Chapter 230

"Then you really are a good elder brother."

As Bai Feng finished speaking, a sound suddenly came from outside the forest.

The ten members of the Black-White Killers all turned toward the source of the sound; soon after their gazes landed, the tree branches in the forest shook violently, and countless figures swiftly darted out from the dense woods, finally landing on one knee in the sunlight. There were many figures—when counted carefully, there were no fewer than eighty. Seeing this number, even Luo Hou and Bai Feng's expressions changed slightly.

"How could they get here so fast?"

"Are those people behind us the senior students who entered the forest to hunt?"

"And those others—are they New Students? How did they end up together?"

The ten members of the Black-White Killers exchanged glances, none of them understanding what had happened to create such a scene.

"Elder brother! Save me!!"

Bai Feng's eyes sharpened as he stared at Bai Shan standing before Xiao Yan, a fierce, murderous glint flashing across his face. "You must be Xiao Yan, the two-star Dou Ling that Bai Shan spoke of?"

"I didn't expect you'd gather all the New Students together. But even so, today you're still flying with no wings to escape."

Bai Feng wasn't surprised that last year's top fifty senior students had been defeated by Xiao Yan—after all, those were mostly those near the bottom of the ranking, who had barely entered the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta even once during their year in the Inner Court, and had mostly been stripped of their Fire Energy by older students.

Xiao Yan, carrying a giant ruler nearly as tall as himself, slightly lifted his head and scanned the entire scene, his gaze finally settling on the ten young men in black and white robes perched on the branches. A hint of greed appeared in his eyes as he smiled: "You gentlemen must be the Black-White Killers team of this year's Fire Energy Hunt?"

"White Killer team, captain: Luo Hou." The pale-skinned youth's gaze swept over Xiao Yan, paused for an instant on Xun Er and Hu Jia, then locked tightly onto Xiao Yan in the center as he spoke slowly.

Bai Feng said sternly: "Release my cousin."

Xiao Yan smiled faintly, mimicking Bai Feng's tone, and said gravely: "Of course. Your cousin Bai Shan really is a good man—he's even lured out a big fish like you."

?!

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Bai Feng frowned deeply—he didn't understand what Xiao Yan meant.

"Luo Hou, Bai Feng, be careful! This guy is strong! He wants to rob your Fire Energy!" one of the Inner Court senior students shouted.

Luo Hou froze instantly, because the Black-White Killers' goal was to punish the rebellious New Students—they didn't covet the New Students' Fire Energy, as three points meant nothing to them.

They had their own reward-based Fire Energy, so initially they wouldn't even enter the forest to hunt New Students.

Year after year, the Black-White Killers would knock down the top five who received rewards from the Library Pavilion, force them to beg for mercy, and only then would they step aside and utter their classic line: In the Inner Court, if you're a dragon, coil up; if you're a tiger, lie down.

Then they'd allow them to pass into the Inner Court.

After all, New Students who received rewards from the Library Pavilion tended to get arrogant.

They'd even forgotten that the Black-White Killers themselves were also one of the teams hunting Fire Energy—and could be robbed in return!

"Hmph. Clearly a rebellious New Student. If you think advancing quickly to Dou Ling means you can run rampant in the Inner Court, you're terribly mistaken. Remember, geniuses often die young."

A chill grew denser around Bai Feng's body; a powerful spiritual pressure surged from within him, engulfing the scattered rocks and trees around them. Some of the weaker New Students couldn't help but turn pale under the crushing pressure, stronger than sand-iron.

Feeling the icy pressure swirling around him, Xiao Yan's expression grew serious. His eyes narrowed slightly—indeed, this guy was a genuine Dou Ling, and his cultivation realm was slightly higher than his own.

As he thought this, Xiao Yan stepped forward, and instantly, a vast, overwhelming spiritual pressure erupted from his body. The battle qi generated by the Burning Scripture pushed back the icy pressure surrounding him—and even reversed it.

Seeing this, Luo Hou's face changed. Standing beside Bai Feng, their combined spiritual pressure barely held back Xiao Yan's scorching, spreading force.

"So strong!"

"It takes two Dou Ling experts to counter Xiao Yan's spiritual pressure?!"

