On the scattered and chaotic field, Huojia and three new recruits watched the final member of the "Black Shad" team retreating, and breathed a long, relieved sigh before their legs gave way, causing them to sink to the ground with a soft thud. Their rapid, labored breaths sounded like the rhythmic movement of a bellows, continuously rising and falling. Around the field, as the last remaining member of the "Black Shad" team—besides Sha Tie—was defeated, the newly arrived recruits, who had been holding their breath with tension, finally broke through their excitement and joy. Ignoring their own injuries, they leapt to their feet and shouted wildly, creating a cacophony of cries and cheers that filled the air above the field. Xun'er wiped the sweat from her forehead with her delicate hands, and the golden glow radiating from her body slightly dimmed. Having delivered three consecutive rescues, she had truly been pushed to her limits. Had it not been for the relatively high level of her practiced techniques, she would likely have suffered the same fate as Wu Hao—her combat strength significantly diminished due to excessive qi consumption. Holding the tree trunk, Xun took advantage of the brief pause in the flow of battle to scan the combat circle where Xiao Yan was fighting. Seeing that although Xiao Yan had been pressed into a tight position, he still hadn't shown any signs of defeat within a short time, she exhaled in relief and smiled with a look that left Su Xiao and the others in awe. "The battle has now shifted in favor of Xiao Yan's side." Regaining his composure from Xun'er's fleeting, stunning smile, Su Xiao sighed, his facial expression vivid with a mix of surprise and bewilderment. The "Fire Energy Hunting Competition," a stable event that had never seen major disruptions over the past several years, had taken a completely unexpected turn this year—something so astonishing that it left Su Xiao speechless. He had originally come with the intention of gathering fresh "Fire Energy" from the new students to cultivate within the "Heaven-Burning Qi Tower" for an extended period. Instead, not only did he fail to secure any "Fire Energy," but he also lost his own share. Truly, it was a case of losing both his wife and his army. Su Xiao shifted slightly, settling comfortably against the tree trunk, her gaze fixed on Xiao Yan, who was engaged in a fierce battle with Sha Tie, her voice filled with unmistakable admiration. Though she had always held Xiao Yan in high regard, she hadn't expected him to hold his own against Sha Tie for so long—after all, Sha Tie was a seasoned combatant who frequently participated in the inner courtyard tournaments. His battle experience was truly refined; even junior Du-Ling cultivators with limited experience often struggled to defeat him. This clearly demonstrated the depth of Sha Tie's expertise. Yet, despite Sha Tie's superior strength—outclassing Xiao Yan by several stars—and his seasoned experience, he had been unable to secure a decisive victory. This remarkable resilience on Xiao Yan's part left Su Xiao and the others utterly awestruck. Of course, they naturally didn't know that, had it not been for the azure flame in Xiao Yan's hands inflicting relentless hardships upon Sha Tie, it would have been difficult for Sha Tie to hold his own for so long without showing signs of defeat, simply based on his own rank and strength. Upon hearing Su Xiao's words, Ling Bai and Xiu Yan silently nodded. To this point, Xiao Yan's performance had far exceeded their expectations—reaching the level of a six-star Grand Battle Master at his age was nothing short of astonishing in terms of cultivation potential. They had absolutely no doubt that he would make the inner academy's "Strong List." Three other newcomers could only watch helplessly as Xu'er and the others moved, their qi now completely depleted—indeed, with their current strength, they were utterly unable to offer any further assistance. "Thud!" The fist, enveloped in emerald flame, struck once more against Sandie's fist, shielded by a dark golden aura of armor, sending a sharp, resonant clang echoing through the air. As Xiao Yan finished his voice, a surge of vibrant green flames erupted from his arm, swelling into a massive cluster that instantly flowed along the point of contact with his fist and swept over the Sha Tie's Battle Qi Armor. Immediately, a sharp, continuous hissing sound emanated from the armor. With the outpouring of this green flame, Xiao Yan's face grew slightly dimmer. The large-scale deployment of this unique fire placed an immense strain on both his Battle Qi and his spiritual energy. The green flames now clinging