After Xiao Feng publicly refined five peak-quality Fifth-Rank medicinal pills—
The atmosphere throughout the entire Central Plaza had completely exploded.
Countless students stared toward the Fire Faction area with burning eyes filled with admiration, envy, and excitement.
Even many older students could not help but sigh emotionally.
A Sixth-Rank Alchemist personally refining pills in public…
And even gifting them away for free…
Such treatment simply did not exist anywhere else within the Inner Academy.
Moreover—
Xiao Feng had even voluntarily given up his Body Tempering Baptism slot despite already securing a Top Ten position.
This action shocked everyone even more.
Many people quickly came to a terrifying realization.
If Xiao Feng willingly abandoned such a precious opportunity—
Then there were only two possibilities.
Either—
He possessed an even greater opportunity already.
Or—
His current physical strength had already become so terrifying that even the Body Tempering Baptism would provide him little improvement.
No matter which possibility it was—
Both were enough to make everyone feel shocked.
Meanwhile—
The entire plaza had become restless.
Every student desperately hoped to become one of the five lucky winners receiving Xiao Feng's medicinal pills.
The selected students themselves were trembling from excitement.
Their faces flushed red as they repeatedly bowed respectfully toward Xiao Feng.
"Thank you, Senior Xiao Feng!"
"We will never forget this favor!"
At this moment—
Grand Elder Su Qian helplessly smiled before shaking his head slowly.
"This little fellow…"
"He truly knows how to win people's hearts."
"And he even made the competition atmosphere far more heated, thirsty, and entertaining."
Originally—
Many weaker students had already mentally given up competing for the Top Ten.
But after Xiao Feng announced he would surrender his slot—
Everyone instantly regained fighting spirit.
Now—
Even the students ranked around twentieth place felt they had hope.
Soon—
Su Qian lightly waved his sleeve.
Whoosh!
Fifty bamboo slips instantly appeared inside a massive jade container.
"There are fifty bamboo slips in total."
"Twenty-five red."
"And twenty-five blue."
"Those with matching numbers will battle each other."
He slowly swept his gaze across the crowd before his voice thundered throughout the plaza.
"The tournament officially begins!"
Boom!!
The surrounding crowd instantly erupted once more.
One after another—
The participants stepped forward to draw their lots.
Many students nervously stared at the bamboo slips within their hands while silently praying.
Please…
Not Xiao Feng.
Not Lin Xiuya.
And definitely not Zi Yan.
Everyone inside the Inner Academy understood clearly—
Those three were monsters among monsters.
Soon—
The first round officially began.
"Number Twelve!"
"Remain in the arena!"
As Su Qian's voice echoed—
Two students immediately leaped onto the battle stage.
The surrounding atmosphere quickly became lively once again.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Powerful Dou Qi fluctuations continuously exploded throughout the arena.
Sword Qi tore through the air repeatedly.
Massive impacts shattered the stone floor constantly.
The crowd's emotions became increasingly heated.
Meanwhile—
Inside the Fire Faction area—
Zi Yan lazily sat beside Xiao Feng while continuously tossing medicinal pills into her mouth like candy.
"Boring…"
"These people are way too weak."
The nearby students nearly fainted upon hearing this.
Only Zi Yan dared casually call Strong Ranking experts weak.
Xiao Feng simply smiled helplessly.
Soon—
Another elder's voice sounded.
"Number Eighteen!"
Immediately—
Everyone's expressions shifted slightly.
Because Lin Xiuya slowly stood up.
The moment he moved—
A sharp sword aura instantly spread outward.
The surrounding students subconsciously retreated several steps.
After all—
Lin Xiuya's reputation within the Inner Academy was extremely famous.
Especially after cultivating the soul technique Xiao Feng had given him—
His sword intent had become incomparably sharper.
At this moment—
A somewhat awkward-looking male student slowly stood opposite him.
The instant he recognized Lin Xiuya—
His face turned pale.
Then—
Under countless stunned gazes—
He directly cupped his fists respectfully.
"I concede!"
Silence instantly filled the arena.
Then—
The crowd exploded into laughter.
Lin Xiuya helplessly rubbed his forehead.
Even he did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Before he could even respond—
Zi Yan suddenly jumped up angrily.
"You coward!"
"You didn't even fight!"
Boom!!
She casually punched forward.
A compressed air cannon instantly blasted through the air violently.
The surrounding students scattered in panic immediately.
Lin Xiuya's expression changed drastically.
"Little Ancestor, stop!!"
Boom!!!
The air cannon exploded beside the stage, directly shattering half the nearby stone wall.
Countless people inhaled cold air immediately afterward.
Many students stared toward Zi Yan with horror-filled expressions.
That casual punch—
Could heavily injure an ordinary Dou Ling expert.
Meanwhile—
Su Qian's face twitched slightly.
"Zi Yan…"
"No attacking after surrender."
Zi Yan puffed her cheeks angrily.
"Hmph."
"So boring."
Soon—
Lin Xiuya officially advanced without even fighting.
