A soft voice drifted slowly across the plaza, and then, under the countless sets of eyes, the slender young man in the black robe drew Xun'er behind him, slightly lifting his head, his composed gaze settling upon the faces of the Bai Shan trio. "At last, he's awake," the mentor Iflin and Xiao Yu on the stands breathed a long, relieved sigh, looking at Xiao Yan, who had just stepped out of his advancement state at the crucial moment. Observing Xiao Yan's now significantly stronger presence, the Bai Shan trio clearly saw that Xiao Yan had successfully advanced—what lay ahead in the battle would surely be unexpectedly fierce. Though Xiao Yan's dark eyes remained calm and still, Xun'er could clearly sense a growing surge of fierce, turbulent emotion seeping from within him. It was evident that the joint assault by the Bai Shan trio had truly roused his ire. "Xun'er, step back a bit," Xiao Yan said, "I'll handle the rest." "Xiao Yan spoke calmly. "Brother Xiao Yan, these three are all five- or six-star Great Battle Masters. Their practiced techniques are of high rank, and they each possess powerful battle arts. With just you...?" Xun'er said hesitantly. "It's up to me," Xiao Yan repeated, and a gentle, silvery flame began to seep slowly from within him. The intense heat caused the air around him to warp and shimmer. "Then... then yes, I'll stay by the sidelines and watch. If anything happens, don't blame me, Brother Xiao Yan," Xun'er said, nodding and slowly retreating with a soft voice. After a brief nod, Xiao Yan turned his gaze back to the three from Bai Shan. After a while, he spoke softly, "If you all can safely make it down to the arena without any mishap today, then I, Xiao Yan, will never set foot again in the Gan Nan Academy!" Xiao Yan's words caused a slight change in the expressions of the three. They could clearly sense the coldness and restrained fury hidden beneath his words. "Hmph! All talk and no substance. Though you've now reached the one-star rank, your strength is no more than a six-star Battle Master—just enough to match one of us. To face us three at once? I doubt you'll survive to see the end of the day!" Bai Shan raised his long spear, speaking with a cold smile. "My intention is not to injure Xun'er. After I defeat you, I'll make Bai Shan pay for that kick he delivered earlier." Wu Hao, fully wrapped in his crimson robe, looked at Xiao Yan calmly and said. "I'll count myself in too," laughed Hugua warmly. Hearing what the two had just said, Bai Shan's face could not help but change, yet soon he smiled and said, "When I accidentally injured Xiao Xun, my junior, I was deeply remorseful. After all, I'll certainly step down on my own without needing you to intervene—just to make amends to Xiao Xun. But before that, I must first defeat Xiao Xin. Is it too late to say this now?" Xiao Xin waved his hand, ignoring Bai Shan's cold expression, and slowly formed an unusual hand seal with both hands. As he continued to shape the seal, the emerald flames swirling around his body suddenly solidified, then surged inward, completely vanishing in a soft hiss. With the emerald flames gone, the dark pools in Xiao Xin's eyes gradually began to glow with emerald hues, and within a moment, his dark eyes were transformed into vibrant emerald ones. "First Stage of Heaven Fire Triple Transformation: Qinglian Transformation!" A calm voice slowly echoed within Xiao Yan's mind. As the final word settled, Xiao Yan suddenly completely drew in his inner energy, and instantly, that energy surged forth like a volcano breaking free from the earth's crust, pouring out in an overwhelming wave. Qing-colored flame aura surged rapidly from within Xiao Yan's body, sweeping across the sky, instantly raising the temperature of the plaza. Some less capable students could no longer contain their sweat. At this moment, Xiao Yan's energy had far surpassed the Grand Combatant level—roughly matching that of a Grand Spirit-tier warrior, if not exceeding it. Watching Xiao Yan enveloped in a vast mass of glowing green flame, and feeling the sudden surge of his powerful aura, the spectators on the stands were stunned and motionless. "A Grand Spirit-tier warrior?" Fixing his gaze tightly on Xiao Yan, Bai Shan's expression subtly shifted, while beside him, Huiga and Wu Hao also displayed a sense of serious anticipation. "Boom!" Before Bai Shan's words had fully settled, a surge of energy erupted from within the flames. A hazy, jade-colored