Soon, under the gaze of everyone present, Lin Xuan arrived at the area where the disciples of Flowing Cloud Sect were gathered.
"Junior Brother Liu, Junior Brother Xu, and Han Shuang, are you all alright?" Lin Xuan asked calmly.
He was still a bit worried that his earlier sword strike might have affected the Flowing Cloud Sect disciples. Although he had only been with the sect for less than two months, he had gained much from it and still held some affection for the sect. He didn’t want to harm its foundation—these core disciples.
"We’re all fine," Liu Qianyu replied with a smile, his face brimming with excitement. "But Senior Brother Lin, we never expected your strength to reach such a level. It seems our Flowing Cloud Sect might produce a公子-level genius, or even a prodigy!"
The other Flowing Cloud Sect disciples were equally thrilled. The surrounding martial artists, upon hearing this, were also stunned, their expressions filled with disbelief.
A prodigy was a level above a公子-level genius. If a公子-level genius was the pinnacle of talent in the entire Red Sun Domain, then a prodigy was someone who could be called a genius in the broader world beyond the Red Sun Domain, even across the entire continent. The two were on completely different levels. In the entire Red Sun Domain, only one prodigy had emerged in decades: Zhang Yuchen, the current head of the Four公子s and the senior true disciple of Sun Origin Sect. No other genius in the domain was worthy of the title "prodigy."
But now, Liu Qianyu was saying that Lin Xuan might become the next prodigy. How could this not shock everyone? Yet, recalling the terrifying power of Lin Xuan’s earlier sword strike, it didn’t seem impossible. After all, even Zhang Yuchen, back when he was at the Spirit Opening Realm, hadn’t displayed combat prowess like Lin Xuan’s. If Lin Xuan could continue to grow, achieving prodigy status seemed highly likely. The crowd was even more astounded, left speechless.
Lin Xuan, however, remained unfazed, his expression unchanged as he said calmly, "As long as you’re fine. In half an hour, the secret realm will close, and everyone still alive will be teleported out. Rest for now and wait."
Lin Xuan didn’t address the topic of prodigies. It was still too far off for now, not worth mentioning until he made further breakthroughs in his cultivation. As for the inheritance, he said nothing about it. His earlier sword strike had already served as an explanation, showcasing his strength, talent, and reputation. He believed no one would dare cause trouble again. If anyone still didn’t know their place, he wouldn’t hesitate to use his Void Sword and Spatial Blade to teach them a lesson. With the low-grade Spatial Blade in his possession, he no longer feared anyone in the Red Sun Domain and no longer needed to suppress himself.
"That’s good, as long as we can get out. I believe the sect leader and other high-ranking members will be delighted to learn of Senior Brother Lin’s strength," Liu Qianyu replied with a smile, wisely avoiding further mention of the inheritance. He then arranged for the disciples to spread out and sit down, waiting for the final half hour to pass.
Lin Xuan turned and walked to the side. The crowd’s eyes followed him, shifting forward. They saw Duan Feichen in the distance, a smug, gloating smile on his face. Earlier, Duan Feichen had been arrogantly boastful, repeatedly vowing to deal with Lin Xuan. At that time, Lin Xuan hadn’t yet revealed his true strength, and they had thought Duan Feichen’s behavior was normal. But now, Lin Xuan’s sword strike had surpassed the Spirit Opening Realm, reaching the level of the Spirit Yuan Realm, far exceeding Duan Feichen. The tables had completely turned. Duan Feichen no longer had the right to be arrogant. Now, they were curious to see how Lin Xuan would handle Duan Feichen.
Duan Feichen, second only to the Four公子s and a top genius of the Red Sun Domain, had always been aloof and proud. Seeing him humbled and fearful was something they were eager to witness.
A thousand meters away, Duan Feichen noticed Lin Xuan approaching. His expression shifted, a flicker of fear in his eyes as he gritted his teeth and said, "Lin Xuan, I can overlook your killing of Junior Brother Ye. What more do you want? Don’t forget, I’m still a true disciple of Wind Flame Valley! Even if your talent rivals the Four公子s, you’re still only at the Spirit Opening Realm and haven’t fully grown. If you kill me, the Flowing Cloud Sect behind you won’t be able to withstand my Wind Flame Valley!"
Though his words seemed tough and carried a hint of threat, they were actually a concession. He had no choice. Lin Xuan’s talent was too terrifying, on par with or even surpassing the Four公子s. Unable to completely destroy Lin Xuan, he had to back down. Moreover, he was no match for Lin Xuan now. Even if he left, destroying Lin Xuan seemed nearly impossible. Although Wind Flame Valley was much stronger than Flowing Cloud Sect and could crush it with some effort, it was unlikely. The major event involving the Maple Martial State, which encompassed the Red Sun Domain, and even the entire Eastern Yuan Continent, was about to begin. Neither the Sun Origin Sect nor the higher-ups in Maple Martial State would allow a genius like Lin Xuan to fall prematurely. So, he had no choice but to yield.
Just then, Lin Xuan’s cold voice rang out. "Who said I’m going to kill you?"
"Huh? You’re not going to kill me?" Duan Feichen’s face lit up with relief, his heart easing. As long as he could survive, nothing else mattered.
But Lin Xuan’s next words weighed heavily on him. "I won’t kill you, but hand over your storage ring," Lin Xuan said indifferently.
Duan Feichen had a Profound-grade cultivation talent, theoretically capable of reaching the Yuan Sea Realm. Lin Xuan guessed that the Four公子s also had Profound-grade talents. Thus, Duan Feichen was likely a true core disciple of Wind Flame Valley, highly valued by its higher-ups, on a completely different level from Ye Li. If he killed Duan Feichen here, it would likely mean a complete fallout with Wind Flame Valley. He still needed some time and wasn’t strong enough yet, so it wasn’t the right moment for that. He decided to let him go but still wanted to extract some benefits. As the second true disciple of Wind Flame Valley, Duan Feichen’s accumulated wealth was surely substantial, possibly rivaling some Spirit Yuan Realm cultivators. He couldn’t let that slip by.
On the other side, Duan Feichen’s face twisted with humiliation and rage. "Lin Xuan, don’t go too far!"
"Too far? Compared to your life, it doesn’t seem that excessive, does it?" Lin Xuan said coldly. "Toss it over. Don’t make me act, or you might end up being carried back."
After a few breaths, Duan Feichen’s expression shifted several times before he finally gritted his teeth, removed his storage ring, and tossed it to Lin Xuan.