"Have you all understood the match rules?" When no one else entered the plaza, Hu Qi scanned the crowd with his gaze and asked aloud. "Understood!" As Hu Qi spoke, a unified wave of cheers erupted throughout the arena. "Very well. Since everyone has grasped the rules, I now announce—" Hu Qi slowly raised his hand, and finally, with the weight of countless eyes upon him, let it descend with a resounding crash: "The final elimination round of the Inner Courtyard Selection Match begins!" "Boom!" As Hu Qi's hand fell, a sudden, thunderous sound erupted within the previously quiet arena—dozens of bursts of qi, each a different hue, surged forth in dazzling succession. With one after another deep rumble, figures darted and flashed across the field, most of them swiftly retreating toward the edges, fearing that in this battlefield of constant threats, they might be struck from behind and knocked out of the plaza. On the stands, gazing at the arena where the battle had erupted almost from the very beginning, waves of excited cheers soared into the sky, many spectators shouting so loudly into the voices of their favorite contestants that they strained their throats. The scale and intensity of such a large-scale clash far surpassed that of individual round matches, offering far greater dramatic impact. "Heh, I must say, the副院长's idea is quite sound. Though not absolutely fair, this kind of setting—where one must remain vigilant against hidden maneuvers—naturally fosters caution. Moreover, partners gradually learn to appreciate the strength of teamwork. This is indeed a well-thought-out move," remarked an elder standing at the central stand, smiling warmly to his companion, Huoqian. "I've simply grown tired of the usual turn-based combat, so I wanted to try something fresh. It seems to be working out quite well, though some of the more reserved students—those who aren't naturally outgoing—find it challenging when faced with enemies on all sides. Without a reliable partner to cover their back, they often feel pressured and have to work harder." Huguan smiled and then turned his gaze to the bustling, chaotic field. At present, the arena saw frequent clashes, yet many participants clearly feared ambushes from behind. Even during direct engagements, they often retreated after a brief exchange, unwilling to engage in prolonged combat. Their eyes constantly scanned the surroundings with caution, and any opponent who approached would trigger a sudden, panicked retreat or immediate defensive response. Yet though the early matches were extremely chaotic, once several contestants had been struck down in succession, gasping and falling out of the field, others began to adapt. Those who knew someone on the field quickly reached out to secure their support, while those without such connections had to settle for finding isolated players with no one else. Although the cohesion and trust among these temporary alliances were still lacking, this was the only viable option at present. With his heavy staff slanted forward, Xiao Yan and Xun'er stood at the edge of the plaza, their azure and golden ki enveloping them. The powerful energies radiating from within surged outward, shaking the contestants who had been disoriented by the chaos and making them hesitate before approaching them. At this moment, the two of them did not rush into the chaotic scene inside. They knew that such intense disorder would not last long. Once Bai Shan and the others managed to unite their respective groups, the battlefield would gradually settle into a situation of several strong contenders standing side by side. Under mutual pressure, the chaos would naturally ease. However, that would be when it truly came down to them facing off in actual combat. Amid the thunderous cheers echoing across the stands, contestants were being knocked out of the arena one after another. Meanwhile, the record keepers stationed around swiftly logged each player who exited. As time moved steadily through the continuous roar, the chaos within the field began to ease. Drawing lessons from the earlier defeats, some isolated players started seeking out partners. For a while, the scattered, intense clashes softened, and the number of small teams—composed of two or more players—grew steadily. As the battle evolved from individual duels into team engagements, Xiao Yan and Xun'er could no longer remain isolated. When a small team of four failed to overwhelm them and were instead driven off, Xiao Yan abandoned his previous stance of passive observation. He clenched the Xuanzhong Chi in his hands, took a heavy step forward, and surged forth a steady tide of green aura from within, projecting the overwhelming strength of a Grand Combatant who swept across the entire arena. However, shortly after Xiao Yan released this Grand Combatant presence, five equally powerful auras erupted simultaneously, forming distinct factions and establishing strong positions around the plaza. Xiao Yan directed his gaze toward the points where these auras surged. He observed that three of them belonged to individuals other than Bai Shan, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao, while the remaining two were men he had never met before. Behind each of these two men stood four or five clearly capable competitors. Thus, these three teams—alongside Bai Shan's trio—formed the strongest and most formidable units in the