259: Extremely arrogant

Even Lin Xiu, who was always calm, instantly widened his eyes.

Bai Ling's cold, pretty face was filled with shock.

Wang Han's mouth hung open, wide enough to fit an egg.

Zhao Ming's gloomy demeanor froze, as if he had heard the most absurd thing in the world.

Lei Lie, standing nearby, even dug his ears, his ox-like eyes wide with disbelief, as he roared,

“What?! Brother Jiang! What did you just say?! You’re going to challenge twenty-two of the top twenty-four at once?! I didn’t mishear, did I?!”

Lei Lie, this fearless man, known for his ferocity,

now felt that Brother Jiang, this extraordinary figure who always appeared composed and wise, might have been overwhelmed by his previous victories and become too arrogant!

That was the strong ranking list’s top twenty-four!

Every single one of them was a formidable individual, at least a Seven-Star Dou Ling!

Among them, there were even monsters at Nine-Star Dou Ling, some even touching the barrier of a Dou King!

To challenge all of them at once?

This was no longer confidence; it was sheer madness!

Facing everyone's shock and Lei Lie's exclamation, Jiang Donghua's expression remained calm, merely issuing a very ordinary command.

He looked at Lei Lie, a faint smile even playing on his lips.

“What? Lei Lie, do you think I can’t do it?”

Lei Lie choked on his words, looking at Jiang Donghua's unfathomable eyes.

He suddenly recalled his easy defeat of Chen Ming, his possession of high-tier Dou Technique, and the suspected Earth-Rank Cultivation Method.

That sense of arrogance seemed to become somewhat elusive again.

But he still couldn't help but mutter,

“No, Brother Jiang, this is a bit too terrifying.”

Jiang Donghua no longer explained, merely repeating to Lin Xiu and the others,

“Go. Do as I said.”

He wanted to tell the entire Inner Academy in the most powerful and shocking way.

Donghua Pavilion's actions in issuing the challenge were swift; the message spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every corner of the Inner Academy.

When the twenty-two concisely worded yet battle-ready challenge letters were delivered to the hands of the students currently ranked in the top twenty-four of the strong ranking list, excluding Lei Lie and Liu Qingsi, the stir it caused far exceeded expectations.

These top students, who usually dominated the Inner Academy and were highly respected, were all stunned when they first heard the news, and then their brows furrowed slightly.

They had initially thought that although Jiang Donghua had powerfully defeated Chen Ming and established his own faction, he would surely take a break to consolidate his cultivation, organize his forces, and slowly familiarize himself with the Inner Academy's rules.

After all, being so high-profile right after arriving was not a wise move.

However, they never expected this New Students to be so arrogant!

Not only did he not rest, but on the second day of his admission, he dared to make such an earth-shattering move.

Challenging twenty-two of the top twenty-four on the strong ranking list simultaneously!

If everyone accepted, did he even have the strength?

This was no longer a simple challenge; it was more like a contemptuous declaration of war against the entire Inner Academy's elite student body!

“What an ignorant New Students!”

In a secluded courtyard, a student ranked fifteenth snorted coldly, slapping the challenge letter onto a stone table, his face showing anger.

“Does he really think that winning against Chen Ming means he can do whatever he wants in the Inner Academy? Challenging twenty-two of us at once? Who does he think he is?”

Another strong individual, ranked ninth, spoke with a cold tone, a chilling glint in his eyes.

However, after the anger and dissatisfaction, more people fell into contemplation.

No one who could climb to this position on the strong ranking list was truly a fool.

They might be arrogant, but they were certainly not lacking in caution and calculation.

For Jiang Donghua to dare to do this, he was either crazy or he had absolute confidence!

Recalling his easy victory over Chen Ming, that strange cold flame, the profound background of what seemed to be an Earth-Rank Cultivation Method, and his network of relationships with top Senior Students like Lei Lie and Liu Qingsi.

“A fierce dragon crossing the river must have a background!”

A student ranked twelfth murmured to himself, the anger in his heart gradually suppressed by reason.

“This guy is very strange; I can't see through him.”

Another student ranked seventh pondered for a moment, then waved his hand at the subordinate who came to report.