The New Students were stunned—why are you so powerful when we're all New Students?

In this first clash, Xiao Yan had clearly dominated both team captains.

"Xun Er, take Xiao Yu and Xiao Ning and hold off the other eight for me. I'll deal with these two, then come help you." Xiao Yan said softly.

"Brother Xiao Yan, rest assured." Xun Er smiled calmly and nodded.

Although the other eight had no Dou Ling, they were all High Star Da Dou Shi—their strength was evident.

As Xiao Yan locked onto Luo Hou and Bai Feng, Xun Er and the other three beside her began rapidly channeling their battle qi; waves of powerful spiritual pressure rose continuously, their energy locking onto the other eight nearby.

"Hey Xiao Yan, don't say I owe you a favor—I'll help you hold off one of them." Hu Jia stepped forward, joining Xun Er's side.

"I'll repay that favor." Wu Hao's eyes turned icy as he stepped out of line, ready to aid Xiao Yan.

Seeing Hu Jia and Wu Hao, Xiao Yan felt more at ease. Though Xun Er's strength was extraordinary, Secret Techniques were best avoided if possible.

"Fine. I'll give you each a Fire Energy card from what we take."

The Inner Court forbade robbery—so this Fire Energy Hunt was Xiao Yan's only chance to gain a large amount of Fire Energy all at once.

When Xiao Yan learned of this Fire Energy Hunt, he understood it was the setup for obtaining the Falling Heart Flame.

"Do you think Bai Feng and Luo Hou can defeat Xiao Yan, that big demon?" On a hillside, Elder Su gazed down at the two sides locked in sharp confrontation, and asked softly beside Elder Qing.

"Regardless, they have a chance. As for the rest, I can't say—after all, the Black-White Killers team has strength, both individually and as a unit. And this year, Bai Feng joined voluntarily, making their overall strength even stronger."

"But Xiao Yan, though facing two opponents and with lower cultivation than Bai Feng, possesses a Earth-grade Dou Technique. Though he's already used one Earth-grade Dou Technique, I believe he can still use it at least once more. If the two can't withstand Xiao Yan's burst, they may be defeated." Elder Qing shook his head—he too didn't know the outcome.

If it were one-on-one, they believed Xiao Yan with his Earth-grade Dou Technique could defeat Bai Feng—but against two, it was uncertain.

Faced with Elder Qing's vague answer, Elder Su could only sigh helplessly and turn his gaze back to the rocky forest, where the spiritual pressures clashed sharply.

Whether New Student or senior, all eyes were fixed on Xiao Yan.

The atmosphere on the field grew increasingly tense; everyone's expressions slowly hardened, their battle qi flickering on their skin like the turbulent emotions within them.

Crack—the wind blew gently, and a fragment of rock on a boulder suddenly rolled down, crashing heavily onto another rock, shattering into pieces.

The sudden crisp sound was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake—immediately, waves surged up. From the pile of rocks, over a dozen different-colored battle qis erupted, dazzling and vibrant; the violent surge of qi sharply increased the pressure in the field, and some upright green grass bent under the force.

"Attack!"

Amid surging spiritual pressure, two identical shouts nearly simultaneously burst from Bai Feng and Luo Hou's mouths—and with those words, the tense atmosphere shattered!

Amid swift shadows darting through the forest, low roars filled with fiery battle intention echoed without fading.

The moment the shouts ended, Xiao Yan tightly gripped the handle of his ruler, slammed his foot hard against the ground, and the battle qi beneath his sole exploded. The powerful energy surge propelled him forward like a black streak, straight toward Luo Hou and Bai Feng.

As Xiao Yan moved, Xun Er and the other five behind him struck simultaneously, charging toward the remaining eight members of the Black-White Killers, preventing them from attacking Xiao Yan.

Xun Er emitted golden light, waved her hand, and instantly covered the three strongest among them within her attack range.

Xun Er intended to fight three at once!

Xiao Yan's eyes locked onto Luo Hou and Bai Feng; he gripped his heavy ruler tightly, then brought it down in a powerful slash—immediately, a scorching gust of wind shot forth from the ruler's tip.

