This was an open, rocky expanse where the forest’s spread halted at the stony terrain. The sun, unimpeded, poured its warmth onto the ground, warming everything with a comfortable glow. Not far from the rocky terrain lay a small hill, dotted with irregular boulders. Many people were seated or standing on these boulders and around them. These people were not very old, around twenty-four or twenty-five years of age. Although their robes were different, they all wore the same emblem on their chests, resembling a tower, indicating that they were all senior students of the Inner Academy.
On another part of the hill, there was a stage made of piled-up rocks. Two elders sat atop it: Elder Su and Elder Qing, who were seen by Xiao Yan and others when they entered the forest. Around them, several middle-aged individuals with steady auras were seated, evidently, they were also in charge of the Inner Academy.
“Ha, I heard that this year’s freshmen are pretty arrogant? They even dared to snatch the ‘Fire Energy’ from seniors?” On the hill, many eyes gazed towards the dark end of the forest as laughter and gossip spread.
“Yes, according to the senior teams returning from the forest, there is a team led by Xiao Yan, which seems to be quite strong.”
“Tsk, they’re just making excuses for their failure. They’ve been training in the Inner Academy for over a year; it’s surprising that they would lose to freshmen, tsk tsk…”
“Let’s hope so. I heard that Sha Tie from the Black Fiend Squad also took his team into the forest. I wonder if they’ve encountered the freshmen.”
“Oh? Sha Tie went in too? Then the freshmen are doomed. Sha Tie is about to enter the Dou Ling level, a formidable fighter.”
“Yes, their luck is over.”
As whispers spread, a few figures in the rocky terrain stirred slightly and slowly opened their eyes, their cold gazes sweeping over the dark forest. These five figures were all sitting cross-legged on the stones, their breathing long and steady, unperturbed by the whispers. All five wore white robes, reflecting their icy, detached demeanor.
Among the five, the strongest aura belonged to a pale-faced youth in the center. This pale-faced youth was the only one still keeping his eyes closed. He sat cross-legged, his body like an ice sculpture, with a faint chill surrounding him, causing a light frost to cover some of the grass between the rocks.
As the sun moved overhead, the hilltop students, expecting another fruitless day, suddenly heard footsteps from the dark forest. Everyone perked up, their eyes focusing on the forest’s exit. The previously bustling whispers instantly hushed.
Elder Su and Elder Qing on the stone platform also raised their heads, narrowing their eyes towards the source of the footsteps. As the atmosphere quieted, the footsteps from the dark forest grew heavier. Soon, a pair of feet stepped out from the dark forest, followed by twenty figures. The leader was Sha Tie, accompanied by Su Xiao and others.
“Huh? It’s Sha Tie and his team…” The crowd on the hill, stunned, murmured in disbelief.
“Did they already deal with the freshmen?” A sense of doubt swept through everyone as their gazes fixed on Sha Tie and his team.
Sha Tie and his team walked slowly towards the rocky terrain. At that moment, the pale-faced youth slowly opened his eyes, scanning Sha Tie and his team. His face changed slightly, and a grave tone crept into his otherwise indifferent voice.
“You were all defeated?”
His voice, though soft, had the impact of a sudden thunderbolt, shocking the Inner Academy students on the hill. Twenty powerful seniors, who could sweep away all freshmen, were defeated?
Though shocked, the Inner Academy students did not doubt the pale-faced youth’s words. With his abilities and insight, it wasn’t difficult for him to discern the truth. Therefore, the students felt a bit dazed. Had the freshmen become this strong?
Not surprised by the pale-faced youth’s deduction, Sha Tie shrugged and said helplessly, “Those guys are strong, with far more combat experience than ordinary freshmen.”
Sha Tie’s words caused more gasps on the hill. Some seniors couldn’t hide their shock and drew in a deep, cold breath. Even the Black Fiend Squad had lost to the freshmen. Were this year’s freshmen really this exceptional?
“Leave the next task to us. Let me see what makes these freshmen, who have alarmed the entire Inner Academy, so special,” the pale-faced youth said, standing up from the rock. His tall figure exuded a chilling aura.
