Boom! A loud explosion rang out as the door was violently kicked open. A rough-faced young man strode in, followed by several underlings. "Oh, a new inner disciple, what a coincidence!" The rough young man whistled and let out a cold laugh. His underlings behind him also burst into laughter. "Kid, you're new to the inner sect, so you might not know—this area is under my protection, Zhao Gang's turf. Hand over a hundred contribution points every two months, or twelve low-grade spirit stones as protection fees, and you'll be safe. No one will dare bother you around here. But if you don't pay, your days won't be pleasant." Zhao Gang said coldly, his eyes wide with menace, as if trying to intimidate Lin Xuan: "Even though you're a new inner disciple, you're still part of the inner sect. Since I'm here today in this area, pay up the protection fee. Hurry up, I'm on a tight schedule. That's the price of not paying—don't make a mistake that'll cost you!" As he spoke, Zhao Gang pointed outside the door. There, an inner disciple at the Qi Transformation first layer was lying on the ground, pinned under the foot of another inner disciple, struggling desperately, his face flushed red, but to no avail. "Is that so?" Lin Xuan let out a scornful laugh, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Gang. Swish! "Name: Zhao Gang." "Cultivation: Qi Transformation seventh layer." "Talents: Supreme-grade cultivation talent, low-grade strength talent, mid-grade speed talent, mid-grade blade talent, mid-grade thick earth attribute talent, mid-grade heavy water attribute talent, low-grade green wood attribute talent." "Martial Arts: Heavy Rock Blade Technique (fourth-grade upper tier, mastered), Rock Fist (fourth-grade upper tier, mastered), Rock Splitting Palm (fourth-grade mid tier, mastered)..." "Carried Treasures: One Heavy Rock Blade (fourth-grade upper tier spirit weapon)." Looking at Zhao Gang's attribute panel, Lin Xuan's eyes flickered. As expected of the inner sect—any random person who shows up is at the late Qi Transformation stage, with talents surpassing even Zhou Lei, Guan Yuanshuang, and other top three outer sect experts. But this level of strength isn't enough to rob him. Even though he's only just broken through to the Qi Transformation first layer, it's the same. The commotion here attracted many nearby inner disciples, who gathered around to watch from outside, buzzing with noise. "Sigh, Zhao Gang's collecting protection fees again. Another loss this time." "No choice. Zhao Gang's at the late Qi Transformation stage, and he's backed by a Condensing Vortex inner sect elite. We can't fight him!" "That new disciple is unlucky, running into this right after entering the inner sect." "He'll probably resist a bit, since being at Qi Transformation in the outer sect means ruling the roost. He won't give in that fast." "But after a beating, he'll bow his head." "Sigh~" "..." The inner disciples murmured among themselves, sighing and lamenting. They pitied Lin Xuan's plight, but no one lent a hand. Because they weren't a match for Zhao Gang either. And they were also targets for Zhao Gang's protection fees—barely able to save themselves, how could they help others? Lin Xuan, hearing this, remained calm and said coldly: "Qi Transformation seventh layer—not bad cultivation, but far from enough to rob me!" Though his words and tone were flat, they carried a hint of unspoken dominance. As they spread, the scene fell into dead silence. Everyone stared at Lin Xuan in astonishment. Even Zhao Gang was momentarily stunned, then snapped back, his face flushing with anger as he clenched his fists and snorted: "So, you're saying you want to challenge my authority?" "No, you're not worthy of my challenge!" Lin Xuan's flat words landed, sounding even more domineering: "How about this—I'm a bit short on spirit stones for cultivation right now. Hand over all the protection fees you've collected, and I'll let you leave safely. Otherwise, you won't be walking out of here standing!" As his words fell, the scene first went dead silent, then erupted like boiling water. "Damn, it's been a while since I've seen such an arrogant and domineering new disciple!" "This isn't arrogance—it's stupidity, asking for death. Being this cocky, Zhao Gang won't let him off!" "True, most new disciples are at Qi Transformation first layer, at the bottom of the inner sect. Even some geniuses can at most match Qi Transformation second layer. But Zhao Gang's at Qi Transformation seventh layer, late stage—hard to beat even among peers! This kid daring to provoke Zhao Gang like this—you can imagine the outcome!" "Hope he can get out of bed in a few months!" "..." The disciples buzzed with excitement. Though they'd expected Lin Xuan to resist, they hadn't anticipated such an attitude. Not only did he fire back, but he was incredibly arrogant and domineering. It was as if he were the late Qi Transformation cultivator, not Zhao Gang. After snapping out of it, the disciples looked on with surprise and talked even more. At the same time, their attitudes shifted. They no longer pitied Lin Xuan. Some even gloated, anticipating Lin Xuan's miserable fate. After all, they'd all had similar experiences back then and had resisted too, but every time, the outcome was grim. If Lin Xuan got away with being so cocky, it would upset their sense of fairness. This was the twisted psychology born from long-term bullying—they couldn't stand seeing others better off than themselves. Inside the room. Zhao Gang, hearing this, was seething with rage, nearly exploding. He couldn't believe an ordinary inner disciple would be so arrogant in front of him. Especially since the guy was a new disciple, only at Qi Transformation first layer. "Kid, it seems if I don't make a move, many people will forget my power!" Zhao Gang said coldly. The aura of Qi Transformation burst forth! Layers of airwaves surged in all directions. The several underlings at mid Qi Transformation behind him were sent flying. The disciples outside couldn't help but step back repeatedly, fear in their eyes. "So strong!" "Is this Zhao Gang's strength? Too powerful!" "Aside from inner sect elites, he's probably among the top experts among ordinary inner disciples!" "This kid's angered Zhao Gang—he's in for it now!" "..." The disciples trembled, intimidated by Zhao Gang's aura. At the same time, they felt even more certain of Lin Xuan's coming miserable fate. "Heh!" Lin Xuan let out a scornful laugh, standing still as if completely unaffected. "Kid, die!" Zhao Gang didn't bother with more, shouting coldly as he struck directly. "Rock Fist!" A punch shot out, sending a deep gray fist imprint flying with astonishing force, like it could split mountains and shatter rocks, bearing down on Lin Xuan. Its power was such that even an ordinary Qi Transformation seventh layer might struggle to block it. Let alone Lin Xuan, who'd just broken through to Qi Transformation first layer. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Lin Xuan, waiting for the brutal scene of him being defeated, spitting blood, and flying backward. But Lin Xuan was no ordinary Qi Transformation disciple. His talents were so high that even among true disciples, few could match him. With the boost from his talents, his strength multiplied several or even dozens of times over. Far beyond what his peers could compare to. These people were destined to be disappointed.