C112 Lin Xuan's Reputation

The arena fell into a hushed silence.

Eyes widened in disbelief as everyone gazed at Lin Xuan, holding the Strong List Token. Their faces registered utter shock.

It took a moment, but someone finally snapped out of it.

A burst of exclamations broke out, and a flurry of conversation ensued.

"Is that Lin Xuan? The new recruit?"

"Exactly, he's been at the beginner level for just over a month and has already made it onto the Strong List."

"Hold on, I caught wind of something on my way here. Lin Xuan took down Lee Quan in the Fighting Arena, which drew Hu Yuanhua out to challenge him.

Turns out, Senior Brother Hu gave it everything he had but was bested by Lin Xuan in just two moves, and Lin Xuan practically leveled the whole Fighting Arena.

I was skeptical at first, but seeing Lin Xuan with what was Senior Brother Hu's Strong List Token, I'm starting to buy it."

"Now that you say that, it's coming back to me. When I walked by the Fighting Arena, it looked off.

The place was deserted, riddled with cracks, and one of the platforms had even collapsed.

Could Senior Brother Lin Xuan be responsible?"

"Lin Xuan didn't just defeat Hu Yuanhua; he wrecked the Fighting Arena too. If that's true, his power is downright frightening."

"If the rumors hold water, then Senior Brother Lin Xuan's prowess might not match a successor brother's, but he'd surely rank high on the Strong List."

"True or not, we'll see for ourselves at the Fighting Arena later.

After such a major event, if it's true, it must be the talk of the town. We'll find out once we head back."

The crowd buzzed with speculation, the atmosphere electric with excitement.

All eyes were locked on Lin Xuan.

As the chatter carried on, the looks cast in Lin Xuan's direction grew increasingly astounded.

If the rumors held any truth, Lin Xuan's might was indeed fearsome.

He hadn't just defeated Strong List champion Hu Yuanhua in a mere two moves, but he had also nearly demolished the entire Fighting Arena.

It's worth noting that the Fighting Arena was designed with the expectation of hosting duels between Inner Sect disciples at the peak of the Condensation Spin Stage.

Therefore, even those at the pinnacle of the Condensation Spin Stage would struggle to damage the arena.

Yet, Lin Xuan had managed to do just that.

It was a testament to his formidable strength.

While he may not be on par with the successor brother, he was rapidly closing the gap, even potentially breaking into the top ten of the Strong List.

Remarkably, Lin Xuan had only achieved beginner level status a little over a month ago.

And already, he wielded such formidable power.

His display of strength was clear evidence of Lin Xuan's exceptional talent.

The onlookers gazed at Lin Xuan, their faces etched with disbelief.

As the buzz of the crowd grew, Wu Mengna, off to the side, snapped back to reality.

Hearing the surrounding chatter, her complexion blanched, and a flicker of fear crossed her eyes.

Meanwhile, Zhang Chen was utterly dumbfounded, his mind a whirl of noise, too shocked to form coherent thoughts.

Catching sight of this, a subtle smile graced Lin Xuan's eyes.

He hadn't anticipated the events of the Fighting Arena to spread so swiftly.

But this turn of events wasn't unwelcome; it meant he could gather even more energy points.

Turning to Wu Mengna, Lin Xuan's voice was icy:

"Do you still expect me to kneel and apologize?"

Wu Mengna's reaction was immediate, her face ashen.

Uncertain of the disciples' claims, she no longer dared to make a move.

Lin Xuan's calm demeanor and the palpable aura of authority he radiated only intensified her fear.

"You've won this round. I no longer desire the Spirit Gathering Pill," she declared, ready to take her leave.

"But remember this," Lin Xuan added, "Zhang Chen is now my friend. Cross him, and you'll have me to answer to.

If you can't accept that, feel free to send your elder brother Wu Jie to challenge me.

I'll be waiting anytime!"

Lin Xuan's cool voice trailed behind her.

Wu Mengna hesitated but offered no rebuttal.

She hurried away as if fleeing for her life.

The crowd watched in awe.

Lin Xuan was boldly challenging Wu Jie, who held the ninth rank on the Strong List!

As a top ten contender and a premier expert of the Inner Sect, Wu Jie's skills far exceeded those of his Strong List peers.

Despite this, Lin Xuan remained supremely confident.

Could Lin Xuan's abilities have truly surpassed those of Wu Jie?

Everyone was astounded, finding it hard to believe.

They also accepted the news of Lin Xuan destroying the Fighting Arena as fact.

After all, judging by Lin Xuan's demeanor, laying waste to the Fighting Arena and besting Hu Yuanhua seemed like no challenge for him.

Lin Xuan, however, paid no mind to these matters.

Once Wu Mengna had departed, Lin Xuan turned to Zhang Chen with a casual smile and said,

"Brother Zhang, how about I spend twenty thousand contribution points for your First Pattern Spirit Gathering Pill?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen came to his senses.

He looked at Lin Xuan, utterly astonished, and then a wry smile crept onto his face.

He was celebrated as the Drifting Cloud Sect's foremost alchemy prodigy.

Yet, standing next to Lin Xuan, he felt utterly average.

He remembered how the sect had informally acknowledged Lin Xuan as the preeminent genius of the Drifting Cloud Sect.

Now it seemed clear that Lin Xuan truly was the sect's unparalleled genius.

Indeed, even that title seemed insufficient to encapsulate Lin Xuan's brilliance!

In Zhang Chen's view, Lin Xuan might well be the foremost genius of the entire Cangyuan Country.

With this realization, Zhang Chen was even more taken aback.

He shook his head.

Why bother comparing himself to Lin Xuan?

With a self-deprecating smile, Zhang Chen responded,

"Agreed. I owe you one for this."

"No need for thanks! Wu Mengna crossed the line!

Rest assured, she won't dare to come back.

And if she does, I won't let her get away with it!

Others may fear Wu Jie, but I certainly do not!"

Lin Xuan replied with an easy smile.

His words conveyed a complete disregard for Wu Jie.

And rightly so.

His physical prowess alone was enough to dominate nearly all contenders in the Condensation Spin Stage.

And that's without mentioning the multiple Concepts he wielded.

He was even capable of taking on adversaries in the Spirit Opening Stage.

Naturally, he still held a measure of reverence for the Strong List's top three.

Per the sect's customs, those ranking in the top three were invariably inducted as Core disciples.

Take the current Elite Senior Brother, Liu Qianyu, for instance; he was once the Strong List's champion.

No one could gauge the true might of those ranked in the top three of the Strong List.

Lin Xuan, of course, lacked absolute confidence in his own abilities.