Starting as a supporting character in Doupo

Xiao Fan and the others walked through the passage they had come from and opened the door to the pavilion.

crunch~

As the door opened, the gray-robed men sitting on either side locked their gazes on them. Immediately, Xiao Fan and the others sensed a vast and powerful energy sweeping over them. The energy seemed to only serve a scanning function, lasting for about ten seconds before disappearing.

"Time's up, you may leave now. Remember, nothing about the library is to be revealed to outsiders." A hoarse voice rang in everyone's ears. The crowd bowed and then whispered their agreement.

"Hehe, how was the haul?" Hu Qian, who had been waiting outside, greeted everyone with a smile as they came out. "You didn't come back empty-handed, did you?"

Xiao Fan and the others nodded upon hearing this, their joy revealing their success.

Hu Qian bowed to the two elders outside the pavilion, "Since they have come out, we will not disturb them any longer."

The two gray-robed men did not reply, and Hu Qian did not care, leading the group back to the portal on the spatial fold.

"Stay close to me and don't touch these spatial folds, or I won't be able to save you."

Following Hu Qian through the portal and leaving the place, Xiao Fan looked back and saw that the scene inside was beginning to be blurred by the spatial folds, and he could only see the still-standing huge library.

"I'm afraid what we just went in was only the tip of the iceberg of the library."

After all, the library was so large, and the room where they had just chosen their fighting techniques was only one of many. Following Hu Qian, the group finally returned to Hu Qian's office after about half an hour.

Hu Qian sat in his office chair, smiling as he looked at everyone.

"Alright, you've all gotten what you wanted. You have two days of rest left. After that, you'll officially head to the inner courtyard. Make the most of this time."

Seeing that everyone was about to leave, Hu Qian suddenly spoke up and said, "By the way, let me remind you, if newcomers want to avoid being bullied in the inner courtyard, they have to be stronger than them. But those who can enter the inner courtyard were all top performers in the outer courtyard. Moreover, the cultivation in the inner courtyard is different from that in the outer courtyard. After a year of cultivation, they will only become more terrifying. Your chances of winning are very small."

Xiao Fan agreed with Hu Qian in his heart. After all, there was a cultivation accelerator in the inner courtyard. As long as one wasn't an idiot, the progress made would be quite remarkable.

Seeing that everyone didn't seem to care, Hu Qian didn't mind either. He probably knew what everyone was thinking, after all, he had just made a big splash in the outer courtyard and considered himself a chosen one.

With a wave of his hand, Hu Qian dismissed the five people from his room. Whether they wanted to rest or cultivate, they should enjoy the last two days in the outer courtyard. After two days, they would prepare to head to the inner courtyard.

After leaving Hu Qian's office, everyone returned to their own rooms. Having just made some progress, they all planned to study their own fighting techniques first.

After returning to his room, Xiao Fan took out the fighting technique he had just obtained to examine it.

"Shadow Prison, a mid-level Earth-rank combat skill."

After reading the description of the fighting skill, Xiao Fan was overjoyed. This was not an offensive fighting skill, but a functional one. Its function was to create a specific domain around himself within a certain range. Within the domain, his speed would be boosted, and he could also instantly create a prison within the domain to imprison his opponent.

"As expected of a mid-level Earth-rank combat skill, when combined with the Void Blade I learned before, one can affect or even imprison the enemy's body, while the other can directly decapitate the enemy, giving them an unexpected attack."

......

In a lush, verdant forest, Xiao Fan and Xiao Yan were in a small valley. A small waterfall cascaded down from the top of a small mountain peak, splashing among the rocks and creating a mist that shimmered with vibrant colors under the sunlight.

On a boulder beneath the waterfall, Xiao Yan let out a series of low roars, like the howls of a lion or a tiger, sounding extremely strange. The roars echoed in the mountain stream and rippled across the lake.

Not far from Xiao Yan, Xiao Fan sat cross-legged under a large tree. A thin black mist was brewing around him within a ten-meter radius, churning and swirling with the blowing wind.

