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  A smug, somewhat sly smile appeared on Xiao Yan's face as he g the higher-ups of Jia Nan Academy who had risen from their seats in astonishment.

  His eyes seemed to silently vey: Didn't expect that, did you?

  In an instant, an unusual and violent energy fluctuation rippled through the pza. The first to sehis wave were the elders on the judges' ptform. Their expressions ged dramatically, and their gazes almost simultaneously fixed upon the bck-robed youth standing proudly in the arena, wielding the Heavy Xuan Ruler. The source of this violent energy fluctuation recisely where he stood!

  The elders exged gheir throats moving as they swallowed lightly. This energy fluctuation actually stirred fear in their hearts.

  "A Di Css Dou Teique!!"

  Elder Huo and the other elders were visibly shocked. They uood all too well that only Di Css her Dou Teiques could stir the energy of the world.

  Even in a chaotic pce like the Bck-er Region, only well-established Dou Emperor faight possess Di Css Dou Teiques. Otherwise, the au back then wouldn't have attracted so many Dou Emperors to appear.

  Many genius students ier Academy, such as Bai Shan and Wu Hao, who could have ehe Inner Academy the previous year, had deliberately deyed by a year to pete for the top five rewards. This was because they could obtain Di Css Dou Teiques from the Book Colle Hall, and there were even rumors of Di Css Qi Methods!

  From the Heavy Xuan Ruler, a dark red bde of energy several meters long shot out with unstoppable momentum!

  The moment the ruler energy shot forth, space rippled like a ke struck by a giant stone. In the already devastated arena, a half-meter-wide fissure rapidly spread along the trajectory of the ruler energy, witnessed by tless horrified gazes!

  "Quick! Save them!" Deputy Headmaster Hu Gan urgently shouted as he fshed into the pza. Several elders hurriedly joined forces to cast defensive barriers, preventing the aftermath of Xiao Yan's Di Css Dou Teique from harming other students still battling in the arena.

  Undoubtedly, as soon as Xiao Yan unleashed the Fme Splitting Tsunami, even though Bai Shan, Wu Hao, and Hu Jia had used every ounce of their strength, even summoning the strength of their aors iombs, their Dou Teiques still shattered upon tact.

  "How... is this possible?" Hu Jia watched as her stro Dou Teique was instantly evaporated under Xiao Yan's fiery ruler energy, like a droplet of water falling into a volo. Her body went limp, stunned ihout any will to resist.

  Wu Hao still wao fight back, attempting to unleash his ultimate teique and even using a Secret Method that ed his life force to boost his cultivation. But it was like a drop of water in the o, uo stir even the slightest ripple.

  It wasn't that they had never defeated a Dou Spirit before. Wu Hao and Bai Shan had even killed Dou Spirits. But those Dou Spirits didn't possess even High Xuan Css Dou Teiques, let alone a Di Css one.

  When had they ever faced a Di Css Dou Teique unleashed against them? If they truly entered o would be the day of their death.

  Boom!!!

  Deputy Headmaster Hu Gan instantly appeared at the front, flipping his palms and pushing forward. A massive wall of Dou Qi appeared before him.

  The terrifying fiery waves of the Fme Splitting Tsunami crashed down like a massive mountain. The fmes blocked by the Deputy Headmaster didn't dissipate immediately but surged in all dires.

  Fortunately, the other elders present had cultivation levels reag Dou King. They appeared in time to block the residual energy of Xiao Yan's attack.

  Xiao Yan put away the Heavy Xuan Ruler with a faint smile. He had anticipated that his attack would be intercepted, so he hadn't infused his Heavenly Fme into the ruler.

  "Respected teachers, isn't this against the rules? This student has already exhausted all his Dou Qi with this move. Oh no, I'm about to faint." Xiao Yaeo be suffering from overexertion, swaying as if he might colpse at any moment.

  Having blocked Xiao Yan's Fme Splitting Tsunami, Deputy Headmaster Hu Gan looked at Xiao Yan with exasperation and said, "Even though she's my granddaughter, I wouldn't show favoritism. I'm just fulfilling my duty as Deputy Headmaster to protect the students' lives."

  He g his granddaughter, Hu Jia, shook his head, and said, "Hu Jia, there is always someoronger. You still o cultivate diligently."

  Hu Jia let out a long sigh, looked deeply at Xiao Yan, and decred fiercely, "Xiao Yan, I will definitely defeat you!"

  Xiao Yan rubbed his h an awkward expression. Why did those words sound so familiar?

