After saying goodbye to the Library Pavilion mentor, Lin Ze turned and headed toward the Central Plaza.
Today was the third day of the Inner Academy Selection Tournament, and also the day of the Final Round. The Central Plaza was more bustling than ever.
Lin Ze hadn't even gotten close to the Central Plaza before he could hear waves of roaring cheers.
"This is incredible!"
"No wonder it's Jia Nan Academy's annual grand event."
Thinking this, Lin Ze quickened his pace and soon reached the Central Plaza.
He was surprised to see a figure standing at the entrance.
"Instructor Ruo Lin, what are you doing here?"
Only after seeing Lin Ze did Instructor Ruo Lin finally relax. She said in exasperation,
"You little rascal. I thought you weren't coming to watch today's Final Round."
"With how packed the Central Plaza is now, you wouldn't be able to get in without me."
"Come on!"
The moment Instructor Ruo Lin spotted Lin Ze, she hurriedly spoke.
Then she reached out, tugged at his sleeve, and led him into the plaza.
Lin Ze hadn't expected Instructor Ruo Lin to wait for him outside the Central Plaza. He smiled at her and said,
"Thank you, Instructor Ruo Lin."
"The Inner Academy Selection Tournament only happens once a year, and it's a rare sight. I didn't want you to miss it."
"Take the chance to see the Academy's rising stars for yourself, and work hard to catch up. With your talent, you might become one of them someday."
Lin Ze smiled as he replied,
"I'll work hard, Mentor."
The students of Yellow Class 2 had already gathered in one of the stands.
They had come in earlier. Otherwise, once the tournament began, it would be difficult to squeeze inside.
Lin Ze raised a hand and greeted Xiao Yi Xian and Xiao Yu.
When Xiao Yi Xian saw Lin Ze, a smile spread across her face. She patted the seat beside her, signaling for him to sit next to her.
Under a barrage of envious, jealous looks, Lin Ze made his way to Xiao Yi Xian's side and sat down.
After all, who wouldn't be envious when such a beautiful girl saved a seat just for you?
Once seated, Lin Ze looked toward the arena. Two students, both at least Eight-star Dou Masters, were fighting.
Seeing that Lin Ze had arrived, Xiao Yi Xian began explaining things to him.
"After the first two days of competition, only fifty students remain for the third day's Final Round. They're basically the cream of the crop at Jia Nan Academy."
"These fifty students are already Quasi-Inner Academy Students, but they'll still give it their all for the special opportunity awarded to the top five."
Xiao Yi Xian relayed what Vice Dean Hu Gan had said before the tournament, then introduced the two students fighting in the arena.
After listening, Lin Ze smiled at her.
"You're pretty thorough. You memorized all of that."
"I was just interested, that's all."
Xiao Yi Xian gave a soft snort, turned away, and continued watching the match.
Lin Ze smiled faintly, not taking her transparent excuse to heart.
As he watched the competition, he split off a thread of his attention to control a Death Soldier.
He had it write down everything he'd learned in the Library Pavilion about the Dou Qi Stage Cultivation Key.
The most important item was the Basic Qi Gathering Method the mentor had given him.
Lin Ze was already a Dou Zhe, so he hadn't tried cultivating it himself.
Once the Death Soldier had practiced it, he could see how much of a difference it made.
Lin Ze had often trained himself to multitask like this ever since he acquired the Death Soldiers. By now, he could do it with ease.
He could even control several Death Soldiers during battle, gathering information from multiple angles to keep track of the situation.
The Fire Wolf King Incident had been Lin Ze's first attempt.
It had exhausted him completely.
But after doing it once, doing it again was easier. Lin Ze gradually grew accustomed to controlling several Death Soldiers at once.
Since his Death Soldiers were spread across Wutan City, Qingshan Town, and Canaan City, Lin Ze spent some time having different Death Soldiers make three copies.
By the time Lin Ze finished copying everything, the competition had entered its second half.
The fifty students competed in a round-robin format. In the first round, fifty were reduced to twenty-five; in the second, twenty-five became thirteen, with one receiving a bye.
In the third round, thirteen became seven; in the fourth, seven became four, again with one receiving a bye.
In other words, starting with the second round and continuing through the semifinals, one student would get a bye and advance without having to compete.
Still, in a tournament decided by drawing lots, luck was part of one's strength.
If someone was lucky enough to get a direct pass to the semifinals, then barring any foul play, all anyone could do was marvel at his incredible luck.
Advancing directly to the semifinals—and with special opportunities for the top five—meant that a student could qualify to enter the Library Pavilion without having to fight through particularly difficult matches.
Lin Ze wondered how the Academy would handle it if that really happened.
Would they redraw the lots to prove there had been no foul play, or just let the tournament continue?
The thought flashed through Lin Ze's mind and vanished. He focused his attention on the match in the arena.
It was already the semifinals. Han Yue brandished a Frost White Long Sword, sending waves of cold air swirling around her.
As Dou Qi surged, a thin layer of frost even formed across half the arena. The students sitting near the front couldn't help shivering.
Han Yue's opponent was a Wind Attribute cultivator with astonishing speed. Even Han Yue struggled to keep up.
Seeing Han Yue fall slightly behind, her supporters couldn't help holding their breath. They cheered her on even more fervently.
Perhaps encouraged by the students outside the arena, or perhaps because she had finally found an opening, Han Yue suddenly drove her long sword into the ground!
A surging wave of white, frigid air erupted from her.
The frost that had formed earlier was stirred up by the Dou Qi, hampering her opponent's movements.
The bone-chilling cold rushing toward him made Han Yue's opponent stiffen.
Han Yue seized that fleeting opportunity and unleashed the decisive strike.
"Brilliant!"
Lin Ze couldn't help exclaiming.
Han Yue hadn't used that move at all in her previous matches. She had clearly prepared it specifically to deal with a high-speed opponent.
Xiao Yi Xian nodded in agreement.
Unfortunately, even after her impressive performance in the semifinals, Han Yue was exhausted. In the Final Round, she faced a better-rested opponent and narrowly lost, taking second place.
After the Inner Academy Selection Tournament ended, Instructor Ruo Lin gathered the students of Yellow Class 2.
"Today, the rising stars fought fiercely for the top spot in the Inner Academy Selection Tournament, drawing everyone's attention."
"I postponed your lessons and brought you here to watch the tournament not just to broaden your horizons, but also because I hope you'll set your sights higher."
"I truly hope to see you on that arena someday."
"Whether you're new students or old, keep working hard!"
Instructor Ruo Lin struck a spirited pose, her fair little fists clenched tightly.
Instructor Ruo Lin usually carried herself with a mature, alluring charm, so seeing her suddenly make such a playful gesture left many students breathing hard.
Even the girls were just as affected, and everyone shouted at the top of their lungs.
"For Instructor Ruo Lin!"
"We'll definitely compete in the Inner Academy Selection Tournament!"
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