246: Black Gate Team

While Jiang Donghua led his massive alliance, sweeping through the Senior Students' teams like a steamroller and harvesting abundant fire crystal card, in other corners of the forest, those New Students who had initially chosen to leave the main group, confident in their ability to work independently with individual strength or small team tacit agreement, faced vastly different circumstances.

They quickly encountered the Inner Academy Seniors' merciless 'education'.

At this moment, if anyone could observe the entire area, they would find that in many places, groups of two or three New Students had already been captured by Senior Students.

They had most of the fire crystal card on their fire crystal card taken away, and although they hadn't suffered fatal injuries, they certainly didn't look good.

Their faces weren't necessarily bruised and battered, but they were at least Dusty and dirty, their clothes torn, their spirits low, and their eyes filled with unwillingness and frustration.

Compared to the New Students in Jiang Donghua's team, who, though nervous, were high-spirited and even managed to get some fire crystal card, the difference was like heaven and earth.

These encounters also indirectly proved how wise it was to choose to stick with Jiang Donghua.

As Jiang Donghua's team advanced, they continuously picked up more New Students who had been separated earlier or were being chased frantically by small groups of Senior Students.

Upon hearing about Jiang Donghua's terrifying strength, capable of sending several Senior Students flying with a single punch, these New Students practically begged to join the team.

Thus, Jiang Donghua's team grew like a snowball, its numbers swelling to over thirty people!

They moved grandly, becoming a formidable force in this forest that no Senior Students' team dared to provoke easily.

Only a day had passed, and they had already delved deep into the forest's interior, their progress far exceeding previous years.

"At this rate, in just over another day, we should be able to reach the Inner Academy's entrance!"

Within the team, New Students began to excitedly whisper, their faces filled with anticipation.

This was an unimaginable speed in the past.

More importantly, information always spreads quickly from the five Senior Students' teams eliminated by Jiang Donghua and his group. News about a monstrously powerful and combat-effective New Student in this year's batch had already spread like wildfire among the Senior Students!

"He's at least a Six-Star Dou Ling!"

"He can send several people flying with one punch!"

"Whatever you do, don't provoke that biggest New Student team! Especially that black-haired kid leading them!"

Such warnings and exclamations circulated continuously among the Senior Students still participating in the hunt.

Therefore, even the arrogant Senior Students who had originally planned to make a big splash now had no choice but to temporarily act like shrinking turtles. Upon sensing the aura of Jiang Donghua's massive team from a distance, they immediately detoured, not daring to approach.

After all, each of their fire crystal card held dozens, or even hundreds, of hard-earned fire crystal card!

If that monstrous New Student snatched it away, wouldn't it be decades of hard work undone overnight?

The losses would be too devastating!

So, when they encountered Jiang Donghua's team now, they could only choose to slink away, pretending not to see them.

Either they immediately turned and fled into the depths of the dense forest, or they held their breath, praying for this ominous team to quickly pass through their territory.

Thus, a peculiar sight emerged in the forest: a massive team composed of New Students swaggered forward like kings patrolling their domain.

Meanwhile, the Senior Students, who were supposed to be the hunters, fled in all directions, avoiding them like the plague.

In a more secluded mountain hollow deep within the forest, a bonfire crackled, its flickering flames illuminating the faces of the few people gathered around it, revealing deep melancholy and helplessness.

The aura of these five individuals was far more powerful and concentrated than any Senior Students' team encountered before. They were none other than the Black Fiend Squad, part of the Black and White Evil Furies, a feared group of Inner Academy Seniors in this fire crystal card hunt!

They were meant to be the final and strongest barrier to intercept New Students, capable of making all New Students despair in previous years.

However, at this moment, these few Senior Students, who enjoyed a formidable reputation in the Inner Academy, showed no trace of their usual sternness and confidence. Instead, they were enveloped in a faint sorrow.

"Damn it, this faint sorrow is truly terrifying."

A burly man with a shallow scar on his face, whose aura had clearly reached Peak Dou Ling, couldn't help but curse, savagely breaking the wooden stick in his hand and throwing it into the fire.

