Battle Through the Heavens: Beauties Abound Starting with Yunlan and Her Disciples

149: Section 149They finally realized the gravity of the situation.

They no longer acted separately, but in utter terror, gathered around the ”Black Fiend Team,” the strongest among the ”tail-ender” seniors.

They formed a loose but populous alliance, fighting and retreating, attempting to use their numerical advantage to withstand the unstoppable and terrifying offensive of this group of ”monster rookies.”

However, all of this was in vain.

They even fought and retreated all the way from the depths of the forest, fleeing wretchedly to the destination of this journey.

On an open exit plain at the end of the forest, which was the very place where several academy leaders and Elders were currently leisurely watching the battle.

They even summoned another team with decent strength from another direction, led by the ”White Fiend Team,” who were also leaders among these ”tail-enders.”

Attempting a pincer attack for one last desperate gamble.

The final result, naturally, held no suspense. Under the joint efforts of The Three Xiao Sisters and the Cloud Mist fellow Disciples...

The so-called ”Black and White Dual Fiends” and the ”Senior Alliance” couldn’t even last the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn before being completely routed and utterly defeated.

Although, during the battle, the so-called ”Black and White Dual Fiend Teams” did show some of the experience and resilience of seniors, causing the Young ladies some minor trouble.

But those twists were merely twists, not even worth elaborating on further here. ”Haha... how is it? Everyone?”

On the high platform, Vice President Hu Gan stroked his neatly groomed beard with satisfaction while addressing the other department leaders and Elders who were also responsible for invigilating.

He spoke triumphantly, his tone filled with a sense of boasting!

”These are the top-tier talents I’ve been telling you all about, the ones our academy recruited this year! Not bad, right?” As for the other leaders and Elders who, for various reasons, had been unable to attend the previous Outer Academy Promotion Competition in person...

Now, after witnessing the battle below—which could be described as a ”dimensional strike”—every one of them couldn’t help but nod repeatedly, their eyes filled with undisguised shock and admiration.

”Not bad! It’s more than just ’not bad’! This... this is simply a group of monsters!”

An elder in charge of the academy’s Law Enforcement Team, who seemed to have a rather fiery temper, couldn’t help but swear,

”Especially that little girl who plays with fire and the one who uses wind! Good heavens! That combat power, even if placed on our Inner Academy’s strong ranking list, could probably... contend for a spot in the top fifty?!”

”Indeed! The overall level of this year’s freshmen truly far exceeds previous years!”

After the battle ended, the entire destination plain was left with only Yun Xiancheng’s team and the ”poor” seniors lying all over the ground, bruised and swollen, having had ninety percent of their Fire Energy plundered.

The Young ladies chattered excitedly, huddling together to count their ”extremely abundant” harvest of Fire Energy from this trip. When they gathered all the Fire Energy cards ”borrowed” from the seniors and distributed them equally...

They discovered with pleasant surprise that the small number on their crystal cards, which originally held a mere ”fifty” points of initial Fire Energy, had turned into a massive ”three hundred and sixty.”

”Wow! Three hundred and sixty points! Each of us gets an average of three hundred and sixty points of Fire Energy!” Xiao Mei looked at the large number on her Fire Energy card, so excited she almost jumped on the spot.

”Senior Xue Ni! Senior Xue Ni, look! What level is this number in the Inner Academy? Is it very impressive?”

Xue Ni, who was called upon, was currently staring blankly at the Fire Energy card in her hand, which also displayed the number ”three hundred and sixty,” in a daze as if sleepwalking.

Three hundred and sixty points?

She felt she must be hallucinating.

I... I have never... never seen so much Fire Energy...

She could hardly believe her eyes and even reached out with trembling fingers to rub them hard.

Then, upon hearing the Young ladies’ inquiry, she finally snapped out of the overwhelming sense of unreality. She hurriedly and excitedly explained to these juniors, who to her were like ”saviors”:

”Im... impressive! It’s more than just impressive!”

Her voice trembled slightly from excessive excitement. ”Juniors! You have no idea! This small Fire Energy card is the only proof that allows us to enter the most miraculous ’Heavenly Flame Training Pagoda’ in the Inner Academy to cultivate!”

”In the Training Pagoda, one point of Fire Energy allows you to cultivate peacefully inside for one day! Moreover, cultivating there not only...”

...greatly accelerates the speed at which we absorb worldly energy, but also has the miraculous effect of tempering Dou Qi and cleansing the soul!”

”Three hundred and sixty points is enough for us to cultivate for almost an entire year. You know, we tail-ender seniors haven’t even spent a full month cultivating in the Training Pagoda in total. If I could cultivate for a whole year, even I would be able to become a Dou Ling!”

