Chapter 494: Infamy Spreads (1)
The Temptation of the Scripture
To hook a big fish, a fishing rod isn't enough; you also need bait with sufficient weight.
The Tiger Fiend Scripture was the bait thrown out.
As expected, upon hearing the stakes, the crowd couldn't sit still.
"Mr. Shaw, do you truly possess the Tiger Fiend Scripture?"
Luke spread his hands and said confidently,
"Since I've made the offer, I can naturally produce it, provided you can win."
"Good!"
Yue Buqun clapped his hands and rose, stating sharply, "Remember your words. Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite."
Luke laughed twice.
"I'll give you half an hour to prepare. The match will begin in half an hour. And the location? Right out there on the plaza."
With that, he turned and left the main hall, with Linda and Jiu following behind.
After the three departed, silence descended on the hall once more. The Sect Leader's ready agreement didn't reflect the feelings of his subordinates. Five matches concerning the survival of the entire sect couldn't be decided so hastily.
In that moment, many felt dissatisfaction, but they suppressed it due to the occasion.
"Enough. Don't worry about unnecessary things. When someone arrives to challenge our hall, how can we possibly refuse? If word gets out, how can we maintain our standing in the ancient martial arts world?"
"But..."
An elder said, "That boy named Zhang Jiu is extraordinary. Who should we send out to fight?"
As the question fell, several core disciples looked down. They had personally witnessed Jiu's terror. Stepping forward would be suicide. The boy was a feral beast; no one was his match.
Yue Buqun's expression darkened as his gaze swept over the disciples. After pondering for a moment, he spoke,
"Eldest, Third, Qing Mu, He Song. The four of you will engage him in a relay battle (Chained Challenge). You don't need to win, but you must exhaust his energy as much as possible."
The disciples whose names were called forced a bitter smile. Faced with their Master's gaze, they had no choice but to nod in compliance.
"For the fifth match, I have my own arrangement."
Yue Buqun raised his voice, sounding extremely confident. "Rest assured, the Five Sacred Peaks Sect will absolutely not lose."
The Formal Duel
The half-hour passed quickly.
The main gate opened, and a crowd of Five Sacred Peaks Sect disciples poured out. Directly opposite them sat a napping Luke on a chair and an idle Linda Danvers.
"Ready, Sect Leader Yue?"
Yue Buqun raised his hand. His disciples parted to the sides, forming a large circle with the fighting stage in the center.
The eldest disciple, Zuo Qiu, was the first to step out, clutching a tiger-head sabre.
Luke looked curious.
"Are weapons allowed in the match?"
Zuo Qiu said solemnly,
"Of course. Restricted to cold weapons only." He paused, then added, "According to the rules, we must sign a Life-and-Death Waiver before the match."
A disciple walked forward, holding a wooden board with the waiver document. Jiu didn't hesitate, pressing his fingerprint onto the document. Zuo Qiu did the same.
The contract was sealed, and the match officially began. Everyone's expression turned serious. There was anticipation, but even more anxiety.
Jiu's fearsome reputation had already spread. Dozens of their brothers had their legs broken by him and were still lying in the hospital.
Could the Eldest Brother win?
Zuo Qiu gripped his sabre with both hands and rushed forward quickly. His steps were steady, and his eyes were sharp, carrying a certain momentum.
He knew his hand-to-hand combat skills were inferior to his opponent's, which was why he was using a weapon. With a weapon in hand, even if he couldn't win, he could at least stall for time.
It was a good idea, but unfortunately, Jiu was no ordinary person.
Facing the glittering cold steel of the tiger-head sabre, Jiu didn't hesitate, darting out at an even faster speed. Before the blade could strike him, he delivered a punch straight to the opponent's nose bridge.
Bang!
Flesh and blood splattered. Zuo Qiu felt his entire world shake. He flew an unknown distance before landing on the ground.
Jiu moved in close, grabbed his knee, and twisted it hard.
Snap!
The sound of bones breaking was clearly heard by everyone. Zuo Qiu clutched his right leg, screaming in agony.
The terrifying sound filled the disciples with shock and anger.
What a vicious hand! What a terrifying youth!
Luke yawned in boredom. He had seen scenes like this far too many times.
"Sect Leader Yue, shall we begin the second round?"
The faces of the Five Sacred Peaks Sect's high-ranking members were utterly grim. Yue Buqun looked at his third disciple, who forced a bitter smile and walked forward with a mix of resentment and unwillingness.
The second match was like the first: no surprise, no accidents.
The subsequent matches followed the same pattern. Except for the expert named He Song, who caused Jiu a bit of trouble, the rest were completely defenseless.
Jiu secured four straight victories in just three minutes, without a single bead of sweat on his forehead.
Luke said, speechless,
"Sect Leader Yue, your standard is truly disappointing."
The disciples' faces turned a mixture of green and white. They didn't know what to say. The Five Sacred Peaks Sect's strength wasn't weak; it was simply that the boy was too strong. He possessed unimaginable speed and power and had also mastered internal energy.
Faster than you, stronger than you, and more experienced in battle than you—how could they possibly fight?
Yue Buqun's resolve wavered. Jiu's power exceeded all expectations. If the fifth match was also lost, how would he explain himself? But when he thought of the Tiger Fiend Scripture, his mind regained its calm. He raised his hand and called the young man hidden behind him to the front.
The youth was about twenty-five or twenty-six, with long hair, a long face, gray hair, and dark-gold eyes. His expression was utterly placid, giving him an eerie feeling.
None of the disciples present recognized this young man, and they began to whisper amongst themselves.
Yue Buqun said solemnly,
"This is a new disciple I accepted a year ago, named Golden Serpent. He will take part in the fifth match."
"Go. Kill your enemy."
Golden Serpent stepped onto the platform. With every step, his body began to change. His skin became sallow, and snake-like scales sprouted on the surface. The yellow dots in his pupils stretched sideways, turning into eerie vertical slits.
He opened his mouth, revealing fangs. His tongue split down the middle, and his limbs writhed like a long, segmented creature.
"It's a monster!"
Someone cried out in horror.
"Silence!"
Yue Buqun roared in anger, declaring word by word, "Golden Serpent is not a monster! He only became this way by practicing a certain technique! He is a disciple of the Five Sacred Peaks Sect, just like you!"
As he spoke, he glared menacingly at the surrounding crowd. Wherever his gaze fell, no one dared to meet his eyes.
The tumultuous atmosphere instantly calmed down. It was clear he held immense authority within the Five Sacred Peaks Sect.
Linda whispered,
"Is that guy a metahuman?"
Luke nodded, exasperated. What an ancient martial arts world, and what a Yue Buqun! To deploy a metahuman in a match.
This guy's shamelessness was comparable to that "Gentleman Sword" in the martial arts novels.
Luke knew a bit about metahumans. While strong, their abilities often came with a physical cost. "Perfect" cases like Emily were only about a third of the total; the rest had some form of physical mutation.
This person was clearly snake-related. His exact condition would require closer observation.
Jiu turned his head and said, looking bewildered,
"Brother, I don't think I can break his legs."
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