Emerging from the attic, a green-shaded avenue lay ahead. On either side of the avenue were the residences of other freshmen, albeit somewhat more humble compared to the small pavilion shared by Xiao Yan and his companions. It seemed that such special treatment was not bestowed upon everyone. At this time, there wasn’t a single freshman in sight on the road; presumably, they had all gathered at the exit. Not daring to dawdle, Xiao Yan and his three companions tapped their feet lightly on the ground, their bodies transforming into wisps of blue smoke as they swiftly dashed towards the end of the avenue.
After about four or five minutes, the rushing figures of Xiao Yan and his group slowed down. They looked up at the end of the avenue, indeed finding a crowd gathered, with the noise of abusive shouts filling the air. With a slight wave of his hand, Xiao Yan led his three companions into the throng. Some of the freshmen who saw them could not help but show great joy, just as they were about to cheer, but Xiao Yan’s gesture quickly silenced them. After exchanging greetings with the freshmen, Xiao Yan and his companions squeezed through the crowd. Peering through the gaps, they saw the exit of the avenue blocked by several older students, each wearing a tower-shaped badge on their chests. Behind them, many more senior students watched, clearly delighted at the prospect of the freshmen being humiliated, as they had once been in the same position.
Facing those eight seniors was A Tai, who had just come to Xiao Yan for help. His face ashen, he confronted the seniors along with the freshmen. “There’s no need for more idle chatter. The tribute fee for freshmen is a longstanding rule of the Inner Academy. We haven’t been too harsh on you. So, hand it over willingly. Isn’t it better to pay and avoid trouble?”
A young man, around twenty-five years old, smiled and said to A Tai and the others, “Each of you needs to pay two days’ worth of ‘Heavenly Fire Energy.’ In return, we will ensure your safety within the Inner Academy. This is a fair deal.”
“Hmph, don’t think we’re ignorant of the rules just because we’re freshmen. Freshmen should indeed pay the ‘tribute fee’ to the seniors, but there’s also an unwritten rule in the Inner Academy: freshmen can only pay to two factions. After paying these two, any other faction that wants to collect must negotiate with them, and it’s none of our business anymore,” A Tai snarled. “But recently, you have sent five waves of people here. Do you think we have any ‘Heavenly Fire Energy’ left for you?”
“Hehe, that’s the usual case, but isn’t this year’s batch of freshmen exceptionally strong? We’ve never heard of freshmen taking ‘Heavenly Fire Energy’ from the seniors in the ‘Heavenly Fire Energy Hunt’ before. Since you are so exceptional, naturally, the rules for you should be a bit special,” the young man grinned.
“Furthermore, you’re not as poor as typical freshmen. The ‘Heavenly Fire Energy’ you possess might even be more abundant than some seniors’,” he continued.
“You’re spouting nonsense. We’ve already said we won’t give you another bit of ‘Heavenly Fire Energy.’ No matter how much we have, you can forget about it!” A Tai’s face flushed with rage, and the freshmen behind him shared his anger, their tempers fully ignited by the repeated exploitation.
“Hey, good, very good… You’re a bunch of tough nuts,” the senior sneered. “Freshmen, remember, this isn’t the Outer Academy. In the Inner Academy, except for the arena, while you can’t cause severe harm, there’s always a chance of getting a few bruises during a spar.”
“If you really don’t pay today, I can’t guarantee what kind of unfair treatment you’ll receive after leaving here. Young men, don’t act rashly.”
The freshmen, seeing the sneer on the young man’s face, felt their anger rise again, their eyes almost shooting fire.
“No need to threaten. The freshmen won’t pay you a single unit of ‘Heavenly Fire Energy’ more. Senior, please go back where you came from,” a cool voice suddenly rang out among the freshmen.
“Who?” The young man’s face darkened as his gaze swept over the freshmen, his fists clenching. “This batch of freshmen is indeed as arrogant as they say. As seniors, we have the duty to teach you the ways of the Inner Academy.”
“Hehe, alright then, I’m eager to learn how you plan to teach us,” the voice chuckled. A path opened up among the freshmen, and four figures slowly emerged from the crowd.
