Hu Gan pressed his palm down slightly and, once the crowd below had fallen silent, continued watching those entering the stage.
"Do you all understand the rules of this competition?" When no one else entered the arena, Hu Gan swept his gaze across the field and asked loudly.
"We understand!" At Hu Gan's question, a unified shout immediately rose from the arena.
"Good. Since you all understand, then I hereby announce..." Hu Gan slowly raised his hand. Then, beneath countless gazes, he brought it crashing down. "The final elimination round of the Inner Academy Selection Competition begins now!"
Boom!
As Hu Gan's hand fell, the previously quiet arena erupted with a boom. Dozens of differently colored strands of Dou Qi burst forth in a dazzling display. Amid muffled impacts, figures darted rapidly about. Most retreated swiftly toward the edges of the square, afraid that, in this arena where enemies lurked everywhere, someone would launch a sneak attack and blast them out.
In the stands, excited screams immediately soared into the sky as everyone watched the fighting erupt almost from the very start. Many spectators shouted themselves hoarse, cheering for their favored contestants. This massive melee was far more thrilling than one-on-one rounds.
"Hehe, the Vice Headmaster's idea is quite good. It may not be absolutely fair, but a setting where one must guard against sneak attacks from all sides can easily cultivate caution. And those who join forces will gradually come to understand the power of teamwork. Not bad at all," an old man said with a smile to Hu Gan beside him as he watched the arena descend into chaos.
"I was simply tired of the usual round-by-round battles, so I thought I'd try something different. It seems to be working rather well. However, those students who are usually