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  However, after for a round, Xiao Yan noticed that no one was using medial pills during the matches. At most, they would use healing-type pills to recover from injuries afterward.

  'It's probably not allowed. If using pills were permitted, it would simply bee a petition of who afford the most expensive ones.' Xiao Yan shook his head inwardly, but there was no trace of deje or disappoi in his eyes.

  "Xiao Yan ge-ge will definitely make it into the top five." Ever sihat day, Xun Er had beuch bolder. She led closely against Xiao Yan like a little bird.

  Xiao Yan sighed lightly, "Ah, it's not a big problem for me to get into the top five, but it'll be a bit challenging for Xiao Yu and Xiao Ning to break into the top five as well. If only we could use medial pills."

  Instructor Ruo Ling sitting nearby gnced sideways at Xiao Yan, "You rascal still have time to worry about others. Don't be too careless. That Bai Shan who attacked you before ehe Outer Academy a year earlier than you, and his strength isn't weak. He's cultivated several High Xuan Css Dou Teiques. I've heard he already defeat peak Dou Grandmasters. He even once killed a Dou Spirit expert."

  "There's also Wu Hao from the Outer Academy's Law Enfort Unit. The Law Enfort Unit faces the vicious vilins from the Bck-er Region. The number of Dou Grandmasters who have died at his hands is tless. Even Dou Spirits have fallen to him. His strength is not to be uimated."

  "That red-clothed girl Hu Jia who's been staring at you is the granddaughter of Hu Gan, the Deputy Headmaster of the Outer Academy. She's the same age as you and Xun Er, arength is not beh Xun Er's. Her talent is exceptional; such a high level of talent hasn't appeared ier Academy for decades."

  Xiao Yan looked at Instructor Ruo Ling as she talked on and on and couldn't help but pin about the low quality of Jia Nan Academy's teag.

  He didn't believe that Hu Jia's strength was on par with Xun Er's. Xuhis kied girl, seemed evenly matched with everyone, but only he khat if she truly unleashed her full power, her real strength might be even more terrifying than his own.

  "Don't worry, Instructor Ruo Ling. Whether it's Bai Shan, Wu Hao, or that tiger girl, I have fiden defeating them all. The first p this Outer Academy Qualifying petition will definitely e from our Huang Css Two." Xiao Yan couldn't help but fort her, giving her a boost of fidence.

  The qualifying petition proceeded one round per day. Although those who could participate in the Inner Academy sele were the elites of each css, after all, students could study ier Academy for four years. Third-year and fourth-year students would also participate, so the number of partits in the petition was around a hundred.

  The victors of the first round would be paired up. Those who won two secutive matches would automatically secure a spot iop fifty, and the same for the losers. Those who lost two secutive matches would have no ce to ehe Inner Academy. Then, the third round would have those with one win and one loss pete for the final twenty-five spots.

  In the sed round, the first to go on stage was Xiao Mei. Iingly, Xiao Yan right after her, and this time, his oppo was also an alchemist!

  "Xiao Yan's oppo is actually Lu Mu? Hey, Yu Er, isn't that your Lu Mu?" Xue Ni, sitting beside Xiao Yu, ughed as she pressed her twin peaks against Xiao Yu's arm.

  Xiao Yan had seen this Xue Ni during the enrollment two years ago. His impression of her was that she had a pair of deadly ons, quite ample indeed.

  "Yours, my ass! That guy was just spouting nonsense. I have ionship with him whatsoever, not even as friends." Xiao Yu hurriedly de and g Xiao Yan, who was sitting in front waiting for his turn.

  Xue Ni revealed a mischievous smile and deliberately said loudly, "Hehe, that Lu Mu is Yu Er's number one suitor. Back then during enrollment, that guy preteo be a udent and pulled Yu Er around the academy for most of the day. Later, when Yu Er realized it, she directly kicked him into the pond. Who khat after being kicked ohat guy would start stig to Yu Er like glue?"

