After the earth-shaking battle between Xiao Feng and Zi Yan finally came to an end—
The entire Central Plaza remained silent for a long time.
Everyone was still immersed in shock from the terrifying fight they had just witnessed.
The shattered arena…
The melted stone ground…
The lingering dragon pressure…
Everything proved how monstrous those two truly were.
At this moment—
Su Qian slowly descended onto the ruined battlefield.
He glanced toward the unconscious Zi Yan resting beside Xiao Feng before helplessly shaking his head.
Then—
His majestic voice echoed throughout the entire plaza.
"This battle…"
"Ends in a tie!"
Boom!!!
The entire crowd instantly erupted into chaos.
"A tie?!"
"Both of them are ranked first?!"
Su Qian nodded calmly.
"From today onward…"
"Xiao Feng and Zi Yan shall both hold the number one position of the Inner Academy Strong Ranking!"
Thunderous cheers instantly erupted everywhere.
Countless students shouted excitedly.
No one objected to this result.
After all—
Everyone had personally witnessed how terrifying both monsters were.
Soon—
Su Qian continued speaking.
"As Xiao Feng voluntarily gave up his Body Tempering Baptism slot beforehand…"
"The additional qualification shall be passed down accordingly."
Many students instantly became overjoyed again.
Especially those near the lower Top Ten rankings.
At this moment—
The remaining contestants quickly recovered from their shock.
Although Xiao Feng and Zi Yan's battle had overshadowed everything—
The ranking matches still had to continue.
Soon—
The elders rapidly repaired the arena temporarily using Dou Qi.
The remaining contestants also stepped forward once more.
The atmosphere quickly became heated again.
"Next match!"
"Lin Xiuya versus Qiu Ming!"
A tall young man carrying dual blades immediately entered the arena.
Qiu Ming.
A Six-Star Dou Ling expert.
Known for his fast movement techniques.
Unfortunately—
The moment Lin Xiuya stepped onto the stage—
The sharp sword intent surrounding him instantly suppressed the entire arena.
Qiu Ming's expression became serious immediately.
Boom!
His figure suddenly split into multiple afterimages.
Dozens of blade lights attacked Lin Xiuya from every direction simultaneously.
However—
Lin Xiuya merely closed his eyes calmly.
The next moment—
His sword moved.
Shing!
A dazzling silver sword light flashed across the arena instantly.
Every afterimage shattered apart immediately.
Qiu Ming's pupils shrank violently.
Before he could react—
Lin Xiuya's sword tip had already stopped before his throat.
"I lost…"
Qiu Ming bitterly smiled before conceding directly.
"Lin Xiuya wins!"
The crowd erupted loudly once again.
Soon—
The next battle began.
"Han Yue versus Zhao Lei!"
Boom!!
The instant Zhao Lei entered the arena—
Lightning attribute Dou Qi erupted wildly around his body.
Countless electric sparks danced through the air.
He was known as one of the fastest Inner Academy experts.
Unfortunately—
Han Yue remained completely calm.
The moment the battle started—
The entire arena instantly froze over.
Crackkkk—
Ice spread rapidly beneath Zhao Lei's feet.
His lightning movement techniques became greatly restricted.
Although he continuously launched explosive lightning attacks—
Han Yue dismantled everything gracefully.
Finally—
A gigantic ice lotus bloomed beneath Zhao Lei directly.
Boom!!
Freezing energy erupted violently.
By the time the cold mist disappeared—
Zhao Lei had already been frozen waist-deep within solid ice.
"Han Yue wins!"
The female students instantly cheered loudly.
Soon afterward—
Bai Cheng entered the arena.
His opponent—
Sun Mo.
An earth attribute Dou Ling expert.
The moment both collided—
The arena shook repeatedly.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Their fists collided head-on continuously.
Pure physical domination.
However—
Bai Cheng's strength was clearly superior.
Finally—
He directly grabbed Sun Mo's arm before slamming him heavily against the ground.
Bang!!
The arena cracked apart instantly.
Sun Mo immediately spat blood before laughing bitterly.
"I concede!"
Meanwhile—
Another intense battle erupted nearby.
"Jian Yun versus Wu Tie!"
Jian Yun's crimson flames exploded violently throughout the arena.
His spear techniques became incredibly fierce and explosive.
Meanwhile—
Wu Tie used a gigantic shield while enduring every attack stubbornly.
