In the cultivation chamber closest to the center of the sixth floor of the Blazing Sky Refining Qi Tower.
Yan Qingshan's body was like a black hole furnace, continuously devouring and absorbing the tempering fire energy from all around. Endless faint red flames swirled, forming a fiery curtain around his body, which was firmly suppressed by a layer of azure light within him.
"Brother Qingshan!"
Xiao Yi Xian's call came from outside the cultivation chamber. Yan Qingshan slowly opened his eyes. These days of cultivation had allowed him to progress further; he was now a Five-Star Dou Spirit. It had to be said that the cultivation speed of an Di-tier cultivation method was indeed fast.
Yan Qingshan slowly pushed open the door. Xiao Yi Xian, standing outside, was clad in a light gray Dou Qi armor to resist the abundant fire energy of the place. Her cultivation had already leapt to Seven-Star Dou Grandmaster, surpassing most students of her year, second only to Lin Yan, Han Xia, and Han Yue.
"The Strong Ranking Competition has begun, hasn't it?"
Yan Qingshan spoke softly. Xiao Yi Xian nodded and stepped closer to straighten the creases in his clothes, tidying his appearance.
Yan Qingshan wrapped an arm around the slender waist of the little beauty, and with a flash of azure light, they quickly disappeared from the Blazing Sky Refining Qi Tower.
The Central Plaza, the largest venue in the Inner Academy. Normally, this plaza was not open to the public; it was only opened when the Inner Academy hosted competitions. And as the most explosive Strong Ranking Competition of the Inner Academy, this was naturally the only suitable location.
Yan Qingshan brought Xiao Yi Xian to the high platform, where the members of the Qingshan Society were already gathered. The Qingshan Society had already become a rising first-rate force in the Inner Academy. After he defeated Yang Sheng, Lin Xiu Ya and Liu Qing finally accepted his invitation.
The addition of these two also allowed the Qingshan Society to gather a large number of excellent talents, developing into a colossal entity that was no less inferior to established first-rate forces.
Currently, the Qingshan Society, apart from its most top-tier experts being slightly inferior to the peak forces founded by those in the top ten of the Strong Ranking, was not at a disadvantage in any other aspect.
Yan Qingshan stood on the viewing platform, with Xiao Yi Xian and Han Yue beside him, recounting some of the main events of the past few days. Liu Qing, Lin Xiu Ya, Lin Yan, Han Xian, and Yao Sheng gathered and chatted on the other side.
Among them, except for Xiao Yi Xian, Han Yue, and Han Xian, all were participants from the Qingshan Society in this Strong Ranking Competition. This time, the Qingshan Society had a total of five participants, which was rare among all forces.
Liu Qing and Lin Xiu Ya had both broken through two stars in the past six months, both reaching Three-Star Dou Spirit cultivation. Yao Sheng was Liu Qing's right-hand man, appearing effeminate but possessing strong abilities. During the Fire Energy Hunting Competition, he was already a peak Dou Grandmaster, and now he had also broken through to Dou Spirit.
Han Yue and Han Xian were currently stuck at peak Dou Grandmaster. Although they could also enter the Strong Ranking Competition, they chose to forgo this one to achieve better rankings next time, preserving their trump cards and not participating.
Lin Yan truly lived up to his reputation as a cultivation fanatic. After receiving the method to resolve fire poison from Yan Qingshan, he practically slept in the Blazing Sky Refining Qi Tower for half a year in the Inner Academy. His aura was even stronger than Yao Sheng's; he was already an experienced One-Star Dou Spirit.
"There are indeed many powerful individuals!"
Yan Qingshan's gaze swept across the crowd and found Zi Yan's figure. She was with a group of extremely formidable individuals, several of whom even had slightly unstable auras but exuded an imposing presence very close to that of the Inner Academy elders.
These were newly promoted Dou Kings, powerful individuals among the top ten of the Strong Ranking. And the Dou King stage was where the true experts of the continent resided.
