The man who appeared in the arena was quite tall, almost comparable to Yan Hao and his band of humanoid apes. Dressed in simple robes, his face was resolute, with thick eyebrows. On his back, he carried a black, heavy spear as long as he was tall. This dark spear was larger than any Xiao Yan had ever seen before, and like the man himself, it exuded an aura of dominance and might. As soon as this man appeared, the attention in the arena shifted to him. Such a commanding presence could not be overlooked anywhere.
The first impression this man gave Xiao Yan was one word: domineering! Whether it was his physique, his appearance, or even the black spear on his back, everything about him carried the same aura. And this aura, within the Inner Academy, belonged to only one person: the third-ranked on the Strong Ranking, Liu Qing, wielder of the Dominant Spear!
His sudden appearance instantly quieted the arena. The gazes that were directed at him from the stands all held a trace of reverence. In the Inner Academy, there were very few who could confront this formidable figure head-on.
The man glanced at Xiao Yan and then looked at the unconscious Bai Cheng nearby. His deep, resonant voice rang out, “I didn’t expect you to defeat Bai Cheng.”
“Just a bit of luck,” Xiao Yan replied. He gestured to pull the Heavy Profound Scale Ruler to his hand, maintaining a calm, unruffled demeanor. It was unaltered by the identity of the other party.
“Between us, there is also some unresolved business,” Liu Qing said without much preamble, his gaze fixed on Xiao Yan with a sudden smile.
Xiao Yan’s brow furrowed slightly. He naturally knew the “unresolved business” referred to the incident with Liu Fei. Instead of explaining, he let the remaining Dou Qi flow through his meridians, preparing for another possible confrontation.
“Cousin,” while Liu Qing and Xiao Yan were speaking, a few more figures leaped down from the stands. A beautiful young woman was the first, calling out cheerfully to Liu Qing before standing behind him, her eyes glancing at Xiao Yan with a hint of pride.
“Right and wrong about that past matter are known to others. It was not Xiao Yan’s fault at all. But don’t think that just because you’re strong in the Inner Academy, you can be so arrogant. If you really want to meddle in matters regardless of right and wrong, I, Xun-er, will accept the challenge.” Seeing this display, Xun-er’s face grew solemn. Ignoring Xiao Yan’s attempts to stop her, she stepped forward, speaking coldly.
Liu Qing was taken aback by Xun-er’s scolding. He then looked at her with curiosity, as very few dared to speak to him like this. Her extraordinary poise made his gaze linger on her for quite a while.
“Hmph, what do you think you are? You think you can lecture my cousin? Don’t get cocky just because you defeated Bai Cheng. Xiao Yan is nothing but a waste relying on medicinal pills!” Seeing Xun-er’s actions, Liu Fei was clearly displeased. Especially when she saw her usually indifferent cousin show interest in Xun-er, jealousy surged in her heart. She couldn’t help but step forward, pointing at Xun-er and retorting sharply.
Xiao Yan merely raised an eyebrow at Liu Fei’s outburst, not even bothering to look at her. He always kept away from such unreasonable and forceful women. His focus remained on Liu Qing, whose oppressive aura was no less than Lin Xiuya’s.
Though Xiao Yan could ignore Liu Fei’s ranting, Xun-er’s face turned completely icy. While being insulted herself was one thing, she could not tolerate anyone disparaging Xiao Yan.
“Fei-er!” Liu Qing frowned, clearly thinking Liu Fei had gone too far. He raised his voice, and upon seeing the chill on Xun-er’s face, was about to say something. But his pupils suddenly constricted, and he quickly moved to the left, shielding Liu Fei behind him.
In that instant, Xun-er, who had been still, suddenly dashed out. Two afterimages appeared along her path, precisely flanking Liu Qing.
As the afterimages appeared, Liu Qing’s expression changed. His arms pierced the two afterimages like lightning. Then… a crisp sound of a slap echoed from behind him.
*Snap!*
On the stands, mouths gaped in astonishment, eyes wide as they saw the red mark on Liu Fei’s pretty face. For a moment, the entire arena fell into a strange, eerie silence.