figure sliced through the air with a sharp hiss, covering a distance of over fifteen meters in less than a second. The trio of Bai Shan barely had time to blink—before them stood a towering figure of jade flame, over three meters high, radiating intense heat. From within the flame, the figure's fists slammed out, forming three distinct after-images, each carrying blazing jade fire, and striking directly at the heads of the three. A jade-flame fist slammed squarely onto the intersected arms of the three, producing three distinct, resonant thuds. Instantly, the three figures' faces flushed with a warm hue, their feet skidding across the floor as they swiftly retreated. After retreating nearly ten steps, they firmly planted their feet, finally dissipating the force. As they felt the arms, now nearly numb from the impact of Xiao Yan's assault, a look of astonishment spread across their faces. They had never expected Xiao Yan's strength to have surged so dramatically—facing them all at once, he not only held his own but actually pressed them into a defensive posture. "We've got to give it everything!" White Shan gritted his teeth and roared, silver qi surging to the surface. The silver lance in his hands flashed with electric-like bursts of energy, rapidly flickering and dancing at the tip. As White Shan's lance trembled violently, the silver qi began to condense at the tip, emitting a faint hissing sound—clearly preparing for a powerful technique. By the side of Bai Shan, Wu Hao and Hu Jia hesitated slightly, their ki beginning to surge rapidly. Given their reputations at the Cana College, their pride made it difficult for them to accept that three of them would simultaneously fall to a young man of comparable age. Now, with the situation as it was, they could no longer afford to hold back. As their resolve solidified, vibrant green and blood-red ki surged forth from their bodies, intensifying their powerful, offensive techniques on their whip and heavy sword. After their earlier defeats, they were now determined to mount a fierce counterattack. Gazing at the purple flame, Xiao Yan flicked his right hand, and a green flame rose steadily. He slowly lifted his head, gazing at the three figures from Bai Shan who were preparing for their final stand. In his eyes, now filled entirely with green flame, there was not a single trace of emotion. His hands gradually closed, beginning the fusion of purple and green flames! The sight suggested that Xiao Yan was attempting to unleash a small version of the Buddha's Wrath Flame Lotus—clearly, the actions of the three from Bai Shan had truly ignited his fury. "Xiao Yan must have employed some secret technique that temporarily enhances his strength," the Vice Dean Hu Qiannan murmured, observing the still, green-flame figure on the field, and then turning to the three from Bai Shan who were now gathering powerful techniques across the stage. "Xiao Yan now probably possesses the strength of a Douling master. However, observing the Dou Techniques performed by Bai Shan's three companions, it's clear these are no ordinary feats. Even when all three combine their efforts, a Douling master wouldn't dare to take them lightly. If Xiao Yan decides not to involve Xun'er in the match, the game might end in a deadlock." One of the elders beside Hu Qi chuckled. "It won't be a deadlock..." A calm voice suddenly broke in. The elderly fire elder, intently focused on the jade-green flames encircling Xiao Yan, spoke softly, "If my assessment is correct, this very strike will mark the end of the match." "Oh?" Hu Qi, even surprised, turned his gaze toward the field. After a moment, he suddenly noticed the increasingly turbulent energy surge, his expression shifting, his sharp eyes fixed firmly on the jade-green flames. "By heaven! What kind of terrifying Dou Technique is Xiao Yan employing? He's clearly reached such an extraordinary level!" The quiet atmosphere in the arena lasted barely less than a minute before it was shattered! "Thunder that roars across eight thousand miles!" "Veil of Yin and Poisoned Vine!" "Blood-Splitting Slash!" At the very moment of impact, four streams of energy first grew still, then erupted into a thunderous explosion! Thick dust surged outward from the plaza, completely transforming the entire area into ruins at that very instant. As the plaza appeared nearly reduced to rubble, the spectators on the viewing platform fell into a profound, silent stillness.