In the vast expanse of the forest, Xiao Yan sat on a rock. Before him was a simple wooden table, upon which stacks of fire crystal cards were neatly arranged. Many of these cards had the same number: “2.” Clearly, the owners of these fire crystal cards had met with misfortune and had their fire energy plundered by senior students.
On the open ground in front of the table, dozens of freshmen sat cross-legged. Though their appearances were extremely disheveled and dejected, their eyes were bright and full of spirit. Their gazes, filled with excitement, were fixed on the fire crystal cards on the table.
On the other side of the clearing, Sha Tie, Su Xiao, and others leaned against tree trunks, their expressions sullen. Their glances towards Xiao Yan, who was seated on the rock, were tinged with resentment.
Xiao Yan paid no heed to their glares. With his left hand, he picked up a light blue fire crystal card and then repeatedly drew some black fire crystal cards. Rubbing his palms together, a burst of light illuminated as the numbers on the black fire crystal cards not only quickly returned to their original values upon entering the forest but also increased by two additional days. The numbers on those black cards thus changed from “2” to “7.”
Xiao Yan’s current task was to distribute the spoils, a matter that stirred the hearts of all present. For those freshmen whose fire crystal cards had been reduced to just two days of fire energy, Xiao Yan not only restored their energy but also added two more days. As for those fortunate enough to avoid the senior students’ plunder, Xiao Yan generously added five more days of fire energy to their cards. Xiao Yan was well aware that without the brave and determined efforts of these freshmen, they would not have succeeded in defeating Su Xiao’s three teams and the even more formidable team led by Sha Tie.
The light on the table flickered continuously. After a long while, Xiao Yan finally exhaled a sigh of relief, placing the last black fire crystal card down. He then turned to Xuner and Hu Jia beside him and said, “Return them to their rightful owners.”
Hearing this, Xuner and Hu Jia nodded slightly and immediately picked up a handful of fire crystal cards. They moved swiftly among the freshmen, returning the marked cards to the eager new students, who beamed with joy.
“Ha ha, our fire energy is back!” Some freshmen cradled their fire crystal cards, gazing at the numbers with wide smiles.
Smiling at the excited and joyful freshmen, Xiao Yan turned his gaze to Wu Hao, who was meditating nearby. After the battle, Xiao Yan had quickly given him another Qi Restoring Pill, so Wu Hao’s complexion was much better than before. His injuries were only superficial, thankfully not affecting his meridians or bones. Otherwise, he might have needed a long period of rest to recover.
Standing up from the rock, Xiao Yan glanced at the remaining light blue fire crystal cards on the table. After the distribution, the total fire energy left on these cards was close to 270. Dividing this among the four of them, each would receive around 67 days of fire energy—a considerable bounty.
Transferring the remaining fire energy on the light blue cards to his own, Xiao Yan then held them and walked toward the group of glum faces, smiling.
“Ha ha, sorry about that. With so many freshmen, it wouldn’t be right not to offer some compensation, so I’m borrowing yours for now,” Xiao Yan said with a smile. He then tossed the crystal cards, which, like living things, flew back to their respective owners.
Sighing, Sha Tie glanced at the single-digit balance on his card, his mouth twitching. “Damn, I lost everything this time.” This was the result of his hard work over nearly two months in the arena, and now, Xiao Yan had taken nine-tenths of it. How could he not feel pained?
Beside him, Su Xiao and the others sighed helplessly, inwardly blaming their greed. If they hadn’t tried to rob the freshmen, they wouldn’t have encountered such a wild and ruthless group.
“Ha ha, Senior Sha Tie, may I ask you something?” Xiao Yan asked, disregarding their expressions, still smiling.
Sha Tie rolled his eyes, his mood extremely sour, and he didn’t have the energy to deal with Xiao Yan.
“Twenty days of fire energy. In exchange, tell me what I want to know,” Xiao Yan said, toying with a black fire crystal card. “If you’re unwilling, I can ask Senior Su Xiao and the others.”
Sha Tie’s lips twitched, and he gritted his teeth, saying, “Ask away.”
Though his initial words were fierce, he soon softened. Now a pauper, twenty days of fire energy was still a significant sum for him.
