Chapter 1982: I Challenge You All

As the strongest inner disciple, his comprehension of swordsmanship had long reached an exceptional level. Although their battle was brief, he could immediately tell that "I Am Low-Key," his opponent, possessed an understanding of swordsmanship absolutely on par with his own.

"One Sword Xiao Xiang," a combination of nine sword moves, had its flaw instantly spotted. Even he would have found that incredibly difficult.

Of course, it was possible the opponent had studied that martial art beforehand. After all, as fellow inner disciples, anyone with enough Sword Pavilion Coins had the opportunity to learn it.

But having studied "One Sword Xiao Xiang," it was impossible that he had also researched "Swift Gale Fast Sword," which followed it!

Furthermore, for numerous subsequent sword techniques, the opponent appeared intimately familiar, effortlessly locating their weaknesses and breaking them with a single strike.

Lingyun Sword Pavilion, with its heritage spanning thousands of years, possesses an endless array of sword arts and martial techniques, numbering in the tens of thousands. To distinguish themselves among the numerous disciples, many cultivators select and practice unique ultimate moves, aiming to achieve remarkable feats.

Even if the opponent had studied "One Sword Xiao Xiang," it was inconceivable that he had researched all these numerous sword moves.

Simply put, there wouldn't be enough time!

This alone indicated that the opponent's mastery stemmed not from mere familiarity with specific techniques, but from a profound understanding of swordsmanship itself.

He continued watching and soon witnessed the battle against "Nightfall," who was effortlessly defeated with a single sword strike.

"This person's strength is in no way inferior to my own!"

Liu Lujie handed the recording jade crystal to Zhu Yanzhi, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

"Yes, his strength is indeed remarkable. I just finished watching it myself, which is why I came to find you," Wang Jiandong said with a smile. "What do you think? Are you interested in a match against him?"

"Absolutely!" Liu Lujie's eyes gleamed with fierce combativeness. "My understanding of the Sword Dao has already reached its pinnacle. I need to face an opponent of comparable strength to ignite my potential and achieve a breakthrough. This person... is precisely the ideal adversary!"

The reason he had consistently suppressed his cultivation and avoided breaking through was precisely to further temper his sword intent and elevate his swordsmanship.

However, having no remaining challengers within the inner sect, he always had to deliberately hold back during spars. Now, the appearance of this individual filled him with immense excitement.

Perhaps... this person truly merited a match against him!

"Someone with such a profound understanding of the Sword Dao, yet we've never seen him before? Do you think he might be a core disciple in disguise?" Wang Jiandong asked curiously.

"Unlikely..." Liu Lujie shook his head. "Core disciples are mindful of their status and rarely so bored as to cause trouble in the Inner Divine Hall."

"But... if someone this formidable truly existed, we would surely have encountered him in all our years at the Sword Pavilion!" Wang Jiandong said, still puzzled.

He understood the other's point. Core disciples, each standing at the very pinnacle of the Sword Pavilion, would hardly be so idle as to come and provoke inner disciples, thereby diminishing their own standing.

"Lingyun Sword Pavilion has a legacy of thousands of years and an unknown number of masters. Many inner disciples cultivate pure sword intent and possess a calm temperament, choosing not to vie for fame or personal gain. Ostensibly, I am the foremost inner disciple, but in truth, many hidden disciples, when they display their full capabilities, are no less skilled than I am," Liu Lujie explained.

Although he was widely recognized as the top inner disciple, he harbored no arrogance. Many disciples of Lingyun Sword Pavilion are genuine sword cultivators. These so-called sword cultivators, much like ascetics, renounce all luxuries, using the harshest environments to temper their minds and refine their sword intent, thereby achieving a purer understanding of the Sword Dao. Such individuals typically only complete the sect's required assessments, showing no interest in disciple rankings, which often results in them having lower official standings. Yet, their true strength is not to be underestimated. Even he, if he were to truly encounter such an individual, would not dare to be complacent.

"Indeed, these ascetic cultivators are formidable..." Wang Jiandong nodded in agreement.

"Please notify me when 'I Am Low-Key' goes to the Divine Hall; I wish to meet him in person!" After his reflection, Liu Lujie looked at Zhu Yanzhi and the other person.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother, I've already arranged for someone to notify me immediately once he goes there..." Zhu Yanzhi smiled faintly, just about to finish speaking, when he suddenly flipped his wrist, revealing a communication jade token in his palm. He glanced down, and his eyes immediately lit up: "Senior Brother, 'I Am Low-Key' has entered the Divine Hall!"

"Jiandong, let's go see!" Liu Lujie's eyes gleamed. He took out his own communication jade token and instantly entered the Divine Hall, with the others following closely behind.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Figures blurred as the four instantly appeared within the Divine Hall, heading towards the match arena.

"Senior Brother Liu, that's 'I Am Low-Key'," Zhu Yanzhi said, pointing forward.

Liu Lujie looked and saw a young man standing listlessly by the arena, repeatedly yawning, as if the ongoing match was utterly uninteresting and he was thoroughly bored.

A nearby disciple, observing his demeanor, found it intolerable and his expression darkened. "Watch if you want, otherwise, get out..."