Observing the cold aura around the pale-faced youth, Sha Tie’s lips curled in a malicious smile. Compared to close combat, his ice elemental fighting spirit seemed to be more severely restrained by that terrifying blue flame.
“Lu Hou, this year’s freshmen are indeed strong. I think even your last team might not be able to stop them,” Sha Tie said, shrugging.
“Step back, you’ve lost the right to stay here,” the pale-faced youth replied, his tone still calm.
“Alright, I believe you’ll soon lose that right as well,” Sha Tie said, smirking, and slowly retreated up the hill with Su Xiao and the others. Just as they reached the hill, a loud sound of breaking wind suddenly echoed from the dark forest!
As the sound of breaking wind arose, the gazes that were on Sha Tie and his team shifted back to the forest’s exit. Soon after, the trees in the forest shook violently, and numerous figures rushed out, landing on one knee in the sunlight. There were over forty of them. Seeing this number, not only did a commotion arise on the hill, but even the pale-faced youth’s expression changed slightly.
“I didn’t expect someone to gather all the freshmen together. What a grand move… But who could it be?” Looking at the dozens of freshmen, Elder Su exclaimed in amazement.
In previous Fire Energy Hunt competitions, there were those who wanted to unite all the freshmen, but due to individual pride, few succeeded.
“I think… it must be that young man, Xiao Yan! Elder Gan Huo mentioned that this guy defeated three or four freshmen in the qualifying round by himself…” Elder Qing mused.
Elder Su nodded slightly, praising Xiao Yan internally.
The freshmen who rushed out from the forest looked up, their gazes filled with various emotions, scanning the seniors on the hill. They then split apart, creating a small path in the middle.
As the freshmen parted, the small path led back to the dark forest. Soft footsteps sounded, and four figures stepped out from the darkness, walking through the path to the front of the freshmen.
The leading black-robed youth, carrying a giant ruler nearly as tall as he was, lifted his head, surveying the area, and finally rested his gaze on the five white-robed youths in the rocky terrain. Bowing, he smiled, “Seniors, you must be the last team, the White Fiend Squad, in this year’s Fire Energy Hunt, right?”
“White Fiend Squad, Captain Lu Hou,” the pale-faced youth said, his gaze sweeping over the four before settling on Xiao Yan. “Freshman, the leader, Xiao Yan.”
Xiao Yan smiled and mimicked Lu Hou’s tone, saying, “Freshman, the leader, Xiao Yan.”
Lu Hou nodded, the chill around him growing stronger. A powerful aura rose from within him, enveloping the rocky terrain. Some weaker freshmen couldn’t help but change color under the oppressive force, which was even more intense than Sha Tie’s.
Feeling the icy pressure, Xiao Yan’s expression became serious. As Sha Tie had said, this guy was a true Dou Ling. Glancing at Xun’er, Huang Jia, and the others, Xiao Yan nodded. The four of them stepped forward, and four surging auras burst forth, intertwining and pushing back the chilling pressure.
With Xiao Yan and the other freshmen’s actions, dozens of freshmen also released varying levels of auras. Although each of their auras was individually weaker than any one of Xiao Yan’s, their combined strength immediately became the most powerful presence here.
Under the combined auras of all the freshmen, including Xiao Yan, Lu Hou’s chilling pressure was quickly repelled. Seeing their captain’s failure, the four other members of the White Fiend Squad hurriedly released their auras, finally managing to resist the overwhelming pressure.
In the first confrontation, Xiao Yan and his team, with their numbers, suppressed the White Fiend Squad, showcasing the advantage of numbers. This victory in the clash of auras boosted the confidence of all the freshmen, erasing the earlier fear caused by Lu Hou’s strength.
Taking a step forward, Xiao Yan fixed his gaze on Lu Hou and loudly asked, “Senior Lu Hou, may we pass this final checkpoint?”
Xiao Yan’s voice reverberated through the rocky terrain, bringing silence to the entire hill.
Lu Hou’s face remained indifferent, his eyes fixed on Xiao Yan. After a long while, he moved his lips, and two cold words came out, “No!”
The atmosphere instantly froze, tension mounting like a drawn sword!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage