After speaking, Xiao Bai shook his head. A streak of crimson-red lightning emerged between the two fingers pinching the spear tip. The lightning was not thick, only about the size of a person's pinky finger, flickering constantly at his fingertips, interwoven with fire, creating a mesmerizing sight.
Seeing this crimson-red lightning, Tu Shan's face changed drastically. He did not find it beautiful at all; instead, an overwhelming sense of dread gripped him, as if his entire body was warning him of imminent danger.
"Danger!"
The crimson-red lightning flickered between Xiao Bai's fingers for a moment before suddenly flashing forward, traveling along the spear directly toward Tu Shan. Wherever the lightning passed, the steel spear that he had spent a great fortune forging shattered inch by inch. The broken fragments instantly melted into molten iron, unable to withstand the scorching heat. Thick smoke rose as the molten iron evaporated into nothingness before it could even fall.
Tu Shan's pupils constricted in horror. Without a moment to think, his hands instinctively released the spear's hilt, as if bitten by a venomous snake, and his body instinctively retreated at full speed.
However, no matter how fast he was, how could he possibly be faster than lightning? The crimson-red lightning was incredibly swift. In the blink of an eye, the entire spear, which was nearly three meters long, had vanished as if it had never existed. All that remained in the air was drifting smoke and a streak of crimson-red lightning.
Having witnessed the terrifying power of the lightning, Tu Shan's face turned pale as he saw it hurtling toward him. His heart pounded violently with fear—his body was nowhere near as tough as the steel spear. If that lightning struck him, would he have any chance of surviving?
In the surrounding spectator stands, the students of Jia Nan Academy snapped out of their shock from the spear's sudden disintegration. When they saw the thin streak of crimson-red lightning, they couldn't help but shudder. No one mocked Tu Shan's expression of terror—if they were in his place, they might have reacted even worse!
On the central platform, the elders watching the battle were astounded by the power of the crimson-red lightning. The elder sitting in the center, witnessing the unfolding scene, instinctively stood up, ready to intervene.
"No need to act. Xiao Bai should know his limits!"
Elder Huo, who had been watching the lightning with shock in his eyes, spoke up, his expression subtly shifting. He noticed the elder's movement from the corner of his eye and quickly stopped him.
The elder frowned and halted his steps, turning to look at the calm Elder Huo. If it were anyone else speaking, he would not have listened. But this old man was different. Perhaps because he was an Alchemist, meticulous control was second nature to him—one small mistake could lead to failure. This had made him extremely strict about rules and regulations, enforcing discipline among students. But why was he so confident in Xiao Bai today?
"Just watch! Xiao Bai won't take the boy's life, but an injury is inevitable."
Seeing the elder's doubtful expression, Elder Huo did not offer further explanation. After what had happened that day, he was certain that Xiao Bai was someone who followed the rules.
Sure enough, just as his words fell, a chorus of gasps erupted from below as the situation changed on the battle stage.
Just as the crimson-red lightning was about to strike Tu Shan, it suddenly split into two—one thick and one thin.
The thicker streak of lightning curved in another direction, as if it had intelligence, while the thinner streak struck directly onto Tu Shan's Dou Qi armor.
"Crack!"
A shattering sound rang out. The crowd saw the lightning pause momentarily on the fiery-red armor before instantly breaking through its energy, scattering it apart. In the next moment, Tu Shan's robust figure was violently sent flying, a mouthful of fresh blood spurting from his mouth. His body crashed heavily onto the stage before skidding several meters across the ground, only coming to a slow stop.
"Boom!"
Not far from the battle platform, a loud explosion echoed through the square as smoke and dust filled the air.
When the dust settled, the spectators froze, their faces turning pale as they stared blankly at the scene before them.
The battle platform, which had hosted countless selection competitions over the years and had only ever sustained minor damage, now had a massive, charred crater about one meter in diameter. Cracks resembling a spiderweb spread outward from the crater's edges.
Countless eyes darted between Tu Shan's fallen, blood-spitting figure and the blackened, smoke-emitting pit before finally landing on the young man in black standing in the center of the stage. His deep gaze and calm expression sent a chill through their hearts, making them shudder.
For a brief moment, the entire square fell into complete silence. No one dared to speak. Even their breathing became cautious, afraid of making a sound that might draw the attention of the black-clad figure on stage.
The students participating in the selection glanced at each other, silently making a decision—if they ever faced this person, they would surrender immediately, never giving him a chance to strike.
