Starting as a supporting character in Doupo

With his spear swirling around him, Bai Shan once again unleashed his trump card.

"Thunderous arc explosion".

Seeing Bai Shan's attack, Xiao Yan didn't say anything, but he still didn't underestimate Bai Shan. He grabbed the Xuan Heavy Ruler and began to pour the strange fire in his body into it, with a profound aura surrounding Xiao Yan.

"This power... it must be a low-level combat skill."

"Let's fight quickly, it's best if both sides are severely injured!"

The other Dou Shi in the second region exchanged glances, seeing both of them begin to use their trump cards. They all saw a hint of excitement in each other's eyes. After all, Bai Shan was injured in his fight with Xiao Yan, giving their group a chance to win the second region. At that point, they would be competitors. Thinking of this, the Dou Shi in the second region subtly became wary of each other.

As the color on the Xuanzhong Ruler gradually changed, Xiao Yan gripped the handle tightly with both hands and swung it fiercely towards Baishan.

"Flame Devouring Wave Ruler!"

The thunder of Baishan was also unleashed at this moment. The collision of thunder and fire produced a violent explosion in the air. The lightning and strange fire that erupted from the explosion directly sent a Dou Shi from the second area who was trying to take advantage of the situation too close flying. He fell off the stone platform with serious injuries. This scene made the surrounding Dou Shi react and hurriedly avoid the aftershocks of the two explosions.

After all, they only just realized that the prerequisite for taking advantage of the situation was being able to protect themselves from the aftermath of the two's battle. The trump cards that Bai Shan and Xiao Yan were currently using were enough to threaten even Dou Ling, and for a group of Dou Shi, being able to protect themselves was already quite remarkable.

The shockwave from the explosion in the second area not only attracted the spectators in the surrounding stands, but the chilling atmosphere also drew the attention of the contestants in the other areas.

“Brother Xiao Yan…” Xiao Xun’er glanced at the stone platform in the second area covered by lightning and fire, her eyes were listless, a golden light flashed in her pupils, and she looked at the Dou Shi opposite her again, the strength in her hand increasing.

"The matches in Zone 2 were so exciting!"

"I wonder if Xiao Yan and Bai Shan can withstand the aftermath."

"Even if they come out, there's still a group of Battle Masters outside eyeing them covetously. It's hard to say who will be the final winner."

Like the fighters in the second region, the fighters in the other regions were also shocked. They sensed the huge energy explosion in the second region and wondered if they would still have the strength to compete after such an explosion. After thinking about it, they shook their heads helplessly. If they were in the second region, they probably wouldn't have the will to continue competing after this explosion.

Xiao Yan was just a "newcomer" who hadn't been reported for two years. Looking at the Grand Dou Masters in their respective stands, these Dou Masters suddenly felt an urge to cry.

These people are no pushovers either. Can they really be lucky enough to make it into the top five? With this thought in mind, most of the fighters relaxed a bit, and the strength in their hands unconsciously decreased.

Xiao Fan, from the first area, immediately noticed this change. His eyes narrowed, and he channeled his Dou Qi into his spear. Instantly, a blue crane shadow flew towards the group of Dou Shi in front of him.

"A crane's shadow in the clouds!"

"Quick, stop him!" The expressions of the group of Battle Masters changed drastically.

Sensing the power of Xiao Fan's attack, everyone hurriedly tried to escape from the center of the stone platform. However, just as they were about to scatter, they suddenly discovered that the water beneath their feet was hindering their movement.

"Yueyao, Yueyao, what are you doing?"

Yueyao remained silent, manipulating the water to envelop the feet of the group of fighters, preventing them from escaping.

boom!

Following the explosion in the second area, the first area was once again hit by an explosion. At the moment the explosion occurred, a blue flame spread from Xiao Fan's feet and quickly entered the center of the explosion.

