C120 Punishment and Reward

As Lin Xuan's words hung in the air, a hush fell over the arena once more.

The crowd was left staring at Lin Xuan, dumbfounded and slow to process what had just happened.

Tian Guangliang was no exception.

Had they misheard?

Lin Xuan had just effortlessly taken down Tian Guangliang, and now he was declining the Strong List Token, asking for a different one instead?

But wasn't the whole point of elite disciples challenging each other to gain the Strong List Token and improve their ranking?

And what was Lin Xuan getting at by inquiring about the value of Tian Guangliang's Strong List Token?

His words were enigmatic, to say the least.

Once the audience regained their composure, confusion reigned.

Yet, piecing together Lin Xuan's prior actions, many had an epiphany.

Without a doubt, Lin Xuan was up to his old tricks, aiming to amass cultivation resources, right?

It was reminiscent of his earlier exploits in the Fighting Arena, where he'd issue a challenge and reap the stakes.

The same strategy was at play here. He boldly challenged other elite disciples, and upon his swift victory, he surprisingly renounced the Strong List Token.

He inquired about the price of the token.

The implication couldn't be clearer.

In essence, if someone wanted to maintain their ranking and hold onto their Strong List Token, they would have to compensate for it.

The worth of their ranking and token was for them to assess.

They would set the value themselves.

The payoff was maximized.

With this realization, the crowd wore peculiar looks.

This was an unprecedented move—leveraging Strong List challenges to garner cultivation resources.

The sect had no rules against it, and though he was exploiting a loophole, no one could fault him.

Previously, the idea had never occurred to anyone, or if it had, no one had the audacity to act on it.

But Lin Xuan was the trailblazer, the first to turn the idea into reality!

Truly, he was the sect's premier prodigy; his intellect was unmatched.

Faces around the arena twisted into wry smiles, at a loss for words.

And yet, there was an odd feeling among them.

Was Lin Xuan in such dire need of cultivation resources?

Since his arrival in the Inner Sect, every major move he made was ultimately to acquire cultivation resources.

With the wealth of resources at his disposal, he was likely on the verge of reaching the peak of the Condensation Spin Stage.

Lin Xuan was still at the Qi Transformation Stage, not yet having reached the Condensation Spin Stage.

Despite this, it was evident that Lin Xuan was in dire need of cultivation resources.

He was now out and about, looking for ways to amass these essential resources.

It was common knowledge among them that the higher a person's talent and potential, the stronger their combat abilities would be within their level.

However, with greater talent came a greater need for cultivation resources, far surpassing what others at the same level would require.

They were all aware of Lin Xuan's exceptional talent, which was incomparable to their own.

But the sheer volume of resources he needed was staggering—more than tenfold what they required at the Qi Transformation Stage.

Even now, none of the successor brothers, including Elite Senior Brother Liu Qianyu, could hold a candle to Lin Xuan within the same realm.

This realization sparked a daring hypothesis among the disciples.

Could it be that Lin Xuan's talent was even more extraordinary than the rumors suggested?!

Perhaps his talent even surpassed that of Liu Qianyu, the Eldest Senior Brother!

This would explain his insatiable demand for vast quantities of cultivation resources!

Reflecting on Lin Xuan's journey since his initiation, it was clear that with each acquisition of substantial resources, his progress was meteoric, and his power surged dramatically.

Currently, at the Qi Transformation Stage, he was unmatched even by those at the Condensation Spin Stage.

His combat prowess was so formidable that Tian Guangliang, ranked 23rd on the Strong List, stood no chance against him.

Tian Guangliang was effortlessly defeated by Lin Xuan in a mere moment.

With these events in mind, the disciples couldn't help but solidify their speculation.

Once again, they were left in awe of Lin Xuan's prodigious talent.

If their conjecture held true, the degree of Lin Xuan's genius was nothing short of terrifying.

Describing him as the sect's foremost genius hardly did him justice.

To call him one of the most preeminent geniuses in the sect's history wouldn't be an overstatement.

The disciples were plunged into a deeper sense of astonishment.

Meanwhile, in the Fighting Arena.

Although Tian Guangliang hadn't pondered as deeply as the other disciples, he grasped the implications of Lin Xuan's words.

Frankly, Lin Xuan was insisting that Tian Guangliang foot the bill to secure his spot on the leaderboard.

Tian Guangliang couldn't help but wear a puzzled look.

It was his first encounter with such a tactic.

Yet, despite its surprise, it fell within the rules of the sect.

Without further ado, Tian Guangliang ceased his contemplation and began to mull over the situation.

Was it really worth spending money to keep the Strong List Token?

But he didn't ponder long before deciding to pay.

For one, Lin Xuan's potential was boundless, and it wasn't worth crossing him over this.

Moreover, the perks of being ranked on the Strong List were too good to pass up.

From reputation to resource distribution and living conditions, he couldn't bear to lose them.

If he ran out of cultivation resources, so be it.

With his abilities, he could easily recoup them in one or two months by completing missions.

Then, Tian Guangliang turned to Lin Xuan and said:

"Senior Brother Lin, I've only got these hundred thousand contribution points and six thousand spirit stones to my name. Is that sufficient? I'm really out of options."

The disciples nearby were taken aback, a wave of disbelief washing over them.

Tian Guangliang was actually going through with it?

He was offering up nearly all his savings.

The disciples were incredulous.

Yet, when they put themselves in Tian Guangliang's shoes, they quickly grasped his rationale.

After all, except for Lin Xuan, each of them had been elite disciples for no less than six months.

They were accustomed to the Strong List's generous benefits.

And they, too, found it hard to let go of such privileges.

"That'll do."

Lin Xuan nodded in response, his eyes revealing a hint of amusement.

This was more than he had anticipated.

It appeared the elite disciples were wealthier than he had thought.

Maybe this time, he could turn an even greater profit.

A smirk played at the corner of Lin Xuan's mouth.

Seeing this, Tian Guangliang breathed a sigh of relief.

Without delay, he transferred the hundred thousand contribution points and six thousand spirit stones to Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan clapped Tian Guangliang on the shoulder and remarked:

"Junior Brother Tian, you've done well."

"Rest easy, you'll be in recovery for the next couple of months. If anyone dares to challenge you, they'll be picking a fight with me!"

Lin Xuan offered yet another assurance.

"Many thanks, Senior Brother Lin," Tian Guangliang said, expressing his gratitude promptly.

This was precisely the issue that had been troubling him.

According to the sect's regulations, each elite disciple was obligated to accept three challenges from lower-ranked disciples every month, without exception.

Considering his injuries, even if he were to recover within a month, he'd still be in a weakened state with significantly diminished physical strength.

Next month, it was very likely that he'd face challenges from other disciples, which could prove perilous.

But with Lin Xuan's commitment, that potential problem was now off the table.

Understandably, he was relieved and delighted.