Two pairs of fists, each infused with powerful and surging qi, collided instantly. At that moment, a ripple of force surged outward from the point of contact, spreading like waves. In an instant, the dry leaves beneath their feet were all lifted and scattered, swirling through the air. "Plush!" As the fists met, the young man in blue robes truly felt the immense power pressing against him from Xiao Yan's fist. At the very moment of contact, a numbness spread up his arm, and then a sudden, staggering surge of force rushed into his body through the point of impact, forcing him to cough up a thick stream of crimson blood. A gush of blood erupted, and the young man in blue robes stepped back several paces, his face flashing with fierce determination. His body trembled as a steady flow of pale blue ki surged rapidly from within, eventually forming a shimmering blue aura armor on his surface. Yet, just as this armor was fully taking shape, a spectral black figure materialized once more before him, emitting a cold laugh. The young man felt a sudden flash of vision, then a searing pain radiated from his chest, followed by a violent recoil—his body launched backward and crashed heavily against a tree trunk, spewing out another gush of blood. With great difficulty, he lowered his head and was stunned to find that the very armor he had just summoned had completely shattered under the force of that single strike. His body curled like a large shrimp, and before he even lifted his head, several deep, resonant sounds echoed in his ears. Then, his four companions, each with bloodied faces, rolled to the side beside him. Only then did his expression fully betray genuine panic. Suddenly, a pair of feet appeared before the blue-robed youth, and a soft voice resonated: "If you'd like to keep getting hit, then just stay curled up—I'm not going to mind giving a few more kicks." Hearing this, the blue-robed youth trembled throughout his body and quickly lifted his head, trembling slightly, gazing at the black-robed youth standing before him and the two men and two women behind him, his eyes filled with fear. "What... what do you want to do?" "I'll ask, and you'll answer." Xiao Yan looked down upon the five senior students, their faces filled with fear. Gently, he grasped the handle of the Xuangong Chi behind his back, then suddenly pulled it with force, driving the heavy ruler into the ground before the blue-robed youth with a powerful gust of wind. The broad surface of the ruler created a strong sense of pressure on the youth. "What would you like to ask?" The blue-robed youth swallowed hard, gradually steadying himself. After all, according to the rules in this forest, killing was strictly prohibited—otherwise, the elders, who constantly monitored the forest's activities, would immediately intervene, and the severity of the punishment would depend on the circumstances. Aside from a slight concern for bodily injury, he had no real worries about his life. "How large is this forest?" Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, first asking the simplest yet most crucial question: if the forest were large, they would need to prepare for a prolonged campaign; but if it were small, they might adjust their strategy and simply charge straight toward their destination. "It's quite large," the young man in blue replied, which only prompted Xiao Yan to sigh with a touch of resignation. "Do we have a general map of the forest's route?" Xiao Yan glanced at the young man, then suddenly raised his hand and turned to the four women, saying, "Each of you take one person aside and question them individually. Then, after we gather, we'll cross-verify their accounts. If any of their statements differ from the others, we won't be surprised—though we can't guarantee we won't be firm, even if we don't intend to harm anyone. After all, a serious injury might be considered out of bounds, even if no lives are lost." He naturally turned to smile at the five young men in blue. Xiao Yan's words immediately made the five young men in blue robes look extremely displeased—his actions nearly completely extinguished their desire to lie. Hugua and the others, as instructed, each took hold of one elder and walked off to the side. As Wu Hao turned around, a quiet remark slipped out from beneath his blood-colored robe: "Excellent move." Xiao Yan smiled, turned, and fixed his gaze on the young man in blue robes, slowly saying, "Now, answer." "Receiving the paper, the lines drawn across it resembled several large black Xs, causing a slight twitch at Xiao Yan's lips—could this really be considered a route map? 'No one really wants it, but it's mandatory—everyone has to buy it.' The blue-clad young man's mouth trembled as he spoke, his face showing clear distress, almost gritting his teeth. Back then, when he first purchased this thing, his heart was literally bleeding. If it hadn't been for the opportunity to secure 'Fire Energy' from the new students during the Hunt Competition, he would have absolutely refused to spend a full day's worth of 'Fire Energy' on this useless route map. The people in the Inner Courtyard were truly vampires. 'How many seniors are participating in the Hunt Competition?' Xiao Yan folded the route map neatly and asked with a furrowed brow. 'It's also fifty people—grouped into five-person teams, totaling ten groups.' The young man in blue glanced at the questioning of the other four, sighed helplessly—he simply couldn't tell whether his companions would speak the truth or lie. Yet, considering the likelihood of either outcome, he settled on telling the truth. "As for strength? Are we all about the same level?" Xiao Yan asked. Xiao Yan's question made the young man in blue roll his eyes. What did "about the same level" even mean? "There are eight teams roughly comparable to ours. We all entered the Inner Courtyard last year, while two of them consist of senior students—those who've been in the Inner Courtyard longer and thus possess stronger strength. I suspect they're about as strong as you are..." The young man in blue glanced at Xiao Yan with a slightly puzzled expression, as if murmuring to himself about how this fresh-faced student could be so formidable. After all, when the freshmen from their class first arrived at the Inner Courtyard last year, even the top five students had been repeatedly displaced within this forest. Though they put up resistance, internal disagreements ultimately prevented them from mounting a coordinated counterattack, resulting in their being fragmented and defeated. It was truly unusual now—senior students being outmaneuvered by the new recruits. As he recalled this frustration, the young man felt a strong urge to complain. Being freshmen themselves, why was there such a vast difference in treatment between them? "About as strong as me?" "Heard that, Xiao Yan's brows furrowed. The