Starting from the pharmacy, he grew into a martial saint among men.

On the high platform.

As Xiong Zhen gazed at the two young figures on the light screen, he grew increasingly delighted. Such talents were truly worthy of his service.

Only Hung Hing of the Hung Family Martial Arts School felt a mix of emotions, silently shaking his head as he looked at the screen.

It's certainly a good thing to have gained so much from forming an alliance with Chu Hong, but the strength Chu Hong has displayed is simply too amazing.

His stunning performance made him somewhat uneasy, fearing that Zhou Mingrui, on whom he had placed high hopes, would be defeated during their duel.

In the Canglang Mountains, Chu Hong threw a piece of dry firewood into the fire:

"Brother Zhou, we should change locations tomorrow."

That's exactly what I was thinking.

They have almost completely cleared out the southwest area today, and have collected a large number of identity tokens.

Other candidates have either been targeted and eliminated by them, or have already been kept far away; staying here will not yield much benefit.

It would be better to sweep a different area.

While the two were discussing changing areas, the reputation of the "Martial Arts Duo" had already spread to other areas before they could.

Even the news of their victory over Li Hua and his group was spread.

When ordinary test takers hear this name, they feel as if a storm of blood and violence is brewing, and they are all terrified.

Only the other groups of powerful individuals, instead of feeling fear, were filled with fierce fighting spirit.

On the solitary peak, Zheng Yuan stood quietly, his gaze deep and somewhat heavy.

But a moment later, he gave an awkward smile, putting that hint of seriousness out of his mind.

He has always believed that the strong go it alone, while only the weak band together for warmth.

Although Chu Hong and Zhou Mingrui's efficiency in collecting identity tokens after joining forces was astonishing, that was because they hadn't encountered him yet.

Whenever they encounter him, it's the moment when both of them are eliminated.

He pondered to himself that with seventy-eight identity tokens in his hand, he was certain he could secure the top spot.

However, to be on the safe side, it would be necessary to obtain some additional identity cards.

For example, those two martial arts school duo have had a very fruitful day. If I can collect all their identity tokens, my ranking will definitely be far ahead of everyone else.

It firmly holds the top spot, unshakeable by anyone.

Zheng Yuan silently pondered, a resolute glint flashing in his eyes.

"Let's rest a bit tonight, and tomorrow we'll go and meet the two ruthless martial arts masters."

-----------------

Night once again enveloped Canglang Mountain.

After a round of elimination, the remaining candidates were all extra vigilant, each seeking a secluded place to rest.

Although monsters still roam, fewer candidates are being eliminated.

The night passed peacefully.

As dawn broke, the dazzling sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, creating a beautiful scene in the woods.

Chu Hong and Zhou Mingrui woke up and prepared for today's operation.

Soon after, the cold, solemn voice of ranking echoed once more from the horizon:

"First place, Zheng Yuan, seventy-eight yuan."

"Second place, Chu Hong, seventy-three yuan."

"Third place, Zhou Mingrui, sixty-one yuan."

"..."

The rankings left many test takers stunned.

To everyone's surprise, in just one day, the two martial arts masters had accumulated such a terrifying fortune, and there was even a hint that they were surpassing Zheng Yuan.

The person most shocked was Zheng Yuan.

He was resting when he heard the list and was quite surprised.

He had estimated that the two of them together would have at most a hundred identity tokens, but he never expected them to have such a strong foundation.

He secretly calculated that if he could seize all of their identity tokens, his own identity tokens would instantly skyrocket to over two hundred.

At that time, there will be no doubt that they will firmly hold the top spot.

Thinking of this, his heart burned with excitement.

Without resting any longer, he set off in the southwest direction.

Meanwhile, Chu Hong and Zhou Mingrui were all smiles as they listened to their rankings.

"Brother Chu, it seems our method is really effective." Zhou Mingrui's tone was somewhat smug. "If we have a few more good harvests today, Zheng Yuan will probably be trampled under our feet."

