A bleak autumn wind swept across the Martial Arts Arena, stirring up clouds of fine dust.
This was the final event of the monthly assessment, and also the most prestigious one—the combat assessment.
Compared to the fine control displayed during the Magic Technique assessment, the combat assessment was more like a baptism of blood and fire.
Although they were protected by Arrays and watched over by Instructors, the oppressive feeling on the Martial Arts Arena—the visceral impact of every blow and the roar of Magic Techniques—still left many new students struggling to breathe.
"Class Three, Chu Bai versus Tao Mingzhi!"
As Instructor Lei Lie’s great, bell-like voice rang out, the entire Martial Arts Arena instantly fell silent.
All eyes snapped to the two figures on the arena.
This was a highly anticipated battle.
A month ago, Chu Bai had defeated Tao Mingzhi in the combat assessment, but it had been a narrow, bitter victory, won only by relying on life-or-death instincts to land a desperate counter-attack at the final moment.
In the eyes of many, the win was attributed more to Tao Mingzhi’s carelessness and Chu Bai’s strangely good luck.
Yet now, a month later, as the two faced off again, the atmosphere was unusually strange.
Tao Mingzhi stood on the arena platform. The phantom of his Fiery Sun Saber had condensed behind him until it was almost tangible. A scorching Spiritual Pressure radiated from his body, his eyes were bloodshot. Clearly, over the past month, he had not only undergone intense training but had also consumed a significant amount of Spiritual Medicine to boost his Magical Power. He was now on the cusp of the Qi Cultivation Second Layer.
Chu Bai, in contrast, simply stood there quietly. His expression was as tranquil as a deep pool of water, without the slightest ripple.
"Chu Bai, this time, I won’t give you a single opening!" Tao Mingzhi growled, the flames around him surging violently.
Chu Bai didn’t speak, only slowly raised his eyes.
The battle was about to begin. In Chu Bai’s eyes, the entire world seemed to slow down.
The violent circulation of Tao Mingzhi’s Spiritual Power, even the subtle frequency of the Magical Power gathering at his fingertips, became crystal clear to his senses. This was no longer mere sight; it was a combat intuition that bordered on precognition.
"Begin!"
Lei Lie gave the command.
Tao Mingzhi lunged toward Chu Bai like a tiger descending from the mountains, bringing with him a scorching storm of heat.
The gleam of his saber cut through the air, trailing a nearly ten-foot-long wave of dark red fire.
"Fiery Sun Slash!"
This single strike was more than twice as powerful as it had been a month ago.
Many students in the audience cried out in alarm. They knew that if they were in Chu Bai’s place, they would have no way of blocking that strike.
Yet, on the platform, Chu Bai moved.
He simply took a single, small step to his left.
The timing of this step was unnervingly perfect. Tao Mingzhi’s powerful, heavy slash missed him completely, grazing only an afterimage. With so much force behind it, the blade slammed into the black rock floor, carving a scorched trench.
’How is that possible?’ Tao Mingzhi was inwardly stunned.
He had the feeling his blade had missed not because Chu Bai was fast, but because Chu Bai was already waiting in his attack’s blind spot.
Before he could think, he whipped his saber around in a backhand sweep, sending a wave of fire rolling out to cut off Chu Bai’s retreat.
But just then, Chu Bai slightly raised his right hand and gave a gentle push against the empty air with his palm.
Formless Cloud Hand.
A wave of Magical Power, supple to the extreme yet as immense as the ocean, rippled out from his palm.
The moment the rampaging wave of fire came into contact with this formless Magical Power, it was as if it had crashed into a soft but indestructible wall of cotton.
Tao Mingzhi felt his own power being strangely redirected, a bizarre Force Discharge that made him stagger uncontrollably, following the momentum of his own fiery wave.
This was the very essence of Cloud Hand and its core principle: Borrowing Force to Strike.
’Damn it!’
Tao Mingzhi quickly regained his balance. Just as he was about to attack again, he found Chu Bai had already appeared right in front of him.