“Can you tell me about the last ‘White Demon Team’?” Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed, and he spoke softly. Their gains were already substantial, and if he wanted to bring this bounty into the inner courtyard, he needed to defeat the last White Demon Team. Otherwise, all their hard work would be for naught.
“The White Demon Team?” Sha Tie’s eyebrows rose, understanding Xiao Yan’s intent. Glancing at the weak and struggling freshmen, he chuckled, “The White Demon Team is stronger than our Black Demon Team.”
Sha Tie’s first statement made Xiao Yan frown. Defeating the Black Demon Team had already drained their strength, and now the White Demon Team was even stronger?
“Perhaps the individual members are not much different, but the captain of the White Demon Team, Luo Hou, is a genuine Dou Ling. Though he has only recently entered the Dou Ling realm, he is far stronger than me, who is only halfway there.”
Sha Tie shrugged, “I’m not trying to discourage you, but with your weakened condition, I doubt you’ll make it out alive, even if you all go together.”
After a moment, Xiao Yan said, “If we can fully restore the freshmen, it should be possible, right?”
“Adding you and the others, a force of nearly fifty freshmen, even if the White Demon Team is strong, they won’t be able to stop you. After all, one cannot fight with too many hands,” Sha Tie said. “But unfortunately, these guys are seriously injured. It will take at least three to five days for them to fully recover, and the ‘Fire Energy Hunt’ only lasts a week. So, you won’t be able to wait that long.”
“Ha ha, if we combine our forces, we can make it through. As for their injuries…” Xiao Yan smiled at Sha Tie, “Have you forgotten my identity? To an alchemist like me, these injuries are not severe.”
Hearing this, Sha Tie was slightly stunned and then fell silent. He had almost forgotten that Xiao Yan could control such terrifying flames, indicating his proficiency in alchemy. If he had enough medicinal ingredients, he could indeed heal the freshmen and restore their peak condition within a short time. Then, with nearly fifty freshmen, even a Dou Ling like Luo Hou would be left helpless.
Clapping his hands, Xiao Yan touched his black fire crystal card to Sha Tie’s, transferring the twenty days of fire energy. Then, he turned back to the simple table and said to the freshmen, who were excitedly holding their fire crystal cards, “Everyone, this Fire Energy Hunt has one final hurdle. If we can successfully pass it, we can bring the fire energy into the inner courtyard. If we fail, it will all go to the so-called White Demon Team.”
“Damn it, let’s fight them!” The freshmen, energized by Xiao Yan’s words, became visibly excited. The recovered fire energy made them cherish it even more.
“Ha ha,” Xiao Yan smiled lightly and pressed his palm down, silencing the crowd. He surveyed the field and said, “Since no one is giving up, let’s combine our strength and pass this final hurdle together.”
“But first, we need to stay here for one day. By tomorrow, I will ensure everyone’s injuries are healed, and then… it will be our freshmen’s final counterattack.”
“Senior Xiao Yan, we trust you,” the freshmen responded, inspired by their victory over the Black Demon Team. With no doubts, their voices rang out in unison, causing the forest to tremble.
Beside them, Sha Tie and the others sighed, seeing the freshmen’s enthusiasm. Though they were just young wolves, under Xiao Yan’s leadership, their fighting spirit exceeded all expectations.
Xiao Yan once again sat cross-legged on the rock. With a wave of his hand, a medicinal cauldron and a large pile of medicinal ingredients appeared on the table. A flick of his finger, and a green flame darted into the cauldron.
In the quiet forest, the green flame rose and burned, consuming the herbs, distilling their essence. Xiao Yan spent the night refining pills to treat internal injuries.
The next evening, in the still forest, dozens of figures suddenly opened their eyes, their gazes filled with a deep, powerful aura. The collective strength of the freshmen filled the entire area!
As the freshmen opened their eyes, Xiao Yan and Xuner, along with the others, also slowly opened theirs. After a day of rest and with the help of Xiao Yan’s pills, they were all back to their peak condition.
Rising from the rock, Xiao Yan glanced at Sha Tie and the others, then turned to the freshmen. Raising his hand, he let it fall with a thud. “Let’s go!”
With Xiao Yan’s command, dozens of figures leaped onto the tree trunks, led by Xiao Yan and the others, rushing towards the forest exit! The final battle was about to begin!
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