In the arena.

　　Fang Ping was vicious as he kicked his opponent again and again on where it would hurt most.

　　Although the young man was retreating constantly, his steps were steady – even though Fang Ping seemed to have an advantage as he took on the offense.

　　After a while, the young man’s shoulders and arms were littered with wounds and bloodstains. There was even a scar on his throat.

　　Those not in the know were on tenterhooks, but the powerhouses knew that the wounds suffered by the young man were minor.

　　The young man, currently on defense, had expended less Vitality and energy compared to Fang Ping.

　　Just when the NMAU students worried for the young man, he suddenly stomped hard on the ground, so hard that he punctured a hole in the temporary arena!

　　Although it was temporary, it was still made of steel to hold its own during battles between martial artists.

　　The material used was not as tough as F-grade alloy, but it was still extremely durable. The fact that it was cratered was a horrifying testament to the young man’s power.

　　The young man’s feet went under the hole he created, adding to his disadvantage,

　　The next moment, an ear-splitting growl came out from the young man’s mouth. His fists shot toward Fang Ping’s legs!

　　Bang!

　　The soles of Fang Ping’s feet met the other’s fists. The enormous force propelled Fang Ping onto the air. The next moment, he fell onto the arena, stumbling.

　　This was the first time Fang Ping was at a disadvantage during the three battles.

　　Fang Ping’s legs were trembling slightly after he had fallen on the ground. The young man opposite him did not stop despite his bloodied fists. The tip of his feet moved, and he dashed toward Fang Ping.

　　“Do you think that I’m scared of you?”

　　Fang Ping was furious. He had spent a great number of his Vitality points. Although he could replenish them, he chose not to.

　　He rarely did so when battling his equally ranked peers, except when he fought consecutive battles and was short of it as a result.

　　He had replenished it to the brim before the battle, though.

　　He was at a disadvantage despite that. How could he possibly be so thick-skinned as to replenish his Vitality in this situation?

　　Fang Ping was not particularly thin-skinned, but he could not accept being put in a disadvantaged position by a twice-honed Rank-2 opponent in a fair battle between two equally ranked martial artists!

　　Soon, the two started fighting again. This time, both did not attempt to put up a defense as they traded injuries.

　　…

　　Downstage.

　　Bai Ruoxi suddenly said, “Is this Gu Xiong, ranked No. 24 on the ranking of Rank-2 martial arts university students?”

　　Fu Changding and the others’ vague impression on that was brought back by Bai Ruoxi’s words. He said with surprise, “Seems to be it. I forgot that someone from NMAU made it onto the Rank-2 list!”

　　Previously, the Department of Education had published rankings of lower-ranked martial arts university students.

　　Fang Ping was sixth on the Rank-1 list.

　　Everyone only paid attention to the top 10 of the lower-ranked lists.

　　Rarely did anyone notice Gu Xiong’s ranking of No. 24.

　　This proved that he was extremely formidable, though, as he, a student of an average martial arts university, made it so high on the ranking!

　　Everyone had forgotten something: less than 20 people on the list of 100 people were from average martial arts universities.

　　Among the number of less than 20, Gu Xiong’s rank was considered extremely high. Only a student from Beijiang Martial Arts University had made it onto the top 10 of the ranking.

　　There were less than 5 from average martial arts universities in the top 30. Gu Xiong was one of them.

　　Wang Jinyang nodded, having just arrived. “He’s indeed Gu Xiong. His father is in the army. He had just become a martial artist when his dad brought him to the army for training. He’s considered one of the best even among his equally-ranked peers in the troops.

　　“Fang Ping’s Vitality is higher than his, and has made more progress in bone-honing, but Fang Ping has only battled casual martial artists…

　　“He’s also inferior to Gu Xiong in terms of combat experience and practical application of combat techniques.

　　“And he’s just entered Peak Rank-2. At this moment, he lacks the necessary digestion of his abilities…”

　　The others could not help but side-eye him for that. ‘If Fang Ping hasn’t digested his capabilities much, how about you?’

　　Wang Jinyang did not care about the others’ opinions on him. He and Fang Ping were different.

　　He had entered the peak of every rank he had been on faster than Fang Ping. He had shown himself publicly during the peak every time.

　　He spent more time on the peak, which he used to practice his combat techniques and accumulate practical experience.

　　Fang Ping, on the other hand, had probably just entered Peak Rank-2.

　　Fang Ping would have been defeated by Gu Xiong if not for his higher Vitality and faster bone-honing progress. If Gu Xiong had broken through to Rank-3 right then, he would still be better than average among them.

