Chapter 460 The Crime of Accepting the Challenge
The next morning, the Mystic Alliance of Glowing Oasis announced they had accepted Dane's challenge.
The announcement sent shockwaves through the martial arts community.
Everyone outside of the Mystic Alliance members thought James had lost his mind.
A branch leader, a young man in his twenties, daring to challenge Dane?
It wasn't just bold; it was reckless.
Dane had been famous for years. Even when James was still in diapers, Dane was already a rising star in Lumaria's martial arts scene. What did James have to challenge him with?
Countless voices of doubt and ridicule spread.
While the outside world expressed their skepticism about James, he was training at Leo Villa Retreats.
Although he had confidently accepted the challenge, it didn't mean he was sure of victory, so he seized every moment to train.
The Shadowless Heart Sutra had nine levels, and James had only completed the second level, never breaking into the third.
He hoped to make some progress in the week ahead, which would give him a better chance against Dane.
At the same time, James marveled at the power of the Shadowless Heart Sutra. Completing the first level granted him Low Level, the second level brought him to Mid Level, and the third level would likely be High Level.
If he could master it all, he estimated he could dominate the world.
Thinking of this, he felt a surge of excitement and focused on his training.
A few hours later, James's body trembled, and he opened his eyes to find a layer of grime covering him.
His spirit and body felt purer than before, but he still hadn't reached the third level, which left him a bit disappointed. However, he didn't push himself too hard and stopped his training.
Just as James finished his shower and walked into the living room, the phone rang. He put on his headset to answer, and his expression changed after a moment.
James tossed the towel onto the sofa, greeted Dax and Samantha, and then headed to the Mystic Alliance with Francis.
Ollie had called to inform him that Terrence Wheeler, the law enforcement elder from the Mystic Alliance headquarters, had arrived at Glowing Oasis.
As soon as Terrence arrived, he issued a warning, whipping Milo and Ruby and temporarily taking over the Glowing Oasis Mystic Alliance.
James didn't know their intentions, but he wouldn't let them run rampant.
The car quickly arrived at the Mystic Alliance, and James and Francis got out, soon meeting Ollie.
"James, you're finally here," Ollie said anxiously. "If you hadn't come, Terrence would have torn this place apart."
As they walked, James asked, "What's this Terrence's background?"
Although he was the president, he was only familiar with Lancelot and Richard and didn't know much about the Mystic Alliance's structure or its elders.
To him, Terrence was just another old man in the park.
Ollie lowered his voice and reported, "Terrence is one of the Mystic Alliance elders and the law enforcement elder, responsible for dealing with members who break the rules."
"He's not particularly strong, but he's been around for a long time, one of the first to help establish the Mystic Alliance, and he loves to throw his weight around."
"He had conflicts with my dad in the past, so he's always had a grudge against the Glowing Oasis Mystic Alliance. Every time he inspected, he would find fault."
"My dad spent a lot of money to deal with him, but the money went to Zachary and others, which made Terrence hate Glowing Oasis even more."
"After my dad died, he tried to get his nephew, Atticus Wheeler, to become president, but you came in and ruined his plans."
He added, "So he's been unhappy with you as president from the start."
James interrupted Ollie, "What's his reason for causing trouble here?"
Ollie whispered, "It's because you accepted the challenge."
James frowned. "The challenge?"
As they spoke, they entered the Mystic Alliance hall.
The hall, usually solemn with the scent of incense, now had a hint of blood.
In the center, five people knelt on the hard floor: Ruby, Milo, Mia, Nathaniel, and Crazy Bear.
They gritted their teeth, kneeling on spiked boards, their backs bearing the marks of whips, bloodied and bruised.
Behind them stood five men in yellow robes, gently wiping their whips with tissues.
Further back, in James's usual seat, sat a short, fat old man with a beard, playing with two balls in his hands, looking disdainful.
There was no doubt he was Terrence.
On either side of Terrence stood several young female disciples, arms crossed or sneering, watching Ruby and the others with glee.
Law enforcement's highlight was executing family law on these core members.
"James, aren't you going to kneel?" Terrence looked over before James could explode.
He had clearly done his homework on James to lock onto him so quickly.
The female disciples also glared at James, shouting, "Kneel!"
"Kneel?" James walked in with his hands behind his back, his gaze cold as he stared at Terrence. "Why?"
"Kid, how dare you talk to Mr. Wheeler like that?" one of the women shouted. "Do you want me to smash your mouth?"
Terrence waved to stop the woman, looking at James calmly. "Because I'm the law enforcement elder, because I'm an elder of the Mystic Alliance."
James walked forward slowly. "Mr. Wheeler, what rule did I break to deserve kneeling and punishment?"
Ruby and the others wanted to advise him, but seeing James's stance, they gave up. They knew James was angry.
"What rule did you break? You don't know?" Terrence slammed the table. "Don't play dumb with me, or your punishment will be worse."
James spoke coldly, "I really don't know. Please enlighten me."
Before Terrence could respond, the woman angrily shouted, "Dane issued a challenge, and you accepted it without permission. That's your mistake, that's your crime."
"Do you think accepting the challenge is just your business?"
"Wrong! You are the president of Glowing Oasis. If you lose this fight, your life doesn't matter, but you'll disgrace the Mystic Alliance and all of Celestia."
"Then, the entire martial arts world will mock us for being arrogant and look down on Celestia's martial arts."
"Milo and Ruby, as core members of Glowing Oasis Mystic Alliance, didn't stop you from recklessly accepting the challenge, so they must also be punished."
"James, I advise you to kneel and accept Mr. Wheeler's punishment, then publicly declare the challenge void."
"Otherwise, we'll teach you a lesson today and take you back to Stardust City to lock you in the water prison for three years."
She looked at James with contempt. "Aren't you going to kneel? Do you want us to make you?"
The other female disciples also sneered at James, thinking he was just a pawn Lancelot had brought in to be a scapegoat.
Terrence didn't speak, just sat in James's seat, leisurely drinking coffee.
The woman's words were his thoughts.
The woman sneered, glaring at James again. "If you don't kneel, we'll get angry."
"First of all, whether or not to accept the challenge is my business. And let's not forget, in martial arts, there are always winners and losers."
James's gaze was cold as he looked at Terrence and the others. "But tell me, why are you so sure I'll lose this fight?"
"A young punk like you, what do you have to challenge Dane?" The woman raised an eyebrow. "You probably can't even beat me—"
James slapped her, sending her flying.
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