members of both teams were roughly on par with himself—this would indeed be troublesome. It seemed clear that passing the 'Fire and Energy Hunt Competition' would not be an easy feat. "Those two teams are quite easy to identify—one team dressed entirely in black, the other in white. Every year, two strong teams participate in the hunt competition. Within the Inner Academy, these two teams are known as the 'Black and White Gate Guardians.' Over the past ten years, no new team has ever managed to break through their defenses." The young man in blue spoke with a touch of reverence. "Black and White Gate Guardians?" Xiao Yan murmured the name to himself, then nodded slightly, turned to gaze at Xun'er and the others, and asked the most crucial question: "What exactly is the 'Fire and Energy' used within the Inner Academy? And why are all of you so enthusiastic about it?" "Fire energy is the most essential resource within the Inner Courtyard, which is precisely why new students experience such remarkable improvements in their abilities after joining." After a moment of hesitation, the young blue-robed student finally spoke, opening his mouth with a sigh as he grasped the handle of the heavy measuring ruler in Xiao Yan's hand: "Within the Inner Courtyard, there stands a deep underground structure known as the 'Heaven-Burning Qi Tower.' Training within this tower yields exceptional results—far more efficient than regular training—and the faster the training progresses, the deeper one goes into the tower's core. Naturally, the cost is extremely high..." "To gain access to the Heaven-Burning Qi Tower, one must pay using the 'fire energy' stored in their fire crystal card. This energy is measured in days. The fire crystal cards you currently hold cover five days of training expenses. After those five days, you will need to earn additional fire energy on your own. Additionally, on the first day of each month, the Inner Courtyard provides each student with seven days of fire energy—essentially serving as their living allowance." As they reached the last word, the young man in blue robes looked rather unusual. After listening to him, Xiao Yan was utterly astonished, never having imagined that the cultivation method within the inner courtyard was so unconventional—entering the so-called "Heaven-Burning Qi Tower" for training would require a fee, and that fee was precisely the thermal energy stored on the fire crystal cards. "So, to cultivate, one needs to pay thermal energy as a fee—now I understand why these people are so eager to covet the thermal energy we hold." Xiao Yan chuckled softly, glanced at the young man in blue, and said gently, "What if all the thermal energy is eventually depleted? How would one then obtain more? Would one have to wait until the next month's distribution from the inner courtyard?" "Of course not. Within the inner courtyard, there are numerous ways to acquire fire energy—such as sweeping the towers or copying scrolls. However, the amount obtained through these methods is often limited. Therefore, more capable students often go on quests to hunt magical beasts, exchanging their magical cores for fire energy, or seek out opponents to challenge them. As long as the opponent agrees, they can compete in the courtyard's arena, and the victor gains fire energy deducted from the loser. In short, there are many ways to earn fire energy, but all come with one essential condition: you must possess sufficient strength. Otherwise, not only will you fail to gain fire energy, but you may end up depleting yourself completely." The young man in blue gestured with his hands, hesitated slightly, and then added, "There's another way to earn fire energy: by climbing the 'Strong Ranks' of the inner courtyard. As the name suggests, this is a ranking system that measures strength—among the most prestigious lists in the inner courtyard. It holds fifty spots. Once you secure a position on it, you'll receive a monthly bonus awarded by the courtyard, with the amount tied directly to your rank: the higher your position, the greater the bonus. This is the most comforting method of earning fire energy, because as soon as your name appears on the list, you can spend your days quietly refining your cultivation within the 'Heaven-Burning Qi Tower,' no longer worrying about depleting your fire energy. Therefore, every student in the inner courtyard strives tirelessly toward this 'Strong Ranks' list—the competition is so intense it's astonishing. Many students are often just listed on the first day, only to be challenged and pushed down by later arrivals the very next day. Exhaling deeply, Xiao Yan nodded slightly. Though his expression remained calm, a genuine anticipation and curiosity had already begun to stir within him regarding the enigmatic Inner Courtyard—a system truly unmatched in nurturing champions. In the Outer Courtyard, students rarely experienced such intense competition. While there were certainly talented individuals among them, they could never truly rival the Inner Courtyard, as the system there was specifically designed with the cultivation of champions in mind. "Huo Neng... Hehe, it truly seems to be something that deeply resonates with people. Even now, I find myself yearning for this very Ho Neng. Xiao Yan smiled softly and turned his gaze toward Xun'er and the others. At that moment, they also turned their eyes toward him. The five sets of eyes met, each reflecting a warm glow—clearly, the inner courtyard had truly stirred their hearts, and the concept of "fire energy" had been firmly etched in their minds. In the inner courtyard, the presence of fire energy symbolized not only accelerated cultivation but also a steadily approaching path toward becoming a strong cultivator. With a微微 opened mouth, gazing at Xiao Yan's smile, the blue-robed young man's face turned pale as his ki surged violently. Yet before he could make any move, the massive shadow descended with a crushing wind, settling squarely before the blue-robed man's pale face. Gazing at the broad scale, the young man struggled to swallow, then after a long moment, sank heavily into a seat, his face growing gray as his hands trembled and he carefully withdrew a pale blue fire crystal card from his storage ring. Receiving the card with a warm smile, Xiao Yan's expression brightened even more when his eyes settled on the red numeral "twenty-eight" engraved upon it. Xiao Yan held the black and blue cards in his hands, then firmly rubbed them together. As the light flashed, the number on the dark card changed from five to twenty-six, while the pale blue card shrank down to seven. "From now on, the positions of hunter and hunted in this hunting competition can be reversed, since the current hunted ones have begun to show interest in the hunters," Xiao Yan murmured, gazing at the twenty-six on the dark fire crystal card.