For an instant, a blood-red Evil Qi flashed in Chu Bai’s eyes before vanishing.
His combat intuition, a gift from his Seven Kills Fate, told him that Tao Mingzhi’s imbalance had created a fleeting gap in the Spiritual Power flowing three inches below his armpit.
Chu Bai didn’t resort to a killing blow like the Spirit Water Needle. Instead, he sent out a deceptively light palm strike.
THUD!
It was a muffled sound.
To an outsider, Chu Bai’s palm strike looked weightless, but when it struck Tao Mingzhi, it felt like a colossal hammer.
Tao Mingzhi felt a cold, sinister Magical Power instantly invade his meridians, cutting off his Spiritual Power. He felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. His body flew back several dozen feet before crashing heavily onto the edge of the Martial Arts Arena.
The entire arena fell deathly silent.
If Chu Bai’s victory a month ago could be called narrow, then this time, he was simply toying with his opponent.
This effortless mastery sent a profound chill through the students in the audience.
"...The gap... how did it get so much bigger?"
Zhou Tong muttered to himself from the audience. He’d thought his own progress over the last month was rapid, but after seeing Chu Bai’s performance, he realized they weren’t even in the same league.
"It’s not that Tao Mingzhi got weaker. Chu Bai just got absurdly strong."
Another student’s expression was grave as he watched the figure on the stage calmly withdraw. "His rate of improvement... it’s simply insane!"
In the final match, Chu Bai faced another of the class’s top students.
His opponent cultivated a Wood Element Technique, specializing in ensnaring and control. The moment the match began, he filled the arena with a web of vines, attempting to use the wide-area attack to counter Chu Bai’s Body Technique.
Yet Chu Bai simply walked on, unperturbed.
He used his Formless Cloud Hand. Each palm he thrust out struck with precision, landing on the weakest points of the vine Array.
What should have been an impenetrable offense crumbled before him as if it were made of paper, disintegrating layer by layer.
By the time he finally stopped his palm just before his opponent’s throat, the other student hadn’t even gotten a clear look at him.
"Chu Bai wins!"
With Instructor Lei Lie’s announcement, the second monthly exam concluded.
With his impressive results—first place in both Magic Technique and combat, and third in Realm—Chu Bai not only defended his title as combat champion but also became the undisputed number one student in the class’s overall rankings.
On the high platform, the Instructors conversed in low tones.
"This child..." Instructor Jii Yu’s eyes were full of amazement. "Although he’s only just become skilled with his Formless Cloud Hand, his instinct for applying it in combat has already reached a terrifying level. Most importantly, his Divine Sense and reflexes... that’s not something you can get just from hard training. That’s a true killer instinct."
For once, Instructor Lei Lie’s stern expression softened, a rare smile touching his rugged face. "That kid was born for battle. And by the looks of it, he’s about to break through the Qi Cultivation First Layer."
His two first-place victories earned Chu Bai a reward of twenty Daoist Merit points.
Including this extra income, and setting aside his earlier purchase of a Cultivation Technique and his daily expenses, he now had fifty points on hand.
If he saved up a little more, he could afford another Cultivation Technique.
’Compared to others, my greatest advantage right now is the speed at which I improve my Cultivation Techniques. As my Nourishing and Exquisite Fate Chart continues to enhance my natural talent, this advantage will only become more obvious.’
’So I don’t have to worry about biting off more than I can chew. If I have points to spare, I can add a Protective Magic Technique to my arsenal.’
Chu Bai silently mapped out his path forward. His only regret was his lack of funds; acquiring more Magic Techniques wasn’t an urgent priority for now.
’Beyond that, there’s the matter of my Cultivation itself.’
’It’s been a little over three months since I enrolled. I’m nearly halfway through the first layer of Qi Cultivation, which is much faster than I anticipated.’
’But compared to the Noble Sons in my class who started with a foundation, I’m still lagging behind. I need to raise my level as quickly as possible...’

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