Just like that, the group finally arrived before the White Sha Team.
The atmosphere turned deathly silent.
Dry leaves trembled under the pressure.
Xiao Feng stepped forward slowly.
Then—
BOOM!
A terrifying aura erupted from his body.
4-Star Dou Spirit.
The sheer force of it spread like a storm, pressing down on the entire clearing.
Even the surrounding trees creaked under the pressure.
The expressions of the White Sha Team changed instantly.
"So this is the one…" Luo Hou muttered, his eyes narrowing.
Xiao Feng stood calmly, his robes fluttering slightly, his gaze indifferent as he looked at them.
"You wanted to see me?"
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Cold.
Unshaken.
Luo Hou's expression darkened.
"Arrogant."
He stepped forward, frost spreading beneath his feet.
"Ye Han, the four of you—attack together."
"I want to see what is so extraordinary about this freshman who has alarmed the entire Inner Academy."
"Yes!"
The four members responded in unison.
In the next moment—
Their Dou Qi surged violently.
Waves of cold energy burst out from their bodies.
Five streams of icy Qi intertwined in the air—
Forming a chilling domain.
The temperature dropped instantly.
Frost formed on the ground.
Even the air seemed to freeze.
The combined pressure of five experts—
Directly suppressed Xiao Feng's aura.
Han Yue's expression changed slightly.
"This… combined formation…"
Lin Xiuya narrowed his eyes.
"They're not ordinary opponents."
Bai Cheng clenched his fists, feeling the pressure weigh down on him.
"…So strong."
But in the center—
Xiao Feng didn't move.
Not even a step.
He simply raised his head slightly.
Feeling the cold Qi pressing against him—
He closed his eyes for a brief moment.
Then—
He opened them.
A faint golden flame flickered within.
"…Interesting."
The next second—
A ripple spread from his body.
Not explosive—
But deep.
Ancient.
Like a beast awakening.
The suppressed aura—
Started rising again.
Slowly.
Steadily.
Pushing back against the freezing domain.
The frost beneath his feet began to melt.
Crack—
Crack—
The ice shattered.
Luo Hou's pupils shrank.
"What… kind of flame is this?"
Xiao Feng took a step forward.
The ground beneath him scorched instantly.
"You're done testing me?" he said calmly.
"Then… it's my turn."
BOOM!
Flames surged skyward.
The battle—
Was about to begin.
Looking at the cold Aura surrounding the four individuals, Xiao Feng slightly raised an eyebrow. The ground beneath their feet had already begun to frost over, thin layers of ice creeping outward as their Dou Qi synchronized.
"Coordinated ice Dou Qi…" Xiao Feng murmured. "Not bad."
A faint smirk appeared.
"But useless against me."
The moment his words fell—
Boom!
A surge of scorching heat erupted from his body. The surrounding air distorted instantly, and even the falling leaves nearby curled and blackened before touching the ground.
The four White Sha members felt it immediately.
Their expressions changed.
"This heat—what kind of flame is this?!"
"Don't hesitate! Attack together!"
With a sharp shout, the four of them moved in perfect coordination. Their iron staves whistled through the air, carrying dense cold Qi as they struck from four different directions—head, chest, flank, and back—completely sealing Xiao Feng's escape routes.
But Xiao Feng didn't move.
He simply lifted his head.
"Too predictable."
His palm slowly rose—
and then clenched.
Flames exploded outward.
"Burning Wave!"
A circular wave of fire burst from his body like a shockwave. The incoming cold Qi shattered instantly upon contact, turning into thick white steam that obscured the battlefield.
"What?! Our attack—!"
Before they could finish—
A shadow moved through the steam.
Xiao Feng.
He stepped forward calmly, his figure flickering like a flame itself.
"First one."
Bang!
His palm, wrapped in blazing fire, struck directly into one opponent's chest. The terrifying heat bypassed the outer Dou Qi defense and erupted inward.
