The Central Plaza, the largest venue within the Inner Courtyard, is typically closed to the public, opening only when competitions are held within the courtyard. As the premier, most electrifying event—the "Strong Ranks" tournament—naturally takes place here, it becomes the undisputed venue. Although the plaza spans an extensive area, today it is completely filled with a dense crowd of people. Strolling around, the bustling masses carry their lively chatter, spreading out in all directions before converging into a continuous surge that rises toward the sky. When Xiao Yan and his group arrived, they were momentarily stunned by the tightly packed human walls. Fortunately, the competing athletes have designated access pathways. With Xiao Yan's light guiding them, Xun'er and the others bypassed the congestion and entered directly through the special channels guarded by their mentors, reaching a well-positioned elevated platform within the arena. Standing on the platform, his gaze sweeping downward, he could see the spacious arena neatly divided into five platforms—clearly the venue for this competition. Xiang Yan leaned against the railing, gazing down at the entire square with an elevated perspective. He listened to the growing clamor rising from the ordinary spectator stands, and a warm glow stirred in his eyes. This match symbolized the most outstanding clash among the top students of the Inner Academy. As these talents had gathered from across the continent, each one was naturally proud and ambitious—each sought to rise above the strong competition. Without a solid foundation, they would likely only serve as stepping stones for others to climb upon. Xiao Yan nodded, lazily stretched his arms, and said casually, "The Inner Courtyard has always been a gathering place for prodigies. To rank among the top fifty here, where so many talents abound, naturally means one isn't a mere average. This time, even I will have to give it my all—otherwise, I doubt I'll make it into the top ten." "With Xiao Yan brother surely succeeding!" A gentle smile played on the delicate, beautiful face, radiating more confidence than Xiao Yan himself held. "I'm not entirely certain yet, but the saying goes: 'A lion fighting a rabbit still uses all its strength.' Facing opponents of comparable strength, I naturally have to give it my very best." Xiao Yan smiled, then glanced at Xun'er and added, "But if you'd like, entering the Strong List shouldn't be difficult at all. If I apply all my efforts, I believe I can even stand up to Liu Qing and the others." "Xun smiled silently. Before him, she rarely revealed her true strength—though if anyone truly underestimated her for that reason, they would surely face significant consequences. The mystery and depth of her hidden reserves were even more profound than even Xiao Yan could match. 'She possesses strength yet chooses not to display it—what a waste of opportunity,' said Wu Hao, sighing with genuine regret. In his eyes, abandoning such a chance to fight against a strong opponent was nothing short of a grave offense. 'I heard you also made it into the 'Strong List' just two days ago?' Xiao Yan glanced sideways at Wu Hao. Though Wu Hao's strength only reached the peak of a Great Battle Master, Xiao Yan knew that if he truly unleashed his full potential, even an ordinary one- or two-star Battle Spirit would find it difficult to defeat him. 'Heh, I'm ranked forty-first—ten spots behind you. I hope we don't meet each other right at the start of the tournament.'" Wu Hao chuckled happily, a subtle sense of pride evident on his face. Having entered the Inner Courtyard just six months ago, he had directly secured a spot on the "Strong Rank" list—though the position wasn't particularly high, this achievement was already outstanding. Of course, compared to Xiao Yan, there was still a gap, but Wu Hao himself was thoroughly satisfied. After all, he had poured countless hours of hard work and dedication into attaining this rank. Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan was also impressed. Wu Hao's talent was truly exceptional; if it weren't for his own Tianhuo Sanxuan Transformation and various pills, Xiao Yan himself might not have achieved quite as much as Wu Hao had. After chatting with Wu Hao for a while longer, Xiao Yan decided to move on from that topic and turned his gaze around, scanning the surroundings. He soon noticed that an increasing number of people had already gathered on this elevated platform—most of the attendees were the contestants participating in the tournament, while others, like Xun'er, had been brought along by the participants casually. His eyes then settled on a strikingly elegant silver-haired woman with a cool, composed presence. Xiao Yan paused slightly, his gaze shifting, and there, beside Han Yue, he spotted Lin Xiu'ya, Yan Hao, and the others. It seemed as though since the day they had jointly searched deep in the mountains for the "Earth-Core Body-Quenching Milk," they had remained inseparable. When Xiao Yan noticed them, their eyes also turned toward him, and upon meeting each other's gaze, they exchanged warm smiles. "Ah, Xiao Yan," said one of them, "I hope we don't run