After Duanmu Xiong entered the great hall, he instantly became the center of attention among all the new students.

Even Cheng Long quickly ran up to him, his demeanor extremely respectful, like a minister meeting an emperor.

Besides Cheng Long, many other young talents also went forward to salute Duanmu Xiong, surrounding him like stars around the moon.

However, Duanmu Xiong's face showed no expression, as if he was already accustomed to such scenes.

He held his head high, resembling a king who held himself above all, exuding an incredibly arrogant aura.

"Duanmu Xiong, I won't easily let you take first place in this new students' competition," a handsome young man, holding a Jade Fan, suddenly stepped into the great hall and smiled slightly at Duanmu Xiong.

"It's Liu Feng, the first genius of the younger generation from the Liu Family."

"Like Duanmu Xiong, he has also awakened a Profound Bloodline, making him a strong contender for the first place in this new students' competition." Many new students exclaimed in surprise, showing considerable respect towards the handsome young man.

The Liu Family, like the Duanmu Family and the Ouyang Family, is one of the six influential families in Celestial Fire City.

The Liu Family has many strong cultivators, holding key positions within Celestial Flame Peak, including the Grand Elder of Celestial Flame Peak, who is also from the Liu Family.

Therefore, this family is not one ordinary cultivators can afford to provoke, for it could bring disaster upon them.

"Hmph! Liu Feng, you are not my opponent. No one in this competition can compete with me, Duanmu Xiong, for first place. The spot for the seed student candidate is undoubtedly mine." Duanmu Xiong sneered, his tone overwhelmingly assertive and domineering, exuding an air of sole dominance.

"Well then, we shall see true strength with our actions. Besides you and me, there are others in this competition who have also awakened a Profound Bloodline! It's too soon for you to make such declarations." Liu Feng coldly smiled, with a hint of mockery at the corner of his mouth.

"So what if they have awakened a Profound Bloodline? These people are destined to be trampled underfoot by me, including yourself," Duanmu Xiong held his head high, his eyes filled with intense disdain.

"Arrogant, Duanmu Xiong, do you really think you are invincible?" A cold female voice suddenly echoed in the great hall, carrying a hint of anger.

It came from a tall woman in yellow clothing.

This woman, full of noble elegance, stands like an untouchable aristocrat, making others dare not harbor any disrespect towards her.

"My goodness! It's Princess Zixuan."

"She is the Fifth Princess of our Celestial Flame Dynasty, even higher in status than Duanmu Xiong. To think she would also join this new students' competition." The new students shuddered, their breathing becoming rapid, eyes filled with deep awe.

The Celestial Flame Dynasty has always had a Royal Family that founded the dynasty.

Before the establishment of the Celestial Flame Academy, the Royal Family Lin dominated the entire Celestial Flame Dynasty.

But since the founding of Celestial Flame Academy, the status of the Royal Family Lin in the Celestial Flame Dynasty plummeted.

Because the Celestial Flame Academy is too powerful, not on par with what the Royal Family Lin could contend.

So, they have no choice but to submit beneath Celestial Flame Academy, becoming one of the six influential families of Celestial Flame City.

However, Celestial Flame Academy did not strip away the Royal Family Lin's status but allowed them to retain it.

And the young woman in yellow before them is the Royal Family's Fifth Princess, named Lin Zixuan.

"Princess Zixuan, you need not be angry. This arrogant person only realizes his ridiculousness when he faces defeat." Liu Feng quickly approached the Fifth Princess, speaking kindly.

Though the Liu Family stands equal in status to the Royal Family Lin now.

However, as Lin Zixuan is technically a princess, Liu Feng naturally shows appropriate respect towards her.

Moreover, he has always had a liking for Lin Zixuan, and now is an opportune moment to strengthen their relationship.

"Lin Zixuan, don't think that being a princess will make me show you any mercy. I will not hold back against anyone in the competition, including you." Unexpectedly, Duanmu Xiong didn't restrain himself at all, using a tone full of threat toward Lin Zixuan.

Others may fear Lin Zixuan's status, but he didn't.

Because the foundation of the Duanmu Family is no weaker than the Royal Family Lin.

While he may not be the Young Master of the Duanmu Family, he is a direct descendant, so naturally, he does not fear upsetting Lin Zixuan.

"Duanmu Xiong, I want to see what capabilities you have to utter such arrogant words." Lin Zixuan's gaze became extremely cold, with burning anger in her eyes.

She had never been so challenged since she was young.

To her, this is an immense humiliation.

"Hmph! You'll understand once you meet me in the competition." Duanmu Xiong slightly raised the corner of his mouth, his expression outrageously arrogant.

"Silence." Just then, a gray-robed elder suddenly entered the great hall with more than ten Celestial Flame Academy teachers.

This gray-robed elder is an Outer Elder of the Celestial Flame Academy, whose cultivation has already stepped into the Half-Step Celestial Spirit Realm.

