Seeing his aggressive demeanor, resentment and anger ignited in the eyes of the others.

"Senior Brother, go for it!"

"Senior Brother, give him hell!"

"Senior Brother..."

However, despite their shouts, they didn't dare step forward to fight, only cheering from behind.

One of them had suddenly ended up behind Wang Zhan. When Wang Zhan turned, he startled the young man, who recoiled, his body tensing.

"What do you want?"

Wang Zhan roared with laughter, not even bothering to look back this time.

"HAHAHAHA..."

His laughter, dripping with mockery, was loud enough for many to hear. It even interrupted Yun Tianyi's solemn speech from above, drawing everyone's attention to Wang Zhan.

"Wang Zhan, what are you laughing at?" Yun Tianyi asked, his expression displeased.

Wang Zhan raised his head, scanned his surroundings, and sneered. "I'm laughing at this group of losers. They've learned the Military Department's formations but haven't the faintest idea how to use them, only caring about individual prowess."

"I'm laughing because they're filled with resentment towards me, yet not a single one dares to make a move. They're all scared witless by that dead Xu Xiuqi, lacking any of the Human Race's resolve to fight to the death."

"I'm laughing at these wastes of space! Senior, why bother with more words? Just tell them: from now on, life and death will be decided not only on the battlefield but in the arena too!"

"You want resources, don't you? You want to become powerful, don't you? You want people to stop seeing you as parasites, don't you? Then go fight! Fight to the death! Fight until you can fight no more!"

"The winners take all; the losers become footnotes in history. This isn't just an internal matter for us humans; it's the reality our Human Race currently faces. Everyone knows the path ahead is fraught with peril. Why should the burden fall solely on our predecessors?"

"If that's not laughable, then what is? HAHAHA, a bunch of losers..."

Wang Zhan paid no heed to the thousands in the arena, cursing them indiscriminately as if berating his own disappointing children for not living up to expectations.

This time, Yun Tianyi chuckled. Nearly every student—from the Royal Martial Arts Academy, the Federal Martial Arts Academy, the Yanjing Military Martial Academy, the Chang'an Military Martial Academy, the Liang State Military Martial Academy, and more—was enraged by Wang Zhan's outrageous tirade.

"Wang Zhan, don't be so arrogant!"

"So you killed a few Martial Generals? What's there to be proud of! Don't forget, they were members of the Human Race too! You're slaughtering your own kind!"

"Just wait until I get my hands on you! We'll teach you some manners!"

"Calling a madman like you a young hero of the Federation? Wang Zhan, don't forget you're one of us! We're all students, all part of the Human Race! What makes you think you're so superior?"

In an instant, a torrent of accusations and furious denunciations rained down upon the lone figure in the arena.

Every voice condemned Wang Zhan, every heart seethed with resentment and indignation, every mind harbored ill will towards him.

Aside from a few who remained silent, Wang Zhan had become the undisputed center of attention in the Temporary Stadium, the target of everyone's ire. Yun Tianyi stayed quiet; the old fox subtly faded into the background, eager to see how Wang Zhan would handle the situation.

Little did they know, Wang Zhan had no intention of merely responding; he planned to utterly crush them. They're just a bunch of losers, he thought. Why bother with strategies or tricks? Just kill them. Kill them until they're terrified.

So, he stepped forward again, taking nearly two more paces. He raised his hands high, surveyed the crowd, and boomed,

"You arrogant losers! If you dare to fight, then come down and face me! We'll fight to the death, kill until only one side remains!

"Come on! All of you, come up here! Today, I'll teach you wastes of space how to truly fight!

"You want to kill me? I'm standing right here. If you've got the guts, come and try! Otherwise, we fight till dawn! This damn Federal Martial Arts Competition should have ended long ago! I will be number one!

"Anyone object? Step forward!"

Seeing Wang Zhan, who seemed oblivious to the danger, Yun Tianyi felt a surge of delight. Good, he thought. With a willing target for them to focus their fire on, the pressure on me will be significantly reduced. Besides, I'm an old fox; would I miss such an opportunity to fan the flames and steer things to my advantage?

He immediately made his presence known again, his voice booming out.

"Excellent! With individuals like Wang Zhan among us in the Human Race, we should all be celebrating! However, Student Wang Zhan is indeed too arrogant and domineering. Ultimately, that's not a good thing, so you all need to teach him a lesson. I promise you again: even if he dies in the arena, it will be his own doing, and absolutely no one will be held responsible.

"So, students! Do you dare to fight? Do you dare to fight to the death?!"

His final words, thunderous and rousing, pierced the minds of every student who opposed Wang Zhan.

Anger, disgust, hatred—a myriad of emotions erupted in that instant. They roared furiously, refusing to yield an inch, their boiling vital energy surging skyward.

"Dare to fight! Dare to fight! Dare to fight!"

"Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"

Nearly 7,000 people were present, and with almost half of them—close to three thousand—roaring in unison, the sheer force of their collective voice was astounding, enough to shake the heavens. Even the fearless Wang Zhan felt his expression stiffen, his composure faltering for a moment.

That Yun Tianyi! He's screwing me over! Wang Zhan thought. Isn't he afraid I'll cause trouble for him once I get into Yanjing Martial Arts Academy? Of course, if he tries to prevent me from entering Yanjing Martial Arts Academy, I, Wang Zhan, will definitely make trouble for him. One problem piled on another—that's a mountain of trouble.

"Dare to fight! Dare to fight! Dare to fight!"

"Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"

The shouts seethed like a boiling cauldron; the glint of swords seemed to roar. If looks could kill, Wang Zhan would have been pierced by a barrage of blades and consumed by a sea of fire.