Before he could finish speaking, "I Am Low-Key" on the opposite side looked over with a smiling expression. "Care for a wager with me? Nothing big, just a few hundred Sword Pavilion Coins would suffice..."

"You..." The disciple clenched his fist. How arrogant! Utterly presumptuous! While others who placed or organized bets typically did so discreetly, this fellow had the audacity to directly ask! He clearly had no regard for the Sword Pavilion's rules!

"A few hundred Sword Pavilion Coins... why don't you just rob someone?" the disciple retorted, his face flushing.

"Oh... is robbing allowed?" "I Am Low-Key" paused, looking a little embarrassed.

"Of course!" The disciple snorted, amused despite his irritation at the opponent's attitude. "There are so many people here. If you can defeat all of them, single-handedly with one sword, then all their Sword Pavilion Coins will be yours!"

"Really?" "I Am Low-Key's" eyes lit up. "Would doing that... not violate sect rules?"

"Robbing a single person, of course, violates sect rules. But if you can truly defeat everyone here, single-handedly with one sword, then any blame would fall on *us* for our lack of skill. Do you think they'd trouble you then?" The disciple scoffed.

Although annoyed, he spoke the truth. Robbery is generally forbidden among Lingyun Sword Pavilion disciples. However, if an individual could single-handedly challenge and defeat everyone present, and thereby take all their Sword Pavilion Coins, no one would utter a word of complaint. As the saying goes, "To kill one is a crime; to kill ten thousand, heroic; to kill a million, a hero among heroes!" Winners take all, losers face judgment. Being slightly stronger might invite jealousy, but being overwhelmingly powerful commands only awe and worship. Should such an event truly occur, Lingyun Sword Pavilion would only punish the vanquished, never faulting the victor. The Sword Pavilion had such a precedent: the "Ten-Mile Sword God" of yesteryear once single-handedly challenged thirty inner disciples simultaneously, winning effortlessly and thereby becoming renowned throughout the inner sect.

The disciple, having said this, fully expected the man opposite to back down and cease his nonsense. Instead, he watched as the man's eyes grew increasingly bright, filled with excitement. "If that's truly the case, then that's wonderful..."

"Wonderful?" Seeing his expression, the disciple was utterly bewildered. Was this blockhead out of his mind? The inner disciples were full of hidden talent, with countless powerful individuals among them. For one person to challenge everyone... that was an almost impossible feat! Even the most formidable core disciples would be unable to achieve it! It wasn't due to a lack of understanding in swordsmanship, but rather because the body one used in this simulation had the exact same cultivation and True Qi reserves as everyone else's. Defeating one or two opponents was no issue; three or five might be possible, but dozens... that was utterly hopeless! The True Qi reserves simply wouldn't be sufficient! Moreover, everyone present was a genius, with not vastly different swordsmanship. Winning against even one was difficult, let alone challenging everyone and claiming all their Sword Pavilion Coins... that was pure fantasy!

Just as he was about to speak, intending to make the man sober up and dispel his delusion, he watched as "I Am Low-Key" burst into laughter, scanned the surroundings, and then a clear, resonant voice suddenly boomed: "I challenge all of you! With all your Sword Pavilion Coins as the stake, do any of you dare to accept?"

"Challenge all of us?"

"And stake all our Sword Pavilion Coins?"

"Is this a robbery?"

"Not just a robbery, but he wants all our accumulated savings... Who is this guy? How audacious!"

"Even Senior Brother Liu, the top inner disciple, wouldn't dare to say something like that..."

"Too arrogant, simply outrageous... I'll fight you!"

Upon hearing such outrageous words, all the disciples present erupted in indignation. There were easily a thousand or more observers at the matches, and for some unknown individual to suddenly challenge so many at once... he clearly had no idea of the immense power present and was simply courting disaster!

"This... is what he calls 'low-key'?"

Witnessing this scene, Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong exchanged a glance, almost spitting blood in disbelief. What in the world! When they first heard his nickname, they genuinely believed him to be a truly low-key individual, which might explain why he had remained unknown for so many years, with even they being unaware of his true identity. Yet, the moment he spoke, he challenged everyone, clearly aiming to rob them of their money. This had absolutely no connection to being "low-key"! In fact, it was utterly ostentatious!

"Should we join in?" After a long moment of stunned silence, Wang Jiandong finally closed his mouth and couldn't help but glance over. His audacity was truly remarkable. He considered himself among the elite of the inner sect, with few capable of surpassing him, yet even he would never dare to utter such a boast here! Even if these individuals didn't attack simultaneously but engaged in a prolonged relay battle, the True Qi, physical body, and mental fortitude would simply not be able to endure it!

"Since he has challenged everyone, and we are present, not accepting would be unthinkable; we would be universally scorned. Jiandong, take both your card and mine and place them at the front desk. If he can defeat me and take my Sword Pavilion Coins, so be it! But if he fails, even without us needing to intervene, the Sword Pavilion will not let him off; he will undoubtedly face the most severe repercussions!" Liu Lujie's gaze turned cold. Challenging everyone and openly attempting to seize so many Sword Pavilion Coins—if he won, the sect wouldn't object. But if he lost... he would undoubtedly face an extremely severe punishment. Even a genius would not be spared! Otherwise, if everyone followed suit, what would become of the Sword Pavilion's rules?