Being forced to grow like a pig? But I'm immune to the consequences!

Hearing this, before Yan Liang could respond, Wang Anxian laughed sarcastically, "Oh, sorry, sorry! We were too loud and disturbed Brother Liao's arduous training." He drawled, "Let's practice a little further away, so as not to bother Brother Liao. Brother Liao is working so hard every day and hasn't made a breakthrough yet, we shouldn't be disturbing him."

These words were like a slap in the face, landing hard on Liao Xing's cheek. His face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Yan Liang smiled, but pretended to smooth things over: "Hey, Wang An, don't say that. We're all brothers. Liao Xing told us to keep our voices down, so we'll be careful."

In the distance, Wu Sheng merely glanced at the scene before turning his gaze back to his practice. To him, wasting precious attention on such pointless comparisons and verbal sparring was the most foolish thing to do.

"Wu Sheng, have you broken through?" Mo Han asked in a low voice, sounding somewhat frustrated. "I... I feel like I'm still a long way off."

Wu Sheng didn't hide anything from Mo Han: "Yes, I've broken through. Don't rush, just continue your body tempering cultivation step by step. At your pace, reaching the third level within a month and staying in the Hyena Gang shouldn't be a problem."

His tone was calm yet resolute, carrying a strange, comforting power. Mohan nodded, his emotions gradually calming down.

……

Nighttime, the washroom area.

Wu Sheng was washing his sweat-soaked training clothes, while Mo Han had already returned to his dormitory to rest. At this time, the washroom area was usually not crowded, as many people were still waiting at the training ground for Guo Hui's no longer regular "fighting instruction."

Yan Liang wandered over for some reason, and seeing Wu Sheng, he casually asked, "Wu Sheng, Body Tempering Level Two, have you broken through?"

Wu Sheng had no interest in even giving Yan Liang a perfunctory reply; he merely glanced at him coldly without answering.

Yan Liang naturally interpreted this attitude as a sign of guilt and embarrassment at "failing to break through." He instinctively wanted to sneer and make a sarcastic remark, but just then, other trainees walked towards the washroom area.

Yan Liang's eyes darted around, and he instantly changed his tone, adopting a "senior caring for a junior" posture, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for others to hear:

"It's okay if you haven't made a breakthrough yet. Your talent is only slightly less than ours. I estimate you'll definitely succeed tomorrow or the day after. Don't be discouraged, keep working hard!"

After saying that, he turned and left with a satisfied look on his face, his back view exuding a superficial smugness.

Then, a tall and sturdy figure approached; it was Tu Nan. He saw Wu Sheng, nodded in greeting, and Wu Sheng returned the nod.

"You guys came back quite early today," Wu Sheng said casually.

"Master Guo said that there will be no more extra combat training in the evenings from now on," Tu Nan explained in a deep voice.

"I see," Wu Sheng said, understanding dawning on him.

As Tu Nan turned on the tap, he asked, seemingly casually, "That guy Yan Liang just now... you didn't break through to the second level?"

Wu wrung out the washed clothes, his tone flat and emotionless:

"It's broken. I'm just too lazy to bother with it."

Tu Nan paused slightly, glanced at Wu Sheng, nodded, and said nothing more.

"Understood."

The simple conversation ended with the sound of flowing water. The night at the training camp was still filled with the smell of sweat, fatigue, and the silent growth of competition and ambition.

The ninth day.

The test day arrived in the blink of an eye. Guo Hui and Zhang Yong arrived at the training ground on time, and the atmosphere instantly became tense yet expectant.

"Line up, test!" Zhang Yong said succinctly, getting straight to the point.

Overall, the results of this test were quite encouraging. Under the continuous catalysis of the potential-enhancing potion for eight days, all trainees successfully broke through to the first level of Body Tempering, without exception.

"Master Guo, we've all broken through to the next level. Is there a chance we can get extra potions?" someone asked hopefully.

"It depends on the rate of progress," Guo Hui answered decisively, his gaze sweeping over everyone without any particular surprise. Clearly, the current progress was still within the expected trajectory he and Zhang Yong had anticipated.

The test continued. Soon, it was the turn of the previous champion in punching power—Tunan.

"How many do you think Tu Nan will get this time? Could he already be on the second floor and continue to dominate the rankings?"

"Hard to say, I haven't heard him mention a breakthrough..."

Amidst the murmurs, Tu Nan stepped forward calmly. His imposing frame lowered slightly as he gathered his strength, then unleashed a powerful punch!

"129 kg!"

The numbers on the screen jumped, eliciting a chorus of gasps!

"A full 20 kilograms more than last time! This is definitely a breakthrough!"

"Impressive! They've been so quiet; it looks like the top spot is about to change hands again!"

Guo Hui looked at the numbers, a rare look of approval on his face: "Not bad. Keep it up, and the chances of entering the inner city are very good."

Following them, the second and third place finishers took to the stage. However, their performance improved only moderately, with their punching power increasing by only about 10 kilograms, clearly indicating that they were still some distance from breaking through to the second level of Body Tempering.

Seeing this, Guo Hui calmly reassured him, "This is normal progress, don't be discouraged. If you keep working this way, you have a good chance of reaching the third level, and the fourth level is not entirely out of the question."

Then it was Liao Xing's turn.

He resorted to his old trick, first bowing respectfully towards Guo Hui and Zhang Yong, as if it were some kind of ritual. However, this could not conceal his mediocre performance.

108kg.

The increase was less than 10 kilograms.

Upon seeing the result, Liao Xing's face suddenly darkened. He said reluctantly, "Teacher Guo, I...can I take the test again? I might not have performed well just now..."

"Get down!" Guo Hui frowned, waved his hand impatiently. The testing equipment rarely malfunctioned; to him, this request was nothing more than a futile struggle. Liao Xing could only grit his teeth and retreat, his face burning with embarrassment.

After Liao Xing came Mo Han.

Mohan knew his improvement wouldn't be too dramatic, but remembering Wu Sheng's encouragement, he remained calm. He stepped forward, lowered his waist, and threw a punch.

114kg.

"Not bad." Guo Hui nodded, unusually adding a comment, "It seems you guys have indeed been practicing diligently step by step."

The people who ranked second to fifth in the first test failed to break through the second level this time, which inevitably caused some sighs in the room.

However, everyone's attention was quickly drawn to the next two people—Yan Liang and Zhang Lin. Everyone remembered that the two of them had claimed yesterday that they had broken through to the second level of Body Tempering, and now was the time to verify it.

The two fighters took turns entering the ring, and the results of their punches were indeed impressive:

"120 kg!"

"123 kg!"

Seeing these results, Guo Hui finally showed a more obvious smile: "Hmm, not bad. You two, along with Tu Nan, are the most talented among this group. In previous years, it would have been considered good if one or two talents like you emerged."

The two returned to the group, naturally attracting a barrage of compliments and exclamations, some genuine and some feigned, instantly overshadowing Liao Xing and the others who had previously performed mediocrely.

Next, it was Wu Sheng's turn.

"How many do you think Wu Sheng has?"

"He took a palm strike from that person in the inner city, and he might have some hidden injuries. I think it's unlikely he can break through the second level."

"Didn't Yan Liang say yesterday that he didn't break through and would probably only gain about ten kilograms?"

"That's not necessarily true. No one can say for sure what Wu Sheng has never admitted to."