  Xiao Yu's delicate brows furrowed slightly when she saw that Xiao Yan had ion. Her slender jade-like leg lightly kicked his back.

  "Hey, I'm still the Little Leader, you know." Xiao Yan naturally knew Xiao Yu was nudging him with her foot and turned his head to look at her with mild annoyance.

  "Hmph, what kind of Little Leader are you? Someone's pestering your people, and you don't even teach him a lesson." After Xiao Yu finished speaking, a blush immediately appeared on her pretty face, feeling that her words seemed somewhat inappropriate.

  Xiao Yan sighed and slowly stood up as Xiao Mei was about to defeat her oppo. He said helplessly, "He's just a one-move nobody. How do you expect me to help you teach him a lesson?"

  As Xiao Mei's agile movement nded a palm on her oppo's neck, knog them unscious, the referee shouted, "The match is over! The winner is Xiao Mei!"

  "Yay!! Cousin Xiao Yan, I've advanced!!" Xiao Mei couldn't tain her joy. Her face revealed a radiant smile as she waved at Xiao Yan.

  Watg Xiao Mei boung up and dowedly like a little white rabbit, many male students who preferred this cute ae type revealed silly grins.

  Xiao Yan smiled and waved gently as he slowly walked down from the spectator stands.

  "Lu Mu from the Alchemy Department versus Xiao Yan from Huang Css Two!" With the referee's loud annou, the noisy pza quieted down for a moment. Then, tless gazes instantly shifted to Xiao Yan. Those gazes held various emotions, and naturally, there were more unfriendly ones among them.

  After all, Xiao Yan was surrounded by several beauties. It was hard not to attravy, especially after that kiss, which directly made Xiao Yan the publiemy of the entire academy.

  Although she knew Xiao Yan's strength was very strong, Instructor Ruo Ling couldn't help but remind him, "Looks like many people are waiting to see you make a fool of yourself. This Lu Mu is not parable to Xue Beng from yesterday. His strength could be sidered among the top ten iire Outer Academy. Moreover, as an alchemist, he trol a fme with siderable destructive power. He's quite tricky to deal with, so be careful."

  "Xiao Yan ge-ge, good luck," Xun Er pyfully enced him from the side.

  Xiao Yan waved his hand. To him, these worries were unnecessary, but they also made him feel gratified.

  Just moments after he ehe arena, a clear whistle suddenly sounded from outside the pza. Then, a blue figure instantly swept across the sky above the pza and finally tapped the pilrs surrounding the battle stage with the tip of his toes, flipping through the air and nding oage.

  Xiao Yan watched this fshy entrand felt embarrassed for him.

  After this blue-clothed figure appeared, the surrounding stands immediately erupted into tsunami-like cheers. It seemed that in Jia Nan Academy, many people hoped that this Lu Mu could suppress the newly arrived yet extremely domineering Xiao Yan.

  "This battle should force Xiao Yan to give it his all. That Lu Mu guy isn't the same as Xue Beng from yesterday." Bai Shan looked indifferently at the two in the arena, a cold smile curling at the er of his mouth. "I want to see what skills you, Xiao Yan, have to be with Xun Er!"

  "Fight, fight! It's best if both of them end up half-crippled. Then Xun Er won't have to be ruined by that Xiao Yan. Otherwise, I'll have to step in again." In another area of the stands, the red-dressed girl Hu Jia g today's most attention-grabbing matd curled her lips.

  The blue-robed youth eared before Xiao Yan had his hair casually draped over his shoulders. A hint of ziness hung on his face. His body was tall and straight. Although his appearance wasn't as handsome as Bai Shan's, he could still make people feel amiable. His harmless-looking face easily made people lower their guard. No wonder even with Xiao Yu's temperament, she was tricked by this guy the first time they met.

  "You are Xiao Yan, the Little Leader of the Xiao ?" While Xiao Yan was sizing up the blue-robed youth, Lu Mu also looked at him with a smile and asked.

