In a small valley, a crucial passage for the Fire Energy Hunting Competition, two teams unexpectedly crossed paths.
"Lin Yan?! I didn't expect you to join the Fire Energy Hunting Competition too!"
A tall man, clad in coarse cloth, with a resolute face and thick eyebrows, carried a giant spear on his back. His aura was domineering as he gazed at the leader of the Black Fiend Team across from him. His deep voice echoed with surprise.
"I'm just a lone wanderer, a poor man. The mission from the Black and White Fiend Team offers Fire Energy, so I came to earn some hard money. What's so strange about that? But you, Liu Qing, coming from a wealthy and powerful family, the leader of a faction, actually taking an interest in such a petty reward? Now that's surprising!"
The speaker was dressed in black, his body appearing frail, but beneath his clothes lurked a heat as intense as fire. His eyebrows, resembling two inverted swords, slanted upward, exuding a sharp and fierce presence.
Liu Qing remained unmoved by the taunt, his expression as still as an ancient well. His voice was calm. "It seems this year's new students are quite capable. The academy actually assigned us to lead the Black and White Teams!"
"Perhaps!" Lin Yan shrugged nonchalantly, as if he didn't care. But the subtle solemnity in his bright eyes betrayed that he wasn't as indifferent as he appeared.
"Big Brother!"
A surprised and delighted female voice called from the valley entrance.
Everyone turned toward the sound and saw a beautiful young woman in a fox-fur dress excitedly waving her hand. She then ran over, followed by two young men.
"Fei'er!" Liu Qing nodded at the panting girl before him. He wasn't surprised by her presence. When he had entered the Inner Academy, Liu Fei had just arrived at Jia Nan Academy as a new student. By now, two years had passed.
"Big Brother, I didn't expect you to be the captain of the White Fiend Team!" Liu Fei stood obediently before Liu Qing, her expression filled with excitement. She ignored everyone else, her eyes fixed solely on the imposing man before her.
"Mm. I was entrusted with this task by an elder." Liu Qing nodded slightly and pondered for a moment before asking, "You're a new student. Tell me, how strong is this year's batch?"
Hearing that her cousin had been personally assigned by an elder, Liu Fei's eyes shone with pride. As expected, her cousin had always been outstanding!
However, when she heard his question about the new students' strength, her expression instantly changed. A look of terror filled her eyes, and she hurriedly said, "Big Brother, we need to leave immediately!"
"Why?" Liu Qing frowned. He knew his cousin's personality well—arrogant and domineering, even a bit haughty. What kind of person could make her look so fearful?
Just as Liu Fei was about to explain, several disheveled figures stumbled into the valley, collapsing to the ground.
"Luomen, that… that demon didn't follow us, right?" One of the students gasped for breath, his eyes constantly darting toward the direction they had come from.
"No, he just glanced at where we were hiding, as if he didn't even care about us!" Luomen, another panting young man, replied.
"He's terrifying! Zhu En and the others were taken down in a single move!" The student shuddered as he recalled the gruesome scene of his fallen companions.
"Who can they blame? Those guys thought we were exaggerating and mocked us for being cowards. Not only did they ignore our warnings, but they even tried to rob the demon's Fire Energy! Worse, they made lewd remarks about the two girls by his side. Well, now they got what they deserved—no Fire Energy and serious injuries!"
"Hmph! Serves them right! They almost got us caught in the disaster too!"
As they chattered anxiously, more than ten other figures burst from the forest, coming from different directions. Both new and older students were among them, and the atmosphere turned tense as they sized each other up.
The new students, upon seeing so many seniors, were terrified. They had gone to great lengths to avoid them, only to stumble into a den of upperclassmen!
Yet, to their surprise, the seniors didn't seem intent on robbing them. Instead, they looked just as shaken and fearful.
"Could you tell us more about this 'demon' you mentioned?"
A lazy-sounding voice drifted into their ears.
"Huh? It's Senior Lin Yan! And Leader Liu Qing! I can't believe the Black and White Teams are led by you two!"
Realizing the presence of these powerful figures, the students were overjoyed. "Great! Now we don't have to run anymore!"
"Leader Liu, Senior Lin, here's the situation: This year, a new student with unknown strength has appeared. He's arrogant, ruthless, and snatches Fire Energy from anyone he sees. If you refuse, you get beaten. Even if you give it to him, he complains it's too little! He's practically a demon!"
"That's right! And he's despicable too—he uses new students as bait, treating us like fish on a hook! If the ones he robbed earlier hadn't warned us, we would've fallen into his trap!"
The shivering new students exchanged looks, stunned by the ruthless reputation of their academy's new overlord. Luckily, they had fled early—otherwise, they might have ended up as bait too!
