Guo Rui's Misunderstanding

"I'll bet a hundred. Yang Sheng is definitely going to lose."

"I'm in. Li Ya is guaranteed to win. Yang Sheng can't beat him at all."

"Anyone with eyes can see the outcome, unless Li Ya has an accident right before the match."

Those who had previously declared Yang Sheng certain to lose began placing their bets.

But when it came time to prove their support with real money, those who had originally backed Yang Sheng began to hesitate.

Just then, the Tianhai boss counted the money wagered on Yang Sheng losing.

"Twenty-four thousand in total. Anyone want to bet on him winning?"

He looked around, only to find that no one stepped forward.

The Tianhai boss suddenly called for the cashier to bring over some money.

Then, amid everyone's astonished looks, the Tianhai boss slapped down an equal sum of twenty-four thousand.

"I'm betting on Yang Sheng to win."

Someone exclaimed in surprise, "Boss, have you lost your mind? How could Yang Sheng possibly win?"

A confident smile appeared on the Tianhai boss's face.

"I have great faith in him."

The Tianhai boss's example was obvious. Some of Yang Sheng's supporters who had still been hesitating also began placing bets that he would win.

At some point, a short-haired girl squeezed through the crowd.

"I support Yang Sheng too! Yang Sheng will definitely win!"

Li Jing shrieked as she placed the thousand yuan in her hand on the table.

Guo Rui had originally persuaded her, but after half a class period, she felt that she still needed to see things for herself.

She dragged Guo Rui, who had been fully absorbed in studying, to look for Yang Sheng.

When they found out that Yang Sheng was not at school, they came to Skysea Boxing Gym.

The moment they arrived, they discovered that the gym was actually taking bets on whether Yang Sheng would win or lose.

Li Jing was immediately fired up and promptly threw a thousand yuan into the wager.

Beside her, Guo Rui frowned and tugged on Li Jing.

"Why are you joining in the fun?"

Li Jing said, "I think Yang Sheng really has a chance. Look, just a few days ago, he hadn't even entered Bright Force. How long has it been? He's already reached Lesser Completion of Bright Force."

"At this rate, won't he reach Great Completion of Bright Force in a few more days?"

Li Jing blinked at Guo Rui with an innocent expression.

Guo Rui sighed.

She had spoken with her mother. In her mother's view, Yang Sheng was unquestionably doomed to lose.

Whether it was his family background, cultivation, or outside support, Yang Sheng did not hold an advantage in any area.

His only advantage was that Jiang Tian had given him some guidance.

But guidance was only guidance. Its results could not possibly be transformed within three days.

This was practically everyone's consensus.

"You silly girl, do you know what it means to go from Lesser Completion of Bright Force to Great Completion of Bright Force in three days?"

"No one has ever done it! At least in Hua Nation's history, I've never seen such an incredible martial artist."

Li Jing muttered softly, "Maybe Yang Sheng can do it."

Guo Rui said, "Did Yang Sheng drug you or something? I already thought something was off about you. You keep speaking up for Yang Sheng. You need to understand that Yang Sheng is destined to be expelled from Bay City Martial Arts High School. He's a Lower-Registry Commoner. He can't take the college entrance exam, and he can't get into Martial Arts University."

After saying that, even Guo Rui herself froze for a moment.

Li Jing pursed her lips. "Yang Sheng helped us before, at least."

"Besides, aren't we Lower Registry too? They're dealing with Lower-Registry Commoners now, but someday that blade might fall on you and me."

Guo Rui said, "That's something for the future."

"For now, I think we'd better avoid getting involved with Yang Sheng. If we're too friendly with him, we might offend the Li Family brothers. That Li Yan is in the spotlight at school right now. He really can decide our fates with a single sentence."

Hearing her best friend say something like that, Li Jing became angry.

"If you want to curry favor with the Li Family, go ahead yourself. I won't do that."

Guo Rui said, "Oh, you really can't be reasoned with!"

Just as the two were talking, a commotion suddenly erupted at the entrance of the gym.

"Yang Sheng is here!"

Someone shouted.

Everyone crowded forward.

Some shouted their support, while others voiced their doubts.

"Yang Sheng, I support you! You can definitely do it!"

"You'll be fighting Li Ya in three days. Do you have anything to say? Do you think you can win?"

"Why are you taking the school test? You know you're bound to lose, yet you still want to take part. I don't understand."

Yang Sheng did not take the earlier remarks to heart.

But when he heard that last sentence, he stopped.

"I'm someone who clings tightly to even the slightest hope. Taking the school test is my only hope. No matter what the result is, I have to take it. I must take it."

Every word thundered like a bell. After hearing them, Guo Rui's heart suddenly pounded.

She did not understand. Ever since she had first met Yang Sheng, why had he always been so calm, so confident?

What gave him the right?

She also did not understand why Yang Sheng could not simply lower his head to Li Yan. Maybe then he would be allowed to remain at school.

Guo Rui even thought that if Yang Sheng came to beg her, she might soften and help him pass along a message to Li Yan.

In her understanding, people needed to make friends and build relationships.

Just like her mother had done. The moment they arrived in this city, her mother had immediately thought of her connection with Yang Sheng's father.

No matter how lowly Yang Sheng's father's current job was, her mother did not disdain him. She had even sat in the living room with him, reminiscing at length.

That was her mother's principle in life: remain friendly with both Upper Registry people and Lower Registry people.

Why was Yang Sheng so stubborn and wooden-headed? Why did he not understand such a simple principle?

"Yang Sheng, I support you!" Li Jing shouted excitedly from the side.

Amid the crowd's cheers, Yang Sheng turned and entered the private Stellar Martial Arts Match System room the Tianhai boss had prepared for him.

After settling his father in the afternoon, Yang Sheng did not choose to return to school.

He knew that the morning's incident had already made him famous throughout the school.

If he returned, countless people would surely gather around to watch him, severely affecting his training.

So he decided to spend the next few days entirely at Skysea Boxing Gym.

Not only did it have suitable training facilities, but it also provided unlimited medicinal meals.

Most importantly, this was the Tianhai boss's private territory, with excellent privacy.

He would hardly be disturbed at all.

What he needed most now was to continuously hone his Eight Extremes Fist.

To refine the techniques of the Six Openings.

Then, to improve his practical combat experience.

After putting on the system equipment, the scene before Yang Sheng's eyes changed, and he entered the virtual space.

"Welcome back to the Stellar Martial Arts Match System."

"Your current rank is Black Iron Second Stage. You are ranked thirteenth in Bay City among those at Lesser Completion of Bright Force."

To advance from Black Iron Ninth Stage to Black Iron Eighth Stage required the victory points from one win.

From Black Iron Eighth Stage to Black Iron Seventh Stage required the victory points from three wins, while advancing from Black Iron Seventh Stage to Black Iron Sixth Stage required six wins.

After that, the victory points needed for each rank increased exponentially.

Yang Sheng had advanced to Black Iron Second Stage with just over fifty victories solely because of his exceptionally high win rate.

But after entering Black Iron Second Stage, he discovered that all the opponents he encountered were extremely formidable.

Still, the stronger his opponents were, the more excited Yang Sheng became.

Only by challenging the strong could his cultivation improve quickly, and only then could his understanding of real combat rapidly accumulate.

His mind was free of distractions now. Only two words remained in his eyes.

"Fight!!"