"Puff!" On the vast, open clearing, six figures surged through the spatial barriers like lightning, colliding in an instant at the center of the ground. Immediately, the ki erupted like a volcanic eruption, spreading throughout the sky. The streams of ki clashed, generating a powerful gust of wind that shook the fallen leaves into fine dust. Xiao Yan's opponent was a young man named Su Xiao. Though Su Xiao might be the most slender among the three captains, Xiao Yan had sensed from the earlier coordination that he was actually stronger than the other two—otherwise, given the evident pride displayed by Ling Bai and Xiu Yan, they would have disregarded his suggestions. Yet, just now, neither of the two had voiced any objections to Su Xiao's proposals, clearly treating him as their leader. "Ssshh—" The massive Xu Zhong Chi tore through the air, pressing down like Mount Tai itself, bearing a dark shadow and a powerful gust of wind, and crashing straight toward Su Xiao who had just appeared before it. At the last moment, when the giant staff passed only half a foot above Su Xiao's head, he merely floated back a step as if gently brushed by a breeze—light and unimpeded. The staff then skimmed past Su Xiao's face, just an inch away, carrying with it a strong current of wind that blew his hair completely back. "Strong force." Just narrowly evading Xiao Yan's heavy, precise strikes, Su Xiao chuckled and then lightly tapped the ground with her foot, her body seeming weightless as she surged forward with sudden momentum, swiftly closing the distance to Xiao Yan. Her sleeves gently trembled, revealing two black daggers about two inches long that slid smoothly into her palms. With an arm movement like a whirlwind, the daggers cut through the air, leaving trails of faint, silent shadows and delicate spirals of wind at their tips, launching a rapid, dazzling barrage of sharp thrusts directly at Xiao Yan's body. Su Xiao's attack with the two daggers was remarkably swift—so fast that Xiao Yan personally felt he couldn't match that pace. Yet, while he couldn't quite reach that speed, defending against it wasn't particularly difficult. Though the Xuan Zhong Chi, though large and heavy, still possessed undeniable advantages. With merely a step backward, the heavy staff materialized before Xiao Yan like a shield, while Su Xiao's nearly unceasing barrage of dagger attacks struck squarely upon the staff's surface. A continuous series of clinks and sparks erupted, and within just a few breaths, Su Xiao had wildly swung her dagger nearly twenty to thirty times—yet despite the thunderous speed and force of these attacks, Xiao Yan's impenetrable defense with the heavy staff successfully repelled every single one. From the gentle whirl of wind swirling around Su Xiao, it's evident that the Qi he cultivates belongs to the agile, fluid wind type. As a result, his speed and agility are truly remarkable. After witnessing a series of fierce attacks fall short, he does not retreat but instead maintains a leaf-like, fluid movement, darting continuously around Xiao Yan, his dagger frequently drawing sharp, cold arcs to strike at any fleeting openings revealed by Xiao Yan. Su Xiao knows well that Xiao Yan's staff is highly effective—should the latter gain distance to fully deploy it, it would pose a significant threat to him. Therefore, he ensures that Xiao Yan never gets a chance to fully extend and unleash his attacks. To succeed, he must keep Xiao Yan completely off-balance and unable to counterattack. In the Inner Courtyard, Su Xiao has repeatedly demonstrated his signature agility and attack speed, forcing numerous challengers to fall completely behind before they could fully reveal their strength. "The strength of a Six-Star Grand Combatant... Indeed, the students from the Inner Courtyard are exceptionally strong! Occasionally shifting his body slightly, Xiao Yan held his heavy ruler like a shield, constantly sweeping it around his body as he moved, his peripheral vision constantly scanning the surroundings. Although Su Xiao's attack speed and footwork were more than a bit unexpected, for Xiao Yan—whose senses functioned as his eyes—whenever Su Xiao launched an attack, he immediately registered it and responded with timely defensive and countermeasures. Thus, despite the appearance of Su Xiao launching a relentless assault, he posed no real threat to Xiao Yan at all." Moreover, from their earlier interactions, Xiao Yan had already gained a solid understanding of Su Xiao's capabilities, and was no less amazed. Though Su Xiao was only around twenty-five, his cultivation pace still fell short compared to Xiao Yan's, yet for someone of his age to achieve such strength was no mean feat. Indeed, when Xiao Yan was in the Gamma Empire, most of the Grand Combatant-level强者 he encountered—except for special cases like Nalan Yanran—were middle-aged, and this included even his own father, Xiao Zhan. Thus, in any part of the Gamma Empire, Su Xiao would undoubtedly be hailed as a prodigy. Yet, among the inner academy, prodigies of this caliber were not particularly rare. "Indeed, the heart of Canaan Academy—this inner