In other words, "Can I go all out?"

Wang Zhan grew even more composed. If I can go all out, then aside from those undying old geezers and those in the classroom who've actually been on a battlefield, everyone else here is just average. So average! What's there to be afraid of? HAHA! This is a piece of cake!

Yun Tianyi seemed to notice the mischievous smile playing on Wang Zhan's lips. He smiled too, a profound, meaningful smile, his eyes growing even deeper.

"Therefore, you can all go all out. Use any means necessary. As long as you defeat Wang Zhan and survive until the end, we will naturally adjust the rankings accordingly and give you opportunities to contend for higher positions later. Of course, if you all lose, then there's no need to compete for the championship. As for Wang Zhan..."

At this point, he met Wang Zhan's gaze and said calmly, "You cannot use any of the aforementioned martial arts! Other than that, there are no restrictions. Prepare to draw lots. This military merit competition will not be interrupted until a champion is decided."

I... Wang Zhan was dumbfounded. Damn it! The competition hasn't even started, and you old timers are already tying my hands and feet! How am I supposed to fight? Why don't I just surrender? Do you really expect me to use an iron headbutt to crack their skulls one by one?

Even Hanqing and the others looked at Wang Zhan with peculiar gazes, whispering, "Aside from these techniques, does he actually have another trump card? Although a Level 10 Warrior is the dividing line between a Warrior and a Martial Master, it's still just a quantitative stage, not an invincible one..."

Yuan Mengru, however, was rather gleeful at his misfortune, almost bursting into laughter. Despite this, her face still held a hint of wicked amusement.

"Good riddance, kid! Now you can't use anything. Let's see how you fight now! HMPH! If you're so capable, then break through to Martial General. Otherwise, they could just wear you down with sheer numbers..." Wear down? Hmm...

At this thought, Yuan Mengru's expression suddenly froze, and then a faint blush crept across her cheeks. No one knew what exactly she was thinking, and in any case, no one could see it.

One thing was certain: having suffered considerably at Wang Zhan's hands and been taken advantage of by him numerous times, she would not let this golden opportunity pass.

Thus, the initially silent atmosphere on the field shifted once more, as if fortunes had completely reversed. One moment, everyone, including Wang Zhan himself, felt they were no match for him, and he had started to gloat. The next, Wang Zhan was bound hand and foot by those old geezers, unable to move, his face dark. Now it was their turn to revel in his misfortune, believing a great opportunity had arrived.

Wang Zhan also knew the current situation had indeed become somewhat awkward. While his shortcomings had been shored up a little, meaning he wouldn't be finished as quickly as before, it wasn't enough. But now, the opposition clearly intended to use a war of attrition. Seven thousand people in total! Even if each one was as weak as a cabbage, facing 7,000 cabbages would make Wang Zhan's hands go soft from exhaustion.

Although nine hundred Martial Arts Academy teams had already been eliminated, meaning most no longer had a chance to compete, just seven hundred opponents would be enough to run Wang Zhan ragged.

Of course, the rewards were also very generous. Aside from the Chu State Military Martial Academy, almost every other academy had received a good number of points. A single victory would yield 1,500 points. If he kept winning, Wang Zhan could accumulate 150,000 points, accounting for more than half of the total available. Following the standard progression, Wang Zhan could win seventy to eighty thousand points. Added to his existing points, if he surpassed one hundred thousand, he would essentially hit the point cap.

Moreover, there would be no rest for him this time. Others could rest; during this war of attrition, they would fight according to the drawn order. If someone ahead defeated Wang Zhan, those scheduled later could simply revert to the normal tournament process. The rewards were higher, and they wouldn't lose out. So why not go for it? If no one could defeat Wang Zhan, the later a team faced him, the greater their advantage. They would be well-fed, well-rested, and full of mental power, while Wang Zhan would be subsisting on air, utterly exhausted.

The gap would only widen. Thinking of this, Wang Zhan's brow furrowed slightly. How am I supposed to handle this? I can't use any martial arts. If I rely solely on my physical body, I could probably manage to crush them for a while, but there's a limit... He knew those Old Men were probably scheming to have him advance under pressure; after all, he was only one step away. But the conditions were too harsh. For now, he could only take it one step at a time. Maybe I should just crush the initial Martial Arts Academy teams, then fight a war of attrition in the middle, and go all out in the latter half...

...

While Wang Zhan was contemplating his strategy, the selection for the lot drawing on the field had already been decided. The thousand Martial Arts Academies finished drawing lots one by one.

"First match: Wang Zhan from the Chu State Military Martial Academy versus the Yu State Military Martial Academy team!"

This was a Martial Arts Academy team ranked in the lower-middle tier among the Federal Martial Arts Academies. Their total score from the overtime matches was 2,000 points. Although not weak, they were clearly one of the lowest-ranked teams. This could be considered good luck for Wang Zhan. However, for the Yu State Military Martial Academy, it wasn't such good news. If they lost, they would immediately lose their qualification for subsequent participation, be ranked at the bottom, and receive no rewards. Therefore, every one of them came with a do-or-die attitude.

