Temporary Stadium.

Atop a high podium, Yun Tianyi continued his impassioned discourse, paying no mind to the crowd's whispers below.

"As humans, you must be ready to fight to your death. If you can't even do that, you're not worthy of being students at the Federal Martial Arts Academy, and you'd better leave right now. No one from the thousands of martial arts academies in the Federation will stop you!"

Within an instant, their diverse expressions finally settled into silence, an absolute stillness, like the prelude to dawn or the fuse of an explosion being lit.

Who dared to object? Who dared to disagree?

Only Wang Zhan listened indifferently as Yun Tianyi continued his incessant explanation of the rules from the stage.

A corner of Yun Tianyi's mouth lifted as he chuckled. "Very good. Since no one opposes, let's talk about the rewards. This battle is a fight to the death, a battle for military merit. The original rewards are clearly insufficient for your efforts. Therefore, after discussion among us old-timers, we've decided to revoke the original rewards! Instead, the champion will now receive 3 million academic credits, one set of Level 5 Martial King Equipment, and six sets of Level 8 Grandmaster Equipment!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire stadium erupted in shock. Everyone lifted their heads to stare at Yun Tianyi, astounded.

Three million academic credits were already extraordinary. That meant at least 400,000 academic credits per person if a team won, enough for them to live without worry through the early stages of Martial Master or even Martial General, allowing them to forge ahead.

But Martial King Equipment?

At this thought, countless fierce individuals hidden among the 7,000 students couldn't help but lick their lips, their eyes practically glowing green.

People die for wealth, and birds die for food. If offered enough, a little fighting doesn't seem so bad, does it?

Even notable figures like Hanqing, Chu Yuming, and Yuan Mengru—the four great geniuses of the Federation—could not hide their eagerness. An inexplicable anticipation for the upcoming rewards gleamed in their eyes.

Even if we can't secure first place, making it into the top ten wouldn't be a bad outcome. Besides, just because Wang Zhan can slay a Grandmaster, does that guarantee he'll be the champion? Not necessarily, right?

Even Wang Zhan's eyes suddenly flashed with an unusual light, tinged with a certain heat.

If this set of equipment falls into my hands, it could probably resist a portion of a Grandmaster's attack, right? As long as I'm not killed in one blow, maybe I can outlast him…

Although Wei Daoming had already given him a set of Martial King level armor, who would complain about having too much of a good thing? If he wore both sets, Wang Zhan could potentially bite a Grandmaster to death.

Aside from those few tight-lipped old-timers, no one knew what his bloodline talent was. Naturally, they wouldn't know that his recovery ability had now improved to the point where he could navigate group attacks with relative ease.

However, six sets of Grandmaster Equipment... I wonder if it's armor or weapons. If I take them all, the Chu State Military Martial Arts Academy probably won't gain much this time. Unless... I give up my share of the subsequent resource rewards.

Wang Zhan pondered, needing to think clearly about the distribution. Six sets of Level 8 Grandmaster Equipment were no small matter, worth more than 1 billion and truly priceless items with no established market value.

Unbeknownst to him, if others discovered that Wang Zhan was already calculating how to divide the spoils of war before the battle had even begun, they might have been infuriated to the point of spitting blood. This was especially true for those who seemed to hold a grudge against Wang Zhan.

Yun Tianyi was highly pleased with this effect. Just look at them; all those youngsters had eyes practically glowing green with greed. Even that rascal Wang Zhan straightened his spine, his eyes darting around, no doubt scheming some new trick.

"The second-place winner will receive 2 million academic credits, one set of Martial King Equipment, and one set of Level 5 Martial General Equipment…"

DAMN!

Upon hearing Yun Tianyi's words, everyone present gasped in disbelief.

"Unfair! Why is the secondary equipment for first place so vastly superior to second place—it's like a three-tier difference!"

"Exactly! Although we're only Warriors, the difference in our cultivation realms isn't *that* significant. Why should first place get so much more?!"

"We disagree! We oppose this! We want fairness, fairness, FAIRNESS!!!"

In an instant, the stadium erupted into an uproar. Yun Tianyi simply fell silent, his gaze coldly sweeping over these youngsters, his expression growing increasingly stern.

It wasn't until some of them seemed to feel his piercing gaze that they slowly shut their mouths, their hearts trembling, faces etched with dejection.

They had almost forgotten that this old geezer was one of the most influential figures in the Federal Martial Arts Academy. Although his exact status was unknown, the ability to float mid-air alone was a privilege of Grandmasters. Who knew if he might just kill them outright?

After nearly five minutes of silence, Yun Tianyi finally spoke, his voice booming in everyone's ears, deafeningly clear.

"This isn't some children's game we're playing! This is a battle for military merit, a fight to the death! It's the first time the Federal Martial Arts Academy has ever permitted life-or-death duels in the arena!

"Is it unfair? If anyone thinks it's unfair, then fight your way to the top! Fight until you're the champion, until no one dares to challenge you! What is fairness? Strength is fairness! Otherwise, you're all just parasites, spineless parasites who can never stand tall!

"Don't tell me you're just students, just Warriors! If you lack the ability, the confidence, the determination, then don't waste your breath in front of me! Say one more word, and this old man will send you straight to the battlefield. Those who survive can come back and talk to me about fairness!"