  Wu Hao sheathed his heavy sword, looked at Xiao Yan, then g Xun Er. Like a true man, he said early, "You are a better match for her than I am. I, Wu Hao, was blind before. I admit defeat."

  After saying that, the two didn't linger and directly leaped off the stage.

  "No! I won't admit defeat! I still have a Rank 4 armor! Even without your intervention, I wouldn't lose!" Bai Shan panicked upon seeing Wu Hao and Hu Jia leave the stage.

  Because if he lost now, based on the remaining number of people oage, he would definitely not make it into the top five.

  If he failed in the Inner Academy Qualifying petition, he could participate agai year. But now that he had already secured a spot in the Inner Academy, there was year!

  He, Bai Shan, had stayed ier Academy for three years precisely for the top five rewards—to ehe Book Colle Hall and choose a reward, to obtain the Di Css Dou Teiques inside.

  He couldn't accept this oute.

  Elder Huo and several teachers frowned. Bai Shan hadn't acted like this during his three years ier Academy. He had been a model student—respectful to teachers, strong, and talented. How had he bee so unseemly now?

  "Sigh, Student Bai Shan, I, Hu Gan, say with certainty as a Dou Emperor that you absolutely ot withstand Student Xiao Yan's Dou Teique. Even with armor, the only oute is death." Deputy Headmaster Hu Gan had no choice but to step in and smooth things over.

  The initial rules indeed didn't state that teachers could ehe arena to block attacks. But ah eyes could see that Xiao Yan's Dou Teique just now could definitely instantly kill any student. A Rank 4 armor would be utterly useless; even one's head would be bsted apart.

  "I don't believe it! If Xiao Yan unleash it again and I truly 't defend against it, then I'll accept this result!" Bai Shan was betting that Xiao Yan couldn't use such a powerful Dou Teique twi one day.

  "Very well."

  Buzz!!

  Suddenly, an inparably scorg aura erupted from Xiao Yan's body. He gripped the Heavy Xuan Ruler with one hand and raised it high above his head. In an instant, the ruler turned fiery red, and an aura identical to before burst forth from him.

  "This is the most bizarre request I've ever heard."

  "Respected teachers, you heard him. He insisted on experieng it again. Life ah are up to fate now. In your life, remember not to be so stubborn."

  Xiao Yan thought that even if Bai Shan were buro ashes by the Fme Splitting Tsunami, his mouth would remain, just as stubborn as ever.

  The elders exged gnces and actually stepped aside. There was o mentioher students. They had already retreated far away, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire because of that idiot Bai Shan.

  Off the stage, Hu Jia mocked mercilessly, "Hmph, this Bai Shan is truly stupid to the extreme."

  Wu Hao shook his head coldly. "He is a weakling."

  Bai Shan's eyes became dull as he felt that inparable pressure and scorg heat. He stumbled back a few steps in a daze, actally stepping on some rubble and falling on his butt. His entire body trembled as he looked at Xiao Yan.

  The crimson glow from the fiery Heavy Xuan Ruler reflected off Xiao Yan's gleaming white teeth. His grinning face looked like that of a demon.

  "I surrender! Don't kill me!" Bai Shan shouted when he saw Xiao Yan about to strike down. The life-threatening pressure nearly made him piss himself.

  With a whoosh, Xiao Yan celed the Fme Splitting Tsunami, phe Heavy Xuan Ruler into the ground, and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He said, "Phew, good thing this idiot didn't insist. I really couldn't manage a sed strike."

  Xun Er covered her mouth and giggled beside him, looking helplessly at Xiao Yan's theatrical performance. She naturally knew his true strength. Let alone unleashing another Di Css Dou Teique, he could do it several more times if he wished.

  Xiao Yan's main purpose in feigning weakness was to gain some bes. Just like this time, if he had told Instructor Ruo Ling from the start that he was a 2-star Dou Spirit, he might not have even o participate in the qualifying petition at all.

  And if that happened, how could he have led his members to occupy all the top five spots?

  One reward from the Book Colle Hall wasn't enough. He wahem all!

  The Deputy Headmaster shook his head ahe dumbfounded Bai Shan, who had been pyed by Xiao Yan, off the stage.

  "You five, deal with the rest. Xun Er and I won't make a move. If you get knocked off the stage, your training will be doubled whe back." Xiao Yan sat down on the ground, not b with the remaining twenty or so partits.

