The Senior Students' Fear

"Mm..."

Nalan Chenfeng raised an eyebrow slightly and snorted coldly, making the sinister young man and the others shudder.

"G-Give them to him!"

The sinister young man gritted his teeth and handed over the blue Fire Crystal Card in his hand. The other four exchanged glances and obediently did the same.

The Fire Crystal Cards of the Canaan Inner Academy came in five colors: black, blue, green, red, and purple, representing the different levels one could enter in the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.

Black cards were for the first and second levels, blue cards for the third and fourth levels, and so on.

Nalan Chenfeng accepted the five Fire Crystal Cards and glanced over them.

Fifty-six, forty-five, forty-one, thirty-nine, thirty-six.

The five Fire Energy Cards contained a total of two hundred and seventeen days of Fire Energy.

"Not bad."

The corners of Nalan Chenfeng's lips rose slightly as he took out his own black Fire Crystal Card and rubbed it against the others one by one.

Pale blue light flashed repeatedly as the number on the black Fire Crystal Card began to leap wildly from five.

Sixty-one... one hundred and six...

Two hundred and twenty-two.

All the Fire Energy from the five cards had been transferred away. The five senior students, including the somewhat sinister-looking young man, looked at one another, their faces turning the color of pig liver as they nearly cried without tears.

They had finally gotten the chance to participate in the Fire Energy Hunting Tournament against the new students, all to obtain some Fire Energy.

Yet now, not only had they failed to gain even a single day of Fire Energy, they had lost all of their own as well.

"You can obtain more Fire Energy after entering the Inner Academy. Keep two days' worth on your cards for now. It will spare you some suffering."

Nalan Chenfeng glanced at the five new students and spoke indifferently.

He had no intention of returning their Fire Energy. For one thing, it was already spoils he had taken from the senior students. For another, he knew that even if he gave it back, these people would still be robbed.

Unless he stayed with them the entire time. But he did not need their strength to win the Fire Energy Hunting Tournament.

Still, these new students from the same intake as him were fresh blood. Once he established a faction in the Inner Academy and the Black-Corner Region, he could recruit them all.

He had no interest in dominating the Black-Corner Region, but having a faction made things easier. It could gather intelligence and information, as well as some of the resources he needed.

"Yes."

Seeing Nalan Chenfeng take the initiative to speak to them, the five new students were flattered and quickly responded.

They understood that with their strength, they could not keep any surplus Fire Energy anyway. Rather than suffer that humiliation, it was better to be penniless and attract no one's attention.

"Here, take them back."

Nalan Chenfeng tossed the five emptied Fire Crystal Cards back to them. The Purple Cloud Wings spread from his back, and he soared into the air, vanishing above the forest canopy in the blink of an eye.

His targets were every senior student team in this Fire Energy Hunting Tournament, including the Black Fiend Team and the White Fiend Team.

With enough Fire Energy, he could remain in seclusion within the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower and cultivate continuously, increasing his strength and striving to advance to Dou Wang as soon as possible.

"Boss, what do we do...?"

"What do you mean, what do we do? Do you think we can get that Fire Energy back from a Dou Wang expert...?"

"Even the Black Fiend Team and White Fiend Team..."

All at once, as though he had thought of something, the sinister young man felt much more balanced.

A Dou Wang expert was enough to sweep through every team in the entire Fire Energy Hunting Tournament. They would not be the only ones to suffer this time.

"This time, the senior students of our Inner Academy are probably going to become a laughingstock..."

In a forest clearing, five new students were being surrounded by five senior students.

Three of the new students had already been injured, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths and their clothes torn, yet their eyes remained full of stubbornness.

The leader of the senior students was a burly young man with broad shoulders and a thick back. His aura was powerful, and he was clearly an Eight-Star Da Dou Shi.

"Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit."

The burly young man grinned viciously and clenched his hand. Earth-yellow Dou Qi gathered around his fist, its power imposing.

A Da Dou Shi could release Dou Qi beyond the body. It was an extremely common ability, but to these new students, it was clearly an overwhelming advantage.

Among the Outer Academy students heading to the Inner Academy, most were at the Dou Shi level. There were not many Da Dou Shi at all.

The five new students were pale, yet they still could not bear to release their Fire Crystal Cards.

Just as the burly young man was about to strike, a low shout came from the sky. The sound rolled through the air, shaking leaves loose from the trees.

"Stop!"

Everyone looked up to see a streak of purple light descend from the sky and land steadily in the clearing.

His wings folded away, his robe was moon-white, and his black eyes were dark as ink.

"D-Dou Wang?"

The burly young man froze. His gaze fell upon the pair of purple-black wings behind Nalan Chenfeng, his eyes filled with terror.

Everyone knew that transforming Dou Qi into wings was the mark of a Dou Wang expert.

A powerhouse of that level was not someone they could compare to.

"Hand over your Fire Energy within five breaths."

Nalan Chenfeng did not waste a single word and went straight to the point.

"You're a new student from this intake?"

"Could you be..."

The burly young man asked in a deep voice as something came to mind.

Not long ago, he had encountered a team of new students and heard that there were several formidable figures among the new students in this Fire Energy Hunting Tournament.

One of them was called Nalan Chenfeng. Though only fourteen years old, he supposedly possessed strength at the Dou Ling level.

This person before him was just as young, so he was most likely that person.

But this man could clearly form Dou Qi wings. How could he be a Dou Ling...

"Two breaths."

Nalan Chenfeng offered no explanation, his voice growing colder.

The burly young man was startled, then his expression turned bitter.

He had spent three or four years in the Inner Academy and had never encountered such an arrogant new student. The key was that he could not bring himself to resist at all.

"One breath."

Nalan Chenfeng spoke again.

"We'll give them to you..."

The burly young man shuddered and hurriedly handed over his Fire Crystal Card. The four people behind him followed suit.

Rather than be beaten senseless and have their Fire Energy stolen anyway, they might as well be sensible.

Nalan Chenfeng accepted the five senior students' Fire Crystal Cards and transferred all the Fire Energy on them into his own card.

Sixty-three, thirty-six...

The five cards contained a total of two hundred and five days of Fire Energy.

Added to the previous two hundred and twenty-two days, his total Fire Energy had already exceeded four hundred days.

"You are much better off than that team just now."

Nalan Chenfeng nodded in satisfaction, tossed the senior students' empty cards back to them, and spread the Purple Cloud Wings from his back once more. He rose into the air again and disappeared into the forest in an instant.

The burly young man and the other four stared at the departing purple streak, their faces full of shock.

"Damn it... is he really a new student?"

"..."

The news of a new student who was a Dou Wang expert swept through the forest like a storm, casting a shadow over the heads of many senior students.

Forget a Dou Wang—even a Dou Ling was not someone they could contend with.

Participating in this Fire Energy Hunting Tournament had been the worst decision they had ever made.

Deep in the forest, in a clearing beside a stream.

Two teams stood facing each other.

On the left were Han Yue, Lin Xiuya, and two others. On the right was a senior student team composed of both men and women.

"Yan Hao, it has been a long time. You aren't planning to make a move against us, are you?"

Lin Xiuya stepped forward and cupped his hands toward the leader of the senior student team.

"How would I dare? Han Yue is Nalan Chenfeng's woman. If I robbed you of your Fire Energy today, there might not be anywhere left for me to stay in the Inner Academy afterward."

"That guy is simply too terrifying..."

"My Earth-Type Dou Qi couldn't even block a single punch from him..."