to his body caused a significant shock to Sha Tie, whose face, hidden beneath the armor, grew pale as the intense heat seeped continuously through the armor, even turning his skin a deep, fiery red. "By the gods! What kind of fire is this?" A low roar of fury surged within Sha Tie, who was now extremely frustrated. During the earlier battle, every time he was about to strike Xiāo Yín's body, the jade-colored flames would actively surge forward to meet him, forcing him to retreat and withdraw his attack. Though the clash had lasted nearly fifteen minutes, Sha Tie had gained not a single advantage—instead, he had been constantly restrained and unable to move. Just now, after finally securing an opportunity to deliver a powerful blow, he had been unexpectedly caught by that damned strange flame, which clung to him like a net. How could he bear such a humiliating struggle? Despite his inner rage, Sha Tie's body was hurriedly retreating. As he moved, anything he collided with was instantly incinerated into ash by the jade-colored flames. To the onlookers, Sha Tie now appeared as if suddenly transformed into a humanoid figure of glowing jade fire, constantly stumbling and retreating in disarray. The rigid armor on Sha Tie's body, resembling a turtle's shell, was gradually fading under the incandescent blue flame. As the aura armor began to become faint and almost translucent, it suddenly vanished in a sharp, abrupt rush—detached from Xiao Yan's control. The sudden disappearance of the blue flame allowed Sha Tie, drenched in sweat, to exhale in relief. If the flame had persisted any longer, once the armor was breached, he wasn't sure his own flesh would have been able to withstand it for very long. With a sense of relief, Sha Tie clenched his teeth and lifted his head, gazing at Xiao Yan, who appeared pale and weary. He let out a cold laugh, but before the laughter fully escaped his lips, his face suddenly stiffened. Under Sha Tie's watch, Xiao Yan, who had been pale, raised his hand. A jade vial appeared in his hands, and he swiftly poured out three round pills, then, right before Sandie's eyes, swallowed them whole. Immediately, the initial potency began to dissipate. While the dullness on Xiao Yan's face hadn't completely vanished, it was certainly better than before. Eating the pills like beans, Xiao Yan raised his head and offered Sandie a warm smile. With a slight tremor in his hands, the previously stiffening jade-blue flames surged once more—though clearly less powerful than at the beginning. Still, even this modest revival caused Sandie's mouth to twitch. "Damn it! Even if he's a pharmacist, doesn't he have to eat the pills like this? Aren't the pills free?" Sandie's face was pale with frustration. Fighting with this strange jade-blue flame had already been embarrassing, but now this man was treating the pills like beans, consuming them to restore his qi—how could he possibly fight at all? "Hehe…" Seeing Sandie's expression, Xiao Yan chuckled and glanced toward Xun'er and Huiga. Instantly, with a nod of his chin, the three of them simultaneously launched themselves forward, delivering powerful attacks directly at Sandie. Sandie's sturdy, turtle-shell-like aura of qi armor had now been nearly reduced to nothing by Xiao Yan's Qinglian Earth Heart Fire. If he didn't act now, when would he act? "Wait!" The jade-colored flames rapidly expanded within his pupils, recalling the intense pain from the earlier burns. His face trembled as he quickly scanned the four fallen companions, shook his head in resignation, then deeply inhaled, his voice booming like thunder across the vast forest, startling everyone. Three sharp attacks suddenly halted at a distance of half a meter from Sandie. The three swiftly stepped back with remarkable agility. Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow, smiling, "What now?" "We've lost..." Sha Tie exhaled, sounding utterly helpless. The current situation left him with no sense of resistance—of course, if it weren't for Xiao Yan's consistently restrained, jade-colored flames, he could have managed to hold his own against the three of them. Unfortunately... Sha Tie's voice of resignation drifted slowly across the open clearing, and beneath it, everyone fell into a profound silence. Such a sudden surrender from him was indeed quite staggering. Up until now, Xiao Yan had been clearly being pressured by him, and everyone had expected the battle to become even more intense. Yet... The silence lingered for a while, and eventually, the younger members of the group regained their composure. Instantly, thunderous cheers erupted, shaking the trees and causing them to tremble gently.