Wang Shan's response was very timely, but unfortunately, with Zi Yan's strength comparable to a Dou Huang (Battle Emperor) powerhouse, even though it was just a casual strike, it possessed a power that could not be underestimated.
Although Wang Shan's earth-attribute Dou Qi (Battle Energy) was known for its defensive capabilities, his Dou Qi (Battle Energy) armor, upon contact with the force Zi Yan unleashed, shattered completely and without surprise, at a devastating speed.
Furthermore, in a very short time, the armor completely disintegrated, and that fierce force ruthlessly penetrated the Dou Qi (Battle Energy) armor, striking Wang Shan's chest.
"Ah—"
A painful scream echoed through the square, tearing through the air.
Wang Shan's body, like a kite with a broken string, was violently thrown off the arena, unable to get up again; only his rapidly heaving chest indicated that he was still alive.
In the audience, everyone seemed to be choked by something, staring dumbfounded at the center of the arena.
Looking at Wang Shan, who was lying on the ground unable to get up, everyone couldn't help but swallow, wondering, "What's going on? Such an innocent and cute little girl, is she really that strong? And so ruthless?"
Wang Shan was, after all, one of the few Dou Grandmaster in the Outer Court, a strong contender for the top five, and he was defeated so easily?
The crowd exchanged glances, "Has the world changed? First Jiang Yun, then Zi Yan—are the requirements for this generation of geniuses so high? Aren't we from the same generation? Why don't I know?"
"What a barbaric strength! It's purely physical power. What kind of Magical Beast is this girl?" Wu Tianlang on the high platform stared intently at Zi Yan, his eyes still showing a hint of shock.
Just based on the strength Zi Yan displayed just now, even he was slightly inferior, and he was at the peak of Dou Huang (Battle Emperor)!
Facing Wu Tianlang's question, Hu Gan shook his head. He also didn't know Zi Yan's origins, only that she was a very terrifying Magical Beast.
At this moment, the referee on the field finally recovered, confirmed that Wang Shan was not in mortal danger, then swallowed and stammered, "Yellow Class Three… Zi Yan wins!"
However, his eyes dared not look at Zi Yan from beginning to end.
"Tch, boring!" Pouting, Zi Yan waved her hand indifferently, stomped her foot on the ground, and her petite body shot into the air, finally landing lightly beside Jiang Yun, smiling at him.
For a moment, the two attracted most of the attention; the surrounding students looked at them with both awe and curiosity.
"You were a bit heavy-handed!" Jiang Yun looked at Zi Yan's adorable, doll-like appearance and said softly.
"Hmph—who knew that guy was so fragile!" Zi Yan grumbled indignantly. She hadn't even used much strength! She had already held back!
"Not everyone has the physical strength of a Magical Beast," Jiang Yun rubbed Zi Yan's little head.
"But you're not that weak, Xiao Yun!" Zi Yan shook her head, trying to shake off that 'annoying' big hand on her head, but with Jiang Yun's years of experience, how could Zi Yan succeed? In the end, she reluctantly let him mess up her beautiful hair.
Hearing this reply, Jiang Yun paused slightly, then said with a wry smile, "Oh, you! You can't use my standards to demand others!"
For the past three years, Zi Yan had either been running wild in the Magical Beast Forest or being dragged by Jiang Yun to practice Dou techniques, so she hadn't adapted to the standards of 'ordinary' geniuses.
"Hehe, I know!" Seeing Jiang Yun's helpless expression, Zi Yan chuckled, revealing her cute little canine teeth, patted Jiang Yun's shoulder, and proudly declared, "My Xiao Yun is indeed the strongest."
Looking at the guileless Zi Yan, Jiang Yun let out a soft laugh, a gentle warmth in his eyes that couldn't be hidden.
In the following days, the competition proceeded smoothly.
The matches were always one-on-one. Hu Gan didn't arrange any free-for-all mode, but directly allowed Zi Yan to pass the assessment, not counting her among the fifty spots, automatically making her the first place in this selection.
This naturally won unanimous applause from the participants, only Zi Yan herself was a bit unhappy. Zi Yan had only three great loves in her life: eating, Jiang Yun, and fighting.
Now Hu Gan had directly forbidden one of her great loves; it was simply despicable. Unfortunately, she couldn't defeat him, so she could only angrily consume three bottles of pills, which significantly improved her mood.
In contrast, Jiang Yun was not as lucky as Zi Yan and diligently fought his 'promotion matches.' However, relying on his eight-star Dou Grandmaster cultivation and combat power far exceeding others at the same level,
Jiang Yun decisively ended battles regardless of his opponent, never needing a second move.
This also caused Jiang Yun's popularity in the Outer Court to skyrocket. After all, a genius with good looks, strength, and talent is a hot commodity everywhere.
On this day, Jiang Yun faced his last opponent in the competition, a battle that would determine second place. As for first, it was already tacitly assumed to be Zi Yan, who was sitting in the stands, eating pills one by one.
Looking at the young man before him, the Outer Court's top genius, Song Yun, a six-star Dou Grandmaster, Jiang Yun appeared relaxed.
Song Yun, on the other hand, was constantly on guard as if facing a formidable enemy. He had heard much about Jiang Yun's achievements in recent days; the previous three-star Dou Grandmaster had been defeated by a single palm strike, making it impossible to gauge his true depth. At least, Song Yun admitted he couldn't do that.
In the stands, the same three old men were present.
Hu Gan looked at the two confronting each other in the arena and asked curiously, "What do you think, how strong is Jiang Yun exactly?"
"At least not weaker than a nine-star Dou Grandmaster!" Wu Tianlang's tiger-like eyes slightly opened, a sharp glint flashing within them.
Elder Li beside him also nodded. From the opponent's performance in the previous matches, he was indeed a genius, his strength seemingly unfathomable.
"I hope Song Yun can force that little guy to reveal a bit more of his strength!"
All three stared intently at the arena, hoping to discern Jiang Yun's true depth, as he was truly too intriguing.
So.
Song Yun, you can do it!
"Match start!" the referee announced after confirming both were ready.
As soon as he spoke, Song Yun drew his treasured sword, its blade wreathed in bright yellow flames, and swiftly rushed towards Jiang Yun, thrusting the sword at his chest.
Jiang Yun's eyes flickered. Stepping with profound footwork, he advanced instead of retreating, quickly closing in on his opponent. Afterimages trailed behind him on the arena. Seeing Song Yun thrust his sword forward, Jiang Yun struck out with a palm, intending to use the same trick to send his opponent off the stage.
However, his opponent had rich combat experience, quickly changing his sword technique from a thrust to a slash. If this sword strike landed, Song Yun believed Jiang Yun's hand would be gone.
But Jiang Yun seemed not to notice, raising his hand and striking down. A crystalline white light flashed in his palm.
"What?!" Song Yun looked at Jiang Yun's 'reckless' demeanor in horror, his momentum weakening slightly.
Jiang Yun was quick-witted and swift. In a flash, only a 'ding—' was heard as Jiang Yun seized his opponent's treasured sword and, with the momentum, delivered a palm strike.
"Bang—"
A dull thud sounded as Song Yun collapsed at the edge of the arena. Before he could get up, a whooshing sound approached.
"Ding—"
A cold-gleaming treasured sword stood upright beside him, only ten centimeters from his head.
A cold sweat trickled down his forehead. Looking at the figure who watched him calmly from a distance, a trace of fear rose in Song Yun's heart. Was this an opponent he could defeat?
As this thought arose, he could no longer muster any fighting spirit. He lowered his head dejectedly and said hoarsely, "I surrender!"
"Whoosh—"
With Song Yun's surrender, the second place of this Inner Court selection competition also concluded. The top two were dark horses no one had expected, causing the audience to buzz with discussion.
"Senior Brother Jiang Yun is truly amazing! He defeats everyone in one move. I'm afraid no one has even forced out thirty percent of his strength!"
"Not only that, Senior Brother Jiang Yun always maintains that calm and unhurried demeanor, and his attacks are very well-measured. At such a young age, he already possesses the bearing of a powerhouse."
"I wonder if Senior Brother Jiang Yun is married. I could—"
"Wait, aren't you older than him? And you enrolled earlier?"
"So what? Learning is endless, and the capable are teachers! Doesn't Jiang Yun's strength warrant being called Senior Brother?"
"…That makes sense!"
As sounds of admiration arose, many new students looked at Jiang Yun, who was the center of attention on the stage, and their hearts swelled with ambition, while a thought simultaneously arose.
'I can replace him!'
Unaware that he had become the object of fantasy for his junior male and female classmates, Jiang Yun had already returned to his class.
When the students of Yellow Class Three saw Jiang Yun return, everyone cheered for him. "Although I'm not familiar with Jiang Yun, we are classmates in the same class!"
"This is destiny; to put it grandly, this is an opportunity!"
Jiang Yun suddenly felt the students looking at him differently, which left him a bit bewildered.
