The sudden, soft voice immediately silenced the murmurs that had just begun to rise across the square, drawing a wave of astonished glances toward the black-robed young man standing at the center, who carried a massive black ruler equal in height to his own frame. The entire square fell utterly still. "Xiao Yan, brother..." Xun'er gazed at the figure on the square—though slightly more upright than two years ago, it had also grown a bit slender—and a refined, charming smile bloomed on her delicate face, one that instantly stirred the hearts of the male students around her. "This guy always has to make such a fuss—such a show-off," Xiu said, her eyes fixed on the familiar yet slightly changed silhouette. Though relieved, she still couldn't help expressing her lingering reservations. "Haha, Xiu, is that the Xiao Yan brother Xun'er has been talking about? I didn't expect him to arrive just in time!" Beside Xiao Yu, a group of girls seemingly from the same year as Fujio stared curiously at the figure in the center, smiling and asking excitedly. "Yes, that's the boy who's been keeping Fujio on her toes—did you all come away disappointed?" Xiao Yu glanced at Fujio, who was gently smiling by her side, and remarked. "Heh, it all depends on his strength! Just being good-looking isn't enough." The girls chattered happily. In this environment at Cahan Academy, where strength is always valued, a man's appearance isn't the most important factor. What truly matters is the ability to defeat strong opponents in competition and then walk away with grace—this is exactly the kind of man they consider perfect. "However, even if he arrives now, the situation isn't promising. Xue Bing is a nine-star warrior, and his technique is a lower-level xuan-stage cultivation method. His gun skills are also highly refined—his set of mid-level xuan-stage 'Wave Accumulation' gun technique has already defeated numerous opponents..." a graceful young girl suddenly said, hesitating slightly. Upon hearing this, the members of Xiao Yu's group furrowed their brows slightly, then glanced at Xun'er, who remained calm and composed, and hesitated: "That young man should be able to handle it. I simply don't believe that, given his nature, he'd remain completely unproductive over the past two years..." Staring intently at the young man carrying a massive measuring rod on his back, the mentor Li Lin felt a quiet sense of relief. With Xiao Yan now having arrived, even if he lost the competition, she would only have missed this year's promotion opportunity to a Yuan-level mentor. Next year, she could still strive again—after all, Xiao Yan had demonstrated such exceptional potential during the enrollment assessment. She was confident that, with just one year of training at the academy, he would surely catch up. "Alright, alright, stop gawking! Since this young man has come all the way, let's just stay and support him. Whether he lasts for a while or not, at least he'll be one of our Huang-level Class Two members." Turning her head, she glanced dismissively at the group of young girls. With a sigh, Master Rulin expressed her mild frustration—though clearly, from the tone of her words, she didn't hold high expectations that Xiao Yan would defeat Xue Bing. "Is this the Xiao Yan I've heard of?" at a spot on the stands, Bai Shan, dressed in a flowing white robe and standing tall with an elegant bearing, looked somewhat surprised at the dark-robed young man on the plaza. He hadn't expected this individual to actually make it this far into the final moments. "His aura is steady—perhaps he has some skill—but that's about all. "Observing the dark-robed young man's composed demeanor, unshaken despite the throngs of spectators, Bai Shan raised a brow, offering a rather reserved assessment. With such high standards, he didn't see much promise in this potential rival. "This is the brother Xiao Xun'er speaks of? Finally showing up now—though, honestly, he doesn't look particularly handsome. I can't quite understand why she's so attached to him. A young girl in a red dress scanned Xiang Yan with keen interest, only to then purse her lips and say, "How handsome he is—what good does that do? Will the judges give him extra points for it?" Beside her, the elderly man with white hair and beard rolled his eyes. His ordinary, cloudy gaze settled on Xiang Yan, and after a moment, his brows slightly furrowed as a spark of surprise flickered across his eyes. He shook his head gently, offering a soft smile, "A rather interesting young fellow..." "Hope he doesn't lose right from the start to Xue Bing—otherwise, Xiao Xun'er's reputation will truly be ruined." The red-clad girl, her delicate hand gently brushing a strand of her soft, pale red hair, added with a touch of gloom and amusement. "Watch this." The elder smiled, his gaze meeting that of the judges on the nearby podium. He noticed that several of his friends there also looked visibly impressed—clearly, they had already sensed something unusual about this young man named Xiang Yan. "...Are you Xiang Yan?" On the stage, where everyone was watching, Xue Bang, his face cold and composed, firmly stomped his long spear onto the hard floor, his gaze locked steadily on the black-robed young man before him, speaking coldly. Xiao Yan nodded with a smile. "You don't deserve her." With Xiao Yan's affirmation, Xue Bang's words came directly and with disdain. "Perhaps that's true," Xiao Yan replied, feeling a bit helpless. Another admirer of Xun'er—this girl seemed to be thriving at the Cangnan