"That fellow Yan Hao is here too!"
Lin Xiu Ya suddenly spoke. Everyone followed his gaze, and among the many figures, a powerful individual also looked their way.
Yan Hao, a genius from the same generation as Liu Qing and Lin Xiu Ya, was one of the veteran students who suffered a setback in the Fire Energy Hunting Competition. Lin Yan almost collapsed after only twenty moves against him back then. Now, he was also a Three-Star Dou Spirit, though slightly weaker than Liu Qing and Lin Xiu Ya.
"Great Elder and the others have arrived."
Yan Qingshan suddenly looked in a certain direction of the Central Plaza. Accompanied by sharp whistling sounds, streaks of light quickly arrived from afar.
Dong~~~
As the bell chimed quietly, more than a dozen elderly figures had, at some unknown point, appeared on the special high platform seats in the plaza.
Yan Qingshan's gaze locked onto the black-robed, white-haired, white-bearded elder in the center. This Great Elder Su Qian of the Inner Academy was one of the three Dou Ancestors still present in the Jia Nan Academy today, and also the strongest individual visibly present in the Jia Nan Academy.
Great Elder Su Qian slowly walked forward, pressing his hands down. Instantly, the entire plaza was filled with only the sound of breathing. His ancient and deep voice echoed in everyone's ears.
"Those ranked on the Strong Ranking, enter the arena!"
As Great Elder Su Qian's voice fell, figures flashed and moved on the high platform. Streaks of figures cut arcs through the air, one by one standing in the plaza. A fervent battle intent quietly swelled, and the atmosphere in the arena instantly became intense.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh…
Six figures, controlling their Dou Qi wings, descended from the sky, entering the arena with an extremely domineering posture. Six of the current top seven on the Inner Academy's Strong Ranking were all Dou King experts.
Among them, the auras of three individuals were extremely unstable, suggesting they had recently broken through. But even if they had just broken through, they were genuine Dou Kings, and their original rankings naturally moved up accordingly.
Beyond these five, a small girl in white clothes slowly climbed the steps, then, amidst countless stunned gazes, walked to the very front of the team, seemingly still chewing on something.
She looked around, and when she spotted Yan Qingshan, she turned her head and chuckled, revealing her adorable, neat little canine teeth.
Not many people in the Inner Academy were aware of Zi Yan's identity. Perhaps only those on the Strong Ranking and some veteran students knew. For some of the newer students who had entered later, they had never heard this name.
After all, to grow faster, she mostly ran around in the mountain ranges and forests outside the Inner Academy searching for precious medicinal ingredients, rarely appearing in the Inner Academy. Although she was ranked third on the Strong Ranking, her strength was no less inferior to the other two, simply because she had few battle achievements, thus being ranked third.
Zi Yan, however, couldn't be bothered. She kept chewing on the pills Yan Qingshan had refined for her, her eyes constantly shifting as she secretly observed the few individuals around her. Some of them could be the key obstacles preventing Yan Qingshan from entering the top ten.
The appearance of Yan Qingshan and the five members of the Qingshan Society, including Lin Yan, also attracted considerable attention.
It was quite rare for a single force to have five Dou Spirits in the Inner Academy, not to mention that Yan Qingshan was rumored to have mastered an Di-tier Dou Skill and was one of the strong contenders for the top ten of the Strong Ranking.
"Since the numbers are complete, the competition can begin."
Great Elder Su Qian smiled faintly, "However, before the competition, I must remind everyone that although the Inner Academy has an open-minded atmosphere, I still hope that everyone will try their best to avoid heavy blows during the competition..."
"The rules for this year are the same as before: opponents will be decided by drawing lots."
As Great Elder Su Qian finished speaking, a black cloth not far away drifted down, revealing a stone platform beneath it. On the stone platform was a wide wooden cylinder, containing many bamboo slips.