Gazing at Bai Shan and the others who were now moving with ever-increasing speed, Xiao Yan slowly exhaled, and within the spiraling energy within his body, the rhombus-shaped battle crystal trembled slightly. Waves of vibrant cyan battle energy surged forth, flowing through his meridians like a rushing flood, finally bursting out of his body and instantly elevating his aura to its peak. The massive Xuanzhong Scale was enveloped in the cyan battle energy, and the powerful energy caused subtle ripples in the space around it. Xiao Yan looked up, gripped the scale handle firmly, and turned slightly toward Xun'er, speaking softly, "Engage quickly—don't prolong the battle." "Three minutes," Xun'er nodded slightly, and golden battle energy surged forth from within her, blazing so brightly that she seemed almost like a sun shining upon the ground, standing out vividly. Feeling the fierce, surging qi rising behind him, Xiao Yan nodded slightly, lifted his foot slightly, and then slammed it down with a thunderous crash. A burst of energy erupted beneath his feet, transforming into a dark streak of light that surged forward toward Bai Shan, who stood with a cold expression. "Hmph! Don't think that defeating Lu Mu means you can now rule the roost—there are far more capable individuals at Gan Nan Academy than him." The strong, pressuring wind whipped Bai Shan's white robe tightly against his skin, yet his face remained unflinching. With a cold laugh, his silver spear trembled violently, electric silver qi rippling like small serpents along its length. Gripping the spear handle firmly, he roared, and the spear surged forward as a streak of brilliant silver light, aimed with ruthless precision at Xiao Yan's neck. "Clang!" The massive black shadow suddenly straightened, and the silver light struck squarely upon the broad edge of Xiao Yan's staff. The force of the impact only caused Xiao Yan's arm, holding the staff, to tremble slightly. The fierce assault was blocked, yet Bai Shan's expression remained unchanged. His arm suddenly vibrated, sending out a surge of silver Qi that shimmered like lightning along his silver spear, ultimately manifesting as several ethereal silver spear forms that strangely deflected around the heavy staff and struck directly at Xiao Yan's head. As the luminous silver Qi spear forms sliced through the air, they emitted a hissing sound. The power of the lightning-based Qi had been evident to Xiao Yan during his sparring matches with his second brother, Xiao Li, so he had no intention of underestimating it. The several spear forms, roaring like furious dragons, rapidly expanded in his black pupils. Xiao Yan's body trembled, and a powerful wave of green Qi surged forth, instantly solidifying into a tangible, helmet-like formation of green energy that completely enveloped his entire head and face. The silver spear forms exploded violently against the faceplate, leaving only fine traces of silver shimmering across the surface. The shadow of the sword faded, and Xiao Yan suddenly stepped forward, his facial mask helmet dissolving almost instantly. In his hands, the heavy staff flew out, generating a powerful force that sliced through the air with a sharp sonic boom, crashing directly into Bai Shan's head. With a casual swing of the heavy staff, Xiao Yan gave a faint nod, his eyes briefly scanning the combat between Xun'er and the several newcomers who had joined her. At Xun'er's side, four top-tier Du-Shi warriors were barely able to parry, with no chance to counterattack. It seemed clear that within three minutes, they would be completely eliminated from the competition. On the other side, Xiao Yan's position was overwhelmingly favorable—though outnumbered, the seven newcomers had lost their momentum earlier and were now struggling even against just four opponents. After barely a minute of engagement, they had already succumbed to defeat, with nearly three of them eliminated one by one. "Indeed," Xiao Yan mused, "a group of truly unsteady, unyielding mud—without spirit and momentum, how could they possibly fight?" Frowning slightly and shaking his head, Xiao Yan drew his gaze back. As long as he kept Bai Shan occupied, Xun'er would have enough time to eliminate all of the opposing forces. Once Xun'er was free to act, Bai Shan would have no choice but to fall. "I'll defeat you first," Bai Shan said coldly, a sharp, long spear pointed steadily at Xiao Yan, his tone calm and composed. "After that, even if my sister Xun'er manages to free herself, I'll be able to retire with a victory. It doesn't matter if I fall to her—what matters is that before then, I must make you, Xiao Yan, my defeat in front of all the students in the academy!" Clearly understanding Xiao Yan's intent, Bai Shan smiled faintly. "What gives you the right to claim that?" Xiao Yan replied, inserting his heavy staff firmly into the ground, a smile playing on his lips. "With my five-star Grand Combatant strength and this…" Bai