Competing for the Top Five

One could imagine what would have happened if that strike had landed on him.

The young man shook his head with a bitter smile. "I concede."

Xiao Qing nodded faintly, then turned and left the arena, returning to the stands.

Seeing this, the middle-aged referee immediately circulated his Dou Qi and loudly announced the result.

"Xuan Rank Class Two, Xiao Qing, wins!"

At the center of the stands, a white-haired old man said enviously to Fire Elder beside him,

"Fire Old Man, you've truly taken in a fine disciple!"

"Not only is his alchemy talent absurdly high, but his cultivation talent is no less impressive."

Fire Elder stroked his snowy-white beard, feeling rather smug, though his words remained humble.

"Ah, I never expected him to improve so quickly either. It was all luck, just luck!"

As he spoke, Fire Elder nearly failed to hold back his smile.

Hearing that, Hu Gan rolled his eyes inwardly.

If Xiao Qing did not possess alchemist talent, how could you have gotten the chance to take him as your disciple?

Hu Gan thought so, but he did not expose him.

He summoned a referee and had him repair the arena as quickly as possible, then closed his eyes to rest.

Under countless reverent gazes, Xiao Qing returned to the section of the stands occupied by Xuan Rank Class Two.

"Not bad, kid. Your cultivation is higher than mine now, isn't it?"

Ge Long stepped forward and patted Xiao Qing on the shoulder.

"Yes. I took a Three-Pattern Qingling Pill and reached the Eight-Star Da Dou Shi level." Xiao Qing nodded in admission.

"Tsk. I knew you'd surpass me sooner or later, but now that it's actually happened, it's still hard not to be shocked."

Ge Long looked conflicted.

He had cultivated diligently for thirty or forty years, only to be surpassed by a youth who had not even lived a tenth as long as he had.

It made Ge Long feel as if all his cultivation had gone to the dogs.

Xiao Qing said nothing, since he did not know how to comfort him.

Was he supposed to say that he had simply been lucky?

After doubting himself for a while, Ge Long quickly accepted the reality. After all, Xiao Qing had been recruited into Jia Nan Academy by him.

If Xiao Qing became a Dou Wang, or even a Dou Emperor, in the future, Ge Long would have something to boast about.

After watching the matches for a while, Xiao Qing grew bored. He greeted Ge Long, rose to his feet, and headed toward the dormitory.

The Inner Academy Selection Tournament was merely a formality to him. With his current strength, even low-level Dou Lings would gain no advantage before him.

Upon returning to the dormitory, Xiao Qing did not refine pills or cultivate as usual. Instead, he unusually lay down and slept.

Although he could now replace sleep with cultivation, he still retained the habits he had formed before he began cultivating.

Every so often, he slept to relax his weary mind.

Early the next morning.

Xiao Qing woke naturally and arrived at the stands looking refreshed and energized.

Seeing that Xiao Qing was not late, Ge Long nodded in satisfaction.

Perhaps because two hundred weaker contestants had been eliminated during yesterday's Inner Academy Selection Tournament,

the quality of the battles on the arena was clearly higher today.

Of course, they were still not worth watching in Xiao Qing's eyes.

As one dull battle after another passed, it was finally Xiao Qing's turn.

"Next match: Xiao Qing of Xuan Rank Class Two!"

"Against Han Li of Xuan Rank Class Three!"

Upon hearing his name called by the referee, Xiao Qing leaped onto the arena with practiced ease.

A long time passed, yet no one appeared on the other side.

The stands immediately erupted in commotion at the sight.

"What's going on? Why hasn't Han Li shown up yet?"

"What else could it be? He's probably planning to forfeit."

"That makes sense. Xiao Qing's attack yesterday probably reached the Dou Ling level. With Han Li's personality, he likely won't step onto the arena."

"With Xiao Qing's strength, isn't the championship of this Inner Academy Selection Tournament already decided?"

When Han Li still failed to appear, a three-count rang out from the referee's area.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

As the final count fell, the referee announced, "Han Li of Xuan Rank Class Three is deemed to have forfeited!"

"Xiao Qing of Xuan Rank Class Two wins!"

On the arena, Xiao Qing laughed in surprise.

He had not expected the strength he displayed yesterday to save him so much time.

Shaking his head, Xiao Qing walked off the arena.

After returning to the stands and greeting Ge Long, he headed toward the dormitory.

At the center of the stands, Hu Gan watched the figure walking toward the dormitory and could not help sighing.

"If that girl Hu Jia were even half as diligent as Xiao Qing, it would be wonderful!"

Another elder likewise sighed and said in agreement,

"There is a reason he has achieved so much at such a young age!"

"Of course. Whose disciple do you think he is?"

Fire Elder stroked his beard, delighting inwardly.

On the third day, the third round of eliminations began.

As expected, Xiao Qing's opponent forfeited once again.

Xiao Qing thus easily secured a place among the top fifty and qualified to enter the Inner Academy.

"The fifty victors of today, please come onto the arena."

A referee walked to the center of the arena and spoke loudly while circulating his Dou Qi.

As soon as his words fell, figures emerged from the stands one after another and landed in the field.

Xiao Qing did the same.

At the center of the stands, Hu Gan slowly rose to his feet and spoke with a smile.

"Children, congratulations on earning the qualifications to enter the Inner Academy. You are all the elites of Jia Nan Academy's Outer Academy."

"However, before entering the Inner Academy, the top five among the fifty of you must still be decided. They will be permitted to enter the Library Pavilion."

As Hu Gan's words fell, everyone on the arena began breathing heavily.

Everyone present had heard more or less about the Library Pavilion.

It was said that people had previously obtained Earth Tier cultivation methods and Dou Techniques from within it, along with certain high-grade medicinal ingredients.

For most of the students present, aside from entering the Inner Academy, their goal in this competition was to enter Jia Nan Academy's Library Pavilion.

Hu Gan swept his gaze across the crowd and selected four people, aside from Xiao Qing, who had performed exceptionally well in the previous arena matches.

"Xiao Qing, Ge You, Lin Suyi, Ji Yang, Wang Hanliang, step forward."

As his words fell, Xiao Qing and the other four stepped out from the crowd.

Xiao Qing sensed the others' cultivation levels and found that they were all roughly at the four- or five-star Da Dou Shi stage, so he paid them no further attention.

The other four sized one another up, their eyes filled with vigilance as if facing formidable enemies.

Hu Gan watched the scene before him with a smile. Only after a moment did he continue.

"You five are the ones I selected from among these fifty as the most likely to rank among the top five."

The moment those words came out, a commotion immediately swept through the arena.

Hu Gan's expression did not change. Only after the crowd quieted down again did he continue.

"Next, if any of the other forty-five believe they can defeat any one of them, they may issue a challenge."

"The victor may take that person's place."

After Hu Gan finished announcing the rules for competing for the top five, everyone present turned their gazes toward Xiao Qing and the other four.