Blue flames engulfed the stone platform, and all the Dou Shi in the first area were now lying on the ground. This was only because Xiao Fan deliberately held back; otherwise, the ground would have been littered with corpses.

The only difference was that at the center of the explosion, there was a barrier made of cyan flames, and within the barrier, Yue Yao stood gracefully, her eyes slightly curved as she looked at Xiao Fan.

After "sending" the injured Dou Shi off the stone platform, Xiao Fan walked up to Yue Yao, withdrew the azure flames, and looked at her in confusion, "Why did you help me?" If Yue Yao hadn't stopped everyone from leaving at the last moment, according to Xiao Fan's prediction, this attack would have only rendered about three Dou Shi unable to fight. However, under Yue Yao's backstabbing, it actually played its most perfect role.

Chapter 110 Top Five

"Oh my god, look at the first area!"

"The winner of the first area has been decided."

Ignoring the shouts of the audience in the stands, Yueyao walked with her hands behind her back and slender steps to Xiao Fan's side. Seeing Xiao Fan's puzzled expression, Yueyao smiled slightly and said, "How is it? Surprised?"

"It's quite a surprise." Xiao Fan nodded, looking at her curiously, "Why?"

You're beautiful!

An answer that surprised Xiao Fan. Seeing Xiao Fan's stunned expression, Yue Yao smiled and said, "Didn't I ask you last time if you had a girlfriend? You said no."

"Did I say that?" Xiao Fan asked, puzzled.

Ignoring Xiao Fan's words, Yue Yao walked straight to the edge of the stands and sat down, her legs dangling gently in the air. He could easily push Yue Yao off the stands and win, but Xiao Fan, as if possessed, sat down next to her, watching the ongoing battles on the other stands.

When Yueyao noticed Xiao Fan sitting down next to her, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. However, realizing that Xiao Fan was sitting one person away from her, she shifted her body to get closer to him before turning her head to look at the matches in other areas.

A miraculous scene unfolded at the training ground.

While the other stands were still locked in fierce battle, a man and a woman sat on the edge of the first section, enjoying the spectacle of the other matches.

"They...are they really here to compete?" Xiao Yu looked at the first area with a shocked expression, then asked Ruolin beside her.

Ruolin couldn't give an answer either; the art style of this first area was clearly off.

"Is that a girl from the Yue family?" On the platform, the old man in the yellow robe next to Hu Qian turned to Hu Qian and asked, his tone full of certainty.

"Hmm!" Hu Qian glanced at the two people sitting on the edge, his expression also full of complicated emotions. "I really don't know what those old guys were thinking. All that time of inheritance has been wasted."

Upon hearing this, the old man in the yellow robe uttered a disdainful sound. "Even a large family can decline over time, and even if it doesn't decline, it can become stubborn and inflexible."

Xiao Fan didn't know why he sat down as if by some strange impulse, but the girl in front of him seemed to be suppressing something despite her seemingly carefree demeanor.

"Ding! New quest triggered. Moon's Lament. Quest rewards: High-grade Earth-rank Battle Skill, Moon Shadow; 500 Battle Qi Points, 7000 Source Coins."

Xiao Fan: ......

A new task was triggered out of nowhere, with such generous rewards, but there were no notifications whatsoever. This time, there was no mention of the penalty for failure, nor was there any indication of what constitutes success.

Curious, he turned to look at Yueyao sitting next to him. The girl was very beautiful, ranking in the top five among all the people Xiao Fan had ever seen. Moreover, her temperament was very special. She appeared quiet and gentle, but her actions revealed a certain self-pride.

Seemingly noticing Xiao Fan's gaze, Yue Yao turned her head to look at him, her light blue eyes full of smiles, and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned. "Is it pretty?"

Xiao Fan nodded. "A beauty like the moon, veiled by evening clouds, her splendor only enhanced. She should have no regrets, for what need is there for the waxing and waning of the moon?" Yue Yao's smile widened, then she murmured, "It's been so long since I've been this happy..."

