X-Dragon Era

Take Xin Yun as an example, with his capacity of a Ninth Grade Dragon Creation Stone at 9.9 points, in the Bronze Eight Star state, he can release eight Thunderbolts in a row, but if it were a First Grade Dragon Creation Stone, even a single Thunderbolt at the Bronze Eight Star level would likely deplete his energy instantly. This is the difference in energy capacity.

Although the higher the grade of the Dragon Creation Stone, the slower the training, the disadvantages are minuscule compared to the benefits. While others can only use their ultimate moves once, Xin Yun can use them as regular combat techniques, without worrying about draining his energy.

As the time to lift the ban on combat drew nearer, the atmosphere within the academy grew tense. The halls, which were usually filled with laughter and chatter, were now eerily quiet, with everyone hurrying through the campus in a rush, entering the final sprint.

Meanwhile, Xin Yun, Yi Luo Xiang, and Yan Qingying maintained the training standard they had kept up throughout the year, attending classes during the day, practicing weapon applications, meditating and cultivating energy at night, and engaging in combat training.

As time passed, finally... the protected period of non-combat ended. That morning, Instructor Musha officially announced that over the next month, there would be a ranking tournament within the class to determine not only the first, second, and third seat students but also the rank of every student in the class.

The competition would not use an elimination system, but a points system. Over the next month, each day would feature a round of combat, with a hundred students paired off to fight. Winners would receive one point, while losers would lose one point.

The next day, the competition continued. The 50 victorious students from the previous day battled among themselves, and likewise, the 50 who had lost fought each other. Points were still awarded and deducted in the same way: one point for a win, minus one point for a loss.
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Starting from the third day until the end of the month, every day's battles proceeded in this fashion. The victors from the previous day would fight each other, followed by the losers. At the month's end, the student with the highest score would be the leading student! In case of a tie, those with equal points would battle it out, with the winner gaining one point and the loser losing one point.

Faced with such an arrangement of events, Xin Yun drew in a sharp breath. A battle every day was truly a grueling schedule. Although the academy had dragons specifically for medical purposes, mental and spiritual fatigue were beyond their healing capabilities.

To win every match over the next month would be a considerable challenge for anyone. A single moment of carelessness or a slight lapse in concentration could lead directly to defeat.

Thinking so, Xin Yun couldn't help but sigh. Yi Luo Xiang and Yan Qingying, although in the First Year Section, were already top students and thus did not need to participate in the ranking competition. Other students who questioned their status could challenge them, but the consequences of losing were severe: being demoted to a branch campus and losing the privilege of studying at the main campus.

However, Xin Yun knew that although the rules were strict, Yi Luo Xiang and Yan Qingying would not easily settle into their positions. They were not only the top students of Class Yi, but also of the entire academy. Therefore... they had to be ready to face challenges from all students of Class Yi, and indeed from all 1,100 students in the First Year Section.

Over the next month, there would be no classes for the entire First Year Section at Combat Dragon Academy. The morning would feature battles of the victors, the afternoon those of the losers, with a very full schedule. Other than the competition, the rest of the time was free.

Xin Yun's first match of the day was scheduled for the afternoon. After lunch, accompanied by Yi Luo Xiang and Yan Qingying, Xin Yun headed towards the academy.

The First Year Section at Combat Dragon Academy had a total of ten immense arenas. Unlike ordinary arenas, these were designed for dragons, where everyone could ride their dragons to watch the matches. Otherwise, it would be unsafe, as with the might of a dragon, a single attack could annihilate dozens, even hundreds of students who hadn't summoned their dragons yet.

Class Yi's Class Eleven, to which Xin Yun belonged, still didn't have its own arena, so everyone found a flat spot not far from the hills, where all the students rode their dragons to watch the duels between each pair of combatants.

Riding his Shadow Dragon at the front, with Yi Luo Xiang and Yan Qingying following behind, Xin Yun raced to the competition site. Upon his arrival, a pair of students were fiercely engaged in battle.

Leaving his dragon in the viewing area, Xin Yun looked out to see the students battling fiercely in the sky. At a glance, they both controlled dragons of the Western type, with huge leathery wings, a lizard-like body, and limbs. However, one spat Fireballs, while the other launched spikes of rock.

"Boom... Boom..." Amid the dull roars, the two students fought with intense fervor, alternating between ranged assaults and close-quarters combat. Finally...

a Violent Fireball from the fire-breathing Giant Dragon hit the brown Stone Dragon's head, and amidst the deafening boom, the Stone Dragon's rider was likely knocked unconscious as the massive dragon crashed from the sky, smashing into the forest below, shaking the ground on impact.

Though the fall appeared severe, Xin Yun knew that under the dragon's protection, there shouldn't be any problem. With the energy cushion provided by the Stone Dragon, it was generally not life-threatening.