Night slowly flowed as time passed, and as the last sliver of moonlight faded at the horizon, a gentle glow began to dispel the darkness across the land. With the first rays of morning light spilling into the inner courtyard, the quiet atmosphere instantly broke, marking the moment when the top ten spots in the Strong Ranks Tournament were decided. By now, the event had truly entered its climax—every inner courtyard student was eagerly anticipating the emergence of the new top ten contenders. The broad plaza, once again, quickly filled to overflowing, its vibrant clamor constantly echoing in the ears of every attendee, its passionate atmosphere infecting each person who entered. When Xiao Yan and the others reached the platform, it was already packed with spectators. Though over half of the contestants had been eliminated over the past two days, even those unable to participate directly found great value in simply observing such high-level combat. At this moment, Xiao Yan had undoubtedly become the biggest surprise of this year's Strong Ranks Tournament. Having entered the Inner Academy barely over a year ago, he now possessed the qualification to challenge for the top ten spots—a level of achievement that would leave ordinary people in awe. As a result, his very arrival drew the attention of numerous spectators. Ignoring the gazes around him, Xiao Yan and his companions moved to the spot where they had been yesterday and settled down, quietly chatting among themselves, waiting for the competition to begin. Seeing Renzi’s pitiful expression, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but ask, “I wandered around the deep mountains, finally finding a decent medicinal herb—only to encounter a beast guardian at the first-tier Battle Emperor level. I fought it, but since I couldn’t defeat it, I had to retreat.” Renzi pursed her lips, speaking with complete indifference. Hearing this, Xiao Yan and the others were left utterly baffled. This young girl truly was a marvel—daring to challenge a Battle Emperor-level beast, truly a rookie unafraid of the big guns. “Hmph. That beast wasn’t much better than me either. I landed a solid punch on it, and it came out covered in bruises and wounds,” Renzi said, sounding increasingly displeased as she glanced at Xiao Yan’s expression. Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow, not doubting Renzi’s account. Though she appeared to be at the Battle King level in terms of surface strength, her sheer power was astonishing—surely even with a beast’s formidable physique, a full-force punch from her would leave it badly battered. "Hehe, Xiao Yan, how about we go together next time? I'll hold that guy steady while you go fetch the medicinal herbs." Zi Yan suddenly stepped close, her face resting just a few inches from Xiao Yan's, and beamed with a cheerful smile. Hearing this, Xiao Yan sighed in resignation, flipping his eyes white. Last time, he'd struggled hard just to deal with a Snow Demon Tiger King-level beast. Now to face someone at the Emperor-level rank? That was simply asking for trouble. After offering a few casual replies, he suddenly noticed the atmosphere around him growing lively. Turning his head in surprise, he saw that at the entrance, the figures of Lin Xiu'ya and others had now appeared. As the brightest star among the inner academy students, the stir he caused naturally surpassed what Xiao Yan had previously generated. The sudden shift of so many eyes toward him truly conveyed his unshakable reputation and standing within the inner academy. Immediately after entering, Lin Xiu'ya and the others headed straight toward Xiao Yan's position. "I hope that among the six selected today, we won't end up meeting—definitely don't want to run into you at this crucial moment." Even before the person arrived, the cheerful laughter reached Xiao Yan's ears, conveying the clear regard Xiao Yan held for him. This attention from Lin Xiu'ya caused the surrounding crowd to cast surprised glances toward the latter. In the inner courtyard, those who could command such high regard from Lin Xiu'ya were truly rare. "If that happens, I'd be in for a rough time," Xiao Yan replied with a smile. He, too, didn't want to encounter Lin Xiu'ya at this very moment; his goal was simply to secure a spot among the top ten. As long as he could make it into the top ten smoothly, he'd be free to proceed without worrying about facing particularly formidable opponents. "With me watching over you, who would dare to make you suffer?" A rather formal voice echoed from behind. Immediately, Zǐ Yán leapt onto the chair, settled herself above Xiao Yan, and gave a firm pat on his shoulder before looking down at Lin Xiu'ya with an air of superiority. She pressed her small fists together and said, "Young man, just make sure we don't meet again—otherwise, even if you jump off the stage, I'll chase you down and give you a good beating." The sudden appearance of Zǐ Yán caused Lin Xiu'ya's smile to fade, and he felt a bit awkward, saying, "Of course. Who in the inner courtyard could possibly stand up to Zǐ Yán's sister?" "Well, you're lucky," Zǐ Yán replied with a pleased smile, just as she was about to add more sharp remarks. But then, Xiao Yan quickly reached out and grabbed her ponytail, pulling her off the chair and onto his back, holding her firmly despite her struggles, and offered a gentle shrug to Lin Xiu'ya. Watching Zǐ Yán, now pressed firmly against Xiao Yan's back, struggling only in a childlike way, Lin Xiu'ya found himself momentarily