This empty area was covered with rocks. When the spreading forest met with this rocky region, it ceased expanding. Hence, the sunlight, that scattered down from the sky, did not encounter any obstruction as it poured over the ground. The warmth of the sunlight caused people’s body to feel a warm feeling.

Not far away from this rocky region was a mountain slope which swelled up. There were some boulders of various sizes spread across the mountain slope. At this moment, there were quite a number of people either seated or standing above or beside these mountain rocks. These people were quite young, around twenty-four to twenty-five years old. Their clothes may be different, but all of them wore a tower shaped badge on their chest. Clearly, these students were older students from the Inner Academy.

On the other side of the mountain slope, there was a platform which was built upon a huge rock. Two old men were seated on this huge rock. They were actually Elder Su and Elder Qing, whom Xiao Yan and the others had met before they entered the forest. Seated around them were a couple of middle-aged men with calm auras. Clearly, they should people in charge of various affairs within the Inner Academy.

“Hee hee, I heard that this batch of new students were extremely arrogant? They actually went and robbed the ‘Fire Energy’ from the older students instead?” A gaze from the top of the mountain slope eyed the slightly dimmed area at the edge of the forest as laughter was being transmitted among themselves.

“Yes. I found out from some of the older student groups who came out of the forest that this time around. There was a group of new students led by someone called Xiao Yan, who appears to be quite strong.”

“Chi. They are only finding excuses for their own failures. At any rate, they have at least trained in the Inner Academy for over a year. It is really unexpected that they would lose in the hands of new students. Tsk tsk...”

“Hopefully. I heard that Sha Tie of the ‘Black Demon Group’ has also brought people into the forest. I wonder if they also ran into the new students?”

“Oh? Sha Tie also entered? Then these new students can be considered to be finished. Sha Tie is a strong person who is about to enter the Dou Ling class.”

“That’s right. Their good luck can be considered to have ended here.”

As numerous private whispers were being transmitted all over the place, a few human figures in the rock piles below moved slightly. They immediately opened their eyes slowly as their indifferent gazes swept over the dark forest.

These five human figures simply sat on the messy rocks. Their breathing was long and calm. They did not move because of those private conversations that sounded beside their ears. The five of them wore white-colored clothes, much like their indifferent, ice-cold auras.

Among the five of them, the one with the strongest aura was a young man in the middle, whose complexion was a little white. At this moment, this white-complexioned young man was the only person among the five whose eyes were still shut. He was seated cross-legged on a rock, with his body appearing similar to an ice sculpture. A hint of a cold aura shrouded and actually caused some of the green grass on the rocks to be covered by white frost.

Time slowly flowed past along with the movement of the sun above their heads. Just as these students on the mountain slope thought that they had waited in vain today, there was suddenly the sounds of footsteps coming from within the dark forest. Immediately, everyone braced their spirits. Their gazes all swept toward the forest exit without making any prior agreement. The originally noisy private conversations also completely ceased.

Elder Su and Elder Qing on the rock platform at the top of the mountain slope also slowly raised their heads. They narrowed their eyes as they threw their gazes in the direction where the sound of footsteps originated.

As the atmosphere became quiet, the sound of footsteps being emitted from within the dark forest became increasingly depressing. A long while later, a pair of feet took a step out from the exit of the dark black forest. Quickly following this, twenty human figures slowly walked out. The one leading them was Sha Tie, Su Xiao, and the others.

“Uh? It’s Sha Tie and the others...” The gazes landed on the twenty human figures that had walked out of the forest. Everyone on the mountain slope was startled as they spoke in stunned voices.

“Don’t tell me that they have already finished off the new students?” A hint of doubt flashed across everyone’s heart, Numerous gazes were shot toward Sha Tie and the others who walked out of the forest.

Sha Tie’s twenty man group slowly walked toward the nearest pile of rubble. At this moment, the young man with a pale complexion also slowly opened his eyes. His gaze swept over Sha Tie and the others. A moment later, his face changed slightly. There was an additional seriousness in his indifferent voice.

“All of you were actually defeated?”

Although his voice was soft, it was undoubtedly like exploding thunder that had suddenly roared in the clear sky. It immediately exploded among the Inner Academy students on the mountain slope until they were stunned. Their faces were dull. Twenty strong older students was sufficient enough to sweep over all the new students in a head on battle. However... now that they had heard what the pale-faced young man had said, they were all actually defeated in the hands of the new students?

Although their hearts were extremely shocked, the Inner Academy’s students did not have much doubt over the words spoken by this pale-faced young man. With his ability and sight, it was not difficult for him to see through what happened.

Hence, at this moment, all the students could not help but feel somewhat absent-minded. The current new students were already strong to such an extent?

Sha Tie did not feel surprised that the pale-faced young man saw through everything at a glance. He waved his hand and helplessly said, “Those fellows are very strong. Their combat experience is also far from what ordinary new students can compare with.”

Sha Tie’s words once again caused a wave of noise, from the swallowing of saliva, to appear on the mountain slope. Some old students were unable to hide the shock in their hearts as they inhaled a deep breath of cool air. Even the ‘Black Demon Group’ was defeated by the new students. Was this batch of new students really this abnormally strong?

“Leave the rest of the matter to us. Let me see just how great this group of new students, who have alarmed the entire Inner Academy, are.” The pale-faced young man slowly stood up from the rock and straightened his body. A faint coldness suddenly swarmed out of his body as he spoke indifferently.

