TL: Title means that another enemy lurks behind as two groups fight in order to swoop in and capture/take advantage of the losses in both groups

The long lance that paused in front of Leng Bai was not withdrawn. The corner of Bai Shan’s mouth was lifted in a pleased manner when he eyed the somewhat stiff face of his opponent. He turned his head slightly as he lifted his eyes and swept them toward Xiao Yan. When he saw Su Xiao and the three Inner Academy’s older students who had fallen to the side, the pride on the corner of his mouth involuntarily gradually dimmed. Some coldness and envy could not help but flash through his eyes. The him, who had a haughty character, really did not like the feeling of being firmly suppressed by someone. At the Outer Academy in the past, he completely deserved being one of the most outstanding people there, receiving the respectful gazes of all the students. This type of treatment was suddenly broken apart after the appearance of Xiao Yan. This caused his chest, which was not very wide, to not feel even the slightest positive feeling toward Xiao Yan.

TL: Chest - Think of it as your tolerance to others

Although he had obtained quite a lot of benefits from following Xiao Yan during this entire journey, his heart firmly thought that this was merely because each of them held what the other required. Xiao Yan wanted nothing more than to borrow his strength to obtain the ‘Fire Energy’ from the other Inner Academy students to satisfy his desires. In Bai Shan’s heart, he had never treated him as a true group leader. It was merely just using each other for what they required.

“However, the greatest victor in this exchange is still him...” Bai Shan’s eyes swept over some of the new students. He could see respect and worship toward Xiao Yan from within their eyes. Clearly, the courage and resolution Xiao Yan showed to fight against the older student groups had successfully won their support, which was expressed directly from their hearts.

“These bastards had completely forgotten that without us, Xiao Yan could never achieve this by himself!” Bai Shan clenched his teeth violently. The anger suppressed in his heart for a long time could not help but come gushing out now. As he became increasingly furious in his heart, his gaze suddenly become cold. He held the long lance tightly in his hand and took a step forward. The long lance smashed horizontally and immediately landed heavily on the chest of Leng Bai, who had already given up fighting and had no defense. The latter’s face immediately turned red and a mouthful of fresh blood came spitting out. He hurriedly took a couple of steps back and finally sat down on the ground. After which, he abruptly lifted his head while his eyes were filled with fury.

“What are you looking at? Not satisfied?” Bai Shan coldly laughed when he saw the fury in Leng Bai’s eyes. He took a step forward and was just about to once again vent the anger in his heart when a black shadow suddenly flashed past. Xiao Yan’s low and deep voice sounded, “He has already admitted defeat, why do you need to continue attacking? Is it glorious to injure a person who is defenseless?”

“Hmph.” Xiao Yan’s obstruction caused the long lance held in Bai Shan’s hand to tremble. He inhaled a deep breath of air and hid the anger within his heart. With a snort, he carried the long lance in his hand, turned around, and charged into the battleground between the new and older students. His long lance carried a ‘chi chi’ sound, appearing majestic just like a silver-colored giant python.

Xiao Yan frowned as he eyed Bai Shan leaving. He then glanced at the fight on Wu Hao’s side, which had also reached the ending phase. Only after seeing that the latter was about to win did Xiao Yan turn his head over and look at the furious face of Leng Bai. He waved his hand and threw over a bottle of healing medicine.

Leng Bai was startled after receiving the medicinal bottle. The fury on his face gradually lessened. He did not return the medicine. Instead, he pulled apart his clothes and poured the ice-cold medicinal liquid onto his wound, where fresh blood was dripping. Only then did he slowly sigh in relief. His finger flicked onto the storage ring and a blue glow was shot toward Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan extended his hand and grabbed the blue glow. He took a look only to find that it was a pale-blue-colored Fire Crystal Card. The number on the Fire Crystal Card had actually reached eighty-six. Among all the Fire Crystal Cards Xiao Yan had seen during this period of time, this was the highest number he had seen.