  Without Bai Shan and the others, Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu, both 4-Star Dou Grandmasters, had the highest cultivation among those remaining. Moreover, the Qi Methods and Dou Teiques they practiced were not low-grade. While they couldn't dominate pletely, they had no real oppos.

  "Yes, Little Leader!"

  Xiao Ning had indeed lived up to receiving the Qi Gathering Pill from Xiao Yan back then. He had cultivated diligently over the years and possessed impressive bat strength.

  Xiao Yu, who had a flying-type Dou Teique, domihe skies. Once she unleashed the Lightning Bat Sky Wings and flew above, it was difficult for others to even attack her.

  Xun Er didn't move when she saw the number of people oage dwindling. She sat beside Xiao Yan, and the two of them even started chatting at the edge of the stage, not taking the other students seriously at all.

  Xiao Yan looked at the girl beside him and said softly, "You are mine. No matter how powerful the fa behind you is, I will never give up!"

  His hand holding that delicate little oightened slightly as he spoke in a voily the two of them could hear. Although his tone was calm, an unmistakable determination and dominance could be felt.

  Xun Er was momentarily stuhen, a blush like rosy clouds spread across her fair and exquisite face. She hadn't expected that at this moment, Xiao Yan would say something akin to a lifelong itment.

  Even with her usual posure, she couldn't help but blush like an apple under his suddeion. Untrolble ripples stirred in her heart.

  "Mm." Xun Er nodded slightly, her face flushed, and murmured softly.

  Several higher-ups watched as victory was basically secured by Xiao Yan's group, each feeling a headache ing on.

  "What should we do... This doesn't seem to follow the rules."

  "What do you mean 'what should we do'? The rules allowed for alliances in the first pce."

  "But... this isn't quite the oute we had in mind."

  The elders were at their wits' end. Throughout the entire petition, Xiao Yan's performance could be summed up in two words: plete domination!

  A 2-star Dou Spirit who had mastered a Di Css Dou Teique peting among a group of young people iwenties, most of whom were intermediate-star Dou Grandmasters, and some even Dou Masters—the result was a merciless crushi. He alone domihe entire petition.

  Looking at the entire petition, including the usual strength tests and performances in the qualifying matches, as well as overall prowess, the top five should have been Xiao Yan, Xun Er, Wu Hao, Hu Jia, and Bai Shan.

  Although Xiao Yu and Xiao Ning were only oar lower in strength, their mastery of Dou Teiques was not yet as profit, and their talent was far inferior to that of Wu Hao and the other two.

  However, they had an incredibly formidable Little Leader whht from the start, instantly took out the three most troublesome obstacles, paving a smooth path for them to advanhindered.

  Xiao Yan had noticed the strength of Wu Hao, Hu Jia, and Bai Shan. Knowing that Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu definitely couldn't defeat them, and calg that they wouldn't make it into the top five, he targeted those three from the very beginning.

  This made several elders and the Deputy Headmaster have to admit they had misjudged—they had miscalcuted!

  When only the seven members of the Xiao remained oage, Xiao Yan held Xun Er's hand, walked to the ter of the arena, and performed a bow of gratitude as if ending a performance.

  "Thank you all for watg. Today's show has cluded. Please return to your respective pces."

  Xiao Yan and Xun Er, like the leading couple in a drama, had put on a great show for all the spectators. The other fifty partits were mere on fodder, while Wu Hao, Hu Jia, and Bai Shan were like the antagonists defeated by the protagonists.

  "Hehe, this Xiao Yan is indeed very strong. He's not just an ordinary alchemist." Elder Huo's gaze fixed on the bck-robed youth otle stage. He paid o the Deputy Headmaster's helpless expression as he nodded his head, and a rare smile appeared on his usually stiff face.

  "Deputy Headmaster, does this... t as Xiao Yan vioting the rules?" On the judges' ptform, a middle-aged referee asked cautiously, a wry smile on his face as he looked at those on the main ptform. He wouldn't have had any scruples if Hu Jia hadn't been involved. But unfortunately, that Little Witch was among them and had been utterly crushed without any ce to fight back, ultimately losing the opportunity to ehe top five.

  In all his years at Jia Nan Academy, this was truly the first time he had seen someone of the same age group overwhelm Hu Jia.

  "This petition was not meant to be pletely fair in the first pce, so Xiao Yan ot be sidered to have vioted any rules. After all, we've seen his strength clearly." Deputy Headmaster Hu Gan waved his hand and sighed.

