That day, the cold wind rustled.
Ten thousand people gathered in the Martial Academy square, their voices boiling into a deafening din.
On the raised platform, Gu Yanqiu's black robes snapped in the wind. He stood straight as iron as the heavy aura of the early Bone Tempering Realm slowly spread around him.
Unlike the supple force of a Tendon Forging martial artist's sinews and bones, what suffused his body was the solid, ferocious power of fully tempered bones.
The power coursing through every inch of his flesh carried crushing weight. Whether walking, sitting, or lying down, he seemed to echo with tiger roars and rolling thunder.
His gaze swept across the crowd, and his ringing voice shook their ears, every word landing with weight.
"Liu Yunche of Verdant Grain County, do you dare fight me!"
A hint of calculation lurked in Gu Yanqiu's eyes. He had deliberately called out Verdant Grain County to place Liu Yunche naturally in opposition to the Provincial Capital's prodigies.
How could the Provincial Capital's prodigies let a brat from some county steal their thunder?
As those words fell, the entire crowd erupted!
Countless Martial Academy disciples and scions of prominent families joined in the jeering.
"A disciple from some tiny county probably wouldn't dare show up, right? Hahaha..."
"After all, Gu Yanqiu has the foundation of two Extreme Realms supporting him, and now he's broken through to Bone Tempering. His strength is unfathomable."
"Liu Yunche must have something extraordinary about him for High Cultivator Qinglü to take him as her disciple, but he's simply spent too little time cultivating. With breakthroughs that fast, his foundation must be shaky!"
"In my humble opinion, there's no suspense in this fight. Gu Yanqiu has an excellent chance of winning."
The Martial Academy's betting pool instantly boiled over,