"Deng Yan's strength is considerable, yet he lost so decisively."
"This Yan Qingshan's Dou Qi quality is extremely high. Could it be he cultivates a Xuan-tier High-level or higher Dou Technique?"
"This kid is coming on strong; there's going to be a good show this time!"
The numerous contestants were abuzz with discussions. Those who could enter the arena were mostly the inner academy's elite, and most had their conjectures about Yan Qingshan. Now, they were all waiting to watch the show, as most only held a passing thought about the Top Ten of the Ranking List, and those truly determined to contend for it were a minority.
"Next match, number twenty-one."
Yan Qingshan had barely returned to the spectator stands when Great Elder Su Qian already called out the next match number.
Lin Xiu Ya looked at the Blue Bottom Number Twenty-one in his hand and flew into the arena. Across from him, a small girl in white clothes directly smashed into the arena from above, shaking the entire floor.
Zi Yan's appearance sparked discussions in the arena. Many senior students looked at Lin Xiu Ya with pity, and with schadenfreude, began to discuss in low voices, each betting on how long Lin Xiu Ya could last.
"Senior Sister, this one!"
Lin Xiu Ya wasn't foolish. He had already sensed that the atmosphere around him was off, and Zi Yan's previous position was among a group of Dou Kings. He didn't dare to be careless, so he slightly cupped his hands and bowed, preparing to probe.
"I haven't fought in a long time. I hope you can last a bit longer!"
Zi Yan ignored Lin Xiu Ya's probe. Instead, she clenched her small fists, eager to fight. Lin Xiu Ya watched the powerful aura rising from the little girl opposite him, his expression changing again and again.
"This is interesting. What will you do?"
Yan Qingshan, on the spectator stands, watched the good show. This match seemed to have been mentioned in the original work. Lin Xiu Ya's first Ranking Competition match was against Zi Yan, and in the end, this slippery fellow didn't get injured, which made Zi Yan quite frustrated.
"Senior Sister, be careful!"
Lin Xiu Ya's figure suddenly moved. He circulated his Dou Technique and chose to take the initiative, which surprised most people in the stands, and even Zi Yan was somewhat bewildered. However, the next second, she met him with excitement, her fists swinging, letting out sharp, air-ripping roars.
"Can't block it!"
Lin Xiu Ya instantly broke into a cold sweat. After judging mid-way that he couldn't block it, he switched his offense to a mobile style, using his Pestering Snake Hand to barely fend off Zi Yan's fist before swiftly shifting his position, then using his profound mastery of wind-attribute movement technique to circle around Zi Yan.
"You scoundrel, stand still for me!"
Zi Yan was furious. After chasing for so long and failing to land a hit, she was incredibly annoyed. She had never encountered such a slippery opponent. Even the old-timer wind-attribute experts on the Ranking List within the Inner Academy weren't as difficult to deal with as Lin Xiu Ya, which truly infuriated her!
Lin Xiu Ya's Pestering Snake Hand could lock the opponent's attacks between his hands. This was a flexible fist technique that borrowed and redirected force, extremely adept at deflecting and leveraging momentum. Coupled with Lin Xiu Ya's profound movement technique, he could barely achieve a fifty-fifty stalemate. But this made Zi Yan unhappy.
"Senior Sister's cultivation is profound; this junior dare not compare. This time, I admit defeat."
Lin Xiu Ya saw that Zi Yan was truly enraged, and his breathing was also somewhat disordered. After all, operating two not-low-grade Dou Techniques at high intensity for such a long time, his Dou Qi was also struggling to keep up. So, he decisively conceded and left the arena, not giving Zi Yan a chance to erupt.
"You scoundrel, are you even a man...?"
Zi Yan was just about to circulate her Dou Technique to unleash her disliked Dou Qi Transformation Wings to catch Lin Xiu Ya, when this scoundrel actually conceded and jumped out of the arena directly. Zi Yan was so angry she started cursing on the stage.
"The Brute Force King actually got snubbed!"
"This is truly the first time!"
"This kid is interesting, he has potential!"
The old students on the Ranking List discussed animatedly, and suppressed laughter constantly filled the air. Many of these people had been injured by Zi Yan's fists during their matches with her, so seeing Zi Yan get snubbed, they all laughed uncontrollably.
"Is it that funny? Who wants to come down and fight me?"
Zi Yan surveyed her surroundings, and after her angry roar, her gaze continuously swept over the Top Ten of the Ranking List, seemingly picking out which one to beat up.
"Ahem..."
Great Elder Su Qian's voice came from the spectator stands, "Zi Yan, since you've won, you can go down now!"
"Hmph!"
Zi Yan let out a cold snort and left the arena. Lin Xiu Ya had already returned to the Qingshan Faction's encampment. The boy's face was pale and he was breaking out in cold sweat, truly becoming a pale-faced pretty boy in every sense.
"Lin Xiu Ya, your luck is not just bad, it's terrible!"
Beside Liu Qing, Yao Sheng chuckled. Among their participating contestants, genuinely few directly encountered a Dou King in the first round like Lin Xiu Ya. Even he had advanced, but Lin Xiu Ya had failed, which made him a little smug.
"Why don't you go up and fight? It's not like you haven't seen the power of those fists."
Lin Xiu Ya replied sullenly, circulating his Dou Qi to recover. His consumption was simply too great; the reason he ran so decisively was that he truly couldn't hold on any longer.
"Little Lin, you escaped this match, but I think you're in big trouble."
Yan Qingshan walked over and patted Lin Xiu Ya's shoulder, speaking meaningfully. Lin Xiu Ya followed his gaze and saw Zi Yan staring at him coldly from a distance, constantly making punching gestures.
Lin Xiu Ya forced a bitter smile, then decided to hide in the Blazing Sky Refining Qi Tower for the foreseeable future, vowing not to emerge until he reached the Peak Dou Spirit stage.
After Lin Xiu Ya and Zi Yan's match, the remaining contestants entered the arena one after another. All the experts from the Qingshan Faction, except for Lin Xiu Ya, successfully advanced to the second round, entering the ranks of the Top Thirty of the Ranking List.
The twenty-five matches of the first day lasted from morning until evening, finally concluding amidst the lingering desires of countless spectators.
Although some contestants did not perform very well, regardless, the Ranking Competition was the inner academy's highest-level competition. The spectacular battles between powerful experts were enough to astound everyone.
The Ranking Competition usually lasted for three days. After the first day, everyone could generally guess who their opponents would be next, as the elders' sorting rules were consistent. The remaining time would then give certain individuals opportunities.
As night fell, the inner academy, which had experienced a day of uproar and excitement, finally returned to silence. Scattered lights dotted the vast academy grounds, appearing exceptionally prominent amidst the towering mountains.
In the quiet room, faint moonlight streamed in through the window. Yan Qingshan sat cross-legged in the courtyard, slowly circulating his Dou Qi to cultivate, pushing his cultivation towards a deeper level. Wisps of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi surged into his body, and an unusual glow enveloped him.
Suddenly, three knocks – one long, two short – came from outside the door. Yan Qingshan opened his eyes, and with a shift of his figure, he had already disappeared from the room.