Starting as a supporting character in Doupo

"What do you mean?" A look of surprise flashed across everyone's faces, but they were all intelligent people and naturally understood Xiao Fan's thoughts.

"That's right! If we team up in groups of five, we can turn the tables and steal their fire energy!" Hu Jia excitedly pumped his fist and shouted in a low voice. The group then devised a plan and quietly slipped into the dark forest ahead.

Elder Su and the others who were talking in the same spot looked astonished after the others left.

"Old man Hu, these kids are something else!" Elder Su smiled as he looked at Hu Qian. After all, a group of Great Dou Masters were plotting not far from them. Even if they weren't doing it on purpose, they could clearly hear what they were saying.

At first, I was just curious about what they were planning to do together, but I never expected that they actually wanted to exchange positions between hunters and prey.

Hu Qian smiled, looked in the direction the group had left, and said to Elder Su, "Let me tell you, you will be very surprised."

......

In the pitch-black forest, a disheveled freshman was running, glancing back every now and then as if some terrifying being was chasing him. Just as he looked back, a vine suddenly wrapped around his ankle from the side, hoisting him up.

Amidst his shouts, an inner court student walked up to him and said calmly, "Why are you running? Go back and join your teammates!" Then, the vines wrapped around his ankles lifted him up and threw him into the grass not far away.

Behind the bushes, four inner court students were huddled together, while in front of them sat two outer court newcomers, their faces bruised and swollen. A man with one bare arm, who had been throwing students at him, walked up to the group and said menacingly, "Alright, now, hand over your Fire Crystal Cards!"

Seeing that no one intended to hand them over, he gave a wink to a short man on the other side, who then searched the fire crystal cards of the group. Afterward, the senior students took out their own fire crystal cards and pasted them together.

The number on the new Fire Crystal Cards changed from 5 to 2, while the number on the old Fire Crystal Cards increased by three points for each person.

"I don't know what they were thinking, leaving them two days' worth of fire energy. If you ask me, it would have been better to just take it all!" The short man threw back the two remaining points of fire energy they had, and said with dissatisfaction.

"Alright, let's not waste any more time. Let's rest here for a bit, then continue looking for the next team. Don't waste too much time here." The man with one bare arm was clearly the leader, and his words carried a great deal of authority.

Not far away, Xiao Fan and his group were hiding in the bushes, watching everything that was happening in front of them. Xiao Fan turned his head and whispered to the group, "Let's use this team. Apart from the leader, the others shouldn't be too strong. Wait for my signal, and we'll make our move."

After driving away the few newcomers who were no longer profitable, the five of them sat together, seemingly intending to rest there for a while.

Xiao Fan nodded to the people behind him, and then the group split up and surrounded the group. Seeing that the time was right, they all rushed out of the bushes at the same time.

The group of people sitting together, including the man with one bare arm, turned around the moment Xiao Fan rushed out, but he was still a step too late. Xiao Fan's spear kept thrusting around him, making it impossible for him to even get up. He could only sit on the ground and keep rolling backward.

Xiao Yan and the others each found an opponent and began to fight.

The man, with one arm bare, quickly leaned against a large tree, with nowhere to retreat. Xiao Fan's spear continued to thrust straight towards the man's head. He could even feel a tearing sensation in his forehead. Seeing Xiao Fan's spear thrusting towards him, he could only helplessly roar, "I surrender!"

Xiao Fan's spear continued its thrust, only slightly shifting its angle, grazing the man's neck before embedding itself in the tree trunk. The sharp tip of the spear remained pressed tightly against the man's throat.

"Robbery!" Xiao Fan glanced at the sweat on the man's forehead, smiled without paying any attention, and said calmly without sheathing his spear, "Hand over your Fire Crystal Card!"

Seemingly not expecting to be robbed, the man looked at Xiao Fan with a grim expression. "You...you're joking, aren't you?"

Xiao Fan frowned. "Who's joking with you!" Then he pointed the spear forward again, and the man quickly raised his hands and threw his fire crystal card to Xiao Fan.

