Clearly, Xiao Se's identity as an alchemist had earned him the attention of the two elders.
After all, anyone capable of refining the highest-grade three-pattern Qingling Pill already possessed the qualifications to attempt fifth-grade pills.
After exchanging a few polite words with Xiao Se, Elder Su began distributing the black crystal cards used to store fire energy.
"The numbers displayed on the black crystal plates in your hands are called Fire Energy," Elder Su said calmly.
"It is extremely attractive to the old students behind me."
"Your final test before entering the Inner Academy is to pass through this forest."
"During this period, these old students may attack you at will—provided they do not kill you—and seize the fire energy on your cards."
"In the Inner Academy, we call this—"
"The Fire Energy Hunting Competition."
He paused slightly, then smiled faintly.
"I now announce—"
"The Fire Energy Hunting Competition officially begins!"
"Run, young newcomers."
—
As soon as the announcement ended, panic spread among the new students. Many immediately scattered in all directions, while the more rational ones quickly formed teams.
"I don't mind teaming up with you, do I?"
Han Yue walked calmly to Xiao Se and Zhu Zhuqing's side, her voice as cold as ever.
"Suit yourself," Xiao Se replied casually.
With that, the three of them entered the forest together.
—
Moving through the dense woodland, Xiao Se's group appeared unusually relaxed, nothing like the other students who desperately concealed their tracks.
"Xiao Se, what's the plan?" Zhu Zhuqing asked softly as she walked beside him.
"Are we just going to cross the forest directly?"
Xiao Se grinned.
"Since we're already here, it'd be a waste not to make some profit."
"Then you mean…"
Zhu Zhuqing instantly understood. Someone was about to suffer.
"Of course," Xiao Se said cheerfully.
"We'll rob all the old students' fire energy."
"They value it so much—clearly it's a hard currency inside the Inner Academy."
He turned to Han Yue, smiling.
"Interested in doing a big job together?"
"…You really sound like a bandit leader," Han Yue muttered, her lips twitching slightly.
After a brief pause, she nodded.
"Alright."
—
Once the plan was set, Xiao Se released his soul power to scan the surroundings.
"Twelve o'clock direction. Five hundred meters."
As he spoke, his foot tapped the ground and his body shot forward at high speed. Zhu Zhuqing and Han Yue followed closely behind.
Not long after, the three encountered five old students.
At this moment, those five had just finished robbing a freshman team.
Seeing Xiao Se's group voluntarily walk into their line of sight, they were first stunned—then ecstatic.
"Hahaha… Mu Bai, someone actually delivered themselves to us," a thin young man in green laughed.
The white-robed youth called Mu Bai sneered.
"Same rule as usual—fire energy split evenly."
"But these three are mine. Don't any of you fight me for them."
"Heh heh, fine by us," the others chuckled, their gazes roaming greedily over Zhu Zhuqing and Han Yue.
"Just don't hit the little beauties too hard. Otherwise, we might not get another chance later."
—
"Three four-star Da Dou Shi, two three-star Da Dou Shi."
Xiao Se sneered.
"Trash."
He leaned toward Han Yue and said quietly, "Han Yue, help watch over Zhuqing. Leave them to me."
"Mm."
Han Yue nodded.
Her aura suddenly erupted as vast Dou Qi surged outward, shielding Zhu Zhuqing behind her.
The moment her energy exploded, Mu Bai and the others' expressions changed dramatically.
Just from that pressure alone, Han Yue's cultivation was clearly at least six-star Da Dou Shi—stronger than any of them.
"Damn it… we kicked an iron plate this time."
Mu Bai was just about to shout for his teammates to surround them when—
A green figure appeared before him like a ghost.
Mu Bai's pupils shrank violently.
Before he could react, a fist the size of a sandbag filled his vision.
Boom!
In that instant, Mu Bai saw only one word in his mind—
Death.
Cold sweat poured down his body. He even lost control of himself in fear.
He knew—if that punch landed on his face, he would die.
At the critical moment, the fist suddenly shifted direction.
Instead of his face—
It slammed brutally into his abdomen.
Mu Bai's body flew backward like a cannonball, crashing into a massive tree before dropping heavily to the ground, bloodshot eyes wide as he clutched his stomach and vomited violently.
The same scene unfolded with his four companions.
Under Xiao Se's seven-star Dou Ling cultivation, they didn't even know how they had been hit before collapsing one by one.
—
Only after a long while did the five finally recover enough to breathe.
"Five seniors," Xiao Se said with a gentle smile, waving casually.
"Please hand over your fire crystal cards."
Looking at Xiao Se's harmless, friendly expression, Mu Bai and the others shuddered.
Terrified and unwilling, they could only hand over their cards.
"Zhuqing. Han Yue. These are yours."
Xiao Se passed two cards to each of them.
"Then wouldn't you only have one left?" Han Yue frowned.
Neither she nor Zhu Zhuqing took the cards immediately.
Xiao Se chuckled.
"Aren't there plenty more ahead? I'll just grab another one later."
Only then did the two accept the cards.
When they pressed the stolen cards against their own, the numbers merged instantly—
Zhu Zhuqing and Han Yue each gained over fifty days of fire energy.
Xiao Se gained more than thirty days.
As for Mu Bai's group, their cards were reduced to seven days—the guaranteed minimum no one could steal.
After returning their cards, Xiao Se also took their forest map and had them explain the uses of fire energy to Zhu Zhuqing and Han Yue.
Then—
The true chaos began.
—
Fire Energy Counter-Hunt Mode: Activated.
Rather than hunting randomly, Xiao Se's group waited until old students finished robbing newcomers—
Then struck.
In a short time, the entire forest was thrown into turmoil.
—
In a clearing deep within the woods—
Due to Xiao Se's counter-hunting spree, nearly fifty old students suffered devastating losses.
Except for a few teams too far away, almost everyone's fire crystal card had dropped to the pitiful number:
Seven days.
More than thirty robbed old students gathered together, faces full of grief and resentment.
"So… yours got taken too?"
"Yeah! That freshman is insane. None of us could survive even one move against him."
"What about you?"
"I didn't even see him move!"
"…That bastard isn't hunting freshmen at all."
"He's hunting us."
(End of Chapter)
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