Entering the Arena
"Laugh!"
After the bell tolled, a series of whooshing sounds suddenly filled the sky. Then, everyone looked up and saw blurry figures flashing by.
A moment later, as everyone looked down, more than a dozen aged figures appeared on the special elevated seats above the square.
Scanning these figures, most of them were familiar Great Elder from the Inner Academy. And the old man in the center, dressed in a black robe and with white hair and beard, was none other than Su Qian, the Great Elder of the Inner Academy.
As everyone looked at the elders on the high platform, the elders' gazes also shifted down to the students below. Then, under the students' watchful eyes, Great Elder Su Qian moved slightly.
Great Elder Su Qian took two slow steps forward and pressed his hands down. Instantly, the entire square became so quiet that you could hear each breath.
Great Elder Su Qian's gaze slowly swept across the entire hall. After a moment, an old and deep voice came from Great Elder Su Qian's mouth, resounding in everyone's ears.
"Those ranked above the Strong Ranking, enter the arena!"
As Great Elder Su Qian's voice fell, figures moved across the platform in an instant, streaking through the air and landing in the center of the square.
As the participants entered, a cloud of smoke filled the center of the square. One could only imagine how fiercely these people would fight in the upcoming matches.
After seeing that many people had already entered, the top ten on the Strong Ranking began to move towards the center of the square ahead.
Of the top ten on the Strong Ranking, apart from the last two who are still at the Eight Star Dou Spirit level, the rest are all at the Nine Star Dou Spirit level. Moreover, several of them have already reached the peak of the Nine Star Dou Spirit level. If it weren't for the extreme difficulty of breaking through from Dou Ling to Dou Wang, these people would probably already be Dou Wang.
"Bang!"
A burly figure descended from the sky, carrying a heavy weight, and crashed heavily onto the ground.
In the center of the plaza, the pitch-black floor, made of a special material, cracked subtly with tiny fissures after this person landed. Furthermore, the dozen or so contestants nearby clearly felt the ground tremble violently the instant the person landed. However, upon seeing the newcomer, their initial discontent subsided.
This person is none other than Chong Shan, ranked fourth on the Strong Ranking. His Earth Attribute Dou Qi makes him live up to his name. When others fight against him, they feel as if they are facing a heavy mountain.
After landing, Chong Shan stood tall, its majestic presence making it Chong Shan among the people who had entered the venue, like a towering mountain.
As Chong Shan entered, the other top ten on the Strong Ranking also descended from their respective platforms, their imposing presence no Chong Shan's. Of course, with his memories of his past life, Lin Ming dared to say that everyone present was trash when it came to showing off and being cool.
Influenced by the culture of his previous life, Lin Ming had always dreamed of flying on a sword. Now, with the support of his powerful Soul Power and Dou Qi, controlling objects to carry people for short distances is not an impossible feat for Lin Ming.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lin Ming, standing on the Star Dragon Saber with Flame Cloak billowing behind him, slowly flew down from the high platform and landed on the Central Plaza.
Lin Ming's actions left everyone present speechless. His unconventional flight method, coupled with his dazzling Flame Cloak, aroused envy and resentment in the crowd.
His Divine Weapon, wielding divine weapons and draped in Flame Cloak, was so stylish that it instantly captivated everyone present.
"This kid's entrance is truly unique!" An elder on the high platform above the Elder Seat said with a smile. They rarely saw such a way of flying by flying objects.
"This little guy's Soul Power is quite extraordinary," Great Elder Su Qian remarked in response to the elders' conversation.
Others might not have noticed the fluctuations in Lin Ming's Lin Ming Soul Power Soul Power, but Su Qian, a Dou Zong, certainly did.
Judging from Lin Ming's Soul Power fluctuations, he surpassed all the elders present, and was not far behind himself.
After Lin Ming entered, a small figure walked out from the crowd below. As he walked, the onlookers made way for him.
Some newcomers, unaware of the reason why others made way for this person, asked the others why they did so.
"Young man, you're a newcomer to the Inner Academy, aren't you?" the person being questioned asked, looking at the person asking the question.
"Senior, my name is Lin Xiuyai, and I have just entered the Inner Academy," the inquirer said, clasping his hands in greeting.
"Since you're so sincere, junior, I'll tell you about this girl who looks like a Little Girl. Don't let her appearance fool you; she's always held the top spot on the Strong Ranking. Over the years, the other positions on the Strong Ranking have changed hands, but the Strong Ranking one spot has always been held by this seemingly Little Girl. Her strength is incredible; no one in the Inner Academy can withstand a single punch from her. So, behind her back, we all call her the 'Brute Force King.'"
Faced with this person's explanation, Lin Xiuyai was a little confused.
After all, if someone came along and told you that a twelve or thirteen-year-old Little Girl had easily defeated everyone in the Inner Academy and climbed to the top of the Strong Ranking, and that no one in the Inner Academy could withstand a single punch from her, Lin Xiuyai would definitely think the person who said that was a fool if this weren't in the Inner Academy and if everyone around them were making way for her. Even so, Lin Xiuyai still harbored some doubts.
Weaving through the crowd, Zi Yan slowly made her way up the steps toward the center of the square.
As Zi Yan walked, she casually popped Medicinal Pill into her mouth, a gesture that contrasted sharply with the atmosphere inside.
Despite Zi Yan's effortless agility, no one in the arena underestimated her. The dozens of people in the arena were all hoping that they wouldn't encounter this Brute Force King in the upcoming matches.
Against other opponents, even if you can't beat them, you can still exchange a few blows. But when facing this Brute Force King, not many people feel confident they can withstand even one of his attacks.
After arriving at the center of the square, Zi Yan looked around with her little head, and then, as if she had spotted her target, she walked towards Lin Ming with a smile.
"Cough!"
A soft cough, accompanied by a burst of Dou Qi, echoed through the plaza. Instantly, the whispers ceased, and everyone knew that the rules of the competition were about to be announced.
"Now that everyone has arrived, let the competition begin!" Great Elder Su Qian announced, then added, "Although swords and spears are ruthless in competition, you still need to be careful during the matches and try not to kill. While the academy encourages competition, you are still students, and these people are your classmates. Therefore, you must maintain a proper sense of proportion."
Great Elder Su Qian's words were met with nods of agreement from some in the audience, while others ignored them. Those ranked in the teens and twenties, in particular, were willing to do anything to break into the top ten. Asking them to hold back was clearly impossible.