Not long afterward—
Han Yue also entered the arena.
The moment her icy Dou Qi spread outward—
The entire battle stage temperature plummeted sharply.
Frost rapidly formed across the stone ground.
Her opponent instantly revealed a bitter smile.
After exchanging only a few moves—
He was completely frozen at the edge of the stage.
Han Yue calmly withdrew her Dou Qi afterward.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
Overwhelmingly powerful.
Countless male students stared toward her blankly.
Even many female students revealed admiration-filled expressions.
Soon afterward—
Bai Cheng and Jia Yun also displayed astonishing combat strength.
Bai Cheng's earth attribute Dou Qi felt incredibly stable and oppressive.
Every punch resembled a mountain crashing downward.
Meanwhile—
Jia Yun fought in an explosively violent manner.
His flames erupted wildly throughout the arena.
Many opponents could not even approach him properly.
Soon—
The first round ended rapidly.
Only twenty-five contestants remained.
At this moment—
Su Qian waved his sleeve once more.
"The second round begins."
Immediately—
Everyone stepped forward again.
This time—
Many participants became visibly nervous.
Because every remaining contestant was now a genuine expert.
Soon—
Su Qian slowly glanced toward one bamboo slip before speaking calmly.
"Number Three."
Xiao Feng slowly lowered his gaze toward his own bamboo slip.
Blue Number Three.
The surrounding crowd instantly erupted into chaos.
"Senior Xiao Feng is fighting!"
"Who's his opponent!?"
Many students hurriedly looked around nervously.
Then—
A tall male student carrying a gigantic hammer slowly stepped forward.
Yan Hao.
Seven-Star Dou Ling.
One of the famous experts ranked on the Strong Ranking.
The moment he saw Xiao Feng—
His expression instantly became solemn.
However—
He still respectfully cupped his fists first.
"Senior Xiao Feng."
"Please show mercy."
Xiao Feng smiled lightly.
"We are fellow students."
"There's no need to be nervous."
Soon—
Both stepped into the arena.
The surrounding atmosphere immediately became extremely quiet.
Everyone focused intensely.
They all wanted to witness—
Exactly how terrifying Xiao Feng's strength had become now.
Yan Hao slowly lifted his gigantic hammer.
Violent Dou Qi instantly surged outward.
Boom!!
The ground beneath his feet cracked instantly.
Then—
With explosive force—
He rushed directly toward Xiao Feng.
The gigantic hammer carried terrifying pressure as it smashed downward violently.
Seeing this—
Many students' expressions changed drastically.
However—
Xiao Feng merely stood calmly in place.
Then—
Under countless shocked gazes—
He slowly raised one hand.
Bang!!!!
The gigantic hammer stopped abruptly.
Completely blocked by Xiao Feng's single hand.
The entire arena instantly became deathly silent.
Yan Hao's pupils shrank violently.
No matter how much strength he used—
The hammer simply could not descend another inch.
Then—
Blue beast flames slowly spread across Xiao Feng's palm.
Yan Hao instantly released his weapon before retreating rapidly.
Unfortunately—
Xiao Feng was faster.
Boom!!
A simple punch landed directly against Yan Hao's chest.
Yan Hao was blasted backward like a cannonball.
He smashed heavily into the arena wall.
The crowd became silent once again.
One move.
Only one move.
A Seven-Star Dou Ling Strong Ranking expert had been defeated completely.
Yan Hao slowly stood while coughing bitterly.
"I lost…"
Su Qian immediately announced,
"Xiao Feng advances!"
Boom!!!
Thunderous cheers erupted throughout the plaza instantly afterward.
Many students looked toward Xiao Feng with awe-filled expressions.
Even many elders secretly sighed emotionally.
This monster—
Was becoming increasingly terrifying.
Soon—
The second round continued rapidly.
One intense battle after another erupted throughout the arena.
By noon—
Only thirteen contestants remained.
And among them—
Lin Xiuya.
Han Yue.
Bai Cheng.
Jia Yun.
All successfully entered the Top Thirteen.
The Fire Faction instantly became the absolute center of attention.
Because nearly half of the remaining experts belonged to them.
At this moment—
Su Qian slowly stepped forward once again.
"The remaining thirteen contestants…"
"Will now enter the ranking challenge stage."
The atmosphere instantly became serious once more.
Because now—
The real battles would finally begin.
The moment Su Qian announced the beginning of the ranking challenge stage—
The entire Central Plaza instantly became silent once more.
Everyone understood clearly—
From this point onward—
Every single battle would involve true peak experts of the Inner Academy.
No weak participants remained.
Only monsters.
Su Qian slowly swept his gaze across the thirteen remaining contestants before flicking another bamboo slip into the air.
"First battle of the ranking stage…"
"Han Yue versus Luo Shan!"
The crowd instantly erupted.
Two famous experts.
Two elites of the Fire Faction.
No one expected such an intense battle to begin immediately.
Han Yue slowly stood up.
Her icy blue robes fluttered gently while chilling Dou Qi continuously spread from her body.
