Today was Jia Nan Academy's grand annual event—
The Inner Academy Selection Tournament.
For this occasion, the academy had prepared its largest square in advance.
Yet even so, it was completely packed.
Countless students surged in from every direction, and within moments, the enormous plaza was filled to capacity.
The arena was circular in shape.
Stone steps spread outward layer by layer around it, resembling the ancient Roman colosseum from Xiao Se's previous life. From the stands, spectators could clearly view every corner of the battleground.
At this moment, in the center of the arena, two figures—one dressed in black, the other in green—crossed past each other repeatedly.
Violent waves of Dou Qi erupted between palms and claws, drawing constant gasps of amazement from the audience.
However, compared to the intense battle below, a certain corner of the spectator stands was even more eye-catching.
There sat one man and three women.
On the far left was a girl with snow-white hair.
She wore a loose gray-purple dress embroidered with golden thread along the sleeves, elegant and luxurious. Her skin was even whiter than snow, yet tinged faintly with healthy warmth rather than pallor.
Combined with her exquisitely delicate features, she instantly became the focus of countless gazes.
Unfortunately, smiles were rare on her face.
Her gray-purple eyes were as lifeless as withered wood, carrying no emotion at all—an aura that warned others to keep their distance.
Only when she looked at the young man beside her did warmth quietly surface.
That young man was equally extraordinary.
He wore a light green robe, with fair skin and handsome features. His half-long hair was tied into a neat ponytail, his figure tall and perfectly proportioned.
At first glance, aside from his looks, nothing about him seemed particularly striking.
But anyone who noticed his eyes would immediately sense the difference.
Those deep black pupils were sharp and boundless—being stared at by them felt like standing beneath a rain of swords. One trace of malicious intent, and you'd be pierced into a honeycomb.
Beside the young man sat, apart from the white-haired girl, another young woman in a pale-purple academy uniform, as well as one in a light-purple dress.
They were none other than Little Fairy Doctor, Xiao Se, Xiao Yu, and Xun'er, here to watch the competition.
"Xiao Se, look!" Xiao Yu exclaimed excitedly. "Zhuqing is amazing! Even though she's not fully proficient with her battle skills yet, with that black cat-shaped Dou Qi armor, that Dou Shi doesn't stand a chance!"
Xiao Se smiled and shook his head.
"That's not Dou Qi armor," he explained. "It's the Netherworld Spirit Cat. It provides comprehensive enhancements to the body."
"Netherworld Spirit Cat?" Xiao Yu tilted her head in confusion. "What's that?"
"You can think of it as a special physique," Xiao Se replied vaguely.
As for matters related to Douluo Continent—given Xiao Yu's loose tongue—it was better not to mention them yet.
While they spoke, the black figure on the stage suddenly halted.
Black light surged around her claws.
Two shadowy claw images tore forward, striking precisely across the young man's chest.
The terrifying tearing force shredded his Dou Qi defense and blasted him straight out of the combat zone.
"Senior, thank you for holding back."
After defeating her opponent, the girl spoke calmly and nodded politely.
"Junior Sister Zhuqing truly deserves her reputation as one of this year's top talents," the handsome young man said with a bitter smile.
"I've lost."
He dusted himself off and left gracefully.
"This round—Zhu Zhuqing wins!"
With the referee's announcement, Zhu Zhuqing turned and leapt down from the stage.
"Zhuqing, congratulations!"
Below the stage, a gentle woman waved at her warmly.
"I still have a long way to go, Instructor Ruo Lin," Zhu Zhuqing replied with a rare smile.
Ignoring the countless heated gazes around her, she quickly walked over.
Since following Xiao Se to the Dou Qi Continent, her naturally cold personality meant she had few friends.
Among all the students of Jia Nan Academy, aside from Xiao Se, Xun'er, Xiao Yu, and Little Fairy Doctor—
Only Ruo Lin was someone she felt close to.
"I swear, you little monsters…" Ruo Lin sighed softly.
Her gaze turned complicated as she looked toward Xiao Se's group.
Two months ago, when she first met Zhu Zhuqing, the girl had only been at nine stages of Dou Qi.
Xiao Yu had merely been a six-star Dou Zhe.
Now, both had stepped into the realm of Dou Shi.
Zhu Zhuqing had even reached five-star Dou Shi.
She knew very well that their rapid growth was inseparable from Xiao Se, the alchemist.
"You flatter me, Instructor," Zhu Zhuqing said gently before walking over to sit beside Xun'er.
Unexpectedly, the little kitty and Xun'er got along exceptionally well.
This surprised even Xiao Se.
"Zhuqing, you did great," Xun'er smiled softly.
Her gaze flickered subtly toward Xiao Se before she sighed lightly.
"Even though you're only a five-star Dou Shi, with the Netherworld Spirit Cat, you can already match a Da Dou Shi. You'll probably enter the Inner Academy very soon. I'm really envious."
"Xiao Se said you're the most talented among all of us," Zhu Zhuqing comforted her. "As long as you train seriously, you'll definitely make it too."
"Maybe…" Xun'er smiled helplessly.
For years, she had cultivated very casually—taking things easy and enjoying her childhood.
Only now did she truly feel regret.
Unlike Zhu Zhuqing, who possessed soul power that could be rapidly refined, she relied purely on Dou Qi cultivation.
Even with the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, no matter how talented she was, she couldn't possibly leap from eight stages of Dou Qi to Dou Shi in just two months.
While the two were chatting, it was finally Xiao Se's turn.
To his surprise, his opponent turned out to be Hu Jia—the famous "lily" from the original story, and Hu Qian's granddaughter.
"So you're the Xiao Se my grandpa mentioned?" Hu Jia snapped, cracking her whip angrily.
"You're nothing special! Not only are you juggling four women, you even stole my favorite Xun'er and Zhuqing!"
Looking at the fiery red-clothed girl before him, Xiao Se's mouth twitched.
He offered no explanation.
His figure flashed.
In an instant, he appeared behind her.
Grabbing the back of her collar, he lifted her like a sack of potatoes and casually flung her out of the arena—back first, face up.
The match ended instantly.
"This round—Xiao Se wins!"
The referee showed no surprise.
Earlier, Vice Principal Hu Qian had already revealed Xiao Se's strength.
His participation in the selection tournament was merely a formality.
Among the Outer Academy students, no one stood a chance against him.
Xiao Se nodded faintly and calmly leapt down from the stage.
"You—!"
Having been eliminated without even attacking once, Hu Jia stood frozen in disbelief.
Only after hearing the referee's announcement did she snap back to reality.
Staring at Xiao Se's retreating figure, her face flushed with humiliation.
She—Jia Nan Academy's infamous little demoness—had just been thrown off the stage.
Xiao Se merely smiled lightly and said nothing.
He returned calmly to the side of Little Fairy Doctor and the others.
(End of Chapter)
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