In the afternoon, the sun blazed down, bathing the Martial Arts Arena behind the Daoist School in a brilliant light.
Unlike the smooth, pristine grounds used for practicing Magic Techniques, this arena was paved with hard, black stone. Its surface was covered in mottled scratches and scorched marks—medals of honor from countless battles.
Surrounding the arena stood stone pillars etched with runes, the Array Bases for a protective Array.
A faint, murderous aura permeated the air.
"All of you, stand straight!"
A thunderous roar exploded over the Martial Arts Arena.
The thirty students of Class Three instantly fell silent, quickly lining up in formation.
On the platform, a burly man built like an iron pagoda stood with his arms crossed, his torch-like gaze sweeping over the students below. His bare arms were corded with muscle, and his skin was a deep bronze. Faint arcs of electricity seemed to dance just beneath his skin. This was Class Three’s practical combat Instructor, Lei Lie.
Beside Lei Lie stood a young man in a deep blue Daoist Robe.
His posture was lazy. He held a register in his hand, a faint, almost non-existent smile playing on his lips as he looked down on the new students with the distinct air of a senior.
"I am your practical combat Instructor, Lei Lie!"
Lei Lie’s booming voice made everyone’s eardrums ring. "This man next to me is a second-year senior, Zhang Shan. I’ve dragged him here today to be my Teaching Assistant and help record your combat results."
Zhang Shan gave a lazy cupped-fist salute. "Greetings, junior brothers and sisters. You’d better perform well in a bit. If you look too pathetic, my pen will not be merciful."
Lei Lie ignored Zhang Shan’s banter. His expression turned grim as he roared, "Remember! Cultivation is not a dinner party! It’s not embroidery! Once you step onto this Martial Arts Arena, the person opposite you is your enemy!"
"Don’t give me any of that nonsense about camaraderie between classmates! Out there, will a Demon Beast show you any camaraderie? Will a Tribulation Cultivator show you any camaraderie?"
"In today’s practical combat, you are forbidden from holding back! If you get injured, we have Medical Cultivators! If you get crippled, we have Pills! As long as you don’t die, I want you to fight to the death! Understood?!"
"Understood!" Cowed by his powerful presence, the students roared in unison.
"Good! Then let’s begin!"
Lei Lie pointed casually. "First group, Jiang Kuo, versus Wang Meng!"
Jiang Kuo took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage with a steady gait. His opponent, Wang Meng, was a tall, lean youth who cultivated a Fire Element Technique. One look was enough to tell he had impressive explosive power.
"Begin!"
As Zhang Shan gave the command, the battle erupted instantly.
Wang Meng clearly wanted to seize the initiative, immediately unleashing two Fireballs that whistled toward Jiang Kuo.
Jiang Kuo, however, was unhurried. He planted his feet firmly and let out a low shout. A thick, earthy-yellow halo instantly bloomed around him—the Protective Spiritual Light of the Thick Earth Technique!
THUD! THUD!
The Fireballs struck the halo, creating only two ripples before dissipating without a trace. Jiang Kuo barely swayed. He then grinned and stomped his right foot on the ground.
"Rise!"
The black stone beneath Wang Meng’s feet suddenly bulged, and a sharp Earth Spike shot out like a striking viper.
Alarmed, Wang Meng rolled clumsily to the side. Before he could even regain his footing, Jiang Kuo had already charged forward like a tank, ramming him right out of the arena.
"Yeah!" A chorus of cheers rose from the crowd below the stage.
On the platform, Zhang Shan nodded slightly, making notes as he commented, "That fatty has a wealthy background. Not only is his Cultivation Technique a good match for him, but that Jade Pendant he’s wearing must be a Tier One Low-Grade Defensive Dharma Artifact, right? It wouldn’t be easy for a Cultivator of the same tier to break his defense. Then again, this fighting style consumes way too much Spiritual Power. He’s just relying on his money to pop Pills."
Lei Lie, however, just chuckled and retorted, "A win is a win. Gear is a part of your strength too. Next group!"
The next few fights were mostly standard exchanges of Magic Techniques.
When Chen Shi took the stage, however, he was a pleasant surprise.
