Starting with photographic memory, I've worked my way up to become a martial arts immortal.

Inside the outer courtyard, everyone was startled upon hearing this, and an eerie silence filled the air.

"Jiang Yuan! Who are you calling a villain!" Yu Heng said through gritted teeth.

"What do you think?" Jiang Yuan asked calmly.

Jiang Yuan's actions were not impulsive; the insults Yu Heng and the others had hurled at him were like a gentle breeze to him.

He is not yet able to defeat Yu Heng, so it is not the time to confront him head-on. He should use this time to cultivate and improve his strength.

Liang Shen has been sparring with him frequently these days, and the two have long since become friends.

Now that Liang Shen has stood up for him, he has been forced into a dead end, and he can no longer stand idly by.

Yu Heng's face was grim, and he coldly said, "Jiang Yuan, you have insulted me so much, today I will duel you. Do you dare?"

"That's right, how dare you!" Zuo Qi chimed in from the side.

Jiang Yuan looked at Yu Heng expressionlessly and said casually, "What's there to be afraid of?"

What!

Yu Heng was taken aback upon hearing this, but his heart was instantly filled with joy.

Could it be that this kid is unaware of the vast difference in strength between the two?

He was blinded by anger and lost his mind!

Whatever the reason, he agreed to it himself.

Yu Heng could already picture the kid being beaten until he cried and begged, kneeling before him and bowing his head in apology, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

The disciples who had been watching the show instantly erupted in chaos. Since the establishment of the White Crane Martial Arts School, no one had ever broken this rule.

They looked at Jiang Yuan as if he were an idiot.

Even among ten disciples who practice diligently, only one might succeed in achieving the Ming Jin skill.

Once one breaks through to the Ming Jin level, all bodily functions will undergo a leap forward, widening the gap between them and disciples who have not yet reached the Ming Jin level.

Therefore, in their minds, Jiang Yuan was courting death!

Of course, with his master Wei Xuan supervising him, he wouldn't die, but he couldn't avoid broken bones and severed tendons, thus ending his martial arts career.

Liang Shen gripped Jiang Yuan's arm tightly. "Junior Brother Jiang, please don't act rashly! Let's go!"

"What are you talking about, leaving?" Yu Hengsheng, fearing Jiang Yuan might change his mind, asked urgently, disregarding his pride, "Do you mean what you say?"

"Of course," Jiang Yuan said firmly. "A gentleman's word is his bond!"

"Fine, fine, you're the gentleman, and I'm the scoundrel!" Yu Heng laughed angrily. "Let's go, let's go find our master now!"

"Let's all go and see what's going on!" Zuo Qi shouted from the sidelines, seemingly eager to stir up trouble.

Upon hearing this, everyone agreed and began to crowd around to go over.

"Wait!" Jiang Yuan shouted.

"What, are you scared?" Yu Heng sneered.

He thought to himself that it wasn't too late to back down now, and he'd see how this kid would handle the situation.

Zuo Qi jumped up. "Jiang Yuan, what you just said about being a gentleman and having several horses—were you just talking nonsense?!"

The other disciples also stopped and focused their attention on Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan ignored Zuo Qi's provocation and looked at Yu Heng, "Of course I'm not afraid. A duel is fine, but not today!"

"When was that?" Yu Heng asked.

"Yeah, do you mean ten years from now? I wouldn't dare say something like that." A voice of doubt arose from the crowd.

Jiang Yuan waved his hand, "Yu Heng, you entered the martial arts school more than two months before me, so I won't take advantage of you. How about we set the duel for after January?"

A month?

Yu Heng stroked his chin, lost in thought.

The disciples of the martial arts school whispered among themselves, some looking disappointed, some suspecting that Jiang Yuan was stalling for time, and others thinking that Jiang Yuan's suggestion was reasonable.

"What, scared?" Jiang Yuan retorted sarcastically.

afraid?

Yu Heng snorted coldly. So what if he gets a month? He himself had above-average aptitude and it took him more than four months to break through and achieve the Ming Jin realm. Did this kid think he could catch up in three months?