  "Mm." When Xiao Yan saw that this guy did not have the same expression as Bai Shan, he nodded slightly in response.

  "Hehe, we're all family here, family! Don't worry, Brother Xiao Yan. Whech starts ter, I'll go easy on you. I definitely won't let you get hurt. Otherwise, I'll be in trouble if Yu Er gets angry." Lu Mu immediately chuckled and spoke warmly when he saw Xiao Yan nod.

  "Uh..." Xiao Yan was left speechless. This guy was really overly familiar. Meeting for the first time, yet he could pull their retionship to such a level. Truly a character.

  Xiao Yan shook his head and said, "Then I'm really sorry, but as the Little Leader of the Xiao , I refuse to allow weaklings into our ."

  Lu Mu was stunned. He was a 3-star Dou Grandmaster and also an alchemist. How was that weak?

  "Let's begin." At this point, even the referee couldn't stand it anymore and waved his hand, announg loudly.

  "Senior Brother Lu Mu, defeat Xiao Yan!"

  "Let him know the might of Jia Nan Academy!"

  Just as waves of cheering voices erupted from the audience, Xiao Yan slowly raised his hand, curling his fio flick, pnning to use the same trick as before.

  Lu Mu's expression darkened as he noticed Xiao Yan ag exactly like he had yesterday. He took out a longsword; a wisp of blue real fire surged from his palm. Dou Qi transformed into armor to protect his entire body as he said in a deep voice, "I also have a fire seed! Thinking of defeatihe same way you defeated Xue Beerday won't work!"

  Xiao Yan chuckled lightly, shook his head, and said calmly, "It's all the same."

  With a snap, a red fme shot out like a bullet. In the sed, apanied by a massive boom, the ball of Ten Thousa Fme pressed to a point by Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength instantly exploded. This time, the pressed Ten Thousa Fme was twice as much as yesterday!

  A sea of fire immediately raged. The entire expatle stage was pletely engulfed by fmes. The terrifying blood-red tongues of fire even surged toward the spectator seats.

  "Protective barrier!"

  With a buzzing sound, the tongues of fire crashed into the transparent barrier, a bllow refleg on the faces of the audience.

  With a thud, a figure whose whole body was somewhat bed by burns crashed into the soft barrier and fainted.

  Xiao Yan never looked back at the explosioepped off the stage before the fmes had even dissipated.

  He left behind a dumbfounded referee, astonished academy higher-ups, and Outer Academy students who didn't even have the ce to finish shouting their cheers.

  Those who had been urging Lu Mu to defeat Xiao Yan now had faces flushed red by the refle of the Ten Thousa Fme, as if they had been spped hard by Xiao Yan.

  "Did you see that?! This is our Xiao 's Little Leader!" Xiao Ning suddenly stood up and shouted loudly. These past few days, he had been hearing people talk about how amazing Bai Shan and Wu Hao were, g they were definitely strohan Xiao Yan. He had been holding it in for a long time.

  Defeating a 9-star Dou Master in seds could be called luck, or perhaps Xue Beng was just weak. But now, a 3-star Dou Grandmaster was defeated in seds just the same!

  "Little Leader!"

  "Woohoo! Little Leader is awesome!"

  "Cousin Xiao Yan is amazing!"

  The only voices came from a few members of the Xiao , who were excitedly g long balloon sticks together, as if they were the ones who had defeated Lu Mu.

  Xiao Yan pressed his hand down, signaling for everyoo quiet down. He slowly said, "It's nothing special. He's been relying on medial pills to break through all along, so his Dou Qi is unstable and weak. I just took advantage of that."

  Then he looked at Xiao Yu and asked, "Satisfied now?"

  "Hmph, I suppose you did well." Xiao Yu snorted softly and turned her head away, but a faint smile had already appeared at the er of her mouth.

  Bai Shan's expression had ged from his initial fideo an ugly grimace at this moment. It was still the same move, a another insta.