"Roar...cough cough..." Xiao Yan's face flushed red from the constant roaring, and he coughed a few more times as he roared again. Swallowing hard, a burning pain shot through his throat, Xiao Yan said helplessly, "I feel like it's still missing something, that's not quite the right touch?"

The old doctor's voice came from the side. "Being able to imitate the roar of a tiger and the howl of a lion in just one day is already quite good. In addition, you started taking the Ice Spirit Throat-Protecting Liquid yesterday and have been practicing until now, so you have basically formed the prototype of sound waves. Next, as long as you grasp the knack of the Lion and Tiger Shattering Gold Roar, you will be able to use it with some difficulty."

"It's all thanks to the medicine you prepared, teacher. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to continue practicing for more than three hours a day." Xiao Yan's slightly hoarse voice rang out. He shook his head, which was a little short of oxygen due to his roaring, and continued, "Besides, I think what Senior Brother did is even more outrageous. He was able to simulate the range of shadows in just two days."

The old apothecary sighed as he gazed at Xiao Fan under the big tree. His disciple, with only a few simple pointers from him, was almost at the entry level of a mid-level Earth-rank fighting technique. Even the old apothecary was somewhat envious of such talent.

Xiao Fan, standing under the big tree, opened his eyes, stretched out his right hand as if making a fist, and whispered, "Shadow Prison!"

As Xiao Fan's low murmur rang out, the black mist in front of him began to surge. Then, about ten meters in front of him, the black mist gradually took shape, turning into a pitch-black cage. It held for about three seconds before suddenly collapsing.

"That's about it." Xiao Fan took a deep breath, suppressing the restless fighting spirit within his body, and then turned to look at Xiao Yan on the boulder.

"Hehe, teacher, junior brother." With a light step, Xiao Fan's figure floated to the two of them, letting out a strange laugh.

"What is this...?" Xiao Yan pointed to the spot where the prison cell had appeared, stammering slightly.

Xiao Fan smiled and said calmly, "It's barely passable, and still a bit strenuous."

Hearing Xiao Fan's affirmative answer, Xiao Yan didn't know what to say. He hadn't even fully mastered this high-level Xuan-rank fighting technique, but he could already barely use his mid-level Di-rank fighting technique. Two days? How long did it take him to learn the Flame Dividing Wave Ruler?

Seeing Xiao Yan looking at him as if he were a monster, Xiao Fan felt a little embarrassed. After all, with the system around, he could learn fighting techniques by consuming source coins, which was naturally much easier. But he couldn't tell them that, so he could only let them misunderstand.

He felt a little sorry for his Origin Coins, since he had spent a full five thousand Origin Coins to barely get to the basics of this Earth-rank combat skill.

Just then, a cyan figure swept over from a distance and landed on the rubble not far from the two of them, while Yao Lao had already returned to Xiao Yan's ring.

"Brother Xiao Yan, Brother Xiao Fan, are you ready? We're heading to the inner courtyard!"

Chapter 118 Fire Energy Hunting Competition

In the square in front of the academy's administration building, dozens of students stood in neat rows, with Xiao Fan and his group of five standing at the very front, waiting quietly.

At the edge of the square, there were still many students watching. After all, many students enter the inner academy every year, and at this time, many people come to see off their relatives and friends, making it a rather lively event in the academy.

About ten minutes later, footsteps approached. Xiao Fan and the others looked in the direction of the sound and saw Hu Qian and several elders walking out of the building. Looking at the students lined up neatly below, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Hu Qian's eyes. He stood on the steps in front of the building and spoke to the students below.

"Dear students, after the previous selection process, it is now time for you to enter the Inner Academy. First of all, on behalf of the academy, I would like to congratulate you on the rewards of your long-term efforts. Secondly, I must remind you that the Inner Academy is a true gathering place for geniuses, and the competition there is extremely fierce. You must help and support each other. The progress you can make each year will be tremendous."

