After enduring nearly half an hour of relentless, borderline brutal flight, the formation of gryphons finally began to slow down. Sensing this shift in speed, Xiao Yun glanced downward. Aside from a solitary valley, there was nothing but an endless sea of green forest as far as the eye could see—completely devoid of any human presence.
"Are we about to begin the Fire Energy Hunt?" Xiao Yun speculated silently.
"Descend!"
Hu Qian's booming voice cut through the wind. The powerful aura he had released earlier quietly retracted into his body as he waved his hand with a grin. Instantly, the ten gryphons began to beat their wings and gently descended toward the open space in the valley below.
As the massive beasts landed, they stirred up violent gusts and looming shadows. Once they touched down, Xiao Yun and the other students—responding to Hu Qian's signal—rose from their seats and jumped to the ground. Most of the students looked around in confusion, staring blankly at the empty valley before them.
"Where are we? Is this the Inner Academy?" someone couldn't help but ask aloud, voicing the doubt lingering in everyone's mind.
All eyes turned toward Hu Qian. It was clear that everyone wanted answers.
"The Inner Academy isn't that easy to get into," Hu Qian replied cheerfully, then strolled forward a few steps. After walking a short distance, he stopped abruptly and waved his palm. A surge of energy shot forth, colliding with what appeared to be empty air.
What happened next drew gasps of astonishment. As the energy struck a seemingly vacant part of the space ahead, shimmering ripples spread out like water disturbed by a stone. The ripples fluctuated rapidly until—whoosh—a towering silver gate, nearly seven to eight meters high, appeared out of thin air.
With a crisp metallic sound, the silver gate slowly creaked open, revealing a dense forest behind it, indistinguishable from the one outside.
"Follow me." Hu Qian swished his sleeves and walked straight through the silver gate. As he stepped through, his figure faded into nothingness as though he had vanished into another dimension.
Startled but curious, the crowd quickly followed, disappearing one by one through the gate. When the last student and gryphon crossed the threshold, the silver gate closed behind them with a dull hum. As the last ripple of energy dissipated, the entire area reverted back into an ordinary, untouched forest.
Passing through the gate, Xiao Yun felt a brief disorientation, but his feet soon found solid ground. As he steadied himself and looked ahead, the scene looked much the same as before—endless greenery. However, now there were two elderly men and several middle-aged warriors waiting ahead. Behind them stood a group of young people, all around Xiao Yun's age.
His gaze swept across the newcomers. Each of the young men and women wore a small, tower-shaped badge on their chest.
"Old Hu, as punctual as always," one of the elders greeted with a genial smile as he saw the new arrivals emerge from the gate. "Having you escort the newcomers always puts our minds at ease. So, how's this year's batch?"
"Duty calls," Hu Qian replied with a grin. "No need to worry—they're better than last year's group by a good margin. And seeing you two old-timers here… looks like you're in for some hard work."
The two elders sighed in unison. "We drew the short straw this year, what can we do?"
"You five, come here," Hu Qian called, waving at Xiao Yun and the top five from the selection trials. Once they approached, he gestured toward the elders and introduced them, "These two are Elders Su and Liu from the Inner Academy. If you ever need help in the future, they're the ones to look for."
Then Hu Qian added with a smile, "These five are the top performers in this year's selection. That little one over there—not only did he come in first, but he's also the personal disciple of Old Man Huo."
He pointed directly at Xiao Yun.
"Oh?" Elder Su and Elder Liu both raised their brows, their gazes sharp as they looked the five over, eventually landing on Xiao Yun.
"A boy this young, and already ranked first? Huo really picked up a treasure this time," Elder Liu remarked.
Xiao Yun felt their stares lock onto him like searchlights. He could hardly pretend not to notice, so he stepped forward and bowed. "Disciple Xiao Yun, greets the two esteemed Elders."
"Not bad, not bad," Elder Liu stroked his beard approvingly. "You made quite the name for yourself when you enrolled at seven years old with Dou Practitioner strength. Even some of us old men considered taking you on as a disciple back then—shame Huo got to you first!"
Elder Su clapped his hands together. "Alright, enough with the small talk. Even though you've passed the entrance trial and earned the right to enter the Inner Academy, there's still one final hurdle."
With a wave of his hand, a dozen or so pitch-black crystal chips appeared in his palm. With a flick, the chips shot through the air and hovered with eerie precision in front of each newcomer. Xiao Yun instinctively reached out and grabbed the one meant for him.
The moment his fingers touched the chip, a strange warmth seeped into his skin. He lowered his head and examined it. Embedded within the black crystal was a transparent lens-like surface, and on that surface, the bold number "5" was clearly imprinted.
"Is this a Fire Energy Crystal Card?" Xiao Yun's eyes sparkled. This was one of the most vital resources for cultivation in the Inner Academy.
"There are many things I can't explain to you right now," Elder Su said, his voice serious. "But you'll come to understand with time. For now, there's only one thing you need to remember—guard that chip with your life."
He pointed behind him at the young Inner Academy students. "If you're still unsure how important it is, just look at the way they're staring at you."
Xiao Yun glanced up—and sure enough, every single Inner Academy student was eyeing them like wolves eyeing a flock of plump sheep. Their gazes weren't just heated—they were downright hungry.
"Next up, you'll need to make your way through the forest behind me. The Inner Academy lies at its far end. If you can reach it in one piece, congratulations—you'll be official students."
Elder Su's tone suddenly grew sharper. "But… you won't be walking through alone. According to Academy tradition, the students behind me have full permission to interfere. During this trial, they can ambush you, challenge you, and yes—even steal your crystal chips."
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"The number on your chip—that's your Fire Energy value. And to them, it's a juicy reward worth fighting for. They'll do anything short of killing you to get it."
"Make it through, and you'll not only keep your chip—you'll earn extra rewards. The faster you arrive, the greater the prize."
Elder Su turned, pointing at the ominous, dark woods behind him.
"This trial," he declared, voice ringing out, "is called the Fire Energy Hunt! I now declare it officially begun. New students… let the chase begin!"