into each other right at the start of the tournament—otherwise, that would be quite awkward." "With Lin Xiu'ya's demeanor, wherever he stands, he almost always commands the status of a protagonist. Thus, upon hearing his laughter, the various gazes surrounding the stage—filled with diverse emotions—shifted toward Xiao Yan. "Lin, as the second strongest on the strength roster, aside from Zi Yan, few can truly match you. If they meet you right at the start of the competition, it would only be a matter of bad luck for Xiao Yan," Xiao Yan smiled lightly. "That's not necessarily true. Your speed has me genuinely impressed." Lin Xiu'ya replied with a half-smile, having witnessed the astonishing speed Xiao Yan displayed when rescuing Han Yue. He certainly didn't underestimate the seemingly composed and unassuming younger brother before him. Lin Xiu'ya's voice remained steady, so the nearby competitors paused in surprise—given Lin's strength, such a statement was quite bold. Could Xiao Yan's speed truly be that remarkable? Undisturbed by the astonished glances around, Xiao Yan smiled at Lin Xiu'ya and then moved on from the topic. "By the way, we've gone back to the deep mountains recently," Lin Xiu'ya suddenly remarked after a while of chatting with Xiao Yan. His heart subtly leapt, yet Xiao Yan remained composed and smiled, "Oh? Really? How did it go? Did you finally succeed this time?" "How could it go otherwise? That beast is growing more and more eccentric. Last time was still manageable, but this time—when we met, he went completely berserk. He suddenly activated his wild bloodline awakening as soon as we arrived. If it weren't for our quick escape, we probably wouldn't have made it to the tournament at all," Yan Hao rolled his eyes, expressing his frustration. A quiet sigh of relief stirred within Xiao Yan, yet on his face, he offered reassurance, "It's all right if it doesn't work out. As long as we make it into the top ten of the strong contenders, we'll be able to enter the Tian Fen Qi Tower's lower level and undergo the so-called Primordial Heart Fire body forging. Then, I'm certain you'll all "Oh well, hope. Though the Heart-Fire Body Forging is hailed as a safe passage for the Battle King level, it still has a significant failure rate. If it succeeds, that's fine—though if it fails... even though we're now only one step away from the Battle King level, that very step might prove insurmountable without a fortunate opportunity. Perhaps it'll take five or ten years to make the breakthrough." Lin Xiu'ya shook his head with a sigh. "The Battle King level truly represents the elite among the continent's strongest. While Battle Spirits are nearly ubiquitous, only those who ascend to Battle King status can truly be considered beyond the ordinary and join the ranks of true powerhouses. I'm very aware of the gap between Battle Spirit and Battle King. Seeing Lin Xiu'ya and the others so concerned, I can't really offer any comforting words—after all, there are quite a few people on the continent who remain stagnant at this level for five or ten years. Honestly, I'm just a pessimist." "Gazing at the now silent atmosphere, Lin Xiu'ya chuckled softly, his slightly furrowed brows quickly smoothing out. He patted Xiao Yan's shoulder and said, 'I heard you had another clash with the group of Liu Qing back in the tower, didn't you? Hehe—so you'd better be careful. Liu Qing and his group hold quite a few spots on the Strong Ranks. If you meet them during the competition, you'll need to be cautious. Though the tournament has rules preventing anyone from being fatally injured, blades have no mercy.' Xiao Yan smiled and was about to nod when he suddenly sensed the atmosphere on the upper platform had grown noticeably still. He slightly turned his head, and as his gaze landed on the large group of people entering through the entrance, his eyes briefly narrowed. The group walked straight toward the platform, with everyone else along the way gracefully stepping aside. Leading the group was a simple-dressed man of solid build, his thick, well-defined brows arcing like blades. His composed, resolute face radiated an aura of sharp authority and commanding presence." This presence was nearly recognized by every single person within the inner courtyard—aside from Liu Qing, the master of the spear, who else could it be? Behind Liu Qing stood Liu Fei and Yao Sheng, both of whom had longstanding grievances with Xiao Yan. Now, both of them clearly noticed Xiao Yan and his companions, casting their resentment and cold glares toward them. In response, Xiao Yan merely slightly raised his brow, exchanged a quiet glance with Lin Xiu'ya, Yan Hao, and the others, and smiled gently. As Liu Qing and his companions steadily advanced toward Xiao Yan and his group, the voices on the platform gradually quieted. A steady stream of eyes focused on the two parties—their rivalry representing the two most powerful factions within the inner courtyard. Normally, due to various reasons, these two groups had always avoided direct confrontation. Yet today, under the imminent arrival of the grand tournament, they now faced off directly. Indeed, it was truly—destined to meet at last.