  Cp, cp, cp!

  tless students from the Outer Academy were vinced by Xiao Yan's strength, and bursts of appuse echoed throughout the arena.

  'This matter isn't over! The humiliation I suffered today, I, Bai Shan, will make you repay a hundredfold! Xiao Yan, just you wait! Sooner or ter, I'll have you kneeling at my feet!' Seeing Xiao Yan on stage, the focus of everyone's attention and admiration, even holding the hand of the goddess in his heart, a fsh of rese passed through Bai Shan's lowered eyes as he ched his fists tightly.

  pared to physical pain, the psychological blohat Bai Shan found most difficult to endure.

  Over the past two years, tless fttering voices had elevated him to bee the most promi figure ier Academy. But today, he had been crushed and shattered by Xiao Yan. Iure, when people at Jia Nan Academy mentioned his name, Bai Shan, they would no longer be filled with the same reverent awe as before.

  Because above him, there would forever stand someone, a person who truly anded people's awe and reverence. For the exceedingly proud Bai Shan, such a situation was undoubtedly more painful thah.

  Oneone asded the altar of genius and was worshipped by others, the fall would bring an immense sense of loss. Many couldn't bear such a fall and would either bee despo or develop a distorted mentality.

  With his keen Spiritual Strength, Xiao Yan naturally sensed Bai Shan's resentful gaze, but he merely responded with a cold smile.

  …

  Although the petition had ended, Xiao Yan's overwhelming strength pelled the academy's higher-ups tently vene a meeting because of him. They even invited Xiao Yan to their office to discuss matters.

  "Increase the quota for entering the Book Colle Hall by three ahe remaining forty-five people pete again? Sure. Anyway, ierday's petition, when the final seven remained, Xun Er and I were the first to step down from the stage, so we're sixth ah. We have no objes." Xiao Yan grinned as he looked at the various higher-ups in the meeting room.

  "You... you..." An elder was rendered speechless. Their goal was to allow Wu Hao, Hu Jia, and Bai Shahree who truly had the strength to ehe top five—to obtain the rewards from the Book Colle Hall.

  After all, the academy was different from sects and other fas; their purpose was to cultivate students. Wu Hao and the others indeed deserved to receive the academy's resources.

  They hadn't expected Xiao Yan to be so unyielding, even wanting to get two more spots.

  You're too greedy!

  "Then, Student Xiao Yan, what are your thoughts?" Deputy Headmaster Hu Gan said calmly.

  Xiao Yan looked directly at Hu Gan, naturally uanding that he made this suggestion because he was ed about his granddaughter.

  "Sihe academy is willing to provide three spots, why not add two more? Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu's strength is not inferior to Bai Shan and the others. What does the Deputy Headmaster think?"

  The higher-ups present began to discuss among themselves. It seemed that Xiao Yan was determio protect those three weaker members of his Xiao .

  "Although those three are not as strong as Bai Shan and the others, Xiao Meng and Xiao Yue Liang have only been ier Academy for a year and have already reached the 7-star Dou Master stage. And although Xiao Mei has been here for two years, she's also reached the 9-star Dou Master stage. Their strength is not weak, and they could ehe top five year anyway."

  "Ihese three have high potential as well. I think it aligns with the Headmaster's inal motto of 'Taking the cultivation of students as our duty.'"

  If Xiao Yan hadn't felt that his time at Jia Nan Academy wouldn't be long, he would have let Xiao Mei and the others wait until year to ehe Inner Academy.

  He believed that having them ehe Inner Academy together with him would be more beneficial for their cultivation. That was why he had been so eager for them to pass the qualifying petition with him.

  In the end, the academy actually agreed to his proposal. In their eyes, the person most worthy of cultivation was indeed him.

  A day ter, hat the academy had temporarily increased the quota for entering the Book Colle Hall spread throughout the entire academy, even reag the Inner Academy.

  Everyone guessed that this was because of Xiao Yan, and thus, his reputation even spread into the Inner Academy.

  The final additional petition ended without any surprises. The top five were Wu Hao, Hu Jia, Xiao Yu, Xiao Ning, and Bai Shan.

  The gra petition held once a year finally cluded amidst a buzz of discussion.

  ...

  At this moment, in the ter of the North-Western Region, within the Sky Serpent Mansion —the rgest se the Sky Serpent Empire.

  "Xiao Yan of the Yan Alliance? Hmph, I don't care who he is. Anyone who dares to snatething from my Sky Serpent Mansion must be tired of living!"