However, Mentor Wu En at this moment was somewhat beside himself, tears of excitement almost flowing. Even though he had already highly overestimated Jiang Yun and Zi Yan's strength, he had never imagined that the champion would be from his class. Moreover, now the top two were both from his class, which greatly enhanced his prestige!
"Hmm, well played." As soon as Jiang Yun returned to his seat, he saw Zi Yan slowly stand up, her eyes level with his. She patted his shoulder and said in an old-fashioned tone, "Well played."
Jiang Yun's face instantly darkened. He raised his hand and lightly tapped Zi Yan's head.
"Bonk—" It was crisp and clear, sounding like a good melon!
"Ow—you actually dared to hit me! I'll fight you!" Zi Yan cried out, covering her forehead which now bore a red mark, and shouted through gritted teeth. The next second, with a roar like an evil dragon, she pounced into Jiang Yun's embrace, her two small hands accurately pinching Jiang Yun's cheeks.
Clearly, she was a repeat offender!
At this moment, Jiang Yun and Zi Yan, as the first and second place of this competition, naturally attracted most of the attention, but their behavior made everyone gape in surprise.
Is this the world of prodigies?
"Did you figure it out?"
"No, that kid hides his strength very well! Or perhaps Song Yun's strength was too weak to force him to reveal his true power."
"Never mind, let those guys in the Inner Court test that kid's depth!"
"I refuse to believe that those guys in the Inner Court won't even be put in his eyes?!"
As the low murmurs ended, Hu Gan rose and walked to the center of the arena. After an inspiring speech, this year's Inner Court selection competition successfully concluded.
He also informed Jiang Yun and the others to come to his office tomorrow.
The next day.
In a spacious and bright room, bookshelves crisscrossed, filled with various ancient books, exuding a strong scholarly atmosphere.
In front of a wide desk stood five figures, who were precisely the top five of this Inner Court selection competition: Jiang Yun, Zi Yan, Liu Zhicun, Ling Feng, and Su Quan.
"Very good, you are all the most talented students of this generation in our Outer Court. But remember, the Inner Court is not like the Outer Court. Those who can enter the Inner Court are all geniuses like yourselves. Furthermore, in the Inner Court, strength is revered. Whoever has the harder fist will receive the best cultivation conditions. Therefore, students who enter the Inner Court usually form groups. If you don't group up, the consequences are usually not pleasant!"
Hu Gan looked at the five people before him, nodding in satisfaction. Especially when he saw Jiang Yun and Zi Yan, the smile in his eyes couldn't be hidden. However, to prevent them from becoming complacent, he still spoke with a solemn expression.
"Won't the Academy intervene?" Su Quan, one of the only two females among the five, first frowned, as if she had thought of something, then asked.
"We martial artists are meant to advance bravely and diligently. Therefore, the Academy will only guarantee your safety, but it encourages competition and combat among students." Hu Gan patiently explained to them, describing the harshness of the Inner Court.
Jia Nan Academy had always been dedicated to letting students experience the cruelty of the continent, so the Academy did not forbid students from sparring and competing. Over time, a rather fierce atmosphere developed, where the strong held privileges.
If you want to have a superior status, then cultivate desperately, for strength will grant you everything.
Except for Jiang Yun and Zi Yan, the remaining three were all serious. At this point, they realized the gravity of the situation. In the Outer Court, they were top powerhouses who dominated, but in the Inner Court, everything had to start anew.
"Hmph—if anyone dares to provoke me and Xiao Yun, I'll punch them to smithereens!"
Just as this solemn atmosphere prevailed, a clear yet domineering voice rang out. Hu Gan's expression stiffened slightly. He looked down and saw Zi Yan casually waving her small fist.
However, Hu Gan knew just how terrifying the power contained within that tiny fist was.
Why did this batch of new students produce a freak like Zi Yan?
"Cough cough." To cover his embarrassment, Hu Gan could only give a tactical cough.
Jiang Yun looked at the embarrassed Vice Dean Hu Gan with amusement, raised his hand, and gently ruffled Zi Yan's hair. Hmm, still as silky smooth.
"You are the top five in this competition. According to the Academy's rules, you can try your luck at the Academy's Treasure Pavilion." Hu Gan, having been choked by Zi Yan, could only change the subject.
Then Hu Gan walked to a black wall, waved his hand, releasing an invisible fluctuation, and the wall opened, revealing a pitch-black passage.
Hu Gan stepped in first, with Jiang Yun pulling Zi Yan to follow immediately. The others also stepped forward one after another.
The walls of the passage were embedded with large luminous pearls, their faint glow somewhat hazy, but for the few of them, this amount of light was already sufficient.