300: Canaan Inner Court Arena

The Central Arena of the Jia Nan Inner Academy.

Today, the atmosphere in the arena was more fervent and explosive than ever before!

The massive circular stands were already packed, with not a single seat empty.

Not only were almost all Inner Academy Students present, but even many Outer Academy disciples and academy deacons had rushed over upon hearing the news, hoping to witness the prowess of the Inner Academy's top geniuses.

The air was thick with excitement, tension, and anticipation.

Everyone's gaze was focused on the immense platform below—a vast fighting stage made of special materials, sturdy enough to withstand a fierce battle between Dou Huang experts.

Directly opposite the platform was a special area with the best view, where the Inner Academy's most prominent strong ranking experts were seated.

These experts, who were usually rarely seen, were gathered here today, each possessing a deep, restrained aura and sharp eyes.

The powerful, invisible presence they emitted made the surrounding students feel a wave of suppression.

Liu Qingsi was still clad in her dark green combat outfit, leaning lazily against the back of her chair, playing with a strand of her long hair, yet her eyes occasionally swept across the platform with a hint of scrutiny.

Lei Lie, meanwhile, was excitedly rubbing his large hands, his bell-like eyes wide and round, ready to thoroughly enjoy the upcoming fierce competition.

Many other strong ranking masters wore solemn expressions, resting their eyes and adjusting their condition.

Just then, a powerful pressure descended, and the figure of the Great Elder of the Inner Academy, Great Elder, silently appeared on the high platform in the center of the stage.

His gaze swept across the venue, and the previously noisy arena instantly fell silent.

Great Elder cleared his throat, and his deep voice, amplified by Dou Qi, clearly entered the ears of every person present.

“Everyone! The annual battle for the top ten spots on the inner academy strong ranking list officially begins now!”

“The rules remain the same! Only those in the top fifty of the strong ranking are qualified to participate in the draw, compete for those top ten seats, and obtain the opportunity to enter the bottom layer of the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower to undergo tempering by the Origin Heart Flame!”

His voice suddenly became serious, carrying an undeniable authority.

“I emphasize again! This is an academy competition, intended for sparring, verifying what you have learned, and should stop once a winner is clear!”

“If anyone dares to intentionally strike a heavy blow and injure the life foundation of a fellow student, do not blame the academy rules for being merciless!”

The stern warning caused many students to shudder internally, and they nodded in agreement.

After announcing the rules, Great Elder retreated to a high seat on the side, and the Elder responsible for refereeing began organizing the top fifty students for the draw.

During this intermission for the draw, Jiang Donghua stood in the competitor's area, looking relaxed.

He had just encountered an acquaintance.

Qin Xiao!

Compared to half a year ago, Qin Xiao's aura was now more condensed and violent!

He stood not far away, arms crossed, his gaze fixed intensely on Jiang Donghua like a hawk, a trace of undisguised fighting intent and a confident smile playing on his lips.

“Jiang Donghua! I didn't expect you would actually dare to return for the grand competition!”

Qin Xiao's voice carried a hint of provocation.

“Last time I lost to you, it was because I was careless! I haven't been idle these past six months!”

“This time, I will definitely let you experience the power of the Dou Technique I recently cultivated! I'll show you what I'm made of!”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Donghua merely smiled faintly, not becoming angry, but instead examining Qin Xiao with interest.

He couldn't help but nod inwardly.

“Putting everything else aside, this guy's talent and effort are truly astonishing. In just half a year, he actually broke through from One-Star Dou Wang to Six-Star Dou Wang!”

“This speed of cultivation is absolutely top-tier, even in the Inner Academy.”

More importantly, Qin Xiao's Dual Cultivation of Thunder and Fire Dou Qi seemed purer and more violent than before, subtly giving him a sense of danger.

Jiang Donghua secretly evaluated him.

“With his current strength, combined with that incredibly domineering Thunder Fire Dou Qi, even an ordinary peak Dou Wang expert, if careless, could suffer a huge loss or even perish at his hands!”

This was an opponent worth taking seriously.

Of course, that was assuming he held back his own power.

“Is that so?”

Meeting Qin Xiao's battle-filled gaze, Jiang Donghua showed a calm smile and spoke in a relaxed tone.

“Then I am quite looking forward to seeing what kind of ‘color’ Senior Qin Xiao can show me this time.”

His composure only made the fighting fire in Qin Xiao's eyes burn more fiercely!

The results of the draw were announced quickly.

Coincidentally, or perhaps inevitably, Jiang Donghua and Qin Xiao did not meet in the first round.

This only made the students who anticipated this peak showdown even more excited.

This meant the two were very likely to face off in a later, more crucial match!

Everyone wanted to know if the thunder fire asura Qin Xiao, who had made rapid progress and showed overwhelming dominance over the past six months, could wash away his previous shame and defeat the even more mysterious Jiang Donghua, who was hailed as a legend of the Inner Academy.

The drawing ceremony proceeded smoothly, and the list of highly anticipated matchups was announced one after another, causing continuous gasps and discussions in the stands.

Soon, one pairing drew considerable attention.

“The third match: strong ranking third place, Liu Qingsi, versus strong ranking forty-fourth place, Han Li!”

