Large shadows swept across the sky, slowly descending into a mountain valley within a forest.
These shadows were none other than griffins, magical beasts capable of flight.
Figures sat or stood on their backs, their expressions filled with excitement and curiosity as they looked around.
"Weren't we supposed to go to the inner courtyard? What's going on?"
Xun'er exchanged a glance with Xiao Yan, both expressing the same confusion in their eyes.
"Where is this? Is the inner courtyard here?"
Upon landing, Hu Jia couldn't contain herself and immediately asked Hu Gan.
Facing the converging gazes, Hu Gan was already accustomed to it.
"The inner courtyard isn't so easy to enter."
Hu Gan smiled faintly, as usual, and with a wave of his hand, he opened a portal with a burst of energy.
"Follow me."
Hu Gan waved his hand and walked inside.
At the forefront was a forest, with two old men standing at the entrance, along with several middle-aged men and about twenty young people.
"Heh, old Hu, you're always so punctual. Having you escort the newcomers is reassuring."
One of the old men glanced at Hu Gan, then looked at the large group behind him, smiling, "How are the new students this year?"
"They're doing fine. In terms of quality and quantity, they're definitely better than last year."
Hu Gan smiled and noticed a hint of surprise on their faces, "Didn't expect you two old fellows to be on duty this year. But what's with those expressions?"
He hadn't said anything wrong. This year, Xiao Yan, Xiao Xun'er, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao, these little ones, were indeed stronger than Su Xiao and Leng Bai from last year.
Especially Xiao Yan, this kid skipped class for two years, but his cultivation hasn't fallen behind at all.
Originally, in this year's Inner Court Competition, the rules were changed, leading to a scene of encirclement. However, Xiao Yan, relying on his strange Flame Lotus technique, broke through the combined efforts of Hu Jia, Wu Hao, and Bai Shan.
Such strength, such dominance.
For so many years, Hu Gan had only seen such power in that kid, Lin Xiu.
Speaking of which, ever since that kid entered the inner courtyard, he hadn't heard much about Lin Xiu's whereabouts, nor did he know how he was doing.
"You're from the outer courtyard, so it's normal not to know. Among the students you brought last year, there was a remarkable talent who snatched the Fire Energy from both new and old students. In the end, even the Black and White Evil Stopper teams were overturned by him."
A hint of regret flashed across the old man's face. It was such a spectacle, yet he wasn't responsible for it and couldn't witness it firsthand. It was truly a pity.
"Elder Qing, are you kidding? Do you think I don't know the strength of those students from the previous year?"
Hu Gan raised a question.
Although he was in charge of the outer courtyard, he also knew that anyone who could act a Black and White Evil Stopper in the Fire Energy Hunting Competition wouldn't be weak.
Especially the captains of the two teams, at least one of them would be a Dou Spirit.
Last time, Su Xiao and Leng Bai didn't seem like people with the ability to overturn the Black White Evil Stopper.
Could it be...
Suddenly, a person came to Hu Gan's mind.
He looked at Elder Qing, his eyes showing a hint of inquiry, and the other seemed to understand Hu Gan's meaning and nodded.
"He also participated in this year's Fire Energy Hunting Competition. According to what you just said, if it's true, this competition will be quite interesting."
The other Elder Su smiled, his eyes full of anticipation.
"This time, I must see it with my own eyes, no matter what."
Hu Gan immediately spoke up.
Last year, Lin Xiu actually defeated the Black and White Evil Stoppers. It's a pity I didn't see it!
However, this year, Xiao Yan, Xiao Xun'er, and the others are not to be underestimated either. When they meet, the excitement level probably won't be lower than last year's.
With this in mind, Hu Gan turned around and waved to Xiao Yan and the other five, "You five, come here."
When the five approached him, he pointed to the two old men, "These two are elders from the inner courtyard. This one is Elder Su, and the other is Elder Qing. In the future, if you have any matters in the inner courtyard, you can find them."
"At such a young age and with such strength, their potential is indeed very high."
The two elders glanced at the five with smiles and nodded.
Behind the elders, dozens of young people, seeing Xiao Xun'er and Hu Jia up close, whistled and laughed.
After not seeing them for a year, both Xiao Xun'er and Hu Jia had undergone significant changes, becoming more mature and their figures more full.
"Shut up! Anyone who talks nonsense again will have five days of Fire Energy deducted!"
Elder Su turned around and scolded, immediately silencing the young people.
"Fire Energy seems to be something very important in the inner courtyard."
Having been observing the situation, Xiao Yan noticed the change in the expressions of those people and silently noted the importance of Fire Energy in his mind, planning to ask around later.
Then, Elder Su announced the rules of the Fire Energy Hunting Competition and distributed the Black Fire Crystal Cards to the new students of this year, thus officially declaring the start of the Fire Energy Hunting Competition.
...
In the quiet forest, with the arrival of a group of new students, it suddenly became lively.
"There's some commotion over there, it seems like people are arguing."
On a treetop, a young man turned his head. He had a scar on his face resembling a snake, and as he spoke, he kept twisting.
"Let's go, let's welcome these lovely new students."
Nearby, there were four other youths, who, with a cruel smile appearing on their faces simultaneously, swiftly moved through the trees towards the direction of the sound.
Soon, they spotted the few individuals arguing under the tree.
"Oh, such leisurely folks you are, still bickering at a time like this."
With a lightly mocking tone, a sudden voice came from above. The arguing individuals fell silent simultaneously, lifting their heads to see five young men standing on the branches above.
"You're here to snatch the so-called 'Fire Energy,' aren't you?" A tall young man with a cold smile on his face stared at Lin Ge and the others.
Seeing this scene, Lin Ge felt a sense of deja vu, inexplicably familiar.
Yes, wasn't he like this last year?
Being among the top fifty in the outer courtyard naturally meant they had considerable strength, enough to be considered outstanding among the outer courtyard students.
There wouldn't be much hesitation between them.
"Smart!"
The young man with the snake-shaped scar snapped his fingers, smiling as he looked at them. "Since you all know our purpose, there's no need for further discussion. Hand over the Fire Energy and spare yourselves some pain."
"Dream on," muttered a thin and weak young man.
The next second, the young man with the snake-shaped scar suddenly flashed in front of him, kicking him in the stomach and sending him flying.
"Damn it, get him!" The tall young man became furious.
Lin Ge also snapped out of it and signaled for the others to attack.
In no time, all five new students were lying on the ground, obediently handing over their Black Fire Crystal Cards.
"Brother, remember, no matter how well you've been doing in the outer courtyard, when you come to the inner courtyard, if you're a dragon, you coil; if you're a tiger, you crouch! These are all experiences summed up by your Senior Brothers through countless pains!" Squatting beside the tall young man, Liu Mu slapped his face, then clenched his fist and slammed it down hard, causing him to hit his head on the ground and spew blood from his mouth.
"Damn it, Liu Mu, I carefully prepared those lines, and you just had to steal them from me?!"
Upon hearing the voice, Lin Ge abruptly turned around.
"What's your rush? There are still so many new students. You can tell your story next time!" Liu Mu had a smile on his face, feeling pleased inside. No wonder the Senior Brothers from the previous year liked to say these things. It did feel quite satisfying.
"Remember your words!" Lin Ge felt a bit gloomy as he searched for the new student group, quickly spotting a team of three boys and two girls.
"Bai Shan? This kid once bossed me around in the outer courtyard. Even though I'm with the White Gang now, what does the Fire Energy Hunting Competition have to do with the inner courtyard?" With this thought in mind, Lin Ge enthusiastically called the other four and moved to surround that team.
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