I will eventually become a god through sheer hard work.

Ning Fengwan said in a low voice:

"You're the one who's working so hard."

Xue Jing smiled, said no more, and carefully put the five silver-white claws on the table into his robes.

……

Around 2 PM, Xue Jing delivered Ning Fengwan, who had transformed into a cat, to his sister Xue Wan.

He then took the Futu Knife, got into Jiang Siwei's car that had come to pick him up, and together with Yin Muhu, arrived at Fengcheng Gymnasium once again.

"Tickets for today's game are sold out."

Yin Muhu said in the players' lounge.

“It’s rare for the U19 regional knockout stage to have such a situation, with all 20,000 tickets sold out, and even scalped tickets appearing.”

Jiang Siwei looked at Xue Jing sitting in the chair and teased:

"I bet the U19 officials would love to kowtow to you on the spot, Xiao Jing."

She knew all too well why the tickets sold out.

This buzz was all thanks to Xue Jing's iconic smile at the camera.

"It's good, it'll be more lively with more people," Xue Jing said casually, seemingly unconcerned.

"Good afternoon, viewers! Welcome to the U19 Fengcheng knockout stage. After a day of rest, we will be welcoming the round of 16 to the quarterfinals. Today, we will also see eight exciting matches!"

The sound of narration filled the venue.

"We can see that there are a lot of spectators here. We are very happy that our U19 team has received so much attention. In today's competition, not only will the highly anticipated player Xue Jing be playing, but there are also many other outstanding young talents..."

……

Chapter 144 Hey, I'm going to beat up Xue Jing? Really? Sorry, I'm in a rush. (4K)

"Dragon and Tiger Combo! It's the Dragon and Tiger Combo! He had been using the 'White Tiger Form' to fight before, which made people think that he was Ji Huaiyu, a contestant who specialized in the White Tiger Form. But he has also mastered the 'Azure Dragon Form', and his skill is in no way inferior to the White Tiger Form. He has reached the point where he can unleash the Dragon and Tiger Combo!"

"He's down! Si Liyuan has fallen! As expected of the Four-Phase Killing Move, renowned throughout the martial arts world, no one can withstand the combined force of the dragon's bite and the tiger's pounce. Si Liyuan, what a pity..."

In the players' lounge, looking at the images on the screen and listening to the commentary, Xue Jing nodded.

"The Four Phases Yin Spirit Flow, that's interesting."

Ji Huaiyu of the Four Symbols Dojo cultivates the Four Symbols Yin Spirit Stream, a school quite similar to the Hidden Dragon Stream, both being 'figurative' schools that visualize powerful creatures.

However, unlike the Hidden Dragon School's "body and mind are both dragons," the Four Symbols Yin God School focuses on the mind rather than the body. It does not have the Hidden Dragon School's domineering attempt to transform itself into a dragon by "hiding the dragon in the body and nurturing the dragon in the heart." Instead, it respectfully regards the four divine beasts as gods, worships them in its heart, and borrows the power of the "god in its heart" when it makes a move.

In fact, its style is more like "divine fighting" than "pictographic" in terms of its classification.

"Ji Huaiyu... This person is one of the most watched genius players in the outer ring this year, and has also attracted the attention of top clubs in the inner ring, who intend to recruit him into the inner ring circle."

Jiang Siwei stood to the side, holding a notebook and writing something on it as she spoke.

“There are even rumors that the ‘Secret Martial Arts Society’ has contacted him.”

Xue Jing looked at her, puzzled, and asked, "The Secret Martial Arts Society?"

Jiang Siwei: "You don't know? Hmm... It's a very famous but mysterious organization in the martial arts circle, just like the Skull and Bones Society or the Freemasons."

"Rumor has it that the Secret Martial Arts Society was founded by a prominent figure who currently resides in Cangting, in his youth for a certain purpose."

"Although that important figure himself has left the Secret Martial Arts Society, the organization has been preserved and passed down to this day."

"What exactly the Secret Martial Arts Society is, and what its purpose is, is unknown to anyone except its members. It is very mysterious. However, those who can be contacted and absorbed by the Secret Martial Arts Society are all martial arts prodigies with exceptional talent."

Jiang Siwei said in a low voice, "Although it's not very credible, there are rumors that this organization has the power to overthrow the country."

Xue Jing remained noncommittal: "Hmm...that sounds impressive."

