After finally settling everything concerning Xiao Li, Xiao Yin was finally able to return to the Inner Courtyard to prepare for the upcoming Inner Courtyard "Strong Ranks" battle. However, before departing, he did stop by to meet with Xiao Yu, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Ning once more. Now that the Xiao family had suffered such profound losses—countless members having perished at the hands of Yunlan Sect and the Spirit Palace—Xiao Yin had grown notably more gentle and compassionate toward these three relatives who shared blood ties with him. What had once been minor grievances from their time in the family now faded from his memory. After all, they were family members bound by blood, and such relationships naturally fostered greater trust compared to those with outsiders. The internal academy selection tournament will resume in another six months, and this time, with Xiao Yu's capabilities, securing a spot will be quite achievable. As for Xiao Mei and Xiao Ning, their paths will be slightly more challenging, though even this level of difficulty will hardly pose a significant obstacle for Xiao Yan, who holds the rank of Fifth-Class Alchemist. During the previous session, when the old alchemist crafted several unique and unusual pills, Xiao Yan had acquired numerous prescriptions. While these pills may not guarantee either Xiao Ning or Xiao Mei a championship title, with a bit of luck, entering the top fifty should certainly be attainable. After finalizing these various arrangements, Xiao Yan felt completely at ease. He said his goodbyes to the three and then rode once again with Xun'er and the others on the lion-hyenas back to the academy. … When Xiao Yan and the others returned to the inner courtyard, less than twenty-five days remained until the "Strong Ranks" tournament. As the event drew near, nearly every topic of conversation within the courtyard centered on this highly anticipated, exclusive competition featuring only the top-tier students ranked among the Strong Ranks. Those who made it into the top fifty of the Strong Ranks were essentially the elite among the courtyard's students, and their matches naturally attracted immense interest. Although only students listed on the Strong Ranks were eligible to participate, this did not diminish the enthusiasm and anticipation of the courtyard's students for the tournament. Amidst this frenzied, mutual propagation among all, the atmosphere throughout the inner courtyard reached its most vibrant level in several years. After all, merely securing a spot among the top ten would qualify one as a candidate for Inner Courtyard Elder—a status that granted immense influence among the students. Indeed, the contrast between Elders and students is stark, and countless students eagerly strive to achieve this status, only to find themselves falling short due to the rigorous criteria. Naturally, the appeal of the Inner Courtyard Eldership extends beyond the prestige of commanding influence among students. The primary reason lies in the exclusive access granted to Elders—the foundational level of the "Heaven-Burning Qi Tower," which only Elder candidates are eligible to enter. The benefits of the "Heaven-Burning Qi Tower" in accelerating cultivation progress are well known among the inner courtyard residents, so the contestants who are not qualified to enter the final few levels naturally covet them—training there would significantly shorten the time required to reach the Battle Emperor rank. Of course, if one possessed such innate talent themselves... Indeed, even with the aid of the "Heaven-Burning Qi Tower," ascending to the Battle Emperor rank remains no easy feat. Thus, anyone with even moderate strength harbors a strong desire for the top ten spots on the "Strong List"—that prestigious position and its unique privileges are sufficient to transform them into true powerhouses! … Moreover, due to the qualification requirements for the "Strong Ranking" competition, the Inner Academy was now swept by a fervent wave of challenges. Those who had previously focused solely on diligent study suddenly burst into the spotlight, creating an uproar of activity throughout the academy. The atmosphere reached an unprecedented intensity, and amid this near-chaotic surge of challenges, one after another remarkable underdogs emerged, continually rising to prominence. With these underdogs rising, fierce competition naturally intensified on the "Strong Ranking" list. While the top twenty positions remained largely stable over the short span, the bottom thirty saw almost daily shifts—quiet, previously unremarkable students consistently climbing up, earning widespread admiration and astonishment. Amidst this surge, Xiao Yan, ranked thirty-fourth on the Strong List, could hardly remain isolated. Moreover, perhaps due to the perception that his victory over Bai Cheng was somewhat aided by medicinal elixirs, he received challenges nearly several times more numerous than any other top-tier Strong List member. Clearly, these challengers all intended to step on his shoulders and seize his qualification for the competition. At this crucial moment, Xiao Yan's actions immediately sparked uproar throughout the Inner Courtyard, with the entrance of the Panmen nearly blocked off. This was the first time since he had defeated Bai Cheng and secured the 34th position on the Strong Rank List that he had publicly accepted a challenge—naturally drawing countless eager eyes to see if he could maintain the formidable strength he displayed previously. Naturally, there were also those with ill will, hoping and even cursing for Xiao Yan to be completely defeated in front of everyone on the platform. Unfortunately, their hopes—dreaming of Xiao Yan, the unexpected rising star, falling to his knees—did not come true. The final outcome left the onlookers around utterly stunned, silent in awe. On the third day, five challengers—one Four-Star Douling, three Five-Star Doulings, and one Six-Star Douling—fought from morning until night. Five battles... all defeats! Most notably, the strongest of them, the Six-Star Douling, fell severely wounded. Over fifteen challenges spanning three days, with no single defeat, Xiao Yan publicly secured and solidified his position on the "Strong List," originally ranked 34th, even rising slightly—now ranked 31st, thanks to the final Six-Star Douling's performance. The flawless record left the onlookers in awe, so much so that not a single sound of surprise or murmuring escaped them. When the six-star Duolings' body crashed heavily onto the floor outside the arena, only the thunderous cries of the Pan Gate members echoed through the night sky, lingering on. And now, it seems his recent actions have been remarkably successful. With this streak of fifteen consecutive victories, not only have no challengers dared to step up against Xiao Yan, believing him any longer to be a soft target, but his own strength has also significantly improved. Indeed, some sharp-eyed observers even suspect that over the past three days, Xiao Yan’s prowess has gradually approached the level of two-star Domain Spirit, though his actual combat power still far exceeds this tier. As for the top thirty on the "Strong Ranks," while they have heard of Xiao Yan’s performances in the arena, the increasing pressure as the tournament nears has compelled them to focus intensely on their own rigorous training. Consequently, aside from the one six-star Domain Spirit, no particularly formidable opponents have emerged to seriously challenge Xiao Yan. Thus, upon the conclusion of the fifteenth battle, Xiao Yan, now with fifteen consecutive victories, did not linger on the platform. With a cold gaze sweeping across the crowd, no one dared to meet his eyes—then he turned and departed. Of course, no traces could be entirely concealed, especially in an inner courtyard where people are numerous and talkative, so soon after some members of the courtyard began to wonder about Xiao Yan's whereabouts, news suddenly began to circulate.