Upon hearing Hu Qian's words, the students of the plaza mountain all showed excitement. After all, their goal was to enter the more mysterious inner courtyard and cultivate diligently, all for the sake of gaining greater strength. Entering the inner courtyard was the best way to improve their strength. Seeing everyone's excitement, Hu Qian coughed and continued, "The inner courtyard involves the core of the academy and is located in a very secret place. Therefore, many students and even instructors do not know its location. So we will send you all to one place."

Hearing Hu Qian's words, Xiao Yan curiously asked Hu Jia, who was standing not far away, "You don't know the location of the inner courtyard either?"

Hu Jia shook her head and whispered, "The inner courtyard is very secluded. Even my grandfather never told me about it, but every year quite a few senior students come out from there, and each time they undergo a complete transformation."

As Hu Qian finished speaking, ten black dots appeared in the sky, gradually expanding into ten enormous griffins that flew over everyone's heads. The resulting gale-force winds blew some students off course before landing in an open space not far from them, where they waited quietly.

"Griffin?"

Hu Qian waved his hand and said to everyone, "Alright, five people per group, go up!"

Upon hearing Hu Qian's words, the students all found some familiar classmates and rushed to climb onto the griffin's broad back. In the end, because they wanted to show off, they slid off the griffin's back and ended up in a sorry state.

"Haha, to stand firm on a griffin, you'd need at least the strength of a Great Battle Master," Hu Qian laughed. "You guys should just sit still in your seats!"

Then he turned to Xiao Fan and the others and said, "You five can form a group and go up quickly."

Xiao Fan nodded to Hu Qian, then leaped onto the griffin's back, landing steadily. Xiao Yan and the others followed suit, leaping up and landing firmly on the griffin's back. The other students were secretly amazed; they truly lived up to their reputation as top five students in the academy.

Not far behind Xiao Fan and the others, on the back of a griffin, Bai Shan looked at them with a gloomy expression. He had originally been a strong contender for first place in the selection competition, but in the end, he didn't even make it into the top five. This made Bai Shan very angry. Looking at the group of people chatting and laughing on the back of the griffin, Bai Shan thought to himself, "Hmph! Let you be arrogant for a while longer. Once you get in, I can still deal with you however I want."

After everyone was secured on the backs of the griffins, Hu Qian waved his hand, and all the griffins flapped their wings and flew into the sky. Hu Qian and the elders beside him exchanged glances, and with a flash, the magnificent wings of battle appeared on their backs, soaring around the group.

"We will be protecting you along the way. Let's set off now!"

The griffins took off and soon left the outer courtyard, entering the vast mountains.

"So we're heading to the inner courtyard now!" Xiao Yan sighed beside Xiao Fan.

Xiao Fan smiled upon hearing this and said to Xiao Yan, "What, do you want to stay in the outer courtyard a little longer?" Xiao Yan shook his head, his tone full of curiosity. "I'm just curious about what the inner courtyard is like. Riding a griffin, it seems the inner courtyard isn't that close."

Nodding, Xiao Fan looked at the lush green mountains around him and said in a low voice, "It's going to be very exciting!" After all, there's the Fallen Heart Flame and all sorts of other strange fire energies in it, how could it not be exciting?

In the forest, the group flew along on the backs of griffins, while Hu Qian and others slew some ferocious magical beasts around the group, making many students envious.

"Without the protection of the vice dean and the others, it would probably be impossible to reach the inner courtyard, right?" Xiao Yan licked his lips and said calmly, looking at the monster corpse falling from the sky.

Just as the group reached the vicinity of a mountain stream, the flying griffin stopped in its tracks.

"Are they going to rest?" Many students looked at Hu Qian and the others in front of them with puzzled expressions. Only Xiao Fan's eyes flashed with a glint. They must have arrived at the inner courtyard.

