As Xiao Bai and Liu Qing clashed, more than twenty people emerged from the forest at the valley entrance—Xun Er, Xiao Yi Xian, and their group.
Seeing the powerful energy fluctuations accompanying every move in the valley, the new students couldn't help but be amazed.
"Xiao Bai, be careful!" Xiao Yi Xian's face suddenly changed. A sword-browed man in the arena wielded a massive axe, with fire-attributed Dou Qi blazing fiercely. He suddenly swung it viciously toward Xiao Bai's back. Unable to contain her worry, she let out a soft cry.
Her fists clenched tightly as she fixed her gaze on the scene in the valley. Watching as the axe light closed in, her beautiful eyes filled with anxiety. Just then, Xiao Bai seemed to hear her voice, turning his head toward them.
"Dodge, you idiot!" Xiao Yi Xian stomped her foot in frustration. That detestable guy wasn't even moving—just standing there, looking at them!
The wind from the axe light lifted the white strands of hair on Xiao Bai's shoulder. Yet, he neither dodged nor flinched. Instead, he calmly extended his hand, fingers spread wide, and allowed the fiery axe light to collide with his palm. In Lin Yan's shocked gaze, he crushed it effortlessly!
For a moment, the valley fell into silence. After a brief stupor, Lin Yan snapped out of it, nearly cursing out loud.
"Dammit! It's bad enough that his Dou Qi cultivation is strong, but even his body is freakishly tough! Is he even human?"
A move he had prepared for so long was so casually crushed—without even using Dou Qi! Who could accept that?
Ignoring Lin Yan, whose expression darkened unpredictably, Xiao Bai's gaze landed on the two graceful figures at the valley entrance. His eyes flashed with a hint of amusement.
Xiao Yi Xian shot him a glare, her face slightly flushed. Even with her gentle temperament, she couldn't help but grind her small silver teeth, wanting to bite this bastard. If he could resolve it so easily, why wait? Making her worry for nothing—what a waste of emotion!
Xun Er giggled behind her hand and discreetly gave him a thumbs-up, showing her silent praise for Xiao Bai.
The four members of the Black Fiend Team watched the scene, covering their faces in exasperation. While feeling speechless, they also looked at their captain with some sympathy.
They had originally been looking forward to his performance. But this? At least the White Fiend Team had managed to last a few moves. Their Black Fiend Team, however, ended up like this—it felt like watching someone casually swat a mosquito while flirting with a girl.
"Tsk, tsk... The youth sure know how to play!" Elder Su stroked his beard, sighing as he observed the battle below.
"What a powerful physique! This kid is truly an all-around powerhouse—soul, body, and Dou Qi cultivation, all at the top level. Such talent is truly enviable!" Elder Han shook his head. To have reached this level at such a young age, who knew what heights he would reach in the future?
The elderly figure also gazed at the black-robed young man below, deep in thought. His heart stirred with excitement. Could it be that this boy was truly as the Elders Qian and Bai had speculated?
"Boom! Crash!"
A thunderous explosion echoed through the valley. In an instant, smoke and dust filled the air, stones shattered, and a strange burnt smell permeated everyone's noses.
As the dust settled, the crowd saw a scorched crater in the valley, roughly ten feet in diameter. A long crack ran through its center, as if threatening to split it in half. At the crack's end, a tall and sturdy figure stood with a spear, his darkened face tinged with paleness, panting heavily.
"If this is all you've got, then... hand over your Fire Energy!" Xiao Bai stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over Liu Qing and Lin Yan as he spoke softly.
The two exchanged glances before nodding slightly.
"Mountain-Splitting Spear—Collapse Mountain!"
"Eight Forms of the Departing Axe—River Severing!"
Liu Qing leaped into the air, gripping his heavy spear tightly with both hands, thrusting downward with a powerful energy fluctuation. The spear tip tore through the air with a sharp whistle, aiming straight for Xiao Bai.
Meanwhile, Lin Yan used a strange footwork technique to rapidly close in. The flames on his axe blade suddenly surged, forming a massive fire blade. The intense heat distorted the air as he swung it down at Xiao Bai.
The two attacks, vastly more powerful than before, sent fierce gales through the valley, causing Xiao Bai's robes to flutter. He secretly nodded—worthy of Jia Nan Academy's elite students, they were indeed skilled!
With a thought, crimson light surged violently, rising from his body as if setting him ablaze. Crackling lightning flickered continuously, accompanied by the sizzling sound of electric currents.
Coldly watching the two incoming attacks, Xiao Bai remained motionless. A sphere of light intertwined with flames and lightning rose from him, soaring into the sky under the control of his soul power.