Xun-er slightly raised her hand, casting a cold glance at Liu Fei’s disbelieving face, and spoke coldly, “Don’t think you can act as you please just because you have Liu Qing’s backing. That slap was for Brother Xiao Yan.”
“You, you… you wretched woman, I’ll kill you!” Driven by the sting of pain, Liu Fei finally regained her senses. Being publicly slapped was more humiliating than being cut with a knife. Filled with shame and fury, her face turning purple, she screamed, her fingers clawing towards Xun-er’s face.
Xun-er, looking coldly at the frenzied Liu Fei, raised her hand, now glowing with a brilliant golden light. The fierce energy contained within caused the faces of those behind Liu Fei to change, and they rushed to shield her.
“This student, isn’t this a bit too much?” Liu Qing reappeared in front of Xun-er, his voice stern.
“She brought it upon herself, don’t blame others.” Xun-er cast a cool glance at Liu Qing, her hand still glowing golden. Even facing the third-ranked powerhouse in the Inner Academy, she showed no fear.
“Xun-er, come back!” Xiao Yan, frowning, called out.
Hearing Xiao Yan’s call, the ice on Xun-er’s face slowly thawed. Tapping her foot lightly, she floated gracefully to Xiao Yan’s side like a butterfly. Seeing his frown, she gave a playful smile, a fleeting, captivating expression that made the eyes of many men in the stands glaze over.
Shaking his head in exasperation, Xiao Yan pulled Xun-er behind him. Though he knew her hidden strength was probably no less than his own, his sense of chivalry made him unwilling to let her fight these battles.
As Xun-er withdrew, the atmosphere in the arena grew peculiar. Beside Liu Qing, Liu Fei, clutching her face, sobbed quietly, her companions hurriedly consoling her. Liu Qing’s face was grim.
“Haha, it’s quite lively here today. We just watched a fight between men, and now it’s the girls’ turn…” The odd atmosphere was broken by a laugh, followed by several figures appearing in the arena.
“Lin Xiuya? Yan Hao? What wind brings all these people who normally stay in seclusion to the arena today?” The crowd buzzed with whispers.
Seeing Lin Xiuya and the others, Xiao Yan was surprised but greeted them with a smile.
Lin Xiuya exchanged a few pleasantries with Xiao Yan and then, turning away from Liu Qing and the others, gave Xun-er a thumbs up, saying, “That was satisfying.”
Xun-er glanced at Lin Xiuya. Despite his top-tier appearance and demeanor, her face remained impassive, merely nodding slightly before focusing back on Xiao Yan.
Faced with such indifference, Lin Xiuya could only chuckle awkwardly, scratching his nose. It was the first time a woman had treated him this way.
“Haha, apologies, that’s just how she is,” Xiao Yan said, patting Xun-er’s head with a wry smile.
“It’s good to have character. By the way, I wanted to thank you for last time. Without your help, we would have had a hard time coming back alive,” Lin Xiuya said, not lowering his voice, so even Liu Qing and the others could hear.
Xiao Yan was surprised by Lin Xiuya’s lack of restraint, glancing at Liu Qing’s frowning face before nodding in slight gratitude.
“Hehe, Liu Qing, you’re not here to challenge Xiao Yan, are you? He’s injured, you know,” Yan Hao interjected, speaking frankly.
“I wouldn’t take advantage of someone in a weak state,” Liu Qing said calmly. “Since he has defeated Bai Cheng and entered the Strong Ranking, he should be qualified for the tournament next month. We’ll have our chance then.”
“As for today, it was just a quarrel between girls. I don’t want to make things difficult for her, but Fei-er can’t just be hit. When we meet in the tournament, give it your all. I find you quite interesting,” Liu Qing added, looking at Xiao Yan.
Liu Qing’s words were a clear challenge. The spectators’ gazes immediately shifted to Xiao Yan, recognizing that Liu Qing’s challenge was an indirect acknowledgment of his strength.
Under the intense scrutiny, Xiao Yan chuckled and clasped his hands, his voice firm and unshaken. This display earned him nods of approval from many.
“Naturally, I will oblige.”
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