"AAARGH—!"
The man was blasted backward, his clothes partially scorched, crashing violently into a tree.
"Second."
Xiao Feng turned mid-step, his leg sweeping out like a whip of fire.
BOOM!
Another figure was sent flying, his iron staff spinning uselessly through the air before embedding into the ground.
"Split up! Don't face him head-on!" one of them shouted in panic.
But Xiao Feng's voice came from right beside him—
"You're too slow."
A flaming fist enlarged in his vision.
Dragon Flame Fist!
BANG!
The third member coughed out blood as he was smashed into the ground, cracks spreading beneath him from the impact.
Now only one remained from the initial assault.
His face turned pale.
"This… monster…"
Before he could retreat—
Xiao Feng extended his fingers slightly.
A thin stream of flame shot forward like a piercing spear.
"Flame Piercer."
SHHHT!
The fire tore through his defense and exploded behind him, sending him tumbling across the ground, completely losing combat ability.
All of this—
had happened in less than three breaths.
The surrounding older students watching from a distance fell silent.
"…What the hell did we just see?"
"He wiped out four Great Dou Masters instantly…?!"
"This isn't a fight… it's suppression!"
At the center—
only Luo Hou remained standing.
His expression had completely changed.
Gone was the earlier confidence.
Now… there was only caution.
"You… you're not just a 4-Star Dou Spirit," Luo Hou said slowly, gripping his staff tighter. "That flame… it's suppressing even my Dou Qi circulation."
Xiao Feng rolled his shoulder slightly, flames dancing lazily around his arm.
"I never said I was ordinary."
Luo Hou's eyes turned sharp.
"Fine. Then let's see how long you can maintain it!"
Boom!
A powerful surge of cold Dou Qi erupted from his body. Frost spread rapidly across the ground, even freezing the surrounding air into visible ice particles.
"Frozen Heaven Staff!"
He leaped forward, his massive ice-covered staff smashing down with enough force to shatter rock.
The air screamed.
The temperature plummeted.
Facing this—
Xiao Feng finally moved seriously.
His eyes sharpened.
"Good."
Flames condensed rapidly around his arm—this time denser, deeper… almost liquid-like.
"Then don't disappoint me."
He stepped forward—
and punched.
"Blazing Dragon Break!"
A roaring flame in the shape of a dragon surged out, colliding directly with the descending ice staff.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Fire and ice clashed violently.
A massive shockwave exploded outward, uprooting nearby trees and sending debris flying in all directions.
The ground cracked.
Steam filled the battlefield.
For a moment—
no one could see anything.
Then—
a figure shot out from the smoke.
CRASH!
Luo Hou's body slammed into the ground, sliding dozens of meters before finally stopping. His staff slipped from his hands, half-melted at the tip.
His breathing was ragged.
His arms trembled.
"…Impossible…"
The flames slowly parted.
Xiao Feng walked out calmly, his clothes fluttering slightly, not a single injury on him.
The fire around him gradually subsided.
He looked down at Luo Hou.
"Still want to continue?"
Silence.
Complete silence filled the forest.
Even the watching seniors couldn't say a word.
Because they all understood one thing clearly now—
This wasn't just a strong freshman.
This was someone who could rewrite the rules of the Inner Academy.
"Damn it, Luo Hou, a Dou Ling who Cultivates ice-attributed Dou Qi, was actually defeated by Xiao Feng, a 4-Star Dou Spirit!?"
Looking at the White Sha Team, who were covered in black frost and lying motionless on the ground, some of the older students couldn't help but exclaim.
"The flame Xiao Feng displayed earlier was not simple. To be able to suppress Luo Hou and the others like that, it must be some kind of unique flame
After defeating the White Sha Team, Xiao Feng didn't continue attacking.
Instead, he calmly walked forward, looking at the five who were struggling to even move.
"You fought well," he said lightly.
With a flick of his sleeve, several medicinal pills flew out and landed beside them.
