In the Brahma Kingdom, there is the Brahma Sect, which is the national religion of the Brahma Kingdom. It is incredibly vast and powerful, making the Brahma Protector Dharma King exceptionally strong.
Besides this Brahma Protector Dharma King, who wears a five-peak crown, there are two other Protector Elders, also clad in light red monk robes. The rest are ordinary monks.
However, even these ordinary monks, selected to be in the Southern Border Great Camp, possess considerable cultivation. The weakest among them are Grandmasters of Hua Jin.
"You people of the Brahma Kingdom are truly audacious, daring to trespass into our Southern Border Great Camp! Do you know this is a capital offense!"
The Southern Border King, Lu Zheng Tong, stood tall in the courtyard, his voice a stern roar.
However, having just recovered from a serious illness, Lu Zheng Tong's complexion remained pale, and his breathing was somewhat weak.
The two parties met in the courtyard, and the Brahma Kingdom's Protector Dharma King spoke with equal coldness, "Presumably, this is the current Southern Border King, Lu Zheng Tong, correct?"
Just then, the Southern King's personal guards arrived in full force, quickly surrounding the courtyard. Following them, an elder guarding the mountains, who had been in seclusion in a small courtyard within the deep mountains, also appeared and stood beside the Southern King, Lu Zheng Tong.
Although the guardian supporting the Southern King and the one supporting the Lord of Guiyun Ridge were not on good terms usually, they stood side by side at this moment.
One of them wielded a saber, while the other held a sword!
"Immediately lay down your weapons, raise your hands, and squat down, or do not blame this King for being impolite!" the Southern King, Lu Zheng Tong, bellowed.
To his surprise, the Brahma Kingdom's Protector Dharma King before him showed no fear. Instead, he threw his head back and laughed heartily. After a while, he finally spoke, "You are Lu Zheng Tong, aren't you? I didn't expect much from you, but your temper is even greater than the Old Southern King!"
He then let out a snort and continued, "Thirty years ago today, my master had a duel with a master guard by the Old Southern King's side. However, he lost. At that time, my master made an agreement to have another contest thirty years from that day, to reclaim the humiliation of that year!"
"Unfortunately, my master passed away fifteen years ago. He left a will at that time, entrusting this agreement to me. That is why I have specifically come to visit today. By the way, if I recall correctly, you were also present at that match."
After speaking, the Brahma Kingdom's Protector Dharma King looked towards the guardian elder holding the saber.
This guardian elder, a saber expert named Meng San, nodded and said, "Indeed, I was present at the contest on Feilai Peak thirty years ago."
The Southern King, Lu Zheng Tong, immediately asked, "Was there an agreement between both sides at that time for another contest thirty years later?"
"Yes!" the guardian elder holding the saber confirmed.
Everyone present was immediately in an uproar, murmuring amongst themselves.
Even the guardian elder holding the sword, Wu Si, was taken aback, thinking that as one of the four great guardians of the Southern Border, he had never known about this matter.
However, it was understandable. Although he was already a renowned swordsman thirty years ago, he had not yet entered the core of the Southern Border and thus was not qualified to be involved.
"Southern King, what should we do next? Should we accept the challenge?" asked Ke Zhen Nan, the Lord of Nan Dao Ridge.
Lu Zheng Tong did not reply immediately. He was secretly assessing the current situation, or rather, estimating the opponent's strength to determine if they had a chance of winning.
A Brahma Kingdom Protector Elder sneered, "If you dare not compete, then just admit defeat. We won't be unreasonable!"
"Presumptuous! We people of the Dragon Country, how could we surrender without a fight? Wouldn't that make us a laughingstock to the world!" the hot-tempered Tu Fu gritted his teeth and shouted.
"Well said!"
The Southern King, Lu Zheng Tong, spoke, and then said sternly, "Since the Old Southern King made the promise back then, and now their descendants have come knocking, how could I, as the successor of the Old Southern King, refuse to fight? The Southern Border Great Camp accepts this challenge!"
"However, the specifics of how to compete and when to compete still need to be discussed properly!"
The Brahma Kingdom's Protector Dharma King smiled and said, "What is there to discuss? The method of combat will naturally be the same as thirty years ago, with three rounds, best of three. As for the time, it is naturally today, as was agreed upon back then!"
