Library Pavilion

"These little brats have no nerve at all..."

On the high platform, seeing that Lin Xiuya, Liu Qing, and the others only wanted to secure their spots in the top five, Hu Gan shook his head, instantly losing interest.

There were clearly few things capable of interesting a Dou Emperor expert, and since the spectacle he had imagined had not appeared, Hu Gan was somewhat disappointed.

Time passed second by second.

As Liu Qing and the others unleashed wave after wave of fierce Dou Qi attacks, the students on the plaza who had formed small groups grew fewer and fewer. Before long, only fifty remained.

The weaker students had either been eliminated by others or withdrawn on their own.

At this point, the candidates who had made it into Jia Nan Academy's top fifty had been decided.

After the judges recorded the names of these fifty people one by one, the fighting began once more.

Not long afterward, only six people remained.

They were Nalan Chenfeng, Han Yue, Lin Xiuya, Liu Qing, Lin Yan, and Qian Mo.

"There can only be five people left in the end. We still have one too many."

Liu Qing's voice was low as his gaze shifted back and forth between a young man with his hair tied up and a crimson saber on his back, and a chubby youth.

The two were Lin Yan and Qian Mo. In terms of talent and strength, they were geniuses second only to Lin Xiuya and Liu Qing in the Jia Nan Outer Academy.

"Lin Yan, Qian Mo, the two of you should fight and decide the final victor. I assume neither of you has any objections?"

Lin Xiuya glanced at Nalan Chenfeng and Han Yue before turning his gaze toward Lin Yan and Qian Mo, flicking the folding fan in his hand.

There was basically no suspense left regarding the top five of this selection tournament. Nalan Chenfeng and Han Yue were certain to make it in; no one could change that.

As for Lin Xiuya and Liu Qing, their strengths were evenly matched, with little difference between them. Yet either one of them could defeat Lin Yan and Qian Mo.

Therefore, the final spot could only be decided through a battle between the two.

"It's naturally no problem for Qian Mo and me to determine a winner, but there's something I still have to say."

"Lin Xiuya, Liu Qing, since when did you two start bullying the weak and fearing the strong? Could Han Yue really be stronger than the two of us?"

Lin Yan glanced at Han Yue beside Nalan Chenfeng, then looked toward Lin Xiuya and Liu Qing, his voice heavy with mockery.

He could give up his top-five spot today, but he had to say what needed to be said. He was not like those two, with so many schemes in their hearts.

Hearing this, not the slightest ripple appeared on Han Yue's icy, beautiful face.

She would not engage in such pointless disputes out of pride. If they truly fought, she might not necessarily be a match for Lin Yan or Qian Mo, and there was no need to create further trouble at this critical moment.

Besides, Lin Yan was not targeting her. He was merely speaking objectively.

And she would not deny that she had relied on Nalan Chenfeng to enter the top five of the selection tournament.

"Although I also have objections to Han Yue being here, she's a woman, and now she's found herself a strong man to follow."

"If you're jealous, then make sure to be reborn as a woman in your next life."

"If you refuse to accept it, you can go find Nalan Chenfeng right now."

Lin Xiuya said nothing. Instead, Liu Qing cast aside his usual indifference before everyone and fired back at Lin Yan.

"Stop talking nonsense. If you truly don't want to fight, I'll make the choice for you."

Before Lin Yan could reply, Nalan Chenfeng spoke calmly, his voice carrying absolute confidence.

"Qian Mo, then make your move."

Hearing this, Lin Yan placed a hand on the hilt of the crimson saber on his back and turned to look at the chubby youth opposite him.

Qian Mo sighed, and a trace of helplessness surfaced on his somewhat plump round face.

"Then let's fight."

As his words fell, Dou Qi erupted fiercely from within Qian Mo. A pale green glow of Dou Qi covered his entire body. He stomped heavily on the ground, charging toward Lin Yan like a human cannonball.

The two were evenly matched in cultivation. Qian Mo had only recently broken through to the Four-Star Da Dou Shi realm, and Lin Yan was also a Four-Star Da Dou Shi.

Bang! Bang!

Dull booms from their clashing Dou Qi rang out without end.

Qian Mo's Dou Qi possessed the wind attribute. Though his body was round and he looked fat, he was undoubtedly an agile fat man. Every punch he threw carried a heavy sense of oppression, and his speed was extremely fast.

Lin Yan, on the other hand, possessed the fire attribute. The weapon in his hand radiated sharp, scorching heat, and its blade left faint black traces through the air.

Heavenly Flame Blade!

Gale Shield!

Time slowly passed.

The two remained locked in battle for about the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

Qian Mo was ultimately a step behind. Lin Yan struck his shoulder with the flat of his blade, sending him stumbling back more than ten steps and out of the arena.

"I lost."

Qian Mo's eyes were filled with disappointment, but he was straightforward by nature. He openly admitted defeat and turned to leave.

Lin Yan sheathed his saber across his back. His chest rose and fell slightly, while fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

His victory over Qian Mo had involved a measure of luck. If they had truly fought to the death, the outcome would still have been uncertain.

"This Inner Academy Selection Tournament has now come to an end. After intense battles, the top five have been decided. They are Nalan Chenfeng, Han Yue, Lin Xiuya, Liu Qing, and Lin Yan!"

On the high platform, seeing that only five people remained in the plaza, the middle-aged judge stood up, swept his gaze across the plaza, and loudly announced the results.

As his voice fell, thunderous cheers suddenly erupted across the plaza.

Under that torrent-like wave of sound, the entire plaza seemed to tremble. Countless people rose from the stands and looked toward those standing in the arena.

And Nalan Chenfeng was undoubtedly the center of everyone's attention.

Without fighting, he had subdued his opponents. Merely standing there, no one dared provoke him; they did not even have the courage to make a move. He had easily brought Han Yue into the top five. That kind of silent intimidation was what made him terrifying.

Likewise, such behavior was devastatingly effective on many young women.

"What a magnet for trouble..."

Feeling the envious and jealous gazes of the Jia Nan female students, Han Yue could not even spare a moment to be happy. The pressure in her heart suddenly surged.

The more outstanding and powerful a man was, the more women liked him. In the future, she would not be the only one by Nalan Chenfeng's side.

She might not be able to win if she had to compete with other women.

"Students, the Canaan Inner Academy Selection Tournament has officially ended!"

"I hope everyone will continue cultivating diligently and achieve even better results in the future..."

After the selection tournament ended, the five days of waiting passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, dazzling sunlight poured down from the horizon. Nalan Chenfeng and the other four followed Hu Gan onward. After passing through a pitch-black passage and opening their eyes again, all of them froze.

Before Nalan Chenfeng now lay a valley. Above it, steep mountain walls stretched upward endlessly, reaching the limits of sight.

Within the three surrounding cliffs was an extremely broad stretch of open ground.

As his gaze drew closer, a vast and ancient pavilion stood there.

Nalan Chenfeng's gaze slowly swept across that enormous, ancient pavilion before finally settling on a weathered plaque outside it.

Upon the plaque, three characters eroded by time and somewhat blurred flickered faintly into view.

Library Pavilion!