So all his hard work practicing these past few days has been for nothing?

He didn't believe it. Only those who had walked this path knew how difficult it was. This Jiang Yuan was neither a genius nor a scion of a noble family who had used elixirs to cleanse his marrow and bones since childhood. Would he turn the world upside down if he were given another month?

His mind settled down, and then he thought about something even deeper.

Even if I defeat him now, many people will think that he is narrow-minded, that his victory is unfair, and that he injured his junior brother right after breaking through.

If he backs down now, he will not only show his magnanimity, but also shut up the gossip.

Having figured everything out, Yu Heng said, "Alright, let's set it for January. All the senior and junior brothers in the academy will be witnesses!"

Wei Chong suddenly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Jiang Yuan's sleeve. "Junior Brother Jiang, are you stupid? Apologize to Yu Heng and that's it. Don't ruin your future!"

Jiang Yuan shook his head: "I have already agreed to this matter, Third Senior Brother, there is no need to persuade me any further."

"How can I not understand you!" Wei Chong said anxiously, then took off running. "I'm going to find Father to talk things over."

"What do you need me for?"

Wei Xuan was teaching his disciples in the inner courtyard when he heard the commotion in the outer courtyard getting increasingly noisy, so he came over to check and happened to witness this scene.

As if he had found a pillar of support, Wei Chong immediately described everything he had just seen as quickly and objectively as possible.

However, contrary to his expectations, Wei Xuan did not get angry. Instead, he calmly asked, "Have you two thought this through?"

Yu Heng spoke first: "Jiang Yuan insulted me, and I feel deeply resentful. Only a duel can resolve this."

"And you?"

Jiang Yuan bowed respectfully: "Master, I have already agreed and will not regret it."

"Fine, I'll give you another month to consider. If the conflict remains unresolved by then, I'll allow you to come up on stage and duel!"

After saying this, Wei Xuan flicked his sleeves and returned to the inner courtyard, not even glancing at Yu Heng, the newly entered Ming Jin disciple.

Yu Heng's heart tightened, and a hint of regret flashed in his eyes.

However, he quickly rallied his spirits, gave Jiang Yuan a cold snort, and turned to leave the martial arts school.

Liang Shen said in a low voice, "Junior Brother Jiang, I was reckless and made you..."

Jiang Yuan quickly interrupted with a smile, "Senior Brother Liang, I should also thank you for standing up for me at the crucial moment."

"Junior Brother Jiang, no matter what, you're the one who took this duel for me. If you're crippled a month from now, I'll take care of you," Liang Shen said sincerely to Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan was immediately at a loss for words: "I don't need a grown man like you to take care of me. If you really care about me, then you can be my sparring partner for the next month."

Liang Shen nodded matter-of-factly: "After sparring with you so many times recently, I feel that my boxing skills have improved a lot."

Wei Chong raised his head, about to speak, but then felt there was nothing to say to two idiots, so he just sighed, put his hands behind his back, and left.

Jiang Yuan leaped back onto the wooden stake.

At this moment, a panel that others could not see appeared in his field of vision.

Name: Jiang Yuan

[Potential]: 7.3

【技艺】：研读（破限54/5000）、【鹤形桩功（熟练536/1000）、【鹤形拳（熟练761/1000）】

【Characteristic】: Photographic memory

Jiang Yuan's decision to set a one-month deadline was not without reason; more than twenty days had passed since he dealt with Zhang Yong and his men.

He secretly used the money he obtained to buy medicines to improve his blood and qi, and his daily diet was also upgraded several levels.

He could feel that as his body grew stronger and his blood and qi became more abundant, his cultivation progress was also accelerating.

Taking Crane Stance Exercise as an example, I used to get about 12 or 13 experience points per day, but now it has stabilized at around 20 points per day.

So, the month he set aside was plenty of time.

It is more than enough for him to improve both Crane Stance and Crane Fist to a minor level and break through to Ming Jin!

At that time, what will Yu Heng and his ilk have to fear!