"Hehe, forty-first place—ten whole ranks below you. I hope we don't run into each other right at the start of the tournament." Wu Hao chuckled, a faint hint of pride on his face.
Xiao Yao nodded slightly, then turned and swept his gaze around, only to find that quite a few people had already appeared on this elevated platform.
Most of those who could enter this place were contestants in the tournament. The rest had been brought up by participants, like Xun Er and the others.
As he turned, his gaze suddenly settled on a cold, beautiful woman with dazzling silver hair.
Xiao Yao was slightly startled. His eyes shifted as he noticed several experts standing beside Han Yue, their strength not much different from hers.
One was a handsome young man dressed in a green robe. A faint, indistinct smile lingered in his eyes, and his harmless appearance gave off an easygoing air.
The other was a burly man with faint stubble on his face. His right hand gripped an enormous iron hammer, black as ink, which reflected a heavy, dim gleam beneath the sunlight.
The two beside Han Yue were presumably Lin Xiuyan and Yan Hao, both among the top ten of the Strong Ranking.
At that moment, Lin Xiuyan seemed to sense something, and his gaze met Xiao Yao's. After Xiao Yao withdrew his eyes a moment later, a smile appeared at the corner of Lin Xiuyan's lips. He turned to Han Yue beside him and said, "Han Yue, I've spotted an interesting kid. Is he the new student you mentioned before—the one called... Xiao Yao?"
Hearing this, Han Yue also looked toward Xiao Yao, who was leaning against the railing opposite them. A trace of surprise flashed through her beautiful eyes as her rosy lips parted.