The next day, the Inner Academy Selection Tournament officially began!
As one of Jia Nan Academy's major events, the Inner Academy Selection was naturally a spectacle that drew immense attention. It was during this tournament that many of the Outer Academy's rising stars would take the stage—figures admired and idolized by countless students. For those who saw these prodigies as their personal heroes or romantic ideals, this event was irresistible.
Although the Academy had prepared by opening its largest plaza as the venue, it was still packed to the brim. Eager students flooded in like a tidal wave, fighting for every seat. Looking across the area, all one could see was a sea of heads and hear a deafening roar of excited chatter that soared into the sky.
The grand circular plaza featured four massive light screens suspended above its center, each angled to face a different direction. These screens broadcast the battles in real time for everyone to witness.
Stone steps climbed around the edges of the plaza like the tiers of a colossal coliseum. Even students seated at the highest point could clearly see what was happening in the center of the arena.
At the heart of the plaza stood four elevated platforms—combat arenas for the matches.
Participants were divided into four groups—A, B, C, and D—based on the number of competitors, and each group battled on its designated platform.
Xiao Yun, who had arrived early with Elder Huo, leaned lazily against the armrest, resting his chin in his palm as he watched the matches with growing boredom.
Out of the 300 total contestants, the majority were below the level of Dou Grandmaster. Fewer than twenty had reached that level or beyond.
Since the tournament was meant as a preliminary elimination before the final competition, the Academy typically arranged the matches to avoid pitting strong contenders against each other too early. In other words, they tried to ensure that Dou Grandmaster–level participants didn't meet until the later rounds.
So to Xiao Yun, today's opponents were hardly worth his time. Most were basic Dou Master-level, posing no challenge at all.
"Xiao Yun from Black Class 4 vs. Yan Li from Black Class 1!"
At long last, after what felt like an eternity, Xiao Yun finally heard the referee call his name. He had nearly dozed off.
As the referee's voice rang out, the roaring plaza suddenly quieted. Countless eyes turned toward the section reserved for Mystic Class 4.
Over the past two years, the name "Xiao Yun" had become deeply etched into the minds of both students and instructors alike.
After all, he had joined Jia Nan Academy at the age of seven and apprenticed under Elder Huo. Within less than a year, he broke through to Dou Master, then went on to Peace Town to serve with the law enforcement team—during which he slew multiple Dou Master-level enemies. A monster like that was impossible to ignore.
Even more shockingly, Xiao Yun was not even ten years old yet—and already a Tier-3 Alchemist. His future potential was beyond imagination.
So when his name was announced, everyone turned their heads, eager to catch a glimpse of this living legend.
But they were doomed to be disappointed—for Xiao Yun wasn't seated with his class. He was lounging in the VIP section among the Academy's leadership.
As the wave of attention swept toward their section, Instructor Xu Ning began to sweat nervously. His palms clenched as he glanced around and cursed under his breath:
"Why are all of you staring at me? That brat Xiao Yun isn't even sitting here!"
Whoosh!
While Xu Ning and the others were still searching for him, Xiao Yun stood up casually from the elder's section and leapt lightly onto the platform like a drifting feather.
"That's Xiao Yun? He's so small! Is he a new student like us?" many of the newly enrolled freshmen murmured in confusion. They didn't know his history and assumed he was just some kid joining the fun.
"What do you know?! Xiao Yun is the pride of the Outer Academy! Countless students idolize him. With his current strength, even most of the Academy's instructors wouldn't stand a chance against him!" retorted several senior students. The female students, especially, glared daggers at anyone who dared belittle their beloved "Junior Brother Xiao Yun."
...
Xiao Yun ignored the cheers and quietly observed the young man approaching from the opposite side of the platform.
"Junior Brother Xiao Yun, it's an honor. I know the gap between us is large, but I still want to give it my all. Please go all out—I want to experience just how vast the difference between us really is!"
As soon as Yan Li stepped onto the stage, he respectfully issued his challenge. His determined expression stirred even the referee's blood.
"Oh? Since you insist, I'll oblige."