"Take these. Your injuries aren't light."
Luo Hou and the others were stunned.
"You… you're giving us pills?" one of them asked in disbelief.
Xiao Feng didn't bother explaining. He simply extended his hand.
"Your Fire Energy."
The five exchanged bitter looks. In the end, they silently handed over their Fire Crystal Cards.
Xiao Feng swiped them one by one.
Numbers rapidly increased.
After finishing, he casually tossed the cards back.
"Seven days left for each of you. Enough to survive."
Luo Hou clenched his fists, but in the end, he only let out a breath.
"…We lost fair and square."
Far above the forest—
Several elders hovered silently, their expressions no longer calm.
"That boy… his control over flames is terrifying."
"And his combat sense… he didn't waste even a single movement."
Another elder narrowed his eyes.
"With that kind of talent, if nurtured properly, he could become a top expert of the academy."
"Hmph… such a seedling must not be missed. I'll take him as my disciple!"
"You? Dream on. I saw him first!"
"Stop arguing—you think you're the only ones interested?"
However, after a moment—
their expressions turned strange.
"…Wait."
"Isn't he already taken as a disciple?"
Silence fell.
A few elders sighed helplessly.
"What a pity…"
"To find such a monster… only to be late."
Back in the forest—
After regrouping, Xiao Feng and the others continued forward.
Not long after, they arrived at the final stretch.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Ahead, in a wide clearing—
a group stood waiting.
The Black Gang.
Their auras were far stronger than the previous teams. Clearly, they had been waiting for a long time.
One of them stepped forward, sneering.
"So… you're Xiao Feng?"
"We've been waiting."
Another added coldly, "Hand over your Fire Energy, and we might let you pass without breaking your legs."
Hearing this—
Xiao Feng didn't reply.
Instead…
he took out a few pills.
"What is he doing?" one of them frowned.
The next moment—
Xiao Feng casually tossed the pills forward.
"Take these."
The Black Gang members were confused.
But instinctively, a few of them stepped forward to intercept.
At that exact moment—
Boom!
The pills exploded mid-air!
A blinding light spread—
and from within it, a massive phantom of a magical beast roared into existence, its presence shaking the entire clearing.
"ROOOOAAARRR!!!"
"What the hell is that?!"
"It's an illusion—no, wait—there's real damage in it!"
The beast phantom charged forward.
Some rushed in head-on—
BOOM!
They were instantly struck by hidden flame bursts within the illusion, sent flying backward with burns across their bodies.
"AAAAH—!"
"Damn it! It's a trap!"
Only a few veterans with sharp instincts barely managed to dodge in time, their expressions turning serious.
But—
Xiao Feng didn't give them even a second to recover.
His figure disappeared.
"Too slow."
He appeared right in front of one of them.
Bang!
A flaming punch landed straight into the man's chest, sending him crashing into the ground.
"Spread out! Don't let him close in!"
"Too late."
Xiao Feng moved like a streak of fire through the battlefield.
Every step—
someone fell.
Every strike—
someone lost their ability to fight.
"Stop him together!"
Three of them charged at once.
Xiao Feng's eyes turned cold.
"Flame Burst."
A compressed fireball formed in his palm—
and exploded outward.
BOOM!
All three were blasted away simultaneously.
The remaining few tried to retreat—
but Xiao Feng was already behind them.
"You came here to rob others…"
His voice was calm.
"…so be ready to be robbed."
One by one—
he forced them to take out their Fire Crystal Cards.
Some resisted—
only to be knocked down instantly.
In less than a few minutes—
the entire Black Gang was defeated.
Silence filled the clearing.
Xiao Feng stood at the center, calmly transferring all their Fire Energy.
The numbers on his card rose rapidly.
After finishing, he tossed their cards back without even looking.
"Next time… don't block my path."
He turned around and walked forward.
Behind him—
a group of so-called "hunters" lay on the ground, completely defeated.