Effortless Advancement (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Reads)

Canaan Square!

At this moment, it was like a pot of boiling water, with shouts and cheers rising one after another, resounding through the skies.

From the first round, the competition swiftly reached the seventh round: Liang Buping versus Xu Haoyu.

The two took the stage one after the other. At this moment, the noise from the surrounding spectator stands quieted somewhat, and everyone fixed their attention on the two men atop the arena.

Liang Buping forced a smile onto his face, though his heart was already in turmoil. Xu Haoyu might be young, but he was not someone to be underestimated. Though he had only been at the academy for half a year, his reputation as a genius was already known to all.

He had entered the academy as a Four Star Da Dou Shi. Even more shocking was that he was a Fourth-Rank Alchemist. His alchemy skills were extraordinarily refined, and he had never failed when refining Rank 4 Pills. In the Alchemy Department, and even throughout Jia Nan Academy, his fame was at its peak. He was publicly recognized as a strong contender for the top five of the Inner Courtyard Selection Competition, or even the championship.

Having encountered Xu Haoyu, Liang Buping could only consider himself unlucky. Still, he was unwilling to concede without a fight. He took a weapon from his Storage Ring—a long spear—then said:

"Junior, I am a Two Star Da Dou Shi. Though I have little chance of winning against you, I am unwilling to simply forfeit. Please enlighten me."

As his words fell, his aura erupted. Earth-yellow Dou Qi surged forth, forming a suit of Dou Qi Armor over his body. Though it could only barely protect his chest and abdomen, his defensive power increased greatly.

Earth-attributed Dou Qi was enduring and heavy, exceptionally suited for defense. Although Liang Buping was only a Two Star Da Dou Shi, even someone stronger than him would find it difficult to defeat him easily.

Hearing this, Xu Haoyu spoke calmly:

"I'll give you that chance. I am an alchemist, so I'll defeat you with an alchemist's methods."

After Xu Haoyu finished speaking, he raised a hand and snapped his fingers. White flames surged out. Against Liang Buping, he did not even need to act personally. Using the Pill Fire Technique to transform fire into qi, the white flames shifted several times before a massive winged white tiger appeared behind him.

Every strand of fur on the flaming beast was clearly visible. Its fangs and claws were equally sharp, its gaze ferocious, while the king character on its forehead radiated overwhelming majesty. Altogether, it looked lifelike and vividly real.

It was precisely the form of the flames' original owner—the Blazing Heavenly Flame Tiger. Though the aura it emitted did not reach the level of a peak sixth-tier magical beast, Liang Buping's lips still trembled as his face filled with unwillingness and despair.

"Mountain Shaking Strike!"

Liang Buping suddenly roared. Earth-yellow Dou Qi wrapped around his long spear as he charged in large strides toward Xu Haoyu and the enormous winged white tiger behind him. Sharp force qi exploded through the air with a violent boom, scattering fierce winds in every direction and making everyone realize just how powerful this strike was.

All things considered, he was quite brave. Facing an enemy he could not possibly defeat, he still launched an attack without fear of death. It made sense—given his cultivation as a Two Star Da Dou Shi, he absolutely had the strength to break into the top fifty. It would have been too much of a shame to surrender outright.

Facing the strike, Xu Haoyu merely moved a finger. The flaming beast then let out a silent roar and raised a tiger paw, slapping it forward.

Boom!

Following the deafening impact, Liang Buping's charging figure was sent flying back at tremendous speed. His body landed beneath the arena, and even the long spear in his hand flew loose.

This was already the result of Xu Haoyu holding back. The gap in strength between them was simply too great. Since Liang Buping was unwilling to give up and insisted on fighting, Xu Haoyu could only oblige him.

After landing, pain wracked every part of Liang Buping's body. Fortunately, none of his tendons or bones had broken; his blood and qi merely churned within him, taking a long time to settle.

At that moment, earth-shaking cheers erupted across the entire venue, all of them cries of encouragement and praise for Xu Haoyu.

To the male students, they had witnessed unparalleled violence. The massive winged white tiger had shattered Liang Buping's attack in a single blow and seriously injured him.

It made their blood boil and filled them with heartfelt admiration.

To the female students, it was elegance—pure elegance. Xu Haoyu's calm and composed bearing, the way he could injure others with flames by merely moving a finger...

Their hearts fluttered. Appearance, strength, status, background—Xu Haoyu was top-tier in every respect. Though he was still young, an older-woman-younger-man relationship was not impossible.

At that moment, Xu Haoyu had practically won over both men and women, becoming a legend in the eyes of these Outer Courtyard students. For a long time to come, no one would be able to replace his position.

At this time, Hu Qian, the Vice-Dean, smiled as he said to the elders beside him:

"Although this Inner Courtyard Selection Competition has only just begun, it is already clear that no one can compete with him for the final championship. It can only be Xu Haoyu."

The elders around him all nodded in agreement. A Nine Star Da Dou Shi—such strength was enough to crush his way through the entire competition.

On the other side, Fire Elder laughed heartily.

"Look at that. We alchemists are quite skilled at combat as well! The champion of this Inner Courtyard Selection Competition will certainly belong to our Alchemy Department. Even those murderous brutes from the Law Enforcement Team won't be able to snatch it from us."

Back on the arena, the referee had already declared Xu Haoyu the winner, smiling as he told him that he could go down and rest first.

Xu Haoyu waved his hand, dispersing the winged white tiger formed from white flames. He was highly confident that no one in this Inner Courtyard Selection Competition could be his opponent. What he thought about more was returning early to nourish that Extraterrestrial Meteorite.

The competition continued. With so many people fighting round after round, it certainly could not end in just a day or two.

Yet for Xu Haoyu, nothing unexpected happened at all. Whenever his name was called, he stepped onto the arena, suppressed his opponent, and claimed victory with ease.

After match after match, his name was constantly on everyone's lips, and his prestige in the academy reached its peak.

After five days of intense competition, this Inner Courtyard Selection Competition finally reached its end.

As expected, Xu Haoyu defeated his final opponent with considerable ease, claiming victory and taking the championship.

Still at Canaan Square!

Hu Qian, the Vice-Dean, stood beside Xu Haoyu and announced loudly with a broad smile:

"After five days of fierce competition, this Inner Courtyard Selection Competition has now concluded perfectly. The top fifty students, the top five students, and the final champion have all been determined."

"Xu Haoyu, congratulations on winning this championship. Also, you and those ranked second through fifth—Zhang Kaidi, Yu Huo, Jiang Miaomiao, and Lie Feng—after resting for a few days, I will take the five of you to the Treasure Pavilion to select treasures."

Xu Haoyu and the other four all responded at once:

"Alright, Vice-Dean."