Jiang Siwei glanced at the women's watch on her wrist and reminded her, "Xiao Jing, there are still fifteen minutes left in halftime before it's your turn to go on."

Xue Jing also picked up his phone and glanced at it.

【16:39】

There are 21 minutes left until 5 p.m.

"Hmm... we should make it in time."

Xue Jing put away his phone and picked up the Futu Knife next to him.

"Oh right, who did I hit again?" he asked, puzzled.

Jiang Siwei smiled helplessly: "You haven't paid any attention to your opponent at all..."

"It's Gu Hongding from the Kunming Youth Club, a very rare 'battlefield-style' martial artist."

Xue Jing raised an eyebrow: "What is that?"

Jiang Siwei explained, "Simply put, it means he'll stop at nothing... You'll see when you see him."

Soon, shouts from staff members could be heard outside the door.

"Xue Jing, Xue Jing, get ready to enter the arena!"

Xue Jing wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but this time the staff's voices were much more cautious and respectful than the day he first went on stage.

Xue Jing nodded and said, "Then I'll go, Sister Wei."

Jiang Siwei smiled and said, "Go ahead, may your martial arts prowess be great!"

……

The players' lounge on the other side.

"Hey, I hit Xue Jing? Really...?"

Gu Hongding, a bald man with a robust, even slightly obese, build and a potbelly, was sitting in a chair, scratching his smooth head.

He glanced at his friend Deng Jizhou, who was also a contestant beside him:

"Old Zhou, you're good at fortune telling, right? Help me calculate my birth chart. Is my fate strong today?"

Deng Jizhou, a tall man with long hair and wearing a black martial arts uniform, shrugged and said:

"I've calculated it; it's as hard as titanium alloy."

Gu Hongding breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."

After saying that, he picked up a piece of titanium alloy full-body armor with an antique style and put it on.

Under the light, the scales reflected a metallic luster, giving them an appearance of indestructible hardness.

"You really have no shame, Lao Gu."

Deng Jizhou looked at him speechlessly.

"What do you know? This is just how we battlefield faction members are. It's not shamelessness, it's just our unique style!"

Gu Hongding pounded his chest twice and nodded in satisfaction.

"Damn it, the opponent is that Xue Jing... You saw it with your own eyes."

"Without this gear, nobody would dare to go up and fight him... I don't want to end up like that Li Chengxuan, with all my good flesh ripped off."

"To be honest, although we only saw him make a move once, we could basically tell that his strength was not on the same level as ours."

"We battlefield faction always prioritize survival... It's a shame we have to fight against an opponent we have no chance of winning."

Gu Hongding sighed.

Deng Jizhou smiled and said:

"But you didn't admit defeat, nor did you run away; you prepared diligently, didn't you?"

A look of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.

"Go for it, Lao Gu. The hymn of humanity is the hymn of courage. You may be shameless, but you are a tough guy with courage."

"Keep it up, I think you can win."

Gu Hongding rolled his eyes: "Come on."

He strode forward, picked up the three-meter-long cleaver lying against the wall, and walked towards the door, his titanium alloy armor making a clicking sound.

"Then I'll go right now."

Gu Hongding's expression was solemn, even tinged with a sense of tragic grandeur.

It was as if they weren't going to a competition, but rather heading to a battlefield where they were certain to die.

Deng Jizhou found it somewhat amusing: "Go ahead, but remember to be decisive later. If you feel you can't play anymore, just surrender. There's no shame in that."

Gu Hongding waved his hand with his back to him: "I know."

……

"The short halftime break is over, let's get back to the game..."

"...The next match is undoubtedly the most anticipated match of the day, featuring Gu Hongding from Kunqing Club against Xue Jing from Yinhe Club..."

After rambling on for a while, commentator Hao Yongyun finally said:

"Alright, enough chit-chat, let's welcome—contestant Gu Hongding!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the spotlights converged on the contestants' passage.

With a clicking sound, Gu Hongding, clad in thick, tortoise-shell-like armor and resembling a Gundam, emerged from the passage and came into the spotlight.

The applause from the audience was tinged with a bit of uproar.

"What's that? Cosplay?"

"Holy crap, he's wearing full armor? How scared is this guy...?"

"Haha, I can understand it, after all, my opponent is my husband..."

"If you hadn't told me, I would have thought he was going to the battlefield. He's both cowardly and shameless, but his extreme shamelessness makes him quite amusing."

"Go for it, big brother in armor!"

The narrator explained: