Fifty students stepped into the square, their eyes scanning one another cautiously.
Even Han Yue, who had participated in the Inner Courtyard Selection Competition before, hesitated for a moment at the sight of such a chaotic battlefield.
However, she quickly realized something—
There were no restrictions on forming alliances.
In a large melee like this, teamwork would provide a massive advantage.
At that moment, Bai Cheng's voice rang loudly across the arena:
"Everyone! You've all seen the previous matches!"
His sharp gaze swept across the crowd before landing on Xiao Feng.
"Xiao Feng's strength is far beyond any of us here!"
"If we don't eliminate him first, then the final victory will definitely belong to him!"
"If we join forces now and take him down, I, Bai Cheng, will only take one position. The rest will be left for all of you to compete for!"
His words immediately stirred the crowd.
Everyone knew he was right.
If Xiao Feng was left alone, none of them would stand a chance.
Even if they sided with him… they would only be fighting for scraps.
It was far better to eliminate him first.
Standing quietly in a corner, Xiao Feng listened to everything with a faint smile.
He said nothing.
There was no need.
Because no matter what they decided—
The result would not change.
Gradually, most of the students gathered behind Bai Cheng.
Another group stood with Han Yue.
The remaining few hesitated, unable to decide.
But in the end, all eyes slowly turned toward one person—
Xiao Feng.
Standing alone.
Seeing that Xiao Feng remained silent, the last traces of hesitation disappeared.
Confidence surged within the crowd.
After all…
They had numbers.
Soon, both Bai Cheng and Han Yue led their groups forward, surrounding Xiao Feng from both sides.
Weapons were drawn.
Dou Qi surged.
Every single one of them was fully prepared.
Some even activated Qi veils and Qi armor, guarding themselves completely.
Xiao Feng's previous battles had already instilled deep fear within them.
Bai Cheng stepped forward, holding his pale yellow spear, his face filled with confidence.
"Xiao Feng," he said coldly,"will you step down yourself… or do you need us to send you down?"
Han Yue said nothing, but her weapon gleamed faintly as she prepared for battle.
Xiao Feng looked at the crowd surrounding him.
Dozens of opponents.
Layers of defense.
Careful… cautious… afraid.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
He ignored Bai Cheng's words and instead said calmly:
"Why don't you first see… how long you can last?"
The moment his voice fell—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Weapons began falling to the ground.
One after another—
Students collapsed.
Their eyes rolled back as their bodies hit the floor.
Unconscious.
In just a few breaths—
Most of the contestants had already fallen.
"What… how is this possible?!"
Bai Cheng's expression changed drastically.
A powerful dizziness struck him.
His vision blurred as he struggled to stay upright, barely supporting himself with his spear.
On the other side, Han Yue was no better.
Shock filled her eyes.
"We clearly had full protection… how can he still affect us?!"
Soon—
The entire arena fell silent once again.
Out of fifty contestants—
Only three remained standing.
Xiao Feng.
Bai Cheng.
Han Yue.
On the high platform, even Vice President Hu Gan couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"It seems… we've made things too easy for him."
Beside him, Fire Elder shook his head with a helpless smile.
"This boy's ability… it simply cannot be defended against."
In the stands, the audience was completely stunned.
One person…
Defeating dozens of top students from Jia Nan Academy.
Such a scene had never appeared before.
On the square, Xiao Feng spread his hands slightly and looked at the two remaining opponents.
"Now," he said calmly,"shall I send you down… or will you concede?"
Han Yue sighed softly, a bitter smile appearing on her face.
"I'm already satisfied with reaching the top ranks," she said."I concede."
She stepped back without hesitation.
Bai Cheng, however, clenched his teeth tightly.
His face was filled with unwillingness.
"You…"
Before he could finish—
Xiao Feng moved.
A flicker.
A blur.
He appeared instantly in front of Bai Cheng.
A single palm strike—
Bang!