His entire being emanates an unparalleled sense of oppression, instantly intimidating all the new students.

Even Duanmu Xiong, for a moment, showed a deep apprehension in his eyes.

His cultivation had, after all, yet to reach the Gang Qi Realm. No matter how high his talent was, he would still be utterly vulnerable before a Half-Step Celestial Spirit Realm powerhouse.

He possessed this bit of self-awareness.

"The new student competition is about to begin. Now, you will follow your instructors' guidance and divide into twelve teams, and follow me to the Zodiac Battle Platform above the mountain top," the gray-robed elder said with a voice full of authority.

"Yes!" The new students obediently nodded and replied one after another.

Soon after, over a thousand new students were divided into twelve teams, each consisting of about one hundred people, and they grandly headed toward the summit of New Talent Peak.

At the summit of New Talent Peak, there are magnificent palaces forming a circle.

At the center of the circle stands a massive White Jade Battle Platform, engraved with twelve patterns.

These twelve patterns include rats, roosters, and even a True Dragon, each depicted with vivid lifelikeness.

They are, indeed, the twelve zodiac animals.

Thus this White Jade Battle Platform was named the Zodiac Battle Platform, where the new student competition is held every four years.

"Palace Master, I wonder if this time among the new students, there will be any promising talents that catch our eye." At this time, an elderly man with snow-white hair slightly smiled from within one of the palaces in front of the Zodiac Battle Platform.

This elder looked full of sage-like demeanor, giving an extremely amiable impression.

He was none other than the Soul Palace Master, one of the four major factions of Celestial Flame Academy.

Beside the Soul Palace Master, there were three terrifyingly powerful cultivators sitting in attendance.

They were respectively the Peak Master of Celestial Flame Peak, the Peak Master of Profound Sword Peak, and the Grand Elder of the War King Hall.

The Peak Master of Celestial Flame Peak was a middle-aged man in a cyan Taoist robe with a black mustache, looking only about forty years old.

His expression appeared calm, yet between his brows lay tremendous authority, giving an unparalleled sense of oppression.

According to the rules of Celestial Flame Academy, the Peak Master of Celestial Flame Peak also serves as the Palace Master of the academy, making him the highest-ranking person in the entire Celestial Flame Academy.

Even the Soul Palace Master and the Peak Master of Profound Sword Peak must obey his commands.

Of course, internal affairs of the Soul Palace and Profound Sword Peak cannot be interfered with casually by the Celestial Flame Peak Master, or it would undoubtedly cause much dissatisfaction.

"Heh, Brother Chen, any talents who have awakened a Profound Level sixth-grade or higher bloodline have already been internally designated as Seed Students by our Celestial Flame Academy. Thus, the chance of promising talents appearing in the new student competition is relatively low. If there really are any, I won't compete with you all for them," the Celestial Flame Peak Master said with a slight smile.

Currently, Celestial Flame Peak already possesses ten Seed Students, and most of them hold leading strength among Seed Students.

So, even if promising talents were to emerge in the new student competition, the Celestial Flame Peak Master couldn't be bothered to compete with Soul Palace and Profound Sword Peak for them.

"Palace Master, it has been a long time since our War King Hall has produced a Seed Student. Can we have the first pick?", at this moment, a burly elder in a purple robe sighed.

This purple-robed elder was indeed the Grand Elder of the War King Hall, Ouyang Zhong.

Because the War King Hall hadn't selected a new Hall Master for many years, the hall was temporarily managed by Ouyang Zhong.

However, over the years, the War King Hall has been able to attract fewer promising talents, and not even a single individual could pass the Seed Student evaluation.

Thus, the War King Hall has not produced a new Seed Student, placing the hall in an extremely embarrassing position within Celestial Flame Academy.

The root cause is that nearly all promising talents have been snatched away by the other three major factions, leaving hardly anyone willing to join War King Hall.

Especially those peerless geniuses who have awakened Profound Level bloodlines, none of them consider War King Hall worthy.

"Ouyang Zhong, your War King Hall has already completely declined; allowing those promising talents to join your hall would just be a sheer waste of their potential! Moreover, even if we let you have those promising talents, they may not necessarily want to join War King Hall," the middle-aged woman next to Ouyang Zhong remarked with a trace of mockery in her voice as she glanced at him dismissively.

This middle-aged woman was indeed the Peak Master of Profound Sword Peak, Duanmu Ying.

The Duanmu Family was a lineage propagated by her ancestors within the Celestial Flame Dynasty, having endured for dozens of generations.

"But if this continues, our War King Hall will eventually lack new talent, and it might even be expelled from the four major factions," Ouyang Zhong's face turned extremely gloomy, his eyes filled with intense discontent.

If War King Hall were truly expelled from the four major factions, then all its cultivation resources would likely be usurped by the other three factions.

And the Ouyang Family would surely follow suit into decline.

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