The fist carried a blazing cyan flame; though it had not yet made contact with his body, Bai Shan still felt an unbearable burning sensation across his skin, gritting his teeth to endure the pain. On his feet, silver light surged once more, and as his body swayed, he unexpectedly stepped back several meters. However, just as Bai Shan had stepped outside the reach of Xiao Yan's attack and before he could raise his spear to strike, the figure of cyan shadow darted before him, and Xiao Yan's composed face reappeared. At that moment, Xiao Yan's fists seemed to have gone wild, generating over a dozen trailing silhouettes that rained down fierce blows across various parts of Bai Shan's body—each punch landing squarely on flesh. The deep, resonant thuds of fists meeting flesh echoed continuously throughout the arena. "Damn it!" The waves of pain radiating from every part of his body ignited fierce anger within Bai Shan. Xiao Yan's attacks were all executed in close range, leaving him no room to deploy his spear techniques. Although he could temporarily maintain distance using the "Wind and Thunder in Motion" footwork skill, once freed from the constraints of the Xuan Zhong Chi, Xiao Yan perfectly exploited his dramatically enhanced speed to close the gap and pursue Bai Shan relentlessly. Thus, no matter how effectively Bai Shan used "Wind and Thunder in Motion" to stretch the distance between them, it proved entirely futile. Whenever Bai Shan retreated two meters, Xiao Yan simply followed, maintaining constant close-quarters engagement and never granting him a single opportunity to unleash his spear techniques. In the absence of his most powerful weapon, Bai Shan's direct combat against Xiao Yan would undoubtedly prove to be a major catastrophe. While Xiao Yan wielding the Xuan Zhong Chi was not particularly intimidating, what truly frightened Bai Shan was the Xiao Yan who had shed the weight of the spear and broken free from the peculiar, constraining effects of suppressed internal qi. When holding the Xuanzhong Chi, Bai Shan might still be able to hold his own against Xiao Yan with his lightning-based qi and exceptional gun techniques. However, in close combat, Bai Shan's best option would be to quickly increase the distance between them—something that Xiao Yan has completely dominated. A single lapse in concentration would leave him unable to recover. Xiao Yan had almost become a blurred silhouette of black, constantly weaving through Bai Shan's defenses, delivering fierce blows with his fists that generated powerful gusts of wind, striking hard against Bai Shan's body, which was encased in silver qi. Every part of his body—fists, palms, arms, elbows, feet, knees—became a weapon of attack. As his arms moved, his afterimages multiplied. Facing this relentless, almost frenzied assault, Bai Shan had lost his long spear. Though he occasionally managed to counter with punches, Xiao Yan's seething Qinglian Earth Heart Fire proved anything but ordinary. With every clash, White Mountain's fists would swell with red and swollen marks; without the protection of aura, he would likely be scorched to a crispy pig leg by the intense heat of Qinglian Earth's Core Flame upon mere contact. On the field, where he had previously stood proudly and confidently, White Mountain suddenly transformed into a conspicuous, defenseless target—now a mere punching bag—this dramatic shift from sky to earth leaving countless spectators in stunned silence. How could this once-dominant, brilliant talent of the academy, now being relentlessly pursued and battered by Xiao Yan with little ability to defend himself? "A truly frenzied one..." The mentors, including Iflin and Xiao Yu, stared in wide-eyed amazement at Xiao Yan's explosive performance, never expecting such intensity and power from a seemingly composed and gentle individual. "The jade-colored flame on Xiao Yan's body—should that be... the unique flame?" "At the central position, the elder whom Hukuan and the others had dubbed the 'Fire Elder' gazed steadily at the shimmering jade-green flames swirling around Xiao Yan's body. His previously calm expression finally softened, and he spoke slowly. 'Indeed, it seems genuine. The temperature radiating from this flame is so intense that it makes us all feel uneasy—undeniably, it's an extraordinary fire. But I still don't know which kind of extraordinary fire it is. Should Xiao Yan's strength grow even stronger, even ordinary Dou Wang-level warriors might hesitate before stepping forward to meet it,' Hukuan nodded in agreement. 'I've decided to take Xiao Yan into the Herbal Medicine Division,' the Fire Elder said, after a brief pause. 'Wait—doesn't he intend to enter the Inner Academy?' Hukuan was momentarily surprised. 'Entering the Inner Academy and joining the Herbal Medicine Division aren't mutually exclusive. Xiao Yan is already a pharmacist. Joining the division would only benefit him, and it wouldn't interfere with his cultivation within the Inner Academy,' the Fire Elder replied calmly." "Then it's up to you. As long as you can secure him in the Pharmacy Department, I have no objections. After all, having a truly outstanding alchemist join the academy is something I'd be delighted to see." Huo Qian shook his head and smiled. The old man with the fire eyes nodded slightly, said nothing, and continued to gaze steadily at the rising jade-colored flames rising from Xiao Yan's body. After a long while, a rare spark of admiration flickered across his eyes. With another powerful punch aimed squarely at Bai Shan's chest, a subtle crack echoed suddenly. Xiao Yan then watched coldly as the aura armor on Bai Shan's body began to crack and fragment. He then