Tournament Begins
The Strong Ranking Tournament, like the Outer Academy's Inner Academy Selection Tournament, is the most intense competition within the Inner Academy and the highest-level competition in Canaan Academy.
Those who can stand out in this kind of competition are almost without exception dragons among men, possessing true and stunning talent. The top ten of each Strong Ranking Tournament have all made illustrious names for themselves on the continent. At the very least, they are Dou Wang (Fighting King) experts who dominate their respective regions.
As the Strong Ranking Tournament drew nearer, the atmosphere within the Inner Academy gradually intensified. The topic of conversation everywhere revolved around the tournament.
As countless people in the Inner Academy eagerly awaited, the day of the Strong Ranking Tournament finally arrived.
A ray of morning light scattered down, and the ancient chime of a bell quietly echoed from the depths of the Inner Academy, spreading throughout the entire Inner Academy.
At the instant the nine chimes of the Heavenly Flame Training Gas Refining Tower sounded, in every location within the Inner Academy, students with different appearances but all possessing powerful auras suddenly opened their tightly closed eyes, their gazes filled with sharp light and fervent fighting spirit!
Xiao Yan, who was sitting cross-legged on his bed, gradually opened his dark eyes. He slightly turned his head, cast his gaze out the window, and felt the powerful auras that suddenly rose from all over the Inner Academy at this moment. A faint smile slowly appeared on the corner of his mouth, and a burning fighting spirit surged in his chest.
When Xiao Yan walked downstairs, Xun Er, Xiao Yu, and other members of the Xiao Clan were already waiting at the door.
"Good morning, Young Clan Leader!"
Xiao Yan smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "Good morning, everyone."
"If you, you big pervert, didn't show up, the Strong Ranking Tournament would have already started." Xiao Yu, as always, wore the Canaan Academy uniform, and her pair of round, full jade legs were extremely eye-catching.
Hearing Xiao Yu's voice, Xiao Yan turned his head to look, and as always, looked at her legs first before looking at her face, saying, "Hey, hey, I'm the Young Clan Leader, after all. As a member of the Xiao Clan, you're being a bit disrespectful to me. Do you believe I'll go complain to your father?"
"You wouldn't dare!" Xiao Yu immediately gritted her teeth and stomped her foot, but she was helpless.
Xiao Yan shrugged his shoulders and then turned his head to look at the beautiful figure standing beside him. Her delicate body, wrapped in green clothes, revealed graceful curves. She turned her head and smiled at Xiao Yan, saying, "Xiao Yan-gege, Xun Er is really looking forward to your performance today."
Xiao Yan put on an act and sighed, saying, "Today, I only hope I don't run into you, Xun Er. Otherwise, I might be eliminated early."
"How could that be? Xiao Yan-gege is much stronger than Xun Er. The Strong Ranking List's first place this year definitely belongs to Xiao Yan-gege." With a faint smile, her delicate and beautiful face showed even more confidence than Xiao Yan himself.
"I can't be sure about first place, but a lion uses all its strength even when hunting a rabbit. That Liu Qing and Lin Xiuya are not ordinary people, not to mention that Zi Yan girl." Xiao Yan smiled, then glanced at Xun Er, saying, "But if Xun Er uses all her means, I'm afraid even I won't be able to contend with you."
With a smile, Xun Er blinked her beautiful eyes, neither confirming nor denying what Xiao Yan said, her expression filled with: Don't try to guess a woman's thoughts.
When they arrived at the Duel Plaza, Xiao Yan and the others saw some familiar faces.
"Hehe, Xiao Yan, I hope we don't run into each other at the beginning of the tournament. That would be a bit awkward." With Lin Xiuya's temperament, he was almost like the main character wherever he was.
Beside Lin Xiuya, the group of people from back then were also there, especially Han Yue with her silver hair, who was even more eye-catching.
"Senior Lin is second on the Strong Ranking List. Apart from Zi Yan, there are very few people who can compete with you. If we meet at the beginning of the competition, then it can only be said that Xiao Yan is unlucky." Xiao Yan chuckled and said modestly.
"That's not necessarily true. Your speed makes me very apprehensive, and you possess a Strange Flame. I don't think anyone wants to fight an Alchemist who possesses a Strange Flame." Lin Xiuya said with a smile that was not a smile.
If Lin Xiuya relied on his half-step Dou Wang (Fighting King) cultivation to underestimate Xiao Yan, then he would definitely suffer a great loss.
In addition to that, a figure like a steel spear also attracted Xiao Yan's attention.
Liu Qing and Xiao Yan's eyes met in the air. A year ago, Xiao Yan defeated the forces of the Mountain Splitting Gang and other gang alliances, seizing 10,000 Fire Energy.
As the leader of the Mountain Splitting Gang, Liu Qing naturally wanted to seek revenge on Xiao Yan.
With a clang, the sound of gongs and drums rang out. Xiao Yan looked up and could only see a fleeting, blurry figure. More than a dozen old figures appeared on the special high platform seats in the plaza at some unknown time.
It was also interesting to note that Xiao Yan, due to Pill Refining, had actually gotten to know all the elders of the Inner Academy and Outer Academy in just one year.
More than a dozen elders cast kind gazes at Xiao Yan.
The Great Elder, with his voice mixed with Dou Qi (neutral), said in a deep voice, "The Strong Ranking Tournament now begins! The top fifty on the Strong Ranking List, step forward!"
Every month, the arena can challenge people ranked higher to win the ranking, and Xiao Yan seemed to do it on purpose, challenging someone who happened to be ranked fiftieth, and after that, no one dared to challenge the fiftieth place again.
The way to decide opponents is also very simple, which is to draw lots to pair up one by one.
What was more interesting was that Xiao Yan's first opponent was his old nemesis, Bai Cheng, the leader of the Bai Gang.
