"I will definitely have a spot in the top ten!"
Xiao Yan's sudden shout startled everyone around him.
He didn't pay much attention to that; he knew his older brother very well. If he had a problem, his brother would frown, and he knew he was in for trouble. He had been beaten countless times as a child, in a way where he couldn't fight back, always from a moral high ground.
"Now that's more like it."
Han Yue was very confused. How could the top ten of the strong ranking seem like such a simple matter in the mouths of Xiao Tian and Xiao Yan? She looked at Xiao Tian, puzzled.
"My younger brother is not simple; I believe in him."
"Senior Han Yue, if you work hard now, the top ten shouldn't be a problem for you either."
Xiao Tian's voice was full of encouragement. Han Yue's cultivation level couldn't be hidden from Xiao Tian at all; he had already probed it.
"Then…" Han Yue took a deep breath after hearing Xiao Tian's words, as if she had been injected with a stimulant, full of drive. "I'll give it a try."
Xun'er watched Han Yue get completely swayed in an instant and shook her head helplessly. This girl was beyond saving.
Dong!
A long, drawn-out bell chime echoed in everyone's ears.
About ten figures rapidly descended from a distance onto a special high platform seat at the top of the plaza. The leader was none other than Elder Su Qian. The others were all influential elders of the Inner Academy.
After their appearance, the entire plaza instantly fell silent. Their arrival meant that the tournament was about to officially begin. Everyone suppressed the excitement in their hearts, not daring to make any sound, their faces red from holding their breath.
"Those on the strong ranking, please enter."
Su Qian glanced at the tall and straight Xiao Tian, a faint smile on his lips. His aged yet powerful voice resonated in everyone's ears.
Immediately, figures shot out from all directions of the arena, finally landing in the plaza.
Overlord Spear Liu Qing entered by shattering the ground with his domineering and powerful physique, his whole body filled with violent battle intent.
Lin Xiuya, utilizing his wind attribute, demonstrated a method similar to walking on air, gracefully landing in the arena, showcasing extremely pure Dou Qi control ability.
Seeing everyone else enter, Xiao Yan immediately activated his Three Thousand Lightning Movement. After a low rumble of thunder, Xiao Yan instantly moved from the high platform to the arena.
"This Xiao Yan's speed is so fast; I can't even see how he appeared."
The people in the audience seats looked at the quietly standing Xiao Yan in surprise, while the contestants looked at Xiao Yan with solemn expressions. The speed Xiao Yan had just displayed had already surpassed theirs. Everyone, including Lin Xiuya and Liu Qing, felt a slight apprehension.
Roar!
Just as they were surprised, a huge dragon roar sounded.
A four colored dragon, about a hundred meters long, was seen circling in the sky, rapidly diving toward the plaza.
"What is this? Is someone air-raiding? Am I going to die?"
"Tell my mother I'm not a coward."
Many people in the arena gasped in fright at this scene.
"Tell your sister! Didn't you see the two people on top?"
Hearing this, everyone looked up and saw a man in a milky white robe and a woman with silver hair in a silver dress.
"Is that Senior Xiao Tian and Senior Han Yue?"
The Lightning Dragon descended into the arena with a violent aura, and the few people standing close were directly pushed back several steps by the force. The massive lightning dragon slowly lowered its head, then disappeared. Xiao Tian and Han Yue slowly floated down.
Xun'er looked at the two of them and pouted her small lips. "After the tournament today, I'll make you condense a Lightning Dragon and fly all day, tiring you to death."
The surrounding students erupted in exclamations.
"Wow, that was so cool! The aura of that Lightning Dragon almost made me wet myself."
"I thought I was going to meet my great-grandmother."
"Speaking of which, I remember that rumor that circulated in the Academy before."
"Hehe, look at them now; it seems like it can be confirmed."
The onlookers looked at the two people standing shoulder to shoulder in the arena, revealing strange smiles.
Han Yue's ears turned red as she heard the discussions around her. She shyly lowered her head but chose not to leave Xiao Tian's side. Seeing Han Yue like this, all her admirers were instantly heartbroken.
The others looked at Han Yue in the arena, then at Xun'er outside the arena, showing expressions of curiosity for gossip.
The contestants, however, looked at Xiao Tian with grave expressions. They also felt an unbeatable power.
Condensing objects with Dou Qi was something a Dou Ling could do, but to condense something so large, maintain continuous flight, and even carry people — even a Dou Wang would expend a large portion of their Dou Qi. For a tournament, every bit of Dou Qi was extremely important, and only someone with extreme confidence would do such a thing.
However, Xiao Tian showed no change at all; his Dou Qi seemed completely unexpended. His formidable strength astonished everyone present.
"It seems there are many dark horses. This year will probably be a battle between dragons and tigers."
The several elders on the high platform also looked at the contestants showcasing their abilities with anticipation in their eyes.
However, the Grand Elder ignored them and looked at Xiao Yan. "How does this little fellow have the Three Thousand Lightning Movement of Wind and Thunder Pavilion? If he's discovered, it will inevitably be another trouble."
Earlier, when Xiao Tian told him that Xiao Yan could solve the problem of the Fallen Heart Flame, he had collected information on Xiao Yan and started paying attention to him.
"Forget it, forget it. That brat Xiao Tian must know about it. With his talent, there's no need to worry too much about Wind and Thunder Pavilion. Let that kid worry about it himself."
As soon as Su Qian thought of how Xiao Tian had manipulated him before, his mood instantly became quite unpleasant. He even suspected that Xiao Tian had harbored such thoughts from the beginning.
After Xiao Tian and Han Yue entered, a little girl in a white dress slowly walked up the steps amidst the stunned gazes of others.
She was constantly chewing on something, her dark eyes darting around, as if searching for something. Until she saw Xiao Tian, waved at him, and grinned, revealing cute little tiger teeth.
Finally, she stood at the very front of everyone.
Those around who didn't recognize Zi Yan were whispering to each other, while those who did had a hint of fear in their eyes, and those who had been beaten shivered slightly.
"Cough! Since everyone is here, I announce that the tournament officially begins!"
The Grand Elder stood up, cleared his throat, and announced the start of the tournament.
"Woohoo, it's finally starting!"
"My great saber has long been thirsty!"
Immediately, the people in the audience cheered, even standing up and shouting the names of those they supported.
When Su Qian felt it was time, he gently pressed his hands down, and the sounds in the arena gradually quieted.
"The rules this time are the same as before: drawing lots."
Su Qian waved his hand, and the black cloth in the arena was blown away, revealing the stone platform underneath. On top of the stone platform was a bamboo tube containing fifty bamboo slips.
"Inside are red and blue bamboo slips numbered one to twenty-five. Opponents will be those with the same number but different colors. The winner advances, and the loser is eliminated."
"Now, you may draw lots."
After the Grand Elder finished speaking, the contestants in the arena orderly went up to randomly draw a bamboo slip.