At first he won most of his battles.
His training and refined control over his Qi gave him an advantage over many at his realm. Plus his Soul Cultivation at the Adept Stage basically made him as strong as a Peak Core Condensation Realm expert. But he rarely used it openly.
His wins earned him some Eight Emotions energy. Competitors felt frustration, envy, or irritation, and those emotions flowed into him. But compared to past gains, it was little.
The real discovery came by accident.
One day he fought an Inner Court disciple who had challenged him and was defeated so thoroughly that his arm broke. He lay on the ground dazed, his bones throbbing with pain, when he felt a huge wave of Eight Emotions energy pour into him. It was far greater than the emotions from several victories combined.
He realized then that the chaos he created in the Twin Leaf Peak Sect had taught him something important.