　　…

　　Fang Ping did not know of the conversations being held downstage, naturally.

　　He knew his weaknesses. He had put the focus on bone-honing while at Rank-2, unlike when he was at Rank-1 and had focused on combat techniques and stance training at the later stages.

　　Still, he could not accept being defeated by an equally ranked peer inferior to him!

　　In the arena, Fang Ping showed his bloodlust, hidden deep down in his veins, for the first time!

　　He had rarely been at a disadvantage in battle. He had won effortlessly most of the time. If he faltered, all he had to do was take some pills and replenish his Vitality.

　　That was why he was rarely injured in a battle.

　　Fu Changding and the others had not seen him bleed before.

　　Today, he was growling non-stop during his fight!

　　His hands were covered with blood, and his practice clothes were in tatters, especially at his calves, which was hilariously bare save for the boots on his feet.

　　Bang!

　　A muted sound. Fang Ping’s foot struck Gu Xiong’s leg. He tripped, but then he used the moment to punch Fang Ping squarely in the chest.

　　The sound was from his chest being punched. His chest hurt to the bone as if it was rammed by a truck.

　　Blood flowed from inside his mouth.

　　Tamping down the urge to vomit blood, Fang Ping moved, and attacked Gu Xiong once again!

　　Gu Xiong’s leg was severely hurt, and his body was full of wounds. He could not dodge the attack, so he surged forward to weather it.

　　Clang…

　　Many took on a stricken expression as their fists collided in a metallic clang.

　　Some might not understand what the sound meant, but more did; they were martial arts students after all, how could they be oblivious?

　　A sound like that, when the two of them wielded no weapon, meant that their bones were no longer shrouded by skin and muscle; it was their bones that had collided with each other.

　　Blood was splattered all over the arena.

　　…

　　On one side of the arena.

　　The three Grandmasters stopped amid their amicable chat.

　　Zhang Dingnan said, “I didn’t expect this.”

　　He did not elaborate, but the other two Grandmasters understood.

　　Huang Jing said mildly, “An MCMAU student isn’t just a stockpile of resources. Without the will to fight, Fang Ping wouldn’t be the best among all freshmen.”

　　“Make this a draw. If they continue, both of them will be severely injured. It isn’t worth it.”

　　The two of them were putting their lives on the line at this point. This went against their initial motive.

　　They were both Peak Rank-2 martial artists, advancing toward Rank-3. Perhaps they would be the next middle-ranked martial artists.

　　There was no point to suffer heavy injuries here that would result in them being stuck in their current rank.

　　Just as Huang Jing gave his opinion, Zhang Dingnan said all of a sudden, “Wait!”

　　Something in Huang Jing’s eyes flickered. He did not say anything more.

　　…

　　Onstage.

　　Fang Ping growled aggressively. His palms seized Gu Xiong’s tightly as he hit his head violently against Gu Xiong’s!

　　Gu Xiong had nowhere to retreat to, but he did not want to, either. Eyes red, he raised his head and surged toward Fang Ping!

　　Bang!

　　Gu Xiong came out of this collision with a bloody forehead. Fang Ping laughed devilishly and crashed toward the other man again!

　　Gu Xiong, in his haze of unconsciousness, noticed that Fang Ping was still very much sober. He shuddered; he was probably going to lose!

　　True to his word, Fang Ping’s head collided with his again.

　　Gu Xiong felt dizzy. His body felt limp.

　　Fang Ping seized the opportunity in front of him. His knee raised and slammed toward Gu Xiong’s belly.

　　It was as if Gu Xiong’s innards were punctured, so painful that they might as well be on fire.

　　The next moment, Fang Ping released his grip on him, and kicked the defenseless Gu Xiong off the arena!

　　…

　　Silence everywhere.

　　Gu Xiong was quickly helped up from the ground. He was still throwing up; it was not vomit that came up of his mouth but blood.

　　Although Fang Ping was wounded seriously, he was still energetic. He stood, his back straight. “Next!”

　　Wang Jinyang came. He eyed Fang Ping, and said to him, brow furrowed, “Leave the arena. Your defeat of Gu Xiong is already a testament of your skill.”

　　Gu Xiong lost because his skull was less honed compared to Fang Ping’s.

　　The skull of a twice-honed martial artist was only 20% honed, but Fang Ping’s was 30% honed.

　　Their progress in terms of their limbs was the same, but their skulls were a different story.

　　When Fang Ping collided with Gu Xiong, Gu Xiong had taken more damage. That was why he lost the ability to counter him.

　　Fang Ping was also seriously wounded. At this point, no one in NMAU would doubt Fang Ping’s prowess; this guy did not win relying on pills alone.

