Hearing the thunderous cheers rising from the stands around him, Xiao Yan smiled warmly at Lu Mu, who looked visibly bitter, bowing in thanks. "Thank you, Lu Mu, for your graciousness," he said. "Graciousness? What graciousness? I've lost—I've lost. What's there to be gracious about? My heart isn't comparable to that of some people." Rolling his eyes, Lu Mu then offered a wry smile. "Still, good boy. I never expected you to hide your strength so well. Maybe you actually can make it into the top five. Should the opportunity arise, I'll be sure to face you again." With that, Lu Mu bowed once and turned with decisive grace, heading straight toward the entrance of the plaza. "He's quite straightforward—much better than Bai Shan. If the chance comes, I'd like to get to know him better." Watching Lu Mu's back, Xiao Yan smiled faintly, then glanced toward Bai Shan's direction. Just as he did, he caught the coldness in Bai Shan's eyes, which only deepened his sense of disfavor and caution. Inserted the Xuanzhong chi back onto his back, Xiao Yan turned and descended the competition platform, entering the area where the Yellow Rank Class Two students were gathered—where he had previously met a group of girls just the day before. Upon seeing Xiao Yan return, these lively girls immediately became enchanted, clustering around him with a flurry of excited chatter, leaving Xiao Yan feeling slightly dazed after his recent intense battle. Upon hearing this, Xun'er's refined and delicate complexion flushed with a charming blush. In that instant, her captivating grace even stirred the heart of the nearby mentor, Ruolin, let alone the male students whose eyes had suddenly sharpened with admiration and envy. Xiao Yan smiled gently, took two steps forward, and sat beside Xun'er. Inhaling the delicate scent of the young woman beside him, and feeling the waves of jealousy and admiration pouring in from around him, he suddenly felt a little dazed. Back when he had fallen into obscurity in Wutan City, whenever he walked beside Xun'er, the gazes of others were filled with mockery and disdain. At that time, people must have thought—could a toad possibly feel ashamed to walk beside a graceful swan? Now, after two years of relentless cultivation, as he walks beside Xun'er once again, no one anymore views him with the same skeptical eyes. For now, the talent and strength he has displayed are fully worthy of standing on par with Xun'er, the daughter of the heavens. And this, is the difference in treatment between those with strength and those without! Though back then, she constantly spoke of striving to fulfill the three-year promise, deep down, hadn't she also always hoped to strengthen her own capabilities, so that when she eventually grew close to Xun'er, others would no longer cast judgmental glances upon them? Three years have passed since her initial days as a mere novice. Through her own relentless efforts, Xiao Yan has realized her aspirations, triumphed over Na Lan Yan Ran, and now possesses not only the strength but also the qualifications to stand beside Xun'er! Exhaling a long, steady breath, Xiao Yan turned his head to gaze at Xun'er, whose eyes were fixed intently on the match unfolding in the arena. Under the gentle sunlight, Xun'er was almost entirely enveloped in a radiant golden glow, serene and gentle. This image of beauty stirred a deep, heartfelt admiration within Xiao Yan. After two years of solitary training, he had come to realize that this girl now held the most profound place in his heart. This mark was firmly established from childhood. Indeed, Xun often said that if it weren't for the young, inexperienced Xiao Yan who, upon entering her room, stubbornly maintained his unrefined Qi for several years, carefully nurturing her seemingly fragile body, she would never have truly placed Xiao Yan deep within her heart. Yet, how could she not have, throughout Xiao Yan's periods of hardship, consistently shown him day after day, her gentle respect and warmth—precisely that which nurtured and deepened the maturity of Xiao Yan's mind, allowing him to fully open up to a girl who had only ever shown him kindness and charm? Slowly, Xiao Yan's hand traced along the table's edge and finally grasped Xun's delicate, slender fingers, feeling the soft, smooth tenderness of her palm, and his heart subtly trembled. When Xiao Yin suddenly grasped her hand, Xun'er's slender body trembled slightly. She glanced around, a little bashful, checking if Iflin, the mentor, and Xiao Yu had noticed his gesture. Only