Time ticked away, and the sun that once hung high in the sky slowly dipped toward the horizon.
Beneath a large tree, Xiao Yun sat on a rock and took out his black crystal card from his storage ring. The number on the card, which used to be five, had now become 201. A satisfied smile curled on his lips—this amount of Fire Energy would be more than enough to help him cultivate to the Dou Spirit realm within the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
Fifty veteran students had entered the Fire Energy Hunt, divided into ten teams. As of now, all the regular squads—save for the Whiteshade and Blackshade Squads—had been defeated and robbed by Xiao Yun and his team.
According to their prior agreement, Xiao Yun always claimed the Fire Energy card of each defeated squad's captain. Naturally, this meant he had the most accumulated Fire Energy. Though his four companions hadn't gained as much, their cards were nearing 100 units each—dozens of times more than when they first entered the Inner Academy.
As everyone sat cross-legged, recovering from the day's repeated battles, Xiao Yun's eyes suddenly snapped open.
"Someone's coming—and they're strong. It's the Blackshade Squad."
He stood up, his gaze fixed on the dense forest ahead. With his soul perception, he had sensed several unfamiliar and aggressive auras rapidly approaching.
Fang Wen and the others immediately halted their cultivation, leaping to their feet. They turned toward the forest, ready for battle.
Of all the veteran teams, only the Whiteshade and Blackshade Squads remained. The former was tasked with guarding the final checkpoint, which meant only the latter could have come looking for them.
From the intel they'd gathered, all five members of the Blackshade Squad specialized in Ice-attribute Dou Qi. Their captain, Lin Dong, was a peak nine-star Dou Grandmaster. When fighting together, even a Dou Spirit expert would struggle to gain the upper hand.
Whoosh!
Moments later, the leaves rustled violently. Five figures suddenly appeared atop the tree branches, emanating overwhelming pressure as they looked down upon Xiao Yun's group.
The five wore sleek, pitch-black combat attire. A ferocious aura radiated from them, unrestrained and oppressive, making it feel as if a pack of wild beasts had set their sights on the group below.
"Tsk tsk... Never expected this batch of rookies to be so capable. You actually wiped out eight of the old squads and took all their Fire Energy." One of the figures, a massive man built like a beast in human form, spoke with a lazy drawl that echoed through the woods.
"How do you know we robbed the other squads?" Fang Wen couldn't help asking.
"Hahaha! Because those useless fools told us," the large man said with a grin. "That's why we came looking for you. And here's a bonus bit of good news: word has already spread throughout the Inner Academy. Now, there's no telling how many students are waiting outside this forest to challenge you. If you really think you can walk out with all that Fire Energy, be ready for wave after wave of ambushes."
He bared his teeth, a chilling glint in his smile. Locking eyes with Xiao Yun, he continued, "You can call us the Blackshade Squad. I'm Lin Dong, the captain. If you want to leave here in one piece, then be good little juniors and hand over your Fire Energy cards. Save yourselves the pain—and save us the trouble."
"Oh? Another overly confident senior," Xiao Yun replied calmly. "Though your name's Lin Dong, you're not the Lin Dong, are you?"
With a flash of light, his Crimsonblood Spear appeared in hand. Crimson Dou Qi coiled around the shaft like a fiery serpent as his aura surged, pushing back against the Blackshade Squad's oppressive presence.
"Another Lin Dong? Who's that—some big shot? You planning to fight?" Lin Dong asked, puzzled at first but quickly catching on. A cruel smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Fine then. Once I beat you down, you can tell me who this other Lin Dong is!"
"One each. I'll take the captain—just keep the rest of them busy!" With a stomp of his foot, Xiao Yun launched into the air, the spear tip aimed at the squad below as a crimson burst of Dou Qi shot forth.
"Crimson Flame Palm!"
A massive palm of fire, channeled through his spear, smashed into the tree trunk where the Blackshade Squad stood, blasting apart their formation.
Then, like a meteor, Xiao Yun plummeted straight toward Lin Dong, crimson flames erupting violently around him.
"So that's the strength of a seven-star Dou Grandmaster... No wonder you took down the other squads. This power rivals someone who's cultivated in the Inner Academy for two years."
Using his combat experience and agile footwork, Lin Dong narrowly avoided two of Xiao Yun's attacks before flashing to an open clearing. There, blue-green Dou Qi surged from his body, forming a shimmering suit of armor around him.
"The fight's on, junior. Try not to cry when I beat you!" he mocked, sweeping his arms outward. The surrounding moisture froze into a flurry of ice crystals. Dozens of razor-sharp icicles shot toward Xiao Yun like a blizzard.
Xiao Yun's eyes flashed. He swept his spear in a wide arc, crimson fire flaring out like a miniature sun. The fire collided with the oncoming icicles, exploding into a deafening clash of elements.
"Frostblade Formation!"
Seeing his opening salvo neutralized, Lin Dong ramped things up. Ice-attribute Dou Qi surged outward, condensing into long blades of solid ice that shot toward Xiao Yun in rapid succession.
"So he's a ranged-type fighter," Xiao Yun muttered, exhaling slowly. He immediately changed tactics, abandoning long-range clashes.
His figure turned into a blur of fiery red, leaping and darting through the trees, nimbly dodging the icy swords. In the blink of an eye, he was upon Lin Dong.
Seeing Xiao Yun charge into melee range, Lin Dong sneered. Ice encased his arms, and his fists—each the size of a sandbag—swung down at Xiao Yun like hammers, crackling with cold energy.
Sensing the threat, Xiao Yun raised his spear just in time to block. The icy fists slammed into the weapon's shaft, locking the two in a head-to-head power struggle—one above, one below.