Xiao Yan held the Fire Crystal Card and did not act like a saint and return it. This was their group’s spoils of victory and was not his own. Therefore, he merely cupped his hands toward Leng Bai to thank him.

“That companion of yours is nothing much. Tell him that I will return that lance attack I received today.” Leng Bai lifted his head to lean against the tree trunk as he spoke faintly.

“I’m sorry.” Xiao Yan sighed. Bai Shan indeed went a little overboard with regards to this matter. If he had beat up Leng Bai until this manner in combat, no one would say anything. However, he had given such a heavy blow after the opponent had admitted defeat and lowered his defenses. This did not really follow the rules.

“Although you have borrowed the strength of the new students to defeat our three groups, it will not be possible for you to take the reward and return to the Inner Academy.” Leng Bai’s gaze paused in the battleground between Wu Hao and Xiu Yan. At that place, Xiu Yan had already shown signs of weakness in a hard head on collision between the two of them.

“I know. There are still the two groups called ‘Black White Evil Stopper.” Xiao Yan shrugged his shoulders and replied.

“Looks like you know quite a lot.” Leng Bai raised his eyebrows when he heard Xiao Yan’s words. He felt a little astonished.

“What I have said earlier are not some boastful words. This so-called ‘Fire Energy Hunting Competition’ is purposefully set up by the Inner Academy. This is because many new students are very haughty when they arrive at the Inner Academy. Therefore, the Inner Academy has designed this Hunting Competition. Its purpose is to allow the older students to oppress the vigor of the new students in the forest. Hence, it is easier said than done if you want to forcefully charge out of this forest.”

“I just don’t want us to be robbed until we have nothing left before we enter the Inner Academy. Moreover, I must say that the so-called methods that you older students used to rub off the vigor of the new students is really repulsive. Perhaps it is because they had once received such treatment in the past that they want to return it to the new students. However, this common practice of one batch passing on to the next really won’t do. Even if we did not retaliate this time around, it is likely that there would be new students who would lead groups to resist.” Xiao Yan spoke slowly. His gaze eyed Wu Hao, who had finally shook Xiu Yan with one palm until the latter took over ten steps back. In his heart, he knew that the victory in the battle there was already determined.

Leng Bai was silent. He also clearly understood that the old students participated in this ‘Fire Energy Hunting Competition’ not only to snatch the ‘Fire Energy.’ There were some who basically participated because they wanted to smooth the shadows in their hearts.

“Alright, the battle can be considered to have ended here.” Xiao Yan exhaled a breath of air. He turned his gaze toward the somewhat chaotic battleground. That place had Xun Er, Hu Jia, and Bai Shan participating, the few older students from the Inner Academy who endured bitterly finally could no longer maintain the stalemate. After relying on a fierce aura to injure a couple of new students, they were completely suppressed.

“Ah, what severe losses... these older students are indeed very strong. The Inner Academy is indeed a good place to hone people.” Xiao Yan’s gaze swept over the open ground and shook his head helplessly. There were less than fifteen of the originally forty or so new students who could still stand after defeating the twelve older students who had cooperated well with one another. Most of the remaining students had temporarily lost their combat strength, and lay panting on the ground due to their injuries.

At the moment the final older student fell on the ground, a rejoiceful cry that contained some pain immediately sounded on the open ground. The ten plus new students, who could still move, could not resist the agitation in their hearts as they emitted joyful laughter. In an instant, a layer of joyful atmosphere spread over the original suffocating atmosphere the ground had previously held.

“Haha, everyone, take a look at your companions first. Rub these healing medicine on them. The remaining people should collect the Fire Crystal Cards from the older students’ hands. Since we have obtained victory, it is only natural that we should begin distributing our spoils.” Xiao Yan lifted his head to eye the excitement-filled faces of the new students and smiled. He slowly took a step forward and took out a large amount of healing medicine from within the storage ring. He placed it on a rock and smiled as he spoke to everyone.