　　Fang Ping wanted to say something in response when Fu Changding walked over with a smile. He said, “Fang Ping, you should give us a chance to shine too. Also, didn’t you say that you’re going home at the end of the month?

　　“Are you going to go home with injuries?”

　　Fang Ping halted in his steps. He eyed the last contestant from NMAU and walked down the arena without a word.

　　…

　　Chen Yunxi and the others already had healing pills and gauze ready when Fang Ping walked down the arena. They set on bandaging Fang Ping’s wounds immediately.

　　Fang Ping allowed their machinations wordlessly.

　　Once in a blue moon, Yang Xiaoman did not bicker with Fang Ping. She said with a smile, “Did you know who your opponent is? He’s Gu Xiong, ranked No. 24 in all Rank-2 students. You defeated him, and that means that you have the chops to enter the top 20, at least.

　　“And you didn’t take pills and use any of your powerful moves! In my opinion, you’re gonna end up in the top 15 when the ranking is revised next month.”

　　He had just entered Rank-2, but he could already be ranked among the top 20 of all Rank-2 martial arts university students.

　　His prowess, as proved by this, was extremely formidable.

　　Fang Ping ground his teeth together, though. “Top 20?”

　　He thought himself strong, as he had never met his match no matter in school or when he was out on missions.

　　Although he had not made much progress in his combat techniques, he still thought himself to be the cream of the crop.

　　After a few days of rest, he, a thrice-honed martial artist, had a Vitality of over 520cal!

　　How many cals would the Vitality of a twice-honed martial artist be?

　　A normal martial artist’s cal would cap at about 400cal. A twice-honed martial artist’s limit would see a 20% increase to 480cal.

　　Fang Ping’s Vitality was higher than the other’s by 40cal at least, but he had to resort to bumping their heads together to win. This made him feel embarrassingly useless.

　　Chen Yunxi said softly, “You’re already extremely powerful. You’ve just entered Peak Rank-2…”

　　“I’m thrice-honed! I should have decimated all my peers!”

　　“Senior Xie Lei’s thrice-honed too… But he lost to President Wang anyway. Also, you aren’t the only thrice-honed martial artist at Rank-2…”

　　This was what Yang Xiaoman had said. It only served to make Fang Ping more unhappy.

　　‘So does this mean that the only way I can gain an advantage over my peers is to replenish my Vitality with the system?’

　　He forgot to consider something: his peers, as he thought them to be, were all geniuses that could challenge a martial artist of a higher rank and win.

　　All the 100 martial artists on the ranking had a good shot of winning against a Rank-3 martial artist most of the time – so long as they were not at Peak Rank-3.

　　Fang Ping himself would probably not lose to a middle-stage Rank-3 martial artist; he had a 99% possibility of winning if his opponent lacked a strong grasp on powerful combat techniques, had dull battle instincts, and if he could replenish his Vitality with the system.

　　Fang Ping did not think of that at the moment, unfortunately. The only thought in his mind was that he was nearly defeated by a Rank-2 martial artist inferior to him.

　　…

　　As Fang Ping sulked, the last man of NMAU prepared to fight against Fu Changding,

　　In true honesty, the NMAU students knew that they had lost.

　　There were three more left in Fang Ping’s side.

　　Could the last man defeat the remaining two, even if he had won against Fu Changding?

　　The verdict was that he could not. He had only won against Fu Changding by a hair’s breadth; his Vitality was depleted after fighting Fu Changding.

　　Yang Xiaoman had thrown him off the arena with two punches.

　　…

　　The battle between NMAU Peak Rank-2 martial artists and the MCMAU freshmen ended.

　　The whole of NMAU fell silent.

　　5 vs 5. All five from their side were at Peak Rank-2, while the other side only had one.

　　They were all freshmen that had just entered Rank-2, too.

　　NMAU had lost devastatingly in such a battle.

　　It was a devastating loss!

　　The five from MCMAU were all in good shape, save for Fang Ping, who had suffered more serious injuries.

　　On NMAU’s side, all of their contestants were unable to fight, except for Lan Caiye who had l in a fit of rage.

　　NMAU was finding it difficult to accept such results.

　　Nonetheless, the truth was right in front of them. Could they deny the skill that Gu Xiong and the others had?

　　Could they not see their contributions as what they were?

　　All of them were injured seriously. Lan Caiye was also completely unable to win against Fang Ping. Although she had left in a fit of rage, they could not blame her for not fighting to the end.

　　NMAU had lost!

　　Wang Jinyang did not say discouraging words. After the battle ended, he walked onto the arena and said mildly, “MCMAU wins this friendly match!