Academy, indeed. "There are countless people waiting for your appearance at the Academy. From today on, your troubles will never cease. I'm the first to challenge you, but I won't be the last." Xue Bang chuckled, then raised his spear, the tip pointing straight at Xiao Yan. "Before she, I will defeat you. A girl of such excellence is beyond the reach of a mere ordinary person." "Indeed, still a bunch of petty, jealous kids..." Looking at Xue Bing, who immediately declared war on him the moment they met, Xiao Yan sighed, shaking his head. He slowly grasped the handle of the Yuanzhong Chi, and as the staff trembled slightly, it suddenly slanted downward. With each sweeping motion of the heavy staff, a powerful, pressuring gust of wind resonated throughout the arena. "I also really hate all these constant disturbances. So, to eliminate them altogether, I'll have to make you suffer a bit." The massive shadow of the staff stretched across the ground. Xiao Yan looked up at Xue Bing, offering a gentle smile. "Oh? You'd like to use me as a scapegoat to scare the others?" Xue Bing, far from being naive, quickly understood Xiao Yan's intention upon hearing this. A subtle spark of irritation flashed in his eyes as he scoffed, "And yet, I'm not afraid of a sudden gust of wind knocking my words off track." "Shall we begin?" Xiao Yan slightly turned his head, his gaze fixed on the judges' bench where seven or eight elderly figures sat, smiling and asking. "Yes." As Xiao Yan approached, the several elders exchanged glances and gave slight nods. "Such a boastful youngster!" Upon seeing the judges' approval, Xue Bing's face grew cold. He clenched his gun handle tightly, then forcefully planted his foot into the ground, causing his long spear to vibrate and send a sharp surge of energy directly toward Xiao Yan. Remaining perfectly still, Xiao Yan watched Xue Bing, who had advanced first with his spear. With his heavy measuring ruler slightly tilted, he knew exactly what was at play—he was well aware that within the Gan Nan Academy, there were many individuals harboring resentment toward him due to Xu'er's influence. Now, as a newcomer, if he wished to eliminate the constant stream of challenges, the only way would be to establish a commanding presence. Moreover, even beyond the mere annoyance of these persistent interruptions, Xiao Yan urgently needed to secure a decisive, unquestionable victory upon his arrival at this academy renowned for its prodigies. He wanted to prove to everyone one thing—namely, that the brother she always spoke of, Xiang Yun'er, possessed the strength to stand firmly before her and withstand any storm! He wanted people to know that her judgment would never fall short! Back then, he was a mere waste, so she had once stood before him. Now, he did not wish for that past to repeat itself! Therefore, this battle did not require any prolonged struggle—he only needed a decisive, overwhelming victory! This very display of confidence and pride was his modest repayment to the girl who had waited for him for two years! He wanted her to know that those two years had not been wasted! Thoughts swirling within him like waves, Xiang Yan took a deep breath, inserted his heavy staff into the floor, and with both hands extended from his black robe, slowly lifted his sleeves. As the relentless assault from the other side was about to reach him, Xiao Yan calmly adjusted his sleeves, his composed demeanor drawing quietness from the sea of spectators around the plaza. For this moment, they could only describe his presence with one word: arrogant! With a cold gaze fixed upon Xiao Yan’s actions, Xue Bing’s anger intensified. As thoughts surged within him, his internal qi surged and flowed into his spear, causing the tip to glow with a soft red light. With a firm strike of his palm against the spear’s handle, the spear shot forth with explosive force, reaching Xiao Yan’s throat almost instantly. "Ah!" Watching the lightning-fast attack from Xue Bing, the faces of Xiao Yu and the other mentors, including Ruolin, slightly tightened. Only Xun remained serene. She knew well that today’s Xiao Yan was no longer the useless heir from the Xiao family of old. Even Lan Yan, meticulously nurtured and trained by Yunlan Sect, had fallen to his hands—this clearly demonstrated the strength and prowess Xiao Yan now commanded. Under the countless gazes brimming with various emotions, Xue Bing's powerful, sweeping lance attack surged forward in a flash, reaching Xiao Yan's throat. Yet, just as everyone anticipated a bloody confrontation, the lance tip—only a fraction of an inch from Xiao Yan's throat—suddenly stiffened as if space itself had frozen. The multitude of eyes followed the lance, shifting abruptly to the shaft, where a slender, pale hand was tightly gripping the handle. It was precisely this hand that had halted Xue Bing's fierce assault. The gaze then moved further, tracing the path of the hand to the calm, composed young man in black robes, causing an immediate wave of astonishment across the arena. Xiao Yan slowly lifted his eyes, smiled gently at the stunned Xue Bing, a subtle curve forming at the corner of his lips, and softly said, "One move!" "As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yan's body flickered, and his figure instantly became a blurred silhouette. His right fist tightened, and a sharp, piercing aura erupted, emitting a piercing sound. Feeling the sudden surge of that terrifying power, Xue Bing's eyes narrowed sharply, and a look of astonishment finally crossed his face."