"Such an interesting new student—I'd like to see what he's capable of!" Liu Qing's eyes instantly gleamed with battle intent. At that moment, he finally understood why the elder had assigned him and this lunatic, Lin Yan, to lead the team. It turned out they were meant to test this freshman. If they had sent an ordinary Dou Ling as in previous years, that person might not have been able to handle him.
"Cousin, don't!" Liu Fei grew anxious upon seeing Liu Qing's expression.
"Fei'er?" Liu Qing's eyes darkened slightly, his voice becoming more forceful as he interrupted her.
Seeing his firm gaze, Liu Fei knew that once he made up his mind, she had no way to change it. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Cousin, he can fly!"
As soon as those words left her lips, the surroundings fell into complete silence.
After a moment, an older student from the White Fiend Team trembled as he asked, "Fei'er, do you mean the kind of flying we're thinking of?"
"Yes, the energy wings of a Dou Wang expert. Almost all the freshmen in the Outer Academy know about it!" Liu Fei nodded. It was precisely because Xiao Bai had descended from the sky during the selection competition that she had given up on having Liu Qing teach him a lesson after she entered the Inner Academy.
The group turned to look at the freshmen who had been pretending to be invisible. Seeing them nod repeatedly in confirmation, they realized it was true. In an instant, the older students who had been excited upon seeing Liu Qing and Lin Yan hesitated.
"Haha… Senior Lin, Leader Liu, I just remembered I left my door unlocked. I'll take my leave first!"
"I just recalled what I forgot—it turns out my girlfriend asked me to pick her up from the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower today. Ah, my memory is terrible. I almost made a mistake! Everyone, goodbye!"
One by one, ridiculous excuses echoed through the valley. The previously lively scene emptied in an instant.
"Those bastards!" The remaining older students of the Black and White Fiend Team cursed as they saw their former comrades now hiding in the forest, peeking toward them from a distance.
"Forget it. It's human nature. Don't mind them. If any of you want to leave, you can do so now." Liu Qing waved his hand dismissively.
"Chief, who do you take us for?"
"Yeah! We're not like those cowards! A mere Dou Wang isn't enough to scare us off!"
"Good! That's the spirit of the Mountain Splitting Gang! Let's see what this so-called demon can do!" A faint smile of satisfaction appeared on Liu Qing's previously calm face. He turned to Lin Yan, curious. "You're not leaving?"
Lin Yan shrugged carelessly. "I'm just a poor guy. I don't have any fire energy for him to steal, so why would I leave?" He shot Liu Qing a sideways glance, his tone playful. "But you—you have quite a bit of fire energy, don't you? Not afraid of losing it?"
"Hahaha! I do have a lot. But if he truly has the ability, he's welcome to take it!" Liu Qing laughed heartily, his voice echoing through the valley.
Suddenly, both of them tensed up, their gazes snapping toward a particular direction.
"Then I'll gladly accept that fire energy." A calm voice echoed through the forest, its sound gently rippling through the air.
A fiery red streak shot through the woods, leaving afterimages behind as if teleporting. Each flash was accompanied by faint rumbling thunder. After a few flickers, a figure appeared in the valley, coming into everyone's view.
He wore ink-black robes, his tall and slender figure exuding an imposing presence. His hair was an ashen gray, his eyebrows sharp and stern. His deep black eyes were piercing, occasionally flashing with what seemed like lightning. A strange silver sigil adorned his forehead, and upon closer inspection, it gave off an illusion of towering over the heavens.
"You must be the leaders of the Black-White Fiend Team?" Xiao Bai swept his gaze over the two, his voice calm. "A five-star Dou Ling and a four-star Dou Ling—the Black and White Fiend Team does indeed have impressive strength."
"Black Fiend Team, Captain, Lin Yan!"
"White Fiend Team, Captain, Liu Qing!"
Liu Qing and Lin Yan stared intently at the composed young man before them, speaking slowly.
Xiao Bai's expression remained neutral, but internally, he was surprised. He hadn't expected the leaders of the Black-White Fiend Team to be these two.
These two were future top-ten experts on the Strongest Ranking, with Liu Qing ranking just below Zi Yan and Lin Xiuya.
"Freshman, Xiao Bai." Xiao Bai nodded slightly, his gaze shifting to the two men, whose expressions showed both wariness and eagerness. With a faint smile, he asked, "Are the two of you planning to fight alone? Not bringing them along?"
Liu Qing and Lin Yan exchanged a glance, as if reaching a silent agreement. Liu Qing spoke first, "We know you're strong, but since we're here, it's not in our nature to back down without a fight. Here's the deal."
