BTTH: From Genius to Invincible-Chapter 253 - : The Grand Competition Begins

Word Count: 2,060 Words

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The Strong Ranking Grand Competition was the most intense tournament within the Inner Academy and the highest-level event at Jia Nan Academy, much like the Inner Academy Qualifying Competition held by the Outer Academy.

Those who could stand out in such a grand competition were dragons and phoenixes among people, possessing truly astonishing talent. The top ten of each generation's Strong Ranking Grand Competition invariably made illustrious names for themselves across the continent. Even the least among them would reach at least the Dou King realm and dominate a region.

The atmosphere within the Inner Academy gradually intensified as the time for the Strong Ranking Grand Competition drew nearer. Every corner buzzed with discussions about the upcoming competition.

Amidst the eager anticipation of countless individuals in the Inner Academy, the day of the Strong Ranking Grand Competition finally arrived.

A ray of morning light cascaded down. An ancient bell chime quietly echoed from the depths of the Inner Academy, spreading throughout its entirety.

When the nine chimes from the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower resounded, students across the Inner Academy suddenly opened their tightly shut eyes. Though varying in appearance, they all exuded formidable auras. Sharp gleams mixed with fervent battle intent flashed within their eyes!

Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on his bed and slowly opened his jet-black eyes. He turned his head slightly and gazed out of the window, sensing the overwhelming auras surging from various corners of the Inner Academy. The corners of his mouth slowly curved into a smile as scalding battle intent surged within his chest.

By the time he descended the stairs, Xun Er, Xiao Yu, and other members of the Xiao Clan were already waiting at the door.

"Good morning, Little Clan Leader!"

Xiao Yan smiled gently and nodded, "Good morning, everyone."

"You big pervert! If you didn't show up soon, the Strong Ranking Grand Competition would have started without you." Xiao Yu, as usual, wore the Jia Nan Academy uniform that made her pair of rounded, shapely legs extremely eye-catching.

Xiao Yan turned his head to look, and as usual, his gaze first lingered on her legs before moving up to her face. He grinned and said, "Hey now, I'm the Little Clan Leader after all. As a member of the Xiao Clan, you're not showing me much respect. Believe it or not, I'll go complain to your dad."

"You dare!" Xiao Yu instantly gritted her teeth and stomped her foot but was helpless against him.

Xiao Yan shrugged his shoulders and then turned to the graceful figure standing beside him. Her delicate body was wrapped in a light green dress that outlined her lovely curves. She tilted her head and smiled sweetly at him. "Xiao Yan ge-ge, Xun Er is really looking forward to your performance today."

Xiao Yan sighed in an exaggerated manner and said, "I just hope I don't run into you today, Xun Er. Otherwise, I might get eliminated early."

"How could that be? Xiao Yan ge-ge is much stronger than Xun Er. This year's first place in the Strong Ranking must be none other than you." Her light smile, coupled with that pure and beautiful face, held even more confidence than Xiao Yan himself.

"I don't dare to be certain about being first. After all, a lion still uses all its strength to catch a rabbit. That Liu Qing and Lin Xiuya are no ordinary individuals, not to mention that girl Zi Yan." Xiao Yan smiled, then glanced at Xun Er. "However, if Xun Er were to use all of her means, I'm afraid even I wouldn't be able to contend with you."

With a smile, Xun Er blinked her beautiful eyes. She neither confirmed nor denied his words, her expression saying, 'Don't try to guess a woman's thoughts.'

…

Upon arriving at the fighting arena, Xiao Yan and the others saw some familiar faces.

"Hehe, Xiao Yan, let's hope we don't run into each other at the beginning of the competition. That would be rather awkward." Lin Xiuya was like the protagonist no matter where he stood with his charismatic presence.

Beside Lin Xiuya were the same group from before. Especially the silver-haired Han Yue, who attracted even more attention.

"Senior Brother Lin is ranked second on the Strong Ranking. Besides Zi Yan, those who can match you are few and far between. If we were to meet at the start, it would just be my bad luck," Xiao Yan chuckled modestly.

"That's not necessarily the case. Your speed makes even me apprehensive. Moreover, you possess a Heavenly Flame. I think no one wants to battle an alchemist with a Heavenly Flame," Lin Xiuya said with a knowing smile.

If he underestimated Xiao Yan due to his own half-step Dou King cultivation, he would undoubtedly suffer a big loss.

Another figure, standing straight like a steel spear, also caught Xiao Yan's attention.

Liu Qing met Xiao Yan's gaze. A year ago, Xiao Yan had defeated the alliance of the Splitting Mountain and other factions, seizing ten thousand Fire Energy.

As the leader of the Splitting Mountain, Liu Qing naturally sought revenge against him.

The sound of a gong resounded with a clang. Xiao Yan looked up and caught a fleeting glimpse of blurry figures. Over a dozen elders had unknowingly appeared on the special high platform in the square.

Interestingly, due to his alchemy endeavors, Xiao Yan had become acquainted with all the elders of both the Inner and Outer Academies in just a short year.

The dozen or so elders all cast kind gazes toward him.

At the forefront, First Elder Su Qian's voice, infused with Dou Qi, resounded deeply: "The Strong Ranking Grand Competition begins now! The top fifty on the Strong Ranking, step forward!"

Every month, one could challenge higher-ranked individuals in the arena to seize their ranking. It seemed Xiao Yan had deliberately challenged the fiftieth rank, and afterward, no one dared to challenge that position.

The method of determining opponents was simple: drawing lots to pair up one-on-one.

