When Xiao Yan announced his number, Bai Cheng's face instantly went stiff, and even a touch of paleness crept into it. Though he had always been resentful of his defeats at Xiao Yan's hands—perhaps unwilling to admit it himself—and had long attributed his ultimate failure solely to Xiao Yan's consumption of the Dragon Power Pill, at that very moment, a subtle fear arose within him. Though he refused to acknowledge it aloud, deep down, he truly did feel a growing sense of fear toward Xiao Yan. Gripping the bamboo stick tightly in his hand, Bai Cheng gazed at the amused smile playing on Xiao Yan's lips. His face tightened, and his eyes lowered slightly, fixed on Xiao Yan with the determined, fierce gaze of a lone, starving wolf throwing everything on the line: "Damn fool! This time, even if I give everything I have, I'll make sure you lose your chance at securing a spot among the top ten!" Gazing calmly at the bowed Bai Cheng, Xiao Yan idly twirled the bamboo stick in his hand, with little concern. When he was a one-star Douling back then, he had already defeated Bai Cheng. Now, having further refined his strength, he felt confident in prevailing without needing to exhaust himself as he had in their previous encounter. Following Xiao Yan, several others drew bamboo sticks as well. Wu Hao’s opponent was a one-star Douling ranked 43rd on the "Strong List"—a position only at the lower end of the list. Though Wu Hao had just reached the peak of a Great Douliang, his chances of victory were solid if he gave it his all. The cheerful look on his face clearly indicated that he was grateful for his favorable draw. Once the last contestant had drawn their lottery numbers in full view of everyone, the match pairings were largely set. Naturally, there were several who looked crestfallen and utterly resigned, as their opponents were all top-tier talents ranked high on the strength list. Among them, one fighter with four-star Douling strength had drawn the same number as Liu Qing. At the very moment the number was announced, his face instantly turned pale. Though his strength ranked mid-tier among the top performers, his chances against Liu Qing—considered one of the absolute elite—were clearly so slim that they might as well have been negligible. What's particularly interesting is the one of Zhuo Yan's opponents. This person has been rising rapidly on the strength rankings lately, a solid underdog, and appears to be someone who only knows about secluding himself for cultivation. Therefore, he doesn't know Zhuo Yan very well. When he saw that his opponent was actually a young girl, he immediately broke into a smirk of disdain, receiving a few looks from the spectators who regarded him as a fool. The group of Xiao Yan and his companions couldn't help but chuckle at this scene. Perhaps, once the match began, this man would immediately cry until the sky turned grey. Upon hearing the number Su Qian recited, two of the contestants in the field instantly straightened up. "The seventh with blue base and the seventh with red base remain; the rest shall leave," Su Qian commanded. As soon as his words fell, the others swiftly moved out, leaving only two behind. The two remaining contestants, well-versed in protocol, immediately focused their attention, their faces taut, a subtle aura of combat energy radiating from their bodies. Each drew their weapons and fixed sharp gazes upon their opponent. "These two—one ranked thirty-fifth, the other thirty-eighth—have quite similar strengths, so their match is going to be quite intense." Wu Hao glanced at the two competitors and smiled. Xiao Yan nodded casually, leaning against the railing, his gaze lazily fixed on the field. "I didn't expect Xiao Yan brother's opponent to be Bai Cheng again," Xun'er said lightly,掩嘴 while smiling. "Just a previous defeat," Xiao Yan replied calmly, his eyes carrying a subtle undertone. Though, after his initial match on the platform, few people anymore claimed he had beaten Bai Cheng solely due to the use of pills—though that notion hadn't completely disappeared. Now, with this renewed encounter, he could clearly and publicly demonstrate before everyone that he had not only defeated Bai Cheng once, but twice, and even a third time! "Though he seems to hold a strong grudge against you, this encounter might well turn into a fierce battle. You may not fear him, but you should still be cautious—should he land a hard blow, it could prove detrimental to your upcoming matches." Wu Hao frowned, offering the advice. Xiao Yan smiled and nodded. By nature, he was careful and thus naturally vigilant about such matters. Whether or not he could secure a spot among the top ten of the strong contenders was crucial, as it directly affected whether his Falling Heart Flame would fall into his hands. Therefore, he approached this match with the utmost caution, deeply concerned that any misstep might disrupt his carefully laid plans. As several figures conversed among themselves, the two combatants below suddenly collided amidst the growing waves of excited murmurs from the stands. Their powerful qi streams met, producing deep, resonant cracks. With swift movements, crisp