“Yes!” At this moment, everyone basically obeyed Xiao Yan’s orders after this great comeback of theirs. Hence, everyone shouted in unison when they heard his words and immediately did as he ordered. In an instant, the empty ground appeared a little busy once again.

“Are you alright?” Xiao Yan smiled and asked as he saw Xun Er, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao who were walking over toward him.

The three of them nodded. Xun Er and Hu Jia still appeared alright but Wu Hao was panting a little. Clearly, the hard head on fight he had with Xiu Yan earlier had greatly exhausted his Dou Qi and physical strength.

Xiao Yan tapped his hand on his storage ring and a small jade bottle appeared. He tilted it slightly and poured out three ‘Energy Recovery Pills,’ which he handed to the three of them. “These can allow you to quickly recover your Dou Qi. Eat it.”

Xun Er smiled and received the medicinal pill. She did not hesitate even a little as she threw it directly into her mouth.

On the other hand, Hu Jia and Wu Hao hesitated a little before taking one and thanking Xiao Yan softly.

Xiao Yan carelessly smiled, raised his head and could not help but heave a long sigh as he watched the busy clearing. They had finally managed to completely finish off the three groups. Next, as long as they were given a day to rest, they would be able to charge against the so-called ‘Black White Evil Stopper.’

“Tsk tsk, they really do have some ability. They actually managed to swallow those three older student groups.” Two old men on the top of a tree within the vast sea of trees slowly opened their eyes. They exchanged glances and shook their heads while they spoke with smiles and some amazement.

“The strength of that little fellow called Xiao Yan seems to be quite great. He was actually able to defeat Su Xiao so swiftly. Although he used the special effect of the Sonic Dou Technique, his clear-cut attack and his sharp eyes are something that even some of the older students in the Inner Academy do not possess.” One of the old man praised.

“Ke ke, that’s right. Perhaps after this Hunting Competition is over, we should let that old fellow Hu Gan send us some information regarding this little fellow. I think that with his potential, he might be able to squeeze into the top ten of the ‘Strong Ranking’ after undergoing the Inner Academy’s training.” The other old man nodded his head slightly and spoke with a smile.

“Yes.” The old man who had spoken earlier nodded slightly. He stretched his lazy waist and said, “However, the good luck of these new students is about to end soon. The ‘Black White Evil Stopper’ this year are some sturdy fellows who frequently earn ‘Fire Energy’ within the Fighting Arena. What?”

Before all the words sounded, the old man’s expression changed slightly. A shocked voice was emitted from his mouth. He tilted his head and exchanged glances with the other old man before saying in a shocked voice, “Those five Qis...? Good fellows. It is really unexpected that there is a fisherman who has come to get a bargain while the sandpiper and the mussels fought. They are indeed worthy of being people who muddled among within the Sports Arena. What a cunning tactic.”

Xiao Yan smiled as he eyed the fifteen pale-blue Fire Energy Cards in his hands while standing in the open forested area. His heart let out a long sigh. This was a big acquisition.

Xiao Yan lifted his gaze and swept across the new students whose eyes were fiery hot. He smiled and said, “Next, we can begin to distribute our spoils.”

Just as Xiao Yan’s voice had sounded, a foreign faint laughter was suddenly emitted from within the dense forest without any warning. Finally, the voice slowly reverberated within the the empty ground, causing everyone’s bodies to stiffen.

“Tsk, the new students this year are indeed not ordinary. They were actually able to defeat all the other eight older student groups but this is also quite good. We shall take all of the ‘Fire Energy’ off your hands.”

Xiao Yan’s smile-filled face suddenly stiffened. A coldness flashed over his eyes as he slowly lifted his head and threw his gaze toward a spot in the dense forest. The tree leaves suddenly moved at that spot. Immediately, five figures, whose entire bodies were filled with a fierce Qi, flashed and appeared above the tree trunk, like five human-shaped Magic Beasts. They looked down toward the people in the open ground from their high vantage point.