Chen Moran was someone Su Ming recognized; they had just met moments ago. The other individual was Wang Can, the sole heir of the current Wang family patriarch.
Su Ming's gaze met Wang Can's as the latter's eyes shifted in his direction. They exchanged a brief nod, a silent acknowledgment passing between them. Su Ming found Wang Can more agreeable compared to Chen Moran.
With some time still left before the match, the crowd gathered on the steps flanking the arena engaged in casual conversation.
"Look, is that the outsider the Ning family brought in? He doesn't seem particularly strong. It looks like the Ning family is heading for another defeat!"
"Exactly! They should have sent Ning Fengchi instead. At least there would be a glimmer of hope!"
It was unclear which family these individuals belonged to, but they failed to notice the handsome young man nearby, his brow furrowed in displeasure.
Suddenly, the young man slammed his foot onto a nearby stool and growled, "Hey! Chen family, are you blind to my presence, or are you just pretending I don't exist?"
The group chatting nearby was startled and turned to see Ning Fengchi, his expression dark and stormy. Their faces flickered with surprise, but they quickly regained their composure.
One of them retorted, "Ning Fengchi, isn't it frustrating for you, as the legitimate heir, to be sidelined while your family hires an outsider?"
"Damn it, mind your own business! Tell me your name and what business you run. I'll make sure to visit you when I have the time!"
Ning Fengchi shot back.
The man's face paled, and he quickly fell silent. Provoking Ning Fengchi was unwise. Though his cultivation might not match Chen Moran's or Wang Can's, his reputation for ruthlessness and a long memory had earned him the title of "Devil King" in the martial arts circles of the city.
*Hmph!*
Seeing the man retreat into silence, Ning Fengchi sneered, a satisfied smirk spreading across his face.
At that moment, an elderly man in loose martial attire ascended the arena. The surroundings fell into a hushed silence.
The elderly man raised his hand and declared in a booming voice, "I hereby declare the fiftieth annual three-family tournament officially open!"
*Clap! Clap! Clap!*
The audience erupted into enthusiastic applause. The elderly man raised his hand again, and the crowd quieted down.
"Alright, let me reiterate the rules: you may choose between round-robin matches or defending the arena. No firearms, no intentional life-threatening injuries, and remember, friendship comes first!"
"Now, let us welcome the competitors!"
The elderly man concluded and nodded towards Ning Cangyun and the others.
"Dad, I'm going first!"
Chen Moran's low voice rang out. He turned his head and cast a challenging glance at Su Ming.
At that moment, Su Ming ignored him, focusing his thoughts inward.
*Ding! Choice triggered!*
"Option 1: Become the arena defender and win. Reward: System function upgrade."
"Option 2: Participate in the round-robin and win. Reward: Increase Ning Fengqing's affection by 10 points."
"The system function can be upgraded? I thought it was just a choice function!" Su Ming was pleasantly surprised and decisively chose option one. As for option two, he didn't even consider it. This damn system was too tricky. If he chose it, and Ning Fengqing's affection eventually reached 100 points, it would be a hassle. He already had one girl with full affection that he hadn't dealt with yet.
At this point, Chen Moran also stepped onto the arena, his gaze piercing towards Su Ming. Then, he shouted, "Ning family's outsider, Tai Chi, Chen Moran, challenges you!"
Ning Cangyun turned to look at Su Ming, nodding without a word. It didn't matter who the challenge was against; they had to fight anyway.
Su Ming didn't say anything and walked straight to the arena, soon standing on it.
"Not bad, you have the courage to come up. I do give you some credit for that!" Chen Moran looked at Su Ming, his eyes cold and sharp. "Let me see what qualifies you to get Ning Fengqing!"
With that, Chen Moran assumed the starting stance of Tai Chi, and a robust aura spread out from him. Many experienced observers could tell that Chen Moran had already entered the realm of the Hidden Strength.
*Wait!*
At that moment, Su Ming suddenly raised his hand, stopping Chen Moran.
"What? Scared? If you're scared, get off now and save yourself the embarrassment!"
Chen Moran spoke disdainfully.
Su Ming glanced at him indifferently and replied, "If you want to lose, there's no need to rush."
*What did you say?* Chen Moran's face grew even colder, his expression as grim as if it could drip water.
Su Ming ignored him and looked at Ning Cangyun, saying, "Family Head Ning, may I choose to defend the arena?"
*Buzz!*
As soon as Su Ming's words were spoken, the entire hall erupted in a commotion. Defending the arena was something that hadn't been seen in many years. Only those with absolute confidence in their abilities dared to choose it.
"What's going on? If we lose the defense, we'll lose over a hundred billion more!" Ning Fengchi frowned in confusion.
"Choosing to defend the arena? Did he take my words seriously? Does he really like me?"
Ning Fengqing was stunned, her face turning slightly red as she recalled her earlier words.
"Wow, this outsider is pretty bold, choosing to defend the arena?"
"Is he looking for death? Where did the Ning family find this idiot?"
"Defending the arena, interesting. It looks like the Ning family is already out of the running this year!"
The crowd on both sides of the arena buzzed with discussion, all looking at Su Ming as if he were an idiot.
*Hmph... A little strength and he's already so arrogant! Truly ignorant of his own limits!* Ning Fengchao, sitting near Ning Fengchi, scoffed.
Beside Ning Fengchao, Ning Canghai stood up and shouted, "Su Ming, what are you doing? We hired you to fight, not to embarrass our family!"
After speaking, Ning Canghai turned to Ning Cangyun and added, "Big Brother, is this the person you trusted? Maybe let Fengchao or Fengchi go instead. Even if they lose, it won't be so humiliating!"
"Haha... Brother Ning, I didn't expect your family's outsider to be so arrogant!" The head of the Chen family laughed.
"Hehe... Brother Ning, I wonder if your family's outsider is truly capable or just a bit extreme in personality," the head of the Wang family also said with a smile.
Ning Cangyun furrowed his brows, ignoring everyone and fixing his gaze on Su Ming, staring intently into his eyes. In Su Ming's eyes, Ning Cangyun saw no trace of worry, only immense confidence.
"How confident are you?"
Ning Cangyun suddenly asked.
*One hundred percent!*
Su Ming replied calmly.
Ning Cangyun was shocked, his eyes flashing with a keen light. He didn't move his gaze, afraid to miss any detail. However, he was disappointed. Su Ming's eyes remained filled with confidence.
"Good! I leave it to you!"
Ning Cangyun spoke again, shocking everyone in the hall. The entire room fell into a dead silence.