metallic clashes erupted, sparks continuously flashing as the battle immediately launched into full swing—omitting any warm-up phase and plunging straight into fierce, decisive confrontation. On the field, one contestant possessed fiery qi, the other wooden qi. Though the latter was slightly stronger in prowess, due to the inherent suppression of wooden qi by fire, he found himself slightly strained in defending against the former's attacks. In contrast, the fire qi contestant demonstrated exceptional tactical awareness, fully embodying the principle of launching a decisive, relentless assault. As his offensive unfolded, a continuous stream of scorching winds surged forth, his pale red qi rising like tangible flames, arcing through the air and delivering powerful, sharp strikes against his opponent. Yet, despite the intensity of this aggressive onslaught, the wooden qi contestant remained calm and composed, steadily absorbing each attack without any sign of panic or disturbance. Though it appeared he was gradually yielding, he had not yet sustained any serious damage. The battle unfolding on the field was also considered high-level within the inner courtyard, prompting the spectators seated around the stands to fix their eyes intently on the two figures, blinking scarcely, their excited shouts and strained cries echoing continuously throughout the plaza. Yet, while the match was thrilling for the onlookers, it only prompted only slight nods from Xiao Yan and his companions—after all, with differing levels of strength, their perspectives naturally diverged, viewing any situation from distinct vantage points. "The student with the fire-based qi will lose," Xiao Yan remarked casually, glancing at the battle. "Huh?" Lü Hao and Huo Jia exchanged surprised glances. At present, the fire-based student seemed to be dominating the match with overwhelming advantage. "The fire-based qi, though powerful in attack, lacks endurance. His opponent clearly has more combat experience, knowing how to retreat and prolong the battle. Although the wood-based qi is less potent in offense than the fire-based one, it excels in endurance and can actively heal injuries. If you pay close attention, you'll notice that the fire-based students' offensive momentum is gradually slowing down, while their opponent is steadily gaining the upper hand. It seems only ten minutes will pass before the outcome is decided." Beside them, Xun'er spoke softly with a warm smile, her gaze no less sharp than Xiao Yan's—indeed, in certain aspects, she was even more precise. Hearing Xun'er's analysis, Wu Hao and Hu Jia paid closer attention and after a moment, nodded in astonishment: "Indeed." Xiao Yan glanced at Xun, whose face smiled softly beside him. This young girl was far more perceptive than he was—indeed, he couldn't possibly tell which of the two would emerge victorious within just ten minutes. Xun's prediction proved accurate. At the eighth minute, the tense battle suddenly shifted. The student who had been consistently on the defensive, relying on wood-type qi, suddenly launched an exceptionally sharp and powerful assault. A stream of pale green qi burst forth from his hands, like a flowing ribbon, swiftly cutting through his opponent's defenses and striking hard against the opponent's chest. Instantly, the fire-type student turned pale, spitting out a stream of blood from his mouth, and collapsed off the field. When he managed to rise again, he found the entire arena erupting in thunderous applause, his face filled with quiet dismay and unyielding determination. "First match: He Bu wins!" "On the raised platform, Su Qian calmly announced the result of the competition. To him, this wasn't particularly intense—much like children playing house, it held little in the way of excitement or stakes. As the applause filled the hall, Su Qian leaned gently against the back of his chair, drew another bamboo stick from the bamboo tube, paused slightly, then smiled calmly at the several elders beside him. 'It seems we're going to have an interesting match after all.' 'The second match—number twenty-eight.' As Su Qian's words settled, a figure suddenly darted onto the stage. The newcomer was a man, radiating arrogance and confidence. Recently, he has even surpassed Xiao Yan in popularity, rising directly from outside the Strong Rankings to secure the 33rd position. He has even made bold claims—within just five days, he would surely defeat Xiao Yan himself. This has earned him widespread admiration, yet Xiao Yan has remained utterly unmoved. Busy with his own closed-door cultivation, Xiao Yan has simply had no time to engage with these newly ascendant figures. Shortly after the man's arrival, a slender, petite figure emerged into the collective gaze. In the midst of quiet laughter from Xiao Yan and the others, the young girl in white slowly climbed onto the stage. "Ha ha, little girl, don't worry—I'll hold back!" the man smiled, already envisioning the glory of his own advancement. For the men's loud laughter, the figures on the elevated platform—Xiao Yan, Lin Xiu'ya, Liu Qing, and others—all wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads.