With the agreement reached among the three-room participants, Wu Hao and Hu Jia each raised their hands, taking the remaining four contestants with them and slowly walking toward the spot where Xiao Yan and Xun'er stood. Observing their movements, Bai Shan's eyes darkened with coldness. He turned and fixed a stern gaze on Xiao Yan, who was closed in meditation. Then, as his eyes returned to the graceful young woman standing before Xiao Yan, a hint of admiration shimmered across his face. Grasping his fists tightly, he murmured softly, "You are mine!" With the gun firmly held in his hand, Bai Shan strode steadily toward Xiao Yan and Xun'er. The movements of the people on the field had not gone unnoticed by Xun'er. Observing that the three factions had all arrived simultaneously, she seemed to have finally grasped the situation. A faint coldness now touched her otherwise refined and elegant features. With a gentle sweep of her sleeve, golden qi surged rapidly from within her, radiating an aura that rivaled even that of a Seven-Star Grand Battle Master—unreservedly bursting forth from Xun'er's body. Two orbs of golden light coalesced at the tips of her palms, shining brightly like miniature suns, drawing immediate attention. "Xun's voice was cold, and at the same time, the two golden beams of light in her palm grew increasingly intense. Bai Shan, Hu Jia, Wu Hao, and eight other contestants at the peak of the Battle Master rank—this lineup made her feel increasingly uneasy. Moreover, now she had to keep her attention on Xiao Yan as well. "Ah, Xun, don't you understand how I feel about you? What's so special about those men?" Hu Jia's water-lit eyes, full of cunning, gazed at Xun with a pitiful expression. Her gentle tone, however, made Bai Shan slightly uncomfortable—this very remark should have come from him, shouldn't it? Shaking her head, Xun ignored Hu Jia, stepped back, and positioned Xiao Yan behind her, using her actions to convey her decision to Hu Jia and the others. "Xun, as Hu Jia said, we won't harm you. All we ask is that you not interfere with us," Bai Shan smiled warmly at Xun. Xun glanced at Bai Shan coldly, and this time, she didn’t even bother to speak to him. Previously, she hadn’t found him particularly unpleasant, but in just these few days, her disdain for Bai Shan had reached its peak. Xun’s icy gaze caused Bai Shan’s face to tremble slightly. He took a deep breath, forcing a smile and addressing Huo Jia and the other two: “Let’s begin. We can’t delay any longer—otherwise, Xiao Yan will successfully advance.” At Bai Shan’s urging, Huo Jia and the other two nodded in agreement. Qi energy gradually surged from within them, and instantly, the competition platform was divided and dominated by several powerful presences. The sudden development on the field also stirred waves among the spectators. Observing Bai Shan's actions, it was clear they intended to outmaneuver with a three-to-one advantage—this strategy of overwhelming the underdogs sparked murmurs and waves of murmured disapproval. However, when the spectators recalled that the match format itself wasn't absolutely impartial, they gradually settled back, resigned. "Are these people really so unscrupulous? They're playing three against one!" Xiao Yu watched as the situation had already formed a semi-encirclement around Xun'er, her face flushing with growing indignation. "Ah, the match format didn't specify that such tactics were prohibited, so we're truly at a loss," said Instructor Ruolin, sighing softly. Her hands, tightly clenched within her sleeve, had turned pale at the knuckles. "We just hope Xun'er can hold on for ten minutes. Once Xiao Yin advances, everything will settle." Huoqian, it seems, your current attempt has several flaws—something as fundamental as a three-to-one situation has now emerged. Gazing into the arena, the old fire elder furrowed his brows, speaking in a calm yet slightly scornful tone. At that moment, Huo Qian's expression was also not very pleasant. Listening to the old fire elder's words, he could only offer a wry smile and sighed, "This kind of competition is indeed quite chaotic. When the match began, I had already stated that their actions were actually not in violation of the rules. You shouldn't think I'm overlooking this simply because Huo Jia is present—this is her own choice, and I will not interfere in the slightest. Likewise, should she fail or encounter any other circumstance, I will not intervene either. Everything is entirely their young participants' responsibility. I will never step in." "I hope so," the old fire elder nodded, then turned his gaze back to the field, speaking softly. Under the watchful eyes of countless spectators, the encircling forces finally pinned down Xun'er. The eight competitors at the peak of the Battle Master rank launched their initial attacks, their figures surging with fierce energy, directly targeting the figure of Xiao Yan behind Xun'er. "Guardian Palm!" With a cold expression, Xun's body radiated a surge of golden light, her feet lifting slightly off the ground by half an inch. Her long, waist-length hair, flowing without a breeze, rippled dynamically. Golden energy surged from her palms, and in a swift sequence, she unleashed eight consecutive palm strikes. Eight lingering palm silhouettes hovered in the air, each trailing a golden energy wake that shot out like lightning, striking the chests of the eight contestants who had failed