A Bet
Everyone was shocked when they heard Tongtian's words.
There was indeed a plaque at the top of Nameless Mountain with the words' Greatest Slayer in the Universe 'written on it. This plaque was obtained by the ancestors of the Assassin Sect with their outstanding skills and fighting spirit. Ever since they obtained this plaque, the Assassin Sect had officially become the number one organization in the Hitmen Union.
Although the sect was on the decline, it was still one of the strongest in the world of assassins in the Pan-Human Alliance. How could anyone blaspheme something left behind by their ancestors?
Darkshadow, Moonshadow, and Silvershadow all glared angrily at Tongtian. Moonshadow, who was more impatient, even disregarded his status and directly stood up, looking like he was about to start a fight at the slightest disagreement. The atmosphere in the reception room was tense.
Craneshadow waved his hand, signaling his three disciples not to act recklessly. He knew very well that since Tongtian dared to provoke the Assassin Sect this time, he must have made ample preparations. No matter how unwilling Craneshadow was, he had to fight this battle for the sake of the sect's reputation, and they could not afford to lose. After all, an ancient warrior organization like the Assassin Sect still had to consider their reputation.
It was not just the Assassin Sect. Even a behemoth like the Adjudicator Union would definitely accept anyone who came to challenge them. This was because this was an unspoken rule among the warriors of the Alliance. It was like a declaration of war, and if any sect did not dare to accept the challenge despite being declared to war, they would definitely be despised by all the warriors if word got out. Even if they managed to preserve their sect, their reputation would surely be ruined in the future.
According to the rules, the challenger could propose a wager to the challenged, and the wager could sometimes be a life or a secret manual. However, Tongtian's goal was a little sinister. He wanted the reputation of the entire Assassin Sect.
Craneshadow did some calculations in his mind. Although his three disciples were aggressive, they did not have much of a chance of winning against an expert like Tongtian. They still needed to take action personally. After all, the loss of five generations of the Assassin Sect was an irreparable wound, and it was not something that could be easily made up for.
Craneshadow estimated that he had a fifty percent chance of winning, and if his senior, Shadowless, came out on top, he would have a hundred percent chance of winning.
However, Shadowless was on the thirteenth floor alone, so it would not be easy to convince him to accept the challenge on behalf of the sect.
No matter what, the arrow had to be fired. If they did not accept the challenge, everyone would think that the Assassin Sect was afraid of the Sky Eradicators Sect. Craneshadow was not willing to see such a situation, and the thousands of disciples in the Assassin Sect could not accept it either.
After making up his mind, Craneshadow decided to accept the challenge first and persuade Senior Brother Shadowless to come out again. If Senior Brother Shadowless insisted, he would do it himself. Craneshadow's cultivation was extremely high. Even if he was not a hundred percent confident, he was close. Moreover, this was his home ground, so it would be more advantageous for Craneshadow.
With this in mind, Craneshadow said in a deep voice, "Sect Master Tong, since you insist on this, the Assassin Sect will agree to it. Prepare a large sparring field and inform all the disciples to stop what they are doing and come to the sparring field to observe and learn. "
"Yes!" Darkshadow and the other two agreed in unison. They had been waiting impatiently for a long time, and were looking forward to fighting Tongtian for 300 rounds.
Tongtian smiled. "Senior Brother Craneshadow is indeed bold. As expected of the sect master of the Assassin Sect."
Changing the topic, Tongtian suddenly said sinisterly, "It's just that we're getting on in years, and we're both sect masters. It's not appropriate for two old men to fight and kill each other. If word gets out, we'll become the laughingstock of the other warrior organizations in the Alliance."
Craneshadow did not expect Tongtian to make such a move. He was not going to fight? Did that mean he was going to conduct a test that only the disciples of the sect could see?
Tongtian pointed with a finger, and Fangyuan, who was standing behind him, hurried forward and stood respectfully in front of Tongtian.
"This is a new disciple that I've taken in recently. He's only twenty this year."
Fangyuan smiled as he reminded, "Master, I'm only celebrating my twentieth birthday next month."
Tongtian burst into laughter. "You're indeed getting on in years. Even your master is confused. That means you're only nineteen."
"Senior Craneshadow, why don't you let my good-for-nothing disciple take my place? He's still young, so you must go easy on him." Tongtian laughed.
Only then did Craneshadow notice the fatty Fangyuan who had been hiding in the dark. Before this, no one had expected him to be the main character today. Tongtian was a sly old fox. Since he dared to send his disciple, who was not even twenty years old, out, he must be very confident. Otherwise, given his personality, there was no way he would take such a risk.
Moreover, Tongtian had been emphasizing Fangyuan's age in his words. His meaning could not have been clearer. He wanted the Assassin Sect to send out a disciple of a similar age, or else they would be bullying the young!
Craneshadow glanced at Darkshadow and the other two from the corner of his eyes. He saw that the three of them were only angry, but it was obvious that they did not have much confidence. There were many disciples in the Assassin Sect, but there were not many who could stand on their own under the age of twenty.
The older, the wiser. Craneshadow was still able to maintain his composure under such circumstances. He smiled and said, "Hehe, my bones are getting a little soft after living on Nameless Mountain for so many years. Since Sect Master Tongtian is here today, why don't you accompany this old man for some exercise?"
