Once the list of disciples advancing to the second round in the Inner City was released, the crowd dispersed, some excited and others disappointed, gradually restoring calm to the Ascending Emperor Hall. However, it wasn't long before Inner City disciples began returning one after another, and the hall, which had only been quiet for less than fifteen minutes, started to grow noisy again.

“…”

“This second round of competition is going to be an eye-opener, I predict. Last year, there were only six or seven people at the ninth rank of Spirit Transformation; this year, that number has jumped to fourteen!”

“I didn't expect Nie Kong to be so amazing at alchemy; his cultivation speed is terrifyingly fast too. In just over half a year, he’s shot up from the first rank of Spirit Transformation to the ninth!”

“Right? Even using spirit herbs, it shouldn't be this fast! Moreover, there’s only one type of spirit herb that can raise one’s rank within the entire Spirit Transformation realm. I truly wonder how that guy Nie Kong cultivates? I really need to ask him about it if I get the chance.”

“Ha! Even if he has a trick, he’s not going to tell you!”

“…”

The crowd discussed the upcoming second round with great enthusiasm, a cacophony of varied opinions rising and echoing throughout the Ascending Emperor Hall.

The names on the roster for the second round were all familiar to everyone present, except perhaps for Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing, neither of whom had been in the Inner City for a full year. Even so, Nie Kong, through his alchemy, and Bai Yuqing, through her formidable combat prowess, had already become widely known.

It went without saying how intense the battles for the top ten spots would be when people like them gathered to compete. Yet, what interested the spectators most were undoubtedly Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing.

This was because the two were simply too unusual: one had advanced his cultivation to the ninth rank of Spirit Transformation in an incredibly short time, while the other, despite having a cultivation as low as the second rank of Spirit Transformation, possessed strength equivalent to the eighth, or even the ninth rank!

It was rumored that both Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing hailed from Jiyang City in the Great Success Empire! One came from the Nie family, and the other from a vassal family sworn to the Nie clan. Their family ties were that close, and their personal relationship seemed far from ordinary! Among all the male disciples in the Inner City, perhaps only Nie Kong could truly converse with Bai Yuqing; as for Tai Hong, Bai Yuqing always seemed aloof toward him.

There was definitely something fishy about those two!

Under the growing anticipation of the crowd, the start time for the second round drew nearer. Soon, the Inner City disciples who had been resting and recuperating in their respective pavilions during the midday break to prepare for the afternoon’s matches began to appear in the Ascending Emperor Hall, making their way to the four battle circles that had already formed a continuous expanse.

As he entered the hall, the clamor of voices washed over him. Nie Kong glanced at Bai Yuqing walking beside him and smiled, asking, “Little Sister Bai, are you confident?”

“Yes!”

Bai Yuqing replied with a single, expressionless word.

Compared to when they trained in the ‘Illusory Realm of Life and Death,’ the current Bai Yuqing spoke even less, and her facial expressions had become increasingly minimalist—it seemed these two aspects were inversely proportional to her cultivation level. Nie Kong sighed helplessly, “Little Sister Bai, if we meet in the second round, big brother here won’t go easy on you.”

“Same to you!”

Bai Yuqing’s face remained unchanged, though she allowed herself one extra word this time.

Nie Kong instantly felt tears welling up; he had only used this particular style of response in front of Bai Yuqing once before, and she had immediately picked it up!

“I’m truly scared of you!”

Nie Kong shook his head with a wry smile, gave a nod toward Miao Ge, Tai Ji, and the others at his side, and then strode toward the battle circle in the center of the crowd.

“Vroom!”

His broadsword let out a clear, resonant hum. Bai Yuqing had flicked her finger against the blade, then slung it onto her shoulder and followed Nie Kong with long, confident strides.

With each step, her slender, perfectly rounded legs alternated, seemingly imbued with endless power.

Moving up, her firm buttocks were like two full moons, rounded and pert, followed by a waist so narrow it could be grasped in one hand, culminating in the full, swelling peaks that strained against her chest. Such a stunning figure, paired with her cool, youthful face and the fiercely murderous broadsword on her shoulder, gave her an almost uncanny allure.

As soon as her figure was spotted, the eyes of the crowd followed her fiery, dynamic silhouette, leaving many looking dizzy and entranced. Ever since she entered the Inner City, a great number of male disciples had tried various means to catch her attention and perhaps earn her favor, but alas, they never managed to win the beauty; they all retreated in failure. If someone wanted to spar with Bai Yuqing, she never refused; as for anything else, she ignored it completely, as if speaking another word to them after a fight was a waste of time.

“Nie Kong and Yuqing together are quite amusing,” Miao Ge commented with a smile.

“Only Yuqing can make Nie Kong look flustered. Just thinking about his expression earlier makes me want to laugh,” Tai Ji chuckled, covering her red lips.