to evade. Instantly, all eight gasped, spewing out thick streams of blood, and were then completely expelled from the competition arena under the stunned gazes of the crowd. "That was incredibly powerful..." Having dispatched eight peak-level duelists in one move, the spectators on the stands couldn't help but take a deep breath. At Cahan Academy, Xun rarely deployed her full strength—this time, however, due to Xiao Yan's influence, the actions of Bai Shan and others had pushed her beyond her patience, prompting her to unleash her most powerful techniques without reservation. The golden light had just begun to fade when a sudden wave of bloodiness surged toward them. A blood-colored figure darted mysteriously in front of Lü Hao, who, with a sweeping motion of his palms, sent out a mist of blood, charging directly at Xun'er. "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Facing Lü Hao's direct assault, Xun'er's face remained utterly still. Her hands, glowing with golden light, met his blows with a resolute, head-on collision. Each impact sent out a sharp, resonant burst of energy. After enduring nearly ten such blows, Xun'er's body slightly wavered and stepped back a few paces, while Lü Hao himself retreated three steps. As soon as Lü Hao stepped back, a whip streaked down from the sky, thundering with force. Xun'er countered by raising her hand, sending a surge of golden light that sent the long whip hurled aside. At the same time, she sharply kicked backward with her foot, driving the White Shan—aiming to flank and attack Xiao Yan—back several steps. In less than two minutes, Xun managed to repel eight peak Duelists single-handedly, and even drove back three others—White Shan, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao—whose strength was comparable to her own. Though the latter three hadn't fully deployed their reserve powers, such a performance was still astonishing. After their first exchange of combat, White Shan, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao gained a clearer sense of Xun's capabilities, their faces now showing a touch of seriousness. They exchanged glances, and then simultaneously surged with powerful ki, launching their most vigorous attacks at her. On the field, figures darted swiftly, and the thunderous impacts of qi clashes, along with surging energy waves, erupted as Bai Shan's trio employed every means to strike Xiao Yan. Yet, Xun'er stood like an immovable mountain before them, intercepting every attack aimed at Xiao Yan with flawless precision—her almost superhuman intuition leaving Bai Shan's trio utterly baffled. Even for a strong fighter like Wu Hao, no room for complacency was left when it came to Xun'er's assault. He immediately raised his hands, now enveloped in vibrant qi, and met her force head-on. "Boom!" The collision of their palms sent the stone floor beneath Wu Hao's feet shattering into fine powder. "Shhh!" As Wu Hao had just engaged her, a sudden gust of wind erupted behind her, causing Xun'er's delicate brows to furrow. With her right hand blazing with surging golden light, she pushed back forcefully. "Thud!" The golden palm pushing forward was intercepted by Huo Jia. Now, Xun'er stood alone, managing to face off against two formidable opponents simultaneously—neither showing any sign of defeat. Her strength was truly astonishing. "Hmph, Xun'er, I'm sorry, but this one has to go today," a cold laugh suddenly echoed behind her as she was being held in place by Huo Jia and Wu Hao. Xun'er swiftly turned to see Bai Shan delivering a powerful kick to Xiao Yan, who remained closed-eyed. "Bai Shan, dare you!" "For the first time in many years, a cold, deadly gaze flashed across Xun'er's cheeks. At that instant, golden light surged forth from within her, shaking her arms so powerfully that she single-handedly pushed Wu Hao and Hu Jia backward. With a swift step, she appeared before Xiao Yan, extending her arms to embrace him. Yet, in doing so, her back was exposed to Bai Shan, and her foot landed squarely on Xun'er's shoulder, causing her cheeks to flush slightly and a faint trail of blood to appear at her lips, which she quickly wiped away. "Bai Shan! How dare you harm her!" Seeing the brief flash of blood at Xun'er's lips, Wu Hao, who was extremely sensitive to blood, grew furious and turned to Bai Shan, shouting angrily. Hu Jia, standing beside him, also bore a hint of irritation. "I only intended to remove Xiao Yan. It was Xun'er herself who sustained the injury in order to protect him. How could I be blamed?" Bai Shan replied coldly. "Stop acting all dignified, Bai Shan. If you can leave this competition arena unharmed today, then I, Xiao Xun'er, won't need to stay at Gan'an Academy any longer." A cold voice suddenly emerged from Xun'er's lips. Slowly rising to her feet, the pools of autumn water in her eyes gradually began to glow with golden light. As the golden radiance intensified, a powerful energy surged forth from within her. With the energy building up, Xun'er's long hair, reaching her waist, began to lengthen. It seemed she was activating some secret technique. However, just as her hair was about to sweep past her hips, a slender, pale hand suddenly extended from behind her and grasped her arm. The familiar, gentle voice caused Xun'er's rapidly lengthening hair to snap back swiftly, and a gentle smile appeared on her otherwise stern face. "Alright," she said, "from now on, I'll take care of the rest."