The spacious resting area grew slightly quieter due to the sudden, fierce energy radiating from the two combatants, and soon, a dozen figures around them stepped back, their faces filled with the pleasure of witnessing the spectacle. While training within the tower enhanced their progress, it was often monotonous and dull; now that a fight had erupted, they naturally welcomed such lively entertainment. Lin Yan watched the one who had directly confronted Yao Sheng, and was momentarily stunned. Though he intended to intervene, he paused and ultimately chose not to speak. Though Xiao Yin's apparent strength was only at the beginning of the two-star Spiritual Realm, Lin Yan knew that his true combat prowess far surpassed this level. Thus, even against Yao Sheng's capabilities, winning would likely prove no easy feat. "Let him experience firsthand the power of one of the top twenty on the Strong Ranks," Lin Yan thought. Stepping back, he grinned widely at Xiao Yin, "Go ahead and knock that stiff, formal type off his feet—see if he dares to be so reserved around you anymore." Xiao Yan smiled and took another step forward. As his hands moved, the massive Xuanzhong Scale materialized in his palms, emitting a sharp, tearing sound as it sliced through the air. With a sweeping motion, he extended the scale toward Yao Sheng. Under these circumstances, the battle fervor within Xiao Yan surged like endless waves, continuously rising with his aura. Amidst this increasingly powerful aura, the spectators nearby subtly expressed mild astonishment, murmuring to themselves, "This man truly matches the reputation—his combat strength far exceeds what his surface prowess suggests." Staring coldly at Xiao Yan, whose aura was steadily rising, Yao Sheng gently rotated his hands, allowing an extremely dense deep-blue aura to seep out. As this deep-blue aura emerged, fine strands of moisture began to coalesce around him. Within just a brief moment, a slightly darkened water shield formed, enveloping him completely from top to bottom. The surface of the shield rippled continuously, appearing as a dynamic, ever-rotating entity. "Be careful—this is his specialty, the Azure Whale Water Barrier, specifically designed to counter opponents with strong physical power. It seems he knows you well; he's already deployed a technique tailored to counter your strengths," Lin Yan remarked, raising an eyebrow at the darkened water shield Yao Sheng had formed. Hearing this, Xiao Yan was slightly astonished, then nodded slightly—clearly, this man had the caliber to rank among the top seventeen. Yet... Xiao Yan had never felt the slightest hesitation against water-type qi users, no matter how strong they were. A cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth. Under the enveloping qi, delicate streaks of pale blue flame gradually wrapped the heavy staff. With the aid of the Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire, ordinary water-type qi users typically only managed about seven or eight layers of power against him. "Even if I know that, what good would it do?" Niao Sheng, having been directly pointed out by Lin Yan, remained calm and offered a cold chuckle. "That's not certain," Xiao Yan replied with a composed smile. Suddenly, he planted his feet firmly on the ground, and a subtle rumble of thunder echoed throughout the arena. As he moved, his figure blurred into a shadow, moving like a ghost, swiftly and silently, charging straight toward Niao Sheng. With eyes slightly half-lidded, gazing at that streak of black moving as swiftly as a thunderbolt, Yao Sheng's coldness deepened, his rich, flowing battle qi surging continuously through his body. In the arena, two powerful streams of energy clashed with increasing intensity and ferocity, poised to erupt violently within the space of the sixth-floor tower. For a distance of just over ten meters, Xiao Yan's speed was barely a blink—yet all present were no ordinary individuals, so even though Xiao Yan moved with remarkable swiftness, everyone's eyes remained fixed upon him. Feeling the strength of Xiao Yan's forceful strike, even Yao Sheng, who had harbored some initial disdain, could not help but display a sense of seriousness. His hands moved swiftly, and a steady stream of slightly darker, moist ki surged forth, rapidly coalescing into a layered network of ki water webs above his head. "Boom!" The heavy staff, bearing immense force, struck squarely upon the dense, interwoven layers of ki water webs. Instantly, a visible wave of kinetic energy radiated outward from the point of impact, rippling outward like ripples in water. As the two collided, Xiao Yan's brow furrowed slightly. He could sense an eerie adhesive force embedded within the water networks. Though the force was considerable, the power of the Heavy Scale still effortlessly dismantled nearly a hundred layers of qi-water networks within just a few seconds. Yet, despite the swift destruction, Yao Sheng was no slower in forming the networks—his hands moved rapidly, creating clear streaks of afterimages, and the water networks took shape swiftly as those afterimages danced. After the intense clash, around ten seconds later, when the Heavy Scale came within only half a foot of Yao Sheng's head, the adhesive force embedded in the dense network of qi-water finally fully immobilized the Scale in midair. Though the Scale was now securely held, the gust of wind