When Xiao Yan reported his number, Bai Cheng’s face instantly stiffened, and even a tinge of paleness appeared in that stiffness. Although he always harbored resentment over his defeat at Xiao Yan’s hands, and perhaps because he was unwilling to admit it, Bai Cheng had attributed the ultimate cause of his failure to Xiao Yan’s consumption of the Dragon Strength Pill. However, at this moment, a faint fear arose in his heart. It seemed that, despite his verbal denial, deep down, he genuinely felt a sense of dread toward Xiao Yan.
Gripping the bamboo stick tightly, Bai Cheng looked at the playful smile on Xiao Yan’s lips, his face twitching, and his eyes slightly lowering. His gaze was like that of a desperate, fierce, hungry wolf: “Damn bastard, this time, even if I have to risk my life, I will make sure you lose your chance to enter the top ten.”
Xiao Yan looked indifferently at Bai Cheng, who had lowered his head, playing with the bamboo stick in his hand. He wasn’t too worried. Back when he was a one-star Dou Spirit, he could defeat Bai Cheng. Now that his strength had improved significantly, he no longer needed to exhaust himself as he did last time to win against him.
After Xiao Yan, more participants drew their bamboo sticks. Wu Hao’s opponent was a one-star Dou Spirit ranked 43rd on the “Strong List.” This level was considered low on the list, and although Wu Hao’s strength was only at the peak of a Great Fighter, he had a good chance of winning if he gave it his all. And from the way he smiled, it was clear he was grateful for his luck.
When the last participant finished drawing under everyone’s watchful eyes, most of the match order was set. Naturally, there were some people with gloomy faces and expressions of helplessness, as their opponents were those high-ranking experts on the Strong List. One four-star Dou Spirit had drawn the same number as Liu Qing, and his face turned ashen when the number was announced. Although his strength was considered mid-level on the Strong List, his chances of victory against a top-tier expert like Liu Qing were negligible.
What was particularly interesting was Zi Yan’s opponent. This person was a dark horse who had been making waves on the Strong List recently. From his appearance, he seemed to be someone who knew nothing but closed-door cultivation. Therefore, he didn’t recognize Zi Yan, and when he saw that his opponent was a little girl, he immediately sneered dismissively, receiving looks of derision from the surrounding crowd. Xiao Yan and others couldn’t help but chuckle; when the match started, this guy might cry his eyes out.
Su Qian’s gaze slowly swept across the arena, and once he confirmed that all participants had decided their order, he nodded slightly. His aged voice echoed throughout the arena: “Since the draw is complete, please return to your positions. The match order will be determined by a random draw.”
With those words, Su Qian casually drew a bamboo stick from a bamboo tube in front of him, glanced at it, and said indifferently, “Number seven.”
Hearing Su Qian’s announcement, two participants in the arena suddenly tensed up.
“Blue and red base bamboo sticks, number seven stay, the rest, leave the arena,” Su Qian ordered with a wave of his hand.
Following Su Qian’s command, the crowd in the arena quickly dispersed, leaving two people behind.
The two who remained in the arena were quite familiar with the rules. In the next moment, they quickly focused, their faces tightening, and their bodies filling with faintly glowing battle aura. They each took out their weapons and stared sharply at their opponents.
The arena gradually filled with intense fighting spirit. The once quiet stands were now buzzing with whispers, and many eyes were blazing with excitement.
The much-anticipated tournament was finally about to begin.
Xiao Yan and Wu Hao returned to the high platform, where the former exchanged glances with Lin Xiuya nearby, both smiling and nodding.
“Those two are ranked 35th and 38th, respectively. Their strengths are not far apart, so this fight will likely be quite intense,” Wu Hao observed, looking at the two in the arena and smiling.
Xiao Yan nodded casually, leaning against the railing, his lazy gaze resting on the arena.
“Didn’t expect Brother Xiao Yan’s opponent to be Bai Cheng again,” Xun’er giggled, covering her mouth.
“Just a defeated foe,” Xiao Yan replied with a light smile.
Though he didn’t show it, he understood that, after his earlier victory on the stage, few people still believed he had won due to the aid of pills. Still, it hadn’t been completely eradicated. Meeting Bai Cheng again provided an opportunity to prove, in front of everyone, that he could defeat Bai Cheng once more, and a second and third time if necessary.
