C27: Challenge

Zhao Li bowed and said, "Senior Brother Luan, I wish you success in the upcoming battle and hope you can move to Baiyun Peak!" 

"Zhao Li, after I defeat Su Zhan and move to Baiyun Peak, I will give you my current cave mansion as a gift!" 

"Senior Brother Luan, are you serious about this?" 

"No need for unnecessary talk!" 

Thinking about the fact that he would be able to receive spiritual rain and bathe in it after moving to Baiyun Peak, Luan Jian felt excited and said, "Anyway, it's a sect allocation. If I don't give it to you, it will be taken back and redistributed after some time. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known that someone could move to Baiyun Peak before me. Consider it a gift for you!" 

"Thank you, Senior Brother Luan!" 

Zhao Li was overjoyed. 

At this moment, the other disciples were somewhat confused. 

One of them asked, "Senior Brother Luan, what were you talking about? Who is this Su Zhan?" 

"We'll discuss this matter later. Right now, I have to hurry and challenge him. It's a rare opportunity to make him come down from the mountain on such a good day. I can't miss it!" 

After finishing his words, Luan Jian passed by and rushed towards Baiyun Peak. 

Ten minutes later. 

Su Zhan stepped out of the Baiyun Peak formation, and just as he was about to open his mouth to let the curious onlookers move aside, the onlookers in front of him had already retreated to make way. 

At the end of the road, Luan Jian approached with a smile. 

"Are you Su Zhan for sure?" 

"I am Su Zhan. Who are you, and do you have any business with me?" 

"I'm Luan Jian, the number one inner disciple. I want to challenge you!" 

"Hmm?" 

Su Zhan was somewhat surprised. 

He carefully examined Luan Jian. 

Confirming that he didn't recognize this person at all, let alone hold any grudges with him, he wondered why this stranger wanted to challenge him. 

"Another time." 

Although Su Zhan was quite confused at the moment, he was in a hurry to meet Chen Changfeng to ask about his break through to the Barrier Master realm, so he didn't take it too seriously. He casually replied, intending to leave. 

However, as he took a few steps, Luan Jian once again blocked his path. 

"What exactly do you want?" 

Su Zhan frowned, feeling slightly unhappy. 

"It's simple. Today, you and I will fight for everyone to see who is the strongest inner disciple!" 

"The strongest inner disciple? You can have that empty title if you want. It has nothing to do with me." 

"It's not an empty title. You, as a inner disciple who moved to Baiyun Peak, doesn't that show that you are the strongest among the inner disciples?" 

Luan Jian stated bluntly, "Only the strongest inner disciple qualifies to move to Baiyun Peak. If you can defeat me, I will acknowledge your strength. If not, as fellow inner disciples, why are you allowed to stay at Baiyun Peak while I am not?" 

This statement immediately caused a stir among the nearby inner disciples. 

They had already felt that Su Zhan's identity was mysterious. There was no one like him among the true disciples. Now, after hearing Luan Jian's words, they finally learned that Su Zhan was actually an inner disciple. Each of them felt dissatisfied. 

"So, he's just an inner disciple. No wonder I didn't know there was someone like him among the true disciples." 

"If he's not a true disciple, who gave him the qualification to move to Baiyun Peak?" 

"Senior Brother Luan, as the number one inner disciple, can't even move to Baiyun Peak. This is truly unfair!" 

"We're all inner disciples, so why should the treatment be different?" 

... 

The sound of dissatisfaction echoed one after another. Finally, beneath Baiyun Peak, complaints filled the air. Su Zhan glanced at the disgruntled crowd and eventually shifted his gaze to Luan Jian. After thinking for a moment, he nodded. 

"Very well, I accept your challenge. Let's do it right here, no time to waste." 

"That's great!" 

Luan Jian was overjoyed. He waved his hand, signaling the others to step back and clear a large space for their battle. 

"Silence! This decision was made by me and the Sect Master together. Who dares to question it?" 