Xiao Fan took it and saw that the fire energy count was 53. He smiled faintly and transferred 46 points to his own card, leaving the man with only a pitiful 7 points left from his original 53.

Xiao Fan threw the man's fire crystal card back, then turned to look at Xiao Yan and the others. Seeing that they had also subdued their opponents, he loudly said to everyone, "Let's each take one and ask them about the route through this forest. We'll check it again, and if anyone is lying, beat them severely."

"Good idea!" A voice came from beneath Wu Hao's blood-red robe upon hearing this.

Xiao Fan dragged the man into the woods and looked at him calmly, asking, "Well, you heard that too, so hurry up and hand over the map!"

Upon hearing this, the man could only reluctantly take out a map from his storage ring. After all, he had spent a day's worth of fire energy to buy it, and now not only had he not recouped his investment, but he had also lost all his savings. If it weren't for the mandatory requirement to leave 7 fire energy points at the end of the transaction, he probably wouldn't have any left at all.

In retrospect, isn't this just like leaving the freshmen two days' worth of firepower? It's all about leaving people with some basic expenses!

Taking the map, Xiao Fan put it into his storage ring without even glancing at it. After what he had just said, he believed that no one would dare to lie to him. He then asked the man about the inner courtyard. Although he knew about the inner courtyard, it seemed that an elder was secretly watching this trial. It would be better to disguise himself and also see if there were any differences.

Similar to what Xiao Fan knew, fire energy is essential for inner court students to cultivate in the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower. One point of fire energy is consumed every day, and seven points of fire energy are distributed at the beginning of each month. Apart from that, all fire energy can only be obtained by oneself through alchemy, trading, competitions, gambling, and other methods.

Alternatively, one could make it onto the inner court's honor roll, where those on the honor roll would receive an extra subsidy each month.

Chapter 120 I really envy you.

In the woods, Xiao Fan clapped his hands, looking at the five inner court students bound like dumplings, and nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, this way our whereabouts won't be exposed for now. Thank you all for your generosity, seniors, for helping our juniors with some fire energy."

Seeing that Xiao Yan and the others were still standing there in a daze, and even Hu Jia was secretly laughing, Xiao Fan pulled them over and made them thank the inner court students as well. Then, amidst the complicated gazes of the five inner court students, he disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.

More than half an hour later, a group of people passed by and saw the man tied up in a ball, their faces showing surprise.

“There are signs that someone was stationed here before.” Xiao Fan squatted down in front of a small pit, looking at the subtle traces around him, and said to the people behind him. “It looks like they just left not long ago, so keep a close eye on the surroundings.”

Xiao Yan nodded, and then the group carefully explored their surroundings.

"Wait a minute." Xiao Fan stopped, closed his eyes, and sensed the subtle energy fluctuations on the left using his extraordinary soul power. "There are people on the left." He then glanced at the group and led them to the left.

Before long, Xiao Yan, Hu Jia, and the others also sensed the atmosphere of battle ahead.

Upon closer inspection, two groups were engaged in battle. One group consisted of students from the inner academy, while the other group consisted of only three people. Xiao Fan recognized one of them; it was Yue Yao, whom he had encountered in the previous competition.

The three were not in good condition. Yueyao's two teammates also seemed to be injured and could not play a significant role. Yueyao was the only one holding them up, but it seemed she wouldn't last much longer. Five inner court students surrounded them, looking at them with mocking expressions.

"Hey, I'm telling you, if you agree to our boss's request, he'll definitely protect you once you enter the inner courtyard!" A man dressed in yellow said with a mocking smile, as he unleashed a disruptive fighting technique on Yueyao and the others.

The others cheered from the sidelines, while a man in black, who appeared to be their captain, sat to the side, his eyes fixed on Yueyao in the arena.

