86: Chapter 86: Challenge the Martial King from the Acquired Realm?

Hearing the words of that sharp-mouthed, monkey-cheeked young man, Chen An couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

The Great Luo Dynasty was founded on martial arts, and the entire populace revered it. The tradition of dueling had been prevalent for a century, deeply ingrained in the blood and bones of every Martial Artist.

The Prefectural Academy even had explicit regulations: as long as both parties voluntarily agreed to a wager, without endangering lives or crippling one's cultivation, any personal grievance could be resolved through a match in the training arena, and teachers were not allowed to interfere.

Once a wager was established, it was set in stone. If the loser reneged, they would not only be mocked by the entire Prefectural Academy but also expelled, never to be enrolled again.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tieshan's eyes lit up as if he had grasped a lifeline. He immediately stepped forward and said to Chen An sternly, "That's right! If you have the guts, then duel me! Three days from now, at the central ring of the training arena, you and I will have a fair fight!"

"If you win, I, Zhao Tieshan, will never mention Tingtao Courtyard again and will walk the other way when I see you! If you lose, you must immediately pack your things and get out of Tingtao Courtyard, and you must also publicly admit that the Saber Intent you triggered yesterday was a sham to deceive Prefecture Head Beigong!"

As soon as Zhao Tieshan finished speaking, the three lackeys behind him immediately started jeering:

"Good! That's how it should be done! Let's see what you're really made of!"

"Chen An, do you dare to accept? If not, hurry up and admit you're a fraud!"

"Don't hide under the wings of Prefecture Head Beigong like a coward! If you have the ability, then speak with your strength!"

Everyone felt that Chen An was bound to lose!

One was at Condensing Qi Stage 6, the other at the Peak of the Acquired Realm Stage 4; there was an entire major Realm between them. This was simply a lopsided match with no suspense whatsoever.

In their view, if Chen An had even a shred of intelligence, he would absolutely not dare to accept this duel.

Watching Zhao Tieshan's look of certainty in his victory, Chen An curled his lips into an almost imperceptible sneer.

A Acquired Realm punk wants to challenge a Martial King?!

Chen An didn't even know where Zhao Tieshan got the courage from?! Did Liang Jingru give it to him?!

"Pfft!!" A clear, mocking laugh suddenly came from outside the crowd.

Everyone turned their heads upon hearing the sound and saw that the speaker was a young woman with a slender figure and stunning beauty.

The simple, elegant blue student uniform of the Prefectural Academy did not look dull on her at all; instead, it outlined her exquisite, graceful curves. With a lithe and alluring figure and features as delicate as a painting, she carried an air of cold arrogance between her brows. Even in the uniform, it could not hide her outstanding temperament and stunning beauty.

She leaned lazily against the courtyard wall, her gaze falling indifferently on Zhao Tieshan, with a tone of blunt sarcasm: "Zhao Tieshan, you are being way too shameless."

The whole scene instantly went quiet. All the students immediately recognized the young woman and began to whisper.

"It's Senior Sister Su Ningyan!"

"It's her?!"

"She wants to stand up for this newcomer?!"

Su Ningyan was a top core student in the Prefectural Academy, her cultivation having already entered the Acquired Realm Stage 7. With outstanding talent and a prominent family background, it was truly unexpected that she would take the initiative to rebuke Zhao Tieshan today for the sake of this newcomer.

Seeing who had arrived, Zhao Tieshan's expression stiffened slightly, and his tone immediately weakened: "Senior Sister Su, what do you mean by that?!"

"I established this duel with Chen An in accordance with the rules of the Prefectural Academy. How is that shameless?"

"Rules?" Su Ningyan raised her willow-leaf eyebrows slightly, her cold gaze sweeping over him as she spoke indifferently, "The dispute over the Tingtao Courtyard residence was an arrangement personally decided by the Prefecture Head. You dare to defy even the Prefecture Head's arrangements? Zhao Tieshan, I didn't know you had become so brave?!"

"Furthermore, your cultivation is already at the Peak of the Acquired Realm Stage 4, while Chen An is only at Condensing Qi Stage 6. The difference in your Realms is vast."

"You rely on your higher cultivation to suppress a junior, forcing him into a duel. Winning would bring no glory, and losing would be a laughingstock. Isn't bullying the weak in this manner considered shameless?"

Her words were clear and logical, striking at the heart of the matter with every sentence, leaving Zhao Tieshan with a dark expression and unable to say a word.

The surrounding students who heard Su Ningyan's words all had their eyes flicker, each with their own calculations. They swallowed back the mocking remarks they had previously echoed, and no one dared to speak out in criticism anymore.

But just in the silence, a slightly gloomy voice suddenly rang out: "Junior Sister Su, in my opinion, Zhao Tieshan's actions are not inappropriate at all!"

Everyone looked towards the source of the sound and saw a handsome young man with triangular eyes and a hint of sinister air between his brows walking out slowly.

He glanced indifferently at Chen An on the side with a somewhat arrogant expression, then walked slowly into the center of the arena and said:

"The Prefectural Academy has always had explicit rules: the minimum threshold for residing in a high-class residence like Tingtao Courtyard is Acquired Realm Stage 5. Junior Brother Chen An only has the cultivation of Condensing Qi Stage 6; rashly occupying this place is inherently against the rules established by the Academy."

"Everyone is equal before the rules; how can exceptions be made so casually?"

"Hehehe!" Su Ningyan laughed lightly upon hearing this, her eyes filled with cold sarcasm as she looked straight at the newcomer:

"Shen Qinghua, your argument is truly laughable."

"Junior Brother Chen An moving into Tingtao Courtyard was an arrangement personally approved by Prefecture Head Beigong, and he is a Personal Disciple personally accepted by the Prefecture Head."

"You, a mere ordinary core student, dare to use rigid rules to contradict the Prefecture Head's arrangements? Who do you think you are to discuss the right or wrong of the rules with the Prefecture Head here?"

"If you truly feel this is inappropriate, and you have the guts, you can go personally and say this to Prefecture Head Beigong's face. Why hide in the crowd and stir up trouble?"

Shen Qinghua's expression instantly darkened, a flash of anger crossing his triangular eyes. He was rendered speechless, and his face became even gloomier.

Knowing he couldn't argue with Su Ningyan, he simply turned his focus, staring fixedly at Chen An with a tone of naked provocation.

"Junior Brother Chen, as the Prefecture Head's Personal Disciple, are you going to keep hiding behind a woman?!"

Once these words were spoken, the students nearby couldn't help but nod, discussing it one after another.

"Yeah, if there's an issue, come out and say it yourself. What kind of ability is it to let a girl stand up for you?"

"Even if you can't beat Zhao Tieshan, at least have some backbone, right?"

"And he's supposed to be the Prefecture Head's Personal Disciple? Being this cowardly really brings shame to the Prefecture Head."

Seeing that everyone was on his side, Shen Qinghua immediately wore a triumphant look and continued to press: "What? Too scared to speak?"

"Weren't you quite confident just a moment ago?!"

"You keep calling yourself a Personal Disciple of the Prefecture Head, so why don't you even have the courage to stand up and say something now?!"

Su Ningyan's willow-leaf eyebrows stood up, and just as she was about to retort, Chen An slowly stepped forward. He raised his eyes to look at Shen Qinghua, his gaze devoid of any ripples, holding only the indifference one might have when looking at a clown. He said indifferently, "Who are you? Bringing a few dogs to bark at my courtyard door early in the morning—do I even know you?!"