“Go back and tell them that I’ve recently had an epiphany and am at a critical juncture in my secluded cultivation, so I cannot accept the challenge.”

“I am also on the verge of a breakthrough and cannot make a move.”

“I need to go out for training, and my return date is uncertain.”

For a time, various excuses of seclusion, cultivation, epiphanies, and training emerged from the residences of these strong ranking list experts.

Only a few students with particularly fiery tempers, extreme self-confidence in their abilities, or who felt severely insulted, truly accepted the challenge without hesitation.

The majority chose to avoid the fight!

They couldn't fathom Jiang Donghua's true strength and were unwilling to easily step into the arena when the situation was unclear.

Moreover, this commotion was clearly Jiang Donghua's calculated move to quickly make a name for himself; why should they be his stepping stone?

They didn't want to get involved in such a messy fight between dragons and tigers for no reason!

They would observe for a while, let those who couldn't wait test the waters first, and then figure out Jiang Donghua's true caliber!

Thus, a huge storm that was expected to sweep through the entire Inner Academy's elite circle ended up being more talk than action, due to the caution and avoidance of most of those involved.

However, the undercurrents of struggle and probing within it were even more intriguing.

Everyone turned their gaze to the arena three days later, eager to know how many would accept the challenge and how Jiang Donghua would respond.

Three days passed in a flash.

The atmosphere in the Inner Academy's largest arena today was far more fervent than usual.

The stands were already packed with people, not only Senior Students but also many New Students who squeezed in, wanting to witness firsthand the commotion stirred up by their leader.

However, as the appointed time approached, only a handful of figures actually appeared in the center of the arena, ready to accept the challenge.

As many had predicted, most of the strong ranking list experts who received the challenge chose to observe or avoid the fight.

After all, risking being a test subject for a New Students' arrogant actions did not align with their interests.

But, those who still came to accept the challenge under such circumstances were, without exception, the elite of the elite, possessing absolute confidence in their own strength, high-minded, and not tolerating provocation!

Among them, two figures were particularly eye-catching.

They stood side by side, their auras restrained, yet naturally exuding a chilling sense of pressure.

One wore green clothes, with an ordinary, even unremarkable face; he was Xie Ying, who now ranked third on the strong ranking list!

The other wore a gray robe, with an equally ordinary build, the type that would be lost in a crowd, but his posture with arms crossed and the faint, arrogant curve at the corner of his mouth highlighted his extraordinary nature.

He was Absolute Han, ranked eighth on the strong ranking list!

Although both men had ordinary appearances and builds, standing there, they were like two unfathomable abysses, making people dare not underestimate them.

Their ability to rank so high meant their strength far surpassed that of Chen Ming.

Xie Ying's gaze was like lightning, sweeping across the stands, finally landing in the direction of Jiang Donghua, who had not yet arrived. His voice was calm but carried a condescending, scrutinizing tone as he spoke first.

“Hmph, a New Students causing such a stir is indeed rare. I, Xie Ying, want to see today what kind of three-headed, six-armed person dares to boast so wildly and challenge my strong ranking list’s top twenty-four at once!”

His tone carried clear displeasure and doubt; he came not out of respect, but more to personally verify and see if this rumored exaggerated New Students was truly worthy of his reputation.

Absolute Han, standing beside him, also sneered upon hearing this and interjected, his voice carrying a slightly hoarse magnetism that made him seem even more arrogant.

“Old Third Xie is right. I, Absolute Han, just came out of seclusion and heard of this arrogant fellow. Good, I’ll use him to test my newly perfected Bone-Corroding Hand and see if his bones are as hard as his words!”

The two echoed each other, their words full of disdain for Jiang Donghua and absolute confidence in their own strength.

They simply didn't believe that a New Students could truly threaten their level; they came to accept the challenge more out of a desire to uphold the dignity and face of strong ranking list experts, and a slight intention to teach an arrogant junior a lesson.

The atmosphere in the audience was ignited by this, and everyone held their breath, waiting for the protagonist Jiang Donghua to appear, anticipating this destined to be extraordinary battle between dragons and tigers.

These few individuals were the truly tough nuts to crack!