“It’s Senior Xiao Yan!” Seeing the four figures, the freshmen erupted in cheers. Xiao Yan’s reputation among the freshmen had soared after the ‘Heavenly Fire Energy Hunt.’
“Xiao Yan? He’s the one who defeated Lu Hou?” Some of the senior students watching from the sidelines couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, their eyes fixed on the black-robed youth.
“Are you Xiao Yan?” The seniors blocking the exit noticed the sudden change in the freshmen’s mood, their faces shifting. Clearly, they were wary of Xiao Yan, as Lu Hou was considered one of the top hundred strongest in the entire Inner Academy. He had even briefly made it onto the ‘Strong Rank’ list, though it was only for three days and due to some luck. Nevertheless, his presence on the list indicated his formidable strength, and he had been defeated by Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan glanced at the young man with a flickering expression, crossing his arms and smiling, “I am Xiao Yan. What can I do for you, Senior?”
“Are you trying to be the first to stick your neck out? Even though you beat Lu Hou, you should know that there are many stronger than him in the Inner Academy!”
In front of everyone, the young man didn’t want to lose face, so he coldly huffed, “We freshmen don’t mean to be arrogant. During the ‘Hunt,’ we acted only because some seniors were too overbearing. We understand that as newcomers, it’s best to keep a low profile. We will pay the required ‘tribute fee,’ but we won’t abide by any other unreasonable demands. If you try to force us, we forty-six freshmen will fight back with all our strength.”
Xiao Yan’s eyes grew cold as he surveyed the surroundings, speaking in a firm voice.
“Boom!” As Xiao Yan spoke, the dozens of freshmen behind him were filled with a surge of determination. Their feet stamped the ground, and their battle energy surged forth. In a moment, their combined energy formed a formidable pressure, forcing the seniors to step back.
“You… Xiao Yan, don’t think that having numbers on your side makes you invincible. We are from the ‘Green Mountain.’ Offending us in the Inner Academy…” The young man, pushed back by the freshmen’s aura, felt humiliated and angrily warned. However, before he could finish, a gust of wind suddenly rushed past.
A black figure flashed before his eyes, and his shoulder suddenly dropped. He found a massive black ruler pressing against his neck. “I’ll say it again: we have paid the required ‘tribute fee.’ From now on, we won’t pay another unit of ‘Heavenly Fire Energy.’ I don’t care which faction you belong to, but if you continue to talk nonsense, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Xiao Yan held the ruler, his black eyes fixed on the young man, whose shoulders sank under its weight. The young man’s throat moved slightly, and a drop of cold sweat rolled down his forehead. He could feel the genuine, chilling intent in the words of this much younger youth.
With a slight movement, the heavy ruler whistled back to Xiao Yan’s back. He slowly retreated and finally stood before Xun’er and the others. “You wait!”
The young man’s face alternated between pale and green. After a moment, he angrily waved his sleeve and turned, leaving a parting threat, and then fled with his companions.
Seeing the seniors retreat, the freshmen erupted in cheers again, their eyes burning with admiration. Xiao Yan’s actions had solidified his status among them.
“Seniors, we freshmen have no special abilities and don’t seek special privileges. The ‘Heavenly Fire Energy Hunt’ was simply a response to the excessive behavior of some freshmen. Now that we’re in the Inner Academy, we don’t intend to rely on anyone. We will pay what we owe. Therefore, there’s no need to treat us differently. Xiao Yan thanks you.”
Xiao Yan looked up at the seniors watching from the roadside, bowing slightly and speaking respectfully. Having just established his authority, his politeness made the seniors look at each other in surprise. After a moment, some of the more discerning seniors nodded in approval. Xiao Yan was indeed someone to be reckoned with, showing both strength and prudence.
Behind Xiao Yan, Xun’er and the others also nodded slightly. No matter how strong they were, they could not afford to make enemies of the entire Inner Academy. If Xiao Yan had shown any arrogance, it might have reached the ears of stronger seniors, potentially causing them trouble. The ones who came this time were relatively weak; next time, it might be real powerhouses. Though they had defeated Lu Hou, he was only of average strength in the Inner Academy. Thus, their priority was to stabilize their position and focus on advancing their overall strength, which was the key to long-term success.
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