"Gale Force!" Lin Xuan barked, thrusting his sword forward.
A fierce gale howled across the field, blinding everyone present. An invisible, overwhelming force surged, forcing them to retreat once more. Their hearts trembled with even greater awe at the strength of this new disciple, Lin Xuan.
On the field, Zhao Gang’s mind reeled as well. He stared at Lin Xuan, trembling. He hadn’t expected Lin Xuan to be this powerful. The moment he struck, such an extraordinary phenomenon erupted—something Zhao Gang couldn’t even compare to.
Sure enough, as Lin Xuan’s sword light shot out, it met Zhao Gang’s deep gray, rock-like blade radiance.
The next moment.
Crack! Crack!
Countless brittle sounds rang out. In an instant, the rock-like blade radiance was covered in spiderweb-like cracks. Then it shattered, dissolving into countless strands of spiritual energy and vanishing.
"So strong!" Zhao Gang thought, his heart pounding with terror. He never imagined a new disciple could possess such fearsome strength. Wasn’t this almost on par with a peak Qi Transformation realm cultivator? A flicker of regret crept into his heart. Why had he come to provoke such a freak?
A newly admitted disciple, at most in the early Qi Transformation stage, wielded this kind of power. It spoke volumes about his talent! This was someone Zhao Gang couldn’t afford to mess with!
But now, he had no time to dwell on it. Because Lin Xuan struck again.
Another sword thrust, the blade light turning into a blur of afterimages, so fast that the air itself screeched. Zhao Gang couldn’t dodge; he could only raise his blade to block.
Clang!
A thunderous clash. Sparks flew.
Then, Zhao Gang was sent flying like he’d been hit by a cannonball, crashing into the wall. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his right arm bent at an unnatural angle, his chest caved in—severely wounded. His treasured blade clattered to the ground.
Outside the house, the disciples saw a different scene. To them, a gust of wind swept through, forcing them back. When they could see clearly again, Lin Xuan stood still, while Zhao Gang lay on the ground, coughing up blood, gravely injured. It looked like an instant kill!
Whoosh!
Silence fell over the field. Then, a wave of sharp intakes of breath erupted into clamor.
"Holy crap! Zhao Gang got one-shot! Am I dreaming?" "By a new inner disciple, no less!" "This can’t be real!" "Yeah, it feels totally unreal!" "What a freak of a newcomer, even taking out Zhao Gang in one hit!" "But Zhao Gang’s got an elite inner disciple backing him. Wonder if this guy can handle that?" "..."
The disciples buzzed with chatter, all eyes fixed on Lin Xuan, filled with shock. They’d thought Zhao Gang might turn things around after unleashing his signature blade technique. Instead, it ended worse—he was instantly defeated.
This scene was too hard to believe. Yet, it happened right before their eyes, forcing them to accept it. Crossing six cultivation levels and still pulling off a one-shot kill—it was utterly terrifying!
The disciples’ hearts quivered. But they also realized a truth: this new disciple wasn’t ordinary. He was a top-tier genius, maybe even a monstrous prodigy. Otherwise, a newcomer at most in the early Qi Transformation stage could never one-shot an old hand at the late Qi Transformation stage.
They exchanged glances, seeing deep horror in each other’s eyes. They knew a formidable figure was about to emerge in the inner sect, and they were witnessing it. At that thought, awe at Lin Xuan’s talent mingled with a surge of excitement.
Meanwhile, the lackeys who’d followed Zhao Gang trembled all over, their eyes wide with terror. They never imagined that Zhao Gang, who’d long dominated this inner sect area, would be one-shot by a new disciple after using his strongest technique. It was like their worldview had shattered, leaving them unable to process it.
Their fear of Lin Xuan grew even stronger. If their boss Zhao Gang couldn’t stand against him, how could they? If Zhao Gang weren’t still lying in the house, they’d have bolted. But they didn’t dare enter to help him up. Right now, they feared Lin Xuan like a venomous snake.
Inside the house, Lin Xuan sheathed his Qingfeng Sword, a faint smile on his face. This time, he’d gained some understanding of his own strength. He figured he could match a peak Qi Transformation cultivator, maybe not exactly, but close. And this was without using his intent—just raw power.
Talent really mattered. His strength came from the purity and density of his true qi, far beyond his peers, plus the boost from his talent. Lin Xuan sighed inwardly again.
Then, he looked at Zhao Gang, who was lying on the ground coughing blood, and sneered, "Well? Was I wrong? Hand it over earlier, and none of this would’ve happened. You had to make me act. Now look at you—won’t be getting out of bed for at least half a month."
Zhao Gang’s mouth twitched at that. He reopened a fresh wound, blood seeping out unnoticed. Easy for you to say—how was I supposed to know you’re such a freak? What new disciple has strength like yours? Zhao Gang grumbled inwardly but dared not speak. He hung his head, unable to meet Lin Xuan’s eyes.
Lin Xuan ignored his thoughts and pressed on, "So, are you handing it over now? Don’t make me do it myself. Otherwise, I doubt you want to know the consequences."
"No way!" Zhao Gang’s voice came out.
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow. Still so stubborn, even badly injured? Interesting. He decided to just take it himself. No one here could stop him.
"This is for Senior Brother Chen Xiao. He’s an elite inner disciple at the third layer of the Condensing Rotation realm! Even if you beat me, you’re no match for him. If you steal what he wants, he won’t let you off. How about this—I’ll drop the protection fee here, and I won’t come back, as a sign of respect for your strength. But don’t take the fee."
Zhao Gang struggled to sit up, wiping blood from his mouth, his voice low.
Lin Xuan’s expression hardened. So there was an elite inner disciple at the third layer of Condensing Rotation backing him. No wonder he dared to collect protection fees. Still, Lin Xuan wasn’t afraid. He had plenty of intents at his disposal. Once he unleashed them, his combat power would skyrocket. Even against a third-layer Condensing Rotation cultivator, the outcome was uncertain.
He wasn’t about to let go of this protection fee. With so many spirit stones and contribution points, they could quickly boost his cultivation and strength. He might not get another chance like this.
So Lin Xuan said, "I’m Lin Xuan..."