Battle Through the Heavens

Xiao Yan’s calm voice reverberated around the arena, causing the numerous private conversations to abruptly cease. Numerous gazes that contained different kinds of emotion repeatedly looked back and forth between the person standing in the arena and at the miserable looking Yao Sheng outside of the arena with a pale-white face.

The silence continued for a moment before a clear clapping sound abruptly started. Immediately, a chain effect appeared to have occurred as an orderly applause came roaring from the stadium and soared to the clouds.

Xiao Yan raised his head as he heard the applause that filled the stadium. He looked at the place where Xun Er was at. At this moment, this girl was smiling sweetly. Her delicate hands elegantly clapped and produced a moving applause. The first claps that had sounded earlier came from this spot.

Xiao Yan smiled at Xun Er before once again turning his head. His gaze was thrown in the direction where Liu Qing and the others were. Upon seeing the former looking over, Liu Qing’s gaze meet with his. His chin gave a slight nod without leaving a trace before it faintly turned away. Liu Fei, who was gritting her teeth and repeatedly cursing by the side, was automatically ignored by Xiao Yan.

“Xiao Yan wins this match!”

Su Qian on the judges’ seat also smiled and stood up. His gaze looked over the entire arena as he spoke slowly.

As Su Qian’s decision sounded, the applause that resounded across the entire arena once again became much louder. The gazes that were used to watch the black-robed, young man in the arena had some reverence and fear that could not be hidden. The strength that Xiao Yan had displayed in the match had completely subdued them.

Xiao Yan once again glanced at Yao Sheng’s ashen face. The Purple Cloud Wings on his back gently flapped, and his body lifted before immediately flying to the tall platform. With a shake of his shoulders, the Purple Cloud Wings were swiftly withdrawn before finally disappearing under numerous gazes of envy around him.

“Xiao Yan, you are really good. Now, I want to see just how that fellow is going to provoke you.” Wu Hao revealed surprise on his face as he smiled and spoke while giving Xiao Yan a heavy punch. The fight earlier could be said to have been filled with ups and downs. He did not know just how many times his heart had clenched.

“It is really unexpected that you actually possess this kind of rare Flying Dou Technique.” Hu Jia’s curious voice was transmitted from Xiao Yan’s back as she also spoke with an envious face.

Xiao Yan smiled and threw his gaze toward the green-clothed, young lady in front of him. The pretty eyes of the latter also contained a slight smile and gentleness.

“Ke ke, Xiao Yan, congratulations. By having defeated Yao Sheng, it can basically be said you are able to enter the top ten.” A hearty laugh sounded from behind Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan turned around to take a look and discovered that it was Lin Xiuya’s group.

“I was merely lucky. If I had not coincidentally restrained the ‘Black Water World’, it is likely that it wouldn’t have been so easy to win.” Xiao Yan shook his head and replied while smiling.

“You possess a Flying Dou Technique, so that ‘Black Water World’ does not have much of an impact on you anyway.” Lin Xiuya’s gaze drifted toward Xiao Yan’s back without leaving any trace as he clicked his tongue and praised.

“However, now that you have defeated Yao Sheng, you have dampened the vigor of Liu Qing’s group. It is likely that there will no longer be anyone who will look down on you in the future.” Lin Xiuya’s gaze was thrown toward the place where Liu Qing’s group was as he spoke with a teasing smile.

“I only want to enter the top ten. It does not really matter much to me whether it is the first or the tenth within the top ten.” Xiao Yan smiled as he replied. He did not want to enter into the contest between Lin Xiuya’s and Liu Qing’s factions. His purpose behind participating in the Grand Competition was merely to obtain a top ten spot and gain the qualification to enter into the bottom level of the ‘Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower’. Since the first and the tenth ranks both possessed the qualification to do so, it was fine as long as he was able to obtain a spot in the top ten.

Lin Xiuya laughed. He had also heard the meaning within Xiao Yan’s words, and did not continue to get entangled in this topic. He redirected the conversation as he said, “Ke ke, we might make a return trip to the deep mountains after the Grand Competition. If you also have some interest, you can come with us. That thing has extremely great benefit to you.”

Xiao Yan’s heart leaped when he heard Lin Xiuya bringing up the matter of the ‘Core Quenching Body Milk’. His face, however, did not register any change in expression as he randomly spoke in a perfunctory manner, “We will see when that time comes. However, the strength of that beast is a little frightening. It is likely not going to be easy to succeed.”

“We can just try. It is not like you don’t know the value of that thing.” Lin Xiuya sighed. Although he clearly knew that the chances of success were low, he was still unwilling to give up.

Xiao Yan nodded in a vague manner. He carelessly conversed a little with Lin Xiuya before his eyes were attracted by an intense fight within the arena.

The matches after Xiao Yan’s were also exciting and dangerous. A fight at this level was something that even those with Xiao Yan’s eyesight could not resist quietly nodding their heads in approval. The students who could reach this step all had a strength that basically belonged to the peak of the Inner Academy. It was natural that they gave others a dazzling blood-boiling feeling when the fought.