They were Senior Students who had been in the Inner Academy for several years, possessing formidable strength and arrogance.

Both out of duty and pride, they had to confront this batch of New Students. This was a tradition of the Black and White Evil Furies, and it was their pride.

But as soon as they thought of the hundreds of fire crystal card they had painstakingly accumulated in their fire crystal card, everyone's heart began to bleed.

"I just feel a pang of pain."

Another lean Four-Star Dou Ling team member with hawk-like eyes clutched his chest, his expression pained, as if he had already foreseen the tragic loss of his fire crystal card.

The young man, presumably the captain, whose aura was the most steady and profound, a Five-Star Dou Ling at the initial stage, remained silent for a moment before finally seeming to make a decision.

After doing all this, he spoke in a faint tone, yet with an incomparably heartbroken resolve.

"Next time, the next time this kind of damn thing happens, I'll definitely spend all the fire crystal card in my fire crystal card beforehand! Not a single point left!"

This was a lesson learned through blood and tears.

He sighed, then turned to look at the lean team member and another teammate beside him, asking,

"You two, did you ask the other three teams earlier? What did they say? Do they want to 'entertain' those New Students together?"

He asked this question with a lack of confidence himself.

The lean team member who was asked immediately shook his head, a wry smile on his face.

"I asked, Captain. That guy Fan Jing directly kicked me out, saying whoever wants to go can go, but he's not participating."

"The other two teams had similar sentiments. They all said there's no mandatory confrontation with the New Students, so there's no need to risk all their wealth for a bit of face."

"Of course they wouldn't be willing!"

Are you kidding? Facing a monstrous New Student who is possibly a Six-Star Dou Ling or even higher, plus dozens of New Students grouped together, who would be willing to risk hundreds of fire crystal card?

The Black Fiend Squad Captain finished listening, then let out a long, frustrated sigh, looking utterly deflated.

"Forget it! We'll go ourselves!"

He finally waved his hand weakly.

Although his heart was filled with the pain and frustration of the unknown losses, the pride and dignity of the Black and White Evil Furies, like heavy shackles, firmly bound the five members of the Black Fiend Squad.

Finally, the leading captain, Gao Quan, the Five-Star Dou Ling at the initial stage, gritted his teeth, a flicker of ruthlessness and determination in his eyes, and lowered his voice to his companions.

"Damn it! Since we might not win fairly, and those New Students are grouped up, we'll definitely be at a disadvantage if we charge in head-on."

"Anyway, the reputation of our Black and White Evil Furies can't just be ruined like this!"

"Why don't we take advantage of the dark night and play a little night ambush!"

His eyes gleamed with a spirit of adventure.

"Let's see if we can find an opportunity. Even if we can't wipe them all out, as long as we can take out a few of their core members, especially their leader, we'll have profited! And we can save some face!"

The other four team members showed signs of struggle upon hearing this, but ultimately, the pride of Inner Academy powerhouses and their regard for reputation outweighed their fear of losing fire crystal card.

They could only nod heavily, agreeing to this risky plan.

The five quickly extinguished the bonfire, their figures melting into the shadows as they stealthily moved towards the general direction of Jiang Donghua's team's encampment.

Their movements were extremely cautious, slowly lurking around the New Students' campsite.

Using the cover of night and dense vegetation, they patiently searched for weaknesses, like the most experienced hunters.

The five suppressed their auras to the lowest point, their heartbeats slowed, blood flow reduced, each person becoming like a withered tree or stubborn rock in the forest, almost merging with the surrounding environment. Only those with extremely powerful Soul Power would be able to detect them.

They were waiting.

Waiting for the perfect moment—perhaps when the night guards were most fatigued, or the instant their leader was alone.

Although they knew this move was still incredibly risky, potentially even leading to a double loss, a nearly tragic belief supported them.

"Because they knew that even if they lost, they had to fight for the glory that belonged to the Senior Students, to the Black and White Evil Furies!"

"Otherwise, when we return to the Inner Academy, everyone will dare to laugh at us!"

The night grew deeper.

Only the crackling of the bonfire and the occasional footsteps of the New Students on watch remained in the forest.