Bai Cheng was sent flying out of the square, crashing heavily onto the ground outside.
Silence.
Then—
An explosion of noise.
The Inner Courtyard Selection Competition…
Had ended.
And the victor—
Was Xiao Feng.
"The victor is Xiao Feng".
With the Vice Dean's final announcement, this year's Inner Courtyard Selection Competition came to an end—
In a manner that stunned everyone.
Countless people began discussing it, endlessly speculating about Xiao Feng's true capabilities.
As the spectators returned to Canaan City, the news spread like wildfire, igniting heated discussions throughout the entire city.
Xiao Feng's rise was like that of a bright moon, making all the other students seem like mere fireflies in comparison.
And people… were always drawn to the bright moon.
Because of him, the brilliance of this generation—and even the next few—seemed dimmed.
No matter what achievements others might accomplish, they would inevitably be compared to him.
And once that comparison was made—
The gap became painfully clear.
What once seemed like remarkable accomplishments would appear insignificant beneath the light of that moon.
For a long time to come, the students of future generations would live under Xiao Feng's shadow.
A shadow cast by overwhelming talent and unmatched strength.
As one of the top ranks in the Inner Courtyard Selection Competition, Xiao Feng earned the privilege—
To enter the Library Pavilion.
And this time…
He could choose two items of his desire as dean promised.
Xiao Feng had one week to prepare and pack his belongings before heading to the Library Pavilion to claim his reward.
The delay was necessary.
After all, he had defeated every one of the forty-nine participants. Those students needed time to recover, as they would soon have to compete for Fire Energy before officially entering the Inner Academy.
During this week, Xiao Feng had no intention of resting.
Instead, he planned to take care of a few matters—things that could benefit the Outer Academy and also help the members of the Xiao family when they arrived in the future.
With these thoughts in mind, he turned and headed toward his teacher's residence.
Standing before the door, Xiao Feng raised his hand and knocked lightly.
"Teacher…" he called.
Just as he was about to knock again—
A calm voice came from inside:
"Come in."
Xiao Feng stepped inside the room.
The moment he entered, he saw his teacher seated at a stone table, completely focused on refining a 5th-grade pill.
Flames flickered steadily beneath the cauldron, and the rich fragrance of medicinal herbs filled the air.
Seeing this, Xiao Feng did not disturb him.
He quietly moved to the corner of the room and waited patiently.
After some time, the flames gradually subsided.
A pill slowly took shape and rose into the air, floating above his teacher's palm, glowing faintly with energy.
Only then did his teacher open his eyes.
"Xiao Feng, come here," he said calmly.
Xiao Feng stepped forward.
His teacher handed him the pill and said,"This is a 5th-grade pill, called the Soul Snake Pill."
"It is used to form a protective soul spirit, capable of defending against soul attacks."
He paused briefly before continuing,
"Even someone at the Dou Disciple stage could use it to resist soul attacks from a mid-level Dou Emperor."
Xiao Feng's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
His teacher continued,
"I used the soul and magic core of a snake-type magical beast while refining it. I also retained its poison instead of removing it."
"Because of that, this pill will be especially beneficial to Xiao Yi Xian. It can help increase her strength by at least three to four levels."
"Give it to her."
Xiao Feng was deeply moved.
He held the pill carefully, his expression turning serious as he said,"Thank you, Teacher."
There was genuine gratitude in his voice.
His teacher nodded lightly, then noticed that Xiao Feng seemed hesitant, as if he had something to say.
Without asking further, he stood up and walked toward his personal courtyard.
"Come," he said.
In the quiet courtyard, he poured two cups of tea and gestured for Xiao Feng to sit.
After taking a sip, he looked at him calmly and asked,
"What is it?"
"Do you need something?"
Xiao Feng shook his head.
"No, Teacher. I've come across some opportunities… and obtained a few valuable items. I wanted to share them with you."
