But as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized something else.
Back then, Li Chengfeng and Zhao Lie had publicly declared that they would challenge every prodigy under twenty-eight in the entire Spirit Mountain Provincial Capital.
Now that the true disciples of the Southern Six Sects had arrived, regardless of their level, they were still within the bounds of Spirit Mountain Provincial Capital.
Their arrival meant they had taken on the identity of young prodigies of Spirit Mountain Provincial Capital.
So long as they wished to join this contest, Li Chengfeng had no reason to refuse.
Under such circumstances, even if he did not want to fight, he would have to.
After all, his reputation had already spread this far. If he failed to truly accept the challenge—or even win—at this moment, that reputation would likely turn against him.
Once that backlash set in, any real rise in status or further advancement would become exceedingly difficult.
He might even draw the disdain of certain people and suddenly invite disaster!
After all, sometimes the thing you struggle with all your might to achieve may not make you, yet it can easily destroy you!
Reputation, too, was a double-edged sword!
With that thought, Zheng Pandao's former friends all revealed strange expressions as they looked toward Li Chengfeng, who sat cross-legged on the ground regulating his breath.
They then looked at the true disciples of the Southern Six Sects on the arena stage, who remained calm and composed, not even sparing a glance for the matches below. Their hearts stirred: although Li Chengfeng had just defeated Liu Yang, the Liu Family's young master and Shenyang Prefecture's foremost prodigy, with a single sword strike—and Liu Yang's cultivation had reached the middle stage of the Channel-Opening Realm—
Could he truly win against heaven-favored