Among the four who had mocked Lin Xiao, the leader, a youth in a jade-green robe named Jia Chao, was twenty-three years old and had reached the second layer of the Martial King realm. As a senior disciple of the Holy Essence Academy, his talent was already remarkable.
However, in the academy, where geniuses abounded, someone like him rarely caught Yu Xiang’s favour.
After all, Yu Xiang herself was considered a genius, and with her beauty and connection to Xiahou Xuan, only those with even greater talent could impress her.
Now, with someone ignorantly insulting her, stepping forward would surely leave a good impression on her.
Already angered by Lin Xiao’s words and now with a chance to curry favour with Yu Xiang, Jia Chao naturally wouldn’t let the opportunity slip. He stepped forward and snapped at Lin Xiao, “Hmph, daring to cause trouble here, are you courting death? Don’t you know the rules?”
Jia Chao tried to pin a grand accusation on Lin Xiao, hoping to both defend Yu Xiang and silence him. If Lin Xiao persisted, he’d be breaking the rules, giving them an excuse to act.
“What a bold accusation. But with so many witnesses here, do you think you can twist the truth? In a place as grand as the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, do you believe the pavilion master, one of the eight great elders, would stoop to your level? Breaking the rules knowingly, do you think you’d escape the pavilion’s punishment?”
Lin Xiao retorted mercilessly. Before coming to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, he had learned it was overseen by a Martial Monarch, one of the academy’s eight great elders, whose strength surpassed even Baili He.
A figure of that calibre wouldn’t likely side with the likes of Yu Xiang or Jia Chao.
Moreover, as a hub for the entire Holy City, if the pavilion shielded people like Yu Xiang and Jia Chao, it wouldn’t have gained such prominence, captivating the whole city.
Jia Chao was stunned by Lin Xiao’s words. He was right. The pavilion master cared little for their status. No one could fight in the pavilion for any reason. Even if provoked, conflicts had to be settled outside, or the pavilion would show no mercy.
Once, a renowned genius had attacked a nobody disciple inside, only to be sent flying by a single palm from the pavilion master, bedridden for three months.
Since then, no one dared fight in the pavilion. The pavilion master didn’t prioritise any genius.
When he struck, it was “just right”, not crippling but ensuring months of recovery.
Jia Chao had thought his words were clever, but Lin Xiao’s sharp retort hit the mark.
The pavilion’s rules couldn’t be broken, nor could the truth be twisted. Still, Jia Chao wouldn’t back down or let Lin Xiao off.
“Hmph, such twisted logic. Fine, we can’t fight here, but that doesn’t mean we can’t outside. There are plenty at your level!” Jia Chao sneered, issuing a harsh threat.
“Exactly. I have a genius friend at the Heavenly Martial Eighth Layer. Once you leave, you’ll regret disrespecting Miss Yu Xiang!”
Another youth barked. A friend of Jia Chao’s and Martial King first layer, he couldn’t act against Lin Xiao himself.
But recently, he’d befriended a Heavenly Martial Eighth Layer genius. Initially dismissive, he now saw its use, a grand use.
He’d never imagined knowing someone weaker could prove so valuable.
“Not interested!” Lin Xiao ignored the youth, turning to Yu Xiang. “Drop that vile attitude and process my exchange.”
“You… you…” Yu Xiang was so furious she barely knew what to do, sneering, “Hmph, fine. Let’s see how many contribution points you have. If it’s less than three thousand, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
Jia Chao and the others were equally enraged. This kid was utterly unrepentant.
“Hmph, you’ll regret this soon!” The ignored youth clenched his fists in anger. No one so weak had ever dismissed him.
“Three thousand points? He thinks he’s some super genius of the academy? Let’s see how this Heavenly Martial Eighth Layer bumpkin scrapes together three thousand points!” Another disciple scoffed, his face dripping with disdain.
The onlookers further away turned their attention, initially watching the four mock Lin Xiao. Now, provoked, the youths had become the spectacle, and it was growing more entertaining.
“Let’s see!” Lin Xiao took out his contribution card and placed it on a small array stone on the counter, which displayed contribution points and allowed deductions with a staff member’s operation.
“Go on, look…”
Yu Xiang glared angrily at the array’s display, but the next moment, her expression froze.
The array, a foot high, showed a string of numbers: ten thousand contribution points!
Lin Xiao’s card held ten thousand contribution points!
Not only Yu Xiang but Jia Chao, the other three, and the onlookers widened their eyes, faces filled with disbelief, as if petrified.
Especially Jia Chao and his group, their expressions stiff and ugly, almost contorted.
How was this possible?
How could he have ten thousand contribution points? Even mid-tier Martial King prodigies rarely had that much. How could a mere Heavenly Martial Eighth Layer have ten thousand?
Yet the truth was before them, undeniable.
“He’s the new disciple who topped the slaughter trial points, the one everyone’s talking about!”
From the crowd behind, someone who’d heard the news let out a shocked exclamation.
Lin Xiao, new to the Holy City, hadn’t caught wind of this. Hearing the youth’s cry, Jia Chao’s face froze in shock. This youth was the slaughter trial’s top disciple.
But he still couldn’t believe it. The slaughter trial’s first place earned him ten thousand contribution points?
Which elder oversaw it this year? Were they blind?
“Top of the slaughter trial, and you got ten thousand contribution points? I don’t know how you managed it, but with your strength, your slaughter points couldn’t even reach ten thousand!”
Jia Chao’s tone dripped with disdain. He couldn’t fathom it. With Lin Xiao’s Heavenly Martial Eighth Layer cultivation, he didn’t seem capable of topping the slaughter trial, and his points couldn’t be that high.
Yu Xiang felt the same. She refused to believe Lin Xiao could have so many slaughter points. Ten thousand points far exceeded his strength. Jia Chao had only mentioned it because of the trial’s top rank.
Perhaps he got lucky with nearly ten thousand points, but surely not more.
“Sorry to disappoint, but my slaughter points were one million,” Lin Xiao said with a scornful smile.
Since they wanted a blow, he’d give them one.
