Su's slightly weathered voice echoed slowly, causing all the battles to pause at that moment. On the slope, the senior students from the inner courtyard opened their mouths to speak, only to find themselves unable to utter a single word. "Oh!" After a while of silence outside the forest, the freshmen finally could no longer contain their joy and burst into loud cheers. Overcome with excitement, some even disregarded gender and lifted their companions into their arms. After nearly five or six days of relentless effort, their hard work had finally paid off—how could they not be delighted? Hearing the enthusiastic cheers rising from the back, Xiao Yan's pale face softened with a faint smile. He gently covered his chest, coughed a few times, and turned to gaze at Xun and the other two, who were equally beaming with joy, and said, "It seems the things we've earned won't need to be returned now." "Xiao Yan, are you alright?" Seeing Xiao Yan's expression, Xun hurried forward two steps, supporting him with a touch of concern and asking gently. "Nothing serious, just a bit drained," Xiao Yan smiled, waving his hand. Though the power of Furen Huo Lian was substantial, it demanded a tremendous toll on both spiritual energy and qi. At his current level, he could only fully unleash it once in his peak condition. If he attempted to use it a second time, he would likely collapse from exhaustion and fall into unconsciousness. "I didn't expect you to be this capable—now I understand why Xun has been so deeply devoted to you. Truly a pity..." Hu Jia casually patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder. Side-by-side combat was always the best way to build mutual rapport. Over these few days, the resentment she had harbored during the selection match—when Xiao Yan had used too much force—had completely vanished. In truth, the way Xiao Yan had performed these days had truly left her impressed. "Xun's eyes are indeed sharp, but... I'll work hard to catch up with you." Wu Hao looked up, offering a somewhat stiff arc to Xiao Yan—clearly, a man known for his reserved nature and deep immersion in cultivation rarely smiled at others. Xiao Yan smiled lightly and said, "Don't take all the credit to yourself. I know my limits. Without your support, no matter how strong I am, I wouldn't have made it this far. A lone hero simply doesn't thrive here—nor does he fit this setting." Hugua and Wu Hao nodded silently. The humility they displayed was utterly at odds with the usual arrogance and boldness of young people—this composed, mature demeanor truly left them in awe. "Master Su, we haven't lost yet!" "Just as Xu Yin and the others were speaking, a voice of reluctant determination suddenly rose. Everyone turned to see it was Luo Hou, who had been sitting on the ground, now his face flushed with indignation—clearly struggling to reconcile his defeat at the hands of a senior Battle Seer. "Yes, we haven't lost yet—we can still fight!" Hearing the team leader's words, the four members of the Bai Sha team echoed in unison. Given their earlier performance, as long as they were given sufficient time, the new recruits would have been completely overwhelmed. Thus, they naturally didn't want to conclude their campaign with a sudden defeat. "Shut up!" Su Elder's expression darkened, and he barked the command. Seeing Su Elder grow angry, everyone quickly silenced themselves, including Luo Hou. "If it hadn't been for my intervention, would you still be standing here?" Su Elder turned sharply to the flushed-faced Luo Hou, speaking with sharp intensity. Luo Hou’s face turned pale, his teeth clenched. After a moment, however, he gradually grew weak. He knew clearly that if Su Elder hadn’t stepped in, there would likely be no Luo Hou at all in the Inner Courtyard. “Defeated? Then defeated we are. What excuse could I possibly find?” With a cold snort, Su Elder glanced around the room and spoke firmly, “I’ve already stated that this season’s ‘Fire Energy Hunting Competition’ has officially concluded. If any of you still aren’t satisfied, wait until the new students enter the Inner Courtyard for one month, then you may directly challenge them. As long as they agree, the Inner Courtyard Arena will be open at any time. But now—be silent!” “Hmph.” Glancing at Luo Hou behind him, Su Elder turned his gaze back to Xiao Yan and the others, and his expression softened. “As the winners of this season’s ‘Fire Energy Hunting Competition,’ each of the new students will receive twenty days of ‘Fire Energy.’ Additionally, Xiao Yan, Xiao Xun'er, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao will each be awarded a ‘Green Fire Crystal Card’ and an extra thirty days of ‘Fire Energy.’” "Qinghuo Crystal Card?" The words spilling out of Su Elder's mouth caused a ripple of surprise across the slope, with a stream of admiring glances directed toward the four members of Xiao Yan's group. "Qinghuo Crystal Card? What exactly is that?" The four members of Xiao Yan's group, however, were somewhat puzzled by this so-called Qinghuo Crystal Card, exchanging bewildered looks, each expressing their confusion. "Ah, within the Inner Courtyard, Fire Crystal Cards are graded from low to high in five colors: black, blue, green, red, and purple. The black Crystal Card you hold is the most basic, granting eligibility only for training on the first and second floors of the 'Tianfen Qi Tower.' Blue Crystal Cards are for the third and fourth floors, and so on, following a regular progression." "To upgrade a crystal card within the Inner Courtyard, one must pay for 'Fire Energy.' Typically, upgrading from a black crystal card to a blue one requires one hundred days of 'Fire Energy,' while upgrading from blue to green requires two hundred days. Now that you've received the reward of the 'Green Fire Crystal Card,' you've effectively saved three hundred days of 'Fire Energy'—a significant amount indeed. Among the current Inner Courtyard seniors present, only Luo Hou recently upgraded his blue card to green just a week ago; the rest are still using blue cards." Seeing the expressions of curiosity on Xiao Yan and his companions, Su Elder smiled and explained. "Three hundred days of 'Fire Energy'?" "Heard the amount, Xiao Yan and the others finally understood why the surrounding eyes had been filled with admiration. While they had successfully secured the older students during their forest expedition, and with this current reward, each of their crystal cards now barely surpassed a hundred. It was clear that obtaining 'Fire Energy' within the inner courtyard was no easy task. After explaining, Su Elder waved his hand, and four jade-colored crystal cards appeared in his hands. With a flick of his fingers, the cards shot toward Xiao Yan and his companions, hovering and settling before them. "The rewards are already included. Take the 'Fire Energy' from the black crystal cards and transfer it to your own cards. Then return the black crystal cards to me." Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan and the others promptly followed the instructions. After a short while, they handed over the now-empty black crystal cards to Elder Su. Receiving the black fire crystal card, Elder Su nodded gently and smiled, saying, "Well, since you've all passed the 'Fire Energy Hunting Competition,' let's go into the inner courtyard together." "With that, he turned first and began walking steadily toward a scattered stone staircase, ascending the slope. "Finally, we're entering the inner courtyard... not easy at all," breathed Xiang Yin, watching Su's back. To gain access to this courtyard, they had put in so much effort—first the selection competition, then the fire-energy hunting event. Indeed, the inner courtyard wasn't as accessible as they had imagined. "Let's go," he said, waving to Xun'er and the others. Under the watchful eyes of everyone on the slope, Xiang Yin took the lead, following Su's path as they climbed the stone steps. Though the staircase wasn't particularly tall, within just a couple of minutes, the group reached the final level and then lifted themselves onto the slope. As they took in the view, a fresh, cool breeze filled their lungs. "Is this what the inner courtyard looks like?" murmured softly, the words echoing from the newly arrived students. Beyond the hill lay an immense, deeply sunken basin, its shape resembling a colossal meteor that had plowed straight down from the sky, striking the land and carving it out. Within the basin, towering structures rose in dense clusters. From a high vantage point, one could see countless black silhouettes—like fleas—darting and leaping across the buildings. As the view extended forward, the sheer scale of the basin became apparent; even at the farthest edge, the sight remained dominated by the lofty structures and lush greenery. It was hard to imagine that such a remarkable site could be hidden deep within the endless mountains behind the Canaan Academy. Hearing this, Xiao Yan sighed with a look of resignation—this guy truly was a battle-mad man. Raising his gaze, he slowly scanned the vast basin. After a moment, he took a deep breath and murmured to himself, "The Fallen Heart Flame... really is here? I hope I don't let me down." "Alright," said Su Elder, his eyes lingering on Xiao Yan and the others. "Since the hunting competition has concluded, all of you come with me to the Inner Courtyard. First, settle in. Once you're settled, you'll officially become members of the Inner Courtyard. Believe me—once you can endure here, and make it through, when you step out, you'll find every bit of effort has been worth it." All the new students nodded gently, already sensing the immense advantages of training within this Inner Courtyard. "Come on! Everyone, follow me!" With a wave of his hand, Su Elder's form blurred into a vague silhouette and rushed swiftly toward the vast basin. Immediately thereafter, all the new arrivals also sprang into motion, surging downward from the slopes like a swarm of locusts. Thus, a continuous chorus of excited cries soared through the sky, lingering there for a long time.