Battle Through the Heavens: Harmony of Flame and Shadow

For those students who idolized and admired these figures, male or female, this event was undoubtedly a huge attraction.

On the day of the competition, the academy had prepared a colossal arena in the square, now surrounded by an impenetrable crowd.

Jiang Yun silently arrived at his class with Zi Yan, his gaze scanning the surroundings of the square before finally resting on the central area of the spectator stands.

That was the spot with the best view. There were three seats there, occupied by three elderly men with white hair and beards.

One of them was Vice Principal Hu Qian, whom Jiang Yun recognized, but the other two were unfamiliar faces. Among them, one had a sharp gaze that, despite attempts to restrain it, seemed to carry the aura of a battlefield filled with corpses.

This person must be Wu Tianlang, the captain of the Canaan Academy's Law Enforcement Team.

Occasional ripples in space surrounded the three men. Such spatial fluctuations could only occur when the internal fighting energy was extremely powerful, resonating with external space, a mark of someone nearing the Dou Zong level.

Obviously, all three were at the peak Dou Huang level, just half a step away from Dou Zong, reflecting the power of Canaan Academy.

However, this half-step was immensely challenging. If they had a Breaking Zong Pill, they might ascend directly to Dou Zong.

While Canaan Academy was well-funded and supplied with medicinal herbs, it lacked a high-level alchemist capable of refining the Breaking Zong Pill. This half-step barrier had trapped them for countless years.

Although Elder Huo had reached the sixth-tier in alchemy, the path to refining a pinnacle sixth-tier pill like the Breaking Zong Pill was still long.

As Jiang Yun averted his gaze, Wu Tianlang among the trio began scanning in his direction with a slight frown.

"What's wrong?" Hu Qian asked, noticing Wu Tianlang's unusual behavior.

"Nothing." Unable to find anything, Wu Tianlang retracted his gaze and replied indifferently.

Hu Qian nodded and, seeing that the time was almost up, signaled with his hand.

In the next moment, as the referee stepped onto the stage, the Inner Academy Selection finally began, and the atmosphere inside reached its peak.

"First match, Class One of the Yellow Rank, Wu Da versus Class Two of the Yellow Rank, Du Hao. Competitors, please step onto the stage!"

"Second match, Class Two of the Yellow Rank, Hu Yun versus Class Three of the Black Rank, Lu Lie. Get ready!"

"Ah~~~ Xiao Yun, this is so boring!"

On the spectator stands, the 'forever' twelve-year-old Zi Yan leaned disinterestedly on Jiang Yun's shoulder, showing no interest in the 'chicken fights' below.

With her strength, she was among the top in the entire academy. The battles of Dou Shis and Da Dou Shis below really couldn't pique her interest.

"Just bear with it for a bit longer. It'll be over soon," Jiang Yun said, patting Zi Yan's head fondly. By now, Jiang Yun was much taller than Zi Yan, looking more like an elder brother.

This could be seen from how Zi Yan addressed him.

"Ninth match, Class Three of the Yellow Rank, Jiang Yun versus Class Two of the Black Rank, Li Yunzhi. Competitors, step onto the stage!"

Zi Yan, who had been dozing off, perked up instantly upon hearing the familiar name, shaking Jiang Yun's arm vigorously. "Xiao Yun, it's your turn!"

Jiang Yun nodded and walked towards the stage, under the astonished gaze of his classmates.

After Jiang Yun left, his classmates looked at each other.

"Is he from our class?"

"Have you seen him before?"

"I haven't. You?"

"Me neither!"

The classmates weren't the only ones surprised; the other students were baffled too. Jiang Yun had been extremely low-key, not interacting with anyone, so his presence wasn't well-known.

Su Qian's initial expectation had gone unfulfilled. He thought Jiang Yun would stir up the Outer Academy, making the place lively. Who could have guessed that Jiang Yun would become a reclusive cultivator instead, making him a stranger to most in the Outer Academy.