Chu Hong joked, "Haha, Brother Zhou, don't forget, we still have a duel. Are you afraid that if you lose, you'll only be doing me a favor?"

"Brother Chu, you have quite the big mouth. It's still uncertain who will emerge victorious."

Chu Hong smiled and said, "It seems Brother Zhou is very confident. Let's wait and see. But don't worry, Brother Zhou, our cooperation has been very pleasant."

"Even if I manage to beat you by chance, I'll leave you with some credentials so you don't end up empty-handed."

"Brother Chu, are you begging for mercy? Don't worry, I'll let you off the hook then. I guarantee Chu Hong will get his official rank." Zhou Mingrui grinned and responded defiantly.

-----------------

Outside the mountain training ground, the light screen swirled, and a figure swiftly darted through the forest.

"Look, Zheng Yuan is heading southwest!"

Someone with sharp eyes spotted this scene and immediately exclaimed.

The moment the words were spoken, they drew everyone's attention.

All eyes were focused on that figure as he passed through the screens of light.

This scene immediately sparked a flurry of discussion, with everyone speculating about Zheng Yuan's intentions.

"Zheng Yuan is firmly at the top of the rankings, so why is he heading southwest? Is he going to cause trouble for the 'Double Fiends' of the martial arts school?"

"Brother Zheng is determined to be number one. The two thugs from the martial arts school are too much of a threat. Only by dealing with them can Brother Zheng feel at ease."

"Perhaps that's true. With the number of identity tokens he has now, and if he takes over the Martial Arts Duo's assets, his position at the top of the list is definitely no longer in doubt."

"But Chu Hong and his companion are extremely powerful. Zheng Yuan is fighting two against one, so he might not be able to win."

After these words were spoken, everyone in the room fell silent.

Although Zheng Yuan performed exceptionally well in the previous competition, after three years of dormancy, his strength is unfathomable.

However, Chu Hong and Zhou Mingrui are not easy opponents either, and given Chu Hong's 'insidious' methods, it is truly difficult to predict who will win.

If Zheng Yuan were to lose because of this, he would suffer a huge loss.

However, there were quite a few supporters of Zheng Yuan in the crowd who scoffed at such remarks.

He spoke with an arrogant and disdainful expression:

"Hmph, Brother Zheng's strength is beyond doubt. He was among the top students in the last martial arts competition. How could Chu Hong and Zhou Mingrui possibly compete with him?"

If the previous discussions were peaceful, this attack carries a heavy personal emotion.

This immediately caused dissatisfaction among Zhou Sanhe.

He abruptly stood up and retorted:

"If he claims to be incredibly strong, how come he hasn't been able to break through to the Transformation Realm in three years, and hasn't produced any notable achievements? In my opinion, he's just all talk and no action. Only fools like you would believe that."

"That's just because my brother Zheng doesn't want to. His ambition is to achieve fame and success. Once he gets those titles, breaking through to the Transformation Realm will be a piece of cake, won't it?"

"Don't want to?!" Zhou Sanhe sneered. "What a fine excuse! He's clearly stuck at a bottleneck. I've heard he failed to break through it once."

"You...don't try to cause trouble here, my brother Zheng will win!" The man was furious when he realized that the truth had been revealed.

Wednesday He didn't press the issue, but simply spoke bluntly:

"What's the point of arguing? Why don't we take a gamble and see who wins?"

Upon hearing this, the man immediately dared not speak again.

Although he supports Zheng Yuan, he hasn't gone so far as to gamble with his entire fortune.

Seeing this, Zhou Sanhe laughed and said, "You keep saying you believe in Zheng Yuan, but you don't even dare to take a gamble. You already know the answer in your heart, don't you?"

"I...I just..." The man was extremely embarrassed and didn't know how to answer for a moment.

"I'll bet with you on Wednesday!"