As he spoke, he calmly took out four scrolls and placed them on the table.
Hearing this, Fire Elder frowned slightly.
"What 'valuable items' could you possibly have found?" he said, somewhat dismissively.
However, as his gaze fell upon the scrolls, his expression slowly changed.
He reached out and began to scan them one by one.
The moment he read the first scroll, his brows tightened.
By the second… his eyes widened.
By the third… his breathing became heavier.
And when he finished scanning the fourth—
The color completely drained from his face.
Without saying a word, Fire Elder suddenly snapped out of his daze and crushed a summoning token that Dean Su Qian had recently given him.
Moments later—
A furious voice echoed from outside:
"Fire Elder Huo! Do you think I'm as free as you, that I can come whenever you call me?!"
Su Qian stepped in, his expression slightly annoyed.
But when he saw Fire Elder's pale face…
His anger paused.
Fire Elder said nothing.
He simply pointed at the scrolls on the table.
A strange unease rose in Su Qian's heart.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and picked up the scrolls.
He began scanning them—
One by one.
Silence fell over the courtyard.
As Su Qian read through them, his expression changed just like Fire Elder's had.
Shock… disbelief… and finally—
Complete astonishment.
However, he regained his composure faster.
Slowly lowering the scrolls, he turned his gaze toward Xiao Feng.
His voice was steady, but carried a hidden intensity.
"Xiao Feng…"
"What exactly are these… and where did you obtain them?"
Because the four scrolls before them were no ordinary items.
They were treasures that could shake the entire academy—
No… even the entire region.
The first—A Soul Shield Cultivation Technique, capable of defending against spiritual attacks.
The second—A Profound-Level Formation Manual, containing complex and powerful array techniques.
The third—A Seventh-Grade Alchemist's Experience Manual, something even high-level alchemists would fight to the death for.
And the fourth—
A Mid-Profound Level Soul Cultivation Technique.
Each one of these alone was enough to cause countless experts to fight and kill for it.
Yet now—
All four of them were lying quietly on the table.
In front of Xiao Feng.
At that moment, even someone as composed as Su Qian couldn't help but feel his heart tremble.
"Dean Su Qian, Teacher… these are the items I found in the cave where I obtained the strange flame."
As Xiao Feng spoke, he lightly flicked his finger.
A bright red flame appeared, dancing vividly at the tip of his finger, radiating a faint but terrifying aura.
The temperature in the courtyard seemed to rise instantly.
Xiao Feng continued calmly,
"Perhaps these belonged to the alchemists who once tried to refine the strange flame… or maybe even its previous owners."
Hearing this, both Su Qian and Fire Elder exchanged a glance.
Then, they slowly nodded.
Such an explanation…
Was indeed the most reasonable one.
Just then, Xiao Feng spoke again, his voice calm yet resolute.
"Dean Su Qian… I wish to donate these items to the Academy for its development."
The moment those words fell, both Su Qian and Fire Elder were stunned.
Before they could respond, Xiao Feng continued,
"I am also a third-grade Spiritual Array Formation Master. I can construct various formations that would greatly benefit cultivators below the Dou King level."
He paused slightly, then added with confidence,
"I can create specialized cultivation environments for different attributes—fire, thunder, and water. Each formation can accommodate up to a hundred people at once, provided sufficient resources are supplied."
Su Qian's eyes widened slightly.
Even Fire Elder's usually composed expression wavered.
Xiao Feng continued,
"I am willing to construct these formations for the Academy… free of charge."
"But in return, I will need the necessary resources."
"And…"
His tone softened slightly, yet remained firm.
"I hope the Academy can provide certain benefits and support for my Xiao family members when they join in the future."
Silence fell over the courtyard.
Su Qian and Fire Elder looked at Xiao Feng, their minds momentarily blank.
The value of what he had just offered—
The scrolls…
The formations…
His talent…
For a brief moment—
They didn't know what to say.