The After few days later—
The usually peaceful Inner Academy of Canaan Academy had become extraordinarily lively.
Streams of students continuously rushed toward the enormous Central Plaza located deep within the academy grounds. Loud discussions echoed throughout every pathway as countless people excitedly spoke about the upcoming Strong Ranking Tournament.
This tournament—
Held only once every few years—
Was the grandest event within the Inner Academy.
Not only would it determine the rankings of the strongest students, but it would also decide the future reputation and influence of every faction within the academy.
And this year—
The attention toward the tournament had reached an unprecedented level.
Because Xiao Feng would personally participate.
Ever since Xiao Feng publicly refined multiple Sixth-Rank medicinal pills before the entire academy, his prestige had already risen to a terrifying level.
To the ordinary students—
He was no longer merely a genius.
He had become a symbol.
A true monstrous figure standing at the peak of the younger generation.
Especially after the improvements to the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower—
Nearly every student in the Inner Academy had benefited enormously.
The cultivation speed inside the tower had increased greatly.
Even body tempering and Dou Qi refinement effects had become stronger than before.
Because of this—
The Fire Faction's prestige had expanded rapidly over the past year.
Many students had even begun calling it:
"The Strongest Faction in Inner Academy History."
Outside the Fire Faction headquarters—
Hundreds of members wearing the faction emblem had already gathered neatly.
Everyone's expressions carried excitement and pride.
At the very front stood Lin Xiuya, Han Yue, Bai Cheng, and Jia Yun.
Compared to one year ago—
The four had undergone enormous transformations.
Lin Xiuya's sword aura had become incomparably sharper and more stable. Merely standing there caused faint wind currents to gather around his body automatically.
Han Yue's icy Dou Qi had become purer and colder.
Her elegant beauty and calm temperament caused countless male students nearby to secretly glance toward her repeatedly.
Bai Cheng had completely lost the arrogance he once possessed.
Now he radiated a heavy and stable aura like an unmoving mountain.
As for Jia Yun—
The explosive fire attribute Dou Qi within his body had become increasingly violent after cultivating the Earth Rank Mid-Level cultivation technique Xiao Feng gave him.
The four of them were now publicly acknowledged as the strongest younger generation beneath Xiao Feng himself.
At this moment—
The surroundings suddenly quieted slightly.
Because several figures slowly walked out from the courtyard.
At the center—
Xiao Feng appeared wearing black robes.
His expression was calm and indifferent.
Behind him followed Xiao Yi Xian, Xiao Qiao Lin, Zi Yan, and Qing Lin.
The moment Xiao Qiao Lin appeared—
Numerous students instinctively lowered their heads slightly.
Even after all this time—
The pressure emitted from the transformed Rank 7 magical beast still caused others to feel fear instinctively.
Meanwhile—
Zi Yan sat lazily on Xiao Feng's shoulder while continuously eating medicinal pills.
"Big brother Xiao Feng, hurry up already."
"I want to see people get beaten up today."
Hearing her childish words—
Many nearby students nearly coughed blood.
Only Zi Yan dared speak like this during such a grand event.
Xiao Feng helplessly rubbed his forehead before calmly speaking,
"Let's go."
Soon—
The entire Fire Faction moved together toward the Central Plaza.
Along the way—
Countless students immediately stepped aside respectfully.
"Senior Xiao Feng!"
"Greetings, Senior Xiao Feng!"
"Senior Han Yue!"
"Senior Lin Xiuya!"
Excited voices continuously sounded.
Some newer students looked confused after seeing such exaggerated reactions.
One young student whispered,
"Why is everyone so respectful toward him?"
An older student immediately looked at him speechlessly.
"You don't know?"
"That's Xiao Feng!"
"The youngest Sixth-Rank Alchemist in the Northwestern Region!"
"The one who upgraded the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower!"
"The person who refined multiple Sixth-Rank pills publicly!"
Hearing this—
The younger students instantly inhaled cold air.
Soon—
The enormous group finally arrived at the Central Plaza.
The gigantic arena was already overflowing with people.
At least several thousand students had gathered there.
The noise was like roaring ocean waves.