At that moment, a thunderous voice resounded from above. The disciples' ears went numb from the shock, and their faces filled with astonishment as they looked in the direction of the voice. 

They found it was Grand Elder Chen Changfeng, flying above. Their hearts trembled at the sight of him, and they quickly closed their mouths. 

"Su Zhan, you don't need to pay attention to his challenge. Just do as you please!" 

Chen Changfeng's expression softened as he spoke to Su Zhan. 

Luan Jian's face slightly changed. "Grand Elder, he..." 

"Do you doubt my words?" 

"No, no, this disciple is disrespectful, Grand Elder!" 

Under Chen Changfeng's gaze, Luan Jian's body trembled, and he quickly lowered his head and saluted. 

"It's alright, I have accepted his challenge." 

Su Zhan shook his head. 

With Chen Changfeng's intervention, he could have easily walked away. However, if he did so, the complaints from those people would only increase, and they might even think that he had a special relationship with Chen Changfeng. Furthermore, if he left like this today, there would be more doubts in the future and more challengers like Luan Jian, consuming his mental energy. 

That being the case, he might have to demonstrate his strength and make these people back down! 

Chen Changfeng furrowed his brow slightly. "Su Zhan, although you have now advanced to the peak stage of Yuan Condensation Realm, Luan Jian reached the peak stage of Yuan Condensation Realm two years ago. Half a year ago, he even defeated a cultivator in the early stage of Barrier Master Realm. There might still be a gap between your strength and his." 

"It doesn't matter." 

Su Zhan shook his head. 

"Alright! Since you insist, I won't stop you." 

After saying that, Chen Changfeng stepped back and said, "You two can fight each other, but there's no need to go all out and endanger each other's lives. Do you understand what I mean?" 

"Grand Elder, rest assured!" 

Luan Jian smiled. "I just want the Grand Elder to see that I, Luan Jian, am not inferior to him and also meet the qualifications to stay at Baiyun Peak. By the way, I will hold back, Grand Elder, may I boldly ask, if I defeat Su Zhan, can I also move to Baiyun Peak?" 

"Yes." 

Chen Changfeng nodded. 

Since Su Zhan has already moved to Baiyun Peak, if Luan Jian defeats him and isn't allowed to move to Baiyun Peak, it will undoubtedly cause dissatisfaction among all the inner disciples. Moreover, there has already been a precedent for the top-ranked inner disciple to move to Baiyun Peak before, so it's not a big issue. 

"Thank you, Grand Elder!" 

Luan Jian had a smile on his face. Standing a hundred meters away from Su Zhan, he said, "Junior Brother Su, my specialization is the sword. I have cultivated the Mid-grade Xuan sword technique, the Kuanglang Sword Technique, to the Minor Achievement stage. Junior Brother Su, since you're also a sword user, let's see whose sword skills are stronger!" 

Su Zhan shook his head. "I don't need a sword." 

"Don't need a sword?" 

Luan Jian was stunned, then his expression turned cold. 

Su Zhan's action clearly showed that he looked down on him! 

"Very well, Junior Brother, be careful!" 

Luan Jian was angry, and he attacked with his sword. 

The sword qi formed into waves, sweeping towards Su Zhan. 

The surrounding disciples were filled with excitement as they witnessed this scene, and they felt a slight sense of relief. 

"Senior Brother Luan has made a move!" 

"Haha! Senior Brother Luan is the number one in our inner sect disciples. He's bound to win this battle!" 

"Senior Brother Luan really takes Su Zhan too seriously. He's actually using his strongest sword technique, the Kuanglang Sword Technique?" 

"What do you know? This is called even when a lion fights a hare, it still goes all out!" 

"Senior Brother Luan's sword attack is amazing! Senior Brother Luan is extraordinary, very handsome—Senior Brother Luan, heh, heh..." 

The eighteen or nineteen-year-old female disciple exclaimed in admiration to her Senior Brother. However, suddenly, she saw the scene in front of her and was astonished. 

She murmured incredulously, "How could he be knocked back with just one attack??