"Today? Isn't that a bit too sudden? We haven't prepared yet!" the Southern King, Lu Zheng Tong, said.
The Brahma Kingdom's Protector Dharma King sneered, "Ridiculous. Something agreed upon thirty years ago is equivalent to giving you thirty years to prepare. Now you say you're not ready? Isn't that laughable?"
"If you want to fight, then fight quickly. If you don't dare to fight, then admit defeat directly. Don't whine there like a coward!" another Protector Elder chimed in.
In fact, the sudden arrival of these Brahma Kingdom powerhouses today was clearly the result of thorough investigation. They knew that the Southern Border King was weak, that the five great ridges were in internal conflict and disunity, and that the Southern Border's four strongest guardians were not present at the Great Camp.
"What should we do now? The opponent insists on a match, but we only have two guardians here. The other two are still in Canggu Ridge. If we notify them to come, it will take until the afternoon at the earliest!" said Deputy Officer Zhou Yun.
"Damn it, these Brahma Kingdom fellows must have scouted our Great Camp beforehand, knowing that the other two guardians are absent, which is why they dare to come and challenge us with such impunity!" the Lords of Bai Yue Ridge and Guiyun Ridge, Yue Buzong, gritted their teeth.
Throughout the entire process, Xiao Yun Long stood quietly by the side with his hands behind his back. This was, after all, an internal affair of the Southern Border Great Camp, and it was not appropriate for him to interfere.
The Southern King, Lu Zheng Tong, pondered for a moment and remained hesitant. He then turned to Xiao Yun Long and asked, "Northern King, what is your opinion? Fight or not?"
Xiao Yun Long let out a cold snort, "The opponent has already barged onto our doorstep. What else is there to say? Let's just fight!"
"Good, then let's fight!"
Lu Zheng Tong nodded heavily, then looked at the group from the Brahma Kingdom and said coldly, "In fifteen minutes, both sides will proceed with the match as agreed!"
"Very well, I hope you keep your word. However, before the match, we must also agree on the stakes!"
The Brahma Kingdom's Protector Dharma King snorted, "If our side wins the upcoming match, I want to take away the plaque hanging at the entrance of the Great Camp!"
"And if you lose?" Deputy Officer Zhou Yun demanded.
"If we lose, then I will leave behind the five-peak crown I wear and the Zen staff in my hand. Is that acceptable?" the Protector Dharma King sneered.
The Southern King, Lu Zheng Tong, remained silent. After all, given the current situation, their chances of winning were slim. If they truly allowed the opponent to take the plaque of the Southern Border Great Camp back to the Brahma Kingdom, they would lose face completely.
Moreover, he would inevitably become a sinner of the Dragon Country.
"Then, as you say!" Xiao Yun Long spoke at this moment.
"Excellent!" The Brahma Kingdom's Protector Dharma King snorted, immediately sat cross-legged on the spot, followed by his two elders and all the Brahma Sect disciples.
Meanwhile, the Southern Border Great Camp was engaged in intense discussion.
"Best of three, besides that Protector Dharma King, the other two will surely be the Protector Elders," said Ke Zhen Nan, the Lord of Nan Dao Ridge.
"Who doesn't know that? Don't just state the obvious. Tell us how we should respond!" scoffed Yue Buzong, the Lord of Bai Yue Ridge.
Meng San spoke at this moment, "Those two Protector Elders, I can tell that their martial cultivation is similar to ours, both at the half-step Xiantian Kaiqiao realm. But that Dharma King, I simply cannot fathom."
"I can't fathom him either, but it's safe to assume his martial cultivation must be much stronger than the two Protector Elders, after all, he is the Protector Dharma King!" said Wu Si.
"Then how should we arrange the order of appearance? Esteemed guardians, if you were to face the Protector Dharma King, would you have a chance of winning?" asked the Southern King, Lu Zheng Tong.
The two guardian elders, Meng San and Wu Si, lowered their heads and remained silent, their meaning quite clear.
"Then, I will face the Brahma Kingdom's Protector Dharma King," Xiao Yun Long said calmly at this moment.