"Didn't expect this, did you? I'm a regular in the academy's combat arena. You won't find an opening that easily," Lin Dong growled, bearing down with brute force.
But Xiao Yun didn't flinch. Instead, his right leg lashed out like lightning, a swirl of violet flame coiling around his foot as he struck Lin Dong's shin.
"Aghh—!"
Violet flames instantly erupted across Lin Dong's leg. Even with his armored Dou Qi, the fire scorched through, burning a hole in the ice plating. Howling in pain, he shoved Xiao Yun away and frantically tried to smother the fire with his Ice Dou Qi.
Hissing sounds filled the air as the cold clashed with the violet fire. Dense white mist billowed around him, obscuring his figure. It took a huge expenditure of energy before he finally managed to put out the flames.
"What the hell is that fire?!" Lin Dong shouted, eyes wide with alarm.
"Oh, just a regular beast flame," Xiao Yun said with a casual smile. "You'd better be careful, Senior."
Of course, it wasn't just any flame. It was the Amethyst Lion Flame, a sixth-rank beast fire gifted to him by Elder Huo when he advanced to a Tier-3 Alchemist.
Thud!
With another explosive step, Xiao Yun turned into a blazing streak of fire, rushing Lin Dong once more.
"Damn it... I might actually lose here..." Lin Dong cursed inwardly. He didn't buy the 'ordinary beast flame' nonsense for a second. No common fire could melt the armor of a peak nine-star Ice-type Dou Grandmaster.
He could already feel the rising heat. Dodging was pointless—Xiao Yun's speed was too fast. Trying to evade would only expose vulnerabilities.
In that split-second, Lin Dong made his choice.
He stood firm, like a fortress, channeling all his Dou Qi outward. A massive ice wall surged up before him, while his armor thickened, turning him into an ice-covered juggernaut.
A gleaming, ice-blue longsword appeared in his hand, cold energy swirling menacingly. He braced himself, ready to meet Xiao Yun's next attack.
Boom!
The violet-flamed spear pierced the ice wall like a hot knife through butter, white mist erupting in all directions.
Lin Dong's sword clashed with the spear, releasing a shockwave that scattered leaves and sent howling wind through the trees. Enveloped in mist, the two resumed their battle.
But this time, Lin Dong was clearly at a disadvantage. Xiao Yun's spear, wreathed in fierce violet fire, forced him onto the backfoot. Lin Dong had to focus all his energy on avoiding contact with the flames—one mistake, and he'd lose chunks of his Dou Qi just putting them out.
Bang!
After dozens of furious exchanges, Lin Dong finally faltered. In a single moment of distraction, Xiao Yun seized the opportunity. A surge of violet fire exploded from the spear, sending Lin Dong flying.
The moment the spear clashed with Lin Dong's Dou Qi armor, the violet flames surged forward like a tide, instantly crawling across his body. A harsh sssshh sound echoed as the flames burned through his protective qi layer.
Still airborne, Lin Dong's expression twisted in alarm as he saw the fire devouring his armor. The searing heat rapidly penetrated through the icy defense, turning the skin beneath blood-red with blisters.
He hurtled backward like a meteor. Everything in his path was scorched by the violet flames, disintegrating on contact. With a thunderous crash, he slammed into a thick tree trunk, cracking the bark.
Xiao Yun followed up immediately, appearing before Lin Dong in a flash. He controlled the violet fire so it burned only on Lin Dong's armor, not his body. With precise aim, he brought his spear down, stopping just a hair's breadth from Lin Dong's face.
"Do you yield, Senior?" Xiao Yun asked quietly.
The calm voice drifted into Lin Dong's ears. Gritting his teeth, he looked up at the boy standing in front of him—half his height, younger by years—and felt an overwhelming wave of frustration.
Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he noticed the purple flames nearly burning a hole through his Dou Qi armor.
"I yield! I yield! Just get this damned fire off me!"
The moment Lin Dong admitted defeat, Xiao Yun waved his hand, and the flames obediently retreated—swirling back into his palm and disappearing entirely.
"If it weren't for that freakish purple fire, who knows who'd have won?" Lin Dong muttered through gritted teeth. As soon as he finished speaking, he collapsed and coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Huh? You say that like you actually took that last hit," Xiao Yun replied with a smirk, raising a brow. He tossed Lin Dong a healing pill, then pulled out the man's Fire Energy card and drained the points with a swift swipe.
Without wasting another second, Xiao Yun turned and rushed to support his teammates.
With Xiao Yun's help, the remaining members of the Blackshade Squad—already pushed to their limits by Fang Wen and the others—were swiftly defeated.
Later, as night settled over the forest, Xiao Yun sat beside a crackling fire, leisurely roasting some wild game he'd caught who-knows-where. Across from him, Fang Wen and the other three rested in a semicircle, recovering their strength.
"Of all the old student squads, only the Whiteshade Squad is left. Once you've recovered, we'll head to the final checkpoint and finish this," Xiao Yun said casually, turning the skewer over the flames.
Ordinarily, lighting a fire in the woods would be a huge risk—it could attract all kinds of trouble. But Xiao Yun wasn't concerned. The Whiteshade Squad was stationed at the finish line, and the rest of the veteran squads had already been eliminated. If anyone came looking for trouble now, it'd have to be rookie teams—and if they thought they could swoop in and reap the rewards, he was more than happy to send them packing.
"You guys take your time and recover your Dou Qi. We'll take turns standing watch tonight. I'll take the first shift."
The four nodded and each found a spot to sit, entering a meditative state to restore their strength.