“Sister Yuqing has such an amazing figure. I wish I could have a body like that someday!” Gu Qi, the little loli, watched Bai Yuqing with stars practically shooting from her eyes, murmuring to herself. But then she glanced down at her own physique, and the little loli instantly wilted like a frosted eggplant. Although her body had developed significantly over the last six months and started taking on feminine contours, compared to Bai Yuqing’s figure—the 'woman among women'—she was nothing more than a bean sprout.

It wasn't just the little loli; Miao Ge and Tai Ji were also filled with envy for Bai Yuqing. As time passed, more and more Inner City disciples filed into the battle circles. Soon, all thirty who had won five consecutive matches that morning were present. However, the ten who had directly qualified for the second round had still not appeared, causing gazes to frequently sweep toward the hall entrance.

Just as the second round was about to start in about a minute, figures finally appeared at the doorway.

“Lan Shang!”

“Shan Xiong!”

“Liu Heming!”

“…”

“Wei Zhua!”

“Gu Ruofei!”

A slight stir rippled through the crowd as names popped out of their mouths. Lan Shang and the other ten had arrived at the Ascending Emperor Hall precisely on time.

Nie Kong couldn't help but smile at this. It was quite similar to the award ceremonies in certain shows from his past life, where the bigger stars always arrived last.

However, Lan Shang and the other ten Inner City disciples likely weren't trying to act superior; choosing to appear at this exact moment was a calculated move designed to exert psychological pressure on their opponents. Indeed, as they watched the ten figures walk into the battle area, several disciples on both sides of Nie Kong became noticeably tense.

In an instant, Lan Shang’s gaze swept across the assembled group, finally locking onto Nie Kong. To Nie Kong’s surprise, Lan Shang offered him a slight smile; his expression remained gentle, showing no residual resentment over the matter involving him and his sister, Lan Xin.

After withdrawing his gaze, Lan Shang and the others all sat down cross-legged. Only the burly Shan Xiong suddenly had an idea, walking over to Nie Kong with large strides.

“Not bad, not bad, Nie Kong. You did very well this morning. If I run into you later, I might hold back a little.”

Shan Xiong patted Nie Kong’s shoulder, chuckling lowly, clearly pleased. However, with his booming voice, even his attempt at suppression allowed those around them to hear everything. “Don’t doubt my sincerity. To tell you the truth, you did something I wanted to do but felt too embarrassed to attempt!”

Something he wanted to do but was too embarrassed to attempt? Wasn't he referring to Nie Kong slapping Lan Xin’s backside? Such minor, amusing incidents in the morning had already circulated widely within the small Inner City community. Seeing Shan Xiong bring the matter up so publicly made the looks the crowd gave him rather peculiar.

At this moment, everyone suddenly noticed that Lan Shang’s brow seemed to furrow slightly. This felt more natural; if his sister weren’t bothered by such teasing, she would be excessively composed.

Nie Kong also frowned slightly. This Shan Xiong seemed genuinely straightforward, yet perhaps a bit too fond of stirring up trouble.

By saying that, even if Lan Shang had initially held no opinion against Nie Kong, he certainly had one now. Furthermore, the condescending tone Shan Xiong used when speaking the first half of his sentence annoyed Nie Kong, so he subtly moved away Shan Xiong’s hand resting on his shoulder and replied with a slow, measured smile: “Senior Brother Shan Xiong, what you wanted to do but were too embarrassed for has nothing to do with me. But if we meet later, I won’t let you lose too miserably either!”

“Eh?”

Nie Kong’s response caught Shan Xiong completely off guard. Shan Xiong’s eyes widened as if he were seeing Nie Kong for the first time. After a moment, Shan Xiong instinctively moved to pat Nie Kong’s shoulder again, but stopped halfway, forcing a laugh. “Fine, spirited! I’ll be waiting then!”

As Shan Xiong turned and walked away, some Inner City disciples who knew him well couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. Shan Xiong’s personality was actually quite contradictory: extremely forthright, yet also very petty. Several years ago, when he first entered the Inner City, he had relentlessly pursued Lan Xin but was mocked by her, and apparently, he hadn't forgotten it yet; last year, during the contest for the Inner City’s top seat, he narrowly lost to Lan Shang, a defeat he also obsessed over, constantly aiming to surpass Lan Shang.

Now that Nie Kong had sharply rebuffed him, if they actually faced off in the competition, the outcome might be rather grim.

Although Nie Kong, like Shan Xiong, was at the ninth rank of Spirit Transformation, Nie Kong had only broken through yesterday, whereas Shan Xiong had been at the ninth rank since last year. If he hadn't wanted to enter the ‘Netherfire Spring,’ he would likely already be a Spirit Master. The gap in strength between them should be quite significant.

Nie Kong’s boldness in speaking to him so directly was admirable!

As the crowd murmured amongst themselves, more than a dozen Inner City Professors walked in sequentially. However, upon their arrival, they did not immediately begin organizing the matches; instead, they stood quietly in the central area, waiting. Time ticked by quickly. Just as everyone was growing impatient, a figure suddenly flashed in from the doorway like a phantom, accompanied by a vigorous voice: “I’m late! I’m late! Apologies for keeping everyone waiting!”