when she saw that they hadn't, did she exhale in relief and turn back to Xiao Yin, softly scolding, "Xiao Yin, brother." "You are mine," he said, his voice calm but only audible to the two of them, gently tightening his grip on her delicate hand. Though his tone was steady, there was an unmistakable sense of firmness and authority beneath it. Xun'er was momentarily stunned, then a deep blush surged across her pale, refined cheeks. She hadn't expected Xiao Yin to express such a clearly romantic sentiment at this very moment. Under the sudden words from Xiao Yan, even with Xun'er's composed demeanor, she could not remain unbothered. Her face flushed rosy, like a ripe apple, and the otherwise calm and serene composure she had maintained for so long stirred its first unmistakable ripple. "Xun'er, what's wrong?" Xun'er's unusual expression hadn't escaped the notice of the nearby tutor, Ru Lin. She was momentarily startled, then glanced down and just happened to catch Xiao Yan hastily pulling his hands back. A gentle blush spread across her cheeks. With a sigh of resignation, she seemed to speak to herself, "Young people! Even in public, they need to be more restrained. Though you're close to Xun'er, don't go out of your way to provoke the male students who have eyes on her. What if your actions truly spark a commotion—what if you're left to face a crowd of over a thousand?" Xiao Yan smiled awkwardly, unable to speak, and quickly turned his gaze toward the intense battlefield. By the side, Xun'er quickly calmed her fluttering emotions, glanced nervously at her mentor, Iflin, and then turned her gaze toward the competition arena. "Hmm, this girl can be so composed with strangers, yet in front of Xiao Yan, she's nothing short of a lovesick teenager. Truly, one thing always defeats another. I just can't figure out how Xiao Yan manages to win over someone as delicate as Xun'er." Seeing Xun'er's still slightly flushed cheeks, Iflin shook her head, murmuring a quiet sigh in her heart. And as the rounds of competitions progressed, the original group of over one hundred and seventy had gradually dwindled down to just sixty-some, and with a few more rounds to go, there would surely be enough qualified candidates to secure spots in the Inner Courtyard for cultivation. "Round Forty-One: First-Year Pyro Class, Yan Cheng... Enforcement Team, Wu Hao!" As the name of the next match was announced on the plaza, a sudden quietness settled over the crowd—under the weight of a single name, the students on the stands automatically lowered their voices. "Enforcement Team, Wu Hao..." Xiao Yan slowly repeated the name, then turned to his mentor, Iflin, and said, "I believe this is the person the mentor has been referring to." "Hmm." Iflin's face grew more serious. She spoke softly, "Wu Hao holds an exceptional reputation within the Enforcement Team. Over the past two years, the number of individuals from the Black Corner Region who have fallen under his judgment is likely to have reached at least a hundred. His strength is truly formidable." Xiao Yan nodded slightly, it seemed this man truly was a formidable opponent. "By the way, there's another matter that's been troubling you—Wu Hao once courted Xun'er, right in front of everyone, and though she turned him down, he has never given up." Master Liu teased, "Before you arrived at the academy, Wu Hao was considered White Shan's most promising rival for Xun'er. Unfortunately, both of these two—whom countless people believed would succeed in winning Xun'er's heart—have both fallen short thanks to your arrival." "A true beauty who brings misfortune," Xiao Yan sighed, shaking his head, then turned his gaze toward the plaza. There, a young man stood. With keen observation, Xiao Yan could clearly see the traces of bitterness on the young man's face. "Even before humans appeared, one could instill fear in their opponents—this Wu Hao..." murmuring to himself, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed sharply as he stared at the scene. Suddenly, on the stone platform opposite the young man, where there had been nothing but emptiness, a figure clad entirely in a blood-red robe materialized with the suddenness of a ghost, appearing remarkably out of place. "How astonishingly swift! This person is truly strong!" Xiao Yan's gaze remained fixed on the blood-red figure, a rare sense of seriousness crossing his face. As the figure stepped into view, the once-bustling square instantly fell silent, a faint scent of blood gradually spreading throughout the area.