Upon hearing this, the little girl cried even more piteously.

Even though the sharp sword had disappeared, she still wanted to smash Wang Zhan's brains out with just her claws.

He was now just like the archetypal villain from a novel, his actions and words lacking any semblance of decency.

The poor girl had admired Wang Zhan so much, even wanting to give him a love letter. And now, Wang Zhan was actually asking her for money?

"WAH... I... I only have 3,000 left... WAH, please don't rob me, okay?"

She stammered, her face already tear-streaked like pear blossoms in the rain.

Actually, this girl was probably the same age as Wang Zhan, but she was petite, lively, and adorable. She looked like a young girl who hadn't fully matured, making one feel an irresistible urge to protect her.

Wang Zhan's expression hardened as he looked at her teammates, his voice heavy.

"You lot, yes, you! Don't move! How much can you pay to ransom her? It's not much, just one hundred million each, and I'll even let you punch me a few times to vent your anger..."

The crowd exchanged uneasy glances.

The team leader, in particular, looked like he wanted to speak but hesitated, his face flushing red. He didn't even know if he should still be holding his weapon.

"Um, Student Wang Zhan, we're... from the Liang State Military Martial Academy! Our academy... is quite remote; we really don't have that much money! How about this... we each chip in 100,000 for you?"

Wang Zhan froze.

Are you kidding me? A hundred thousand each? That's barely enough for a few Mixed Essence Pills. What's the damn point?

Liang State, Liang State... Details about this place suddenly surfaced in Wang Zhan's mind.

Alright then. He reluctantly, and with great unwillingness, released the girl. These are all potential earnings! But why is everyone else so poor too?

"Surrender! Surrender immediately, or I'll break one leg of each of you! Hurry up, I'm on a tight schedule!"

Wang Zhan's domineering aura returned, but undoubtedly, his earlier display of avarice had been deeply etched into the minds of all members of the Liang State Military Martial Academy.

"The Liang State Military Martial Academy surrenders!"

The team leader didn't hesitate, choosing to concede immediately.

Although Wang Zhan hadn't used his full strength, his martial arts had progressed with astonishing speed. He had now even mastered a set of grappling techniques. Combined with his overwhelmingly strong physique, they were no match for him at all.

Only the little girl turned back, her eyes red and swollen from crying, fixed on Wang Zhan. She hesitated before speaking.

"Are you... are you very short on money? If... if so, I can give you my three thousand. You don't have to pay me back, okay?"

A slight smile touched Wang Zhan's lips as he shook his head, though his mind was racing.

Am I the kind of person who relies on my looks for a living? No! But if even you can see it, then maybe I really *can* rely on my looks! HAHAHA!

But the thought of Yun Tianyi instantly restored his mood to its usual state of profound calm.

That damn old fox! I missed out on over ten billion! Why are all the teams I encounter now so poor? How am I supposed to recoup this loss... Liang State... just as its name implies, utterly barren. If she weren't so pitiful, I'd almost consider giving that little girl 100,000 out of my one billion fortune. Tsk, she's cute.

"Next!..."

「...」

Ten matches, then twenty matches passed consecutively.

Wang Zhan had already developed his tried-and-true routine.

First, he'd grab the cutest, liveliest, and prettiest girl in the opposing team and then proceed to extort her "dear" teammates.

"Want to pass this way? Leave your 'toll' money behind."

If there were no girls, it was even simpler: just grab the team leader and beat him up. Regardless of their rank or status, as long as it didn't kill them, he'd beat them half to death.

Don't want to die? Then wise up. Anything usable, removable, or pawnable—hand it all over. A few million or tens of millions weren't considered too little; a hundred million or a billion weren't considered too much.

With his persistent efforts finally bearing fruit, he eventually received his first million. Then, in front of everyone, he declared with deep emotion, "Earning money is so hard!"

Everyone couldn't help but stare, dumbfounded.

Has the Federation's environment become fertile ground for the revival of certain... ancient professions? Why did Wang Zhan's roguish and utterly shameless demeanor give them such an intense feeling of déjà vu?

「...」

The reporter was speechless and didn't dare to stand up and cheer for Wang Zhan anymore.

He could only mutter to himself, "Kid, that's enough! Don't take it too far! If you keep this up, those old geezers will lose it! Money is just a damn thing; if you're out of money, then just find a bastard turtle to lay some eggs for you..."

The reason he supported Wang Zhan was that, although Wang Zhan was a bit of a scoundrel, he genuinely had the Federation's interests at heart.

Daring to fight to the death, advancing relentlessly without retreat—these were indeed the qualities the new generation of Martial Artists in the Federation most needed to learn. Therefore, even if Wang Zhan had selfish desires, at least his overall direction was for the public good!

Chu Yuming chuckled, keeping his eyes closed to rest. However, he spoke to the mentor who was always by his side.

"Go tell the Yang State Military Martial Academy to go up. I'll give them one billion. If they win, it's theirs. If they lose, it goes to Wang Zhan."

"Yuming..."

Chu Yuming waved his hand, dismissing any further discussion.

Yuan Mengru's expression darkened slightly.

"Xiaoyin, tell your Martial Arts Academy to get ready! I'll put up one billion. Beat this kid soundly. If you win, the one billion is yours. If you lose, you keep two hundred million, and the rest goes to Wang Zhan."

Lin Xiaoyin looked at Yuan Mengru with a peculiar expression.

