As everyone, including Xun'er, was already aware of Xiao Yan's sudden surge of immense strength, they did not find it surprising that his current aura was so powerful. However, the figures high up—Lin Xiu'ya and the others—could not help but emit a surprised gasp. Even with their formidable strength, they could clearly perceive that Xiao Yan's power had now nearly caught up with Bai Cheng. Such a dramatic leap—especially considering the six-star strength gap—was truly astonishing. "It's no wonder I initially felt cautious when first meeting him," Lin Xiu'ya remarked, a subtle sense of amazement now evident in his eyes, clearly indicating that Xiao Yan's performance had far exceeded his expectations. Yan Hao, standing beside him, kept his eyes fixed on Xiao Yan below, observing his facial expression with evident interest—seeming particularly intrigued by Xiao Yan's sudden outburst. After hearing Lin Xiu'ya's words, Yan Hao gave a slight nod and then raised his gaze, finally settling on a spot slightly dimmer in light, where he faintly sensed a low, surprised exclamation. "White Cheng has truly run into a wall this time. Perhaps the top rank on the 'Strong List' will have to be handed over entirely," Yan Hao said, smiling with a touch of satisfaction and relief. Lin Xiu'ya and the others chuckled, then turned their attention back to the battlefield below. … After performing the Third Heavenly Fire Transformation, Xiao Yan's strength had undoubtedly reached a level comparable to Bai Cheng within a short period. Thus, when Bai Cheng observed Xiao Yan suddenly surging forward with an impressive momentum, his initially dismissive expression underwent several subtle shifts. While he was aware of Xiao Yan's ability to enhance his strength through sheer determination, he had not considered it particularly significant—believing such an approach to be merely a makeshift method that would inevitably reveal its limitations over time. However, in the presence of the figure charging toward him with the force of thunder, this sense of superiority began to waver. It was only now that Bai Cheng realized he had genuinely underestimated Xiao Yan from the very beginning. Bitting down hard on his teeth, White Cheng tightly gripped his long spear, his eyes fixed firmly on the steadily approaching Xiao Yan. A glint of frost flashed across his gaze—he knew clearly what this battle meant for him. Should he lose, his standing on the "Strong Ranks" list would immediately be overtaken by Xiao Yan, and with it, the prestige of the "White Clan" would suffer significantly, plunging his status within the Inner Courtyard to a new low. No matter how formidable Xiao Yan appeared, today he would have to defeat him at all costs! A golden qi sphere gently trembled, then suddenly erupted with a low roar as the spear flashed forward in lightning speed. With each stroke of the spear, a shimmering afterimage appeared before the onlookers. White Cheng's spear movements were astonishingly rapid; within a single instant, the cascading afterimages completely enveloped the space in front of him. At that very moment, Xiao Yan, charging forward like a great beast, instantly broke through the barrier of spear shadows. "Roar!" The deep yellow afterimages halted mid-air, their tips glowing with an unusual cold brilliance. Enhanced by the deep yellow qi, each afterimage possessed the power to pierce stone walls. As White Cheng gazed upon Xiao Yan, now mere steps away, his voice surged into a sharp cry. With the cry, the dense network of deep yellow spear shadows suddenly burst forth, instantly filling the battlefield with a sharp, piercing wind sound—harsh and commanding. There were numerous gun shadows, and the ability to coalesce so many at once demonstrated Bai Cheng's formidable strength—indeed, the "Strong Rank" masters live up to their reputation. If it were a typical Du Ling, Bai Cheng's relentless assault would surely leave them scrambling. Yet Xiao Yan's combat experience was no less impressive than Bai Cheng's, and with the application of Tianhuo Sanxuan Transformation, he had already gained the capability to match Bai Cheng head-on. Though the gun shadows flashed and the wind pressure was intense, Xiao Yan remained resolute, neither retreating nor faltering. He raised his massive Xuanzhong Chi staff with a simple, steady motion and then delivered a powerful, straightforward slash. "Break!" The traces left by Xuan Zhong's chopping motion were quite ordinary, devoid of any elaborate flair—simple and straightforward in execution, yet