The blazing sun climbed higher above the Eastern Sky Sect, casting golden rays over the vast martial fields. Today was a special day—the long-awaited Outer Disciple Tournament.
The sect was buzzing with excitement. Disciples moved in groups, whispering predictions, exchanging bets, and discussing who might win the glory of being the number one outer disciple.
"You think Senior Brother Zhao Ming, at the peak of Qi Refining Realm, will win today?" one disciple asked, eyes gleaming with admiration.
"Of course! He's a genius cultivator! Who could possibly stand against him?" another replied confidently.
Amidst this cheerful and heated atmosphere, Lin Xuan stepped onto the martial fields.
The noisy crowd fell into a stunned silence for a brief moment before erupting in murmurs and mockery.
"Hah? Why is he here?"
"That trash Lin Xuan dares to show up in the tournament?"
"Didn't he lose miserably last year?"
"He's still only at Qi Refining Level 5... what's he trying to prove?"
Lin Xuan walked forward silently, his calm eyes sweeping over the crowd, unbothered by the insults that came from every direction.
Just then, Jiang Feng, a cocky disciple with a smirk plastered on his face, stepped in front of him.
"You bastard," Jiang Feng sneered, "what are you doing here? Coming to humiliate yourself again? With your pathetic cultivation, you don't even deserve to stand here."
Before Lin Xuan could respond, several elders appeared on the stage. Their presence immediately quieted the crowd. The commotion died down like a sudden breeze had swept through.
"Silence! Let the tournament begin!" the lead elder declared.
One by one, matches began. Cheers, gasps, and the clash of spiritual energies filled the air.
Eventually, Lin Xuan's name was called.
His opponent: a familiar face—a disciple who was also at Qi Refining Level 5. The same one who had knocked him out in five punches last year.
The crowd burst into laughter.
"This is going to be entertaining!"
"Hah! Last year, he was sent flying like a rag doll."
"Let's see how many punches he lasts this time."
Lin Xuan, instead of heading directly to the ring, walked over to the gambling area nearby.
"I bet on myself," Lin Xuan said calmly. "Twenty Qi Refining Pills and twenty low-grade spirit stones."
The disciples around gasped.
"Is he insane?"
"Arrogant fool!"
"Does he think he suddenly became a genius overnight?"
Still, a few curious or desperate disciples placed small bets on his opponent. The odds were low—after all, nobody expected Lin Xuan to win.
Inside the ring, his opponent smirked. "This time, I'll knock you out in just three punches. Let's end your little fantasy quickly."
The elder raised his hand. "Begin!"
The moment the word left the elder's mouth—Lin Xuan vanished.
The crowd's eyes widened. "Where did he—?"
Before they could finish, Lin Xuan reappeared right in front of his opponent and delivered a single powerful punch to his gut. The opponent's eyes rolled back as he collapsed, unconscious.
The silence was deafening.
Even the elders were stunned.
"W-what just happened?"
"Did Lin Xuan just win… in one move?"
"NO! My spirit stones!" one disciple cried in despair.
"I should've bet on him…!"
Just as the crowd tried to understand what they had witnessed, Jiang Feng stepped into the ring, eyes burning with fury.
"You got lucky last time, trash," he spat. "But you won't win against me. I'm at Qi Refining Level 8! You're finished!"
Lin Xuan ignored the taunt and turned to the crowd. "Since I won the previous gamble, I'm betting it all on myself again. One hundred low-grade spirit stones and pills."
The crowd gasped in disbelief.
"He's gone mad!"
"There's no way he wins this one!"
"Let's make easy money off this lunatic!"
Almost everyone poured their stones onto Jiang Feng. After all, there was no way Lin Xuan could beat a Level 8 cultivator… right?
"Match Start!"
Jiang Feng wasted no time. "Arrogant bastard! Let me teach you your place!"
He launched forward with a strong strike—but Lin Xuan disappeared again.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Jiang Feng and struck with a crushing blow, sending him flying.
Jiang Feng howled in pain. "Sneak attack? You dare—!"
Before he could finish, Lin Xuan grabbed his arm and snapped it cleanly, then stomped on his leg, breaking it with a loud crack.
The crowd trembled.
"Wasn't Lin Xuan gentle and cowardly before?"
"How did he become so ruthless?"
"Is this really the same Lin Xuan…?"
The elder raised his hand. "Winner: Lin Xuan!"
Disbelief turned to silence. The gamble was clear—Lin Xuan had won again, and everyone else lost.
Now, the final match approached.
Lin Xuan vs Zhao Ming, the number one outer disciple.
Everyone was certain Zhao Ming would crush him.
But Lin Xuan, once again, placed all his winnings on himself.
Gasps filled the air.
"He's risking everything?!"
"He's mad—but if he wins…"
Even more shocking, this time, many disciples bet everything on Zhao Ming too, thinking it was easy profit. The prize pool grew massive.
As the match began, Zhao Ming mocked him. "You made a mistake. You should've taken your previous winnings and run. Now, I'll make sure you leave in shame."
He charged.
But Lin Xuan didn't dodge. He stepped forward, grabbed Zhao Ming by the neck, and with a single motion, slammed him into the ground with overwhelming force.
Dust flew. Gasps echoed. Zhao Ming was unconscious.
"Winner: Lin Xuan!"
Everyone stared in silence. Not just from the shock—but because Lin Xuan had taken everything.
Over a thousand low-grade spirit stones, hundreds of pills, Green Spirit Grass, Qi Leaf, beast cores, and more… he had become instantly rich.
Then, Lin Xuan smiled faintly. "I'm not so cruel to take all your belongings. Let me gift them back to you."
Gasps again. The same disciples who mocked him now fell to their knees.
"Senior Brother Lin Xuan, forgive us! We misjudged you!"
"You are the true number one!"
As he handed back the treasures, a familiar ding echoed in his mind:
[Ding! Gift sent to other disciples. Host receives tenfold return.]
Lin Xuan grinned inwardly. So this is what it feels like… to become rich in a single day.