In the forest, Xiao Yao looked at the amount on his Fire Crystal Card and couldn't help shaking his head.
Sure enough, most of the old students taking part in the Fire Energy Hunting Competition weren't well off.
Or rather, they were old students from the previous year. Although their strength had grown, they also knew that every batch of new students had some exceptionally outstanding individuals.
Worried that they might come to grief at the hands of the new students, they had simply kept a little over ten points of Fire Energy on them.
After all, if they kept any less, they wouldn't even qualify to take part in the Fire Energy Hunting Competition.
That way, if things went wrong, they would lose at most three or four days' worth of Fire Energy.
According to the academy's rules, they could still keep seven days' worth, so it wasn't too great a loss.
Xiao Yao guessed that was what the old students had been thinking, and felt he was probably close to the mark.
For a moment, Xiao Yao couldn't help sighing softly.
It seemed making a huge fortune through the Fire Energy Hunting Competition was impossible. At best, he could make a modest profit.
Of the ten old-student teams, the eight other than the Black Fiend Team and White Fiend Team were probably all about the same in strength.
Even if each of them provided an average of five days' worth of Fire Energy, that would only come to around two hundred.
Even counting the new students, it would only be three or four hundred.
Of course, that was calculated according to the lowest estimate. Sometimes there were exceptions.
Some old students who were confident in themselves would carry a little more Fire Energy, but those people would also be stronger.
As time passed, Xiao Yao had taken down three old-student teams. Excluding the Black Fiend Team and White Fiend Team, five teams remained.
During this time, rumors had also spread through the forest that a new student was hunting the old students instead.
The old students Xiao Yao had defeated weren't about to leave quietly.
Apart from the first old-student team, who had known when to back down, the other two teams had been visibly unwilling to accept defeat and were very likely to stir up trouble in secret.
They wanted to spread word about Xiao Yao, put the other old students on guard, and make things difficult for him.
As time went on, the remaining old-student teams might even join forces to deal with Xiao Yao.
After all, if the old-student teams were taken down by a single new student, it would be far too humiliating.
Just as Xiao Yao was thinking, he suddenly sensed something and shifted his body slightly, dodging an arrow aimed straight at his shoulder.
Xiao Yao could see clearly that the arrow was designed specifically to break through Qi.
It was precisely because of Qi-Breaking Arrows like this that bows and arrows could still be somewhat effective against low-level cultivators.
After dodging the Qi-Breaking Arrow, Xiao Yao immediately took out his fiery red spear and leaped clear of the forest, landing in an open expanse of broken stone.
Ten figures were scattered across the rocky ground. One of them held a longbow; clearly, the arrow just now had been his handiwork.
"Are you the new student who robbed three old-student teams single-handedly?"
The figure holding the longbow looked sharply at Xiao Yao and asked.
Xiao Yao nodded. "If there isn't anyone else, then it should be me."
When Xiao Yao admitted it, all the old students present looked at him a little more gravely, though greed also appeared in their eyes.
Xiao Yao had robbed three old-student teams, which meant he possessed more Fire Energy than any of them had ever had.
If they could seize Xiao Yao's Fire Crystal Card, they would undoubtedly make a killing.
"Good, you admit it. Since you robbed three old-student teams, don't blame us for joining forces against you."
One of the figures, who had an imposing presence, spoke up.
"Don't make it sound so righteous, as though you old students were the ones being bullied. When you used your strength to prey on the weak and robbed the new-student teams, why didn't you say any of this?"
The figure's expression stiffened, but he still waved his hand sharply and shouted, "Attack!"
The old student with the longbow immediately raised it and nocked a Qi-Breaking Arrow, but held the drawn bow without firing, keeping Xiao Yao locked in his sights from a distance.
He was evidently the captain of one of the old-student teams, while the other captain was the old student who had just spoken with Xiao Yao.
He now charged at the forefront, with the other old students close behind, intending to surround Xiao Yao.
Xiao Yao's gaze fell on the old student with the bow.
An enemy who could attack from a distance naturally had to be eliminated first.
And Xiao Yao's Yang Attribute was particularly effective against that kind of enemy.
After all, under such intense light, it was hard to see.
Want to use soul perception? Then let it clash with Xiao Yao's soul power!
They would see whose soul power was stronger and whether he could lock onto Xiao Yao's position.
Blazing Sun Explosive Flame!
After his cultivation method's grade had risen, Xiao Yao's Dou Qi circulated faster, and naturally, the speed at which he could use Dou Techniques had increased as well.
Almost in the blink of an eye, a brilliant mass of energy condensed above Xiao Yao's fist. The moment it left his hand, an intense light burst forth, making all nine people charging at him squint.
As Xiao Yao condensed the energy mass, the old student holding the longbow had stared at it, worried that it might be some powerful Dou Technique.
He hadn't expected the intense light to burst out so suddenly, making him squint as well. Even so, he instinctively kept the energy mass in his sights and released his fingers, sending the Qi-Breaking Arrow shooting out.
Boom!
The terrifying energy of Blazing Sun Explosive Flame swept outward, forcing the other nine, who had been closing in to surround Xiao Yao, to scatter. Some were still caught in the blast and screamed as they were sent flying backward.
The bow-wielding captain thought, This is bad!
He had thought the energy mass was merely a trick to blind them with intense light. He hadn't expected it to unleash such terrifying power when it exploded. It was definitely at the level of a High-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique!
He took a Qi-Breaking Arrow from his Storage Ring and had just tried to lock onto Xiao Yao when his eyes went blank.
He saw that, at some unknown point, another brilliant energy mass had condensed in Xiao Yao's hand and was hurtling straight toward him!
Was this a joke? He could use High-grade Profound Tier Dou Techniques consecutively!?
Where did he get so much Dou Qi? How could his meridians possibly withstand it?
But the bow-wielding captain had no time to think further. Instinctively, he released his fingers again, and the Qi-Breaking Arrow struck the energy mass, setting off another explosion.
"Go and deal with him, quickly!"
The bow-wielding captain roared.
But the two successive High-grade Profound Tier Dou Techniques, both possessing considerable power, had left everyone dazed by the explosions and much slower to react.
Only the other captain reacted first. He tried to charge toward where Xiao Yao had been, only to find that Xiao Yao was already gone.
"Trying to deal with me? You'd better look after yourself first!"
Xiao Yao's voice rang out from beside the bow-wielding captain.
The bow-wielding captain's heart jolted. Only then did he realize that Xiao Yao had somehow circled around to the side of the entire team, with another dazzling energy mass in hand.
Boom!
The bow-wielding captain was blasted off his feet, blood spraying from his mouth. He finally crashed heavily to the ground, and his longbow broke in two. He had completely lost the ability to fight!
Xiao Yao cast the fellow a flat glance. You dared shoot an arrow at me, so here's a little lesson for you!
For Xiao Yao, who could use High-grade Profound Tier Dou Techniques in succession, this group truly posed no threat, even if they attacked him together.
When they saw Xiao Yao condense another brilliant mass of energy, their expressions changed drastically and they all backed away.
"Stop! Trying to leave? Hand over your Fire Crystal Cards!" Xiao Yao shouted coldly.
Hearing this, they stopped with wry smiles and handed over their Fire Crystal Cards.
They grumbled inwardly, You can use Profound Tier Dou Techniques one after another, so what else is there to say? Here, take them.