  Although Lu Mu was indeed as Xiao Yan said, relying on pills and thus having less densed Dou Qi, defeating Lu Mu in an instant was not an easy feat even for him.

  "Old Huo, what do you think? you tell the in of that blood-red fme Xiao Yan used?" In the tral seating area, Deputy Headmaster Hu Gan smiled as he looked at the taciturn elder to his left.

  "Sigh, don't you already know Xiao Yan's information from the Jia Ma Empire? Why ask when you already know the answer?" Elder Huo g Hu Gan. When Xiao Yauro Jia Nan Academy a few months ago, they had even held a special meeting for him.

  At that time, the higher-ups of the Outer Academy learhat Xiao Yan had not only won the championship at the Alchemist Graing in the Jia Ma Empire but was also firmed to possess a Heavenly Fme. Moreover, he had eveed Nan Yanran, the Little Sect Leader of the Misty Cloud Sect.

  So for this Inner Academy Qualifying petition, these Outer Academy higher-ups were actually here to observe Xiao Yan. They all khat Xiao Yan was formidable in alchemy and that his own strength wasn't weak, but they didn't know the extent of his capabilities.

  "This match, Xiao Yan from Huang Css Two wins!" At this moment, the referee finally came to his senses. After firming that Lu Mu had only fainted and wasn't in any life-threatening danger, he loudly announced once again.

  ...

  In the subsequent matches, the strengths withier Academy gradually became clearer. Those who could achieve two secutive victories were all quite strong.

  As for Xun Er, Xiao Ning, and Xiao Yu, needless to say—they pletely overwhelmed their oppos with their cultivation levels, uionably seg two secutive victories.

  Xiao Meng had pretty good luck, entering an oppo whose cultivation was only oar higher than his own. In the end, relying on higher-grade Qi Method and Dou Teiques, he defeated his oppo with ease.

  "Xiao Yue Liang is a bit unlucky. He actually ran into a 2-star Dou Grandmaster..."

  In the arena, Xiao Yue Liang was struggling hard. Relying on the High Xuan Css Dou Teique and Qi Method that Xiao Yan had taught him, he was barely holding on, occasionally managing to terattack.

  But after all, his oppo was a Dou Grandmaster. The Dou Qi Armor c his entire body nullified his attacks, and the tactic of trading injury for injury put him at a disadvantage.

  Instructor Ruo Lily shook her head and said with some pity, "A bit unlucky. If he'd faced someone weaker, he might have secured two secutive wins and directly ehe top fifty."

  This kind of random draw still depended somewhat on luck. Just like Lu Mu, who clearly had strength among the top te happeo meet Xiao Yan in the sed round and was knocked into the losers' bracket.

  The oppo Xiao Yue Liang faced was even somewhat strohan the alchemist Lu Mu.

  Xiao Yan shook his head upon seeing the situation in the arena. If Xiao Yue Liang could reach the peak of the Dou Master stage or cultivate his Dou Teiques to a major level of mastery, he might have had a ce to defeat his oppo.

  "With only four months' time, being able to cultivate a High Xuan Css Dou Teique to a minor level of mastery is already not easy," Xun Er softly forted.

  "Exactly, and he's only lost ohere's still the third round. Xiao Yue Liang still ehe Inner Academy," Xiao Yu nodded in agreement.

  Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed as he revealed a meaningful smile and said, "How could someone from my Xiao be defeated so easily?"

  "Use the Secret Teique," Xiao Yan transmitted his voice to Xiao Yue Liang in the arena using his Spiritual Strength.

  Xiao Yue Liang sighed inwardly upon hearing the Little Leader's spiritual transmission, feeling remorseful that his cultivation was g and he had to rely oernal aid to defeat his oppo.

  "Hahaha! Victory is mine!" Xiao Yue Liang's oppoook advantage of his momentary distra and threunch at his face.

  Suddenly, a ball of blood-red fme emerged from Xiao Yue Liang's body with a buzzing sound. His aura surged rapidly at this moment.