radiating an unparalleled power, as if splitting mountains and cracking the earth. The jade ruler sliced through the air, leaving a faint, dark trail behind it. A fierce gust of wind surged beneath the ruler, and under the overwhelming force of this energy, even the solid ground beneath subtly cracked, revealing a fissure. This clearly demonstrated the sheer strength of Xiao Yan's strike. Many spectators on the stands were subtly moved by the intensity of this powerful blow, finding the battle truly captivating. A vast array of gunsha swiftly vanished, and by the end, only a few remaining gunsha gave up their futile assault. The gunstaves solidified, and in an instant, a tangible, long spear sliced through the air like lightning, its sharp gust of wind rapidly coalescing at the tip and driving straight toward Xiao Yan's chest. As the yellow glow surged, a yellow energy sand snake suddenly shot forth from the center, its fierce maw slamming hard against the heavy ruler. "Boom!" The impact sent out a powerful sound, and visible ripples of force rapidly spread outward, causing cracks to radiate from beneath Xiao Yan's feet across the solid floor. "Get out of the way!" With a firm press of his palm against the spear shaft, the six-star Battle Spirit strength poured forth without reservation, delivering a powerful force that struck the ruler with overwhelming strength. The spear tip gave a sharp upward lift, and then, under everyone's watchful eyes, the black heavy ruler shot out of Xiao Yan's hands, whirling through the air before finally slanting into the ground beyond the battlefield circle. Carrying the full force of his attack, he finally dislodged Xiao Yan's weapon. For a moment, Bai Cheng seemed poised for victory, his spirit soaring, and he burst into a loud, confident laugh—yet his lance did not waver, still driving straight toward Xiao Yan's chest. As the lance came free from his grasp, Xiao Yan's brow furrowed slightly. Indeed, Bai Cheng's lance technique surpassed that of his mentor, Bai Shan—more fierce and ruthless. The lance flashed like lightning, and as a faint stinging pain radiated through his chest, silver electric glimmers appeared beneath his feet. His body shuddered, leaving a slightly blurred afterimage in place, while his form had already shifted to over a dozen meters away. The lance swiftly pierced through the afterimage, gently stirring it into nothingness. Bai Cheng looked up at Xiao Yan, now standing over a dozen meters away, and coldly remarked, "You still don't surrender? If you kneel and beg for mercy now, I'll spare you. Otherwise, I won't hesitate—lances and blades have no mercy. You'll end up with broken arms and legs. Don't come crying to me when I'm done." At the arena, the Inner Courtyard never strictly prohibited killing, but generally, unless relations between the two parties had deteriorated severely, they usually maintained a degree of restraint—after all, this was still an academy setting, not a truly blood-soaked battleground. Without acknowledging Bai Cheng's pride, Xiao Yan casually glanced at the heavy measuring rod outside and slightly twisted his body, feeling the robust ki surge within him like a flood, now free from the constraints of the Yuan Zhong Shi. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth—one that made Bai Cheng's eyes darken with displeasure. Turning his gaze to Bai Cheng, whose expression was now cold and stern, Xiao Yan chuckled softly but said nothing. On his feet, silver light flashed once more, and then he lightly stepped forward, appearing like a ghost at Bai Cheng's side. With his searing cyan ki-covered fist, he struck the latter's head with a force that carried a steady gust of warm wind and sharp intensity. The terrifying speed Xiao Yan displayed at this moment caused Bai Cheng's eyes to narrow instantly, and his head reflexively arched back as a stream of hot air sliced past his face, leaving a burning sensation. "This guy... how has his speed suddenly surged so dramatically?" The fleeting shadows before him stirred a tremendous wave of astonishment within Bai Cheng, who angrily muttered under his breath. To someone unfamiliar with Xiao Yan, it was simply unknown that when Xiao Yan had shed the Xuanzhong Chi, he had truly reached the peak of his combat potential. While losing a weapon might be a devastating blow to others, for Xiao Yan, it had freed him from a limiting constraint. Holding the Xuanzhong Chi was not impressive—what truly struck Bai Cheng was Xiao Yan, barehanded, a fully realized, relentless melee machine!