However—
The moment Xiao Feng entered—
The surroundings gradually quieted down again.
Many students subconsciously looked toward him with admiration and awe.
Some female students even blushed slightly after seeing his increasingly handsome appearance and calm temperament.
Xiao Feng naturally ignored all the surrounding gazes.
He simply led everyone toward the special seating area reserved for the Fire Faction.
Not far away—
Many experts from the Strong Ranking List had already gathered.
Their expressions immediately became serious after seeing Lin Xiuya and the others.
Because everyone knew—
This year's top ten rankings would most likely be dominated by the Fire Faction.
Especially Lin Xiuya and Han Yue.
Both had already reached the peak Dou Ling level.
Their combat strength far surpassed ordinary students.
At this moment—
A loud ancient bell suddenly rang throughout the entire plaza.
Dong——!
The noise instantly quieted.
Then more than a dozen elder figures appeared on the gigantic high platform.
Leading them naturally was Grand Elder Su Qian.
Behind him stood Fire Elder, Elder Hu Gan, Elder Qian Mu, Elder Bai Lie, and many other academy elders.
The moment Su Qian appeared—
Everyone respectfully lowered their heads slightly.
Su Qian's gaze slowly swept across the arena before briefly stopping on Xiao Feng.
A faint smile appeared on his old face.
Clearly—
He was extremely satisfied with the academy's current state.
Especially with Xiao Feng's growth.
In merely one year—
The entire Inner Academy had become stronger than ever before.
Soon—
Su Qian slowly stepped forward.
His Dou Zong aura instantly spread throughout the plaza.
"All participants of the Strong Ranking Tournament…"
"Enter the stage!"
The moment his voice fell—
One figure after another stepped into the battle arena.
Excited cheers continuously erupted from the crowd.
Many famous Strong Ranking experts immediately attracted attention.
However—
The loudest cheers naturally belonged to the Fire Faction.
"Senior Lin Xiuya!"
"Senior Han Yue!"
"Senior Bai Cheng!"
"Senior Jia Yun!"
The atmosphere became increasingly heated.
Soon—
Xiao Feng slowly stood up as well.
The moment he moved—
The entire plaza instantly became quiet.
Even many elders revealed curious expressions.
Everyone wanted to know—
Exactly how strong Xiao Feng had become now.
At this moment—
Xiao Feng calmly glanced toward the surrounding crowd before suddenly speaking,
"Before the tournament begins…"
"I have something to announce."
The entire arena immediately became silent.
Then—
Under countless confused gazes—
Xiao Feng slowly waved his hand.
A gigantic black medicinal cauldron instantly appeared in the center of the arena.
Boom!
The heavy cauldron landed firmly on the ground.
Immediately afterward—
Blue beast flames rose within Xiao Feng's palm.
Seeing this scene—
Everyone's eyes widened instantly.
Even Su Qian became stunned momentarily.
Could it be—
Xiao Feng planned to refine pills publicly again!?
At this moment—
Xiao Feng calmly spoke,
"Today, during the Strong Ranking Tournament…"
"I will refine five Fifth-Rank medicinal pills."
The entire arena instantly exploded into chaos.
"Fifth-Rank pills!?"
"He's refining pills publicly again!?"
"My heavens…"
Even many elders became shocked.
However—
Xiao Feng's next sentence completely stunned everyone.
"These pills…"
"Will be given free of charge to students not belonging to the Fire Faction."
Silence.
Absolute silence filled the plaza.
Countless students stared blankly at Xiao Feng.
Even many elders became stunned.
Then—
The entire arena erupted completely.
"Free!?"
"Senior Xiao Feng is actually giving away Fifth-Rank pills!?"
"Oh my god!"
At this moment—
Even students who were not from the Fire Faction felt overwhelming gratitude and excitement.
Many people instantly developed enormous respect toward Xiao Feng.
After all—
Fifth-Rank medicinal pills were treasures to ordinary students.
Yet Xiao Feng was willing to refine them publicly and distribute them freely.
How could they not admire him?
Meanwhile—
The Fire Faction members proudly raised their heads.
Because this—
Was their leader.
At this moment—
Xiao Feng slowly placed his hand onto the cauldron.