Li Yunzhi, Jiang Yun's opponent, was an eighteen or nineteen-year-old with the strength of a five-star Dou Shi. He was decent among his peers, but securing a top fifty spot was still uncertain.

Seeing Jiang Yun stepping onto the stage, Li Yunzhi was overjoyed, speaking lightly, "Kid, this isn't a place for you. Turn around and jump off to save yourself a beating!"

Jiang Yun remained silent, looking towards the referee.

Seeing Jiang Yun's 'stubbornness', the referee looked at him with some pity but still dutifully announced, "The match begins!"

"Gale Palm!"

With the referee's command, Li Yunzhi charged towards Jiang Yun, his palm coated with fighting energy, moving with great speed due to his wind attribute fighting energy.

However, no matter how fast, he couldn't evade Jiang Yun's precision or the gap in their realms.

Jiang Yun merely sidestepped slightly, easily evading Li Yunzhi's attack, while placing his palm against Li Yunzhi's chest, making it seem like Li Yunzhi ran into his palm.

With a loud "bang," Li Yunzhi was sent flying by Jiang Yun's palm, clutching his chest in horror as he looked at Jiang Yun mid-air.

Feeling his body shattered, utterly powerless, he could only watch himself being thrown off the stage.

"Wow—"

The audience fell into stunned silence, finding the outcome dramatic. Had they not known otherwise, they might have suspected match-fixing.

The referee, too, was astonished as he watched Jiang Yun walk off the stage, feeling the terrifying aura emanate from Jiang Yun, a threat potent enough to be fatal—a sensation he hadn't felt in years as a five-star Dou Ling.

This kid was terrifying!

Vice Principal Hu Qian and the other two saw the entire scene from the spectator stands, with Hu Qian looking at Wu Tianlang with a mix of doubt and surprise. "That aura just now…?"

A ten-year-old Da Dou Shi?

"Elder Su really picked up a little monster!" Hu Qian sighed in amazement, a wry smile forming on his face. "This year, the Inner Academy will be anything but peaceful!"

The other two nodded, thinking Hu Qian meant Jiang Yun. Indeed, with Jiang Yun's talent entering the Inner Academy, he would inevitably clash with the established students, making the place lively.

Though Hu Qian meant someone else, anyone would have sufficed.

"Xiao Yun, great job!" Zi Yan cheered excitedly, more thrilled than if she had won, dancing with joy.

"It's not worth bragging about; it was just a Dou Shi," Jiang Yun replied calmly, shaking his head.

"Fortieth match, Class Three of the Yellow Rank, Zi Yan versus Class Three of the Black Rank, Wang Shan."

Seeing the nonchalant Jiang Yun, Zi Yan nodded solemnly, agreeing that a Dou Shi wasn't anything to be proud of.

Hearing her name called, she lit up, eagerly saying, "It's my turn, Xiao Yun. Watch my performance!"

As Zi Yan rushed towards the stage, Jiang Yun shouted, "Be cautious, don't be too harsh."

Seeing Zi Yan wave back, Jiang Yun looked at her opponent. He was a tall, burly man with an imposing aura.

Compared to Zi Yan, the difference was 'gigantic,' yet Jiang Yun could only silently sympathize with her opponent, hoping she wouldn't be too harsh.

"Jiang Yun, is Zi Yan very strong?" At this moment, Wu En, who had sneaked over, overheard Jiang Yun's advice to Zi Yan and curiously observed her back.

"Very strong. Under normal circumstances, I'm no match for her," Jiang Yun replied after pondering for a moment.

"So strong?" Wu En was surprised. To him, Jiang Yun was already an enigma, his earlier performance affirming this belief. What was Zi Yan's level if she was stronger than Jiang Yun?

Dou Ling? Dou Wang?

"Under what special circumstances would you be stronger?" Although satisfied with the answer, Wu En curiously asked what those circumstances might be.

Jiang Yun didn't respond, smiling enigmatically at Zi Yan on the stage, his fingers gently rubbing the ring on his hand.

As Jiang Yun didn't answer, Wu En didn't press further, focusing on the stage to see what was special about this little girl.

