239: Traveling in groups

Holding the cool, smooth black Fire Energy Card and feeling the strange energy it contained, all the students understood that this seemingly simple item had become the most important thing for them at this moment.

At the entrance to the forest, the atmosphere quietly changed.

The previously somewhat relaxed crowd began to divide rapidly and tacitly.

Those students who knew the inside story grew exceptionally solemn. They exchanged glances, and with hardly any need for verbal communication, quickly gathered together.

"Everyone, we all know the rules, and I'm sure you've heard about the miserable fates of Senior Students in previous years. Fighting alone, none of us are a match for those old foxes from the Inner Academy!"

A young man, who clearly had some prestige and whose cultivation was at Peak Great Dou Shi, said in a low voice.

"Exactly!"

"They are at least Dou Ling Level, and some might even be high-level Dou Ling! We must unite! At least on the way, we need to look out for each other and hold out until we reach the Inner Academy's entrance!"

A lithe woman beside him immediately agreed, her sharp eyes sweeping over the deep forest.

"After all, this annual event always has some information that leaks out."

Another student added, his tone carrying both relief and lingering fear.

They were all geniuses from the Outer Academy, proud and arrogant, and certainly didn't want to be beaten black and blue the moment they entered, not only having their fire energy snatched but also entering the Inner Academy dejectedly and bruised. That would truly be a complete loss of face!

Forming an alliance for self-preservation was almost the subconscious optimal choice for those in the know.

And almost at the moment a consensus was reached, nearly everyone's gaze, without prior agreement, turned expectantly towards the same person—the first place winner of this year's Outer Academy Grand Competition, who had absolutely crushed the entire field with his strength, Jiang Donghua!

He stood there, not deliberately exuding his aura, but the unfathomable aura of a Peak of Nine-Star Dou Ling was itself the most powerful reassurance.

"Senior Jiang!"

The young man who spoke first immediately led a few people to Jiang Donghua, his attitude extremely respectful.

"Senior, the path ahead is fraught with danger, and Inner Academy Seniors will surely intercept us. We hope to travel with Senior, and we will follow Senior's lead on the way, only asking to safely reach the Inner Academy!"

"That's right, Senior Jiang, take us with you!"

"With you here, those Inner Academy Seniors certainly wouldn't dare to easily provoke us!"

Requests rose and fell. Jiang Donghua naturally became the ideal protector and leader in most people's minds, the one everyone most wanted to rely on.

However, a very small number of students, either extremely confident in their own strength or with solitary personalities, merely cast a cold glance at the lively scene and did not step forward.

Instead, they chose to go alone, or form smaller teams of two or three, and silently slipped into the forest first, attempting to pass through by relying on speed and stealth.

Jiang Donghua looked at the group of classmates eagerly looking at him, their eyes filled with dependence and longing for powerful strength.

He understood that forming an alliance had its pros and cons. The advantage was that a large group could avoid many troubles, while the disadvantage was that a large target was easy to become a focal point.

He pondered for a moment. Now that his strength far surpassed his peers, he wasn't afraid of being dragged down, and taking these people along wouldn't hurt. It would also be a good opportunity to observe the methods of the Inner Academy Seniors.

Thus, he slowly nodded, his voice calm yet imbued with reassuring power.

"Alright. Stay close to me. If we encounter an interception, follow my command."

"Yes! Thank you, Senior!"

Everyone was overjoyed at his words, immediately feeling a surge of security.

A temporary alliance, with Jiang Donghua as its absolute core, quickly formed.

This large team, like the most conspicuous target, marched grandly into the unknown and dangerous forest.

What they didn't know was that in the shadows, hunters had already opened their eyes, fixing their gaze on them, especially the Fire Energy Card in the hand of the black-haired young man at the front of the team.

Not long after Jiang Donghua led the large alliance team grandly into the forest.

In the dense shadows of the tree canopy not far away, several pairs of eyes as sharp as hawks were tightly fixed on the direction they had departed.

Five figures lurked there silently. They wore the attire of Inner Academy Seniors, their auras concealed, clearly skilled in the art of stealth.

They were one of the hunters in this Fire Energy Hunt.

It wasn't until the tail of the team also disappeared into the forest path that one of the tall, thin men couldn't help but curl his lips, sneering in a low voice.

"Tsk, who was that guy surrounded in the middle just now, what's his name... Jiang Donghua? Looks like he's the leader of these New Students?"

A student with a scar on his face next to him also showed a look of disdain.

"Exactly. How can he make so many people follow his lead? Looks like he has some skill. But if he's a master, why doesn't he have any master's arrogance? And he's leading such a large group of hangers-on, it's truly laughable."

"Damn it, this isn't an easy bone to chew,"

Another slightly short and stout student frowned, sensing the lingering aura in the distance with a solemn tone.

"With twenty or thirty people around him, the five of us can't possibly take on this tough bone! I roughly sensed it just now, there are at least three or four Dou Ling Level auras in that team, and they don't seem weaker than us!"

The five of them were all around One-star Dou Ling strength, considered mid-to-lower tier among Inner Academy Seniors, which was why they were assigned to the outer areas, hoping they could pick up stragglers or deal with lone New Students.

Encountering Jiang Donghua's large team, which had several Dou Ling Level experts, they dared not act rashly.

The leader, Fan Shuihua, was a seemingly shrewd young man. He scratched his head, his eyes darted around, and he said,

"A head-on confrontation is definitely out. But to let such a big piece of fat go by is too much of a waste."

"Let's see if we can find a few other nearby teams and team up to hit them big!"

"Spread the word that there's a big fish, that the New Student leader is a soft target, just putting on airs with his numbers, probably without much real ability himself. Incite them to come together!"

The more he spoke, the brighter his eyes became.

"I spent a full five days' worth of fire energy to get the qualification to participate in this hunt! If I return empty-handed, wouldn't I be losing out big time? I must make a killing!"

The other four's expressions also tightened upon hearing this, then turned ruthless.

"Brother Fan is right!"

"Exactly, we can't go back empty-handed!"

"Let's go find Black Bear's team, they have three Two-Star Dou Ling, they'll definitely be interested in this juicy target!"

The five quickly reached a consensus, their figures retreating like ghosts, merging into the depths of the forest.

They began to search for other hunter teams, intending to treat Jiang Donghua's team, which seemed large but in their eyes had become a mobile fire energy vault, as a large piece of fatty meat that required combined effort to consume.

Deep in the forest, the hunters began to quietly connect, and a large net targeting the New Student alliance was being woven in secret.

What they didn't know was that the leader, who they thought had no arrogance, was the toughest part of this fatty meat, after all, how could a One-star Dou Ling sense the strength of a Peak Dou Ling?