The voices gradually died down. Who still dared to speak of unfairness?

Time slowly passed, like the gentle chime of a wind bell.

Soon, all the new rewards under the new rules were announced. Among them:

First place: Rewarded with one set of Martial King Equipment and six sets of Grandmaster Equipment.

Second place: Rewarded with one set of Grandmaster Equipment and six sets of Martial General Equipment.

Third place: Rewarded with one set of Martial General Equipment and six sets of Martial Master Equipment.

The reward structure was a clear inverted pyramid; it was no wonder some called it unfair. This was a true test of strength: the more one fought and won, the stronger they'd become, and the better equipped. The ultimate victor would claim everything, especially the invaluable Martial King Equipment—a priceless treasure with no public market.

However, for those ranked below second place, the rewards dropped off dramatically. Particularly for those ranking from fourth to tenth, the rewards consisted only of academic credits, which were pathetically small and uniformly distributed.

This distribution arrangement made even Wang Zhan involuntarily lick his dry lips. He knew the path ahead would be arduous. He could feel the tense atmosphere, thick with anticipation even before the battle began, like sitting on a powder keg. He even began to doubt himself. Can I really win the championship? Or will I be crushed to dust by countless unforeseen tactics and lose my chance completely?

Madness! Everyone was going mad!

Not only the students, but also the mentors, the officers from the Military Department, and the members of the media who had managed to get in—all were staring at Yun Tianyi on the stage with burning eyes.

Damn it! Why didn't we have things like this back in our day? At most, we were rewarded with some substandard Martial General Equipment, and that was considered hitting the jackpot!

They all looked enviously at the youngsters sitting near them, feeling it was such a waste. How wonderful would it be if those resources were bestowed upon them instead?

If I had a set of Martial King Equipment... I would have immediately challenged that low-rank Martial King! I'd fight for tens of millions in military merit. Would I be this destitute today if I had it?

Nonsense! If I had Martial King level equipment, forget a low-rank Martial King, I'd dare to challenge even a Termination Martial King! Those bastards, human in form but traitors to humankind, colluding with beasts—who knows how many treasures they've hoarded...

Muffled voices continued their hushed discussion, their gazes growing increasingly fervent.

This wasn't some consumable item; it was far more practical than mere academic credits and could literally be a lifesaver. In comparison, the rewards beyond second place seemed utterly insignificant.

"...You all know the rewards now. Next, let's discuss your combat objective. In a battle for military merit, what matters is the damage you inflict upon the enemy, your team's coordination, and your ability to land the decisive blow! So, I expect you to cooperate effectively. There is only one target!"

Yun Tianyi's voice suddenly soared with intensity.

"Repel Wang Zhan! Kill Wang Zhan! Or, render him incapable of further combat and force him from the battlefield!..."

Wang Zhan's face instantly darkened. Just as I'd suspected, these old schemers had malicious intentions.

Damn it, the allure of the first-place rewards was so overwhelming that it made all subsequent rewards seem trivial.

What were Grandmaster Equipment, Martial General Equipment, or academic credits in comparison? With diligence, hard work, and effort, surely as students of the Federal Martial Arts Academy, they possessed that much ability and talent?

But Martial King Equipment!

If Wang Zhan truly became a stumbling block for everyone, could he expect any peace? He'd be dreaming!

Undoubtedly, Wang Zhan could already feel countless malicious and piercing gazes fixed on him, all from the students on the battle-viewing platform whose minds were clouded by greed.

This forced Wang Zhan to instinctively duck his head slightly, murmuring, I feel like I've forgotten something... What could it be?

Then, Yun Tianyi continued, "Wang Zhan, Level Ten Warrior.

Military Killing Fist: a foundational fist art of the Military Department. Decisive and shockingly brutal, comparable to an Earth-Level Martial Skill.

Ancient Eight Extremes Fist: excels at barging through with overwhelming force, comparable to a Heavenly-Level Martial Skill.

Fatal One Slash: specializes in a life-risking, all-or-nothing strike aimed at mutual destruction, comparable to a peak Heavenly-Level Martial Skill.

A self-created fist art prototype: excels at overpowering opponents with sheer presence, aggressive charges, and targeting vital points. Comparable to... a King-Level Martial Skill!..."

Silently, the corners of Wang Zhan's mouth curled into a slight smile.

He finally remembered what he had forgotten. Who was he?

He was Wang Zhan—the Wang Zhan who could fight and defeat Grandmasters, the Wang Zhan who could even spontaneously create a killing move from his martial foundations, a move that not even a Grandmaster could escape!

With such terrifying capabilities, how could he possibly be intimidated by these fledglings? What a joke.

A smile that seemed sheepish but was laced with blatant provocation played on Wang Zhan's lips. He met the thousands of gazes fixed upon him, a hint of smugness in his heart as he thought, That's right, it's me! You heard correctly; the Old Man is talking about me!

At the same time, a flicker of understanding dawned on him.

The Old Man's decision to reveal all this information so openly couldn't be merely to intimidate everyone or simply make them aware of his true strength. There had to be more to it.

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