competition. At this point, the strength of most teams has become clearly evident, with the three strongest being Bai Shan, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao's teams. Among these three, Wu Hao's team stands out with the most formidable momentum. Outside of them, there are the two earlier teams featuring powerful Grand Duelist-level fighters. Together, these five teams constitute the top tier of the field. In addition, scattered throughout the arena are several two-member teams, and even some single-player teams. Xiao Yan and Xun'er belong to this group of smaller two-member teams. Although their numbers far fall short of the six larger teams, no one in the arena dares to underestimate this two-member squad—precisely because it is composed of Xiao Yan and Xun'er! Either of them individually could rank among the top five in single-player strength. Now, united as a pair, even the strongest among Bai Shan, Wu Hao, and Hu Jia regard them as a major obstacle. "Xiao Yan, brother, where should we go now?" Staring at the clearly defined zone now established in the field, Xun turned her head and smiled gently. "Wait a moment. There are at least thirty people here, including strong fighters like Wu Hao of Bai Shan. If we don't deploy our reserve strength, we'll likely be unable to withstand all their attacks. Therefore, we'll have to rely on their mutual exhaustion. Perhaps all three of Bai Shan's warriors intend to drive us out, yet they're also wary of being struck from behind. In the short term, therefore, we won't have to worry about direct assaults." Xiang Yan raised his Xuanchong Chi, supporting it against his shoulder, and smiled. Xun nodded with a warm smile, her delicate hand subtly moving, causing brilliant golden light to expand and contract within her palm. The powerful energy radiating from the light even caused Xiang Yan to glance aside. As Xiao Yan had said, although the three teams from Bai Shan all regarded Xiao Yan and his partner as their foremost rivals, they dared not launch an attack at this moment. The three strongest teams exchanged glances and, with remarkable coordination, began systematically expelling the smaller, scattered teams on the field. Only after completely driving out or absorbing these smaller teams could they finally engage in their decisive battle. As these three strongest teams moved in to clear the way, all the teams except Xiao Yan's and Xun'er's quickly collapsed upon initial contact—some managed to escape by luck, while the majority were forcibly removed from the competition. With his eyes half-closed, Xiao Yan observed the scattered participants fleeing in all directions, then after a brief pause, stepped forward decisively under the full gaze of the audience, and declared firmly, "Any individual participants who wish to avoid a poor final ranking should come this way." Hearing Xiao Yan's call, the contestants who had been left with no choice erupted with joy. Under the relentless pressure from the three strongest teams, even the two teams with senior Duelists at their core dared not take them in at this moment. Now, seeing Xiao Yan stepping forward, they rushed eagerly toward Xiao Yan and Xun'er, as if drowning individuals had finally grasped their last lifeline. Xiao Yan's single command immediately gathered the remaining seven contestants under his banner. In an instant, what had once been a small team of just two swiftly expanded into a force capable of rivaling that of Bai Shan and the others. Of course, this growth was only in terms of numbers—those in Bai Shan's team clearly possessed superior strength compared to the contestants who had been driven into flight and now rallied under Xiao Yan. Yet Xiao Yan did not expect to defeat Bai Shan and the others solely through these newly joined participants. He only needed them to help wear down the opponents' forces slightly. Although Xiao Yan's actions had won over the hearts of the participants, they had caused some dissatisfaction among the three strongest teams—Bai Shan, Hu Guaja, and Wu Hao. The latter two were relatively satisfied, but Bai Shan was particularly unwilling to have his efforts become a mere backdrop for someone else's success. And that someone else, he detested most—Xiao Yan himself. As a result, his expression gradually darkened. With a wave of his hand, eight strong competitors beside him slowly moved toward Xiao Yan's group, as if preparing to formally declare war on him. "Send off the four scattered disciples behind Xiao Yan, then have the other four temporarily hold off Xun'er. That Xiao Yan will be mine." With a flick of his hand, Bai Shan summoned a long spear of pure silver, its shaft shimmering with a faint glow—clearly embedded with a magical core. Holding the spear, he issued his instructions calmly. Upon hearing Bai Shan's command, the eight disciples behind him immediately dispersed, taking on assigned roles. "Xun'er, get ready for battle," Xiao Yan said, smiling as he glanced at the fan-shaped formation approaching. "Understood," Xun'er nodded slightly, her golden aura radiating an enchanting beauty. As Bai Shan's team launched their assault on Xiao Yan, Wu Hao and Huo Jia began to drive off the remaining two teams as well. In the midst of the chaos, the most thrilling clash finally arrived—slowly, yet surely. At this moment, the stands erupted in a thunderous wave of cheers and shouts.