Chapter 74: Proud Battle Against Lu Zhan Nan

"No, you're here to challenge me."

The man's expression and gaze conveyed extreme disdain. Faced with such a look and posture, Yun Che's eyebrows subtly arched, and his eyes grew dangerous.

Who challenges whom is naturally not the same concept. A challenge can only come from the weaker party to the stronger. If the challenger loses, they lose. If they win, they can take the stronger person's place. When the strong confront the weak, it's not a challenge; it's bullying.

In just a few words, they were already at loggerheads. The atmosphere in the hall had quietly shifted.

"Heh heh heh," the man chuckled faintly. His figure flickered, taking just a few steps yet strangely covering dozens of meters, bringing him directly in front of Yun Che. A cold, indifferent light glinted from his narrowed eyes. "Since you insist, I'll grant your wish. I've crushed countless geniuses; it seems today, another one will be added to the list."

"Lu... Lu Zhaonan!!" When he appeared in the center of the hall, many disciples immediately lost control of their emotions, shouting out his name.

"That person... isn't that Lu Lenxue of the Seven Kills Sword Pavilion?"

"That's right! It's him! Yun Che wants to fight him? This, this, this... their strength isn't even on the same level! And this 'Lu Lenxue' name isn't for show! Fighting him... does Yun Che have a death wish?!"

A wave of confused whispers immediately swept through the hall. No one had ever anticipated a confrontation between the two individuals standing opposite each other in the center. They were practically on different planes of existence... Yun Che was sixteen, while Lu Zhaonan was already eighteen! After the age of thirty, a few years' difference in age wouldn't be an issue, as at that point, the accumulation of profound energy becomes secondary, with talent being the key factor. Sufficient talent allows one to break through True Profound or Spirit Profound realms, whereas insufficient talent might trap one at the True Profound bottleneck for life.

However, before the age of twenty is a critical period for profound energy accumulation. Even a difference of half a year, let alone a full year, can result in a significant gap in profound energy. For instance, a sixteen-year-old at Profound Realm Level 1 is considered highly talented among New Moon City's younger generation, but there are still many of them. A fifteen-year-old at Profound Realm Level 1, on the other hand, is a top-tier genius, with no more than five such individuals in the entire New Moon City. Before the age of twenty, each year's age difference represents a massive leap in potential, which is no exaggeration.

Therefore, contests before the age of twenty are generally held between individuals of the same age; otherwise, it would be extremely unfair.

Yun Che was a full two years younger than Lu Zhaonan! Moreover, Lu Zhaonan's profound energy had reached Profound Realm Level 7! In terms of both age and profound energy, they were like people from two different worlds! A fight between them couldn't even be called a "contest"; it would simply be a unilateral suppression.

Given the age difference, Lu Zhaonan, no matter how brazen, couldn't possibly initiate the fight. However, Yun Che was clearly the one challenging Lu Zhaonan, which changed the entire dynamic. If Lu Zhaonan refused to fight, wouldn't that imply he was afraid of Yun Che?

In everyone's eyes... Yun Che's victories over Xuan Yu, Yan Ming, and Feng Guangyi were impressive; his victory over Tie Hengjun was absurdly impressive. But provoking the eighteen-year-old, Profound Realm Level 7 Lu Zhaonan... this was pure, unadulterated masochism!

Profound Realm Level 1 against Profound Realm Level 7 meant a gap of more than half a realm! This was an enormous disparity that could barely be compensated for in any way. How could one fight?

The disciples from the Seven Sects immediately began to gloat. Provoking Lu Zhaonan? He was practically asking for death! Lu Zhaonan's nickname was "Lu Lenxue," and he was cold and ruthless at heart. Any fight with him was guaranteed to draw blood. For Yun Che to fight him, losing was secondary; losing an arm or a hand would be getting off lightly.

The elders of New Moon Profound Palace were all aghast. They knew exactly what kind of person Lu Zhaonan was; a fight between Yun Che and him would very likely result in Yun Che being crippled, and New Moon Profound Palace would thus lose a once-in-a-century genius. Sikong Han quickly shot a look at Lan Xueruo, but before he could transmit a message to her, Lan Xueruo had already stood up, quickly stepping in front of Yun Che. She said, "Junior Brother Yun, let me take this fight. He's two years older than you; a sparring match between you two is simply unsuitable."

Yun Che, however, shook his head, a confident expression on his face. "No need, Senior Sister. I don't need your help to deal with someone like him. Even though I'm two years younger, I'm more than capable."

Originally, when Lan Xueruo stepped forward, the Seven Sects disciples had secretly lamented, believing Yun Che would wisely withdraw without anyone being able to criticize him. Lan Xueruo, at eighteen, was perfectly matched to fight Lu Zhaonan. To their surprise, Yun Che remained stubbornly unyielding, insisting on facing Lu Zhaonan himself. This caused many of the Seven Sects disciples to burst out laughing.

Lan Xueruo froze, then said anxiously, "Junior Brother Yun! Don't act on impulse. This person has Profound Realm Level 7 profound energy and a malicious mind; he's not someone you can handle. Let me do it."