The two sat by the platform chatting casually. Not far away, the others were still fighting. In the second area, the impact of the explosion between Xiao Yan and Bai Shan dissipated. Bai Shan lay on the ground in a sorry state, just like when he was defeated by Xiao Fan, his face full of disbelief. Xiao Yan turned the Xuan Heavy Ruler in his hand and swept it towards the other Dou Shi.

In the third area, with the combined efforts of Xiao Xun'er and Wu Min, the Dou Shi were quickly cleared out. Wu Min did not last long against Xiao Xun'er before realizing the gap in their abilities and admitting defeat.

In the fourth area, Hu Jia and Cheng Yang easily defeated the remaining fighters. Although Lu Mu and two other fighters were among them, Hu Jia and Cheng Yang easily won with their cooperation. Cheng Yang also directly admitted defeat to Hu Jia, seemingly knowing that his strength was inferior to hers, and did not engage in battle.

In the fifth area, Wu Hao fought like a madman. With the support of his blood-red battle aura, the killing intent on Wu Hao's body was amplified infinitely. Two timid battle masters didn't even dare to go up and directly admitted defeat. The other battle masters were also hesitant and restrained. In the end, Wu Hao easily won the victory.

After everyone won, they naturally noticed the two people sitting and chatting in the first area. They both had a look of bewilderment on their faces, wondering what was going on between the two. Even Xiao Xun'er's expression was a little strange. She looked at Yue Yao and nodded slightly the moment their eyes met.

When everyone's battle ended, only Xiao Yan from the second area was still fighting. After all, he had been exhausted by Bai Shan and had wasted a lot of effort to finally succeed against a group of Dou Shi alone.

When everyone's attention turned to Xiao Fan and his companion, Xiao Fan suddenly realized that they were actually the group that had not yet decided a winner.

Looking at Yueyao, Xiao Fan was about to say something when Yueyao shook her head, smiled slightly at Xiao Fan, and jumped off the stone platform.

Watching Yueyao gradually disappear into the distance, Xiao Fan had to admit that he couldn't see through her, not only because of the power behind her, but also because of her personality. However, at least Xiao Fan didn't feel uncomfortable spending the short time with her; on the contrary, he felt relaxed.

As for the system-triggered task, "The Tragedy of the Moon," Xiao Fan felt it must be related to Yue Yao's family. Judging from her and Xun'er's behavior earlier, there seemed to be a connection between them. Without delving deeper, Xiao Fan turned his gaze to Xiao Yan on the other side.

Slightly sweating, Xiao Yan watched Xiao Fan's match, then glanced at his own fight after half a day. He felt something was off. Sensing Xiao Fan's gaze, he shook his head and looked in Xun'er's direction, ignoring Xiao Fan's helpless expression. After all, Xiao Fan's performance felt like a rigged match, leaving Xiao Yan, who had fought hard for two rounds, feeling a sense of imbalance.

"The top five winners are Xiao Fan, Xiao Yan, Xiao Xun'er, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao." Hu Qian coughed slightly as he saw that the battles on the field had ended, and his loud voice filled the entire martial arts arena.

"Ah, mentor, they've all made it into the top five!" On the stands, Xiao Yu excitedly hugged Ruolin, her voice filled with surprise.

"Yes, your Xiao family has really made a name for itself!" Although she was trying to suppress her joy, one could still sense Ruolin's delight. After all, three students from her cohort who participated in the inner court selection competition had all made it into the top five, which made her very excited.

Chapter 111 Victory

After the top five were determined, the subsequent matches did not begin immediately. After all, they had just gone through the competition and needed to rest. The academy arranged the selection of the top five to take place in the afternoon, so everyone had lunch before returning to the training ground.

The five-person ranking competition is simple. Opponents are determined by drawing lots. Since one person is selected alone, there is one blank spot. The person who draws the blank spot advances to the next round. The remaining four people compete in pairs to determine the top three spots. The top three then compete in this way to determine the final champion.