Meanwhile—
Luo Shan cracked his neck before grinning fearlessly.
"Senior Han Yue…"
"I've wanted to test your strength for a long time."
Han Yue's expression remained calm.
"Then don't disappoint me."
Soon—
Both entered the arena.
The moment the protective barrier formed—
Boom!!
Two powerful Dou Qi auras exploded simultaneously.
Frost and flames instantly collided.
The entire stage violently trembled.
Luo Shan moved first.
His body transformed into a blur as fiery Dou Qi erupted around both fists.
"Flame Breaking Fist!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Dozens of flaming fist shadows blasted toward Han Yue explosively.
The terrifying heat distorted the surrounding air.
However—
Han Yue merely raised her slender hand calmly.
"Ice Mirror Barrier."
Crackkk—
Layers of crystal ice instantly formed before her.
The flaming fists slammed into the barrier repeatedly.
Explosions echoed nonstop.
Steam filled the arena immediately.
Before Luo Shan could continue attacking—
Han Yue suddenly disappeared.
The next moment—
She appeared directly behind him.
"Ice Phoenix Palm."
A freezing palm strike shot forward instantly.
Luo Shan's pupils shrank.
Too fast!
Boom!!
He crossed both arms defensively.
However—
Terrifying cold energy still exploded across his body.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Ice rapidly spread across his arms.
Luo Shan immediately roared while violently circulating his Dou Qi.
"Break!"
Boom!!
Flames erupted outward forcefully, shattering the ice instantly.
The surrounding crowd cheered loudly.
The exchange between both sides had become extremely intense from the very beginning.
Luo Shan wiped away the frost on his shoulder before laughing loudly.
"Again!"
Boom!!
His flames surged even more violently this time.
A massive fire serpent condensed behind him before charging directly toward Han Yue.
The terrifying heat caused many nearby students to retreat subconsciously.
However—
Han Yue remained completely calm.
Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.
Then—
A gigantic icy lotus suddenly bloomed beneath her feet.
The surrounding temperature plummeted instantly.
"Ice Lotus Seal."
Boom!!!!
The fire serpent collided directly against the icy lotus.
An enormous explosion erupted throughout the arena.
Flames and ice scattered everywhere wildly.
The protective barrier shook violently.
Countless students widened their eyes in shock.
The battle had already reached a frightening level.
Inside the Fire Faction area—
Zi Yan excitedly jumped onto her chair.
"Fight harder!"
"Hit him harder!"
Nearby students instantly sweated nervously.
Only Xiao Feng calmly watched the battle while sipping tea leisurely.
After several more exchanges—
Luo Shan's breathing gradually became heavier.
Meanwhile—
Han Yue's aura remained stable and cold.
Finally—
Han Yue slowly raised both hands.
Countless ice crystals instantly gathered throughout the sky above the arena.
The surrounding crowd immediately became shocked.
"Earth Class Dou Technique!"
Luo Shan's expression changed drastically.
Unfortunately—
It was already too late.
"Frozen Heaven Rain."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Thousands of icy spears instantly descended from the sky like a storm.
Luo Shan roared furiously while erupting all his flames outward desperately.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions continuously echoed.
However—
The icy rain became increasingly overwhelming.
Soon—
Several ice spears directly shattered Luo Shan's defenses before pinning his sleeves against the arena wall.
A sharp icy blade stopped directly before his throat.
The entire arena became silent briefly.
Then—
Thunderous applause erupted immediately.
Su Qian nodded slightly.
"Han Yue wins."
Luo Shan helplessly laughed bitterly.
"I concede."
Han Yue calmly withdrew her Dou Qi before lightly nodding toward him.
A clean and decisive victory.
The surrounding crowd immediately became excited again.
As expected—
None of the remaining contestants were ordinary.
Soon afterward—
Several more intense matches erupted.
Bai Cheng relied on his overwhelming defensive strength to crush his opponent directly.
Lin Xiuya's sword intent became even sharper than before.
With only three sword strikes—
He forced another Strong Ranking expert completely out of bounds.
Every battle pushed the atmosphere higher and higher.
Finally—
Only a few contestants remained.
At this moment—
Su Qian slowly opened the final bamboo slip.
The entire arena instinctively quieted down.
Because everyone could already feel—
The next match would definitely be extraordinary.
Su Qian slowly looked toward the stage before speaking clearly.
"Next match…"
"Xiao Feng."
The crowd instantly exploded.
However—
Before they could fully react—
Su Qian calmly continued.
"Versus…"
A mischievous grin instantly appeared on Zi Yan's face.
She directly jumped onto the arena wall excitedly.
"Finally my turn!"
The entire plaza immediately erupted into absolute chaos.
"Zi Yan?!"
"Senior Xiao Feng against Zi Yan!?"
"Oh heavens…"
"This is going to be terrifying!"
At this moment—
Even the elders revealed serious expressions.
Because everyone understood clearly—
This battle…
Would absolutely shake the entire Inner Academy.