Unfortunately—
Jian Yun suddenly erupted with full strength.
"Flaming Sky Piercer!"
Boom!!!!
His flaming spear directly shattered Wu Tie's shield before stopping inches from his chest.
Wu Tie helplessly raised both hands.
"I surrender!"
Soon—
Another battle followed immediately.
"Liu Chen versus Fang Hu!"
Liu Chen specialized in wind attribute movement techniques.
His body transformed into a blur continuously throughout the battlefield.
Meanwhile—
Fang Hu wielded a massive axe while roaring furiously.
Boom! Boom!
The arena continuously exploded apart.
However—
Liu Chen's speed eventually overwhelmed Fang Hu completely.
A sharp wind blade stopped against Fang Hu's neck instantly.
"Liu Chen wins!"
Not long afterward—
"Mo Shan versus Yue Ling!"
This battle shocked everyone slightly.
Yue Ling—
A female student—
Actually used poison fog techniques.
Purple mist rapidly spread across the arena.
Many spectators hurriedly retreated nervously.
Meanwhile—
Mo Shan relied on powerful flame Dou Qi to disperse the poison continuously.
The battle lasted nearly half an hour.
Finally—
Mo Shan forcefully broke through the poison field before defeating Yue Ling with a direct palm strike.
One by one—
The ranking battles gradually concluded.
By sunset—
The final rankings had finally been determined completely.
The elders quickly organized the final placements.
Soon—
Su Qian slowly stepped forward once again.
The noisy plaza immediately became silent.
"The final Strong Ranking placements are as follows!"
"First Rank—"
"Xiao Feng and Zi Yan!"
Thunderous cheers instantly erupted.
"Second Rank—Lin Xiuya!"
"Third Rank—Han Yue!"
"Fourth Rank—Liu Chen!"
"Fifth Rank—Mo Shan!"
"Sixth Rank—Bai Cheng!"
"Seventh Rank—Jian Yun!"
"Eighth Rank—Qiu Ming!"
"Ninth Rank—Zhao Lei!"
"Tenth Rank—Sun Mo!"
The crowd erupted continuously after every announcement.
Especially toward the Fire Faction members.
Their dominance had become completely overwhelming.
At this moment—
Su Qian continued calmly,
"All Top Ten participants…"
"Will enter the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower two days later to receive their Body Tempering Baptism rewards."
Many students instantly revealed excited expressions.
That was the greatest reward of the Inner Academy.
Even many elders rarely had the opportunity to receive such treatment.
Soon—
The atmosphere gradually relaxed.
However—
At that moment—
Xiao Feng suddenly stepped forward once again.
The crowd immediately quieted down instinctively.
Everyone now unconsciously treated him as one of the absolute leaders within the academy.
Xiao Feng calmly waved his sleeve.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several jade bottles instantly appeared before him.
Rich medicinal fragrances spread throughout the plaza immediately.
"These are the pills I promised previously."
As he spoke—
He directly handed several peak-quality medicinal pills toward Liu Chen, Mo Shan, Qiu Ming, Zhao Lei, and Sun Mo.
All five were stunned immediately.
After all—
None of them belonged to the Fire Faction.
Yet Xiao Feng still honored his promise publicly without hesitation.
The surrounding crowd instantly became even more respectful toward him.
Liu Chen received the jade bottle with trembling hands.
"Senior Xiao Feng…"
"Thank you!"
The others also hurriedly bowed respectfully.
At this moment—
Xiao Feng suddenly smiled faintly before speaking again.
"Additionally…"
"I wish to publicly announce something."
The crowd immediately became curious.
Meanwhile—
Lin Xiuya and Han Yue exchanged knowing glances.
Clearly—
They already knew what Xiao Feng intended.
Xiao Feng calmly looked across the entire Central Plaza.
Countless eyes were focused entirely upon him.
Even many elders quietly listened.
After today's events—
Nobody doubted that this young man possessed the qualifications to influence the future of the Inner Academy.
Xiao Feng slowly spoke,
"After graduation…"
"For those who have no place to return to…"
"Or those who still need time to prove your worth to your clans and families…"
"I am giving all of you a chance."
The originally noisy plaza slowly became quiet.
Many ordinary students unconsciously clenched their fists slightly.
Not everyone inside the Inner Academy came from powerful backgrounds.
Some came from declining clans.
Some had been abandoned by their families.
Some simply lacked resources.