Xiao Yan had also witnessed Lin Yan in action in the fight that followed. The latter’s strength had clearly improved after the fire poison had been completely expelled from his body. According to Xiao Yan’s estimation, if one were to judge the current Lin Yan solely based on his strength, it was likely that he would be able to enter the top five. In this match, his opponent was merely someone who was ranked nineteenth on the ‘Strong Ranking’. Thus, Lin Yan did not exhaust much of his strength and managed to get his opponent to admit defeat after a short twenty exchanges.

Not long after Lin Yan appeared, two other opponents who Xiao Yan paid attention to also appeared one after another. They were Liu Qing and Lin Xiuya…

There was still the gap between Xiao Yan’s current reputation and that of these two dazzling stars within the Inner Academy.

As the main focus of attention in the stadium, the appearance of the two of them instantly attracted everyone’s eyes. Immediately, passionate shouting resounded in a deafening manner within the stadium.

The one who made the first appearance was Liu Qing. This time around, his opponent was someone ranked eleventh, whose strength had reached the eight star Dou Ling class. This kind of rank and strength was already very close to the top within the Inner Academy. However, from the somewhat bitter mannerisms the latter displayed when he appeared, it seemed that he was still extremely depressed over having picked Liu Qing as his opponent.

The fight that followed did not exceed Xiao Yan’s expectations. The moment the fight began, Liu Qing’s extremely domineering aura firmly covered the opponent. Each time his claw-like hands attacked, he would leave behind numerous afterimages in the air… His claw hand attacks appeared unrestrained, and no pattern could be found. Even though his opponent had used all his strength, there were still some injuries that repeatedly appeared. As this kind of suppression continued for nearly ten minutes, Liu Qing finally erupted. His terrifying speed exploded instantly. By the time everyone recovered, they only saw Liu Qing’s claw-like hand pausing on the other party’s throat.

As he sensed the dense, cold wind that was transmitted from his throat, the expert who was ranked eleventh was sensible to admit defeat…

As everyone in the viewing gallery watched the victor of the fight be determined in less than ten minutes, everyone sighed and shook their heads. He was indeed worthy of being a top three existence on the strong ranking. Although the strength of Liu Qing’s opponent had reached the eight star Dou Ling rank and appeared to be close to that of Liu Qing who was at the peak of the Dou Ling class, the gap when they started fighting was still extremely great. Even a person who was a little weaker was able to see the gap in one glance.

Xiao Yan overlooked Liu Qing in the arena from the tall platform and could not resist sighing. This Grand Competition had already reached the second round, but the latter had still not used the Mountain Splitting Spear on his back. By relying only on his hands, he was able to cause so many experts to quietly withdraw. Such a strength was indeed terrifying.

“This Liu Qing appears to have half a foot in the Dou Wang class. Although he is still unable to compare with a true Dou Wang, he is much stronger when compared to ordinary Dou Lings.” Xun Er beside Xiao Yan drooped her pretty eyes a little as she spoke softly, “Moreover, it is also likely that Lin Xiuya possesses a similar strength.”

Xiao Yan nodded slightly and sighed, “They are indeed two extremely strong fellows. In this Inner Academy, it is likely that there is no one else other than Zi Yan who can suppress them.” Xiao Yan suddenly turned his head over when he spoke until this point. His eyes stared at Xun Er and he smiled deviously as he asked, “Could Xun Er do it?”

Xun Er’s long narrow eyebrows trembled slightly as she saucily returned the question, “What does Xiao Yan ge-ge think?”

Xiao Yan’s eyes stared at the young lady, who was laughing prettily, and his mind suddenly became absent-minded. How long had it been since he had seen her dazzling side? She had the qualifications and the strength, but was willing to quietly remain behind him to do some tiny and insignificant things.

Xiao Yan’s hand slowly rubbed Xun Er’s slightly flushed face as he softly said, “Girl, I know that your training talent is very great. It has been so since long ago… although I seldom see you truly attacking, I am still able to sense that it is likely that your current strength is much stronger than me. You appear to have completely withdrawn your dazzle in the Jia Nan Academy, especially after I arrived… I do not hope that you suppress yourself because of me. Instead, I like your dazzling manner. That way, I will have the motivation to chase after you.”

Those pretty eyes were startled as they studied the lamenting Xiao Yan. A moment later, Xun Er cracked a smile. Her flawless, beautiful smile caused the eyes of those around to be filled with shock. Their breathing also felt asphyxiated.

“Xiao Yan ge-ge wishes to see Xun Er’s dazzling side?” The green-clothed young lady stood prettily. Her black hair was randomly restrained by a purple ribbon. At this moment, a dignified and proud expression appeared on the face where a shallow smile had been hanging. This pride was completely different than Liu Fei’s one of basking in the glory of others. Instead, it was confidence! A confidence in one’s strength.

A man who was filled with confidence had great charm while a woman who was filled with confidence similarly possessed an incomparably unique attraction. This could be clearly sensed from the surrounding gazes which had suddenly become hot.

Xiao Yan’s observed the emotions on Xun Er’s face that he was not familiar with, and a smile slowly surfaced on his face as he nodded.

“Once the competition is over, I will let Xiao Yan ge-ge see a Xun Er who is most dazzling.” The young lady gave a sweet, gentle smile as she eyed Xiao Yan’s joyful face. Immediately, she supplemented, “And also before we part…”