Xue Ni spoke with immense longing, as if she could already see her bright future. After her excited explanation, she seemed to suddenly remember something.

She saw Yun Xiancheng drinking tea calmly over there, along with the two girls beside him whose auras were also unfathomable—one with white hair and a petite one with purple hair—who seemed not to have participated in the distribution of Fire Energy from start to finish.

Moved, she immediately walked over to Yun Xiancheng and spoke in a tone filled with gratitude and respect.

She offered up the Fire Energy card that was as precious as her life with both hands and said with utmost sincerity,

”Young Master Yun! Thank you and the sisters so much this time! If it weren’t for you all, I’m afraid I would never see so much Fire Energy in my life! I know you and those two ladies didn’t participate in the distribution. So, I want to give nine-tenths of the three hundred and sixty points I received—”

”No! All of it! I’ll give it all to you! Consider it a small token of my appreciation!”

”No need.”

However, Yun Xiancheng reached out and gently caught the girl’s wrist, which was trembling slightly from nervousness, stopping her. He looked into her eyes, which were filled with sincerity and gratitude, and spoke softly.

To thoroughly convince the girl and put her mind at ease about accepting her ”reward”...

He flipped his palm, and a special card that was entirely a noble gold color, specially prepared for him by Vice President Hu Gan, flashed into existence.

Unlike the tiny numbers on others’ cards that required careful inspection, the number representing the value on this golden card was actually a massive, horizontal ’8’!

Or, more strictly speaking, it wasn’t a number at all. It was a symbol representing ”infinity.”

”Look,” he waved the golden card in front of Xue Ni’s eyes, ”I have plenty of Fire Energy.”

Xue Ni stared at the golden card in Yun Xiancheng’s hand, which radiated an aura of ”inhumane wealth,” and her mouth hung slightly open as she completely petrified on the spot.

A... a golden... card? How is this possible?!

She felt that all the experience and common sense she had painstakingly accumulated over the past year or so in the Inner Academy were completely and ruthlessly overturned at this moment!

307 Leader’s Reward

”Aren’t Fire Crystal Cards always divided into five colors from lowest to highest: black, blue, cyan, red, and purple? There’s actually... actually a golden card!? You’re just too incredible!”

The girl only felt that the hardships she had endured and the suffering she had gone through over the past year or so were simply a massive joke. Unconsciously, her body, due to that instinctual...

Unconsciously, she pressed herself tightly against Yun Xiancheng’s body, which gave off a faint fragrance. She couldn’t help but murmur sincere praise filled with admiration and adoration.

Afterwards, she seemed to finally notice her scandalous behavior of ”throwing herself into his arms.”

Her pretty face, already flushed from excitement, instantly turned as red as a ripe apple.

She let out a short gasp and hurriedly retreated two large steps like she’d been struck by lightning, distancing herself from him with a blushing face.

Then, with her head lowered, she said in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, sounding incredibly shy:

”I... I’m sorry! Young Master Yun! I... I didn’t mean it! I... I shouldn’t have approached you so carelessly.”

Yun Xiancheng looked at her flustered and adorably dazed expression, simply gave a gentle smile, then reached out to pat her head lightly, saying warmly:

”It’s alright, it’s just a small matter, no need to worry.” ”Ahem!”

At that moment, Vice President Hu Qian, who was standing to the side, really couldn’t bear to watch any longer.

He gave two light coughs, stepped forward, and spoke loudly to the group of Young ladies who were still excited over their ”huge sum”: ”Alright, alright, quiet down! Listen to me!”

”Xiao Yan, Xiao Xun’er, Xiao Yu, Xiao Mei, Hu Jia, Nalan Yanran! The six of you performed outstandingly and showed superior strength in this Fire Energy Hunting Competition!”

”Therefore, after discussing with Great Elder Su Qian, we have decided to specially authorize the free upgrade of your ordinary Fire Crystal Cards to the superior Green Crystal Cards!”

”Furthermore, as your final reward for this competition, each of you will receive an additional fifty units of Fire Energy!”

On one hand, Hu Qian’s words were naturally following Great Elder Su Qian’s instructions to provide extra resources to these exceptionally talented Young ladies to show the academy’s appreciation.

On the other hand... his own daughter, Hu Jia, was destined to become Yun Xiancheng’s wife in the future.

As a father-in-law, helping his promising son-in-law quietly and in advance was just a bit of his own small selfishness.

The other surrounding Elders didn’t say anything about this.

Jia Nan Academy had never been stingy about investing in true geniuses. ”Um... Student Xiao Yan, wait a moment!”

Just then, the Alchemy Department Leader, who had already shown great interest in Xiao Yan back at the testing grounds, walked quickly to her with a very kind, perhaps even ”fawning,” smile.