When the time was almost up, Hu Qian stood in the center of the training ground, holding a box, and announced to the crowd: "There are five playing cards in here, each with one of your names. I will draw them randomly. The first and second names drawn will play against each other, the third and fourth names will play against each other, and the fifth name that is not drawn will be the student who advances directly in the first round."

Xiao Fan was somewhat surprised when he heard the rules announced by Hu Qian. He thought that he would have to go on stage himself when drawing opponents, but Hu Qian had skipped that step.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Hu Qian pulled out the first slip of paper from the box, glanced at it casually, and then said loudly, "Xiao Fan."

Hearing the cheers of the crowd, Hu Qian smiled, took out another slip of paper, and read out the name, "Wu Hao." Next came Xiao Yan and Hu Jia's names. There was no need to look at the fifth person. Xun'er had directly advanced by a bye in the first round of the competition.

Afterwards, Xiao Fan and Wu Hao stepped onto the competition stage again.

Looking at Xiao Fan standing opposite him, Wu Hao's face showed the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent. He licked his lips and said to Xiao Fan, "Are you ready?"

Xiao Fan shrugged helplessly and said calmly, "Come on!"

As Xiao Fan finished speaking, Wu Hao narrowed his eyes, raised the blood-red greatsword in his hand, and charged towards Xiao Fan. Blood-red battle aura swirled around Wu Hao, and even before he got close, Xiao Fan could already smell the strong stench of blood.

Frowning, Xiao Fan finally understood the origin of Wu Hao's nickname. With such a strong smell of blood, Wu Hao must have taken at least several hundred lives. Moreover, judging from his expression, he not only did not feel uncomfortable with the bloody smell, but seemed to be secretly enjoying it.

With his spear thrusting towards Wu Hao, Xiao Fan had no desire to be tainted by that unpleasant smell.

On the dueling platform, the two men's weapons clashed repeatedly, and the impact of their battle auras generated bursts of intense energy, much to the delight of the surrounding audience.

However, on the stands, Xiao Fan felt that with each collision, the force transmitted by Wu Hao was terrifying, and as the battle progressed, Wu Hao seemed to be getting stronger and stronger. On the other hand, Wu Hao was also becoming more and more alarmed. He felt that every attack he made was easily neutralized by Xiao Fan, as if nothing had happened. This made him feel powerless, but at the same time, he also felt excited about encountering a powerful enemy.

"We can't delay any longer." After noticing Wu Hao's increasingly fierce attacks, Xiao Fan flicked his spear, temporarily creating distance between them. He then jumped back, and the strange fire within his body began to surge into his spear.

Noticing Xiao Fan's actions, Wu Hao also channeled his internal fighting spirit into the blood-red greatsword in his hand. As the fighting spirit brewed, the blood-red color around Wu Hao became even more terrifying, and a faint layer of blood-red mist condensed, enveloping his figure within it.

"We've zoomed in, zoomed in! Who do you think will win?"

"It must be Xiao Fan! He defeated Bai Shan, who was on par with Wu Hao!"

In a corner of the stands, Bai Shan, who was quietly watching the two match, heard someone dragging him out and mocking his past. He coldly swept his gaze across the surrounding crowd, but there were too many people around, and he couldn't find out who was deliberately bringing him up. He could only sit down sullenly, looking at Xiao Fan in the arena, a trace of resentment flashing in his eyes.

"Senior Brother's attack was terrifying!" Sitting next to Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Yan felt the power Xiao Fan released on the field and said calmly, "He probably didn't fully unleash the power of this attack. I have a feeling that Senior Brother is still holding back."

Xun'er, who was standing to the side, nodded upon hearing this. "He used this move to defeat Bai Shan before and in the first round of battle just now, and each time the power seemed to be just right to win."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan looked at the girl beside him and said with a smile, "And what about you?"