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

Everyone remembers his bet with Wu Sheng.

With so many eyes watching him, Xue Yufeng felt immense pressure.

There was a murmur of discussion from the audience, the voices neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Do you think Xue Yufeng will challenge Wu Sheng?"

"Damn it, how are we supposed to challenge him? Are we supposed to go and challenge him with our heads? How can a fourth-level Body Tempering cultivator fight a fifth-level one?"

"Who knows? Maybe their fighting skills are ridiculously strong?"

"Nonsense, right? No matter how strong your fighting skills are, can they be stronger than the suppression of a whole realm?"

"So, do you think he dares to go up and challenge them?"

I bet he wouldn't dare.

"If he doesn't dare, wouldn't he become a laughingstock? I remember he was the one who provoked Wu Sheng in the cafeteria first, wasn't he? Now he's too scared to go up—what kind of son is that? A coward?"

"Haha, not a son of a turtle, I think he's more like a grandson of a turtle."

The people in the audience, seemingly discussing something, subtly laced their words with inflammatory undertones. To them, it was merely a spectacle—the more intense the conflict between Wu Sheng and Xue Yufeng, the more entertained they became.

Xue Yufeng stood there, his face turning pale and then flushed.

He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, but he still didn't take that step.

—What can a fourth-level tempered body fight against a fifth-level tempered body?

But those harsh words they made back then, they're now admitting defeat in front of everyone...

He was caught in a dilemma.

Just as Xue Yufeng was hesitating, a group of people suddenly entered from outside the training ground.

Judging from their uniforms, they are trainees from an advanced training ground.

Cheng Mingyuan was among them. His gaze swept across the crowd, met Wu Sheng's eyes, and he nodded slightly. Wu Sheng nodded in response.

"Hey, looks like we've come at just the right time—just in time for these two guys to fight," one of the students said.

"But why aren't they fighting? Are they chickening out? Too scared to go in?"

(Please remember the website ①⓪①ⓚⓚⓢ.ⓒⓞⓜ for the fastest chapter updates)

"Don't chicken out! Damn it, didn't we agree to fight? What's with you chickening out now?"

"Hurry up and call! Don't make us come all this way for nothing."

There's no doubt that these guys from the advanced training ground are here to have some fun.

For a moment, the trainees in the ordinary training grounds kept glancing at each other – they hadn't expected that this matter would even alarm the people in the advanced training grounds.

The instructors, including Tavin, didn't try to drive them away, since the training ground was open to the public.

However, all of this only made Xue Yufeng feel more and more embarrassed.

"You have five minutes," Taven said, reminding them, "Do the remaining four champions want to challenge the top four? Make your decision within five minutes, or the tournament ends here."

His gaze also swept over Xue Yufeng and Wu Sheng.

The martial arts academy was both large and small. As the instructor for this group of students, he had heard about the conflicts among them, but he didn't take it to heart. Martial arts practitioners are full of energy and vitality, so some conflicts are inevitable; they happen every year, so it's nothing unusual.

As for crippling or incapacitating someone—it's not impossible that they might lose control on the stage. Even if that happens, the martial arts academy won't do anything. The stage is chosen by the participants; no one forces them, and they can concede defeat promptly. Under these rules, if someone is truly crippled, it's their own fault.

For a moment, the atmosphere on the field became heavy.

Xue Yufeng was caught in a dilemma. He looked at Wu Sheng and listened to the whispers of the crowd below the stage, finding himself in a difficult situation.

If he doesn't challenge, he'll become a coward. If he does challenge, he can't win—losing is just as embarrassing.

But the tough words have already been spoken. If we don't even dare to challenge them, then we'll truly be the worst of the worst.

After thinking for a moment, he had an idea: go up and challenge him, last a few rounds, and then admit defeat; it wouldn't be too embarrassing. After all, Wu Sheng was at the fifth level of Body Tempering, so his loss wouldn't be entirely unjust.

"I want to challenge Wu Sheng," Xue Yufeng said.

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd below the stage all looked on with expressions of anticipation for a good show.

"I didn't expect Xue Yufeng to be so bold."

"Dare? I think they're just too proud to admit it."

Anyway, we'll find out in a bit.

Wu Sheng remained calm and silently walked onto the arena, standing there waiting for Xue Yufeng. His expression seemed to say: Come on up.

Xue Yufeng also went up.

"Let's begin," Tavan said. "Do not deliberately attack vital points. Punches and kicks have no eyes; injuries are inevitable. You'll have to manage yourselves."

On the ring, the two stood facing each other.

Xue Yufeng wanted to say a few more trashy words: "Wu Sheng, I admit you're lucky to have broken through to the fifth level of Body Tempering first. But give me two more days, and I can break through too."

"Are you finished?" Wu Sheng asked calmly.

These words were like a slap in the face to Xue Yufeng. This condescending attitude, which was meant for the commoners in the inner city, was now being used on him instead!

The proud and arrogant Xue Yufeng couldn't stand it anymore.

"Wu Sheng, don't be so arrogant!"

He let out a vicious shout, then grinned maliciously and mocked, "You're just a lowly bastard from the outer city! Even if you break through to the fifth level of Body Tempering, you're still just a lowly bastard! You lowly bastards from the outer city will never be able to rise above your station in the inner city!"

The atmosphere in the training field suddenly froze upon hearing this.

Although the people from the inner city carried a sense of superiority and looked down on those from the outer city, most only dared to make sarcastic remarks in private. Who would dare to curse them to their face? Wouldn't that be asking for trouble?

To put it bluntly, they're not nobles; their ancestors came from the outer city generations ago. Not all the instructors at the martial arts academy are from the inner city; some came from the outer city and settled there.

Upon hearing this, the students from the outer city all glared at Xue Yufeng with eyes like knives, wishing they could devour him alive.

"What's that bastard dog's name? Does being from the inner city make you superior? Aren't people from the inner city human too?"

"What's he doing acting so high and mighty? He's not some nobleman, what's he putting on airs for?"

"We're all training in the same place, who's stronger than whom? If he's so good, why doesn't he go to the advanced training ground?"

"Damn it, let Wu Sheng cripple him!"

"Exactly, I've disliked this guy for a long time!"

The students in the outer city were outraged.

The group at the advanced training ground were discussing it in a teasing tone.

"Wow, this guy's pretty arrogant. Doesn't he understand the meaning of 'might makes right'?"

"A fourth-level Body Tempering cultivator dared to speak rudely to a fifth-level Body Tempering cultivator; he deserved to be beaten to death."

"Sigh, these mediocre guys are the ones who care the most about their pathetic status."

The trainees in the advanced training grounds clearly understand that only strength is the most reliable thing, and everything else is just embellishment.

The inner-city students dared not say anything at this moment. Although they outnumbered each other, they were the most adept at assessing the situation and at presenting a "rational and correct" posture in public. Even the descendants of martial artists and collateral branches of noble families had already said those words, so what could they dare to say? It was good enough if they didn't echo them.

Moreover, many inner-city students had inquired about the instructors' backgrounds—Instructor Tavan was from the outer city.