On the vast open forest clearing, the five of them sat cross-legged with their eyes closed, and the entire forest fell into stillness. Yet the slightly oppressive, low-humming atmosphere signaled that a storm was imminent. The silence lasted for an indeterminate length of time. Then, suddenly, Xiao Yan opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping sharply toward the northern woods—there, several dozen powerful presences had now entered his spiritual perception range. "They've arrived," he breathed softly. He shifted slightly in his seat, and within him, the spiraling qi trembled gently, sending out delicate streams of combat energy that surged forth like a flood, flowing through his meridians. The surge of strength brought Xiao Yan to his peak state just before the great battle commenced. Hearing Xiao Yan's quiet words, the four others beside him also opened their eyes, nodded slightly, and allowed a soft glow of combat energy to shimmer faintly on their bodies, ready for the approaching conflict. Not long after Xiao Yan spoke those words, the distant forest suddenly surged and trembled, and then several dozen shadows darted forth, finally landing with a resounding thud on the open ground at the same time. Instantly, a powerful aura surged forth, like waves crashing over the land, sweeping directly toward the five seated figures—Xiao Yan and his companions. Xiao Yan slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the fifteen young men standing on the open ground. He counted them carefully—exactly fifteen. That meant, aside from the supposed black-and-white gate barriers, all three final teams participating in the hunting competition had now arrived. "Good..." Xiao Yan nodded gently, his slightly smiling voice echoing across the open space. "Finally, everyone is here." "Your arrogance can now come to an end. Hand over your fire crystal cards." A young man with hair slightly whitened for some reason glanced at Xiao Yan and his companions, and coldly remarked, "Don't think because you possess a certain level of strength you can break the rules. For years now, the 'Fire Power Hunting Competition' has consistently given the senior students—those who've been here longer—some early setbacks to the proud newcomers. This has proven beneficial for your future life within the inner academy. This rule has endured for so long that no one has ever managed to alter it. If you wish to be the first to challenge it, you'll need to be prepared to pay a price." Xiao Yan smiled, holding the handle of the Xuan Zhong Chi firmly. With a swift motion, his shadow passed through, and the heavy staff sent out a pressing force that swept the dry leaves on the ground into a gentle whirl. He glanced at the three teams before him and said, "Stop talking about these outdated rules. Since you've managed to seize the 'Fire Power' we hold, why shouldn't we do the same?" "As long as we have the strength, the roles between pursuer and prey can always be reversed—right now, you are our prey." "That's bold, but I've seen my share of people like this before. In the end, most of them don't fare well within the inner courtyard." A tall young man chuckled coldly, his posture suggesting he was the leader of a squad. His skin had an odd, pale gray tone, resembling stone, and his arms—about a full size larger than average—projected a strong, imposing presence. Clearly, this young man belonged to the type with exceptional physical strength. "I must admit you are quite strong. However, to uphold the dignity of the senior students, we won't be engaging you in a truly fair contest this time." The young man who always carried a smile nodded toward Xiao Yan and then smiled at the two youths who had spoken earlier, saying, "Leng Bai, Xiu Yan—go ahead and join forces. From their aura, it seems our team alone won't be able to secure a quick victory." "Yes," the two youths—Leng Bai and Xiu Yan—hesitated slightly before giving a firm nod. Even if it meant being seen as playing the underdog, they had to press these confident newcomers to show strength, or else the story of the newcomers overtaking the seniors would spread throughout the inner courtyard, and the seniors participating in this year's "Fire Hunt Competition" would have to face embarrassment. With slightly narrowed eyes, gazing at the bright, somewhat blinding qi glow across the opposite side, Xiao Yan smiled and then waved his hand, emitting a sharp, clear whistle that resonated throughout the forest. "Shh! Shh!!" As soon as the whistle sound faded, dozens of figures suddenly burst forth from the dense undergrowth, forming a circular formation that encircled the fifteen senior students. Qi energy of various hues gathered on their bodies. Though individually they were no match for the senior