Chapter 161: The Drawing of Lots

The eyes of everyone in the arena began to scan the crowd, searching for those ranked on the Power List. As Su Qian finished speaking, the powerhouses from the list started to appear one after another, but none of those who arrived first were members of the top ten.

A thunderous sound echoed through the air as a figure, towering and imposing like a black iron pillar, descended with a sharp whistle, his feet pounding heavily against the ground. Instantly, the spot where he landed—an obsidian floor made of special materials—cracked ever so slightly, and at that very moment, dozens of competitors on the field clearly felt the ground tremble beneath them. All eyes turned, startled, toward the shadowy figure, and when they saw who it was, realization dawned.

Spear Tyrant Liu Qing—such fierce dominance and raw strength could only belong to him in the entire Inner Academy. As he landed, Liu Qing’s body was straight as a spear shaft, perfectly rigid, with a massive black heavy spear strapped diagonally across his back, exuding a palpable aura of weight and power.

After touching down, Liu Qing suddenly raised his head and fixed his gaze on a certain spot atop the high platform, his eyes ablaze with fierce battle intent. The direction of his gaze was exactly where everyone had expected—Lin Xiuya!

The crowd’s attention followed Liu Qing’s line of sight and settled on Lin Xiuya. Sensing the intense rivalry between them, anticipation grew in their hearts. Liu Qing, ranked third on the Power List, and Lin Xiuya, ranked second—when these two absolute elites finally faced off, who would emerge victorious?

In response to the crowd’s scrutiny, Lin Xiuya smiled faintly. With a light tap of his toe, he floated off the platform like a falling leaf. A gentle azure whirlwind formed beneath his feet, and he descended as if walking down invisible steps. Each step seemed to land on a tangible surface, creating an illusion of walking on air. This display immediately drew gasps from the audience. They knew that even a Dou King warrior required the wings of Dou Qi to hover in midair, while this effortless, groundless walk could only be managed, albeit barely, by someone with Dou Emperor-level strength.

Watching this, Xiao Xie shook his head. Lin Xiuya’s entrance was so ostentatious—originally, Xiao Xie had planned to walk in midair himself! Although Lin Xiuya was not truly walking on air but relying on wind-type Dou Qi to form invisible footholds, which could not be sustained for long, to those who lacked such abilities, it looked no different from walking on air. Thus, if Xiao Xie were to walk in midair, the effect would be diminished.

With a swift movement, Xiao Xie grabbed Qinglin in one hand and the Little Medical Fairy in the other, executing a rapid step below his feet.

“What was that?” The crowd stared in disbelief as Xiao Xie and his companions suddenly appeared beside Liu Qing and Lin Xiuya.

Lin Xiuya had already witnessed Xiao Xie’s speed during the battle against the Snow Demon Ape. For Xiao Xie, he felt no urge to fight—a man who could casually annihilate a Dou King-level magical beast was not a challenger but a nightmare. Liu Qing, on the other hand, eyed Xiao Xie with eagerness. Having never seen Xiao Xie in action, he dared to challenge him, embodying the saying: “Newborn calves fear no tiger.” Yet the fate of such calves was rarely favorable, especially since the gap between Liu Qing and Xiao Xie was as vast as that between an ant and an elephant.

“What speed!” The elders on the platform exchanged glances, unable to catch sight of Xiao Xie and his companions. They seemed to appear in an instant.

Grand Elder Su Qian was also solemn. He himself had only glimpsed a faint shadow, and that was simply because Xiao Xie was carrying Qinglin and the Little Medical Fairy; otherwise, he wouldn’t have seen even a trace.

After Xiao Xie and his companions entered, somewhere below the stage, a little girl in white slowly climbed up the steps. Amid countless stunned gazes, she walked to the front of the group, seemingly chewing something in her mouth, looking around curiously. When she spotted Xiao Xie, she grinned, revealing a pair of adorable, neat little tiger teeth.

Zi Yan’s identity was known only to a few in the Inner Academy—those on the Power List and some veteran students. For the newer students, her name was unheard of, as she seldom appeared in the academy, and no one dared challenge her. As a result, most only knew Liu Qing and Lin Xiuya, unaware that the one who ranked above them all, the top of the Power List, was such a cute little girl.

As whispers began to ripple through the crowd, the faces of some competitors on the field turned unnatural. Except for those who had only recently made it onto the Power List, most displayed a flicker of fear, which only added to the confusion of the audience.

Zi Yan ignored the surrounding stares, contentedly chewing the pill Xiao Xie had refined for her, then sipping a mouthful of Earth Heart Tempering Milk, smacking her lips in pure enjoyment, showing not the slightest hint of urgency before the tournament.

A faint cough, infused with Dou Qi, sounded in everyone’s ear, and the whispers quickly faded, vanishing altogether. All eyes lifted, staring at the black-robed elder in the center of the platform, filled with awe and respect. As the Grand Elder of the Inner Academy, second only to the mysterious dean in power and authority, even ordinary elders treated him with deference, let alone the students.

"Since everyone is here, the tournament can begin," Su Qian said with a gentle smile. "But before we start, let me remind you: although the Inner Academy is open-minded, I hope you will avoid lethal attacks during the matches. You are still students, not in the Black Corner Region where people devour each other. The arena may be bloody, but its purpose is to temper you, not force you into a fight to the death. Please control yourselves."

Hearing Su Qian’s words, some competitors nodded slightly, but most remained indifferent. In competitions like this, everyone would go all out to make it into the top ten. When fighting with full force, strength is hard to restrain, and accidents are inevitable.

Sweeping his gaze across the competitors, Su Qian shook his head helplessly. The academy’s atmosphere had grown increasingly fierce; even the novices who once knew nothing of combat had become battle-hardened wolves. Now, curbing their bloodlust was a difficult task.

"The rules are the same as before: opponents are decided by drawing lots." Seeing his words had little effect, Su Qian didn’t linger, speaking in a deep voice.

With a wave of his sleeve, a black cloth not far from Xiao Yan and the others fluttered down, revealing a stone platform beneath it. On the platform sat a wide wooden cylinder filled with bamboo sticks.

"There are twenty-five blue sticks and twenty-five red sticks, each numbered one through twenty-five. If you draw blue stick number twelve, your opponent is the holder of red stick number twelve." Su Qian explained the rules simply; it was not complicated, so even those new to this kind of event understood immediately.

"Alright, begin the draw!"

The competitors approached the stone platform in order, each drawing a stick and announcing their number before stepping back.

Xiao Xie strolled over leisurely, drew a red stick—number five.

The Little Medical Fairy and Qinglin each drew a stick, getting red six and blue eleven, respectively.

Su Qian’s gaze swept across the crowd, and seeing that all competitors had drawn lots, he nodded slightly, his ancient, calm voice echoing across the arena: “Since the drawing is complete, please return to your positions. The match order will be drawn at random.”

With that, Su Qian drew a stick from the cylinder in front of him, glanced at it, paused for a moment, then laughed aloud, smiling at the elders beside him: "Looks like we’re about to witness an interesting match."

Xiao Xie was slightly taken aback—he hadn’t expected to be called for the first match. Without further thought, he used a swift step and appeared instantly on the field.