Many surrounding disciples gathered around, murmuring softly as they watched.
Their gazes fixed on Lin Xuan, filled with shock.
They never expected to meet Lin Xuan—the new disciple praised by the Third Elder as having the potential to become a true inheritor—in such a manner.
The few outer disciples who had mocked Lin Xuan earlier now showed regret in their eyes.
They hadn't imagined that a few careless words would offend Lin Xuan, the top talent among the new disciples.
Lin Xuan had been praised by the Third Elder as having the potential for true inheritance.
His talent was undoubtedly top-tier among the outer disciples, even surpassing many inner disciples.
In the future, he would surely enter the inner sect, with hopes of becoming a true inheritor and rising to the upper echelons of the sect.
How could such a supreme genius be someone they, ordinary outer disciples, could afford to provoke?
The group was instantly filled with regret, wishing they could slap themselves hard.
Who told you to run your mouth?
Meanwhile, a few disciples who had just arrived brought up another topic.
"Hey, I saw not long ago that another promising disciple, Zhang Tao, broke through to the late stage of the Acupoint Opening Realm and challenged Lin Xuan, only to be instantly killed by him!"
"Wasn't Lin Xuan only at the early stage of the Acupoint Opening Realm during the talent test three days ago? How could he instantly kill a late-stage Acupoint Opening Realm disciple, and a promising one at that?"
"I know you don't believe it. If I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't either, but it's true. I witnessed it with my own eyes."
"Yeah, a few of us saw it too. Many people were there. You can ask around after you leave."
"..."
Hearing this, the surrounding outer disciples looked at Lin Xuan with even greater shock.
As for those who had mocked Lin Xuan, their bodies trembled slightly, and a flicker of fear appeared in their eyes.
They didn't need to worry about the future—they couldn't afford to provoke him even now.
They were only at the late stage of the Acupoint Opening Realm.
But Lin Xuan could already instantly kill a late-stage Acupoint Opening Realm disciple, meaning his strength was at least at the peak of the Acupoint Opening Realm.
How could they possibly be a match for Lin Xuan?
Their regret deepened.
They lowered their heads, tiptoed away from the crowd, and fled toward the exit of the Martial Arts Pavilion.
They even abandoned the martial arts manuals they had chosen.
They only hoped Lin Xuan wouldn't notice them.
Since they couldn't afford to provoke him, they had to avoid him.
They believed that with Lin Xuan's talent, he had many important matters to attend to. As long as they kept a low profile and didn't cross his path, he probably wouldn't bother with them.
That was their fervent hope.
But everyone's attention was fixed on Lin Xuan, so no one paid them any heed.
They managed to escape successfully.
In truth, Lin Xuan couldn't be bothered with these people.
As long as they didn't cross him.
After all, there were so many chatterboxes. If he had to deal with every single one, it would be a waste of time. Would he even have time to cultivate?
On the other side, the steward behind the counter was also stunned. Coming to his senses, he listened to the murmurs around him and showed a look of shock.
So this was the new outer disciple praised by the Third Elder as having the potential for true inheritance?
Truly extraordinary.
Then, changing his earlier attitude, he said with a light smile:
"So it's Lin Xuan, Junior Disciple Lin. I was wrong earlier. Since it's you, you can naturally pick a few more manuals.
Junior Disciple, if these aren't enough, you can choose a few more.
If you're unsure, I've been on duty here for a few months and know a bit about them. I can recommend some to you."
His tone even carried a hint of flattery.
Lin Xuan had the potential to become a true inheritor, far surpassing him in future prospects, so this attitude was warranted.
The surrounding outer disciples were stunned by this scene, their eyes wide with disbelief.
In their memory, this steward was always rigid and cold, scolding and punishing disciples for even minor mistakes.
When had he ever been like this?
Was this the same steward they knew?
The steward, however, didn't care about the disciples' opinions.
He continued to look at Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan said calmly:
"These are enough. Please register them for me, Steward."
"Of course, of course."
The steward nodded repeatedly and quickly registered the manuals for Lin Xuan.
"Junior Disciple Lin, you can take these manuals back to read, but they are not to be shared or passed around to other disciples. After a month, a duty disciple from the Martial Arts Pavilion will come to collect them.
This is a sect rule. I hope you understand," the steward reminded.
"I understand."
Lin Xuan replied, storing the manuals in his storage ring.
Under everyone's gaze, he turned and left.
He walked toward the small courtyard where he lived.
Along the way, he still moved casually, taking a winding path.
He copied the medicinal pills and spiritual herbs he saw on the new disciples.
After defeating Zhang Tao, he had gained quite a few energy points, so he could continue copying.
Although he hadn't seen any of the sect's strong members this time, he had broadened his horizons, so it wasn't a wasted trip.
Combined with the cultivation resources he had copied along the way, he could return and cultivate for a while.
But Lin Xuan didn't expect to be stopped on the road again.
The ones blocking his way were a group of veteran outer disciples, led by a young man who bore some resemblance to Zhang Tao.
Zhang Tao was also among the crowd in the back. When he saw Lin Xuan, fear flickered in his eyes.
"Kid, are you the one who bullied my cousin Zhang Tao?" the leading young man stopped Lin Xuan and shouted coldly.
Lin Xuan's gaze swept over him.
*Swish!*
"Name: Zhang Mingliang."
"Cultivation: Qi Gathering Realm, Second Layer."
"Talents: Supreme Cultivation Talent, Lower-Grade Strength Talent, Lower-Grade Speed Talent, Lower-Grade Blade Talent, Mid-Grade Gale Attribute Talent, Lower-Grade Crimson Fire Attribute Talent, Lower-Grade Sharp Metal Attribute Talent."
"Martial Arts: Gale Art (Third-Order Upper Grade, Minor Success), Bronze Body (Third-Order Upper Grade, Minor Success), Crimson Fire Palm (Third-Order Mid Grade, Minor Success), Flying Snake Step (Third-Order Lower Grade, Minor Success)..."
"Personal Treasures: None."
Looking at his attribute panel, Lin Xuan remained calm.
This person was likely the Zhang Mingliang he had heard about, Zhang Tao's cousin.
But he still didn't take him seriously.
This person's attribute panel was even inferior to Zhang Tao's. He was just an ordinary early-stage Qi Gathering Realm cultivator.
Although Lin Xuan had only recently broken through to the late stage of the Acupoint Opening Realm, with his many talents and high-level martial arts, he was no longer comparable to an ordinary early-stage Qi Gathering Realm cultivator.
"Get lost!" Lin Xuan spat out a word.
He didn't have enough energy points now, and this person's attribute panel wasn't worth his time.
"What did you say?" Zhang Mingliang was stunned, unable to believe his ears.
Since breaking through to the Qi Gathering Realm, no Acupoint Opening Realm martial artist had ever dared to speak to him like this.
"I said get lost!" Lin Xuan repeated.
"How dare you!" Zhang Mingliang felt furious and roared, "Kid, are you looking for death?"
Lin Xuan remained unfazed and said with a mocking smile:
"Oh? Do you want to make a move on me? You should know I'm a promising disciple, right? Go ahead and try if you have the guts."