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  The Strong Ranking Grand petition was the most inteour within the Inner Academy and the highest-level event at Jia Nan Academy, much like the Inner Academy Qualifying petition held by the Outer Academy.

  Those who could stand out in such a grand petition were dragons and phoenixes among people, possessing truly astonishing talent. The top ten of each geion's Strong Ranking Grand petition invariably made illustrious names for themselves across the ti. Even the least among them would reach at least the Dou King realm and dominate a region.

  The atmosphere within the Inner Academy gradually intensified as the time for the Strong Ranking Grand petition drew nearer. Every er buzzed with discussions about the uping petition.

  Amidst the eager anticipation of tless individuals in the Inner Academy, the day of the Strong Ranking Grand petition finally arrived.

  A ray of m light cascaded down. An a bell chime quietly echoed from the depths of the Inner Academy, spreading throughout its ey.

  When the nine chimes from the Bzing Sky Qi Refining Tower resounded, students across the Inner Academy suddenly opeheir tightly shut eyes. Though varying in appearahey all exuded formidable auras. Sharp gleams mixed with fervent battle i fshed within their eyes!

  Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on his bed and slowly opened his jet-bck eyes. He turned his head slightly and gazed out of the window, sensing the overwhelming auras surging from various ers of the Inner Academy. The ers of his mouth slowly curved into a smile as scalding battle i surged within his chest.

  By the time he desded the stairs, Xun Er, Xiao Yu, and other members of the Xiao were already waiting at the door.

  "Good m, Little Leader!"

  Xiao Yan smiled gently and nodded, "Good m, everyone."

  "You big pervert! If you didn't show up soon, the Strong Ranking Grand petition would have started without you." Xiao Yu, as usual, wore the Jia Nan Academy uniform that made her pair of rounded, shapely legs extremely eye-catg.

  Xiao Yan turned his head to look, and as usual, his gaze first lingered on her legs before moving up to her face. He grinned and said, "Hey now, I'm the Little Leader after all. As a member of the Xiao , you're not showing me much respect. Believe it or not, I'll go pin to your dad."

  "You dare!" Xiao Yu instantly gritted her teeth and stomped her foot but was helpless against him.

  Xiao Yan shrugged his shoulders and then turo the graceful figure standing beside him. Her delicate body was ed in a light greehat outlined her lovely curves. She tilted her head and smiled sweetly at him. "Xiao Yan ge-ge, Xun Er is really looking forward to your performaoday."

  Xiao Yan sighed in an exaggerated manner and said, "I just hope I don't run into you today, Xun Er. Otherwise, I might get eliminated early."

  "How could that be? Xiao Yan ge-ge is much strohan Xuhis year's first p the Strong Ranking must be her than you." Her light smile, coupled with that pure aiful face, held even more fidehan Xiao Yan himself.

  "I don't dare to be certain about being first. After all, a lion still uses all its strength to catch a rabbit. That Liu Qing and Lin Xiuya are no ordinary individuals, not to mention that girl Zi Yan." Xiao Yan smiled, then g Xun Er. "However, if Xun Er were to use all of her means, I'm afraid even I wouldn't be able to tend with you."

  With a smile, Xun Er blinked her beautiful eyes. She her firmed nor denied his words, her expression saying, 'Don't try to guess a woman's thoughts.'

  …

  Upon arriving at the fighting arena, Xiao Yan and the others saw some familiar faces.

  "Hehe, Xiao Ya's hope we don't run into each other at the beginning of the petition. That would be rather awkward." Lin Xiuya was like the protagonist no matter where he stood with his charismatic presence.

  Beside Lin Xiuya were the same group from before. Especially the silver-haired Han Yue, who attracted even more attention.

  "Senior Brother Lin is ranked sed orong Ranking. Besides Zi Yan, those who match you are few and far between. If we were to meet at the start, it would just be my bad luck," Xiao Yan chuckled modestly.

  "That's not necessarily the case. Your speed makes even me apprehensive. Moreover, you possess a Heavenly Fme. I think no one wants to battle an alchemist with a Heavenly Fme," Lin Xiuya said with a knowing smile.

  If he uimated Xiao Yao his own half-step Dou King cultivation, he would undoubtedly suffer a big loss.

  Anure, standing straight like a steel spear, also caught Xiao Yan's attention.

  Liu Qi Xiao Yan's gaze. A year ago, Xiao Yan had defeated the alliance of the Splitting Mountain and other fas, seizihousand Fire Energy.

  As the leader of the Splitting Mountain, Liu Qing naturally sought revenge against him.

  The sound of a gong resounded with a g. Xiao Yan looked up and caught a fleeting glimpse of blurry figures. Over a dozen elders had unknowingly appeared on the special high ptform in the square.

  Iingly, due to his alchemy endeavors, Xiao Yan had bee acquainted with all the elders of both the Inner and Outer Academies in just a short year.

  The dozen or so elders all cast kind gazes toward him.

  At the forefront, First Elder Su Qian's voice, infused with Dou Qi, resounded deeply: "The Strong Ranking Grand petition begins now! The top fifty orong Ranking, step forward!"

  Every month, one could challenge higher-ranked individuals in the arena to seize their ranking. It seemed Xiao Yan had deliberately challehe fiftieth rank, and afterward, no one dared to challehat position.

  The method of determining oppos was simple: drawing lots to pair up one-on-one.

  Iingly, Xiao Yan's first oppo was his old rival, Bai g, the leader of the White Gang.

