Standing At The Very Top
It's one thing to be a genuine True Sovereign expert. They would be seen as the highest figure in the city.
But it's an entirely different thing to be an Exalted Origin expert with the prowess to combat True Sovereigns!
Assassinating Lin Xiang would be impossible. Who is strong enough to silently kill a True Sovereign by a surprise?
And since he won't die, just how powerful will Lin Xiang's prowess be when he eventually surpasses the Exalted Origin realm?
Much less that, or when Lin Xiang simply reaches peak Exalted Origin?
His potential was quite literally limitless. Nobody wanted to even slightly get on the bad side of an expert willing to use force to get their way without care for public opinion.
Thus, the Azure Sword Spirit sect members saw a massive increase in respect from all sides.