emanating from it still passed through the space, sending Yao Sheng's neatly combed hair scattering in all directions. The force of the wind streaming through stunned him momentarily, leaving Yao Sheng's face looking extremely unimpressive. He hadn't expected to suffer such a setback even in his first encounter—though he sustained no physical injury, his appearance had become quite awkward. How could he bear this, given his deep concern for appearances? A low roar erupted from his throat. With his right hand, Yao Sheng sharply curled it into a claw, black qi seeping through in fine threads and rapidly coalescing into a sharp, sleek black claw. As he swung it, the sharp tips of the claws tore through the air, directly tearing toward Xiao Yan, who hovered halfway in front of him. Holding the Xuanzhong Chi firmly in both hands, Xiao Yan surged with internal power, pulling it free from the viscous water web. His body spun once in midair, and finally, his foot, encased in jade-like green qi, met the force of Yao Sheng's claw with a solid impact. "Crack!" A low, resonant sound echoed as both of them swiftly retreated due to the rebound of their powerful forces. After a brief moment, when Xiao Yin descended from the air, Yao Sheng forcefully stamped the ground, steadying his stance and coldly glancing at Xiao Yin's foot. Only upon seeing the shoe torn open with a large hole did he emit a quiet chuckle. Though their clash had been swift and instantaneous, it had been perilously intense, with both parties delivering heavy blows—any slight misstep from either side would have resulted in serious injury. Such a dynamic and gripping battle even impressed the surrounding spectators, despite their own strength, prompting them to silently nod in admiration. Indeed, Xiao Yin had truly earned his reputation, managing to hold his own against Yao Sheng, ranked seventeenth on the strength list, without showing any clear disadvantage. "It's strange—Xiao Yin's water-type qi seems to possess a certain corrosive effect. If it weren't for the subtle counteraction of the hidden fire, he would surely have taken a significant toll," Xiao Yin murmured, as he gently shook his legs. At the very moment of contact, he had clearly sensed the corrosive nature of Yao Sheng's qi. "Hey, Xiao Yan, impressive!" Lin Yan gave Xiao Yan a solid thumbs-up. In their earlier battle, even he had struggled to find any real flaws—especially considering that Xiao Yan had managed to stay undefeated despite the intensity of the clash. Though Yao Sheng was only a Seven-Star Battle Spirit, his battle energy was unusually peculiar, making even ordinary Eight-Star Battle Spirits find it difficult to overcome him. Xiao Yan's performance, therefore, came as a genuine surprise. "This is just warm-up—what's there to be proud of?" Yao Sheng said, his face stern and his voice cold, matching the tone of his battle energy, sending a clear chill through the room. Xiao Yan glanced at him calmly, said nothing, and then swept his staff once more, rechanneling his battle energy. "Hmph! All of you—hold your ground!" However, as Xiao Yan and Yao Sheng were about to engage once more, a sharp exhalation suddenly rang out, and then a figure appeared mysteriously in the midst of the arena. Instantly, a powerful and overwhelming aura surged forth, crashing like waves, with cracks spreading rapidly from beneath his feet, extending all the way to the far end of the resting area before gradually subsiding. The familiar intensity and dominance of that aura immediately allowed the onlookers to recognize the visitor, and most of them now displayed a mixture of reverence and seriousness—clearly, the arrival of this person carried significant weight even among the inner courtyard's top-tier warriors. Xiao Yan slowly lowered his heavy staff, his eyes slightly narrowed as he gazed at Liu Qing, his expression calm and composed, showing no signs of awe or deference. "Brother Liu!" Yao Sheng beamed with delight upon seeing Liu Qing appear. With a wave of his hand, he silenced Yao Sheng. Li Qing glanced at Xiao Yan and Lin Yan, and said calmly, "I've said it—now is the time for cultivation. Any grievances will be settled during the tournament!" As he finished, he fixed a steady gaze on Xiao Yan, clearly remembering him well. Upon hearing this, Yao Sheng opened his mouth, then nodded, his eyes coldly turning toward Xiao Yan, and said sternly, "This time, you're lucky. I hope we don't meet again during the tournament—otherwise, your good fortune might well come to an end." Xiao Yan flicked his eyelid, unwilling to bother with such sharp remarks, and simply directed his gaze toward Liu Qing. This man had been the most formidable opponent just now—despite his current strength, he hadn't been entirely confident. "Xiao Yan, you truly interest me. Though my opponent is Lin Xiu'ya, I also hope you can make your way in. However, remember this: during the competition, life and death shall be determined by fate. Though the Inner Courtyard has rules preventing excessive use of fatal blows, the actual combat will still be relentless and unpredictable," Liu Qing said calmly, his voice subtly carrying a tone of warning. The voice was fresh and clear, charming, yet beneath it, everyone in the resting area—except Xiao Yan—saw their faces suddenly pale, their gazes shifting abruptly, finally settling on a small figure at the entrance of a training room.