"Yang Lightning of Bing Fire!"
As his voice echoed through the valley, the crimson orb responded with a muffled thunderclap. Two thick, crimson lightning bolts, as wide as water buckets, struck down like heavenly thunder.
Liu Qing and Lin Yan's expressions changed drastically. Their instincts screamed danger—if they ignored the attack and pressed on, even if they survived, they'd be severely wounded.
Their eyes flickered—they hadn't expected Xiao Bai to ignore their attack, opting for an all-out counterstrike instead.
"Madman!" Lin Yan cursed inwardly. People always called him crazy, but now, this guy was even crazier!
With no choice, they gritted their teeth and redirected their attacks toward the incoming lightning. If they continued their assault on Xiao Bai, they weren't sure about him, but they would definitely be bedridden for months. And in the Inner Academy, time was too precious to waste!
"Boom! Boom!"
The violent clash of spear light and axe energy against the lightning nearly deafened the spectators, who instinctively covered their ears while staring intently at the scene, desperate to see the outcome.
"What kind of lightning is that?" The two elders hovering above the valley were shocked as they watched the blazing, thunderous sphere.
"Lightning infused with fire, fire containing lightning—both are explosively destructive. Its offensive power is indeed formidable!" The elderly figure also observed the orb, his eyes flickering with amazement. He mused to himself, According to Hu Gan, he obtained the Beast Flame of the Crimson Fire Thunder Jiao. Could this kid have fused it with his thunder-attributed Dou Qi to create this technique?
But that's not right! This flame... its power is comparable to some Heavenly Flames!
It seems... this boy holds many secrets! But that's good. Perhaps he really can help the academy resolve that hidden danger!
As the radiance gradually faded in the valley, two charred figures appeared before the crowd—one still standing straight, while the other...was a sight the Black Fiend Squad wished they hadn't seen.
"Aaagh! It hurts! I give up! I surrender!" Lin Yan collapsed to the ground, tossing his axe aside and wailing incessantly.
"Phew..." Liu Qing exhaled a breath of black smoke, his body still tingling with residual pain. Glancing at Lin Yan on the ground, he turned to the ever-calm Xiao Bai. A complex look flashed in his eyes before he hoarsely declared, "I concede."
Hearing this, Xiao Bai gestured upward. The crimson sphere transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into his body.
Only then did the spectators snap out of their daze. They looked at the serene figure in the valley, eyes filled with awe.
Don't be fooled by the battered appearances of the two in the valley—both were prominent figures in the Inner Academy, ranked within the top twenty of the Strong Ranking. Each was proud and formidable.
Yet now, a mere new student had taken them on alone, leaving them in such a miserable state while remaining unscathed. His demeanor even suggested that he could easily handle two more opponents. Not even the Strong Ranking's top ten might achieve such a feat!
"Boss is amazing!" The new students cheered, their eyes burning with excitement as they gazed at Xiao Bai's back.
In this world, strength was the truth. What was the purpose of cultivation? To become stronger! And Xiao Bai's display of power had only reinforced this belief. Those senior students had been so arrogant before, but now, even the most powerful Black and White Fiend Squad looked at their boss with reverence.
The freshmen who had run away earlier, thinking they had escaped being used as bait, glanced at each other bitterly. Weren't we supposed to be sacrificial pawns for a Demon King? How did we end up with a boss instead?
Would it be too late to go and call him "Boss" now?
"Big Brother, are you alright?" Liu Fei walked up to Liu Qing, her eyes full of concern as she looked at his charred figure. Her cousin had always been her pride since childhood—when had she ever seen him in such a miserable state?
Liu Qing finally caught his breath and shook his head. He gestured to the White Fiend Squad members and said, "Hand over your Fire Energy Cards. This loss is on me. Don't worry, I'll make it up to you when we get back!"
"Boss, what are you saying? It's just a bit of Fire Energy—we can always earn more by taking on more missions!"
"Exactly! A few extra fights in the Dou Battle Arena, no big deal!"
As they spoke, everyone handed over their Fire Energy Cards. Liu Qing, his tiger-like eyes scanning his brothers, nodded without saying much. He took the Fire Energy Cards and walked up to Xiao Bai, looking at him deeply before saying, "You're strong. I'm not boasting, but even those ranked in the top ten of the Strongest Ranking wouldn't have been able to handle the two of us this easily. I'm really looking forward to seeing how you perform in the Inner Academy. Those guys are going to be in for a surprise!"
Xiao Bai smiled and nodded as he accepted the Fire Energy Cards. When he saw the numbers on them, his grin widened.
Unbelievable! Even after taking half of what those fifty senior students had, it still couldn't compare to what these five had given him.
A total of 1,280 points! Liu Qing's card alone had nearly 800 points. At this moment, Xiao Bai's own Fire Energy Card had officially broken past the 2,000 mark.
"Haha, I'm looking forward to meeting them as well!" Xiao Bai's attitude instantly became enthusiastic. As expected, wealth shouldn't be taken from the bottom; new students—even if he included himself—had only 150 points in total after being robbed. That wasn't even a fraction of what these five had. If you're going to rob, you should target those at the top. One big haul, and you're set for life!
"Heh!" Watching Xiao Bai's sudden shift in attitude, Liu Qing couldn't help but find it amusing. This guy might be called a demon, but at least he was genuine and worth befriending.
Xiao Bai turned his gaze to another person. However, as soon as Lin Yan saw him looking his way, his expression changed, and he immediately started wailing.
"Oww… it hurts… it hurts!"
"…!" Xiao Bai's face darkened. Was this guy really trying to weasel out of paying?
"Fire Energy Card!" Xiao Bai stepped forward, squatted down, and gritted his teeth.
"What?! You've already beaten me to this state, and you still want to rob me?!" Lin Yan looked at Xiao Bai in utter disbelief.
"Heh." Xiao Bai hadn't expected this sharp-eyed guy to be such a shameless scoundrel. He looked up at the members of the Black Fiend Team, his eyes turning cold. "What about you all? Planning to renege on your debts too?"
"N-No… no way!" Feeling Xiao Bai's icy stare, as if he was ready to strike at any moment, the group shivered. They quickly waved their hands and handed over their Fire Energy Cards with pained expressions.
"So poor!" Xiao Bai muttered in dissatisfaction after transferring the 200 or so Fire Energy points from their cards.
At that moment, the four of them instantly understood the pain of the senior students from earlier. Their Fire Energy was gone, and yet they were still being looked down upon!
No wonder people called him a demon! Staring at the zero balance on their Fire Energy Cards, they felt like crying but had no tears: If you think it's so little, why take it in the first place?!
"Your turn!" Xiao Bai lowered his head and kicked Lin Yan with his foot, his voice cold.
"I'm just a poor man! You're even robbing from the poor? Do you have no sympathy?" Lin Yan pouted.
"Sympathy? They all call me a demon. If I don't commit some heartless act, I'd be unworthy of that title. What use do I have for sympathy?" Xiao Bai grinned. "But if you don't want to hand it over, that's fine too. You've heard of the Dead Spirit Tree from Peaceful Town, right? I'm planning to grow one in the Inner Academy."
"Y-You're not planning to hang me on it, are you?" Lin Yan suddenly felt uneasy. He swallowed hard. This guy wouldn't go that far, would he?
"Correct! But don't worry—the Dead Spirit Tree in Peaceful Town hangs dead people, while mine will be for the living. Let me think… Maybe I'll plant it right in front of the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower and hang you up there for all to see. What do you think?" Xiao Bai smiled innocently.
The others nearby all shivered in unison. This guy was truly demonic! If that actually happened, Lin Yan would never be able to show his face in the Inner Academy again.
"You demon! You win!" Imagining the scene, Lin Yan's face turned pale. He hurriedly pulled out his Fire Energy Card and tossed it to Xiao Bai.
"Haha." Xiao Bai took the Fire Energy Card, but after just two seconds, his laughter came to an abrupt stop. His eyes froze on the crystal card in his hand.
"This… This is your Fire Energy Card?" Xiao Bai asked in disbelief. If people weren't limited to one card each, he would have suspected Lin Yan was messing with him.
"Yeah! I told you—I'm poor!" Lin Yan responded matter-of-factly, his eyes full of mischief.
"Then why the hell were you making such a fuss earlier, acting all reluctant?!" Xiao Bai suddenly felt the urge to beat him to death. Seeing Lin Yan stalling and making a scene, he had assumed the guy had a ton of Fire Energy and was trying to hold out for a better deal.
But this?! Twelve Fire Energy points! He had less than those senior students earlier! Staring at the pitiful number on the card, Xiao Bai almost considered transferring some points into it instead.
"Can't help it! I'm all alone, so I spend whatever I get. That's all I have left—do with it what you will!" Lin Yan shrugged, completely shameless.
Xiao Bai scrutinized this audacious man, his expression shifting unpredictably. This guy was the second-ranked in the Fire Energy Hunting Competition, yet he had only managed to snatch twelve Fire Energy points? That was simply unacceptable!
After a long moment, he took out a piece of paper and a pen from his storage ring, scribbled something in a flamboyant script, and then handed it to Lin Yan with a sinister smile.
"Be good and sign this."
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