Yun Tianyi would arrange for personnel to assess their points, and factors like teamwork, offense, and decisive finishing abilities would all influence the point calculation. This meant that as long as they put up a good fight, even if they lost, the Yu State Military Martial Academy wouldn't lose face and might even see their ranking rise a few spots.

As these thoughts ran through his mind, the initially gloomy and apprehensive mood of the Yu State Military Martial Academy team captain completely calmed upon seeing Wang Zhan for the first time. He displayed the composure expected of a Martial Arts Academy student.

"Wang Ping, captain of the Yu State Military Martial Academy team, pays his respects to Student Wang Zhan! I hope Student Wang Zhan will be merciful!"

Wang Zhan glanced at the Yu State Military Martial Academy team. Each member wore a resolute expression, completely unmoved by Wang Zhan's strength or the martial arts Yun Tianyi had previously revealed. Although Wang Zhan's expression remained impassive, he felt a slight tension inwardly. Their individual skills might be average, but their coordination is excellent. At the very least, I can sense a tight, almost suffocating pressure from them.

"Ah, so we share a surname. That makes things easier to discuss. However, I'm currently bound hand and foot by those old geezers, so Student Wang Ping, please don't be too harsh!"

Wang Ping smiled faintly. "Student Wang Zhan, you jest. Formation!"

One moment he was smiling and greeting Wang Zhan; the next, he was going all out, focused and prepared. The atmosphere on the field instantly tensed, his face taking on a hint of solemnity. Undoubtedly, the Yu State Military Martial Academy was truly prepared to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, treating Wang Zhan as a life-and-death enemy.

Upon hearing Wang Ping order the formation, Wang Zhan abruptly retreated a step. BOOM! A small crater instantly appeared where he had stood. This was caused by the weapons each member of the Yu State Military Martial Academy team possessed—seven linked hammers. Almost instantly, it was as if a heaven and earth net had descended, aiming to tightly envelop Wang Zhan. Although Wang Zhan's prediction was extremely accurate, even as he retreated, he was still swiftly surrounded by the seven, unable to advance or retreat. The Yu State Military Martial Academy, despite its bottom-tier ranking, clearly possessed considerable strength.

...

「On the referee stage.」

Gazing at Wang Zhan, who was constantly dodging and weaving, somewhat flustered under the relentless assault of the linked hammers, all four individuals nodded. They were clearly not focused on Wang Zhan, but rather on the coordination of the Yu State Military Martial Academy team, their eyes shining with appreciation.

Even as Wang Zhan was forced to shamelessly yell, "...Don't hit my face! DAMN IT! It's just a championship and some Martial King Equipment! If you disfigure me, how am I supposed to live?!"

Perhaps they felt a bit awkward. The linked hammers had indeed struck Wang Zhan's pretty boy face and his lower body numerous times.

Wang Ping could only reply with a comment that made the spectators roar with laughter, "Uh, never mind, never mind! Aim carefully! Stop hitting his lower body; just go for his face..."

Hearing this, Wei Daoming said softly, "The Yu State Military Martial Academy is quite good. This coordination could allow their ranking to advance a bit."

The higher the rank, the more resources one receives. This is the rule of the Federation.

Undoubtedly, Wang Ping had correctly guessed the intentions of the four Old Master Zaos. Wasn't it all about coordinated attacks and decisive blows? Although Yu State was a bit weak, they never fell short when it came to cooperation. Use them as Wang Zhan's whetstone? They didn't mind at all. As long as there were resources, they wouldn't even mind calling someone 'Dad'.

"It's related to the environment in Yu State. Most other Martial Arts Academies are too comfortable; they don't even dare to venture deep into the wilderness. Without a place to hone themselves, they naturally can't produce true warriors."

"That's true as well."

Everyone nodded, well aware of the origin of Yu State's linked hammers. Yet, this level of cooperation still surprised and pleased them. They had finally seen some outstanding Martial Arts Academy students.

"This time, let's allow the Yu State Military Martial Academy's ranking to move up a bit. It's not easy for them; the students they cultivate aren't even enough to fill the local shortfalls."

The four of them said no more, all approving of this plan. Then, they turned their gazes back to Wang Zhan.

After his initial helplessness, Wang Zhan quickly adapted to the Yu State Military Martial Academy's fighting style. Although he couldn't counterattack yet, he was already looking for an opening to do so.

In fact, even if the old geezers didn't say it, the students knew. These old fellows were definitely thinking of using them to help Wang Zhan break through and hone his skills. But it didn't matter. The rewards were ample, and no rules were being broken, so no one would care.

"Hopefully, this kid is smart enough. Even though he can't use martial arts, when we Martial Artists first started, all we relied on were our own two fists."

"That's right. His agility, reflexes, and predictive abilities are all very good. It seems that experience on the Death Battlefield truly gave him a lot. If he can fully internalize it, then relying purely on technique and judgment, his abilities would be comparable to some decent martial arts."

"It can't be helped; his starting point was too high. That kid is no simple character either. Otherwise, the control techniques of Fatal One Slash wouldn't have become part of his foundation so quickly."

Everyone agreed on this point. However, they also believed that having too high a starting point wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Perhaps Wang Zhan realized this. He wanted to find a solution from the four mentors, but what mentor could be a better teacher than actual combat?

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