Chapter 55: The Start of the Selection Round

As an important event of the Jia Nan Academy, the Inner Academy Qualifying Competition naturally attracted a lot of attention.

In addition, this competition featured all those who used to be the most popular figures in the academy.

This is undoubtedly a great attraction for men and women who see these people as their idols and objects of admiration.

Therefore, even though the largest square of Jia Nan Academy was used for the event, it was still crowded with people.

Countless Jia Nan Academy students rushed to occupy the seats in the arena, and a glimpse of the bleachers showed black heads and a clamor that shot up into the clouds.

This was the scene Xiao Shan and Xiao Ming saw as the two squeezed in.

"What's up with this?"

Xiao Shan was a bit dumbfounded as he looked at the noisy occasion.

The noise was like the waves of the sea, coming in waves, which made Xiao Ming, who had been alone most of the time and was already used to the quiet atmosphere, frown.

After scanning the arena, he said, "We are a little late, we can find out where our companions are, they should have taken their seats long ago."

Xiao Shan listened to what Xiao Ming said, sighed, and then looked around just like Xiao Ming, he soon made a discovery and pointed to one of the stalls and shouted in surprise.

"Look, everyone from our class is in the stands over there, and tutor Ge Hu is also there."

Xiao Ming turned his head and looked in the direction he pointed and found that this was indeed the case.

So, motioning to Xiao Shan, they walked forward together.

The two of them quickly made their way through the crowd and headed towards the location of the class they were in.

"Xiao Shan, Xiao Ming, you two are here, why are you so late, you two are the only ones missing from our class, hurry up and sit down, later, the selection round will begin."

Tutor Ge Hu, who was sitting on the bleacher, was very attentive and saw the arrival of his two students.

"Good morning tutor Ge Hu!"

Seeing Ge Hu greeting them, the two, Xiao Ming, greeted him and sat down beside him.

After greeting some students he knew with a smile on his face, Xiao Ming turned his attention to the arena.

The huge arena for this competition was in the shape of a circle, and around the arena, stone stairs stretched upward, whose shape was like that of a gladiatorial arena.

The position chosen by tutor Ge Hu was neither too high nor too low on the stairs, and the location was very good.

However, although this position was good, it was not the best. Xiao Ming swept his gaze around the arena and finally stopped at the center position of the grandstand.

That was the seat with the best view on one side.

There were only four seats, and only four old men with white hair and beards were sitting there.

One of them was none other than Xiao Ming's master, Elder Huo.

Elder Huo was sitting on the far left of the four seats, and the three elders to his right were known to Xiao Ming.

One of them, who was sitting next to Elder Huo and talking to him, was Hu Jia's grandfather, Hu Gan, the Deputy Headmaster of Outer Jia Nan Academy.

The other two elders sitting next to him were the elders of the Outer Academy.

These four people were clearly sitting on that rostrum, and in Xiao Ming's perception, he felt the occasional spatial undulations arising around them, such spatial fluctuations, could only resonate with outer space when the Dou Qi in their bodies was strong to a certain extent.

Clearly, the four of them were at the peak level of Dou Emperor, only half a step away from Dou Ancestor.

If they had a Zong Breaking Pill, he feared that they could directly enter Dou Ancestor.

Unfortunately, although the Jia Nan Academy did not lack money or medicinal materials, they did not have a high-level alchemist who could refine the Zong Breaking Pill, and this half-step distance had trapped them for an unknown number of years.

When Xiao Ming was looking at the four people in the booth, the four people suddenly felt something.

The originally lazy eyes moved and their clouded gaze directly met Xiao Ming's.

After seeing that his disciple was looking at him, Elder Huo revealed a smile to Xiao Ming.

The other three also smiled at Xiao Ming in greeting.

One of them, Hu Gan, looked at Xiao Ming and said to Elder Huo in surprise, "Elder Huo, is this kid Xiao Ming already a seven-star Dou Grandmaster?!"

When Elder Huo, who had always remained silent, heard this question from Hu Gan, he immediately said in a tone as if he hated iron for not being steel.

"Yes, he broke through when he went out for training a few days ago. I told him not to go out, but he didn't listen to me, and he came back as a Seven Star Dou Grandmaster."

'I say, can you keep the smug grin off your face before you say that?'

The others looked at the smile on Elder Huo's face and knew that he was pleased to have such a talented disciple.

But they could only look on in envy.

Who had let this elder get lucky and take the lead in the first place?

It had to be known that when this monster Xiao Ming appeared at the Jia Nan Academy, all the elders who had heard the news had the will to take him as a disciple.

Everyone was still asking about the news and had not even begun to make a move when Xiao Ming was taken by Elder Huo.

At that time, there were many people who privately scolded Elder Huo for being unethical and for being so quick in his move.

However, Xiao Ming had alchemy talent in addition to his cultivation talent, so in Elder Huo's hands, he was indeed much better than in their own.

"A six year old Dou Practitioner, a Dou Grandmaster less than nine years old, after entering the Inner Academy, with the boost from the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, I'm afraid he should be able to reach the strength of a Dou King before graduating, how old would the brat Xiao Ming be at that time, less than fourteen years old? Tsk tsk, what a monster."

As he said that, the look of envy on Hu Gan's face grew stronger and stronger.

He thought of his own granddaughter, Hu Jia, although her talent was very high compared to others.

But there was no comparison with Xiao Ming, at the same age, Hu Jia was not even a Dou Practitioner.

The gap between them was too big.

Leaving aside the conversation of the elders in the middle seat.

After Xiao Ming waited for a while, the Inner Academy Selection Competition finally began.

When a middle-aged referee slowly entered the square, deafening cheers erupted from the stands.

The cheers died down as the referee's hand pressed down, and after looking around the stage, the middle-aged referee said loudly.

"All students, today is the long-awaited annual Inner Academy Qualifying Competition, This time, the participants come from all the Xuan and Huang rank classes, as well as the Law Enforcement Unit and the Alchemy Department, and all of them are the best within their respective classes, a total of three hundred people."

"The rules for this selection are as follows."

"Firstly, they are all classmates, no one is allowed to kill another classmate."

"Secondly."

"Those who violate the above rules will be disqualified from the competition if it is a minor offense, or expelled from the academy if it is a major offense."

"..."

"Alright, time is running out, I declare the Inner Academy Qualifying Competition officially begins!" After saying this, the tutor slowly returned to the referee's seat.

From the referee's seat, two names also appeared.

"Xuan Rank Class 1, Cao Wei!"

"Rank Huang Class 9, Zhao Yuzhen!"

Those who were able to participate in the Inner Academy Selection Tournament had a minimum realm of five-star Dou Master.

Hearing the roll call, two figures who had already prepared for the competition immediately came down from the stands.

Sparks flew from their eyes as they looked at each other. Dou Qi of different attributes emerged from their bodies, enveloping them in a perfect veil of Dou Qi.

Each class had a limited number of spots for the tournament, and the two were able to participate in the competition, so naturally, they were still popular in their class.

Behind the two, there was an endless stream of shouts of support from their respective classes.

With such an enthusiastic atmosphere, the competition proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Time flew by as the waves of matches ended.

At the end of the fortieth round, one of the judges slowly stood up and looked around the field before finally saying loudly.

"Round 41, Xuan Rank Class 8, Xiao Ming!"

"Huang Rank Class 2, Feng Bing!"