Ruo Lin looked at him with a proud, knowing smile. "You should not overthink it. With the strength you displayed today—effortlessly handling a 9-Star genius—you have the capacity to challenge even the Da Dou Shi seniors. That level of cross-realm combat prowess is exceptionally rare. You are virtually guaranteed a spot."
"What are the parameters for success?" Yoriichi inquired, wanting to know the exact mechanics of the reward system.
"The top fifty students of the final bracket will earn the right to enter the Inner Academy," she detailed. "All fifty will receive a generous stipend of high-tier alchemical pills and premium energy gathering hours. However... the true battle is for the upper echelons. Those who secure a spot in the Top 20 will receive extra, highly classified benefits that will drastically accelerate their early days in the Inner Sect."
She paused, her voice dropping into a hushed, reverent whisper.
"But the absolute crown jewels of this academy... are reserved solely for the Top 5."
Yoriichi leaned forward marginally, his stoic demeanor breaking to show genuine curiosity. "What lies in the Top 5?"
"The Hidden Library Pavilion," Ruo Lin revealed, her eyes gleaming with absolute awe. "It is a mythical repository, entirely separate from the standard pavilions. It is guarded by our academy's most ancient, hidden protectors—entities whose power I cannot even begin to fathom. If you secure a top-five rank, you are granted a single entry into this pavilion."
She took a deep breath. "Inside, you will not find standard Huang or Xuan class scrolls. The Hidden Pavilion houses countless Peak Xuan Class methods, and more importantly... genuine, authentic Di-Class Dou Skills and Qi Methods."
Yoriichi's eyes widened a fraction of an inch.
Di-Class.
In the vast, sprawling borders of the Jia Ma Empire, a Di-Class method was considered an absolute, kingdom-shattering myth. It represented a fundamental, terrifying leap in martial comprehension, allowing a cultivator to forcibly command the ambient energy of the world itself, rather than just manipulating their internal reserves.
For Yoriichi, the allure was irresistible.
'If I can obtain a Di-Class elemental routing scroll, or a Di-Class forging manual, I can fundamentally solve the biological and material backlash of my Eclipsing Torrent,' Yoriichi calculated rapidly. 'It is the exact missing software I require to seamlessly fuse the extreme Yin of the Azure Seed with the extreme Yang of my Sun Breathing.'
"It is for this exact reason," Ruo Lin continued, completely unaware of the monstrous theories brewing in Yoriichi's mind, "that the senior students desperately suppress their breakthroughs. They spend years hovering at the Peak Dou Shi realm, violently forcing themselves into the Da Dou Shi realm right before the tournament begins, all for a slightly higher chance to breach the Top 5."
Ruo Lin sat back, looking at him seriously. "Tell me, Xiao Ning. Do you wish to participate?"
Yoriichi's decision was instantaneous.
"I do," Yoriichi stated, his voice ringing with absolute, unyielding conviction. "There is no loss in testing my blade against the peak geniuses of this generation. Please add my name to the roster."
Ruo Lin beamed, quickly pulling out a pristine, gold-trimmed parchment and a specialized jade seal. She elegantly inscribed his name, stamping it with her official tutor's mark.
"Done," she smiled.
"One more thing," Yoriichi added before she could put the parchment away. "Please write Xiao Yu's name on the roster as well."
Ruo Lin's hand froze mid-air. She looked up, her expression filled with genuine surprise and mild skepticism.
"Xiao Yu?" Ruo Lin repeated slowly. "Xiao Ning, I know you love your sister, and she possesses an incredibly unique frost mutation. When she entered seclusion, she was a 4-Star Dou Shi. That is exceptional for her age... but the final qualifying rounds are dominated by 7, 8, and 9-Star Dou Shis, alongside genuine Da Dou Shis. Her chances of even breaching the Top 20 are incredibly low. Are you absolutely sure?"
Yoriichi did not waver. He thought of the terrifying, primordial aura of the ice dragon resting within his sister's Dantian. He knew that when she finally opened her eyes from this deep meditation, the girl who emerged would not be a mere 4-Star Dou Shi.
"I am sure," Yoriichi confirmed, his crimson eyes perfectly calm. "She has found her own mountain to climb. I have a profound feeling she will wake up long before the elimination rounds begin. She will be ready."
Ruo Lin studied his unwavering confidence for a long moment before letting out a soft sigh. "Very well. If you believe in her that much, I will register her."
She penned Xiao Yu's name beneath his, stamping it with finality.
They chatted for a few more minutes, discussing minor logistical details regarding the arena rules and the acceptable use of lethal force during the eliminations. Satisfied with the information, Yoriichi offered a final, respectful bow and took his leave.
Stepping out of the instructor's compound, Yoriichi found that the afternoon sun was beginning its slow descent, casting long, golden shadows across the academy courtyards.
As he walked down the stone path, his right hand subconsciously drifted to his left hip, his thumb habitually reaching out to rest upon a guard that was no longer there.
He grasped empty air.
Yoriichi paused, looking down at his empty hip. A quiet, heavy sigh escaped his lips.
'My blade,' Yoriichi thought, a profound sense of melancholy washing over him. 'The Sun-Steel Katana shattered completely when I decapitated that Dou Ling in the bamboo sea. I have been unarmed for months, relying entirely on wooden practice swords, hand-to-hand deflection, and the sheer density of my Dou Qi.'
It had worked fine against Bai Shan today. But Yoriichi was a pragmatist.
'To face the absolute apex predators of the Outer Academy—the Da Dou Shis fighting desperately for a Di-Class method—I cannot rely solely on bare hands,' he analyzed methodically. 'If I am forced to utilize the Eclipsing Torrent to secure a Top 5 position, I need a conduit. A blade that will not shatter under the impossible friction of absolute heat and absolute cold.'
He needed to forge a new weapon. A true masterpiece.
He resumed his steady, frictionless walk, his mind rapidly cataloging the rare ores and forging materials he had stored in his spatial ring over the past few months.
"First," Yoriichi murmured to himself, his stomach letting out a very faint, highly disciplined rumble. "Caloric intake to sustain the physical vessel. Then, I must locate a high-tier academy forge."
Humming a soft, ancient, and deeply tranquil melody under his breath, the supreme swordsman altered his course, heading toward the bustling student commercial district to find a quiet restaurant, preparing himself for the arduous, fiery work that lay ahead.