Chapter 85: Climbing to the Fifth! Each to Their Own Practice!
Xiao Ze stood on the arena platform.
Feeling the somewhat abundant Dou Qi within him, he spoke up.
"Do any of you still want to offer guidance? Feel free to come up."
"Today, as I, Xiao Ze, ascend to the top five, some may see my status as a newcomer and think I've taken advantage, that my strength is lacking."
"But since I dislike trouble, why not settle it today?"
"Those who think I've taken advantage and believe my strength doesn't match the fifth rank on the strong list, feel free to challenge me."
Xiao Ze's words, carried by the Dou Qi, echoed throughout the arena.
At the same time, he glanced at the students below.
Those who met Xiao Ze's gaze either lowered their heads or shifted their eyes away, afraid to directly face the young man on the stage.
"You think everyone is like you? Saying you'll take the fifth rank and then just taking it! And most importantly, winning!"
As witnesses to this battle, they dared not say Xiao Ze's strength had any flaws.
Whether in close combat, where he could spar back and forth with Lin Lieyang, or in the use of combat skills, where he could put Lin Lieyang in a perilous situation.
Not to mention his ultimate card, the Earth-Tier Dou Technique, Azure Sea's Roar, which directly suppressed Lin Lieyang's strongest moves.
All of this indicated just how formidable Xiao Ze's strength was, and it was almost comprehensive!
The elder standing next to Xiao Ze glanced at him somewhat unexpectedly.
Feeling Xiao Ze's sustained aura and the abundant Dou Qi within his body, he knew Xiao Ze's decision wasn't impulsive.
Even if a strong-ranked student were to challenge him, Xiao Ze had enough strength to suppress them on the spot.
The elder's eyes also glanced subtly in two directions.
There were two strong top ten-ranked students there, both at the peak of Dou Spirits.
A hint of interest flashed in his eyes.
He wanted to see if these two top ten-ranked students would come to challenge Xiao Ze.
After all, Xiao Ze had made it clear, "I'll accompany you."
Challenging the fifth rank would certainly consume some of Xiao Ze's energy.
These two top ten-ranked individuals were at the end of the list, so maybe there was a chance for them to take advantage.
However, after watching for a while, the elder was somewhat disappointed that those two top ten-ranked students had no intention of challenging.
Perhaps they didn't want to take advantage of someone in a weak moment, or perhaps Xiao Ze's demeanor made them wary.
"No one willing to offer guidance?"
"Well then, I hope the senior students witnessing this battle will advise those who are unaware."
"I dislike trouble. If anyone truly thinks I'm an easy target, feel free to challenge me."
"But even now, I haven't fully mastered the Earth-Tier Dou Technique. If I accidentally seriously injure senior brothers or sisters, I'll feel uneasy."
Xiao Ze's words echoed in the arena.
Lin Lieyang, being supported by Lin Hao in the audience, covered his chest and looked at Xiao Ze on the stage, unable to help but say,
"You'd better truly feel uneasy!"
If he hadn't squeezed out all the Dou Qi in his body, forming a Dou Qi armor, his injuries would probably be even more severe!
Although Lin Lieyang said this, he genuinely admired Xiao Ze's strength!
This young newcomer had defeated himself in almost every aspect.
Such pure strength left Lin Lieyang with no room for disagreement.
...
Although it was already night, the change in the fifth rank on the strong list still spread rapidly within the inner courtyard.
Like throwing a large-scale anger lotus in the sea, it stirred up waves of shock!
The strong list itself was already highly regarded by the inner courtyard students, let alone the change in the top ten rankings.
Any slight movement would trigger a major discussion within the inner courtyard.
And this time the situation was even more peculiar.
Because the change in the top ten this time was a newcomer leaping directly to the fifth rank!
This sparked even more intense discussions.
"If it weren't for everyone talking about it, I'd suspect you were making up stories to deceive me."
"Joking! I saw it with my own eyes! Moreover, when Xiao Ze was laying down harsh words, I noticed that one of the top ten in the rankings was present!"
"Ah, then why didn't he take the opportunity to seize the fifth position from Xiao Ze when Xiao Ze was weakened after the battle? Could it be that he didn't want to take advantage of someone's vulnerability?"
"Ridiculous! Even if he could defeat Xiao Ze while he was weak, once Xiao Ze recovered, he would have to graciously return the fifth position to him. After all, Xiao Ze's strength is genuinely solid!"
"Cough cough, you're right. But from your description, Xiao Ze seemed quite at ease. I wonder if he plans to continue challenging upwards?"
"I think he might! Lin Li's fire attribute severely restrains him, and yet he managed to win. It goes to show that his real combat power is likely not just fifth!"
As to whether Xiao Ze will continue to challenge upwards, opinions vary, with some believing he will and others believing he won't.
"Xiao Ze's strength should allow him to challenge for the second spot!"
Among some of the top forces, this is a common conclusion! However, no matter how monstrous Xiao Ze's performances are, they do not believe he has the potential to challenge for the top spot.
The person at the top of the rankings is a true monster!
It hasn't been many years since Zi Yan challenged for the top spot, and some of the older students still clearly remember Zi Yan's unstoppable momentum and her posture as she ascended to the top! Her terrifying strength, even a fighting king would have to be cautious around her, as a direct hit could result in severe injuries and retreat.
Older students who are aware of the first position in the strong rankings tend to automatically exclude Zi Yan from comparisons.
After all, allowing a fighting king to participate in the rankings among inner court students is simply too bullying! But there's nothing to be done; the elders have already tacitly accepted this situation, and the students can only accept it too.
Meanwhile, the main character of the current hot discussion in the inner court, accompanied by Xiao Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian, arrived at the fourth level of the Tian Fen Refining Qi Tower.
"You two try it out. If the heart fire is too vigorous, don't force it and retreat to the third level to cultivate."
Xiao Ze told Xiao Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian, who nodded and then sat cross-legged on the platform, placing the fire energy cards, and began to cultivate.
After a while, Xiao Ze saw that their faces were a bit flushed but showed no signs of pain, indicating that they were still within their endurance limits.
"Brother Xiao Ze, it's okay, we've just reached the limit!"
"I think so too, the intensity of this heart fire is still acceptable."
After circulating their energy for one cycle, they spoke to Xiao Ze one after the other.
"Alright, you two cultivate here, I need to try to master the latter half of the 'Bi Hai Jing Tao' that I've had for a long time and haven't tried to cultivate."
Xiao Ze closed the door, and deliberately walked around nearby.
He let the passing students know that this place was associated with him.
Although Xiao Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian's current strength did not qualify them to occupy a high-level cultivation room in the fourth level,
who else but their backing, Xiao Ze, could?
Inside the inner court, there are only a handful of students who can match Xiao Ze! With significantly fewer students able to enter the fourth level, Xiao Ze's presence nearby was enough to deter others.
Moreover, he wasn't like Liu Fei, who intended to make the cultivation room entirely private.
Once Xiao Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian finished cultivating and no longer used it, others could also cultivate here.