Two fists, each brimming with surging combat energy, collided with a thunderous boom. Instantly, a wave of energy rippled out from the point of contact, like a tide, sweeping away all the dry leaves on the ground, sending them flying in the air.
“Ugh.” As their fists met, the blue-robed young man finally felt the terrifying force in Xiao Yan’s punch. The instant their fists touched, a numbing sensation crept up his arm, followed by a surge of overwhelming power that shot through the point of contact into his body. He spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered back several steps, a vicious look crossing his face. His body shook as azure combat energy surged out, forming a blue aura armor on his skin.
However, just as the armor took shape, a ghost-like shadow appeared before him once more. A cold laugh echoed, and the next thing he knew, pain exploded from his chest, sending him flying backward. He crashed heavily into a tree trunk, spitting out another mouthful of blood. He glanced down in horror, finding that the newly formed aura armor had been shattered by the attack. Curling up like a shrimp, he heard several muffled sounds nearby and saw his four companions rolling to his side, their faces covered in blood. Panic now filled his eyes.
Holding his chest, the blue-robed young man suddenly found a pair of feet before him. A calm voice rang out, “If you want more, then stay curled up. I don’t mind kicking a few more times.”
These words made the blue-robed young man shudder. He raised his head, trembling, and looked at the black-robed young man standing before him, along with two men and two women behind him. Fear flickered in his eyes, “What… what do you want?”
“I ask, you answer,” Xiao Yan said, towering over the five terrified seniors. He slowly gripped the handle of the Heavy Xuan Ruler on his back and pulled it out, planting it firmly in the ground before the blue-robed young man, the pressure of the massive ruler making him feel immense pressure.
“What do you want to know?” The blue-robed young man swallowed, trying to regain some composure. Regardless of how things played out, the rules stated no killing within the forest. If that happened, the elders monitoring the forest would appear immediately, and violators would be punished accordingly. Thus, while he was worried about physical pain, he wasn’t overly concerned about losing his life.
“How big is this forest?” After a moment of thought, Xiao Yan asked a simple yet crucial question. If the forest was large, they needed to prepare for a long battle. If it was small, they might change their strategy and charge straight to their goal.
“Very large,” the blue-robed young man answered. Xiao Yan sighed internally. “Do you have a rough map of the forest?” Glancing at the blue-robed young man, Xiao Yan waved his hand and turned to Xuner and the others, “Each of you take one of them aside and interrogate them. We’ll compare answers later. If their stories differ, we won’t hesitate to get tough. While we can’t kill, we can certainly injure severely without breaking the rules.”
Xiao Yan’s words made the blue-robed young man and his companions’ faces pale. This move almost completely eliminated any thoughts of lying. Hu Jia and the others, each dragging a senior, moved to the side. As they left, one of them couldn’t help but comment, “Good move.”
Xiao Yan smiled and turned back to the blue-robed young man. “Now, answer.”
“We have a rough map, but it’s not very detailed. It was bought in the Inner Academy for the Hunter Capture Contest, and it cost me three days’ worth of Fire Energy,” the blue-robed young man sighed, pulling out a crude piece of paper from his ring and handing it to Xiao Yan.
“You treasure Fire Energy so much, and yet you spent a day’s worth on this crude thing?” Xiao Yan chuckled, looking at the crude lines that barely formed a map. “Is this even a map?”
“No one wanted to, but it was mandatory. Refusing wasn’t an option,” the blue-robed young man explained, his face contorted with frustration. “When I bought this, my heart bled. But if it helped us get Fire Energy from the freshmen, I was willing to spend a day’s worth.”
“How many seniors are participating in the Hunter Capture Contest?” Xiao Yan stowed the map and asked, frowning.
“About fifty, split into ten groups of five,” the blue-robed young man replied, glancing at his companions being questioned. He didn’t know if they were telling the truth, but chances were, they were. “How strong are they? Are they all about your level?”
This question made the blue-robed young man roll his eyes. “There are eight teams at our level. We’re all students who entered the Inner Academy last year. Two other teams are older students, who have been in the Inner Academy longer and are stronger. They are probably around… your level,” he added, eyeing Xiao Yan oddly, wondering why a freshman could be so strong.
“About my level?” Xiao Yan frowned, realizing that two teams of such strength would make the Hunter Capture Contest quite challenging.
“The two teams are easy to spot; one wears all black, the other all white. These are the strongest teams in the contest, known as the Black and White Gates. In the past ten years, no freshman team has ever broken through their defenses,” the blue-robed young man said, a hint of reverence in his voice.
“Black and White Gates?” Xiao Yan repeated, nodding. “What’s the use of Fire Energy in the Inner Academy? Why are you so obsessed with it?”
“Fire Energy is essential in the Inner Academy. It’s the reason why new students’ strength improves so rapidly after entering. There’s a tower, the ‘Sky-Burning Qi Tower,’ where training is highly effective. The deeper you go, the faster you train, but it’s also more expensive.”
“Entering the ‘Sky-Burning Qi Tower’ requires Fire Energy, which is stored in the crystal cards. The card gives you five days of training, after which you need to earn more Fire Energy. The Inner Academy also gives seven days’ worth of Fire Energy at the start of each month as a living allowance,” the blue-robed young man explained, his expression odd.
After hearing this, Xiao Yan was surprised. “So, to train, you need Fire Energy. No wonder these guys are so eager for it.”
“If you run out of Fire Energy, how do you get more? Wait for the next month’s allowance?” Xiao Yan asked.
“Not necessarily. There are various ways to earn Fire Energy in the Inner Academy, like cleaning the tower or copying scrolls. However, these methods provide little. Stronger students hunt magic beasts for cores or challenge others in the arena. If they win, they get Fire Energy from the loser. There are many ways to earn Fire Energy, but you need to be strong enough. Otherwise, you risk losing everything.”
“There’s another way: the ‘Strong List.’ It’s a ranking of the strongest students, with fifty spots. If you make it, you receive a monthly reward from the academy. The higher you rank, the more Fire Energy you get. It’s the most comfortable way to earn Fire Energy, as you can train in the ‘Sky-Burning Qi Tower’ without worrying about running out. Everyone in the Inner Academy strives for a spot on this list, and the competition is fierce. People often get challenged off the list the day after they join.”
Xiao Yan nodded, deeply intrigued by the mysterious Inner Academy. “Fire Energy, it seems, is indeed a powerful motivator. Even I’m drawn to it.”
Turning to Xuner and the others, their eyes met, filled with determination. The Inner Academy and its Fire Energy were now etched in their minds. With Fire Energy, they could train faster and get closer to becoming stronger.
“Fire Energy is a good thing,” Xiao Yan murmured, his lips curling into a sinister smile that chilled the blue-robed young man. “Thank you for the information. Now, hand over your Fire Energy card, will you?”
The blue-robed young man paled, his combat energy surging. Before he could react, a massive black shadow slammed down, stopping inches from his face. Seeing the huge ruler, he swallowed hard and, after a moment, reluctantly handed over his light blue Fire Energy card.
Xiao Yan smiled, taking the card and noting the number “28” on it. Holding both the black and blue cards, he rubbed them together. The black card showed “26,” and the blue card, “7.”
“From now on, the roles of hunter and prey in this contest are reversed. The prey is now interested in the hunters,” Xiao Yan murmured, gazing at the number “26” on the black card.
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