speechless—when had this strong, forceful young Back in the old days, who would have dared press down on Zǐ Yán’s head? Even if they managed to escape to the outer courtyard, they’d surely be dragged back and beaten senseless. "What has Xiao Yan been given to make him so at ease with this powerhouse of strength? How could he be so well-acquainted with her?" murmuring to himself, Lin Xiuya couldn’t linger any longer. If Zi Yan suddenly pointed at him, shouting loudly right there, even if everyone present knew how formidable the young girl was, they’d probably quietly chuckle in the background. So, he quickly exchanged a few words with Xiao Yan and then hurried with his group toward his assigned seat. Watching Lin Xiuya flee in such a慌Scape, Xiao Yan and the others couldn’t help but smile. They hadn’t expected the most celebrated figure within the inner courtyard to be so intimidated by Zi Yan—truly, one thing does indeed overcome another. Not long after Lin Xiu'ya entered the arena, another top-tier contender, Liu Qing, also stepped onto the stage. His original route had required him to pass by Xiao Yan and the others, but upon entering, he immediately noticed the girl with a light purple ponytail sitting beside Xiao Yan. Her presence subtly shifted his expression, and he then calmly turned a corner, smoothly bypassing Xiao Yan and the others. Although Liu Qing's change in route was subtle, it was still noticed by several sharp-eyed observers, who could hardly help but chuckle—these outstanding talents from the inner academy seemed to lose their commanding presence before the endearing little girl. As time passed, the crowd on the plaza grew steadily larger, and the bustling noise blended together, eventually rising into a powerful roar. Finally, after the senior elders at the judges' bench took their seats one by one, a clear chime echoed through the arena. At the very moment the bell rang, the bustling noise that had filled the square gradually subsided, and every single gaze turned toward the referees' bench. Under the full attention of the audience, Su Qian straightened his robe, rose slowly, and declared, "After two days of elimination rounds, thirteen contestants remain in this strong-tier competition. To enter the top ten, three of them will be eliminated today. According to the competition rules, we will randomly select six of these contestants to compete; the winners will advance to the top ten, while the losers will be placed behind." As he finished speaking, Su Qian placed a bamboo cylinder before him, containing thirteen slips of paper bearing the names of the final thirteen participants. "These thirteen slips represent the last thirteen contestants. I will randomly draw six names to determine who will compete." With the bamboo cylinder now revealed, the atmosphere in the arena instantly grew tense, and many spectators fixed their eyes intently on the referees' bench—this decisive moment would determine the fate of the top ten spots. In front of everyone's eyes, Su Qian slowly drew out a piece of paper slip, glanced at it, and then loudly announced, "Yan Hao." As soon as Su Qian's voice fell, everyone could clearly see Yan Hao's face on the stage suddenly tighten. "The next one to be drawn is the opponent competing for one of the top ten spots against Yan Hao." Su Qian drew out another slip, spoke softly, then spread it open, glanced at it, and said, "Qian Mo." A stream of eyes followed the voice to a slightly plump man on the stage—Qian Mo, ranked eighth on the Strong List, with strong capabilities, also at the peak of Dou Ling stage, though he was noticeably weaker than Yan Hao when compared. Upon hearing that his opponent was Yan Hao, his brows immediately furrowed. Ignoring the gazes of the crowd, Su Qian continued drawing slips, spread them open, and paused—then shook her head with a touch of resignation, "Zi Yan." "Whoa..." As soon as the name was announced, even Lin Xiu'ya and Liu Qing on the raised platform suddenly felt their hearts lift. Su Qian, well aware of their emotions, smiled quietly and slowly drew out the particularly frustrating sign: "Qin Zhen." "Ah..." A long, relieved breath escaped the platform as everyone turned with sympathy toward a pale man. Though this unfortunate fellow ranked sixth on the strong list, he would likely have little chance against the power-hungry king. "The final sign," Su Qian said, gently waving her hand and drawing a paper slip into her palm, then slowly spreading it open, her expression slightly surprised, "Liu Qing." The entire arena fell silent once more; some murmured quietly, clearly expecting another unfortunate contestant. Liu Qing, however, remained completely composed. As long as his opponent wasn't Zi Yan, he felt no fear, even facing Lin Xiu'ya here. Seeming to deliberately keep the audience's anticipation high, Su Qian slowly withdrew the final scroll, waved it gently before the gathered crowd, and then smiled lightly as he unfurled it. But immediately, that smile faded, replaced by a look of genuine astonishment. Observing his expression, the audience members now felt as though their hearts had been pincered by cat claws. "Ah..." After a moment, Su Qian finally regained his composure, his gaze slowly drifting toward a specific spot on the stage, where he shook his head in resignation. "Xiao Yan!" The entire hall fell silent, and then, amid a wave of expressions of regret, the audience turned their attention to the black-robed young man on the stage, whose brow had furrowed slightly.