Not long after Liu Qing entered the arena, Xiao Yan finally got to see Lin Xiu Ya make his appearance. Xiao Yan had always been very curious about this strong man who ranked higher on the Strong List than Liu Qing. Back in the deep mountains, since his opponent was a Dou Wang level magical beast and he had been avoiding it, Lin Xiu Ya had not shown his true edge that matched his ranking. But from the fact that he could still be lively and energetic after being hit hard by the Snow Demon Heavenly Ape in its rage, it was clear that this guy’s strength was extremely terrifying.
Lin Xiu Ya’s entrance was undoubtedly one of the few highlights of today’s competition, and his popularity in the Inner Academy even surpassed that of Liu Qing. His usual mild and kind demeanor made people easily like him, and even someone as resilient as Xiao Yan found it hard to feel any hostility towards him. Therefore, when he just entered the arena, thunderous cheers erupted from the surrounding stands. Some female students even blushed, looking at the towering figure in green robes with shy and joyful eyes.
If the Inner Academy students held Lin Xiu Ya and Liu Qing in great awe, then perhaps the former was more respected, while the latter was more feared. Their completely different temperaments determined their popularity. Xiao Yan leaned against the railing, watching Lin Xiu Ya smiling at the crowd with interest, and he too felt a bit of anticipation.
Soon after Lin Xiu Ya entered the arena, his opponent finally arrived. This top expert, ranked thirteenth on the Strong List, had the same bitter expression as Liu Qing’s previous opponent. Given his rank, if he had a bit more luck, entering the top ten would not have been too difficult. Unfortunately, drawing Lin Xiu Ya as an opponent meant that the top ten spot was almost out of reach.
This battle was not much of a contest from the start. Although Xiao Yan hoped that the thirteenth-ranked expert would force Lin Xiu Ya to show some of his true abilities, it did not happen. Even as the latter used all his skills, Lin Xiu Ya remained calm and composed, his green robe fluttering, and his long, neat hands, like those of a woman, occasionally clenching and loosening, forming strange shapes now and then.
For those hands that were like bone-attaching maggots, the opponent had no way to deal with them. No matter how he struggled, his attacks were always restricted within the confines of those hands. In fact, from the beginning to the end of the fight, he did not even touch a single piece of Lin Xiu Ya’s clothes.
On the high platform, Xiao Yan squinted his eyes, watching Lin Xiu Ya’s arms, which moved like a snake, expanding and contracting freely. Thanks to the vantage point, he could clearly observe the battle, so he was very certain that Lin Xiu Ya’s strange, entangling arm attack was also a very formidable close-range fighting skill.
“Hehe, Liu Qing has two specialties, one claw and one spear. And Lin Xiu Ya, who can always beat him, also has two skills that are not inferior,” Lin Yan’s voice suddenly appeared behind Xiao Yan. Seeing the latter turn around, he smiled proudly, “Do you want to know?”
“Go ahead and say it if you want,” Xiao Yan shrugged indifferently. Knowing Lin Yan’s character, he knew that the more curious you acted, the less likely he was to tell you.
As expected, seeing Xiao Yan’s casual attitude, Lin Yan shook his head in boredom and stepped forward, supporting himself on the railing, looking at the one-sided battle below, and said with a smile, “One is entangle, one is gong!”
“One entangles, one gongs?” Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow and muttered softly.
“Lin Xiu Ya cultivates a rather peculiar fighting skill called Entangling Snake Hands. As you saw, he can use this skill to suppress your attacks within a very small range. Anyone with slightly weaker strength will almost be controlled by him.” Lin Yan smacked his lips, somewhat amazed, “The Entangling Snake Hands are different from Liu Qing’s Great Splitting Claw. If the latter is overwhelmingly powerful, then these are the type that overcome power with flexibility. I’ve fought him a few times, but every time, those strange Entangling Snake Hands made me feel overwhelmed. In terms of difficulty, these hands are even stronger than Liu Qing’s Great Splitting Claw.”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, glancing down at the arena, and indeed, he saw Lin Xiu Ya’s arms moving like snake bodies, strangely flexible. Once stuck by these arms, it would not be easy to get rid of them.
“Stick candy…” Xiao Yan murmured, giving Lin Xiu Ya’s fighting skill the most fitting name.