Xiao Fan turned around and exchanged a brief conversation with the others before preparing to counter-encircle them. Just as they were about to make their move, the captain, who was sitting there, suddenly changed his expression and shouted, "Something's up! Assemble!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the few inner court students who were alone around him almost reflexively gathered around the man in black, warily observing where the enemy might appear. Meanwhile, Yueyao and the others who had been surrounded secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Xiao Fan hadn't expected the man in black to be so vigilant. Before he could even make a move, he had already been discovered. What's more, the team's coordination was remarkable. They seemed to trust the man in black completely, abandoning their immediate tasks and gathering around him at the first opportunity, all based on just one sentence from him.

Although everyone on their side was quite strong, their teamwork was very poor. Only Xiao Yan and I were familiar with each other's fighting style because of our long-term interaction.

"Looks like we still need to improve teamwork!"

Xiao Fan sighed and stopped hiding, walking out of the bushes. Xiao Yan and the others knew that a sneak attack was pointless, so they followed behind Xiao Fan.

Seeing Xiao Fan appear, Yue Yao's eyes flashed with pleasure. She quietly breathed a sigh of relief, helped her two teammates, and whispered to Xiao Fan and the others, "Among them, there is an earth-attribute cultivator who is very tough, and another water-attribute cultivator who can create illusions. He's quite troublesome. Also, the man in yellow can control the surrounding plants, so you have to be careful. We don't know much about the others."

Xiao Fan nodded slightly upon hearing this. Seeing that she didn't have any serious injuries, only that her battle qi had been greatly depleted, he felt relieved.

"Freshmen?" The young man in black opposite him showed a hint of surprise when he saw Xiao Fan and his group appear. After all, he could clearly sense that Xiao Fan and his companions were much stronger than the previous group. "I didn't expect that this year's freshmen would actually have some pretty good ones!"

Meanwhile, the hand facing away from Xiao Fan and the others was secretly exchanging signals with the teammates behind them: The opponent is quite strong, so stay focused and take them down!

After all, it's not easy to encounter new students, so they won't let it go. Although Xiao Fan and the others are quite strong, their strength should not be underestimated.

Seeing the black-clad man's hands behind his back, Xiao Fan didn't hesitate. With a wave of his hand, the group charged towards him.

Upon first encounter, Xiao Fan sensed the extraordinary nature of his opponents. The five of them coordinated perfectly, while his own side was often hampered by their positioning and movements, making it difficult to fight effectively and preventing them from unleashing their full potential.

The man opposite them clearly noticed this as well, and constantly used his superior teamwork to weave in and out of the fight against Xiao Fan and his group, making things quite difficult for them. After more than ten minutes of fighting, still unable to defeat his opponent, Xiao Fan didn't continue to fight to the death and led his group back to their original position.

The opposing team also sensed the difficulty Xiao Fan and his group faced. The man in black hesitated for a moment, but decided to give up on them for the time being. After all, the later the time went, the fewer freshmen would remain. They came to hunt fire energy, and it wouldn't be worthwhile to waste time here. However, if they knew that Xiao Fan and his group had fire crystal cards and had just obtained the fire energy of a team of inner court students, they might not think that way.

Seeing the man in black lead his men away, Xiao Fan and the others also showed relaxed expressions. After all, the battle just now was really tiring. While fighting, they had to be careful not to hit their teammates, or be careful not to be hit by their teammates. They couldn't exert their strength at all.

Xiao Fan approached Yue Yao, looked at her, and asked softly, "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing." Yueyao brushed the strands of hair that had fallen behind her ear, and looked at Xiao Fan, who was slightly out of breath after finishing the battle, with a smile in her eyes.

Xiao Fan didn't dislike Yue Yao. After all, who doesn't like pretty girls? Moreover, he felt that her appearance was comparable to Xiao Xun'er's. Not to mention that she had a system reward, her gentle and quiet aura made Xiao Fan feel very comfortable.

To prevent the inner court students from returning, Xiao Fan led his group away first and found another place to rest.

"You didn't lose your fire energy, did you?" Xiao Fan asked Yue Yao, who was sitting beside him, in a low voice. "You can leave your fire energy with me for now, and I'll return it to you after we enter the inner courtyard."

