Lin Xuan nodded slightly upon hearing this, leaped down from the arena, and walked toward the steward. It was time to collect the bets. Continuing the challenge matches was no longer feasible. First, the sword strike he had just unleashed was too powerful, nearly comparable to the peak of the Condensation Realm. The strongest disciple present was only Chen Xiao at the third layer of the Condensation Realm, so no one dared to challenge him again. Second, that strike, driven by a tenth of his sword intent, had consumed too much energy. Most of the true qi in his dantian was depleted, and even his physique felt sore and swollen, leaving him unable to exert even half his strength—making further combat unwise.
Approaching the steward, Lin Xuan received the bets lost by inner disciples like Shen Anran from the Qi Transformation Realm, totaling 15,000 contribution points. A faint smile of satisfaction crossed his face; this would be enough to sustain his cultivation for a while. The steward then glanced at Chen Xiao, who stood not far away. Unlike ordinary inner disciples such as Shen Anran, Chen Xiao, as an elite inner disciple, held a higher status than the stewards themselves. They had no authority to deduct bets from Chen Xiao’s identity token before the match, only to register them. The bets would be transferred only after the duel’s outcome was decided, with Chen Xiao handling it personally.
Seeing this, Chen Xiao smiled bitterly and walked over. He took out his identity token and directly transferred 30,000 contribution points to Lin Xuan. These 30,000 points were nearly all he currently had. “Brother Lin, 20,000 of this is the bet, and the other 10,000 is an apology from me. Earlier, my subordinate, Junior Brother Zhao Gang, offended you. I hope Brother Lin can overlook it and forgive him this once,” Chen Xiao explained with a cupped-fist salute. As an elite inner disciple, he even addressed Lin Xuan, a new disciple, as “Brother.” He had no choice—Lin Xuan’s displayed strength was too formidable, and he had already been defeated. In this world, the strong reign supreme, and power is paramount. So-called status and seniority are utterly insignificant in the face of true strength gaps.
Thinking this, Chen Xiao couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness. Originally, he had planned to defeat Lin Xuan in the duel and have him apologize publicly, letting the matter rest. Who would have thought Lin Xuan was even more terrifying than the rumors suggested? He had even used his final trump card—half a fraction of sword intent—which could barely contend with an ordinary late-stage Condensation Realm cultivator. And what was the result? Lin Xuan had erupted again, revealing a stronger tenth of sword intent. His own strongest attack was utterly fragile before Lin Xuan; if he hadn’t realized his defeat and swiftly dodged off the arena, he might have been severely injured. This situation completely exceeded his expectations, and his original plans naturally fell through. Now that Lin Xuan’s strength surpassed his, there was no way he could demand an apology. After all, the strong are revered. Even if the strong are at fault, it’s the weak who apologize, not the strong. Not to mention that Lin Xuan was blameless—the fault lay with his subordinate, Zhao Gang.
Moreover, there was Lin Xuan’s astonishing talent. At the Qi Transformation Realm, he could comprehend a tenth of sword intent, boasting strength comparable to an ordinary peak Condensation Realm cultivator. He had repeatedly broken sect records, and this was only after a month and a few days of training. What about in a few months, half a year, or a year? What level would Lin Xuan’s cultivation reach? How far would his strength extend? It wasn’t impossible for him to become a true disciple. Chen Xiao could hardly bear to imagine it. After pondering all this, he naturally abandoned his earlier strategy and completely reversed course, voluntarily lowering his head to apologize and seek Lin Xuan’s forgiveness. Though it was unprecedented for an elite inner disciple to apologize to a newly promoted ordinary inner disciple—and would invite ridicule if it got out—the context changed entirely when the recipient was Lin Xuan. Not only had Lin Xuan broken through several major realms in a month to enter the inner sect with terrifying speed, but his strength in the duel was nearly on par with an ordinary peak Condensation Realm cultivator. Among elite inner disciples, few could be confident of defeating him. Although Lin Xuan’s status appeared to be that of an ordinary inner disciple, with so many awe-inspiring feats, who would dare take that identity at face value? Even if he couldn’t match the top-ranked experts, treating him as a top-tier elite inner disciple was only fitting. Thus, his actions weren’t excessive but rather appropriate. If he had stubbornly insisted on Lin Xuan apologizing, not only would he fail to achieve his goal, but he would inevitably offend him. Lin Xuan’s genius was nearly unmatched in the entire Flowing Cloud Sect, and his potential was terrifyingly high. Even now, Chen Xiao was no match for him. After some time, as Lin Xuan grew stronger, seeking revenge would be as easy as crushing an insect. Therefore, after weighing all factors, Chen Xiao changed his attitude and voluntarily bowed in apology.
The distant disciples, witnessing this scene, stood frozen in shock. An elite inner disciple apologizing to a new disciple? This was a first in the entire Flowing Cloud Sect! For a moment, they couldn’t accept it. The nearby stewards were also stunned at first, but then they quickly understood, a look of realization dawning on their faces. As stewards, they viewed things differently from the disciples. Though this scene was deeply shocking, they could comprehend it. After all, Lin Xuan’s performance was too monstrous to be judged by common sense. Chen Xiao’s apology shouldn’t be seen as an elite inner disciple bowing to an ordinary one. If another elite inner disciple faced such a prodigy as Lin Xuan, they would likely make the same choice. Everything Lin Xuan had displayed along his journey was too terrifying—almost no one in the entire Flowing Cloud Sect, or even the Cangyuan Kingdom, could match him. No one would want to offend such a boundless prodigy. Elite inner disciples wouldn’t, and probably even the top-ranked experts wouldn’t.
“Oh?” Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow, a look of surprise crossing his face. This situation also exceeded his expectations. He had thought Chen Xiao was coming to confront him. After all, he had previously snatched hundreds of spirit stones and thousands of contribution points that should have belonged to Chen Xiao. Yet now, Chen Xiao was voluntarily apologizing and offering 10,000 contribution points as compensation. A strange feeling stirred in Lin Xuan’s heart. But he quickly understood—it must be because he had defeated Chen Xiao in the duel. Otherwise, the outcome would likely have been different, perhaps involving demands for an apology. Indeed, in this world, the strong reign supreme, and strength determines everything, Lin Xuan mused with a sigh.