On the open ground amidst the forest, Xiao Yan sat on a rock, in front of him was a simple wooden table. On this table, stacks of fire crystal cards were neatly arranged, each bearing the number "two." Clearly, the owners of these cards had all been unfortunate enough to encounter the seniors, whose fire had been taken away. In front of the table, several dozen new students sat cross-legged, though their appearances were disheveled and weary, their eyes full of spirit, intently gazing at the fire crystal cards with eager anticipation. On the other side of the open space, Sha Tie, Su Xiao, and others leaned against the tree trunks, their expressions rather frustrated, their glances toward Xiao Yan on the rock filled with a sense of resentment. As for their glances, Xiao Yan paid them no special attention. With his left hand, he picked up a pale blue fire crystal card and continuously drew out several dark fire crystal cards. After rubbing his palms together, as the light radiated out, the numbers on the dark cards not only swiftly returned to the amount they had when he first entered the forest, but were also increased by two additional days. In the end, the numbers on these dark cards rose from two to seven! Now, what Xiao Yan was doing was naturally the most appealing matter—dividing the spoils. The newly minted fire crystal cards that had been previously snatched down to just two days of "fire energy" were not only replenished by Xiao Yan, but also enhanced by two more days. For those cards that had luckily escaped the older, more aggressive teams' claims, Xiao Yan generously added five extra days of "fire energy" to them. Xiao Yan knew well that it was precisely thanks to the vigorous efforts of these new recruits that he had been able to absorb Su Xiao’s three teams and the even stronger Sand Iron team—without their relentless dedication, the task would have been utterly impossible for just a few of them to accomplish. On the desk, the glow continued to flicker and shimmer, and only after a long while did Xiao Yan gently exhale, placing the final black flame crystal card down, then turning slightly to address Xun'er and Huoga: "Return them to their respective owners." At this, both Xun'er and Huoga nodded slightly, each taking up a flame crystal card and gracefully moving through the newly arrived group, returning the cards bearing their unique markings to the excited freshmen. "Ha ha! The flame has finally returned!" Some of the freshmen, holding their crystal cards tightly, looked at the numbers displayed on them and couldn't help but burst into laughter. Smiling at the fresh faces filled with excitement and joy, Xiao Yan turned his gaze toward Wu Hao, who was seated beside him, eyes closed in meditation. After the battle concluded, he had promptly administered another pill of Qi-restoration to Wu Hao, and as a result, Wu Hao now looked considerably better—his injuries were merely superficial, no damage to his meridians or bones, which was fortunate; otherwise, recovery would have taken quite some time. Standing up from the rock, Xiao Yan glanced at the pale blue fire crystal cards on the table. Following the initial distribution of resources, the remaining "fire energy" on these cards totaled nearly 270 units. Divided among the four of them, each person would receive over sixty days' worth—quite a substantial haul. He then transferred all the remaining "fire energy" from the pale blue cards onto his own crystal card, and with a warm smile, walked toward the group of faces expressing growing resentment. "Hehe, sorry about that. With so many new students involved, we can't just expect them to show up without some compensation. So, I'll have to borrow your cards temporarily." Xiao Yan smiled, then tossed his crystal card into the air, which seemed to possess a certain life of its own, flying toward each of its owners. Xiao Yan didn't care about their expressions, smiling gently and asking. Sha Tie rolled his eyes, completely unimpressed—his mood was already at an all-time low. "Twenty days' 'Fire Power,' and tell me what you want to know. How about that?" Xiao Yan gently stroked the dark fire crystal card in his hand. "If you're not willing, I can go find Senior Su Xiao and the others." With a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, Sha Tie gritted his teeth and snapped, "You... go ahead and ask!" The first part had been quite forceful, but after a pause, Sha Tie completely softened. Now a true financial strain, even twenty days of "Fire Power" meant a significant income for him. "Could you tell me anything about the last remaining 'White Shad' team?" Xiao Yan's eyes slightly narrowed as he spoke softly. Now their harvest was so abundant that it felt heavy and substantial, and if he wished to smoothly carry this success into the Inner Courtyard, he would have to defeat the final White Shad team as well—otherwise, he would surely end up working hard for days only to see his efforts go to waste, benefiting others instead. "The White Shad team?" His brow arched