launched a fierce kick, landing heavily on Bai Shan's abdomen, where a tremendous roar followed—crushing the lightning aura armor on Bai Shan's surface with sheer force. Xiao Yan's footpower was exceptionally powerful, causing the white mountain to glide across the plaza floor for nearly thirty meters before finally coming to a slow halt. He gasped, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his face pale, his teeth clenched, as he staggered to his feet, glaring resentfully at Xiao Yan across the distance. Then, he withdrew a pale black pill from his storage ring, swallowed it whole, and downed it. At this moment, Xiao Yan did not immediately attend to White Mountain's actions. Instead, he noticed that, during the earlier series of vigorous, seamless combat exchanges, his internal qi had begun to surge with remarkable intensity—waves of qi flowed automatically and wildly through his meridians. The space around him was rapidly vibrating, and streams of pure energy poured in like a steady surge, continuously feeding into his body. This scene clearly mirrored the very dynamics he had experienced during his previous promotion! Xiao Yan had unexpectedly reached his breakthrough moment during the earlier, completely unreserved, all-out melee assault—thus, now, his body's qi flowed automatically, and his strength naturally ascended to a higher level. However, the circumstances of this promotion seemed rather unfavorable. The commotion Xiao Yan had generated was certainly noticeable to those with keen observation, so immediately, a wave after wave of exclamations echoed across the stands: "Xiao Yan has advanced in rank during the battle!" The crowd stared in astonishment at the figure enveloped in vibrant green flames on the field—this person, always managing to produce such astonishing feats! The battle in the arena is now at a crucial moment, yet he suddenly advances—something truly astonishing, leaving everyone baffled by his luck. After all, during an advancement, one must remain undisturbed; otherwise, minor injuries are common, and severe disruptions could even threaten one's life. Under normal circumstances, anyone witnessing such an event would surely be envious. But here, in this very setting, who would expect an advancement to take place? "Damn it!" Xiang Yan exclaimed, unable to contain his frustration at this unexpected turn of events. He fully understood that, in such a setting, maintaining composure and focusing on the advancement would be nearly impossible. Yet this time, Xiang Yan had not even attempted to initiate it—everything simply unfolded on its own, leaving him no choice but to accept it. This, in fact, was what truly made him both amused and exasperated. In the past, he had often struggled to achieve this very state, and now, when he had begged for it, it had arrived uninvited—precisely when he least expected it. "Ha ha, Xiao Yan! It seems even heaven is on my side!" After swallowing the pale black pill, the previously wan hue of Bai Shan suddenly flushed with a near-diseased warmth. His previously weak vitality surged noticeably. Observing Xiao Yan standing motionless in place, and then watching the subtle movements around him, Bai Shan suddenly understood everything and burst into laughter. With a wave of his hand, he drew the silver lance that had fallen nearby, and it swiftly transformed into a shadow, shooting into his hands. "Xiao Yan, you go ahead and complete your advancement first. I'll hold off the others for you!" A delicate, pale green figure suddenly materialized before Xiao Yan, Xun'er smiling warmly. By now, Bai Shan's eight competitors had all been driven out of the arena. "Give me ten minutes," Xiao Yan hesitated slightly before nodding firmly, then quickly settled into a meditative posture, focusing his mind to control the surging energy rushing into his body. Seeing Xiao Yan closing his eyes to stabilize the turmoil within, Xun'er turned her head and cast a cold gaze toward Bai Shan, her fingers flashing with golden light. "If you wish to come, do so—though I won't spare a single move anymore." Hearing Xun'er's utterly cold words, Bai Shan's face suddenly flushed with fury. He took a deep breath, suppressing his rage, then turned his gaze toward the other side of the plaza. There, Wu Hao and Hu Jia's team had just driven out the two squads led by Grand Masters, and at that moment, both Wu Hao and Hu Jia clearly sensed Xiao Yan's unusual shift, each of them looking utterly astonished—neither had expected Xiao Yan to achieve a breakthrough at this very moment. "Wu Hao, Hu Jia, I think we might be able to team up and first remove Xiao Yan and Xun'er. You both know their strengths, and now Xiao Yan is in the midst of a breakthrough—should he succeed, his power will surge even further. Then, with just the two of you fighting separately, will you really be able to hold off against them both? If this continues, we'll eventually have to fall. "Baishan's voice continued to swirl in the ears of the two:" "Hugua, there's no one else in Canan Academy who possesses the grace of Xun'er, our junior—do you really want to watch her being ruined by Xiao Yan? And as for Wu Hao, for all these years, Xun'er has been the only one who truly stirred your heart. If Xiao Yan remains constantly by Xun'er's side, how will you ever get a chance? Therefore, he is our shared adversary! There's no more time to hesitate—should Xiao Yan succeed in advancing, then it will be our failure!" The words struck a deep chord with Wu Hao and Hugua, touching their most sensitive points. After a moment of silence, they exchanged glances, nodded firmly, and said in unison: "Very well. Let's get Xiao Yan out of the way first!"