Fortunately, it was only for an instant. Wang Zhan, sensing the supercharged atmosphere of the arena, quickly regained his composure, his disdainful smile returning just as Yun Tianyi landed beside him.

Yun Tianyi stood with his back to the crowd, speaking nonchalantly.

"Kid, you want to get into my Yanjing Martial Arts Academy, right? See those seven thousand people out there? I'll allow you to eliminate all the hidden operatives—the 'dark seeds'—you can identify. Of course, we'll follow up later. So, make sure you don't kill any innocents. You get a quota of five mistaken kills, at most."

"While you're at it, beat them all down. Let them understand what true combat is, and what it means to be a parasite. Oh, I forgot to mention, Edward is over there. If you don't prove you have sufficient value, you might not even last a year."

"You need to understand this clearly: never give him an opportunity to act against you. If he decides to support you, he'll be your most powerful backing. But if he decides to crush you... he is the sky and the earth of this Federation."

Yun Tianyi conveyed this last part to Wang Zhan via voice transmission.

Wang Zhan's smile vanished completely. He became silent and expressionless, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Five mistaken kills, all the hidden operatives... and Edward? These people really overestimate me. Do they think I'm made of iron, capable of fighting seven thousand alone?

After a moment of thought, Wang Zhan asked, "Can I use my full strength?"

Yun Tianyi chuckled. "Of course, you can. And the moment you do, we'll swat you dead. Don't worry, it won't hurt. It'll be as easy as squashing a mosquito—over in a flash."

Wang Zhan's mouth twitched, but he didn't say anything else, though he was cursing inwardly.

Forget it. I just can't beat them right now. You old geezers just wait! When I reach the Martial King realm, I'll make you pay!

Wang Zhan had been on the cultivation path for less than a year, yet he had already reached the peak of the Warrior stage and was touching the threshold of the Martial Master Realm. Reaching the Martial General rank wouldn't be far off.

Once I'm a Martial General, becoming a Martial King is just the next step. Worst case, I'll rely on the System to muddle my way to the peak of the Martial King realm. By then, which Martial Emperor would be my match? Sigh, still too slow, still too weak.

He was unaware, however, that his scathing words, calling them "losers" and "parasites," had thoroughly infuriated many.

Among them were Hanqing and Chu Yuming, their gazes openly disapproving; Yuan Mengru and Lin Xiaoyin, who were grinding their teeth in resentment; and many other Martial Arts Academy students who felt a degree of shame, which only fueled their growing dissatisfaction with him.

The only one who seemed pleased was perhaps the reporter who had infiltrated the venue and surreptitiously started a live broadcast. The stream had already exploded in popularity, drawing in countless viewers.

If I can solidify this fanbase, I could gain several million more followers, the reporter mused. A few more scoops like this, and I'll be a hot commodity. Maybe the boss will even notice me, and I'll have a shot at becoming his son-in-law... Heh heh, a beautiful future awaits.

「On the referee stage」

Yun Tianyi had returned to his seat and said with a smile to the other three, "That kid Wang Zhan certainly has a knack for making enemies. I originally just wanted to stir up their fighting spirit, but now it's escalated to outright hatred. If we fan the flames a bit more, they might genuinely fight to the death."

Edward nodded. "A fight to the death isn't necessarily bad. As long as we intervene quickly enough, and if that kid Wang Zhan can show some restraint, there shouldn't be any major problems. This is a good opportunity."

Wei Daoming also concurred. "He's on the verge of breaking through to the Martial Master Realm. A fierce battle like this might just provide the impetus he needs. Even if these other students don't achieve significant breakthroughs, it's still a net gain. At the very least, they'll have tasted blood and experienced a real fight. They can be considered seeds..."

After discussing for just five minutes, the four of them had hammered out a new agenda.

Wang Zhan's sudden appearance had thrown a massive wrench into the Federal Martial Arts Competition, rendering their original plans useless. So, they decided to adapt once more. Even if it meant paying a certain price, they were determined to stoke this fire.

Of course, such a course of action would inevitably lead to casualties. But if it's just students dying... After a moment's thought, all four agreed. Students, geniuses... better for them to die here than to become mere fodder on a real battlefield.

Yun Tianyi stepped forward once more, this time standing formally on the high platform—Gao Tai Mountain, as it was known—and announced in a loud voice,

"From this moment on, the rules for the Federal Martial Arts Competition—specifically the Team Extra Time Competition—are hereby changed as follows:

"The Team Extra Time Competition will now be known as the Military Merit Extra Time Competition!

"On the fighting stage, a life-and-death contract is in effect; life and death will not be questioned! Losers are eliminated. The final victor is the champion. The last ten remaining alive will be the top ten!

"Anyone who surrenders, shows cowardice, or avoids battle will be immediately disqualified. Their competition participation, ranking, and rewards will be revoked. Furthermore, their student status, ranking, and rewards at their original Martial Arts Academy will also be revoked, and they will be expelled upon return to their academy! This is to uphold the Federation's spirit of daring to kill, fighting to the death, and never retreating!"

This drastic change, a blade aimed squarely at cowards and a sword to slay parasites, caused many faces to pale and hearts to pound.

Retreat? There was no room for retreat.

Anyone who dared to step onto the stage earned the right to remain. Whether they fought, or fought to the death, their place was secured.

Victory would crown the champion, while even the defeated who fought bravely would earn respect. But anyone who retreated even half a step would be expelled from their Martial Arts Academy, marking the Federation's most significant shift in policy in decades.

On this stage, it was truly fight or die!

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