  "Hmm? Is that a Secret Teique?!" Deputy Headmaster Hu Gan frowned, somewhat uain.

  "Secret Teique, my ass! That brat Xiao Yan hid a bit of Heavenly Fme in Xiao Yue Liang's body. But if you want to call it a Secret Teique, that works too. The principle of Secret Teiques is also to activate some kind of energy within the body to enharength." Others might n, but Elder Huo, who specialized in fire, could naturally tell.

  It was the same kind of Heavenly Fme that Xiao Yan used.

  Roar!! Xiao Yue Liang seemed to have gone berserk at this moment. His eyes turned blood-red and his muscles became robust and bulging. He grabbed his oppo and smmed him onto the ground.

  The suddenly ferocious Xiao Yue Liang caught his oppo off guard. His punches and kicks were powerful and forceful. After being strengthened by the Ten Thousa Fme, the oppo's Dou Qi Armor could no longer withstand his attacks.

  In the end, Xiao Yue Liang won by throwing his oppo off the stage.

  Instructor Ruo Ling watched as Xiao Yaed Xiao Yue Liang's injuries. She still hadn't recovered from the shock. All the members of the Xiao had ehe top fifty—they were all entering the Inner Academy!!

  Huang Css Two had made a name for themselves.

  ...

  After the sed day, twenty-five people advanced in the Inner Academy Qualifying petition, twenty-five were eliminated, and the remaining fifty would pete tomorrow to determihe st twenty-five spots for entering the Inner Academy.

  Xiao Yan and the others naturally didn't o watymore; it was equivalent to having a day off.

  From this day on, the name of Xiao Yan—or rather, the Xiao —began to spread throughout the entire academy. Those who were jealous of Xiao Yan, those who questioned Xun Er's judgment, gradually began to hold their tongues.

  On the fourth day, the fifty people who had advao the Inner Academy all gathered in the pza for the final petition to determihe top five and earn the qualification to ehe Book Colle Hall.

  When Xiao Yan and the others arrived outside the main pza and saw the human tide that almost blocked the entranpletely, they couldn't help but feel a bit speechless. In the end, with Instructor Ruo Ling's es, they ehe pza through a heavily guarded passage.

  Sitting on his chair, Xiao Yan was chatting and ughing softly with Xun Er beside him when he suddenly stopped talking and turned his gaze toward a special passage in the pza. Over there, surrounded by a group of people like stars surrounding the moon, Bai Shan was looking over. Notig Xiao Yan's gaze, a cold smile appeared on his handsome face. His lips moved slightly, and although he made no sound, Xiao Yan could still dis what he was saying.

  I want to make you lose all face today!

  Xiao Yan merely g him and paid no further attention. If talking big was all it took, then he could say he wao bee a Dou God.

  "You're Xiao Yan? Do you dare to fight me?!" Just as Xiao Yan was about to say something to Xun Er, someone approached him.

  Xiao Yan looked over. He remembered this person seemed to be called Wu Hao or something, known as the Blood Shura of the Law Enfort Unit. All his skills were honed for killing. He had sin tless people; the murderous aura on him was like a dragon, and his entire being reeked of blood.

  Rumor had it that he was also one of Xun Er's suitors.

  "I—" Before Xiao Yan could eve a word out, another voice came from not far away.

  "Wu Hao, get lost! Xun Er is my woman. I'll be the oo defeat this Xiao Yan!" A red-clothed girl put her hands on her hips and said in a brash manner.

  The Little Witch Hu Jia. Xiao Yan had heard this name during the enrollment back then.

  Wu Hao ighe Little Witch. Instead, his eyes revealed a sharp battle i as he stared fixedly at Xiao Yan.

  Xiao Yan turned his head to look at Xun Er sittio him. Helplessly spreading his hands, he said, "Xun Er, you really are a killer of both men and women, huh."

  Xun Er g Xiao Yan, who was teasing her. It's not my fault I'm good-looking!