Everyone was astounded.

The students from Yanjing Martial Arts Academy had started with provocations, and this was the outcome?

After a moment of silence, cheers erupted from the Military Academy students, while an awkward silence fell over the Yanjing Martial Arts Academy contingent, their remaining members wearing uncomfortable expressions.

At the same time, Zheng Sikai, who was knocked out of the ring, held his chest, his face red with embarrassment.

What a disgrace!

"You're despicable! Sneak-attacking during a spar on stage? Have you no shame!" Zheng Sikai shouted. "If you have any decency, fight me face-to-face! What kind of skill is a sudden sneak attack?"

Zhou Yi sneered, "So that didn't count? Why don't you come up and try again then?"

Zheng Sikai hesitated. He hadn't even been able to perceive Zhou Yi's speed earlier. Even in a head-on fight, my chances of winning probably aren't great.

Just as Zheng Sikai was caught in a dilemma, Zhong Lun frowned and said, "Get back here! Stop embarrassing yourself!"

At these words, Zheng Sikai wished he could find a hole to crawl into. But facing Zhong Lun's murderous glare, he reluctantly returned to the Yanjing Martial Arts Academy team.

"See? Young Master Zheng relied on connections to get into the academy. You couldn't expect anything from him from the start."

"He should have just stayed a young master. What's he doing learning martial arts? And then he has the gall to come to our Yanjing Martial Arts Academy. He's really embarrassed himself now."

"What a damn jinx."

Several Martial Artists from Yanjing Martial Arts Academy were openly ridiculing Zheng Sikai, but he was speechless, unable to retort.

He was just a Resource Martial Artist. Achieving the strength of a level 8 Martial Artist as a senior was already commendable. But for a sheep to mingle with a pack of wolves, this was the kind of self-inflicted humiliation he was bound to face.

Meanwhile, Zhong Lun turned to someone behind him.

"Cheng Wei, you go," Zhong Lun said. "The one on stage isn't simple. Although he's only a level 7 Martial Artist, you saw his speed. He must be a Martial Artist specializing in speed. Such individuals are tough to deal with. Be careful not to get caught off guard and lose."

"Don't worry, Boss. I know what to do," Cheng Wei replied. Before jumping onto the stage, he shot a contemptuous glance at Zheng Sikai.

On the stage, a new battle began shortly.

Cheng Wei was a level 6 Martial Artist, a sophomore at Yanjing Martial Arts Academy.

But facing Zhou Yi, a level 7 Martial Artist, he surprisingly managed to hold his ground.

After several exchanges, Cheng Wei gradually gained the upper hand, while Zhou Yi was clearly showing signs of exhaustion.

Zhou Yi specialized in speed, and this kind of prolonged, evenly matched fight was his weakness.

Once the fight turned into a stalemate, he would easily lose.

After a few more minutes, Zhou Yi was caught off-guard, and Cheng Wei landed a kick to his chest. Zhou Yi fell off the stage, losing in the same way Zheng Sikai had.

"My pleasure," Cheng Wei said with a cursory fist-and-palm salute, his tone casual as if defeating Zhou Yi was no great achievement worth celebrating.

Zhou Yi let out a soft sigh, returned the gesture, and then left.

However, with Zhou Yi breaking the ice, many senior year students from the Military Academy also began to issue challenges.

Whether they could win or not was secondary; they couldn't let the Military Academy's reputation be tarnished.

While the battles on the Training Ground were raging, in an office on the top floor of the administration building, a large screen displayed the situation on the fighting stages.

Lv Zhenglong and Liu Zhenfeng were both present. Aside from them, there were also Cui Tianfeng from Yanjing Martial Arts Academy and Zheng Yu, the Minister of the Internal Affairs Department from Chu State City!

Zheng Yu had arrived only a short while ago, just in time to see his son, Zheng Sikai, being kicked off the stage.

"Young Zheng, your son isn't very capable, is he? All flash and no substance!" Liu Zhenfeng said slowly. "A level 8 Martial Artist with that kind of strength? Who would believe he's from Yanjing Martial Arts Academy? That Zhou Yi specializes in speed; he's the type who would never fight head-on on a battlefield in the future."

Lv Zhenglong, however, took a different jab at Cui Tianfeng, "Little Cui, so your Yanjing Martial Arts Academy takes anyone as long as they pay now?"

These thinly veiled barbs from the two left Cui Tianfeng and Zheng Yu fuming.

"My son is inept. I've made a fool of myself before you all," Zheng Yu said, feeling utterly disgusted.

I came to see my son show off his prowess, but instead, he gets defeated right at the start. This is too humiliating!

All these years, spending a fortune to get him into Yanjing Martial Arts Academy, supplying him with massive resources... it seems it was all for nothing, like feeding a dog!

Seeing Cui Tianfeng remain silent, Lv Zhenglong chuckled and asked, "Little Cui, I heard that if your young talents from Yanjing Martial Arts Academy win, our Chu State Military Academy will have to become your assistants in the Federal Martial Arts Tournament and help you win the championship?"

"AHEM, AHEM. That's just playful banter among the students. It can't be taken seriously," Cui Tianfeng quickly shook his head.

Even if I did have such an idea, I couldn't possibly voice it in front of their Dean.

But Liu Zhenfeng coldly retorted, "What banter! If you dare to make such a claim, our Military Academy dares to accept it! If, within three days, our students genuinely cannot defeat your Yanjing Martial Arts Academy students, then we'll do as you say!"

Hearing this, alarm bells rang in Cui Tianfeng's mind. Could there really be such a good deal?

Then, Liu Zhenfeng's tone shifted, "But by the same token, if your Yanjing Martial Arts Academy students lose, then you'll have to fully support our Military Academy in the tournament."