Half a year ago, Bai Cheng was a Six-Star Dou Ling (Fighting Spirit), the same as Han Yue. Now that so much time has passed, Bai Cheng doesn't seem to have improved. He is still a Six-Star Dou Ling (Fighting Spirit).
The result was also without any suspense. Xiao Yan only used one punch of Eight Extremities Collapse (neutral), and Bai Cheng's horizontal spear defense was of no avail. He was punched out of the arena and instantly killed.
Perhaps it also fulfilled an old saying, enemies are bound to meet on a narrow road. The opponent in the second match, the twenty-five into thirteen match, was actually Yao Sheng of the Mountain Splitting Gang.
Although Yao Sheng's strength was stronger than Bai Cheng's, in front of Xiao Yan, who had higher cultivation, Cultivation Method, physique, and Soul power, he was just a plaything. In the end, Xiao Yan kicked him in the butt, kicking this unlucky guy out of the arena.
With Xiao Yan's current strength of an Eight-Star Dou Ling (Fighting Spirit), it can be said that apart from the top three on the Strong Ranking List, no one is qualified to make him serious, and even warming up is difficult.
"Sigh, my butt's getting sore from sitting." Xiao Yan stood up and stretched. This competition was too much; ten seconds on stage, ten hours sitting off stage.
Xun Er covered her mouth and laughed, "That's because Xiao Yan-gege is too amazing. Others have to fight hard to win."
Originally, Wu Hao, Hu Jia, and Xiao Ning were all participating in the competition, but their strength was only around the top fifty, so they were eliminated in the first round.
So now, only Xiao Yan and Xun Er were left in the contestant seats.
Xiao Yan seriously sized up the beautiful woman beside him, his eyes carrying a hint of aggressiveness.
"Xiao Yan-gege, you... you're making me feel embarrassed by looking at me like that." Xun Er's pretty face flushed red. No one just stares like that.
Xiao Yan rubbed his chin, his eyes slightly narrowed, and said, "I'm curious how strong you really are, Xun Er."
Xun Er's cultivation was currently at Six-Star Dou Ling. Xiao Yan remembered that Xun Er's strength had always been one or two stars behind him, even when they were children in the Xiao Clan using the testing stele to check their strength. Xun Er's cultivation was always one or two stars behind him.
It was like controlling scores on an exam, always one or two points behind, never more.
When he was a Three-Star Dou Zhe, Xun Er was a Two-Star Dou Zhe. Now, even if Xiao Yan cultivated desperately and received help from the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk and pills, he still couldn't widen the gap.
Xiao Yan even suspected that when he 'did bad things' and robbed the Heavenly Serpent Mansion, it wasn't Xun Er's true strength.
Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xun Er stared blankly at the curious baby in front of her. After a moment, Xun Er smiled, her elegant and flawless smile filling the eyes of everyone around with amazement, and their breathing felt suffocated.
"Xiao Yan-gege wants to see?" Xun Er stood gracefully, her black hair casually tied with a light purple ribbon. At this moment, the faint smile that always hung on her face slowly rose with a noble arrogance! This hint of pride and confidence made Xiao Yan lose himself for a moment.
"Although I really want to see Xun Er's true strength, we'll have to wait." Xiao Yan slowly stood up from his chair.
The second Xiao Yan stood up, Great Elder Su Qian's voice came, "Next match, Liu Qing versus Xiao Yan!"
The audience was silent, and then the audience looked at each other. They never thought that Xiao Yan and Liu Qing, these two popular contenders, would meet in the third round!
"Wait a minute, there are more than a dozen people in the third round. If Xiao Yan or Liu Qing loses, wouldn't they be eliminated and unable to enter the top ten?"
"No, no, the loser in the third round will fall into the loser's bracket, and the top three in the loser's bracket will be the eighth, ninth, and tenth place on the Strong Ranking List."
Hearing the Great Elder's draw results, Liu Qing took the lead. He slowly stood up, and then, under Liu Fei's adoring gaze, strode to the edge of the high platform, and finally flashed onto the Duel Plaza.
His eyes stared at Xiao Yan's location, and even the audience could clearly feel the fighting spirit in his eyes.
"Hey, Xiao Yan, why don't I switch with you? Let me beat Liu Qing so he can't participate, so you can directly advance to the top ten." Zi Yan flicked her purple ponytail and raised her small fist at Xiao Yan, laughing.
Looking at this cute little girl, a flash of fighting spirit flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes, and he smiled, revealing his eight teeth, and said, "You underestimate me too much. My goal in this Strong Ranking Tournament is first place."
Hearing Xiao Yan's words, a flash of Purple Light flashed in Zi Yan's eyes, and she said with a smile, "Then you have to beat me."
"Of course, don't expect me to show mercy."
Zi Yan raised her small fist and said, "Even if it's you, I'll beat you to the ground."
"Oh oh, I'm looking forward to it." Xiao Yan smiled and slowly walked towards the arena on the plaza.
Just as Xiao Yan said, his goal was not Liu Qing but the strongest Zi Yan on the Strong Ranking List! Since he came to participate in the Strong Ranking Tournament, his goal was naturally to become the first! "Xiao Yan-gege, add oil." Behind him came Xun Er's soft cheering voice.
Liu Qing naturally heard what Xiao Yan just said, his eyes narrowed, and said, "Having confidence is a good thing, but you will lose to me."
Xiao Yan twisted his neck and said, "Hopefully, this can be a warm-up. The previous ones ended too quickly. I've been waiting for too long, and my body is getting cold."
-----------
This high quality machine translation is powered by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
To read the full translation, as well as more than 130+ full translations or to request new translations, check out: https:// randomtranslator.com/
You can also join the Random Translator Community on Discord to connect with other readers: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------