“And what about the so-called ‘gong’?” Xiao Yan’s eyes flickered, and he whispered.
“Hehe, I’m not quite sure about that. Lin Xiu Ya’s ‘gong’ is like Liu Qing’s spear; not many can make him use it. But I suspect it might be some very powerful sword fighting skill. I’ve heard it’s really powerful… Back then, even Liu Qing was defeated by it. After so many years, I’m sure that ‘gong’ is even more terrifying.”
Lin Yan scratched his head, laughing awkwardly, and there was a hint of anticipation in his tone.
Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan sighed, “He truly is the strongest in the Inner Academy next to Zi Yan. Even hiding his ace, he leaves ordinary people far behind.”
“There’s nothing strange about that. Apart from a few special individuals, they are almost the oldest batch of students in the Inner Academy. It’s not surprising they have such achievements. But for you, to enter the Inner Academy and reach the top ten in less than a year, you are the biggest freak. I think if given enough time, even that brute king wouldn’t be your match.”
Lin Yan looked at Xiao Yan strangely, and his eyes kept darting around as if he was afraid that the brute king would suddenly appear.
Xiao Yan smiled and said, “Forget it, I don’t want to think about Zi Yan’s position. If she gets angry, one punch from her won’t be pleasant.”
Lin Yan shrugged, “You can feel how much Liu Qing and Lin Xiu Ya value you. I’m sure even if they don’t say it, they are very surprised at your achievements at this age.”
Xiao Yan smiled and said softly, “I can’t stay here for long. The Inner Academy is just a temporary stop…”
“Is it because of your family? Hehe, I’ve heard a bit about you from some elders.”
Lin Yan’s gaze at Xiao Yan suddenly became much more intense, even with a tinge of admiration, “Facing a sect with a Battle Sect alone and leaving unscathed, I don’t know how you, this freak, managed to do it.”
Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback, then realized that with the influence of the Gama Academy, he probably had intelligence gathered on him since the day he entered. Moreover, the challenge to the Yun Lan Sect was already a hot topic in the Gama Empire, and it was easy to find out.
Xiao Yan smiled but didn’t want to say anything more.
“If I enter the top ten, I might become an elder in the Inner Academy for about a year. When you return to the Gama Empire and if you don’t mind, I can tag along with you. Traveling the continent is also part of my future plans.”
Lin Yan patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder, grinning.
Xiao Yan looked up in surprise at the smiling Lin Yan, and after a moment, he nodded happily. With Lin Yan’s strength, he would surely become a Dou Wang sooner or later. A Dou Wang, let alone in the Gama Empire, was valuable even on the continent. The inevitable conflict with the Yun Lan Sect in the future could be dealt with more easily if he could gather a group of true strong men around him.
“I’ll definitely call you then.”
As the two talked, the battle in the arena was nearing its end. From the start to the finish, it was almost entirely under Lin Xiu Ya’s control. His opponent, entangled by those soft, snake-like arms, was completely disoriented. So, after nearly ten minutes, the playful nature of the fight concluded.
When Lin Xiu Ya’s hand gently touched the opponent’s chest, and a gentle force suddenly burst out, everyone knew the battle had reached its predictable conclusion.
“Let’s go, there’s nothing more to see in the following battles.”
Watching the opponent being pushed out by Lin Xiu Ya, Lin Yan waved at Xiao Yan and turned to leave, saying, “Now, we wait for tomorrow’s top ten battle. But I wonder which three unlucky guys will be eliminated…”
Smiling, Xiao Yan nodded, and his gaze returned to the arena. Just then, Lin Xiu Ya’s gaze also met his, and their eyes crossed in mid-air, each smiling, but with a trace of eager heat in their smiles.
Clearly, both of them held each other in high regard.
Perhaps this could also be considered a mutual respect between strong men. Although Xiao Yan’s surface strength did not qualify, Lin Xiu Ya and others who could see clearly knew that this young man, who was a bit younger than them, had a terrifying combat power comparable to theirs.
“Hoping I don’t meet any overly troublesome opponents tomorrow…” Murmuring this in his heart, Xiao Yan turned around and walked away with Xuner and the others, gradually disappearing from everyone’s sight amidst the loud cheers in the arena.
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