241: Melee

The twenty Senior Students lying in ambush naturally clearly sensed that the team of New Students had stopped, without deviating, right outside their encirclement.

This made them secretly rejoice, believing the prey had completely fallen into the trap.

However, the scene that followed left them somewhat stunned.

They saw the black-haired New Student, who was surrounded like a moon among stars and looked particularly arrogant, actually step forward two paces alone, his gaze seeming to penetrate through layers of obstacles.

His gaze landed precisely in the direction of their hiding spot. He coughed twice and spoke in a loud voice, using a tone that sounded very sincere but, in this context, came across as incredibly arrogant.

"Ahem, Senior Students in the dark, stop hiding. Come out."

"Heed my advice: hand over your Fire Energy Cards. I will spare you some face, considering you are Senior Students, and go easy on you."

The forest fell into a deadly silence.

The Senior Students in ambush exchanged glances, almost thinking they had misheard.

Was this kid crazy or stupid?

He actually dared to try and rob them instead?

And he shamelessly claimed he would save them face?

Naturally, they didn't reveal the slightest movement. Some even nearly burst out laughing, feeling that this New Student must have been scared senseless and was spouting nonsense.

The leading Senior Student, a Peak Dou Ling of the Three-Star Dou Ling realm, who was surnamed Shi, already wore a cruel smile and was ready to give the order to attack.

But just as he opened his mouth, an unexpected change occurred!

Jiang Donghua, standing there, seemed utterly unfazed by their disregard, merely shaking his head faintly.

Immediately after, he rubbed his fingers together lightly, and a wisp of deep blue flame suddenly leaped onto his fingertip!

The flame was not scorching hot; instead, it emitted an aura of extreme cold. The space around the flame seemed about to freeze, and the moisture in the air instantly condensed into tiny ice crystals that fell rustling down!

"Go."

Jiang Donghua flicked his finger.

That wisp of deep blue, icy flame instantly split into dozens of fine blue streaks of fire.

As if possessing life, they struck with blinding speed and terrifying precision toward every corner where the Senior Students were hiding, whether it was in the tree canopy, the bushes, or piles of fallen leaves!

"Oh no!"

"What is that?!"

"Damn it! It's so cold!"

Wherever the blue streaks of fire passed, extreme cold spread. Trees were instantly coated in white frost, the hiding bushes were frozen into ice sculptures, and the layer of fallen leaves was directly sealed in ice!

This sudden, terrifyingly precise attack, along with the strange icy flame, completely disrupted the formation of all the Senior Students.

They could no longer maintain their concealment. One by one, like cats whose tails had been stepped on, they leaped out of their hiding spots, screaming and utterly disheveled.

They frantically brushed off the ice shards clinging to their bodies, and the scene instantly became extremely chaotic.

The twenty Senior Students' originally perfect ambush formation was forced to reveal itself entirely by a casual strike from the opponent!

The leading Senior Student surnamed Shi had an ashen face. He brushed the frost off his shoulder, his eyes fixed on the flickering blue flame on Jiang Donghua's fingertip with shock and uncertainty, sensing the strange icy-fire energy contained within it.

He seemed to understand something, and the shock on his face gradually turned into a mocking sneer laced with jealousy and contempt.

He couldn't help but curl his lip, deliberately raising his voice and speaking with disdain.

"I thought we had a master here. Turns out he's just a medicine jar!"

"Hmph, so he's a Fourth-Grade Alchemist who tamed a decent Beast Fire. No wonder he has so many people following him. I bet you haven't given them a few benefits in the form of pills, have you?"

In his view, for Jiang Donghua to reach the Dou Ling realm at such a young age, he must have relied on pills, and the ability to possess such a strange flame was definitely due to his identity as an Alchemist.

It was perfectly normal for an Alchemist to use pills to win people over and form a team.

The Senior Student surnamed Shi stepped forward, unleashing the imposing aura of a Three-Star Dou Ling, attempting to suppress Jiang Donghua, and sneered.

"Kid, the identity of an Alchemist doesn't work well in the Inner Academy! Especially not now!"

"If you know what's good for you, obediently hand over your Fire Energy and apologize to your Senior Brothers. Maybe we'll go easy on you!"

"Otherwise, you delicate medicine jar will probably be confined to bed for half a month!"

Jiang Donghua acted as if he had them cornered, casually arranging his tactics.

"All of you, quickly pick your opponents now. Leave the rest to me! Or, if you can't beat them halfway through the fight, you can call for me too!"

This completely enraged the Inner Academy group led by the Senior Student surnamed Shi.

This was practically treating them like experience packs and mobile Fire Energy reserves that could be distributed at will!

The Senior Student surnamed Shi, in particular, felt deeply insulted. He immediately flew into a rage, his face flushed red, and he pointed at Jiang Donghua and roared.

"You little bastard! You're courting death! A trash Alchemist who climbed up using pills dares to boast in front of your grandpa! I'm going to..."

However, he hadn't finished his threat!

Moreover, they had already built up a belly full of rage toward these high-and-mighty Senior Students who treated them like fat sheep!

The moment the Senior Student surnamed Shi roared, Wang Han, the most fiery, straightforward, and burly of the four, reacted the fastest!

He originally cultivated fierce and overbearing cultivation methods and Dou Techniques. Hearing Jiang Donghua's command and seeing the opponent's leader act so arrogantly, how could he hold back?

"Cut the crap! Take a punch from your Grandpa Wang!"

Wang Han roared, the Dou Qi in his body erupting without reservation. He stomped fiercely on the ground, and his figure shot out like a cannonball!

What he executed was clearly an impressive movement-type Dou Technique, and his speed instantly skyrocketed!

In barely the blink of an eye, he crossed the short distance between the two sides.

His massive, sand-pot-sized fist was enveloped in dense golden Dou Qi. Accompanied by the fierce whistling sound of tearing air, he threw a simple, solid punch directly at the face of the Three-Star Dou Ling Senior Student surnamed Shi, who was still shouting insults!

"What?!"

The Senior Student surnamed Shi had absolutely not expected the opponent to attack without warning, nor for the speed to be so fast and the offensive so fierce and overbearing!

In his haste, he could only barely raise his arm to block, the Dou Qi within his body surging wildly in an attempt to defend.

"Bang!!"

An incomparably muffled boom exploded in the field!

The golden and yellowish-brown Dou Qi collided violently, and the resulting shockwave swept away all the surrounding fallen leaves and dust!

The Senior Student surnamed Shi barely managed to block the punch, but the terrifying force shook his entire body, causing him to stagger back seven or eight steps before he could steady himself. His blocking arm trembled slightly, and his face was filled with shock and a hint of dread!

He was a Three-Star Dou Ling!

The opponent clearly only had the aura of a Two-Star Dou Ling, so why was his strength so fierce and powerful?!

Having gained the upper hand with one punch, Wang Han pressed his advantage relentlessly and roared.

"A Three-Star Dou Ling is nothing special! Come again!"

He then charged forward again, launching a storm-like assault.

Wang Han's earth-shattering punch was like the sounding of a horn for the attack!

"Attack!"

"Pick your opponents!"

Seeing this, Zhao Ming, Bai Ling, and Lin Xiu no longer hesitated. They immediately followed Jiang Donghua's instructions, each locking onto a Senior Student with a similar aura, and launched their attacks fiercely!

The twenty-odd Great Dou Master students behind them also shouted encouragement, forming a defensive array to protect themselves while vigilantly watching the other restless Senior Students.