Seeing the approaching small figure, Wang Shan hesitated. After confirming no one else was coming up, he kindly warned, "Little girl, you should step down. At your age, I really can't bring myself to fight you."

Zi Yan's appearance on stage attracted many eyes, some people even regretting not having her as their opponent. 'Why isn't that kid my opponent?' they thought, seeing her as an easy win.

In their eyes, Zi Yan was a 'gift giver,' there to award points. They wondered if the instructor of Class Three of the Yellow Rank had lost his mind, letting someone with such little strength participate.

Under the strange gazes around her, Zi Yan glanced at Wang Shan, a peculiar smile forming on her lips. She intertwined her fingers, pressing lightly, causing a series of popping sounds from her joints. She then raised her head, looking towards the referee, and said in a mature tone, "Hey, can we start?"

On the high stage, the referee was drenched in cold sweat, unable to meet Zi Yan's gaze, feeling like a terrifying beast was watching him, making him tremble.

With no response, Zi Yan frowned, disdainfully looking at the referee. This weakling was so easily intimidated. Xiao Yun wouldn't be scared like this.

Thinking this, a smile curved on her lips.

"Alright, begin. Just don't take lives," came Hu Qian's voice, resolving the referee's awkward situation.

Zi Yan glanced at the three elderly men on the high stage, pouting. They were all people she couldn't defeat.

"Humph, let's see if he can endure."

"Is she the prodigy Elder brought back?" Wu Tianlang asked curiously, observing Zi Yan.

"Indeed. Despite her small form, I've heard she is a bloodline-extraordinary beast who accidentally consumed Transformation Grass, resulting in this appearance. She was at the fourth-tier peak before joining, and now she's likely at the fifth-tier," Hu Qian explained softly.

"Fifth-tier?" Even Wu Tianlang, with his vast battle experience and composure, couldn't help but twitch at this revelation.

"A Dou Wang can reign in the Inner Academy. Elder actually kept her in the Outer Academy?" the last Dou Huang elder, Elder Li, asked in confusion.

"She refused to go, saying she was waiting for that boy," Hu Qian explained, pointing towards Jiang Yun.

Sensing someone observing him, Jiang Yun looked up, meeting their gazes briefly before nodding slightly and continuing to watch Zi Yan on the stage.

"What keen senses. The quality of this batch of students is high!" Wu Tianlang remarked.

"Haha, I'm more envious of his luck with ladies," Elder Li chuckled, his laughter carrying a mischievous undertone.

"You old rascal!" Hu Qian laughed and cursed mildly, also feeling envious.

Who wouldn't want a childhood sweetheart with extraordinary talent, someone loyal and capable of growing together? Especially one so outstanding that she could support him for a lifetime.

Unaware of Hu Qian and the others' admiration and discussion, Jiang Yun watched Zi Yan on stage with keen interest as the battle began.

"Arrogance!" Initially, Wang Shan had reminded her kindly, seeing her as a little girl. But being publicly belittled aroused his anger. "Don't think because you're a girl I'll go easy on you. The Inner Academy isn't a place for brats like you," he said sternly. "Let me, your senior, teach you a lesson!"

Annoyed by Wang Shan's lecturing, Zi Yan rolled her eyes and twirled her light purple ponytail impatiently, her small tiger teeth grinding. Then she gently lifted her dainty foot and suddenly stomped down.

"Boom!"

A muffled explosion sounded as her foot landed. Amidst the elongated gasp of shock, a half-foot-wide fissure extended from where her foot landed.

In a blink, it reached the stunned Wang Shan, an invisible force bursting from the ground towards him.

His reaction was swift, despite the terrifying power Zi Yan displayed in an instant. He quickly mobilized his strength.

With a yell, a surge of fighting energy burst from his body, forming a yellow energy armor on his surface.

He was a Da Dou Shi, one of the contenders for the top fifty spots. Unfortunately...

He encountered Zi Yan, proving that sometimes luck outranks skill.

**(End of Chapter)**