Xiao Yun casually summoned his Crimsonblood Spear from his storage ring. Spinning it in his hands, he performed a few flowing spear patterns. He had only intended to toy with his opponent for a while—but if Yan Li was asking for it, then fine. He'd end this quickly.
"Are you both ready? Begin!"
With the referee's signal, Xiao Yun's figure transformed into a streak of crimson flame, crossing most of the platform in an instant and appearing before Yan Li like a bolt of lightning.
Boom!
The spear swept sideways, wrapped in flaming Dou Qi that coalesced into a blazing dragon. The strike—Dragon's Tail Whip—sent Yan Li flying off the platform before he could react.
As Xiao Yun spun the spear once around his body, the flame dragon surged outward, then dissipated into glowing embers that scattered in the air.
"Thank you for the match, Senior."
Xiao Yun clasped his fists with a smile at the dazed Yan Li, who sat on the ground in a daze, still not understanding what had just happened.
"Match over! Black Class 4's Xiao Yun is the victor!" the referee finally snapped out of his stupor and announced loudly.
The audience erupted into thunderous cheers, celebrating Xiao Yun's swift victory.
"You little brat, that was seriously impressive!" Instructor Xu Ning clapped him on the shoulder with a grin. "I remember that Yan Li's an eight-star Dou Master—about average among the contestants—and you just blasted him off the stage with one hit. Looks like you're going to win the whole thing!"
"I just took advantage of my speed. It's not as amazing as you're making it sound." Xiao Yun replied modestly as he returned to his seat beside Xu Ning.
"Alright, alright, if you've got one flaw, it's that you're too humble. I looked over the bracket—no more matches for you today. Go get some rest. Your next opponents will likely be Dou Grandmaster-level, so don't slip up. Getting into the Inner Academy won't be easy."
Xu Ning waved him off, urging him to prepare for the tougher battles ahead.
...
The Next Day
On the second day of the Selection Tournament, half of the original 300 participants had already been eliminated. Only 150 remained—and by the end of today's battles, that number would be cut to just fifty.
Only the top fifty would earn a place in the Inner Academy.
The plaza was once again packed with cheering students. Xiao Yun's appearance caused a fresh wave of excitement to sweep through the crowd.
After yesterday's instant win, nearly everyone in the Outer Academy now knew of his strength. Even the Dou Gramdmaster-level participants regarded him as their greatest obstacle and prayed they wouldn't have to face him too soon.
A middle-aged referee slowly walked to the center of the plaza, triggering another round of deafening cheers from the stands.
He waited for the crowd to settle, then spoke in a steady voice:
"Students, after yesterday's eliminations, only 150 contestants remain. At this pace, we should be able to determine the fifty who will qualify for the Inner Academy by the end of today."
"Now then, the matches begin. All participants called must step onto the platform within the allotted time or they will be considered to have forfeited."
With that, he stepped back to the judges' area, and two names were immediately announced:
"Xiao Yun from Black Class 4!"
"Fang Wen from Black Class 1!"
A frustrated groan came from the Mystic Class 1 section.
"Damn it! Why are we matched against Xiao Yun again? Is the bracket rigged against us?" their instructor grumbled. Out of 300 participants, two from his class had now been paired with Xiao Yun. The luck was unreal.
"Don't worry, Fang Wen. If it looks hopeless, just conserve your energy. You can still fight your way back through the losers' bracket."
Seeing Fang Wen's grim expression, the instructor tried to console him. Fang Wen was one of only three Dou Grandmasters in his class. As long as he didn't exhaust himself, he still had a shot at reaching the top fifty.
"I understand, Instructor. If I can't win, I'll surrender right away," Fang Wen said as he leapt from the stands and landed steadily on the platform.
Moments later, a streak of red flame soared through the air. Xiao Yun tapped lightly off the arena's columns, floating gracefully onto the stage.
As soon as he appeared, the crowd exploded with thunderous cheers. Although Fang Wen was a strong contender in his own right, most spectators still placed their hopes—and cheers—on Xiao Yun.
