First Place

After Xiao Yun ended another fight with a single move, the entire arena fell silent for an instant before erupting into thunderous applause.

Cheers also broke out from the seats of Xuan Tier Class Four.

Xiao Yun put away his spear and slowly walked down from the arena.

"Junior Xiao Yun, thank you for showing mercy." Supported by others as he got to his feet, Fang Wen called out toward Xiao Yun's retreating back.

"It was only proper. Friendship comes first, competition second, doesn't it? Go tend to the injury on your chest. Otherwise, it might affect your next match." Xiao Yun's calm voice drifted back as he waved, signaling Fang Wen not to take it to heart.

"Compassionate, humble, neither arrogant nor rash. Old Fire, you really did take in an excellent disciple."

At the elders' seats, an old man with white hair and beard, his face carrying a trace of envy, congratulated Fire Elder.

The Inner Academy Selection Tournament was intended only to select outstanding students to enter the Inner Academy for cultivation. As the academy's leaders, they could tolerate students being injured, but they did not wish to see any deaths occur during the selection tournament.

Xiao Yun had been able to pull back at the final moment, using only the blast's residual force to push Fang Wen off the arena. This was undoubtedly something the elders appreciated.

"Hmph, stop trying to get under my skin. A disciple's talent is good, but that still depends on how well the master teaches him!" Fire Elder disdainfully glanced at the old man who had just spoken. "Old Hu, don't you just mean that Xiao Yun's achievements are entirely due to his own talent and have nothing to do with me?"

"Yes, that's right. If this child Xiao Yun had entered under my tutelage, then with my strength at the Peak Dou Emperor, I imagine he would practically be breaking through to Dou Ling by now, rather than merely being a Seven-Star Da Dou Shi." Hu Gan did not get angry after Fire Elder snapped at him and continued stating his opinion.

"Stop flaunting your strength. Teaching disciples has nothing to do with one's own strength! Besides, I may be a Dou Wang, but I am also a Fifth-Tier Alchemist. Xiao Yun's talent in alchemy is so exceptional. If he had taken you as his master, could you have taught him alchemy?"

"That would still be better than you. At least he wouldn't still be a Seven-Star Da Dou Shi."

"That is only because teaching him alchemy distracted me! Xiao Yun is not even ten years old, yet he is already a Third-Tier Alchemist. He even has a twenty percent chance of refining Fourth-Tier Pills. Such an accomplishment is far more impressive than breaking through to Dou Ling!"

"He is still a Seven-Star Da Dou Shi."

"Hmph, just keep being jealous. No matter how you put it, Xiao Yun is still my disciple."

"..."

While the two bickered, Xiao Yun returned to the elders' seats. The moment he arrived, he saw his teacher and Vice Dean Hu Gan squabbling with each other, while a little girl beside them covered her ears with her hands, refusing to listen to their words.

"Brother Xiao Yun, you're back!"

Seeing Xiao Yun return, the little girl immediately ran forward to greet him, her face filled with delight.

"Brother Xiao Yun, you're amazing! Even an upperclassman at the Da Dou Shi level couldn't withstand a single move from you."

"Hu Jia, why aren't you cultivating properly? What are you doing here?"

The little girl was Hu Jia, Vice Dean Hu Gan's granddaughter. She could be considered the little princess of Jia Nan Academy.

A year ago, Fire Elder had brought Xiao Yun to visit Hu Gan. At the time, Hu Jia had just broken through to Sixth-Stage Dou Qi and wanted to challenge Xiao Yun, only to be knocked down by him in a single move before running off to complain to Hu Gan. Yet ever since then, Hu Jia seemed to have become his little fangirl. She wanted to play with him every day, making Xiao Yun endlessly annoyed.

Children of six or seven were at the age when they annoyed everyone, and even the Dou Qi Continent, with all its extraordinary powers, was no exception.

"I wanted to watch Brother Xiao Yun fight. But I cultivated properly today too! I've already broken through to Seventh-Stage Dou Qi! I'm still so far behind you, though, Brother Xiao Yun." Hearing Xiao Yun's words, Hu Jia hurriedly revealed her cultivation level to prove that she had not been slacking off.

Xiao Yun nodded but said nothing more. Instead, he walked toward Fire Elder. Seeing that Xiao Yun was ignoring her, Hu Jia looked deeply unhappy, but she still followed him.

"Teacher, do I have any more matches later?"

"No. The top fifty should be selected today, and the top five will be decided tomorrow. Tomorrow will no longer be an elimination round, and most of the competitors will be Da Dou Shi or stronger. Go back and cultivate well. Prepare for tomorrow's matches."

Just as Fire Elder was about to speak, Hu Gan beat him to it and informed Xiao Yun of the upcoming schedule.

"Old Hu is right. Go back and get some proper rest. Tomorrow, bring me first place and make me proud!"

"Yes, Teacher, Dean Hu. Then I'll head back and rest first." Xiao Yun bowed politely. After all, Hu Gan was Jia Nan Academy's vice dean and the person principally in charge of the Inner Academy Selection Tournament. Since he said Xiao Yun could leave, then he truly could leave. Xiao Yun no longer needed to worry about having another match later.

The next day, the Inner Academy Selection Tournament came to an end...

It had lasted three days. Over the first two days, fifty students who could enter the Inner Academy had been chosen, with even the weakest among them being Seven-Star Dou Shi.

On the final day, Hu Gan did not arrange some chaotic free-for-all. Instead, he used a round-robin format. Whoever fought to the end and won the most matches would take first place in the tournament and enjoy better cultivation resources.

This posed no difficulty for Xiao Yun. With the Magic Core Weapon Fire Elder had specially forged for him, the extensive combat experience he had gained during a year and a half in the Law Enforcement Team, and his own strength as a Seven-Star Da Dou Shi, he could contend even with a Dou Ling, much less a group of Da Dou Shi.

Thus, once Xiao Yun stepped onto the arena, he was like a reigning champion defending the stage, continuously defeating every contestant who came forward to challenge him.

As the competition continued, Xiao Yun swept his spear and sent a Da Dou Shi contestant flying. Looking around, he saw that this was the final opponent he had defeated. Of the four arenas in the square, no one besides him remained standing upon them.

"This selection tournament has now concluded. After fierce battles, the top five have been decided. They are Xiao Yun, Wang Hongjing, Gongsun Sibao, Ye Zhengfan, and Fang Wen!"

An elderly man with white hair and beard stood up, swept his gaze across the square, and loudly announced the results.

The moment his voice fell, overwhelming cheers suddenly erupted throughout the square. Amid the tsunami-like roar, the entire plaza trembled. Countless people stood from the stands and looked toward the young man standing on the arena, their eyes filled with envy and fear.

Because there would forever be someone standing above them. That person had carved his way through a group of heaven-blessed geniuses before even reaching the age of ten, ultimately claiming the championship. He was more than worthy of their awe and reverence.

Xiao Yun stood in the center of the arena. His heart remained calm, yet the smile of a victor slowly appeared on his face. Under countless gazes, he slowly walked out of the square amid earth-shaking clamor.

The grandest annual competition finally began to draw to a close as Xiao Yun departed.