As the referee Elder’s voice fell, the stands immediately erupted in a clamor mixed with sympathy and excitement.

“Han Li? Is that the guy famous for his Rending Wind Claws?”

“His luck is terrible! To run into Senior Liu in the very first round!”

“It's over, it's over. Han Li probably won't even make it into the top forty now.”

“Liu Qingsi! She's a ruthless character. I heard her poison arts are strange and unpredictable; even a touch means big trouble!”

The student named Han Li was a lean youth with sharp eyes, whose strength had reached Seven-Star Dou Ling, making him quite a figure in the Inner Academy.

When he heard that his opponent was Liu Qingsi, his face instantly fell, and a hint of bitterness appeared at the corner of his mouth.

The two leaped onto the platform one after the other.

Han Li took a deep breath, suppressing his nervousness, and cupped his fists respectfully toward the graceful, cool-tempered woman in green opposite him, his tone filled with utmost respect and caution.

“Senior Liu, please show mercy!”

Liu Qingsi nodded slightly in response, her face still expressionless, but her deep eyes gazed blandly at Han Li, as if looking at an irrelevant object.

“The match begins!” the referee Elder commanded.

Han Li knew his opponent was terrifying and dared not be negligent in the slightest.

His Wind Attribute Dou Qi instantly erupted, and his figure transformed into a blurred green shadow, moving at an astonishing speed!

He planned to rely on his speed advantage to strike first, or at least test Liu Qingsi's depth!

“profound rank mid-level Dou Technique—Hundred Rending Wind Claws!”

*Tsk, tsk, tsk!*

Han Li formed claws with both hands, and as he moved, dozens of incomparably sharp green wind blades tore through the air, covering Liu Qingsi like a raging storm! The offensive was quite fierce!

However, facing this dense barrage, Liu Qingsi neither dodged nor retreated, not even moving her feet.

She merely raised her delicate jade hand slightly.

Unbeknownst to anyone, a wisp of dark green airflow, so faint it was almost invisible, had wrapped around her fingertip.

She lightly blew towards the sky full of wind blades.

*Whoosh—*

That wisp of dark green airflow scattered with the wind, seemingly weak and powerless, yet the moment it touched the sharp wind blades, a strange change occurred!

*Zzz, zzz, zzz...* The green wind blades, originally incomparably sharp, rapidly melted and disintegrated upon contact with the dark green airflow, like ice meeting the scorching sun!

Not only that, but the energy from the disintegrated wind blades was assimilated by the dark green airflow, transforming into more, fainter green mist, which then spread towards Han Li at an even faster speed!

“What?!”

Han Li was greatly shocked; he had never seen such bizarre Dou Qi!

He could feel the deadly danger contained within the green mist.

He quickly held his breath and retreated frantically, simultaneously activating his Dou Qi to form a wind shield in front of him!

But Liu Qingsi moved!

Her figure was like a phantom; her steps seemed graceful and slow, but she was fast as lightning!

With every step she took, a slowly blossoming phantom of a dark green lotus would appear beneath her feet—beautiful yet deadly!

She walked forward, step by step, straight toward the wind shield Han Li had hastily erected.

The spreading green poisonous mist seemed to have a life of its own, automatically parting to make way for her, yet simultaneously eroding the wind shield from all directions.

Han Li's wind shield only lasted two seconds before emitting a cracking sound, its surface corroded with countless holes!

“This is bad!”

Han Li was terrified out of his wits.

He wanted to change tactics again, but it was already too late!

Liu Qingsi had appeared beside him at some unknown point, and a jade hand wrapped in dark green airflow gently pressed toward his shoulder.

Han Li was scared senseless.

How could he dare let her touch him?

He lunged sideways with all his strength!

He successfully avoided the hand, but due to using too much force and his agitated state of mind, he completely lost his balance, cried out in surprise, and awkwardly tumbled outside the platform boundary!

From the moment he launched his attack until he fell off the platform, the entire process took only a little over ten seconds!

The entire venue was silent!

Everyone was stunned by the lightning-fast battle!

Han Li, ranked forty-fourth on the strong ranking list, couldn't even manage a decent counterattack against Liu Qingsi.

He was completely suppressed throughout, and in the end, was even forced to jump off the platform himself!

Liu Qingsi stood on the edge of the platform, looking down at the pale, unsettled Han Li below, and said faintly.

“Thank you for the match.”

She then turned around and gracefully stepped off the stage, as if she had just completed a trivial matter.

The stands were silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous gasps and discussions!

“My heavens! It's already over?”

“Too powerful! Senior Liu's poison arts are too overwhelming! What kind of Dou Technique was that? It was impossible to guard against!”

“Han Li lost without even touching her clothes!”

“strong ranking third place, truly deserving of the title!”

Lei Lie clicked his tongue repeatedly as he watched from the stands, muttering.

“That old Liu woman is getting scarier and scarier.”

Even Jiang Donghua had a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Liu Qingsi's poison arts were indeed strange and domineering, utilizing the corrosive and assimilating characteristics of the Wood Attribute to the extreme.

If caught off guard by such methods, even he would have to handle it carefully.