Tongtian was secretly excited. The fact that Craneshadow was unwilling to let the young disciple of his sect fight Fangyuan meant that he was feeling guilty, which was exactly what Tongtian wanted.
"Since Senior Brother Craneshadow is interested, there's nothing wrong with me exchanging a few blows with you. However, I'm only here for the plaque this time. Since we're exchanging blows, there should be some sort of reward. Otherwise, it'll be too boring." Tongtian laughed.
Craneshadow remained calm and said, "Sect Master Tongtian, I wonder if there's anything on Nameless Mountain that you're interested in. Why don't you tell us?"
Tongtian slapped his thigh and said, "Sect Master Craneshadow, you're indeed a straightforward person. I won't hold back then. Why don't we bet on this planet? I, Snowy Mountain Fortress, will bet on your Nameless Mountain! "
This time, even Craneshadow could not sit still. He did not expect Tongtian to be so greedy, actually wanting to block the bases of both parties!
The base of a warrior organization was like the ancestral home of a family. Be it in reality or symbolism, it was incomparable.
If the Assassin Sect were to lose Nameless Mountain, would they still be called the Assassin Sect?
This was a foundation built by generations of people. If they were to lose it, how would Craneshadow have the face to continue living in this world?
The stakes were simply too big!
The reason why Tongtian dared to make such a big bet was because he had his own considerations. Although his cultivation was on par with Craneshadow's, and it was hard to say who would emerge victorious, he was extremely confident in Fangyuan. He believed that no disciple of the Assassin Sect below the age of twenty could defeat him, and the hesitation on Darkshadow and the other two's faces when Tongtian suggested a spar made him even more convinced.
If that was the case, he would be undefeatable from the very beginning. Even if he were to lose to Craneshadow, it would be a draw at most, and he would not lose anything no matter what.
With that in mind, Tongtian was afraid that Craneshadow would not agree to take a picture with him, so he said, "Sect Master Craneshadow, this disciple of mine, Fangyuan, has never seen much of the world and has always wanted to spar with experts. I know that the Assassin Sect is naturally full of experts, so why don't you give this useless disciple of mine a chance and let him fight three rounds in a row? If the Assassin Sect can win even one out of the three rounds, we'll consider it our loss. "
If what he said before was considered polite, then what he said now was a blatant provocation!
Letting his own disciple fight three battles in a row was simply too arrogant, arrogant to the point of being hateful!
Craneshadow's expression changed drastically. The Assassin Sect had never been looked down upon like this ever since it was founded. Although the assassin sects were all doing the same thing, there was still some form of contact between them. The other sects were either afraid of the Assassin Sect's strength, or they remembered the friendship of their ancestors, so no one was willing to openly fall out with them. Even if there were some minor conflicts, they would settle it in private.
Now, Tongtian wanted to test the limits of the Assassin Sect's patience, wanting to ruthlessly stab the old body of the Assassin Sect that was weakening by the day!
Actually, there were quite a few people in the Hitman League who knew about the Assassin Sect's decline, and most of them were jealous of the Assassin Sect's position as the number one assassin sect in the universe. However, Tongtian and his Sky Eradicators Sect were the first to actually dare stab them in the back!
If Craneshadow were to give in now, it would be the same as telling the world that the Assassin Sect was no longer as awe-inspiring as it was back then, and that they should all come and trample on him!
It was hard to send charcoal in snowy weather, but it was easy to hit someone when they were down; this was the nature of humans.
It was easy to imagine that more assassin sects would swarm over in the days to come, trampling on the Assassin Sect and raising their own status.
Craneshadow suddenly stood up with a smile and said loudly, "Sect Master Tongtian, since you're so interested, let's meet in the sparring field!"
* Thump! *
Moonshadow and the others suddenly felt their hearts sink. No matter how determined Craneshadow was, there was no way he could change the fact that his chances of winning were not high. Craneshadow's order was equivalent to pushing the Assassin Sect into an irrecoverable state, with no path of retreat left.
"Men, send Sect Master Tongtian to rest," Craneshadow ordered.
Having achieved his goal, Tongtian led his disciples down the mountain in satisfaction. The sparring field of the Assassin Sect was located at the foot of the mountain, and they needed to make some preparations for the upcoming tournament.
As soon as Tongtian and his group left, Darkshadow and the other two could not help but surround them.
"Great-master, shouldn't you reconsider? After all, this is a huge matter that concerns our Assassin Sect," Silvershadow hurriedly said, looking very flustered.
"That's right. I also think that the stakes are a little too high," Darkshadow added.
Craneshadow coldly snorted. "Do you really think Tongtian is only representing the Sky Eradicators Sect? Wake up. Everyone can see the predicament the Assassin Sect is in now. Even if Tongtian doesn't come today, it won't be long before the other sects come knocking on our door. "
Silvershadow and the other two remained silent. Everyone understood this logic, but there was always a sliver of wishful thinking in their hearts, preventing them from being as decisive as Craneshadow.
"Since the Assassin Sect won't be able to avoid this disaster no matter what, instead of slowly perishing, we might as well make it quick!" After saying this, Craneshadow strode out of the guest hall and headed up the mountain, leaving Darkshadow and the others to mull over his words.
It was at this moment that Nameless Mountain suddenly began to shake. The magnitude of the shaking was not too great, as if it was a small earthquake. About ten seconds later, the shaking stopped.
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