"This won't do!"
"That's the rule! The first row has always been reserved for VIPs of our Burning Flame Valley, whose strength must be at least at the Origin King. These guys, if the chairs break, we can just replace them. Why should they sit in the first row!"
As soon as Qin Yan uttered these words, the expressions of the several stewards of the Burning Flame Valley around him changed instantly. Even they had to treat the guests in the first row with respect, but Xiao Yan had clearly injured one of their Burning Flame Valley. It was already magnanimous of them not to kick him out. How could they possibly allow him to sit in the first row now?
"It's only right to apologize for doing something wrong. Now that I've said Mr. Xiao Yan and the others can sit in the front row, do you have any complaints?"
No sooner had the deacons finished speaking than Qin Yan abruptly turned around, his sharp gaze instantly fixing on them, his eyes conveying an undeniable air of authority.
"But..."
"No 'buts' needed, just do as Qin Yan says."
Just as the deacons were about to argue further, Xuan Hua's voice suddenly came from the elders' seats opposite the stands. Upon hearing this, the deacons quickly swallowed back the words they were about to say, gritted their teeth, and respectfully bowed in response. Then, with a heart full of resentment, they invited Xiao Yan and the others to the seats in the first row.
As soon as the group sat down, they immediately became the focus of everyone's attention. Putting aside their prominent position, Xiao Yan's actions had already aroused the curiosity of many people present. Even the powerful experts at the Origin King Great Realm in the same row would occasionally notice Xiao Yan and his group, especially when their gazes fell on Xiao Yan, their eyes would show a hint of surprise.
Although he was just a young man in the Early-Stage Origin Return Realm, when they tried to investigate his background, they were surprised to find that there seemed to be a layer of hazy mist on Xiao Yan's body, blocking all their senses. Even though they were powerful experts in the Origin King Great Realm, they still couldn't see through this black-robed youth.
This feeling wasn't limited to the visiting guests; even among the elders of Burning Flame Valley sitting in the elders' seats, many showed expressions of surprise. Of course, while there were quite a few such people, not everyone was oblivious to the depth of their surprise.
After this little incident involving Xiao Yan and his group, the competition continued. The singles selection process lasted for three days, until the evening of the third day when the sky began to darken and the first round of selection officially ended. The original thousand participants had now been reduced by more than half.
On the fourth day, the second round of selection officially took place during the initial division.
The second round of selection was undoubtedly much faster than the first, and the remaining 400-plus participants would undergo a major selection process.
All disciples will be gathered in one place for a chaotic battle. The outcome depends on whether all opponents are defeated and eliminated, or if the opponents voluntarily surrender. The remaining fifty disciples will advance to the next round and will be personally received by the Valley Master of Burning Flame Valley.
This round of selection is undoubtedly the key to their honor, and may even affect their future. At the same time, the severity of this round of selection is beyond doubt.
With a tremendous roar, the huge plaza slowly bulged up from the ground, and the entire audience area trembled slightly. Everyone unfamiliar with this scene immediately showed a look of panic on their faces. It wasn't until a few minutes later, when the edge of the stone platform was about ten feet away from the ground of the plaza, that the entire stone platform slowly stabilized.
Immediately afterwards, the disciples of Burning Flame Valley, who had been prepared for this moment, transformed into streaks of light around the stands, their bodies covered in crimson flames, and swept onto the stone platform like shooting stars. Such a scene was truly stunning.
Among those disciples, Xiao Yan also noticed Qin Yan; of course, Xiao Yan was not the only one who noticed him.
As the biggest focus of this year's Burning Flame Valley Sect Competition, his actions on stage will undoubtedly attract the attention of everyone in the audience.
After all the remaining disciples had entered the arena, the arrays engraved on the stone pillars around the huge plaza were activated, and a golden light shield quickly rose into the sky, enveloping the entire selection plaza.
Once the formation was fully activated, an elder from Burning Flame Valley, dressed in white robes, slowly floated into the air above the plaza. His cloudy old eyes slowly swept over everyone in the stands below. His gaze paused slightly when it passed over some people in the first row and Xiao Yan's group before he slowly spoke. His aged voice floated out lightly, echoing in everyone's ears.
"The second round of selection follows the same rules as before. Now, let's officially begin!"
As soon as the words fell, all the disciples in the central battle circle of the square instantly released their Origin Qi, condensing it into various armors or weapons using different methods. While rapidly widening the distance between them, their gazes also cautiously scanned each other.
The atmosphere in the square gradually became tense. No one made the first move, and no one waited patiently. Everyone knew how strict and cruel this selection was. Once they made a move, they had to make sure they defeated their opponent, otherwise, they would probably be blasted out of the battle in the next second.
Those who were able to advance to the second round from the first round of selection were not only some of the outstanding young talents who had already made a name for themselves in Burning Flame Valley, but also had considerable combat strength. If a battle broke out among these people, it would naturally attract a lot of attention.
As for Xiao Yan, he naturally focused his attention on Qin Yan. After learning about the latter's achievements, Xiao Yan felt more wary of Qin Yan.
His ability to stand out among a thousand people, and even to earn the respect of the elders of Burning Flame Valley, is enough to prove his strength. He cannot afford to be careless in the slightest when facing such an opponent.
Although Qin Yan was also in the square, unlike most people, almost no one dared to approach him within ten feet. This invisible deterrent force formed a special battle circle, and the latter obediently stayed in his position, not moving at all, as if waiting for prey to come to him.
"This guy is quite an interesting person."
Upon seeing this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle. To be able to exert such a deterrent effect among his peers, Qin Yan must be quite capable.
"Clang!"
Just as Xiao Yan was focused on Qin Yan, the tense atmosphere on the field was finally broken by someone.
The Hokage sped forward, his sword piercing with a particularly cunning aim at the nearest person who was also wielding a weapon.
Although it was a sudden attack, everyone in the arena was on high alert. The moment this person made a move, the others in the arena immediately noticed, including the person who was attacked. They quickly turned around and swung their weapons backward without hesitation. The others around them also erupted in a frenzy the instant these two made their move.