Although his Cultivation Technique was ordinary and his methods were simple, his greatest strength was his extreme Resilience. Like a stubborn, unyielding rock, he simply wore down his opponent’s Spiritual Power before seizing an opportunity to counterattack and win.
"That kid’s got the makings of an ascetic," Zhang Shan remarked, giving Chen Shi a second look. It was a fair assessment.
Soon, it was Chu Bai’s turn.
"Next group, Chu Bai versus... Zhou Tong!"
Hearing the names, Chu Bai and Zhou Tong looked at each other, both stunned for a moment before sharing a helpless, wry smile.
"Well, it’s the roommate matchup," Zhou Tong said with a shrug. "Brother Chu, shall we just have a friendly spar?"
"Once you’re on the stage, you’re enemies," Chu Bai repeated Lei Lie’s words with a smile. "Please, show me what you’ve got."
The two stepped onto the stage and took their positions.
With the command to begin, the playful look in Zhou Tong’s eyes vanished. He knew the terrifying extent of Chu Bai’s strength and didn’t dare to be overconfident. He opened with his signature move: the Wind Blade Technique.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Three cyan wind blades shot out in a triangular formation, moving with incredible speed to cut off all of Chu Bai’s escape routes. At the same time, Zhou Tong rapidly retreated, attempting to open up distance and kite him.
Faced with this fierce assault, Chu Bai’s expression remained as calm as still water.
Instead of retreating, he advanced. He circulated the Guiyuan Technique, and his deep, reserved Magical Power instantly flowed through his body. Boosted by the Master-level Cultivation Method, his Divine Sense was honed to its absolute peak, allowing him to see the trajectory of the three wind blades with perfect clarity.
With a light, deft shift of his feet, his body weaved through the gaps between the wind blades like a nimble fish, emerging completely unscathed!
"What?!" Zhou Tong was stunned. Before he could react, Chu Bai had already flicked his fingers.
VMM!
The moisture in the air condensed, and three nearly transparent Spirit Water Needles shot out without a sound.
These three Water Needles didn’t aim for Zhou Tong’s vital points. Instead, they shot toward his left shoulder, right knee, and the space between his eyebrows—all key points that would lock down his movement!
Zhou Tong was forced into a frantic scramble, twisting his body unnaturally to dodge.
However, in that precise instant when his old momentum was spent and new momentum had yet to be generated, a figure closed in on him.
Chu Bai stood half a foot in front of Zhou Tong, his right palm hovering over his chest. The swell of Magical Power held back in his palm made Zhou Tong’s scalp tingle.
If that palm strike were unleashed, Zhou Tong would undoubtedly be severely injured.
The Martial Arts Arena fell silent.
From start to finish, only three breaths of time had passed.
Staring at the palm just inches away, Zhou Tong gave a bitter smile and raised his hands. "I’m done, I’m done. You saw through everything. I surrender."
On the platform, the previously nonchalant Zhang Shan shot to his feet, his eyes wide with astonishment. "Is that... the Guiyuan Technique? That level of Magical Power control is so fine it’s Microscopic, without a single trace wasted. And his predictions are too accurate. It’s like he can see his opponent’s intentions in advance."
A sharp glint flashed in Lei Lie’s eyes. He turned to Zhang Shan and said, "Did you see that? It’s not that his Magic Technique is strong; his combat awareness is. That kid brought those basic Water Needles to life. Even though he’s only at the Qi Cultivation First Layer, his control of the battle’s tempo already shows shades of your current level."
"He’s a fine seedling."
Lei Lie strode onto the Martial Arts Arena and clapped his hands, signaling for everyone to be quiet.
"Chu Bai wins!"
He glanced at Chu Bai, then at the pensive-looking students below, a mischievous smile touching his lips.
"Warm-up’s over. It seems there are a few decent fighters among you weaklings."
"But we’re just getting started."
Lei Lie didn’t dismiss the class. Instead, he waved a large hand and pointed to the few who had performed exceptionally well. "You lot, don’t be in such a hurry to get down. What’s the fun in only fighting your own people?"
"If you’ve still got energy to spare, let’s have another round!"

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