Shan's lips curled into a cold smile. Suddenly, his hands settled onto the gun's hilt, and then he began to spin it wildly. In an instant, the silver-long spear transformed into a whirling wind-wheel, its powerful gusts sweeping away the fragments of stones scattered from the battle. As the spear spun furiously, a brilliant silver glow surged over Bai Shan's body. Fine streaks of silver electricity, like tiny serpents, constantly pulsed and contracted. From a distance, Bai Shan appeared almost as a shimmering silver sphere, with countless silver tendrils spreading across its surface. The fierce wind blew so strongly that Xiao Yan's eyes slightly narrowed. Feeling the powerful energy concentrated in Bai Shan's spear—so intense, so violently dynamic, it was as if a thunderstorm itself! "Starting with such a powerful technique right from the beginning—does that mean you intend to secure a swift victory?" With eyes slightly narrowed, observing the energy rapidly rising from Bai Shan's long spear, Xiao Yan furrowed his brow, rotating his palm gently, and beneath the shade of his green qi, a faint, pale blue flame began to emerge and fade. "Xiao Yan, let me show you what true genius truly means! You're not worthy of Xun'er!" A steady wind rushed past, carrying faint undercurrents of Bai Shan's subtle, cold scorn. Then, suddenly, the wind ceased entirely. Xiao Yan glanced around and noticed that Bai Shan's silver spear, which had been spinning like a wheel, now stood perfectly still in his hands. Yet, the spear had almost fully transformed into a silver lightning spear—electric glimmers flashed across its surface, accompanied by the resonant crackle of thunder. Even the slightest movement of the spear caused ripples of intense energy that disturbed the very space around it. "It's time to meet your end!" A cold aura of solemnity flashed in his eyes. Bai Shan gripped his lance tightly, shifted his feet slightly, and slowly raised the lance to the height of his head. Instantly, thunder roared as the lance struck the solid floor with a resounding crash. The resulting explosion shook the arena, drawing everyone's attention. As they witnessed Bai Shan, who shone like a silver sun, and felt the immense power radiating from the lance, waves of astonishment rose continuously across the stands. "Thunder-Blade Earth Arc Blast!" A crisp, commanding voice rang out from within the silver glow. Then, under the collective gaze of awe, a massive silver arc—thick as a man's height—burst forth from the base of the lance. Where the arc passed, the solid floor of the plaza crumbled and was utterly destroyed. The electric arc surged forward like a silver serpent winding through the air, moving so swiftly that it left the onlookers momentarily stunned. Outside, spectators could only see a flash of silver in the field, followed by a series of deep furrows that stretched out like a field plowed by oxen. Then, a thunderous roar erupted, and people hurried to the source of the sound—only to find the explosion had occurred precisely where Xiao Yan stood. The long spear touched the ground, and a pale hue spread across Bai Shan's face, with a few drops of cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He took a deep breath and looked upward at the still, unmoving dust. A cold determination settled on his lips. "The Earth Arc Blast with Thunder Shaking" was a high-level, advanced combat technique—among the highest he had mastered. During his training in Black Angle, he had once used this technique to severely wound and ultimately defeat a fully prepared Douling-level warrior. He believed that even if Xiao Yan's strength could rival his own, he would surely not survive this assault. Though the wind surged and the dust completely dispersed, a figure enveloped entirely in emerald flames appeared, under the gaze of countless onlookers! The solemn, shadowy glances suddenly sharpened, and Bai Shan's face subtly changed, gazing at the figure whose body surged with emerald flames—so strange and intense that even at this distance, he could feel an overwhelming heat radiating from it. "Well fought?" the emerald-flame figure slightly raised his head, his voice calm, the flames on his face slightly thinning to reveal a serene, refined countenance—clearly, it was Xiao Yan! Bai Shan's face trembled slightly, his hands tightly gripping his silver lance; now, he could finally sense just how formidable this Xiao Yan truly was. "If you've fought well, then it's my turn," Bai Shan said nothing, while the emerald-flame figure murmured softly to himself. He fixed his gaze intently on the flame figure's every movement. Upon hearing the latter speak, he suddenly stepped back. Yet, having retreated only a few paces, he felt a surge of intense heat emanating from behind him and promptly turned around. At the very edge of his vision, a faint blue light flashed, and instantly, a fist enveloped in flames swelled dramatically within his field of sight.