Sha Tie’s gaze carried a little weirdness as he looked at the cold air on the pale-faced young man. A floating arc was lifted from the corner of Sha Tie’s mouth. Compared to his own close range combat, this fellow’s ice affinity Dou Qi would likely suffer an even greater restraint under that fellow’s terrifying green-colored flame.

“Luo Hou, the new students this year are indeed very strong. I think that perhaps this last group of yours is likely unable to stop them.” Sha Tie spread his hands and said.

“Move aside. All of you have already lost the qualification to stay here.” The pale-faced young man ignored him. His tone was still very calm.

“Alright. I believe that you will soon not have the qualification either.”

Sha Tie did not become angry. He laughed coldly. Together with Su Xiao and the rest, he slowly withdrew toward the mountain slope. They had just ascended the mountain slope when a large group of rushing wind noises suddenly sounded from within the dark forest!

Following the appearance of this rushing wind sound, the gazes that were shot at Sha Tie and the others once again turned back to the exit of the forest.

Not long after their gazes shifted, the tree branches within the forest swiftly swayed. Immediately, numerous human figures swiftly flashed out from within the dense forest. Finally, they landed under the sunlight with one knee on the ground. There were many human figures. If one were to carefully count, there were actually no less than forty people. Seeing these numbers, not only did astonished noises sound from the surrounding mountain slope, but the face of the pale-faced young man also changed a little.

“It is really unexpected that there was actually someone who was able to gather all the new students. This is a big move... but who would this person be?” Elder Su sighed in surprise from the rock platform as he eyed the dozens of new students who had appeared. The ‘Fire Energy Hunting Competition’ of the previous years did not lack people who wanted to gather all the new students together to fight as a whole. Due to each of the new students being arrogant, however, there was seldom anyone who was able to successfully achieve this.

“I think... it should be the young man called Xiao Yan. Didn’t that old fellow Hu Gan say that during the Qualifying Competition, this fellow relied on his own strength to defeat three, four, or five new students joining hands...” Elder Qing voiced his thoughts.

Elder Su nodded slightly. He voiced some praise within his heart. This Xiao Yan was indeed a good seedling.

Those new students in front of the rock piles, who had flashed out from the forest, lifted their heads as they swept their gaze across the older students on the mountain slope with eyes containing various kinds of emotion. Finally, they spread out to both sides and opened a small path in the middle.

The new students spread out and the edge of the small path remained directly linked to the exit of the dark forest. Soft footsteps sounded at that spot and four human figures immediately came walking out slowly from the darkness. Finally, they passed through the small path formed by the human crowd before appearing right at the front of the new students.

The one leading them was a black-robed young man who was carrying an enormous black ruler that was nearly as tall as him. He raised his head slightly and his gaze scanned the entire place. Finally, it stopped at the five white-clothed young men on the pile of rocks. He cupped his hands as he asked with a smile, “You seniors should be the final group of this year’s ‘Fire Energy Hunting Competition,” the ‘White Demon Group,’ right?”

“White Demon Group leader, Luo Hou.” The pale-faced young man’s gaze swept across the four of them. It paused on Xun Er and Hu Jia for a moment before it swiftly stared intently at Xiao Yan, who stood in the middle as he slowly spoke.

“New student leader, Xiao Yan.” Xiao Yan smiled as he softly spoke by following Luo Hou’s manner of speaking.

Luo Hou nodded. The cold air around his body became increasingly dense. A powerful force rose from within his body and shrouded this area filled with piles of rocks. Some of the weaker new students’ expressions changed as they could not resist the pressure of this force, which was even greater than Sha Tie’s.

Xiao Yan’s face became increasingly serious as he sensed the ice cold pressure around his body. It was just as Sha Tie had said. This fellow was a true strong Dou Ling.

As they thought of this in their hearts, Xiao Yan turned his head to exchange glances with Xun Er and the three others. He nodded slightly and the four of them took a step forward at the same time. Immediately, four powerful Dou Qis abruptly surged out of their bodies. The four forces intertwined in midair before finally combining together, blocking the ice-cold force that surrounded their bodies.

As the four of them moved, those dozens of new students also released forces of varying strength. Although their forces could not be compared with any single one in Xiao Yan’s group if they were to be looked at individually, the sum of such numbers caused the force to almost immediately become the strongest one present.

With the superimposition of all the new students, including Xiao Yan’s four men group, the permeating ice cold domineering force from Luo Hou basically broke down upon contact. Seeing that their group leader suffered defeat, the other four members of the ‘White Demon Group’ also hurriedly released their force and together, they finally managed to resist that powerful force from the other side.

In their initial exchange, Xiao Yan’s group relied on their numbers to suppress the ‘White Demon Group.’ The advantage in numbers appeared extremely vivid here.

This victory they had obtained in the clash of their aura also caused the confidence of all the new students to soar. The slight worry that was formed due to Luo Hou earlier was also immediately and totally resolved.

Xiao Yan took one step forward. His gaze stared at Lou Huo, cupped his hands together and asked in a clear voice, “Senior Lou Huo. Could you allow us pass through this final checkpoint?”

Xiao Yan’s voice reverberated mightily throughout the place scattered with rocks, causing the entire mountain slope to become quiet.

Luo Hou’s expression was indifferent. His eyes similarly stared intently at Xiao Yan. It was a long while later before his mouth moved slightly. One cold word was spat out.

“No!”

At this moment, the atmosphere suddenly solidified as if the arms of everyone were drawn!