Inner Academy Selection Tournament

The Black-Corner Region was an exceedingly chaotic part of the Dou Qi Continent. No laws bound it; only the law of the jungle existed.

For Canaan Academy, established within the Black-Corner Region, matters great and small were commonplace. It was difficult for anything to stir the students' interest again, yet one event had always remained a grand occasion in the Outer Academy.

That was the tournament for entry into the Inner Academy. This competition would determine five spots for entering the Scripture Pavilion, allowing people to rely on strength and luck to obtain their own mysterious opportunities.

Besides this grand event, there was another matter this year that greatly interested the Outer Academy students, perhaps even more so.

More precisely, it was the chance to see three students who had only recently enrolled.

Rumor had it that someone named Xiao Yan had become a Three-Star Great Dou Master at twelve and was also a Third-Grade Alchemist.

The Outer Academy students who had not gone to Wutan City for recruitment and were not from Wutan City had only heard the rumors, and found them utterly unbelievable.

How could that be possible?

Even if he had begun cultivating Battle Qi in his mother's womb, it would have been absolutely impossible to attain such terrifying accomplishments. Dou Qi cultivation was already exceedingly difficult, let alone Alchemy Art, which demanded even more painstaking effort.

By comparison, the other two new students, Xiao Xun'er and Little Fairy Doctor, were easier to believe.

It was not that their equally astonishing strength was easier for people to accept, but rather that rumor described them as exquisitely beautiful, with exceptional bearing.

With Xiao Yu, who was acquainted with them, as a reference, Xiao Yu was already exceptionally beautiful in the Outer Academy. Even if the rumors had been exaggerated, Xiao Xun'er and Little Fairy Doctor could not possibly be lacking.

On the crowded stands, everyone's eyes burned brightly as they eagerly awaited today's Inner Academy Selection Tournament.

After a brief opening, the competition swiftly began.

"Raina of Profound Tier Class Two versus Xiao Yan of Yellow Tier Class Three."

Once the middle-aged referee announced the contestants, it was like a spark tossed into a powder keg, instantly detonating the entire stands. All manner of voices became increasingly clamorous, their noise enough to carry a hundred li away.

"Hehe, we can finally see that legendary genius, Xiao Yan."

"Whether he is an unprecedented genius or a clown full of hot air, today's battle will reveal it."

"Raina is someone with tremendous potential to contend for a Scripture Pavilion spot. He possesses the strength of a Four-Star Great Dou Master. Xiao Yan, hehe..."

"Bragging doesn't get taxed. If Xiao Yan had known his selection match would begin so soon, he should regret having understated his strength back then."

Watching the tall young man walk onto the arena, Xiao Yan found the name somewhat familiar. It was quite a common one on the Dou Qi Continent.

Yue Mei of the Snake People had once poisoned an old man from the Jia Ma Empire named Raina. Canaan Academy also had one—one of the suitors of Liu Qing's cousin... After entering the Inner Academy, he had gradually cultivated to become a Four-Star Dou Spirit. His talent was decent enough.

"To be first up—looks like my luck is pretty good." Xiao Yan smiled at Xiao Xun'er and Little Fairy Doctor beside him, then rolled his shoulders.

After spending three months reaching Canaan Academy, Xiao Yu had truly entered a class to study, while he, Xiao Xun'er, and Little Fairy Doctor had moved into Ruo Lin's residence—a tranquil little building where they had been preparing for entry into the Inner Academy ever since.

Xiao Xun'er smiled faintly. "If he only has the strength of a Four-Star Great Dou Master, he will not be a match for Brother Xiao Yan."

"My level really isn't any secret to you." Xiao Yan sighed helplessly.

Little Fairy Doctor did not say much. A Four-Star Great Dou Master like Raina would absolutely have been an exceedingly formidable opponent to her in the past.

But as she grew stronger by consuming poison through her Calamity Poison Physique, a Four-Star Great Dou Master no longer amounted to much.

It was not that her strength had already reached that of a Four-Star Great Dou Master. Rather, if she used poison, even someone somewhat stronger than a Four-Star Great Dou Master would be unable to resist.

Even she did not regard a Four-Star Great Dou Master highly, much less Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan strode forward, leaped onto the arena, and completely entered the sight of everyone in the stands.

Students in the stands had already noticed Xiao Yan's group of three and were wondering which class they belonged to. How had they never seen such outstanding figures before?

Now that they saw the young man facing Raina, how could they fail to realize that he was the Xiao Yan whose reputation had been blown into the heavens? The other two girls were naturally Xiao Xun'er and Little Fairy Doctor.

Though they did not know how strong the three truly were, their appearances indeed matched the rumors, even surpassing what had been passed from mouth to mouth. Xiao Yan himself was remarkably handsome as well, something the rumors had overlooked.

At this moment, everyone focused their gazes on Xiao Yan, and female students had already fallen for him.

"Is being a Three-Star Great Dou Master at twelve really so hard to accept? With that face, even being a Four-Star Great Dou Master would not be impossible!"

Noticing that Liu Fei, the goddess of his dreams, was also among those female students, Raina's expression darkened. "You're that Xiao Yan? The Inner Academy isn't so easy to enter."

Xiao Yan replied blandly, "The academy holds a selection tournament and admits the best. Entering the Inner Academy is indeed somewhat difficult."

Having wanted Xiao Yan to retreat in the face of difficulty, Raina was infuriated by this response that followed his words. His face turned black. "What a fine 'admitting the best.' You will soon understand the meaning of those four words."

"Begin." At this moment, a middle-aged man at the referee's table waved his hand and called out loudly.

The middle-aged referee's voice had barely fallen when waves of cheering erupted from the stands. Nearly all those voices came from male students, and Raina was the only one they cheered for.

Those who could enter Canaan Academy were all exceptionally gifted. They had long felt that Xiao Yan's boasts were excessive, and now he had even stolen the hearts of many girls from their dreams. Damn him.

Raina did not disappoint the crowd. A powerful aura surged explosively from within him, and from the very first move, he displayed the signature technique of a Great Dou Master.

Dense yellow radiance gathered over his robes, and a suit of Dou Qi Armor emerged. In the blink of an eye, he seemed to transform into a humanoid beast.

He stamped his foot, making the entire arena seem to tremble. Carrying a fierce, oppressive gale, he charged straight at Xiao Yan.

The black robe was pressed tightly against Xiao Yan's body by the oncoming gusts. As he watched Raina transform into a beast, Raina's already enormous figure rapidly enlarged further within his deep black eyes.

Just as Raina entered a range of three feet, Xiao Yan, who had neither dodged nor retreated, suddenly raised a palm shining with golden light and struck directly forward.

Golden light burst forth, and a golden sphere condensed along with it. It was the incomplete Dou Skill he had learned from Xiao Xun'er, the First Sun Scorching Sky, now only Advanced Profound Rank.

However, when Xiao Yan used it with his current Great Dou Master strength, the sphere that had once been only two or three fists wide when he was a Dou Practitioner had expanded to the size of a water vat, its power surging dramatically.