Inner Academy Selection: They All Came to See Xiao Yan

Jia Nan Academy.

The Inner Academy Selection Tournament was in full swing.

On the arena stage, Dou Techniques collided in bursts of dazzling light. Below, students sat with their classes, shouting themselves hoarse for their classmates.

The stands were packed, the noise deafening. A feverish excitement gripped the entire square.

"Quite a crowd for this year's tournament!" From the raised platform, Hu Gan surveyed the sea of students below, surprise crossing his aged face.

Though the Inner Academy Selection Tournament was the Outer Academy's biggest annual event, attendance had always been voluntary.

In past years, filling even half the stands counted as a good turnout. This year, every seat was taken, and people crowded the aisles.

"Word of that monstrous talent among the new students has spread throughout the Outer Academy. I'd wager most of them came to see him," an Elder beside him said with a smile.

Xiao Yan's talent had been the talk of the academy since he enrolled. Yet he rarely appeared in public, which only made him seem more mysterious.

Once word got out that Xiao Yan would enter the tournament, nearly everyone in the Outer Academy wanted to see what made the legendary genius so special.

Did he have one nose and two eyes like everyone else?

"So that's why." Hu Gan nodded, then recalled Xiao Yan's startling talent.

A grin spread across his old face. "I can't blame the students. Even I'm curious about that young fellow."

For years, he had heard the Inner Academy's Elders complain that each incoming class from the Outer Academy was worse than the last.

Now that the Outer Academy had finally produced someone like Xiao Yan, he could hold his head high. Let them try saying his students weren't good enough.

Beside Hu Gan stood a striking young woman in practical, close-fitting clothes.

At their conversation, her bright eyes lit up. "Grandpa, is this Xiao Yan really as impressive as you say?"

Hu Gan turned to his granddaughter. Seeing her show such rare curiosity, he felt a surge of excitement.

His granddaughter, Hu Jia, had looks and talent to spare. Only one thing about her gave him a headache.

She had no interest in boys whatsoever. Girls, on the other hand, were another matter.

He had discovered this by chance only that year. Since then, he had tried every approach he could think of to change her mind, with little success.

Now she had actually asked about a young man. Hu Gan could almost weep.

There was hope for his granddaughter yet!

He promptly launched into an extravagant account of Xiao Yan's talent, looks, and bearing.

In truth, he had met Xiao Yan only once. The talent and looks were real; he invented the rest on the spot.

Sure enough, Hu Jia came away intensely interested in Xiao Yan.

But it was not a young woman's attraction to a young man. She was excited by the prospect of fighting him.

Hu Gan had no idea what was going through her head. He only saw that she had finally taken some interest in a young man, and that felt like a tremendous victory. In high spirits, he even found the matches more entertaining.

Grandfather and granddaughter stood side by side, watching the fights below as they waited for Xiao Yan to appear.

In Yellow Class Two's section of the stands, Ruo Lin had brought her students early to secure seats.

Xiao Yu and Xue Ni sat on either side of her.

As lively as ever, Xue Ni swept her round eyes across the arena, curious about everything she saw.

Xiao Yu looked rather resentful, her lips pressed together.

She had not seen Xiao Yan in over a month.

If she had not known how strong he was, she might have thought he had died out there.

The thought of spending that whole month alone in the empty courtyard left her feeling stifled.

Though there was nothing between them, really.

"Instructor Ruo Lin, why hasn't Xiao Yan shown up? The tournament's been going on for ages." Xue Ni had searched the arena again and again without spotting the mysterious genius, and finally turned to ask.

She had never met Xiao Yan. Like everyone around her, she was curious about the young man everyone talked about.

"I don't know either. That young fellow left without so much as a word to me." Ruo Lin shook her head with a rueful smile.

Thinking of Xiao Yan gave her a headache.

Only days after enrolling, he had gone off to the Black-Corner Region alone without even informing her, his instructor. She had learned about it from Xiao Yu.

Now the tournament was more than halfway over, and Xiao Yan was still nowhere to be seen. Ruo Lin could not help growing anxious.

If he failed to appear soon, the rules would count it as a forfeit.

Just what she feared. At that moment, the referee's booming voice rang across the square:

"Tang Xin of Profound Class One versus Xiao Yan of Yellow Class Two!"

The noisy square fell abruptly silent.

Countless eyes turned toward Yellow Class Two's seats, full of curiosity and expectation.

By now, everyone in the Outer Academy knew Xiao Yan's name. At least half the spectators had come specifically to see him.

With all those eyes on her section, Ruo Lin's heart leaped into her throat. Where is that brat? His match is starting!

Xiao Yu pressed her lips tight, worry rising in her chest.

Had something happened to Xiao Yan in the Black-Corner Region?

At the referee's call, Tang Xin leaped onto the arena stage and drove his spear into its surface.

He folded his arms and leaned against the shaft, closing his eyes to wait.

People in the Outer Academy spoke of Xiao Yan as though he were a legend, but Tang Xin had never believed rumors passed from mouth to mouth.

How strong could a new student be?

He would believe it when he saw it.

Seconds slipped by, but the figure everyone awaited did not appear.

Whispers in the stands swelled into open discussion.

"Why isn't Xiao Yan coming out? Is he scared?"

"Looks like the rumors were wrong. Xiao Yan's probably all talk..."

The comments rose from every side and showed no sign of stopping.

Xiao Yu flushed with anger. Several times she nearly stood to defend Xiao Yan, but how could one voice drown out a crowd like this?

"Seems Xiao Yan really is all talk." Tang Xin shook his head, pulled up his spear, and turned to leave the stage.

"Grandpa, what's going on with Xiao Yan?" Hu Jia frowned at her grandfather.

Hu Gan was surprised too. He was about to send someone to investigate when he sensed a powerful aura approaching at astonishing speed.

He raised an eyebrow and looked toward the horizon. "That aura... How is that possible?"