Xiao Yan this time intended to use neither Soul Technique nor Strange Flame or Heavenly Flame Triple Transformation; he wanted to test his Dou Qi cultivation realm.

Xiao Yan's cultivation was like a student weak in one subject—his Dou Qi cultivation realm was the weakest, while his Dou Techniques and Alchemy far surpassed his own Dou Qi cultivation.

Gale Wind, carrying condensed Dou Qi, shot toward the two; the Dou Qi was solidified—this was the hallmark attack of a Dou Ling, equivalent to a cultivator's ranged assault.

A Great Dou Master could form Dou Qi into armor, while a Dou Ling could condense Dou Qi into tangible objects—this was why everyone assumed Xiao Yan was a Dou Ling when they saw his actual flame.

The Dou Qi gust was fierce; a gale blade sliced through the air, dragging oppressive winds as it slammed toward Luo Hou and Bai Feng.

Luo Hou's palm trembled slightly, then a Cold Iron Staff nearly a zhang long, forged entirely like frozen ice, materialized; he gripped it tightly with both hands and thrust the tip forward violently.

With a loud boom, Luo Hou's rod struck the gale blade Xiao Yan had swung; the terrifying force drove Luo Hou steadily backward.

"Ah!" Luo Hou roared, swinging his long rod repeatedly, striking hard against Xiao Yan's gale blade several times; after several repetitions, Xiao Yan's gale blade was violently shattered—such strength was astonishing; the Inner Court's Dou Lings were truly incomparable to the weak and elderly Dou Lings outside.

Huh! Bai Feng seemed to turn into a gust of wind; unexpectedly, he fought barehanded—a cultivator whose strength lay in speed and close combat.

He twisted his elbow, rapidly condensing Wind-attribute Dou Qi, then slammed it down hard on Xiao Yan; the gale contained in his elbow tip tore through the air, sending an invisible force crashing forward.

"Eight Extremes Collapse—Elbow Strike!" Xiao Yan shouted inwardly, spinning his body and meeting Bai Feng's elbow with his own.

Boom! Eight layers of hidden force exploded; Bai Feng's eyes narrowed, he activated his Body Technique, and retreated at high speed. Though the hidden force pushed him back dozens of meters, he skillfully dissipated most of it.

Xiao Yan sighed inwardly: "Ah, just as expected—Mystic Rank Dou Techniques lose much of their effect once one reaches Dou Ling."

Once, the perfected Eight Extremes Collapse had power rivaling a beginner Earth Rank Dou Technique—eight layers of hidden force could directly defeat an opponent.

Now, even a mid-level Dou Ling could use a Body Technique to dissipate most of its power.

Generally, Dou Lings and Dou Kings used Mystic Rank Dou Techniques; Dou Emperors and Dou Ancestors clashed with Earth Rank Dou Techniques. If a Dou Ling possessed an Earth Rank Dou Technique, he would naturally be far stronger than his peers—vice versa.

But Eight Extremes Collapse was special—its power depended on physical strength; without activating Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame, Xiao Yan's physical strength reached only the peak of a Third Grade Magical Beast, inferior to his Dou Qi cultivation.

That meant Xiao Yan's Dou Qi cultivation had far outstripped his physical cultivation.

"I'll need to find some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to further enhance my physical strength—even with Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame's enhancement, I'm only at Fourth Grade Magical Beast strength; against powerful opponents, my body might become a liability."

As Xiao Yan thought, he continued fighting Bai Feng and Luo Hou.

Xiao Yan had no rush to defeat them; instead, he used these two to assess his own strength.

He knew the Inner Court had a Strong List Top Ten—the weakest among them was a Peak Dou Ling.

Since he had entered the Inner Court, Xiao Yan intended to rigorously hone his Dou Qi cultivation, raising it to match his Soul Force strength.

"This guy is truly strong—Bai Feng was qualified for the Strong List Top Hundred." Some senior students couldn't help sighing; seeing Xiao Yan fight, they now understood this two-star Dou Ling wasn't a hastily boosted cultivator.

He was genuinely strong.

"Round Cold Spiral Rod!"