slightly, clearly grasping Xiao Yan's meaning. His gaze swept over the fresh students lying weakly on the ground, struggling even to rise. With a chuckle, Sand Tie said, "Their strength actually surpasses ours, the Black Shad team." Sand Tie's first remark immediately caused Xiao Yan's eyebrows to furrow—having already suffered significant strain in defeating the Black Shad team, how could the White Shad team be even stronger than them? "Perhaps the players aren't that much different in strength, but Luo Hua, the captain of Bai Sha Team, is a genuine Douling-level powerhouse. Though he's only been at the Douling level for less than two months, he consistently outperforms me—someone who's barely even halfway there." Sha Tie pursed his lips and said, "I'm not trying to underestimate you. With all these newly formed teams suffering from severe injuries, even if they all come together, I doubt they'll be able to make it through." Xiao Yan pressed his lips tightly and after a moment, spoke softly, "If all of these new recruits could recover fully, then perhaps it would be possible?" "Adding your group, there are nearly fifty new players. Even if Luo Hua's Bai Sha team is exceptionally strong, they simply won't be able to hold off such a combined force—two hands can't always defeat four." Sha Tie shrugged and continued, "Unfortunately, these players have sustained serious injuries and won't recover within just three or four days. Yet the 'Fire Hunt Competition' only lasts for one week, so you won't be able to wait for them to fully recover." "Hehe, if we pool everyone's strength and make it through, that will be a great achievement. As for their injuries..." Xiao Yan smiled gently at Sha Tie. "Didn't you forget my status? As a pharmacist, in my eyes, these injuries aren't very serious." Upon hearing this, Sha Tie was momentarily taken aback, then fell silent. He had indeed almost forgotten this point—this man could command such terrifying flames; surely his knowledge of pharmaceuticals was equally impressive. If he had sufficient herbs, he might actually heal all the new recruits swiftly and restore them to their peak condition within a short time. Then, with nearly fifty of them charging through the gate together, even if Luo Hua was a powerful Du Ling cultivator, he would surely be left speechless, watching in awe. Clapping his hands, Xiao Yan gently tapped the black fire crystal card against Sha Tie's crystal card, and as the light flashed, transferred the twenty-day compensation of "fire energy" to them. Then he turned back to the simple table, smiling warmly at the fresh students who were now excitedly holding their fire crystal cards. "Ladies and gentlemen, there's one final round in this fire energy hunting competition. If we succeed in passing it, we'll be able to bring the accumulated 'fire energy' into the inner academy. But if we fail—well, then that 'fire energy' will simply go to the so-called Bai Sha team." "Alright, let's go head-on!" Hearing Xiao Yan's words, the fresh students on the field immediately became animated. Now that they had regained their precious "fire energy," they truly understood its rarity and value. "Hehe." Smiling lightly, Xiao Yan gently pressed his palm, and instantly the bustling noise fell silent. He glanced around the arena, smiling, "Since none of you wish to give up, let us combine our strength and face this final challenge together." "However, before that, we'll need to stay here for one full day. After that day, I'll ensure all of you recover from your injuries. And then—this will be our final, decisive push!" "Xiao Yan, we're listening to you!" Having learned from their earlier defeat of the Hei Sha team, the new recruits now had no doubts about Xiao Yan. As he finished speaking, a wave of enthusiastic cheers rose, resonant and unified, shaking the trees softly. By the side, Sha Tie and the others watched the group of excited new recruits, unable to help but sigh. Though these young recruits were merely young wolves with newly grown teeth, under the fierce leadership of Xiao Yan—the lion-like figure—their combined combat strength far exceeded everyone's expectations. Xiao Yan once again settled onto the rock, raising his hand. A squat medicine cauldron and a large pile of herbs appeared on the table before him. With a flick of his right hand, a vibrant green flame surged into the cauldron. When the new recruits suddenly opened their eyes, so did Xiao Yan and Xun'er, who had been resting on the rocks. After a full day of recuperation, aided by Xiao Yan's medicinal concoctions, all three of them regained their peak states. Standing up from the rocks, Xiao Yan glanced at Sha Tie and the others still standing by, then turned his gaze toward the newly restored recruits. He slowly raised his hand and then brought it down with a resounding crash. "Move!" As soon as Xiao Yan spoke, dozens of figures swiftly leapt onto the tree trunks and, led by Xiao Yan and his three companions, surged forward toward the forest exit. The final battle had begun!