"The two of us will fight you together. Regardless of the outcome, we'll hand over all our fire energy. How about it?"
"Straightforward!" Xiao Bai clapped his hands and laughed. "I accept!"
Liu Qing and Lin Yan chuckled as well, but their expressions soon turned serious.
Previously, they had thought the others were exaggerating about this freshman. But after seeing him in person, those doubts vanished instantly. They couldn't see through Xiao Bai at all. Moreover, from his body, they could faintly sense a dangerous aura lurking beneath the surface.
Liu Qing stood straight, the pitch-black heavy spear on his back reflecting a cold light under the sun. A domineering and powerful aura slowly emerged, pressing down with overwhelming force. Those with weak resolve might have been too intimidated to even make a move.
On the other side, a scorching aura surged forward. It appeared calm, but beneath that calmness lay a sense of madness and frenzy!
On a high platform, Elder Su and Elder Han quietly observed the events unfolding below.
"How long do you think they can hold out?" Elder Han's cloudy eyes remained fixed on the three figures facing off below as he asked in a soft voice.
"If Xiao Bai doesn't use his soul power, it's hard to say who will win this fight," Elder Su shook his head. They had personally experienced just how abnormal Xiao Bai's soul power was.
"Indeed! No wonder the Grand Elder suddenly requested that two of the stronger students lead the Black and White Fiend Teams this year. It turns out they were meant to test Xiao Bai! But I doubt even the Grand Elder expected his soul power to be this strong. Otherwise, even that little ancestor wouldn't be of any use against him!"
"Exactly! That girl has a terrifyingly strong body, but sheer physical strength is easily countered by soul power. Even if she were here, she wouldn't have a chance at victory!"
As the two conversed, space suddenly rippled slightly, and an aged figure appeared beside them soundlessly.
"Greetings, Grand Elder!" Elder Su and Elder Han were startled upon seeing the newcomer and hurriedly bowed in respect.
"No need for formalities," the aged figure waved his hand dismissively, his gaze settling on the three figures below. After scanning them briefly, his focus lingered on Xiao Bai, and he murmured, "This boy truly brings surprises."
In the valley, Xiao Bai felt the pressure of two distinct auras pressing toward him. He smiled faintly, and a crimson glow flickered around his body, accompanied by the soft crackle of thunder.
"Dou Ling? Six-star?!!"
The two men's auras momentarily faltered as they stared in shock at the young man, whom everyone had been calling a demon. Glancing toward Liu Fei in the distance, they couldn't help but question—wasn't he supposed to be a Dou Wang? Why was he only a Dou Ling?
"Are we still fighting?" Xiao Bai frowned slightly, sensing the slight disorder in their energy.
"Fight! Why wouldn't we?" Liu Qing's gaze toward Xiao Bai lost some of its previous solemnity. Before, Xiao Bai had been an enigma, but now he was just one rank above him—what was there to fear? If not for their prior agreement, he would have considered facing Xiao Bai alone!
Spreading his hands, Liu Qing's exceptionally large palms slowly curled inward, resembling sharp claws. As he swung them, invisible gusts of wind slashed through the air, carving faint marks into the shattered stones below.
"Impressive physique!" Xiao Bai's eyes flickered as he observed the scene. He could tell that there wasn't a trace of Dou Qi in that attack—it was purely a product of physical strength.
"Be careful!" Liu Qing's curved claws suddenly shimmered with a faint golden hue. His right claw shot forward, tracing a bizarre arc.
"Great Rift Coffin Claw!"
Five claw-like streaks of energy shot straight toward Xiao Bai's face.
Xiao Bai's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the ferocious attack hurtling toward him. He calmly extended a slender, fair hand, where crimson lightning crackled and surged.
"Thunder Palm!"
The condensed lightning surged forward, forming a massive lightning palm print spanning several feet as it pushed outward.
Boom!
As claw energy and palm print collided, a deafening explosion reverberated through the valley. An invisible shockwave rippled outward, slamming into the valley walls. The ground trembled slightly as shattered rocks rained down, thudding heavily against the earth like muffled thunder.
Liu Qing's expression suddenly changed. The palm print, instead of dissipating after breaking through his claw strike, continued charging toward him. Feeling the growing heat and the flickering lightning within it, his eyes narrowed in focus. He swiftly drew the long spear from his back, channeling his Dou Qi furiously into it. The tip of the spear instantly radiated a blinding golden light.
"Great Rift Rock!"
A spear projection, over a meter in length, burst forth from the weapon and slashed downward with the force of shattering mountains, aiming to cleave the incoming lightning palm in two.
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