Xiao Feng's voice calmly echoed throughout the plaza.
"Recently…"
"Together with my friends…"
"We occupied a city within the Black Corner Region near Peace Town."
Boom!
The crowd instantly became shocked.
Occupied a city?!
Even many elders frowned slightly in surprise.
Only Su Qian helplessly rubbed his forehead.
This little monster really dared to do anything.
Xiao Feng continued calmly,
"Although the city will nominally remain under the academy's influence…"
"Its management and future development will depend entirely on us."
"At present…"
"We are mainly building two major foundations there."
"First…"
"An auction house."
"Second…"
"An army."
The atmosphere instantly changed.
Everyone began listening more seriously.
Xiao Feng's gaze slowly swept across the younger students.
"The army will not only protect the city…"
"It will also become the foundation of the Fire Faction's future growth."
"And sometimes…"
"For my own personal operations as well."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Many students immediately became curious.
Meanwhile—
Lin Xiuya silently crossed his arms while standing nearby.
Han Yue calmly observed the crowd.
Both clearly already knew about these plans.
Xiao Feng continued,
"At the beginning…"
"Our auction house will mainly handle items below the Sixth Tier."
"Medicinal pills."
"Profound Qi Methods."
"Dou Techniques."
"Magical beast materials."
"And rare medicinal herbs."
The surrounding students instantly became shocked.
Because such businesses were incredibly profitable.
Especially within the Black Corner Region.
Xiao Feng calmly pointed toward the distant mountain ranges beyond the academy.
"We possess access to the Magical Beast Mountain Forest nearby."
"Our gathering teams will continuously enter the forests for herb collection and beast material harvesting."
"So remember this clearly…"
"There will never be a shortage of cultivation resources."
Many students immediately became tempted.
Especially alchemists and healers.
After all—
The most valuable resource for cultivators was always medicinal ingredients.
Xiao Feng continued speaking calmly,
"Additionally…"
"My Xiao Clan already controls one of the major cities within the Jia Ma Empire."
"We are preparing to connect its trade routes together with our operations in the Black Corner Region."
At this moment—
The expressions of many students changed again.
Because this was no longer merely faction business.
This was the beginning of a genuine regional power.
Xiao Feng slowly smiled.
"And my friends' clans are also cooperating with this expansion."
"The Mittel Auction House has already shown interest in developing trade partnerships with us."
Boom!!!
This time—
Even the elders became visibly shocked.
The Mittel Clan.
One of the richest merchant factions within the Jia Ma Empire.
If they joined hands with Xiao Feng—
The future potential would become terrifying.
At this moment—
Xiao Feng slowly turned slightly.
"Lin Xiuya."
"Han Yue."
"Liu Fei."
As their names were called—
The entire crowd immediately looked toward the Fire Faction area.
Lin Xiuya calmly stepped onto the stage first.
His sharp sword aura immediately drew countless gazes.
Then—
Han Yue walked forward gracefully.
Her icy temperament instantly silenced many students.
Finally—
Liu Fei blinked blankly.
"Huh?"
Clearly—
Even she herself did not expect to suddenly be called.
Beside her—
Liu Qing helplessly nudged her shoulder.
"Go quickly."
Only then did Liu Fei hurriedly step onto the stage while looking somewhat confused.
The surrounding crowd instantly laughed softly.
Xiao Feng smiled faintly before continuing,
Xiao Feng smiled faintly before continuing,
"Lin Xiuya comes from the Lin Sword Sect of the Central Plains."
"A mid-tier powerhouse faction specializing in sword cultivation."
"Their clan possesses generations of sword experts…"
"And currently has a Dou Zong expert overseeing the sect."
The surrounding students instantly inhaled cold air.
A faction with a Dou Zong overseeing it—
Even within the Central Plains—
Could already be considered a genuine powerhouse.
Meanwhile—
Lin Xiuya merely crossed his arms calmly while standing beside Xiao Feng.
However—
Many students now looked at him with even greater shock and respect.
Xiao Feng then looked toward Han Yue.
"Han Yue's clan originates from the northern region of the Central Plains."
"The Han Clan controls several icy mountain territories and resource mines."
"They are also considered a mid-level powerhouse faction."
"And similarly…"
"They possess a Dou Zong ancestor within the clan."
Boom!
The crowd instantly became restless again.
Many students originally thought Han Yue merely came from a wealthy family.
Nobody expected her background to be this terrifying.