"No way!" Cui Tianfeng instinctively shook his head.

"Why not?" Liu Zhenfeng said coldly. "So, if you win, you get benefits, but if we win, we get nothing? That doesn't sound right, does it? Or are you saying our Military Academy isn't worthy of making a bet with your Yanjing Martial Arts Academy?"

"No... nothing of the sort," Cui Tianfeng hastily shook his head.

Lv Zhenglong sneered, "So, you lack confidence in your own students? The great reputation of the Four Major Martial Arts Academies, and it turns out you're all just spineless cowards."

This… Cui Tianfeng now understood; these two were clearly goading him.

Singing the same tune, they had obviously planned this beforehand.

But how could they dare? The Federal Martial Arts Tournament is crucial for an academy's future resources. How can such a matter be treated so lightly?

However, Cui Tianfeng reconsidered. If we really manage to tie the Military Academy to Yanjing Martial Arts Academy's boat, then in this tournament, Yanjing Martial Arts Academy could definitely suppress the other three.

This is a high-stakes gamble.

Thinking this, Cui Tianfeng felt there was room to maneuver.

"Since you've both put it that way, it would seem petty of me to refuse," Cui Tianfeng said, deliberating. "However, our Yanjing Martial Arts Academy has only brought third-year students this time, no fourth-years, so..."

"Simple! Losses to fourth-year students won't count!" Liu Zhenfeng waved his hand dismissively.

"But even so, with our eight people facing all the students from the Military Academy…"

"Alright then, how about this: even losses to third-year students won't count. What do you say?" Lv Zhenglong laughed. "If your group doesn't even have the confidence to defeat our Military Academy's second-year students, then let's just pretend this conversation never happened."

"Maybe he's even afraid of first-year students; how about finding some high school students to enroll early and spar with them?" Liu Zhenfeng chimed in.

Hearing this, even someone with the best temperament couldn't endure it any longer.

"Alright! It's as you both say! Eight students from Yanjing Martial Arts Academy will remain undefeated by the first and second-year students of the Military Academy for three days! The stake is full support for the opposing side to win the Federal Martial Arts Tournament!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Liu Zhenfeng and Lv Zhenglong exchanged a look, both seeing the mirth in the other's eyes.

"Then it's settled. Go report this to your Dean."

Cui Tianfeng nodded and began communicating with Yanjing Martial Arts Academy. A few minutes later, he received a response from the Dean of Yanjing Martial Arts Academy.

"The Dean has approved."

Wang Zhan also received the message from Lv Zhenglong.

After mulling it over, he hadn't hesitated to pull the two Vice-Deans into this plot against Yanjing Martial Arts Academy.

After all, agreements between students could easily be reneged upon, but agreements between high-level personnel were a different matter.

"Done, the rest is on you," said Lv Zhenglong succinctly.

"Don't worry," Wang Zhan quickly replied, then turned to Cheng Shu next to him.

"Little Fatty, do you remember what I told you before, about setting up Yanjing Martial Arts Academy?" Wang Zhan asked with a grin.

"I remember, what happened?" Cheng Shu was puzzled.

Wang Zhan said in a drawn-out tone, "It's done."

With that, Wang Zhan headed towards the Training Ground, intending to observe the matches for a while.

Only Cheng Shu remained, taking a moment to realize what Wang Zhan had meant.

Then, his mouth fell agape. He stared blankly in the direction Wang Zhan had left, utterly speechless.

Meanwhile, at Yanjing Martial Arts Academy.

In the deepest recesses of Yanjing Martial Arts Academy, there was a small courtyard with an air of a secluded paradise.

The King of Thunder was having tea with Yun Shan, the Dean of Yanjing Martial Arts Academy.

Then, the King of Thunder saw Yun Shan seemingly receive some message, the joy on his face palpable.

Once Yun Shan finished replying to the message, the King of Thunder asked, "Any good news?"

"Heh, that Cui boy, I've known since he was little that he's sharp," Yun Shan said with a smile. "Didn't he take some students to the Chu State Military Academy? He just informed me that he made a bet with them, with the stake being full mutual support in the Federal Martial Arts Tournament to help the other win the championship."

Upon hearing this, the King of Thunder was intrigued.

The Federal Martial Arts Tournament? Something that concerns an academy's development for the entire next year can actually be used as a wager?

"What are the terms of the bet?"

"He took the top second and third-year students from Yanjing Martial Arts Academy, and they agreed that within three days, they wouldn't all be defeated by the second-year students of the Military Academy."

Yun Shan laughed. "This is a surefire win! With the help of the Chu State Military Academy, it looks like Yanjing Martial Arts Academy is set to become the foremost of the Four Major Martial Arts Academies this time."

As he said this, Yun Shan suddenly noticed a peculiar expression on the King of Thunder's face.

"What's wrong?"

The King of Thunder shook his head.

"Do you think Liu Zhenfeng is stupid, or Lv Zhenglong is stupid?"

Just as Yun Shan was about to open his mouth, he suddenly realized something and froze.

Both of them are top figures among Grandmasters; naturally, they wouldn't be fools.

Those two...

"Exactly. This is definitely a ploy by those two schemers. Yanjing Martial Arts Academy is going to suffer a huge loss," the King of Thunder sighed. "Do you remember Wang Zhan, the one who rejected all Four Major Martial Arts Academies after last year's College Entrance Examination?"

The King of Thunder tapped the table. "After my last trip to Chu State, I specifically started paying attention to him. That boy is now a level 8 Martial Artist and has broken his limit by over 40%!"

Yun Shan shot up from his seat in shock.

"What?!"

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