And from now on, they would be much more polite when speaking to new students. They absolutely couldn't afford to be reckless like Tu Shan. Who knew if they might accidentally provoke someone just as terrifying as him?
At this moment, a series of whooshing sounds filled the air as more than ten elderly figures appeared on the competition platform, standing beside the charred pit and carefully examining it.
Among them, the elder and Elder Huo did not immediately approach the pit. Instead, they first went over to Tu Shan's side. After checking on him for a moment, their previously tense expressions relaxed.
"Well? Didn't I tell you that kid knows his limits?" Elder Huo chuckled as he saw the other elder's expression, his face easing into a smile.
"Indeed, not bad! He suffered some pain, but there are no serious injuries. After taking a healing pill, he should be able to continue in the competition without much issue." The elder gently stroked his beard, nodding in satisfaction. He cast a glance at the mentor of the Xuan Class 2 and instructed, "Take him away."
"Yes!" The mentor, a middle-aged man, hurriedly nodded in response. With the help of two students, he quickly carried Tu Shan away for treatment.
Near the charred pit, the gathered elders carefully examined the remains. As they sensed the lingering thunderfire energy, they began murmuring among themselves.
"Tsk tsk… This power reminds me of the Heavenly Flames!"
"Indeed! At first, I thought it was some unique Dou Technique, but now it seems like it's not. It's actually some kind of peculiar lightning… The strength is comparable to some Heavenly Flames. Speaking of which, isn't there a Heavenly Flame that contains a lightning attribute?"
"Yes, ranked twelfth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking—Nine Dragon Lightning Flame—has both lightning and fire attributes. However, it isn't this crimson color; it's silver instead."
"Then what exactly is this lightning? Could it have been cultivated through a technique? But even if the technique is extraordinary, a mere Dou Ling shouldn't be able to produce such a terrifying strand of lightning-infused Dou Qi!"
"Rather than speculating here, why don't we just ask that student directly?"
"You're right! Let's go!"
In an instant, the group of elderly figures surrounded Xiao Bai, their eyes filled with curiosity as they examined the black-clothed youth.
"Xiao Bai, we're quite curious about your lightning. Would you be willing to share some details with us?" A gray-robed elder looked at Xiao Bai with an expectant gaze. Unlike before, he refrained from calling him 'kid'—after witnessing his earlier display, it was clear that Xiao Bai's strength was nearly on par with their own.
"If it's inconvenient to share, then don't bother! You old geezers are really regressing, prying into other people's affairs like nosy gossips." Elder Huo approached at that moment, shooting a look of disdain at the group and mocking them.
The gathered elders glared at him in irritation. This Elder Huo was becoming increasingly insufferable! If not for his status as a 5th Tier Alchemist, they would have already shut him up!
Besides, they weren't forcing Xiao Bai to answer—this was simply the first time they had encountered such a unique lightning, and they were naturally curious. It wasn't as if they had any ulterior motives!
"Hehe… There's actually nothing I can't say about it." Xiao Bai waved his hand and smiled. "Years ago, through a stroke of luck, I obtained a beast flame from a Crimson Fire Thunder Jiao. After absorbing it, my Dou Qi naturally took on this appearance."
This was an explanation that Yao Lao had prepared for him back in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. If anyone ever questioned him about his abilities, this was the most plausible excuse—one that wouldn't reveal his identity as an Alchemist.
"An eighth-rank Magical Beast, the Crimson Fire Thunder Jiao?" One of the gray-robed elders exclaimed in shock. After taking a deep breath to compose himself, he looked around at the confused expressions of those present and explained:
"The Crimson Fire Thunder Jiao is an eighth-rank Magical Beast—one of the rarest and most powerful creatures on the continent, aside from those legendary peak-level Magical Beasts. With both thunder and fire attributes, its combat strength is fearsome, even ranking among the top within its tier. However, for centuries, there have been hardly any sightings of this beast. I had assumed that it had vanished into history like other extinct creatures, but to think that one still exists on the continent!"
"The beast flame it produces contains both fire and lightning attributes, making it incredibly powerful. Among fire attribute cultivators, it's considered one of the most sought-after beast flames, second only to Heavenly Flames!"
After finishing his explanation, the gray-robed elder turned his gaze back to Xiao Bai, studying him with admiration before sighing, "Young friend, you truly have great fortune. However, I do have a question—beast flames, after all, are still flames. Even if they contain additional attributes, they remain fire at their core. Normally, only fire attribute cultivators should be able to absorb them. But your attribute is lightning, isn't it?"