"Um, Cousin, are you sure?"

"Absolutely! It's just one billion, isn't it? What a money-grubbing character, utterly disgraceful!"

It was unclear who she was referring to, but her words carried a tone of exasperation, like scolding someone for not living up to expectations.

Meanwhile, Hanqing turned and chuckled to a young man beside him.

"Hasn't your Martial Arts Academy been needing a Jue Ming Beast recently?"

The young man's eyes lit up as he looked quietly at Hanqing. Hanqing, in turn, gazed at Wang Zhan and gestured, implying, "Go up there and make him bleed a little. If you can manage that, I'll provide the Jue Ming Beast. Even if you can't, I'll sell it to you at market price. The money will be your wager; if Wang Zhan wins against you, it's his."

The young man was inwardly shocked.

That... that would be at least one billion. Are you serious?

"Of course, it's only one billion. He's a genius of our cohort, after all; he must be short on funds and confidence. Who knows what those old geezers are plotting? It's better to see his capabilities for ourselves. If he really manages to beat you, consider that one billion my gift to him."

However, only the young man knew.

One billion was, of course, a significant sum, but a Jue Ming Beast—capable of doubling cultivation speed and being a primary ingredient for a certain elixir—was truly something money couldn't always buy. It was a creature from a level 9 Martial General group, possessing the Talent skill Mental Storm. Even an ordinary Martial King would be no match for it. One could imagine how precious it was.

「...」

The news that the three major Martial Arts Academies were jointly funding an opponent naturally couldn't escape the notice of old foxes like Yun Tianyi.

However, they didn't mind. After all, more interaction among the young people was a good thing. Besides, it wasn't certain Wang Zhan would win.

Wei Daoming, however, looked at Yun Tianyi and chuckled, "Are you sure you're not going to tell him?"

Yun Tianyi shook his head, his gaze profound. "If I tell him, I'm afraid he'll just continue his extortion. It's better to let him keep stirring things up. Although he'll offend people, it also puts considerable pressure on them. It's overwhelmingly beneficial with only one drawback. Besides, those who can't pay are simply poor. Those who can are all spoiled brats. It's just a matter of degree. Letting them bleed a little is no big deal."

"HAHAHA..."

It's often said that plans can't keep up with changes. Wang Zhan could arguably be considered the biggest variable in this year's Federal Martial Arts Competition.

「Night fell.」

The day's events at the Federal Martial Arts Competition seemed to be over, yet the Temporary Stadium remained brightly lit.

Yun Tianyi had stated that after the rule changes, there would be no rest.

Indeed, for Wang Zhan, there might be no rest, but this wasn't necessarily true for everyone else.

At least, Wang Zhan, having fought for nearly an entire day, was beginning to feel a touch of fatigue. He was approaching his limit.

My attribute points still haven't increased... Could it be that, apart from relying on the System, there's truly no way for me to improve on my own?

Wang Zhan refused to believe it.

Then let's drag this out longer! Keep stalling, let's see just how far I can push my own limits... Since you guys are all broke anyway, a little exhaustion on my part doesn't matter.

The limit Wang Zhan was referring to wasn't the cap on his attribute points, but the limit of his endurance and current state.

「...」

「So, that very night.」

He spent it almost entirely in an endless game of hide-and-seek, his movements erratic and elusive; no one could catch a trace of his figure.

From time to time, he would taunt these young lads, "Haven't you eaten? Only two laps and you're already out of breath?"

"Wang Zhan, if you have any guts... don't... don't run! HUFF... HUFF... Wait... wait, let me catch my breath first!"

Wang Zhan grinned, his expression full of disdain. "Trash! Come and get me! If you can catch me, I'll let you... hehehe!"

PUFF...

Some night owls on the battle-viewing platform who hadn't gone to sleep yet were so amused by Wang Zhan that they almost spat out their drinks.

The team members facing Wang Zhan, however, were so enraged they nearly coughed up blood.

"Shameless! Utterly shameless! What a despicable scoundrel!"

"Kill him! If you have any guts, stop running!"

The team leader roared. He had initially thought that Wang Zhan, after fighting all day, must have reached his limit. That's why they hadn't dared to engage him head-on.

But who would have thought Wang Zhan was merely playing cat and mouse with them, just toying with them!

Not only was he full of energy, showing no signs of fatigue, but his roguish temperament seemed even more pronounced than before!

"HAHAHA! If you've got the guts, then come and catch me! Watch my Heavenly Kick!"

Wang Zhan roared with laughter. In a careless moment, he spun around and casually flicked a kick between the legs of this team's leader. It didn't seem to cause any visible ripples, yet it sent a sudden chill down the spine of the fair-faced young man.

But before the leader could react, Wang Zhan had already darted away again, his speed increasing. In the blink of an eye, he was on the other side of the platform.

Everyone was on the verge of tears.

"Damn it all! We'll just stand here and let you hit us, alright?! Just stop running! We can pay for our lives too..."

「...」

However, unlike the many drowsy spectators, figures like Yuan Mengru, Lin Xiaoyin, Chu Yuming, Hanqing, the reporter, and a few others who remained fully alert, all instantly understood Wang Zhan's true intention.

"He... he's expending more energy on evasion than on actually fighting his opponents!"

"...Just now, with that groin kick, he could have easily incapacitated his opponent without breaking a sweat..."

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