courtyard is becoming increasingly fascinating..." Xiang Yin murmured to himself, his arms vibrating as he suddenly swung the massive staff backward, sending the two blades streaking with lightning flying back. Faced with Bai Shan's displayed strength, Ling Bai was also somewhat surprised, his expression growing increasingly serious. Holding a ghost-headed great sword that shimmered with cold light, he delivered powerful strikes and sweeping arcs, the blade's chill radiating with sharp intensity. Occasionally, when the edge of the sword grazed Bai Shan's robes, small red spots would appear on his skin. Xiu Yan's attacks were pure, unadorned force—direct and unyielding. If other fighters had faced him, they might have adopted a defensive, evasive style. But Wu Hao was different. His blood-red heavy sword, nearly identical in size and weight to Xiao Yan's, revealed a strength equally formidable. Indeed, as he faced Xiu Yan's relentless, solid assaults, he never wavered a single step. Blood-energy surged continuously from within him, and with each powerful swing of his fist, a deep sonic boom resonated, meeting Xiu Yan's attacks in direct, unrelenting clashes. Yet his steady, unyielding stance allowed Xiu Yan to grow increasingly vigorous with each strike. In the inner courtyard, few had ever fought against him with such unrelenting intensity. Overcome by the sheer exhilaration, he could not help but laugh aloud, his voice echoing into the sky—though his arms continued to whirl with relentless force, never slowing down. On the contrary, his attacks grew ever more fierce, the roar of his punches shaking the eardrums of onlookers. Any fallen leaves within half a meter of his fists were instantly pulverized into fine dust. Within this chaotic battlefield, although the number of new students was greater, they suffered due to a lack of coordinated teamwork. In contrast, the twelve senior students from the inner courtyard not only possessed significantly stronger individual prowess but also demonstrated a level of cohesion far beyond that of the newcomers. As a result, shortly after the battle began, new students were frequently knocked out of the fighting circle. However, after Xu Er and Hu Jia joined the fray, this disadvantage gradually reversed. With a clear leadership core, the new students' attacks began to coalesce into a coherent force. Ultimately, Xu Er and Hu Jia each led a group of new students, cutting through like sharp blades, successfully breaching the tightly interlocked defensive formation of the twelve seniors and splitting their unified team apart, gradually consuming their strength. Undoubtedly, the roles played by Xun'er and Hu Guaja were extremely crucial. Once their defensive formations were breached, the senior students began to grow uneasy. Within just seven or eight minutes, several of them—two or three—were simultaneously struck by a dozen powerful blows from multiple attackers, sending them crashing out of the battlefield and collapsing, gasping for breath. The entire battlefield gradually intensified into a fierce, dynamic struggle. The intensity of the combat was so overwhelming that many spectators were stunned—some even had to close their eyes in tears, delivering serious injuries to their opponents, both among the freshmen and the seniors. Indeed, this year’s "Fire Hunt Competition" is likely to make a significant impact throughout the inner academy, as it marks the first time in nearly a decade that freshmen have compelled the senior teams to such a dire situation. As the battle reached its peak intensity, changes began to unfold at Xiao Yan’s battlefield. After more than fifteen minutes of exchange, Xiao Yan had finally fully grasped Su Xiao's attack patterns, and now it was time to conclude his relentless, downpour-like assault. Gripping the heavy staff tightly, Xiao Yan roared, his body spinning rapidly like a top, casting a massive shadow that whipped up a terrifying gust of wind, enveloping the entire area within two meters of him. "Clang!" The sudden shift from defense to offense caught Su Xiao off guard. Retreating swiftly, Su Xiao skillfully used the tip of his dagger to lightly press against the staff, gaining leverage and leaping into the air. Observing Su Xiao's ascent, Xiao Yan smiled coldly, then plunged the heavy staff firmly into the ground. With both hands swiftly forming hand seals, he slightly tilted his head back, then blew out his cheeks, and suddenly opened his mouth—immediately erupting in a powerful, unusual sonic roar resembling a tiger's cry. As soon as the roar left Xiao Yan's mouth, Su Xiao felt a thunderous boom resonating within his mind, as if lightning were crashing through it. For that instant, his consciousness became hazy, nearly bordering on unconsciousness. Lion-Hybrid Golden Chant! This sonic technique, meticulously refined by Xiao Yan during his late-night training before entering the inner courtyard, had finally yielded remarkable results upon its first deployment. Although Su Xiao's hazy state lasted only a fleeting moment, in a clash between true warriors, that very instant often determines the outcome of the battle.