He carefully pulled a crystal card from his robes and handed it to Xiao Yan, saying:

”Student Xiao Yan, this is one hundred units of Fire Energy. Consider it a special private subsidy from our Alchemy Department. Please don’t think it’s too little!”

Then, he took out another special card that was emerald green all over, featuring an exquisite Medicine Cauldron emblem.

”And this card is an exclusive medicinal ingredient card only available to internal members of our Alchemy Department. With this card, you can receive a certain amount of precious alchemy material subsidies from the department’s storehouse for free every month!”

”Student Xiao Yan, I’ve looked into your records. You once defeated all rivals to win the championship at the Alchemist Convention held in the Jia Ma Empire, didn’t you? You have alchemy...”

”...talent, so don’t let it go to waste.”

The Alchemy Department Leader’s eyes were glowing.

”You are a natural talent for us Alchemists! I hope that after you enter the Inner Academy, you won’t let your peerless talent in alchemy fall behind because of your cultivation!”

”Hmph! Naturally! Look whose Disciple she is!”

In Yun Xiancheng’s mind, Yao Chan’s clear voice, filled with pride, rang out at just the right time.

”This girl Xiao Yan is the most precious Disciple of my, Yao Chan’s, life! What does a mere championship from the Jia Ma Empire matter? She will definitely be the champion of the Central Plains’ Pill Tower!”

”I understand. Thank you for your kindness, senior.”

Xiao Yan gave a respectful cupped-fist salute to the enthusiastic Alchemy Department Leader, then generously accepted the two special cards representing the Alchemy Department’s goodwill.

”Alright, since the rewards have all been distributed, that’s all.”

Hu Qian looked at the ”good prospects” before him with increasing satisfaction, a gratified smile appearing on his face.

”You all, take a short rest here. Once the other new students who are still lost in the forest arrive, you will all together, offi-”

”-cially become proud members of our Jia Nan Academy’s Inner Academy!”

As soon as Hu Qian’s words fell.

At this point, the new students who had been cautiously hiding in the forest for a long time finally arrived in small groups, quite late.

When they finally reached the destination plain that symbolized safety and saw the ”pitiful” seniors lying all over the ground, moaning as they rested...

...and saw Yun Xiancheng and the others standing in the center of the field like stars surrounding the moon, receiving rewards personally from the academy leaders, they all, without exception, froze in their tracks.

”Wh... what’s going on?”

”Did we... miss something?”

In this Fire Energy Hunting Competition, which had been ”calm and tranquil” for them...

Except for a few unlucky ones who ran into a senior team right at the start and had their meager Fire Energy stolen, almost none of the new students had even encountered the ”vicious” seniors.

They had arrived here smoothly—one might even say boringly—and safely.

”I say... buddy, did we... take the wrong path just now? Why does it feel like we weren’t in the same competition?”

One new student stared blankly at the scene and muttered to his companion. ”It must be that Boss Yun Xiancheng defeated everyone and gave us the chance to pass safely!”

People are always prone to idol worship. Even though Yun Xiancheng hadn’t done anything actively, the new students had already spontaneously formed a cult of worship around him—just as they had in the capital of the Jia Ma Empire.

308 New Residence

”Chenger, look, this is where we will be living in the Inner Academy from now on.”

Instructor Ruo Lin stood before a quiet and elegant courtyard, a gratified smile on her face.

She turned to the side and spoke softly to the newly arrived Yun Xiancheng and his group, ”I came ahead to get everything settled for everyone.”

After officially entering the Inner Academy, Great Elder Su Qian and Vice President Hu Qian indeed kept their word.

They not only fulfilled all their previous promises but even went above and beyond what was promised.

To ensure that ”little monsters” like Yun Xiancheng and the others could have an absolutely quiet cultivation environment without being disturbed, Su Qian had gone to great lengths when arranging their residence.

With a stroke of his pen, he directly assigned them to the most remote and sparsely populated valley in the entire Inner Academy. This valley was essentially the exclusive territory of the academy’s Alchemy Department.

Because the energy of heaven and earth here was exceptionally dense and the soil was fertile, it was extremely suitable for growing various rare medicinal materials; thus, most of the Alchemy Department’s Medicinal Gardens were located here.

It is reported that when the high-level members of the Alchemy Department learned that Great Elder Su Qian was planning to arrange for Xiao Yan, a ”rare alchemy talent” who possessed a Heavenly Flame,

to live elsewhere, they were more anxious than anyone! Fearing their Alchemy Department’s precious prospect would suffer some great grievance living elsewhere, they voluntarily gave up this core Medicinal Garden area, which they usually treated as a treasure and strictly forbade outsiders from entering,

specifically for Yun Xiancheng and the others to live in.