang." "Tian Guangliang was the one who asked for it." "I never saw any challenge either." "..."
Under Lin Xuan's piercing gaze, everyone present—no more than twenty or so—spoke up in response. Lin Xuan gave a slight nod, a glint of amusement flickering in his eyes.
This was blatantly lying through their teeth. But under his authority, it was easily accomplished. Lin Xuan felt quite satisfied.
Indeed, in this world, strength reigns supreme. Without sufficient power, such a scene would never have unfolded. Lin Xuan let out a quiet sigh.
Then he turned and continued walking forward. The disciples on the field felt their hearts leap.
It was clear Lin Xuan intended to keep up his extortion spree. They hurriedly followed, silently praying that Lin Xuan wouldn't stop outside their pavilions.
At this moment, a new disciple like Lin Xuan had thrown most of the elite-ranked disciples into turmoil, leaving them anxious and fearful. If other inner disciples saw this, they'd probably be stunned speechless.
But for now, none of them dared to dwell on it. They could only silently trail behind Lin Xuan. Because Lin Xuan was too strong—none of them could match him. Moreover, his actions were within the rules, leaving them powerless to stop him.
Soon, Lin Xuan passed pavilion after pavilion and stopped outside the eighteenth one. Before he could speak, the owner of the eighteenth pavilion, Zhang Xin, stepped out from the crowd and cupped his hands:
"Senior Brother Lin, here are 120,000 contribution points and 8,000 spirit stones as payment for your guidance. Please accept them!" With that, he produced his identity token and a storage ring, offering them to Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan was momentarily taken aback. Then he smiled, realizing what was happening.
He hadn't even made a move, yet this person had come to him willingly. How convenient.
"Not bad," Lin Xuan said with a nod, pocketing the storage ring and transferring the 120,000 contribution points to his own identity token. He continued, "Since that's the case, I'll guide you once. Show me your best martial art."
At his words, the crowd froze. Was Lin Xuan actually going to teach them martial arts? Really?
Suspicion crept into their minds. Lin Xuan had only just joined the sect—his formidable strength came from his terrifying talent. Could his understanding of martial arts really surpass theirs?
But Zhang Xin, after a moment of hesitation, complied. He had paid a hefty price, after all. Hoping to get some value back, he demonstrated his best sword technique.
Of course, it wasn't a full-on duel, so he didn't go all out, merely showcasing his skill.
"Your 'Fire Cloud Sword Art' has decent mastery—it should be at the Grand Completion stage," Lin Xuan said calmly. "But you've been stuck there for a long time, haven't you? Unable to make any progress?"
Zhang Xin's eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly.
Lin Xuan continued, "The Fire Cloud Sword Art seems like a simple fire-element technique, but it actually uses the form of flames to express the freedom and ease of drifting clouds..." "So, this sword art emphasizes intent over form. Your bottleneck lies in being trapped by the moves, forgetting their true essence. That's why you're stuck at Grand Completion, unable to advance. Because moves alone can only take you so far—beyond that, you need to grasp the underlying intent."
"I suggest you spend time watching the drifting clouds in the sky before each practice, or reflect deeply on them before you begin." "..."
Lin Xuan spoke slowly and gently, each word deliberate. Across from him, Zhang Xin's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Soon, Lin Xuan finished. "Here, give me the sword!" Lin Xuan said.
Zhang Xin, still lost in thought from Lin Xuan's words, handed over the sword instinctively. Lin Xuan took it, twirled it into a flourish, and thrust it forward.
Whoosh! A streak of cold light cut through the air, piercing the void. As if crossing space, it transformed into a crimson cloud that landed on the pavilion.
Instantly, a translucent membrane lit up on the pavilion—the defensive array shield. The sword light, now a crimson cloud, struck the shield.
Boom! A thunderous explosion erupted. The entire shield trembled, its glow dimming slightly before fading away.
Lin Xuan turned and tossed the sword back to Zhang Xin. "How was that strike?"
"Senior Brother Lin, is that the true intent of the Fire Cloud Sword Art? I understand now! Thank you for your guidance!" Zhang Xin snapped out of his daze and bowed deeply, overjoyed.
"So this is how powerful the Fire Cloud Sword Art can be! Amazing!" Zhang Xin murmured, hardly believing it.
Lin Xuan smiled but said nothing.
The nearby disciples, however, were stunned into silence. Hiss...
After a moment, gasps of disbelief spread through the crowd. Then, chaos erupted.
"What the hell? He grasped the true intent of the Fire Cloud Sword Art that fast?" "His comprehension is terrifying!" "That strike was incredibly powerful—probably only the top ten could pull that off!" "Is this the sect's number one genius? This talent is insane!" "..."
The disciples buzzed with shock and awe. They had doubted Lin Xuan, thinking his strength came solely from his monstrous talent. But now, they were proven wrong in an instant.
After watching Zhang Xin perform the technique just once, Lin Xuan had replicated it—and even seemed to grasp its true essence. This was utterly terrifying.
They could hardly believe it, but the scene before them left no room for doubt. Only then did they truly witness the sheer horror of Lin Xuan's talent.
In the distance, the few elite disciples who hadn't left their top-ten pavilions were equally shaken. The power of that sword strike far surpassed the fist technique Lin Xuan had used earlier.
Clearly, Lin Xuan was even stronger with a sword. And so far, no one had forced him to draw one.
Coupled with his astonishing comprehension... This was too frightening! They were all far inferior!