Upon hearing Xiao Fan's words, Yue Yao winked playfully. Just when Xiao Fan thought she didn't want to agree, she took out her Fire Crystal Card and handed it to him.

"Aren't you afraid I'll embezzle it for you?" Xiao Fan teased, then took the fire crystal card from her hand and transferred the fire energy on it to her. Xiao Fan's fire energy immediately increased by three points.

"Take it if you want!" Yueyao shook her head indifferently, then saw the numbers on the fire crystal card in Xiao Fan's hand and said in surprise, "How do you have so much fire energy?" Xiao Fan held it up and shook it, "Of course, it's because of the help our seniors have given us!"

"Pfft!"

Seeing Xiao Fan's feigned modesty, Yue Yao laughed, "Without fire energy, I don't have to worry about them taking mine anymore." Her two teammates naturally saw what the two were doing. Xiao Fan glanced at them and then said, "You can transfer your fire energy to me first."

Without much hesitation, the two transferred their fire energy from their cards to Xiao Fan. After all, the three of them wouldn't stand a chance against the inner court students later on. He then gave them a map of the forest. Xiao Fan smiled apologetically at Yue Yao, who nodded, before leading the group deeper into the forest.

Yueyao looked at Xiao Xun'er following behind Xiao Fan, her eyes reflecting a crescent moon, a hint of envy in them. Xiao Xun'er seemed to sense this, glancing back at the girl kneeling under the big tree, a trace of pity and sorrow flashing in her eyes. The two exchanged a glance, nodded slightly, and then Xiao Fan and the others disappeared into the woods.

Yueyao watched the departing group and made a barely audible sound.

"I really envy you!"

Chapter 121 Encirclement and Suppression

After getting out of Yueyao and the others' sight, Xiao Fan didn't lead them around aimlessly. Instead, he found another place to discuss something.

"Did you guys notice?" Xiao Fan looked at the other four with a serious expression, frowned, and then said, "That group of inner court students just now, their strength wasn't actually that strong. We could have easily taken them down."

“But their teamwork is excellent.” Xiao Yan nodded and said calmly to Xiao Fan. “Once the battle begins, their seamless teamwork completely limits our performance.”

"Yes."

"So you mean..." Hu Jia looked at Xiao Fan's serious expression, seemingly understanding something in her eyes, and said calmly.

“Our teamwork isn’t good.” Xiao Fan didn’t keep them in suspense. “We need to improve our teamwork so that we can greatly enhance our combat power when we encounter teams from the Inner Academy later.”

“Okay, then what do you suggest?” Wu Hao didn’t refuse. After all, the teamwork among them was lacking, and if they encountered other well-coordinated groups, they were likely to fail.

"I just left a mark on the small team we made contact with. Now let's try to use this whetstone to sharpen our blade!" Xiao Fan said to everyone with a faint smile in his voice.

For the next while, the group followed behind Xiao Fan, occasionally launching surprise attacks on the team they had encountered earlier that day. When they met them for the second time, the group was still somewhat outmatched. After fighting for about half an hour, Xiao Fan once again signaled to retreat.

After a brief exchange about the problems that arose during the battle and a discussion of new tactical arrangements, the group launched another attack on the inner courtyard team in the afternoon.

And so, they fought and reflected, engaging in five or six fierce battles with them. By the last one, their teamwork had become so seamless that they no longer felt constrained as before.

boom!

Deep in the forest, taking advantage of Xiao Yan's delay, Xiao Fan swept his opponent away with a horizontal strike, then thrust his spear at the man's shoulder. Meanwhile, Wu Hao, on the other side, unleashed a blood-red sword light that blocked another opponent's attack, successfully eliminating one of them. With one less member, the already weaker team was unable to resist Xiao Fan and his group, and soon they were all tied up.

"I never expected that we would become your whetstone!" The man in black stared at the group with a grim expression and said through gritted teeth.