Blue flames instantly surged upward.
Boom!
Terrifying heat spread throughout the arena.
Immediately afterward—
One medicinal ingredient after another flew into the cauldron.
His movements were smooth like flowing water.
Every flame control movement appeared incomparably elegant and precise.
Even many academy alchemists became completely focused while watching.
Because merely observing Xiao Feng refine pills already brought enormous enlightenment.
As the medicinal ingredients melted—
Rich medicinal fragrance gradually spread throughout the plaza.
Many students revealed intoxicated expressions immediately.
"This…"
"So this is Fifth-Rank alchemy…"
Several younger alchemists became completely mesmerized.
Meanwhile—
Xiao Feng's expression remained calm throughout the process.
His powerful Spiritual Strength continuously controlled every fluctuation within the cauldron perfectly.
Even Fire Elder could not help sighing emotionally.
"This kid…"
"His alchemy skills have improved once again…"
Soon—
The medicinal fragrance became increasingly rich.
The energy fluctuations inside the cauldron also grew stronger and stronger.
Finally—
Xiao Feng suddenly changed his hand seals.
"Condense!"
Boom!
Five streams of light instantly shot out from the cauldron.
Xiao Feng waved his sleeve calmly.
The five medicinal pills instantly floated steadily before him.
Each pill was round and smooth with strong energy fluctuations.
Clearly—
All were peak-quality Fifth-Rank medicinal pills.
The entire arena immediately erupted into thunderous cheers.
Waves of excitement surged through the audience like an unstoppable tide. Countless students stood up from their seats, their eyes burning with anticipation, while even the usually stern elders revealed faint smiles of admiration.
On the massive stone stage—
Xiao Feng stood calmly with his hands behind his back.
His black robes fluttered lightly in the wind as he slowly swept his gaze across the crowd. Facing tens of thousands of eyes, he showed no nervousness at all. Instead, a faint confident smile appeared on his face.
With a flick of his sleeve—
Dozens of jade bottles instantly flew into the air.
They floated behind him in a dazzling arc, each one radiating rich medicinal fragrance that spread throughout the arena. The moment everyone sensed the pure energy within those pills, countless eyes turned fiery with desire.
Xiao Feng spoke calmly, yet his voice echoed clearly across the entire arena.
"These…"
"Are the pills I promised all of you."
The crowd instantly burst into another uproar.
Some students could barely suppress their excitement.
Tier-5 pills.
Even Inner Academy experts would fight fiercely for such treasures, yet Xiao Feng had directly taken out so many at once.
His generosity alone stunned everyone.
Xiao Feng raised his hand slightly, causing the arena to quiet down once more.
A sharp light flashed within his eyes.
"So…"
"Show me your strength."
"Show me your skills."
"Let everyone here witness your talent and determination."
His voice gradually became more imposing.
"Fight with everything you have!"
"Fight until you have no regrets!"
The atmosphere of the arena instantly ignited.
Many students felt their blood boiling from his words alone.
Then Xiao Feng suddenly revealed another shocking announcement.
"And one more thing…"
"Although my place within the Top Ten is already guaranteed…"
"I will not take the Body Tempering Baptism slot."
The moment those words fell—
The entire arena froze for a brief second.
Immediately afterward, deafening shock erupted everywhere.
"What?!"
"He's giving it up?!"
"That means—"
"The eleventh-ranked participant can enter instead!"
Many students who originally felt hopeless instantly became excited again.
Especially those hovering around the edge of the rankings—their eyes turned incomparably fierce.
Hope had appeared once more.
Xiao Feng looked toward the younger students and smiled faintly.
"So don't give up."
"As long as the battle has not ended…"
"Anyone still has a chance."
His calm voice carried an invisible pressure and inspiration at the same time.
Even some elders nodded inwardly in admiration.
Not only had Xiao Feng elevated the prestige of the tournament—
He had also reignited the fighting spirit of the entire academy.
At that moment—
Under countless burning gazes—
Xiao Feng slowly turned around and walked back toward the high platform.
Then, a majestic elder's voice thundered throughout the arena.
"Now…"
"The tournament may officially begin!"