novelraw Chapter 261 : The Challenge Begins
Chapter 261 : The Challenge Begins
Chapter 261: The Challenge Begins!
Thus, rumors spread rapidly claiming that Qingxia Young Master was as timid as a mouse, too afraid to face a challenge from a junior.
Among them, the most discussed topic was how powerful Gu Fan truly was—powerful enough that even Qingxia Young Master, ranked third, dared not respond directly.
At that moment, the eleventh-ranked Yin Huishu unexpectedly stepped forward to confirm the authenticity of the news.
Gu Fan had indeed issued a challenge to Qingxia Young Master more than a month ago, and Yin Huishu had personally witnessed the event.
What surprised him was that after Gu Fan sent a second challenge letter, Qingxia Young Master still hadn’t responded, which caught him off guard.
With Yin Huishu’s statement, the uncertainty surrounding the matter was immediately dispelled.
Thanks to his reputation, people naturally believed he wouldn’t lie.
Yin Huishu was a well-known disciple within the sect; no matter what, he wouldn’t fabricate such a story.
What was even more crucial was that he theoretically had a grudge against Gu Fan—after all, it was because of Gu Fan that he had fallen out of the top ten.
This further confirmed the authenticity of the rumors.
For a time, countless disciples scoffed, saying the third-ranked Qingxia Young Master was nothing more than a coward.
“Truly unexpected, I didn’t think Qingxia Young Master would be that kind of person. Ignoring a challenge from a lower rank once is understandable, but now it seems he has no intention of accepting the second one either.”
“He’s been in third place for so many years, of course he wants to protect his reputation. If he loses, he’d lose everything.”
“As if things are going well for him now? Gu Fan’s challenge has been out for over half a month, and he’s still hiding like a turtle in its shell.”
“I’ve heard there’s another possibility. Apparently, he struck a deal with the fifth-ranked disciple. If he accepts the challenge and loses, that person would be pushed down to sixth place.”
“Haha, so even he thinks he’s bound to lose?”
“Who knows? Either way, I think Qingxia Young Master’s reputation has taken a hit. Playing dumb and staying silent… so humiliating!”
...
Inside Qingxia Young Master’s cave residence, he no longer held his usual elegant demeanor. Instead, his expression was dark and stormy.
“Who exactly is spreading these rumors!”
At that moment, a voice replied:
“Among the disciples, there are only so many with the network and means to spread such news. Who else could it be?”
He Qing’s words immediately brought a face to Qingxia Young Master’s mind.
“Mao Chang!”
He Qing chuckled, turned to leave, and said as he walked away:
“Mao Chang has a powerful expert supporting him. I advise you not to act rashly. Otherwise, you might not even know how you died.”
“You mean to let it go just like that?”
Qingxia Young Master spoke coldly and unhappily:
“Who exactly is behind Mao Chang? Could it be one of the powerful elders within the sect that even you fear?”
“Don’t ask. Just know that neither of us can afford to offend him. As for how to handle this matter... that’s up to you. Gu Fan’s intention is clear—he wants to force your hand!”
“If you want to restore your reputation, I suggest you don’t delay any longer. Strike directly. As long as you can defeat Gu Fan cleanly and decisively, all the rumors will collapse on their own!”
Qingxia Young Master’s face was dark. He knew there was only one way left to prove himself—take action without hesitation.
They all said he was hiding because he feared Gu Fan.
But in truth, he had regarded Gu Fan’s last challenge in the Trial Tower as nothing more than a joke.
Who would have thought Gu Fan would be so bold as to directly leap ranks and challenge him, the third-ranked!
The key was Yin Huishu adding fuel to the fire, making it so he couldn’t remain silent any longer.
“What a move, using momentum to pressure me... Gu Fan, since you’re so eager to force my hand, then don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
Thus, amidst these rumors, Qingxia Young Master gave a direct reply.
"When and where!"
This made all the spectators tremble with excitement. Finally, the main character had spoken!
And from the looks of it, he had accepted the challenge?
Upon hearing the news, Gu Fan couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. Leveraging public opinion like this was a method he was all too familiar with, having once been an avid follower of entertainment news.
Though the cultivation world lacked internet media and wide-reaching dissemination channels, a cultivator's reputation was held in even higher regard.
Even if not the entire sect, just half the population discussing Qingxia Young Master would be enough to compel him to respond for the sake of his face and dignity.
This was exactly what cultivators valued the most—face and dignity!
Gu Fan wasted no time and gave his reply without allowing his opponent a chance to back out:
"Same time tomorrow, Challenge Square!"
With that, the challenge between the two was officially established!
That very day, Gu Fan arrived in the Zombie World, constantly adjusting his state.
At his level, battle depended more on a kind of momentum.
The stronger the momentum built before the battle, the fiercer the fight would be.
Gu Fan kept adjusting his condition while also solidifying the cultivation base he had just broken through to—the Solar Radiance Realm.
Finally, when the appointed time for the challenge arrived...
Gu Fan appeared punctually above the square!
By then, the spectators had long since gathered. Compared to his previous challenge against the ninth-ranked Xun Bo, the news of this challenge had had much more time to ferment.
As a result, nearly all disciples knew about the challenge between the two. Anyone who had time was eager to witness how Gu Fan would take down the third-ranked Qingxia Young Master.
After arriving, Gu Fan sat cross-legged in mid-air with his eyes closed, resting and conserving energy.
The crowd, however, continued to chatter amongst themselves.
"I heard that when he beat Senior Brother Xun Bo last time, Gu Fan was still at the Divine Moon Realm, but now he seems to have broken through to the Solar Radiance Realm!"
"That means he’s one step closer in cultivation, but battles at their level are more about domain clashes..."
"Hard to say whether Gu Fan actually stands a chance..."
"He has to. Didn’t you see how long Qingxia Young Master hid to avoid this challenge? If he could win, he would’ve accepted long ago."
"Heh, not necessarily. I heard the Eastern Region Assembly is approaching. Maybe he just didn’t want to risk getting injured before the event."
"What’s the rush? We’ll know once the fight starts. Let’s just sit back and watch."
"Exactly. Let’s see whether Gu Fan, the persistent dark horse, continues charging forward or gets crushed halfway by Qingxia Young Master."
"But seriously, Qingxia Young Master is quite the show-off. Gu Fan has been here for a while, and the other guy still hasn’t shown up."
"Calm down, it’s still a little early..."
So Gu Fan waited quietly in the air for Qingxia Young Master’s arrival. Finally, after a brief moment, a figure strode through the air from the distance.
His robe fluttered, and his long black hair flowed freely behind him, giving him a strikingly graceful and handsome appearance.
Upon seeing him, the crowd collectively gasped.
"Look, Qingxia Young Master is here!"
"He finally showed up! The great battle is about to begin!"
"At last, both main players are here. Looking forward to the battle ahead."
Gu Fan also slowly rose to his feet. As he gazed at the approaching figure, a smile curled at the corner of his lips.
Qingxia Young Master stepped into the arena, looking down on Gu Fan from above.
With a cold sneer on his lips, he spoke mockingly:
"Did you really think I was afraid of you? If it weren’t for my preparations for the Eastern Region Assembly, I would’ve suppressed you long ago!"
"After all your scheming, now I’m here!"
"Let’s see how you plan to defeat me!"