In the vast, open forest, Xiao Yan and his four companions sat with their legs crossed, eyes closed. The entire forest had fallen into a deep silence, yet the slightly oppressive, heavy atmosphere hinted at the impending storm. After an unknown period of time, Xiao Yan’s tightly shut eyes suddenly opened, his gaze sweeping towards the northern woods. There, over a dozen powerful auras had appeared within the range of his soul perception.
“Here they come.”
Letting out a soft breath, Xiao Yan twisted his body, the vortex within him trembling slightly. Threads of Dou Qi flowed from it, surging like a flood through his meridians, filling him with a sense of overwhelming power. This brought Xiao Yan to the peak of his state just as the great battle was about to begin.
Hearing Xiao Yan’s low voice, the other four—Xuner, Cai Lin, Qing Lin, and Zi Yan—also opened their eyes, nodding slightly. Faint glimmers of Dou Qi flickered on their skin, awaiting the imminent clash.
Not long after Xiao Yan spoke, the distant woods suddenly surged, and then over a dozen figures flashed out, landing heavily on the clearing in unison. Instantly, the overpowering aura swept towards the five seated on the ground like a tsunami.
*Boom!*
Just as the oppressive force was about to reach within five meters of Xiao Yan and his group, five different-colored, powerful Dou Qis erupted from them, forming a barrier that hovered in the air, blocking the incoming pressure entirely.
“Indeed, you have some skill. No wonder you’re so arrogant,” a young man with a smile on his face said, his eyes flashing with surprise. “But your arrogance ends here. Hand over the crystal cards.”
A young man with slightly graying hair glanced at the five and said coldly, “Don’t think that because you have some strength, you can break the rules. For years, the rule of the ‘Heavenly Fire Venerable Hunting Competition’ has been for the senior students to teach the new ones a lesson in the forest. It’s for your own good in the inner court. This rule has stood for years, and no one has ever broken it. If you wish to be the first, prepare to pay the price.”
Xiao Yan smiled, gripping the handle of the Heavy Scale. A shadow flashed, and the Heavy Scale unleashed a wave of pressure, scattering dry leaves on the ground. He glanced at the three teams before him. “Don’t preach to me about these outdated rules. If you can rob us of our ‘Fire Energy,’ why can’t we do the same? With strength, the roles of hunter and prey can easily be reversed. Right now, you are our prey.”
“Arrogant indeed. I’ve seen many like you, but none fared well in the inner court,” a tall, muscular youth said with a sneer. His position suggested he was the leader of his team. His skin was a strange, stony gray, and his arms, which were much larger than average, radiated a sense of immense power. Clearly, this youth was of the physically formidable type.
“I admit you are strong, but for the sake of the seniors’ honor, we won’t fight fairly this time.” The young man with a constant smile on his face shrugged at Xiao Yan, then turned to the other two, saying, “Leng Bai, Xiu Yan, let’s move together. From their auras, it will be difficult for my team alone to win in a short time.”
“Alright.” Leng Bai and Xiu Yan, after a brief hesitation, nodded. Even if it meant being known as bullies, they had to suppress these arrogant freshmen. Otherwise, if word got out that the freshmen had taken back the ‘Fire Energy’ from the seniors, the latter would lose face in the inner court.
As the two nodded, fifteen powerful auras surged up, creating energy waves that sent the dry leaves flying into the air.
“Sorry, we didn’t plan to fight fairly either,” Xiao Yan said, smiling and closing his eyes against the glaring Dou Qi. He whistled sharply, and the sound echoed through the forest.
*Swish! Swish!*
As the whistle died down, dozens of figures emerged from the dense underbrush, forming a circle around the fifteen seniors. Their various Dou Qis gathered, and although each was weaker individually, their combined might made them the strongest force in the area!
The moment the figures appeared, the faces of the three team leaders, Leng Bai, Xiu Yan, and Su Xiao, darkened. They finally realized what was happening. Su Xiao, with a slightly sullen expression, said, “Those rumors earlier, you spread them intentionally, didn’t you?”
Feeling the overwhelming power of the forty or so freshmen, Xiao Yan sighed in relief. With their help, he was confident he could completely defeat the three teams.
“Nice trick. I didn’t expect you to have the courage to gather all the freshmen,” Su Xiao said, his voice tinged with gravity and surprise. In past competitions, some freshmen had tried to unite to resist the seniors, but those who entered the inner court were all top students in their classes, unwilling to follow others. Thus, it was rare for someone to unite all the freshmen. But Xiao Yan had done it, which was why Su Xiao was so shocked.
“Thank you,” Xiao Yan said with a light smile, raising his Heavy Scale. “Please hand over the ‘Fire Energy.’ Many of our fellow freshmen have been robbed, so they need to take back what is theirs.”
Sighing, Su Xiao turned to Leng Bai and Xiu Yan, “Looks like we have a tough fight ahead. We’ll have to work together.”
“Yes, I want to see how strong the top five newcomers really are,” Xiu Yan said, clenching his fists. His muscles, like steel, flexed, exuding power.
“Capture the leader first. Though the freshmen outnumber us, their morale rests on that Xiao Yan. Defeat him, and their team will crumble. Su Xiao, looks like we need to cooperate,” Leng Bai said, his eyes gleaming as he spotted the freshmen’s weakness.
“Then let’s go all out and tear through their defenses,” Su Xiao said, nodding with a smile. He raised his arm, saying, “Leng Bai and Xiu Yan, stop the three opposite us. The rest, block the freshmen and the two pretty girls.”
The twelve seniors nodded, confident they could hold off the less experienced freshmen.
Taking a deep breath, Su Xiao stepped forward, followed by Leng Bai and Xiu Yan. The ground trembled as three powerful auras, reaching the level of six- or seven-star Da Dou Shi, surged from their bodies, sweeping across the open field.
“One on one. This will be a hard fight. Men, step up… Xuner, you and Han Xue help the freshmen against the twelve seniors,” Xiao Yan said, his eyes fixed on the auras emanating from Su Xiao and the others.
“Be careful, Xiao Yan,” Xuner said, nodding. She and Han Xue retreated, blending into the ranks of the freshmen.
“I’ll take the big guy,” Wu Hao said, his eyes locking onto Xiu Yan, who specialized in strength and speed.
“Then I’ll take the one with the gray hair,” Bai Shan said, his gaze on Leng Bai.
“In that case, I’ll take on Senior Su Xiao,” Xiao Yan said with a smile, swinging his Heavy Scale, causing the leaves to scatter.
“Interesting, we’ve been picked,” Su Xiao said, smiling as he raised his hand and brought it down, his laughter growing cold. “Quick and decisive! Remember, don’t underestimate them. These three are very strong!”
Nodding, Leng Bai and Xiu Yan moved, their figures like lightning, rushing towards Xiao Yan’s group.
At the same instant, Xiao Yan and his team vanished, reappearing in the center of the clearing, where the battle of the strong began!
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