As expected, as Hu Qian formed a unique hand seal, ripples suddenly spread across the empty mountain range ahead, spreading like water, and then a huge silver gate appeared. Hu Qian turned to look at the astonished crowd, smiled and waved, "Let's go, go inside, we'll be there soon."

As the group stepped through the silver gate, they vanished instantly. Xiao Fan understood that they were being hidden inside. He nodded to Xiao Yan beside him, and the group followed.

As they passed through the gate, the group felt a moment of mental disorientation, which quickly disappeared. When they opened their eyes again, they saw two elderly men and several middle-aged instructors. Behind them were about twenty young students, each wearing a badge with a tower-shaped pattern on their chest.

"Hehe, old man Hu, still as punctual as ever. How are the new students this year?" One of the old men saw the group and walked up with a smile, patting Hu Qian on the shoulder.

"Hehe, you must be quite surprised by this year's students." Hu Qian smiled, then waved to Xiao Fan and the others. After they approached, he pointed to the two and said, "These two are the academy's elders. This is Elder Su, and the other is Elder Qing. If you have any problems in the inner academy, just look for them."

Upon hearing this, the two elders smiled and looked at Xiao Fan and his companions, nodding slightly. "To be able to secure a top-five position at such a young age is truly remarkable; their potential is astonishing."

The sound then amplified, making it clear to everyone.

"Alright, you've passed the selection competition and have earned the qualification to enter the inner academy, but this isn't the end..." Elder Su smiled, then flipped his hand, and a large stack of black chips appeared in his palm. He scattered them into the sky, and as if they were alive, each student received one.

The group took the chip and felt a strange energy emanating from it. On the black chip, there was a large red number: five!

"What does this mean?" The students took the chips from their hands, examining them with slight surprise, but found nothing unusual. Meanwhile, the twenty or so inner court students stared covetously at the chips in everyone's hands.

"Because it's a bit complicated to explain, I'll just give you a simple explanation. The chips you have are made of fire energy. In the inner courtyard, if you want to cultivate or exchange for anything, you use fire energy to trade. And fire energy is hard to come by. You are new students, so this is the first batch of fire energy we gave you." Elder Su said loudly, seeing the puzzled looks on everyone's faces.

"The inner courtyard is located on the opposite side of this forest. What you need to do is cross this forest and successfully reach the other side. The students behind you will chase after you and try to seize the fire energy in your hands. What you need to do is use every means to escape or defeat them. The sooner you reach the inner courtyard, the richer the rewards you will receive."

Elder Su pointed sharply to the dark forest behind him and said to everyone, "And this, we call it the 'Fire Energy Hunting Competition'!"

"Ding! New quest triggered."

Task 1: Be the first to arrive at the inner courtyard. Reward: Battle Qi +100, Source Coins +1000; Failure: Battle Qi -200, Source Coins -2000.

Task Two: Acquire as much fire energy as possible. The more fire energy you acquire at the end of the fire energy hunting competition, the greater the reward.

Chapter 119 Hunter and Prey

Hearing Elder Su's words, many students looked puzzled. After all, they were just a group of freshmen who had just advanced to the inner academy. How could they possibly defeat those senior students who had been cultivating in the inner academy for a year?

Xiao Fan paid no attention to any of that. Instead, he focused on the two tasks he had just triggered: how to acquire as much fire energy as possible? Looking at the restless students around him, a glint of light flashed in Xiao Fan's eyes, seemingly...excitement.

He beckoned Xiao Yan, Hu Jia, and the others to his side. The group formed a circle, and seeing their puzzled looks, he quietly asked, "Did you all understand the rules?"

"I heard you clearly." Hu Jia nodded. "What's wrong?"

"Do you want to earn fire energy?" Xiao Fan glanced at the puzzled expressions on everyone's faces and continued, "Elder Su just said that the inner courtyard's cultivation requires fire energy. Judging from the expressions of those inner courtyard students, fire energy must be a very scarce resource. Since they can take it from us, we can do the same!"