Interestingly, Xiao Yan's first opponent was his old rival, Bai Cheng, the leader of the White Gang.

Over half a year ago, Bai Cheng was a 6-star Dou Spirit, the same as Han Yue. Now, after so much time had passed, Bai Cheng seemed to have made no progress and was still a 6-star Dou Spirit.

The result held no suspense. Xiao Yan merely unleashed an Octane Blast. Bai Cheng's spear defense was futile. He was sent flying off the stage, instantly defeated with a single punch.

Perhaps proving the saying 'enemies often cross paths,' Xiao Yan's second opponent in the round of twenty-five advancing to thirteen was Yao Sheng from the Splitting Mountain.

Although Yao Sheng was stronger than Bai Cheng, he was merely toyed with in front of Xiao Yan, who was superior in cultivation, Qi Method, physical strength, and Spiritual Strength. In the end, Xiao Yan kicked him in the rear, sending the unfortunate fellow out of the arena.

With Xiao Yan's current strength as an 8-star Dou Spirit, it could be said that apart from the top three on the Strong Ranking, no one was qualified to make him get serious. They couldn't even serve as a warm-up.

"Sigh, my butt hurts from sitting so long." Xiao Yan stood up and stretched lazily. This competition was hard to endure. Ten seconds on stage, ten hours sitting off stage.

Xun Er covered her mouth and laughed. "That's because Xiao Yan ge-ge is too strong. Others have to fight intense battles to win."

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Originally, Wu Hao, Hu Jia, and Xiao Ning all had spots in the competition, but their strengths hovered around the fiftieth rank, and they were eliminated in the first round.

So now, only Xiao Yan and Xun Er remained in the contestants' seats.

Xiao Yan seriously sized up the beautiful girl beside him, his gaze carrying a hint of curiosity and a touch of intensity.

"Xiao Yan ge-ge, staring... staring at me like that is making me shy." Xun Er's lovely face turned completely red. Who looks at people in such a manner?

Xiao Yan rubbed his chin, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I'm very curious about Xun Er's true strength."

Xun Er's cultivation was currently at the 6-star Dou Spirit stage. Xiao Yan remembered that her strength had always been one or two stars behind his own. Even when they were young and the Xiao Clan used the testing monument to assess their strength, Xun Er's cultivation was always one or two stars behind his.

It was like deliberately controlling exam scores, always lagging by a point or two, never more.

When he was a 3-star Dou Practitioner, Xun Er was a 2-star Dou Practitioner. Now, even after he had desperately cultivated and received the help of the Core Quenching Body Milk and medicinal pills, he still hadn't widened the gap at all.

Xiao Yan even suspected that back when they 'did bad things' and robbed the Sky Serpent Mansion, that still wasn't Xun Er's true strength.

Xun Er's beautiful eyes stared blankly at the curious baby in front of her. After a moment, she broke into a radiant smile. That pure and flawless smile was so breathtaking that those around them held their breaths, feeling a sense of suffocation.

"Does Xiao Yan ge-ge want to see?" Xun Er stood gracefully, her dark hair casually tied with a light purple ribbon. At this moment, the face that always carried a faint smile slowly revealed a touch of noble pride!

This hint of pride and confidence made even Xiao Yan momentarily lose his focus.

"Though I'd love to see Xun Er's true strength, it'll have to wait for now." Xiao Yan slowly stood up from his chair.

Just as he stood, First Elder Su Qian's voice resounded: "Next match, Liu Qing versus Xiao Yan!"

The entire arena fell silent. The spectators looked at each other in disbelief. They never expected that Xiao Yan and Liu Qing, these two hot favorites, would actually meet in the third round!

"Wait a minute! It's only the third round with over a dozen contestants. If either Xiao Yan or Liu Qing loses, doesn't that mean they won't make it into the top ten?"

"No, no. The loser in the third round falls into the loser's bracket. The top three from the loser's bracket will then be ranked eighth, ninth, and tenth on the Strong Ranking."

Liu Qing heard the First Elder announce the matchup and was the first to move. He slowly stood up and strode to the edge of the high platform under Liu Fei's adoring gaze before leaping onto the battle stage.

His eyes fixed on Xiao Yan's position. The battle intent within them was so intense that even the spectators could clearly feel it.

"Hey, Xiao Yan, how about I swap with you? I'll help you beat Liu Qing until he can't compete anymore. That way, you can directly advance to the top ten," Zi Yan said with a grin as she swung her ponytail and raised her little fist at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan looked at this adorable little girl and a hint of battle intent flashed in his eyes. He grinned and said, "You're underestimating me too much. My goal in this Strong Ranking Grand Competition is to be first."

A purple light flashed in Zi Yan's eyes. She smiled sweetly. "Then you'll have to defeat me."

"Of course. Don't expect me to hold back."

Zi Yan raised her small fist. "Even if it's you, I'll still make you lie flat on the ground."

"Oh oh, I'm really looking forward to it." Xiao Yan smiled and slowly headed toward the battle stage in the square.

Just as he said, his target wasn't Liu Qing but the strongest on the Strong Ranking, Zi Yan! Since he was participating in the Strong Ranking Grand Competition, his goal was naturally to become number one!

"Xiao Yan ge-ge, good luck." Behind him came Xun Er's gentle cheering voice.

Liu Qing had naturally heard what Xiao Yan had just said. His eyes narrowed as he said, "Having confidence is good, but you will lose to me."

Xiao Yan tilted his neck slightly. "I hope you can help me warm up. The previous matches ended too quickly, and I've gotten stiff from waiting so long."

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