students, the combined surge of these thirty qi streams instantly elevated their collective presence to become the strongest force on the field. At the very moment these figures materialized, the three young men who had seemed to be in charge grew visibly uneasy. Now they finally understood. The one who had previously maintained a composed, smiling expression now spoke with a slightly somber tone, "Those earlier gusts of wind—were they perhaps deliberately orchestrated by you?" Feeling the powerful momentum radiating from the nearly forty new students, Xiao Yan exhaled a long, relieved breath. With their help, he was now absolutely confident in completely subduing all three teams. "Remarkable initiative—never expected you to have the resolve to gather every single new student together," the young man remarked, his voice growing more serious and impressed. While it wasn't uncommon for new students to attempt uniting their forces to resist the older students' attempts to seize control during past Fire Energy Hunting Competitions, the new students who had passed the selection rounds and entered the Inner Courtyard were typically among the very best in their respective classes. It was therefore rare for them to willingly follow someone else's command. As a result, such a feat of uniting all the new students under one leadership had been uncommon in previous competitions. Now, Xiao Yan had accomplished it—no wonder he was so visibly moved. "Too kind of you," Xiao Yan smiled gently, slowly lifting the heavy ruler in his hands. "Could you please hand over the 'Fire Power'? Many of our new teammates have already been taken by you, so they'll need to retrieve their belongings." "Ah..." The young man sighed, turning to the two other team captains beside him—Leng Bai and Xiu Yan, and said, "It seems we'll have to fight hard today. Given the situation, we'll have to work together." "Indeed," said Xiu Yan, his broad frame tightening as he clenched his fists. With each subtle bend of his arm, the steel-like muscles rippled, radiating strength. "The principle is to capture the king first. Though these new recruits are numerous, their momentum rests entirely on Xiao Yan. As long as we defeat him, the entire new team will collapse. Su Xiao, I believe we'll need to collaborate as a trio." "There was a glint of sharpness in Ling Bai's eyes, instantly spotting the most critical weakness in the new team. 'Then let's go strong against strong,' he said. 'We'll powerfully tear through their defenses.' Upon hearing this, the young man known as Su Xiao nodded with a smile, then gently swept his arm, his voice flowing steadily: 'I and Ling Bai, along with Captain Xiu Yan, will hold off the three opponents on the other side. The rest of us will secure the new recruits and the two beautiful girls from the opposing side.' As Su Xiao spoke, the twelve senior students beside him nodded in agreement. Though the new team was numerous, their overall strength still fell short of theirs—holding them off would not be a major challenge." "Heh…" Exhaling deeply, Su Xiao slowly took a step forward, and at the same time, Ling Bai and Xiu Yan also stepped out. As their feet touched the ground, the earth trembled slightly beneath them. Three powerful streams of energy—each equivalent to a six-star or seven-star Grand Martial level—burst forth from their bodies, sweeping across the vast open space. Wu Hao's gaze swept over the three across from him, finally settling on the young man with pale skin. Calmly, he said, since he excelled in strength and speed, he naturally preferred opponents who were more strength-oriented. "The one with the whitening hair—I'll take him." Bai Shan hesitated slightly before his eyes settled firmly on Ling Bai. "Then, Su Xiao, senior, I'd like to have the pleasure of learning from you." Xiao Yan smiled gently, raised his heavy staff, and with the force of the wind pressing against it, swept the dry leaves off the ground around him, scattering them completely. "Hm. I didn't expect to be picked last." Observing Xiao Yan and the others' actions, Su Xiao smiled, slowly raised his hand, then brought it down with a decisive motion, his laughter now carrying a touch of sternness. "Let's finish this quickly. Remember—not a single moment of complacency. These three are all strong!" "Understood." Leng Bai and Xiu Yan nodded seriously. Immediately after the sound emerged from their noses, the three figures surged forward at the same moment, like thunder, transforming into lightning and charging straight at Xiao Yan and his companions. As Su Xiao and his companions suddenly moved, Xiao Yan and his trio also vanished in a flash, reappearing at the center of the open space—six figures now locked in fierce combat, launching a powerful assault!