“But that guy holds a grudge against you. This time, he might really fight to the death. Although you’re not afraid of him, you should still be careful. If he injures you, it could affect your future matches,” Wu Hao reminded, frowning.
Xiao Yan nodded with a smile. Being cautious by nature, he naturally would be on guard. Whether he could enter the top ten of the Strong List was crucial to his chances of obtaining the Falling Heart Flame. Therefore, he was taking this match very seriously, wary of any mistakes that might disrupt his plans.
As they conversed, the two participants in the arena below them clashed with a fierce roar from the excited crowd. Their powerful battle auras met, creating a series of low, explosive sounds. As they flashed and moved, the clear sound of metal clashing and sparks flying filled the air. The battle began without any warm-up, plunging straight into a brutal exchange.
One of the combatants wielded fire-attribute battle aura, while the other used wood-attribute. Though the latter was slightly stronger, his battle aura was at a disadvantage, making it difficult to defend against his opponent’s attacks. The fire-attribute participant, however, was quite clever, embodying the essence of pressing forward without pause. His attacks were continuous, and his red battle aura resembled real flames rising into the air, arcing and slashing fiercely at his opponent. Despite the intensity of his attacks, the wood-attribute participant remained calm, blocking each attack with steady composure. Though he seemed to be at a disadvantage, he had not yet suffered any serious injuries.
The battle, which could be considered high-level within the inner academy, captivated the audience. Everyone on the stands watched intently, their cheers and roars echoing throughout the square.
While the battle was exciting for the audience, it was merely a slight nod for Xiao Yan and his companions. After all, their perspective was different given their superior strength.
“The fire-attribute participant is going to lose,” Xiao Yan said lazily, watching the battle.
“Huh?” Wu Hao and Hu Jia, hearing this, were somewhat surprised. The fire-attribute participant was clearly dominating the fight.
“Fire-attribute battle aura is strong in attack but lacks endurance. His opponent has more combat experience and knows how to evade and stall. While wood-attribute battle aura may be weaker in attack, it excels in endurance and can even heal its own injuries. If you pay close attention, you’ll notice that the fire-attribute participant’s attacks are slowing down, while his opponent is turning the tide. The match will likely be over in less than ten minutes,” Xun’er said softly, her insight matching Xiao Yan’s, or even surpassing it in certain aspects.
Upon hearing Xun’er’s analysis, Wu Hao and Hu Jia observed more closely. After a moment, they nodded in surprise, “Indeed.”
Xiao Yan glanced at Xun’er, who was smiling beside him. This little lass could read the situation better than he could. At least, he couldn’t predict that these two would conclude their match in just ten minutes.
True to Xun’er’s prediction, in the eighth minute, the stalemate was broken. The wood-attribute participant, who had been defending passively, suddenly unleashed a ferocious counterattack. A beam of pale green battle aura shot out like a whip, piercing through the opponent’s defense and slamming into his chest.
Instantly, the fire-attribute participant turned pale, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he fell heavily out of the arena. When he got back up, the entire arena erupted in thunderous applause. His face was filled with dejection and frustration.
“First match, Hubu wins!” On the high platform, Su Qian calmly announced the result. Such a match was trivial to him, akin to children’s play.
As the prolonged applause continued, Su Qian leaned back in his chair and drew another bamboo stick from the bamboo tube. He paused, then chuckled, turning to the elders nearby. “It seems we will see an interesting match next.”
“Second match, number twenty-eight,” Su Qian declared. A figure flashed onto the stage, a man with an arrogant expression. As a recent dark horse, he had risen from outside the Strong List to 33rd place, boasting that he would unseat Xiao Yan given five days. This bravado earned him admiration, but Xiao Yan himself ignored it, busy with his own training.
Shortly after the man stepped onto the stage, a petite figure appeared, a little girl in white clothing. Under the snickers of Xiao Yan and the others, she slowly climbed onto the stage.
“Haha, little girl, don’t worry, I’ll hold back!” The man laughed, already imagining his advancement.
On the high platform, Xiao Yan, Lin Xiuya, Liu Qing, and the others wiped cold sweat from their foreheads.
“Poor guy…”
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