Yun Che still shook his head, a slight smile appearing on his face instead. "Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister, but please don't worry. Since I am a disciple of New Moon Profound Palace, I won't bring shame to it."

Yun Che's smile carried an inexplicable infectiousness. With his persistence, Lan Xueruo could no longer say anything more. She could only sigh inwardly, looking at him with complicated emotions as she cautioned, "Even if you lose this match, you won't bring shame to New Moon Profound Palace. So, no matter what, protect yourself... This person is nicknamed 'Lenxue'; he might even try to kill you in front of the Palace Master. You must be careful! If it gets too difficult, surrendering is not shameful!"

Yun Che nodded slightly to Lan Xueruo. Lan Xueruo retreated two steps, helplessly returning to her seat. Xia Yuanba's heart was in his throat; though he had only been in New Moon City for half a year, he had already heard the name "Lu Lenxue."

"I admire your personality, your completely unmasked arrogance and conceit," Lu Zhaonan said blandly, his voice low and sinister. "It's just a pity you're a bit too arrogant. People like that usually die young."

"Enough talk. State your name."

Yun Che said, expressionlessly.

"My name?" Lu Zhaonan lifted his head slightly, his narrow eyes filled with cold, contemptuous mockery. "You... are not worthy to know it yet."

"Alright, I take back what I just said," Yun Che pouted. "I'm completely uninterested in your name now, because you're nothing more than an utterly common stepping stone on my life's path. And I have no interest in knowing the names of stepping stones."

"Heh, this might be the last time you ever speak with such confidence," Lu Zhaonan chuckled faintly, feeling that the arrogant youth before him was not only boundless in his conceit but also supremely self-important and foolish.

"It seems this Yun Che kid is finished. I can feel that Lu Zhaonan has already become enraged," said the middle-aged man from the outer sect of the Xiao Sect, shaking his head.

"Lu Zhaonan is already ruthless, and now he's been provoked in every way. How could he not strike hard?" Xiao Luocheng smiled and shook his head slightly, murmuring, "After seeing him defeat Tie Hengjun, I had originally intended to step up and crush him myself, to show him what a true genius is. But it seems I won't be needed now."

The middle-aged man quickly interjected, "Young Sect Master, with your esteemed status and power! How could this arrogant brat be worthy of your personal intervention?"

Xiao Luocheng smiled gently and said nothing further.

"I must say, your arrogance has successfully fueled my strong desire to destroy you. Enjoy these last few seconds of having an intact body, heh..." Lu Zhaonan's right hand brushed his left, and a long sword nearly four feet in length appeared in his grasp. A grim smile stretched across his lips as his body, previously still, exploded into motion, becoming a black phantom in the center of the hall. With a storm-like roar, he instantly moved within three steps of Yun Che.

"The Seven Kills Sword Pavilion's movement profound art... Raging Storm Flowing Clouds!"

*Zheng!*

As Lu Zhaonan moved like a raging storm, the long sword in his right hand suddenly emitted a heart-stopping tremor. In the next instant, Lu Zhaonan's long sword thrust out like a bolt of lightning... The sword light was like a sudden, rampant burst of lightning, so fast that one could only catch a fleeting glimpse of its dazzling, cold gleam.

"It's Lightning Flash! Senior Brother Lu actually started with this move; it looks like he wants to cripple this arrogant kid in one strike!" a disciple from the Seven Kills Sword Pavilion exclaimed.

"Of course. If Senior Brother Lu lets this kid last more than three moves against him, he wouldn't be Senior Brother Lu," another disciple from the Seven Kills Sword Pavilion said as a matter of course.

This magnificent sword strike was incredibly fast. Lu Zhaonan's powerful profound energy was infused into the slender blade, and the sword's momentum was unbelievably strong. One could say this strike was flawless. The Seven Kills Sword Pavilion was renowned for its "Swift Sword" technique, known for a thousand miles, and in Lu Zhaonan, the essence of "Swift Sword" was perfectly embodied.

*Schwing!*

"Ah!!!"

A piercing, tearing sound ripped through the air as the lightning-fast sword strike, amidst the gasps of all the New Moon Profound Palace disciples, directly pierced Yun Che's figure, passing straight through his body, sword and all...

But unfortunately, it was only an afterimage.

"He... he dodged it? How is that possible?" The disciples of the Seven Kills Sword Pavilion cried out in shock. Lu Zhaonan's "Lightning Flash" move had been executed perfectly; none of the accompanying disciples were confident they could achieve such a level. The speed of that sword strike was almost earth-shattering and ghost-wailing; even with preparation, it would have been extremely difficult to evade. Yet, Yun Che, clearly fighting a Seven Kills Sword Pavilion disciple for the first time and thus supposedly unfamiliar with their sword techniques, had dodged it despite being unprepared!

"He actually dodged it!" The elders of New Moon Profound Palace were also greatly astonished, two of them excitedly rising from their seats. This Yun Che not only possessed unbelievably profound energy and strange, mysterious movement profound arts, but his reaction speed was also astonishing.

"So fast!" Yun Che's brow furrowed slightly. If he hadn't fully opened his profound entrances, allowing him to quickly channel profound energy and activate Star God's Broken Shadow, he might not have been able to dodge that lightning-fast sword strike.