Bai Long's expression was solemn. He hadn't taken Lu Fan seriously at first, but after their brief exchange, he could clearly feel that Lu Fan was not simple.
Bai Long stood steadily, his expression indifferent. "I underestimated you just now, but now I will treat you with seriousness and will not show any mercy. You had better be prepared."
"Senior Brother, please make your move!"
Lu Fan clasped his fists. Since he dared to stand here, he was fully prepared. No matter what tricks Bai Long had, he could withstand them head-on.
Seeing Lu Fan's confidence, Bai Long instantly became angry. He stomped forward and unleashed his ultimate technique, the Divine Wind Leg.
The Divine Wind Leg could sweep across thousands of troops. Moreover, Bai Long was a Spirit King realm cultivator. When such a powerful expert unleashed the Divine Wind Leg, its might was even greater than in the past.
"It's Senior Brother Bai Long's Divine Wind Leg! It looks like this new student is in trouble!"
"Who says not! In the past, no one in the entire academy could withstand Senior Brother Bai Long's Divine Wind Leg. It's probably even stronger now!"
Many onlookers were conversing and watching from the side.
Long Yi frowned upon hearing this. Bai Long was a Spirit King realm cultivator. If he was truly that powerful, Lu Fan might be in danger.
However, at this very moment, facing the Divine Wind Leg, Lu Fan was calm and collected. As he dodged, he unleashed a surge of energy.
Bai Long fell to the ground, his Divine Wind Leg abruptly halted. He was filled with disbelief. He had never imagined that his Divine Wind Leg would be interrupted, and Lu Fan was completely unaffected, as if he were a mere clown.
"Senior Brother, I concede!" Lu Fan clasped his fists and smiled.
"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!"
Bai Long exclaimed, "How can a mere freshman possess such strength? With such talent, he shouldn't have joined North Sea Academy."
"Perhaps I cultivated too quickly. When I joined North Sea Academy, I was only a Great Spirit Master!" Lu Fan chuckled lightly. "But in any case, thank you, Senior Brother, for going easy on me earlier."
Bai Long stood there stunned and then slowly got up. "Forget it, forget it. I admit defeat today. You indeed have some skill, to be able to defeat me and put me off the stage. I imagine you have no problem getting into the top three. It's just that I'm rather unfortunate."
Lu Fan smiled faintly, his expression becoming indifferent. In truth, he felt a little helpless about this matter. Bai Long seemed to be a decent person, and he didn't want him to be eliminated. But on this stage, only the strong could stand until the end.
At the same time, Bi Yao and the others had also finished their matches. The five people standing within the barrier were all full of spirit and pride.
To have fought their way to the end, those who remained were the elites of North Sea Academy, the cream of the crop.
Looking at the five people before him, the Grand Elder was quite satisfied. "For you to have successfully entered the final, you must all have exceptional qualities. Next, we will proceed with the draw. There is one blank draw among them. If you draw it, you will be exempted from the next round!"
Lu Fan and the others exchanged glances and nodded slightly, then looked towards Bi Yao. "Senior Sister Bi Yao, I hope we don't draw each other!"
"Hope is hope, but if we do draw each other, there's nothing we can do," Bi Yao smiled faintly. "After all, in this pinnacle competition, the strong will eventually reach the end."
Lu Fan gave a wry smile and then drew a bamboo slip. Bi Yao also drew one. After opening his, he looked at Lu Fan. "Is yours number 1?"
"No, it's the blank draw."
Lu Fan said, taking out the bamboo slip. The people around them were envious. Drawing the blank draw meant no need to compete and directly advancing to the next round.
"You are too lucky, kid!" Bi Yao gave a wry smile. "But don't worry, Senior Sister, I will definitely persevere until the end!"
Lu Fan nodded slightly. "I hope Senior Sister Bi Yao returns victorious!"
Shortly after, four figures entered the barrier. These four people were all elites of North Sea Academy, and each of them held a significant position within the academy.
"The one fighting Senior Sister Bi Yao should be the president of the Heaven and Earth Society!"
Long Yi said, "One of the three strongest factions in North Sea Academy. With him making a move, I wonder if Senior Sister Bi Yao can hold on."
"Senior Sister Bi Yao has quite a reputation in North Sea Academy, and it's not just because of her looks," Chu Ting chuckled lightly. "I inquired once, and within North Sea Academy, even people from the three major powers dare not disrespect Senior Sister Bi Yao. This is enough to show Senior Sister Bi Yao's formidable strength!"
Everyone nodded slightly, quite agreeing with what Chu Ting had said.
Lu Fan walked to the crowd and breathed a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, I drew a blank, otherwise, we'd have to fight again."
"Sect Master, you are now in the top 5 of the academy," Li Ziming said with a smile. "In the future, in North Sea Academy, I'd like to see who else dares to mock us."
"You just know how to ride on someone else's coattails!" Chu Ting rolled her eyes. "You're the eldest young master of the Li family in Yunzhou, yet you need others to protect you within North Sea Academy. How disgraceful!"
"I..."
Li Ziming was immediately at a loss for words. Chu Ting's remark had hit a sore spot. As the eldest young master of the Li family, he couldn't display any advantage in North Sea Academy. If it weren't for Lu Fan, he might have been bullied.
However, after entering North Sea Academy, he truly understood that even powerful families like the three major families were insignificant compared to North Sea Academy.
After a fierce struggle, Bi Yao leaped into the air, instantly stiffening. The president of the Heaven and Earth Society was repelled, and she was struck by a palm, sending him out of the barrier.
Seeing this scene, the crowd exclaimed in surprise. They had long heard of Senior Sister Bi Yao's formidable strength, and seeing it now, it was indeed extraordinary. She had actually managed to knock someone out of the barrier.
At the same time, another man in white emerged from the barrier. This person was Bai Yetian, the sect master of the Bai Sect, and also Bai Long's elder brother.
Bi Yao and Bai Yetian both approached the elder, bowing slightly. Lu Fan also walked over, feeling a bit uneasy, as he had advanced directly in this match, which felt somewhat unnatural.
"The three of you are the top three in the academy!"
The Grand Elder announced, "We will hold the pinnacle battle in ten days!"
"Grand Elder, why not finish it directly? It's a waste of time to drag it out so late," Bi Yao said eagerly, as if the first place was already hers.
"I don't mind!" Bai Yetian smiled, his expression indifferent. Within North Sea Academy, Bi Yao was the strongest among the women, and Bai Yetian was the strongest among the men.
More importantly, Bai Yetian was the sect master of the Bai Sect, which was the largest sect in North Sea Academy. If he were to leave in the future, he would undoubtedly gain considerable fame in Yunzhou, this was beyond doubt.
"You have gone through many battles and are already exhausted!" the Grand Elder stated frankly. "Let's hold the pinnacle battle in ten days!"