249: Chen Ming, ranked 25th on the leaderboard

The news that the five members of the Black Fiend Squad had been forced to surrender and hand over all their Fire Energy by the New Students' leader, Jiang Donghua, acting alone, spread with astonishing speed to all Inner Academy Seniors who were participating in or paying attention to the Fire Energy Hunt.

The impact brought by this news was a hundred times stronger than the previous defeats of a few ordinary Senior Students' teams!

It could be said that the complete failure of the Black Fiend Squad made many Senior Students in the Inner Academy who were originally just watching the fun realize, for the first time truly and clearly, that the strength of this batch of New Students was probably a bit excessive!

That was a kind of power strong enough to overturn their established perceptions!

"The Black Fiend Squad actually fell too? And they surrendered voluntarily?"

"What exactly is the background of that Jiang Donghua?!"

"These New Students are going to turn the world upside down!"

Similar exclamations and discussions rang out in every corner.

However, not everyone completely believed that Jiang Donghua possessed the rumored absolute crushing individual strength.

Quite a few people still maintained a skeptical attitude.

"Hmph, after all, the guy led by Jiang Donghua had dozens of New Students following him!"

A Senior Student who had not participated in the hunt analyzed this while stroking his chin.

"If the Black Fiend Squad was besieged by them using a human wave tactic, and that Jiang Donghua truly has some strength, then it's really possible they could win!"

"Exactly!"

Someone nearby immediately agreed.

"Don't forget, that kid is also rumored to be an Alchemist! Who knows how many strange and wonderful pills he has stored in his storage ring?"

"If he gave those dozens of New Students a few pills each to temporarily boost their strength, they could stack up bodies and still overwhelm the Black Fiend Squad!"

This speculation about human wave tactics combined with pill enhancement provided a seemingly reasonable explanation for the Black Fiend Squad's defeat, and it also offered psychological comfort to many Senior Students who were unwilling to believe that the individual strength of the New Students could reach such a level.

But regardless, the discussion surrounding Jiang Donghua and this batch of New Students was definitely several times more intense than it had been yesterday!

They had already become the focus of attention for the entire Inner Academy.

And with the Black Fiend Squad eliminated, everyone's gaze and anticipation involuntarily shifted towards the final area of the forest, towards the team that was as famous as the Black Fiend Squad, and was even rumored to be stronger.

"Now, the Black Fiend Squad is gone."

"Next, we'll see if the White Fiend Squad, which serves as the final safeguard of the Black and White Evil Furies, can stop them!"

"Chen Ming of the White Fiend Squad is a ruthless figure ranked twenty-fifth on the strong ranking list, rumored to have already stepped halfway into the Seven-Star Dou Ling realm! The few people under his command are also not to be trifled with!"

"If even the White Fiend Squad is breached by them so easily!"

A Senior Student, speaking up to this point, couldn't help but swallow, his eyes flashing with a trace of incredible shock.

"Then this batch of New Students will truly have created a situation that hasn't been breached in over a decade."

"Right! It all depends on the White Fiend Squad!"

"Senior Chen Ming, you must save face for us Senior Students!"

For a time, all Inner Academy Seniors, whether they were watching the spectacle or feeling indignant, placed their final hopes on the White Fiend Squad, the team that had yet to appear and symbolized the last dignity of the Inner Academy Seniors.

They urgently wanted to know if this final barrier could still stop the New Students' team, which was advancing like a hot knife through butter and was full of mystery and legendary color.

Another day passed. At the end of the forest, beyond the open clearing, stood the massive stone gate symbolizing the boundary of the Inner Academy.

At this moment, the atmosphere in front of the stone gate was so heavy it felt like water might drip from it.

Five figures, uniformly clad in white, stood silently in front of the stone gate, like five drawn sharp swords.

They were the White Fiend Squad, the final pride and barrier of the Inner Academy Seniors.

The captain leading them, Chen Ming, had a stern face and a tall, straight figure. His hands were clasped behind his back, and the faint Dou Qi fluctuations emanating from his body made the surrounding air feel somewhat sluggish.

He kept his eyes half-closed, seemingly indifferent to all the surrounding noise, merely waiting for that single target.

In sharp contrast to his tranquility were the densely packed, overwhelming crowds of Inner Academy Seniors on both sides of the stone gate and on the high ground behind it.

Almost all Senior Students who were not in secluded cultivation rushed over upon hearing the news, wanting to witness this final battle with their own eyes.

The low hum of noise and discussion converged into a buzzing background sound, and everyone's gaze was interwoven with tension, expectation, unwillingness, and a hint of subtle dread.

However, what was even more eye-catching was that several figures with profound auras were quietly standing on the high platform beside the stone gate.

Those were several Elders of the Inner Academy, and even the Great Elder, Ye Tianxing, who was usually elusive, had personally arrived. His expression was calm, his gray eyes were as deep as the starry sky, and he quietly watched the direction of the forest exit. No one could discern any emotion from his face.

"They're coming!"

Someone whispered this softly.

All the noise vanished instantly, and countless gazes shot towards the forest exit.

The rustling of footsteps drew closer, breaking the solidified silence.

Immediately following, dozens of New Students, led by a tall, straight figure, stepped out in orderly fashion from the shadows of the woods.

The young man leading them was naturally Jiang Donghua.

Despite experiencing continuous battles, not a speck of dust could be seen on his clothes, and a relaxed, indifferent smile even hung on the corner of his mouth, as if he were not arriving for a life-or-death confrontation, but for a casual date.

His gaze, without the slightest hesitation, pierced through the space, landed on the five most conspicuous white-robed figures, and finally settled on the face of the leader, Chen Ming.

The two sides' lines of sight met in the air, as if invisible sparks were flying.

Under the scrutiny of countless gazes, Jiang Donghua's steps did not falter; he walked straight ahead and stopped ten zhang in front of the White Fiend Squad.

The New Students behind him also stopped in unison, utterly silent, displaying extremely strong discipline, forming a subtle confrontation with the overwhelming crowd of Senior Students opposite them.

The smile on Jiang Donghua's face deepened. He seemed completely oblivious to the sharp aura emanating from the five people opposite him and the almost stagnant pressure surrounding them. He simply spoke with a natural, even slightly matter-of-fact courtesy, smiling.

"Five Seniors, thank you for your hard work guarding this place."

He paused, his tone as casual as if he were greeting them, yet the words he spoke instantly sent the blood pressure of all the Senior Students soaring.

"Also, please be so kind as to take out your fire crystal cards."

As his voice fell, the entire venue became deathly silent.

All the Senior Students were dumbfounded, hardly daring to believe their ears.

After robbing the Black Fiend Squad, this guy didn't even bother with pleasantries. The very first thing he said upon meeting the stronger White Fiend Squad was the exact same demand?!

What arrogance!

What confidence!

Or rather, what contempt!

Chen Ming's previously half-closed eyes finally opened slowly, and a cold glint appeared, like a sleeping fierce beast opening its eyes.

The Dou Qi that had been restrained around his body also began to surge slowly like a tide.