At this moment—
Han Yue's expression remained calm and elegant.
Her icy temperament only appeared even more untouchable now.
Finally—
Xiao Feng looked toward Liu Fei.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Liu Fei's family mainly operates within the trade and merchant world of the Central Plains with in the Burning flame valley territory"
"which is one of the high tier power house who has a dou zun power house in that "
"They control several large commercial routes between empires."
"And although their clan rarely participates in open conflicts…"
"No one dares underestimate them."
"Because they also possess a Dou Zong expert protecting their family."
The surrounding crowd instantly erupted into discussion.
Three major factions from the Central Plains.
Three factions possessing Dou Zong experts.
And all of them were now connected to Xiao Feng.
At this moment—
Many students suddenly realized something shocking.
The Fire Faction's future influence…
Might become far more terrifying than they originally imagined.
At this moment—
Many students suddenly realized something shocking.
These people…
Were not merely academy students anymore.
They were already beginning to build a true foundation outside the academy.
Xiao Feng slowly raised his head slightly.
"And in the future…"
"We are also planning to expand toward the Central Plains."
Boom!!
The entire plaza instantly erupted.
The Central Plains.
That was the true center of the Dou Qi Continent's northwest region.
A place filled with terrifying experts and ancient factions.
Even many Dou Huangs did not dare casually claim they could establish themselves there.
Yet—
Xiao Feng actually dared to set his sights upon it already.
Lin Xiuya smiled faintly.
Han Yue's cold eyes flickered slightly.
Even Liu Fei became startled after hearing this.
Clearly—
Some of these plans had not even been fully discussed with everyone yet.
Xiao Feng calmly continued,
"So although this will take time…"
"And although our current strength is still insufficient…"
"We have confidence that one day…"
"We can reach that level."
His voice gradually became deeper.
"However…"
"No force can rise through only a few experts alone."
"We also need an army."
"We need trustworthy companions."
"We need our own people."
"People willing to protect our foundation while we fight at the front."
At that moment—
Many students unconsciously clenched their fists tightly.
Especially those without strong backgrounds.
Because Xiao Feng was not merely recruiting followers.
He was building a future power.
Then—
Xiao Feng directly spoke the words everyone had been waiting for.
"So…"
"I ask everyone present here for your support."
The plaza instantly became heated again.
However—
Before anyone could speak—
Xiao Feng casually added another sentence.
"And don't worry about cultivation resources."
"Even if three thousand people joined our faction today…"
"We would still possess enough resources to support everyone."
Boom!!!
The crowd instantly exploded into chaos.
Three thousand people?!
What terrifying financial confidence was this?!
Even Su Qian's expression twitched slightly.
This little fellow…
How much wealth did he actually possess?
Then—
Xiao Feng suddenly smiled slightly again.
"Oh right…"
"I nearly forgot something important."
The surrounding crowd instantly quieted again.
Xiao Feng calmly spoke,
"I possess a complete Seventh-Rank Alchemist inheritance."
The entire Central Plaza froze.
Then—
Absolute uproar erupted.
Even the elders stood up abruptly.
A Seventh-Rank inheritance?!
That was enough to make even Dou Zongs fight desperately.
Xiao Feng calmly continued,
"Any member capable of reaching the Sixth-Rank Alchemist level…"
"May receive a copied inheritance from me."
At that moment—
The alchemist students nearly went crazy.
Even several academy alchemists stared at Xiao Feng with burning eyes.
Then—
Xiao Feng slowly smiled.
"And if you display outstanding talent in alchemy after joining…"
"I may even personally guide you."
"After all…"
"You would then have a genuine Sixth-Rank Alchemist teaching you directly."
Boom!!!
The crowd completely exploded.
A Sixth-Rank Alchemist personally providing guidance?
Such treatment was absolutely irresistible.
Especially for ordinary students lacking teachers.
At this moment—
Countless students revealed fiery expressions.
Even many older students became tempted immediately.
After all—
Following Xiao Feng now almost guaranteed a powerful future later.
Xiao Feng slowly looked across the entire plaza before calmly speaking one final sentence.
"The Fire Faction…"
"Will not remain limited to the Inner Academy forever."
"We will build something greater outside as well."
The entire plaza instantly erupted into thunderous cheers.
Meanwhile—
Su Qian silently watched everything before sighing helplessly inwardly.
This little monster…
Not only possessed terrifying talent—
But also terrifying ambition.