"Junior Brother Xiao Yun, would you be willing to decide the match in a single move?"
"Hm?" Xiao Yun looked at the youth in surprise.
"Your strength is formidable. I know it won't be easy for you to defeat me either. But I also don't want to deplete all my Dou Qi in this match and end up losing in the losers' bracket later."
"So I propose this—we each use one move to decide the outcome. That way, we both save our strength. What do you think?"
Fang Wen flushed slightly. He knew the proposal was unfair to Xiao Yun, but he couldn't afford to risk everything.
Xiao Yun thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Sure. I was hoping to save time anyway."
As soon as the contestants were ready, a middle-aged man seated at the judges' table waved his hand and announced loudly, "Begin!"
At the sound of the referee's voice, Xiao Yun raised his head and looked at the opponent across from him—Fang Wen. A flash of light glimmered from the spatial ring on his finger, and a long spear appeared in his hand. He gripped it tightly, the spear angled diagonally toward the ground. Crimson battle qi began to rise from within his body, gradually enveloping him and forming a blazing suit of qi armor. A powerful aura radiated from him, spreading outward.
"Senior Fang Wen, please," Xiao Yun said calmly.
Fang Wen's expression tightened as he stared at the fully armed Xiao Yun. He could clearly feel the terrifying strength radiating from him—a sense of overwhelming might that made him feel almost powerless.
Xiao Yun's talent really is monstrous... he thought. He's more than ten years younger than me, and yet his cultivation level already far surpasses mine.
Still, he gave a bitter smile and said, "Even so, now that I'm standing in this arena, I won't admit defeat!"
A surge of blue-green battle qi erupted from Fang Wen's body, wrapping around him like a tide. It soon condensed into a qi armor of his own.
At that moment, both fighters had blocked out the noise of the crowd. Battle qi roared within them as they prepared to unleash their strongest techniques.
"Verdant Dragon: Turning Wood!"
Unable to hold back any longer, Fang Wen was the first to strike. His qi flared to its peak, manifesting a cyan wooden dragon that coiled around his body before diving straight toward Xiao Yun like a predator swooping down.
"Mid-tier Black-rank battle art—Verdant Dragon: Turning Wood?" gasped a teacher watching from the stands. He was from Mystic Class 1 and unaware of the conversation between the two contestants earlier. Seeing Fang Wen open with his strongest technique, he couldn't help but scold under his breath, "That reckless brat—I told him to conserve his battle qi! And he throws out his trump card right from the start?!"
"Wood element, huh? Quite the trick," came Xiao Yun's cool voice from the platform.
His grip tightened around the long spear. Deep red flames burst from his body, and to the spectators in the stands, he looked like a god of fire descending upon the world.
"Crimson Flame Palm!"
Xiao Yun's battle qi surged into both hands, then flowed through the spear and into its tip. With a fierce swing, a massive palm-shaped flame—nearly three stories tall—materialized and shot toward the incoming wooden dragon.
The moment flame met wood, waves of explosive energy rippled through the air in shockwaves. The wooden dragon didn't stand a chance. It looked like a flimsy mudfish in front of the flame giant, instantly crushed and obliterated.
But the giant flame palm didn't stop. After shattering the dragon, it continued its advance toward Fang Wen.
Boom!
Fang Wen felt like his qi armor was made of paper. The fiery palm tore through it effortlessly.
A portion of the fire qi exploded in front of him, sending him flying off the platform like a kite with a snapped string. Blood sprayed from his mouth.
I'm lucky he held back... Otherwise, I'd be dead.
As his body tumbled off the platform, Fang Wen actually breathed a sigh of relief. When the flame palm struck, he'd genuinely thought he was about to die. But while his injuries looked severe, they were mostly superficial burns from the explosion's shockwave. Most of the flame's power had dissipated after destroying his armor.
A moment later, the middle-aged referee appeared at Fang Wen's side in a flash. After checking his condition and confirming there were no serious injuries, he looked up at Xiao Yun in surprise.
"Such precise control... Even at that close range, you avoided striking any vital areas. This match goes to you."