　　“You are dismissed, go back and reflect on yourself. What was the reason you entered university?

　　“Are you willing to be in the mercy of someone else for eternity?

　　“If you aren’t, think of how you’re going to walk on the path of your future…”

　　He was not emotional or fueled by anger. After he said his words, Wang Jinyang descended from the stage.

　　He walked to Fang Ping, glanced at him for a while, and nodded. “You did well. I’d said before that you’re also vicious at heart. You don’t have to act meek constantly. Be at it for longer, and you’ll become as meek as a sheep.

　　“Return and recuperate first. We’ll visit Governor Zhang after two days.”

　　The three Grandmasters had already taken their leave by then. They brought a crowd of the higher-ups in Nanjiang, who came to spectate the battle, together with them.

　　The three of them did not stay for a chat with Fang Ping, but Wang Jinyang mentioned paying a visit to the governor, evidently with Zhang Dingnan’s implicit approval.

　　Fang Ping nodded. He did not say anything more. NMAU had lost devastatingly, but he did not triumph in satisfaction, either.

　　His assumption that he was unbeatable among his peers was rapidly fading.

　　So what if he had fought some casual martial artists?

　　So what if he had won against some Rank-3 martial artists that lacked the necessary resources?

　　Could he win against Wang Jinyang, back when the other was at the same rank as he was at now?

　　Could he win against the Rank-2 martial artists fighting in the Catacombs as a part of the army?

　　Gu Xiong alone had been a difficult opponent. If he was against someone else, he might have lost.

　　So what if his Vitality could be replenished quickly?

　　If he was killed before both of their Vitalities were completely exhausted, a refractory period, no matter how short, was pointless.

　　…

　　After Wang Jinyang left, Bai Ruoxi noted that Fang Ping had clammed up. She said as she walked toward him, “Lost your spirit?

　　“You don’t need to. Don’t forget that you’ve just entered Peak Rank-2. Gu Xiong and the others are not the same.

　　“Plus, it was you who won at the end, but you, the winner, seemed to be more dejected than NMAU, who had lost against you.

　　“After you hone your abilities for some time while you’re still at Rank-2, and you’ve improved on your combat techniques, Gu Xiong would be far from besting you.

　　“You have to take it step by step. Don’t dream of being the best among your peers as soon as you ascend.

　　“You have talent, but the others have too.

　　“You’re working hard, but others are too.

　　“The others are guided by Grandmasters, are sponsored pills, have more practical experience and have entered Rank-2 earlier…

　　“Your performance is already extremely well.”

　　Fang Ping grimaced, “Instructor, you don’t need to reassure me. My spirit’s not that easy to break. I’m only reflecting on something.

　　“Also…”

　　The others’ gazes landed on him. Fang Ping sighed. “Also, I think that the school should compensate me more. Chen Yunxi didn’t get to appear on stage. Shouldn’t her pills be given to me as compensation?”

　　Chen Yunxi, initially concerned for him, frowned immediately. She said crossly, “I disagree!

　　“I don’t care about a few pills, but I still disagree! Fang Ping, you’re being a bully!”

　　Fang Ping sighed. He said dejectedly, “I was injured so badly, and my family doesn’t have the means to provide for me. I don’t even have a few healing pills with me…

　　“When can I, Fang Ping, become stronger?

　　“Sigh!”

　　Chen Yunxi visibly started to hesitate. She stammered, “Then… Then, I won’t take the pills NMAU offered to us…”

　　“And that’s a deal!”

　　Fang Ping perked up instantly. His hunched back straightened immediately as he walked with a gait completely unlike how he had hobbled previously. Everyone was stupefied at the display.

　　Chen Yunxi was also shocked. She stammered, “He… He…”

　　Fu Changding gave her a fleeting glance, shook his head and sighed.

　　Women… How gullible!

　　Fang Ping had only external injuries (if he had gotten himself hurt in the first place); why would he look as if death had run over him?

　　Also, was Fang Ping weak when he had defeated No. 24 on the ranking?

　　Weak, his ass!

　　Fu Changding did not understand why everyone would think that Fang Ping, a newly minted Rank-2 martial artist who managed to enter the top 20 of the ranking, would feel hurt.

　　Now, three Rank-2 Vitality Pills were acquired by Fang Ping, just like that.

　　Chen Yunxi gave them of her own volition, too!

　　‘How would Fang Ping be able to earn money if he did not trick wealthy people like you?’

　　‘These women believe him every time he plays it up,’ Fu Changding turned this idea in his mind. Should he do as the other had done next time?