Xun'er had just arrived and heard Han Yue's words, and she too was immediately startled. After a moment's thought, she understood what Han Yue meant.
Xun'er shook her head, stood beside her, and looked into Han Yue's eyes. "Don't worry, I don't blame you."
After that, the two of them, looking like good friends, began to converse in low voices. They even occasionally glanced at Xiao Tian, specifically focusing on Xiao Tian's arm.
Xiao Tian, waiting for the match to begin, even felt a chill on his arm. Looking at the two, who resembled good friends and sisters, Xiao Tian smiled. At least for now, his "fish pond" was safe, with no "fish bombing" incidents.
"Xiao Yan Zi, how are your preparations coming along?"
Xiao Tian looked at the very excited Xiao Yan beside him and asked in a low voice.
"Everything is ready, just waiting for the right moment."
With the help of Yao Lao, Xiao Yan had prepared many contingencies, even more than what was prepared in the original story.
"That's good. When the time comes, it will be up to you. I won't be able to give you too much help directly, but I will provide some assistance, even crucial assistance. Refining the Heavenly Flame is something you must put effort into; only with effort can there be gain."
Xiao Tian patted Xiao Yan's shoulder. Although he couldn't help him directly, he had prepared two things for him, which could at least help him deal with some of the Heavenly Flame issues. Xiao Yan looked at the smile on Xiao Tian's face and felt an inexplicable chill down his spine, as if he was being plotted against.
The Heavenly Flame was of no use to him, and his own Heavenly Flame had already begun to advance after using the advancement card, and it was almost complete. Xiao Tian vaguely felt that if the Heavenly Flame's advancement was completed, it might exceed the limits of the Doupo Continent's Heavenly Flame Ranking.
He had even used a physique card on his father. He had originally planned to give one to Xiao Yan, but it had failed. The system's reply was that Xiao Yan's physique was actually a special physique, just not as obvious as other physiques.
Dong!
A bell rang in the air, and the clamor in the arena was cut off instantly, becoming quiet. The Grand Elder's figure appeared in the square, sweeping his gaze across the entire square, and announced loudly, "Today's competition is a bit special. Zi Yan, Xiao Tian, and Lin Xiuya will directly advance. The remaining ten people will compete by drawing lots. Of course, you can also directly challenge the three who have advanced. If you succeed in the challenge, you can directly advance. Do any of you wish to challenge?"
After the Grand Elder announced the rules, he looked directly at the ten people below, including Han Yue. They all shook their heads in unison. Among them, Liu Qing gave Lin Xiuya a deep look, his fighting spirit constantly burning, but ultimately chose not to challenge at this time.
Subsequently, the ten people began to draw lots.
Zi Yan skipped over to Xiao Tian, eating a pill, and mumbled, "Xiao Tian, our showdown will be soon. You can't be perfunctory with me."
Lin Xiuya, standing nearby, looked at Zi Yan fearfully and chose not to approach, lest he be targeted. He had finally managed to persuade Xiao Tian to ask Zi Yan to go easy on him, so he couldn't court death by trying to show his presence. If he didn't speak well, he might even get beaten up.
"Okay, I'll fight you seriously, but you have to promise me you won't cry if you lose."
Xiao Tian said, looking at the adorable Zi Yan in front of him.
"I'm not a child. How could such a thing happen? Just use your full strength and have a good fight with me, lest you be unconvinced if I win."
Zi Yan stood with her hands on her hips, looking very formidable, and gave Xiao Tian a look that said, "I'm awesome."
Xiao Tian thought that since Zi Yan's true form was a Magical Beast, most Magical Beasts were straightforward and didn't have so many twists and turns. They even tended to revere the strong.
The drawing of lots for the ten people had also concluded. Han Yue drew the seventh-ranked person from the previous strong ranking, whose strength was also at the peak of Nine-Star Dou Ling. Xiao Yan's opponent was ranked eighth, also at the peak of Dou Ling.
"Please, everyone, clear the arena."
Xiao Tian and the others heard the Grand Elder's words and all returned to their previous positions. As the Grand Elder called out, those who had drawn lots ascended the stage. The two combatants were Yan Hao and Bai Hui, one a peak Nine-Star Dou Ling, the other a Nine-Star Dou Ling. Yan Hao fought him for several rounds, and after understanding his patterns, he directly hammered him off the stage.
Xiao Yan, relying on the Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Transformations and the pulling force of his Three Thousand Lightning Movement, sent his opponent off the stage with a single Eight Extremities Collapse.
Liu Qing also directly used his famous unique skill, the Great Crushing Coffin Claw, sending his opponent flying off the stage, spitting blood.
Finally, it was Han Yue's turn to appear.
"Han Yue, go for it!"
Xiao Tian and Xun'er directly cheered for Han Yue.
Han Yue looked at the two of them, a beautiful smile appearing on her face. Their encouragement was like a stimulant, making her feel full of strength. She had thought about it all night, unable to sleep, and during that time, she had also pondered the Dou Technique Xiao Tian had given her.
Han Yue stood facing her opponent in the arena, exuding an icy aura. Lin Xiuya and the others felt Han Yue's cultivation realm and frowned, exclaiming in surprise, "Han Yue only broke through to Six-Star Dou Ling half a year ago, and a few days ago she was still an Eight-Star Dou Ling. How is she at the peak of Nine-Star Dou Ling now?"
Yan Hao, standing nearby, heard Lin Xiuya's words and also fell into contemplation. "Could she have been hiding her strength all this time?"
"Probably not!" Lin Xiuya looked at Han Yue with a puzzled expression, as if he had thought of someone's identity, and then looked at a figure on a high platform. "Perhaps she's been lucky recently and encountered some great opportunity. What a huge opportunity it is."
Lin Xiuya seemed very certain of his thoughts, a confident expression gracing the corner of his mouth. Yan Hao, whose mind wasn't as sharp as Lin Xiuya's, could only scratch his head beside him, muttering incoherently.
On the arena, Han Yue had already fought her opponent for several rounds. Her opponent was also an ice-attribute cultivator, and their battle had frozen the entire arena, making it like a world of ice and snow. The ground was covered with a thick layer of ice and many ice pillars.
"Frost Moon Slash!"
"Ice Scar!"
Boom!
The two's skills collided, and ice shards constantly flew up, transforming the area into a world of falling snow and ice for a moment.
"Cold Starfall!"
Han Yue felt that dragging it out further would be disadvantageous to her, so she directly unleashed the ultimate move Xiao Tian had given her as a trump card. An ice sphere with a diameter of five meters rapidly descended from high above.
"Ice Spirit Shield!"
Xie Ming frantically condensed a massive ice shield. Even the cold aura from the ground continuously flowed into the shield, reinforcing it.
The onlookers, watching the Dou Technique Han Yue summoned, exclaimed in surprise, "Is that an Earth-tier Dou Technique? What a terrifying aura! If that thing hit me, I'd definitely only make one sound. If I made a second sound, I'd consider myself defeated!"