That's right! The other elders also realized this inconsistency. Beast flames were still flames at their essence, just like Heavenly Flames, and should only be absorbable by fire attribute cultivators. But according to the academy's records, Xiao Bai was clearly a lightning attribute cultivator!
"Huh? Didn't I mention it before? I have three attributes: lightning, fire, and wood!" Xiao Bai blinked innocently, though a smile flickered in the depths of his eyes. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly—this gray-robed elder was truly a good person!
Today's match hadn't required him to use Xiao Bing at all, but he had revealed it anyway. His original intention was just to lay some groundwork for his Alchemist identity and gradually guide things in that direction in the future. However, this gray-robed elder, like a detective, had unintentionally accelerated his plans!
There was no choice—he was about to enter the Inner Academy, and if he wanted to attract a certain little dragon girl, being an Alchemist was the best bait. With that identity, approaching her would be much easier; otherwise, that little lass would be hard to deal with. That's why revealing Xiao Bing today had been a carefully planned move—he just hadn't expected it to go so smoothly!
"Lightning, fire, and wood—three attributes?" The elders were utterly stunned. What had they just heard? This guy had three attributes? And he could still cultivate so quickly? This was unheard of!
However, none of them noticed that among them, one elder—who had initially just come to observe—now had eyes shining brightly. His gaze was locked onto the black-clothed youth as if he were staring at a priceless treasure, an uncontrollable smile spreading across his face.
Just as the elders were about to ask more questions, Elder Huo stepped forward, blocking Xiao Bai and loudly exclaiming, "Ask, ask, ask—ask my ass! If you keep this up, it'll be nightfall soon! Are we still having the competition or not?"
Then, turning around with a wide grin, he patted Xiao Bai's shoulder warmly and said, "Kid, let's find a place to chat privately. What do you say?"
"Hey, hey, hey! Elder Huo, that's not fair! We're not allowed to ask questions, but you get to have a private chat? Why can't you just say it in front of everyone?" The elders finally snapped back to reality, initially intending to let things go, but now, seeing Elder Huo's behavior, they couldn't help but feel dissatisfied.
"He's probably trying to recruit Xiao Bai into the Alchemy Department. After all, among his three attributes, he has fire and wood, and based on how he controlled that lightning earlier, his soul power must be quite strong. He's a prime candidate for an Alchemist—of course, Elder Huo wouldn't waste any time." The gray-robed elder from earlier spoke again in a meaningful tone.
"Oh, damn… Elder Huo, you really lucked out!" The other elders finally realized what was happening. The Alchemy Department wasn't directly under the Inner or Outer Academy—it was an independent entity. That meant Xiao Bai joining the Alchemy Department wouldn't interfere with his entrance into the Inner Academy.
"Haha! Be jealous all you want! From today onward, Xiao Bai is officially a student of our Alchemy Department!" Elder Huo, seeing their reactions, didn't mind at all. The others had failed in their goals today, but he, who hadn't even planned for this, had ended up recruiting a genius for the Alchemy Department.
"Come on, come on, Xiao Bai! Follow me! I'll take you to the Alchemy Department, show you around, and teach you about Alchemy. With my guidance, you'll soon become a prestigious Alchemist! How does it feel? Isn't life unpredictable? Happiness comes so fast! Hahaha!" Elder Huo laughed smugly, shooting a victorious glance at the other elders before preparing to drag Xiao Bai away.
"But… I still have a match to compete in!" Xiao Bai hesitated.
"Compete? What for? This year's Inner Academy Selection's champion is already decided—it's you! Ask these old geezers—does anyone have any objections?" Elder Huo huffed, pointing at the group of elders.
The other elders rolled their eyes. Sure, what he said was true, but did he have to point at them like that? His finger was practically poking them in the face!
"He's right. Xiao Bai, with your current strength, competing against the others is almost bullying. You don't need to participate in the remaining matches." The elder who had remained silent until now finally spoke. His voice echoed across the entire plaza, and no one objected. Instead, the other contestants let out sighs of relief—they wouldn't have to face this terrifying opponent!
"That won't do! I have to participate in the second round!" Xiao Bai suddenly became anxious. Not letting him compete? That was unacceptable!
"Why?" The elder furrowed his brows in confusion. Whether he participated or not, the result would be the same. So why insist? Was he just trying to bully the others? But from what little they had seen of him, that didn't seem to be his personality…
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