  Over half a year ago, Bai g was a 6-star Dou Spirit, the same as Han Yue. Now, after so much time had passed, Bai g seemed to have made nress and was still a 6-star Dou Spirit.

  The result held no suspense. Xiao Yan merely unleashed an Oe Bst. Bai g's spear defense was futile. He was sent flying off the stage, instantly defeated with a single punch.

  Perhaps proving the saying 'enemies often cross paths,' Xiao Yan's sed oppo in the round of twenty-five advang to thirteen was Yao Sheng from the Splitting Mountain.

  Although Yao Sheng was strohan Bai g, he was merely toyed with in front of Xiao Yan, who was superior in cultivation, Qi Method, physical strength, and Spiritual Strength. In the end, Xiao Yan kicked him in the rear, sending the unfortunate fellow out of the arena.

  With Xiao Yan's current strength as an 8-star Dou Spirit, it could be said that apart from the top three orong Ranking, no one was qualified to make him get serious. They couldn't even serve as a warm-up.

  "Sigh, my butt hurts from sitting so long." Xiao Yan stood up and stretched zily. This petition was hard to een seds on stage, ten hours sitting off stage.

  Xun Er covered her mouth and ughed. "That's because Xiao Yan ge-ge is to. Others have to fight intetles to win."

  inally, Wu Hao, Hu Jia, and Xiao Ning all had spots in the petition, but their strengths hovered around the fiftieth rank, and they were eliminated in the first round.

  So now, only Xiao Yan and Xun Er remained in the testants' seats.

  Xiao Yan seriously sized up the beautiful girl beside him, his gaze carrying a hint of curiosity and a touch of iy.

  "Xiao Yan ge-ge, staring... staring at me like that is making me shy." Xun Er's lovely face turned pletely red. Who looks at people in such a manner?

  Xiao Yan rubbed his , his eyes narrowing slightly. "I'm very curious about Xun Er's true strength."

  Xun Er's cultivation was currently at the 6-star Dou Spirit stage. Xiao Yan remembered that her strength had always been one or two stars behind his own. Evehey were young and the Xiao used the testing moo assess their strength, Xun Er's cultivation was always one or two stars behind his.

  It was like deliberately trolling exam scores, always gging by a point or two, never more.

  When he was a 3-star Dou Practitioner, Xun Er was a 2-star Dou Practitioner. Now, even after he had desperately cultivated and received the help of the Core Queng Body Milk and medial pills, he still hadn't widehe gap at all.

  Xiao Yan even suspected that back when they 'did bad things' and robbed the Sky Serpent Mansion, that still wasn't Xun Er's true strength.

  Xun Er's beautiful eyes stared bnkly at the curious baby in front of her. After a moment, she broke into a radiant smile. That pure and fwless smile was so breathtaking that those around them held their breaths, feeling a sense of suffocation.

  "Does Xiao Yan ge-ge want to see?" Xuood gracefully, her dark hair casually tied with a light purple ribbon. At this moment, the face that always carried a faint smile slowly revealed a touch of noble pride!

  This hint of pride and fidence made even Xiao Yan momentarily lose his focus.

  "Though I'd love to see Xun Er's true strength, it'll have to wait for now." Xiao Yan slowly stood up from his chair.

  Just as he stood, First Elder Su Qian's voice resounded: " match, Liu Qing versus Xiao Yan!"

  The entire arena fell silent. The spectators looked at each other in disbelief. They never expected that Xiao Yan and Liu Qing, these two hot favorites, would actually meet ihird round!

  "Wait a mi's only the third round with over a dozen testants. If either Xiao Yan or Liu Qing loses, doesn't that mean they won't make it into the top ten?"

  "No, no. The loser ihird round falls into the loser's bracket. The top three from the loser's bracket will then be ranked eighth, ninth, ah orong Ranking."

  Liu Qing heard the First Elder annouhe matchup and was the first to move. He slowly stood up and strode to the edge of the high ptform under Liu Fei's ad gaze before leaping onto the battle stage.

  His eyes fixed on Xiao Yan's position. The battle i within them was so intehat even the spectators could clearly feel it.

  "Hey, Xiao Yan, how about I s with you? I'll help you beat Liu Qing until he 't pete anymore. That way, you directly advao the top ten," Zi Yan said with a grin as she swung her ponytail and raised her little fist at Xiao Yan.

  Xiao Yan looked at this adorable little girl and a hint of battle i fshed in his eyes. He grinned and said, "You're uimatioo much. My goal in this Strong Ranking Grand petition is to be first."

  A purple light fshed in Zi Yan's eyes. She smiled sweetly. "Then you'll have to defeat me."

  "Of course. Don't expect me to hold back."

  Zi Yan raised her small fist. "Even if it's you, I'll still make you lie ft on the ground."

  "Oh oh, I'm really looking forward to it." Xiao Yan smiled and slowly headed toward the battle stage in the square.

  Just as he said, his target wasn't Liu Qing but the stro orong Ranking, Zi Yan! Since he articipating irong Ranking Grand petition, his goal was naturally to bee number one!

  "Xiao Yan ge-ge, good luck." Behind him came Xun Er's gentle cheering voice.

  Liu Qing had naturally heard what Xiao Yan had just said. His eyes narrowed as he said, "Having fidence is good, but you will lose to me."

  Xiao Yan tilted his neck slightly. "I hope you help me warm up. The previous matches eoo quickly, and I've gotten stiff from waiting so long."