As Luo Hou shouted, the mist-like cold energy swirling around the cold iron rod surged violently; the rod spun in an arcane arc, launching a crescent-shaped shockwave of cold force.

"Wind Blade Cross Cut!"

From front and back, Bai Feng clasped his hands together; a cyan gale formed on his palms, carving a cross-shaped slash through the air toward Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan instantly erupted with blood qi, activating Roaring Lion's Cry, forming a crimson protective layer around his entire body.

Boom! The two Dou Techniques slammed into Xiao Yan's protective layer.

"Ah, though the Burn Decree reached Earth Rank and improved Dou Qi quality significantly, those monsters on the Inner Court Strong List were probably former Top Five—they likely possess Earth Rank Dou Techniques or Cultivation Methods."

Whoever reached the Top Five could chance upon treasures in the Library Pavilion; it's not hard to guess those who made the Strong List Top Ten must possess Earth Rank Cultivation Methods.

If so, then fighting Peak Dou Lings with Earth Rank Cultivation Methods would be far harder than facing Elder Qing, a Dou King.

It seems unlikely I can dominate the Inner Court.

Jia Nan Academy's depth is not weak.

"Enough delay—I'll use Strange Flame." After testing, Xiao Yan thought to himself.

Relying solely on Dou Qi without Strange Flame, Xiao Yan couldn't easily defeat two Dou Lings. Moreover, he felt he couldn't forever depend on Soul Force—if he ever clashed with the Soul Sovereign, how could his Soul Force ever surpass theirs?

"I must rapidly raise my Dou Qi cultivation during my time at Jia Nan Academy—otherwise, encountering Dou Emperor Families in Zhong Zhou will be troublesome."

"Enough—Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame—Beast Transformation!!" Xiao Yan roared inwardly.

Roar! A bellow erupted from Xiao Yan's throat; transformed into a beast, his physical power exploded as he shot forward as a red streak toward Bai Feng.

Elder Su furrowed his brow, eyes locked on the beast-transformed Xiao Yan: "How did he turn into a beast-like form?"

"I don't know, but this might be his hidden power—Hu Qian said he possesses a Strange Flame."

"Lucky bastard—watch; after today, the Inner Court's factions may undergo some changes." Elder Su's gaze remained unmoved as he murmured softly.

As expected, after strengthening his body with Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame, Xiao Yan's physical strength reached the terrifying level of a Fourth Grade Magical Beast.

Boom! Xiao Yan stomped Bai Feng into the ground, ending the Fire Energy Capture Contest.

At this moment, Xiao Yan held two cyan Fire Energy Cards, each bearing over three hundred Fire Energy points!

"Tsk tsk tsk—no wonder Dou Lings are so rich." Xiao Yan didn't hesitate; since he'd joined the Fire Energy Capture Contest, he didn't care which team they belonged to—he took it all!

In the Inner Court, Fire Energy was everything.

"You eight—will you hand over your Fire Energy Cards peacefully, or will you be beaten like those two, and I'll take them myself?" Xiao Yan smiled sweetly.

Moments later, Xiao Yan stared at his Fire Energy Card—nearly three thousand points—and couldn't help grinning broadly.

Once he realized how precious Fire Energy was, he would never let such an opportunity slip away.

"You really robbed the Black and White Killers team? If this spreads through the Inner Court, you'll incite public outrage and face boycotts," said Elder Su and Elder Qing, flying over from afar.

"Elders, I'm a new student with no funds. And since the Fire Energy Capture Contest was organized by the academy, I merely followed the rules," Xiao Yan shrugged—there was no way he'd return the Fire Energy!

"Fine—this is your own strength earned. As the winner of this year's Fire Energy Hunt, all new students present may each receive twenty days of Fire Energy; Xiao Yan, Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Yu, Xiao Ning, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao, for outstanding performance, receive an additional reward: a Cyan Fire Energy Card plus thirty days of Fire Energy."

"Cyan Fire Energy Card?"

"Hehe—in the Inner Court, Fire Energy Cards are ranked by color: black, blue, cyan, red, purple. The black cards you hold are the lowest tier, granting access only to the first two layers of Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta; blue cards grant access to the third and fourth layers, and so on—the lower the tier, the greater the benefit."

(End of Chapter)