Watching the Battle (Part 1)

"Bang!"

In the sky, a figure, as tall as a black iron tower, stomped heavily on the ground with a sharp whistling sound.

Instantly, the pitch-black floor made of special materials where it landed quietly cracked with tiny fissures. Furthermore, the dozens of contestants on the field clearly felt the ground tremble violently the moment it landed, causing them to glare angrily at the dark figure.

However, when they saw the newcomer standing straight with a heavy black gun slung across his back, the sight of him being the only one with such a posture in the Inner Academy was that Liu Qing. As a result, everyone quickly averted their gaze and turned back.

After landing, Liu Qing suddenly looked up and cast his gaze at a certain spot on the high platform. A burning fighting spirit instantly erupted in his eyes, and the place where his gaze was directed was none other than Lin Xiuyai, as everyone had expected!

Facing the gazes of Liu Qing and the entire audience, Lin Xiuyai smiled faintly, then lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his body flashed off the platform like a falling leaf.

A pale blue vortex formed beneath his feet the moment he left the platform, and Lin Xiuyai felt as if he were walking up stairs, each step he took feeling as if he were stepping on a solid, invisible staircase.

This scene looked almost like walking on air, and this move undoubtedly caused a stir among the audience.

They all knew that even Dou King Expert needed the Wings of Dou Qi to stay in the air. The ability to move as if walking on flat ground without any assistance was something that could only be achieved with extremely strong strength and exquisite control over Dou Qi.

Seeing Lin Xiuyai's actions, Lin Ming nodded slightly in approval.

Such an operation would certainly not be difficult for Lin Ming, but how powerful is Lin Ming's Soul Power? It is far beyond what Lin Xiuyai can compare to. Therefore, it is already extremely rare for Lin Xiuyai to be able to display this skill.

"Buzz~"

Just as everyone was still reveling in the sight of Lin Xiuyai stepping through the air, a faint, low rumble of thunder suddenly echoed in the air.

Some people quickly looked up, but apart from the fleeting silver glint in their eyes, they found nothing else. As they looked around in bewilderment, some sharp-eyed individuals noticed a figure in black robes suddenly appear in the room.

"This little guy's speed is probably hard to find among the Dou Ling who can rival him. Moreover, judging from his movement technique, it is still a bit immature, probably only in its early stages. I really don't know how terrifying it will be when he cultivates to its peak." On the high platform, upon seeing Xiao Yan's appearance, Elder Hao stroked his beard and sincerely praised him.

"His movement Movement Fighting Skill must be of a high level, otherwise he wouldn't be able to achieve such an effect." An elder nodded, vaguely guessing what was going on.

"So this is the Three Thousand Lightning Movement technique." Lin Ming thought to himself as he watched Xiao Yan appear as a blur.

Besides Lin Ming knowing that Xiao Yan was using the Three Thousand Lightning Movement technique, the Great Elder's slightly narrowed expression, tinged with a hint of surprise and doubt, also indicated that he had seen through the Dou Technique Xiao Yan was using.

With the arrival of Xiao Yan and his group, all the top experts on the Strong Ranking who were able to participate in the competition gathered in the center.

"Cough!"

Once everyone had arrived, a faint cough, tinged with Dou Qi, rang in the ears of everyone present.

Immediately, the whispers subsided, and after a moment, they completely disappeared.

One gaze after another rose up and looked toward the old man in black robes at the very center of the high platform, their eyes filled with awe and respect.

As the Great Elder of this Inner Academy, whose strength and power are second only to that mysterious Dean, even ordinary elders hold him in high regard, let alone the students.

"Now that everyone is present, the competition can begin." Great Elder Su Qian said with a faint smile, "However, before the competition, I must remind you that although the Inner Academy has an open-minded atmosphere, I still hope that you will try your best not to kill during the competition. You are all still students, not in a place like the Black Corner Region where people eat each other. Although the Inner Academy has a slightly bloody Arena, the purpose is only to train you, not to make you fight to the death. Therefore, I hope that you will all control your actions."

Hearing Great Elder Su Qian's words, some participants nodded slightly. However, most remained noncommittal. In this kind of competition, who wouldn't go all out to get into the top ten? When going all out, it's hard to control one's strength, and accidents are always inevitable.

Lin Ming was very clear about the reactions of the people present. After all, Great Elder Su Qian had said something similar in his own year, and as one of the participants at that time, Lin Ming knew very well that these participants had to go all out to get into the top ten. Therefore, apart from a few people like Lin Xiuyai, no one else would dare to do what Great Elder Su Qian said.

Great Elder Su Qian, who had presided over countless Strong Ranking Tournament, knew that few people would listen to him, so he paid little attention to their reactions. After a moment, he continued, "The rules remain the same: opponents will be determined by drawing lots."

As soon as he finished speaking, Great Elder Su Qian waved his sleeve, and a black cloth in the center of the crowd fluttered down, revealing a stone platform beneath it. On the platform was a large wooden tube filled with many bamboo skewers.

As the bamboo slips were revealed, the Great Elder began to explain the rules of the draw. It was the same as before: those who drew red slips with the same number would face off against those who drew blue slips. Because Zi Yan was absent, the opponents drawn would likely be slightly different from those in the original story, but coincidentally, Xiao Yan's first opponent was still Bai Cheng.

After seeing that all the participants had decided on their order, Great Elder Su Qian nodded slightly, his gaze slowly sweeping across the entire hall. His calm, aged voice echoed throughout the hall, "Now that the draw is complete, please return to your seats. The order of the competition will be drawn randomly."

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Qian casually pulled a bamboo skewer from a bamboo tube in front of him, glanced at it, and said indifferently, "Number eleven."

Upon hearing the number Su Qian called out, two contestants in the arena immediately tensed up. The others either quietly breathed a sigh of relief or walked off the stage expressionlessly.

"The blue and red bamboo sticks, number eleven, remain. The rest of you, leave the area." Great Elder Su Qian waved his hand and gave the order.

As soon as Su Qian gave the order, everyone in the arena rushed out, leaving only two people behind.