"It’s understandable that you have your concerns."
Chu Bai smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping toward the wooden stake. "If I want to join the team, I have to prove I won’t be a burden."
Before his words had even faded, he casually raised his hand and waved.
SWISH!
There was no wind-up, not even a chanted Spell. A stream of azure light instantly tore through the air with a sharp whistle, its speed even faster than the Flying Saber from before!
That was no ordinary Water Arrow, but a Spirit Water Needle condensed to its absolute limit, even faintly glinting with the cold gleam of metal!
THUNK!
A dull, yet grating sound.
Everyone stared intently, only to see that the Profound Iron Wooden Stake hadn’t trembled, nor was there a needle stuck in it like the Flying Saber.
"This..." Zhao Gang was stunned. "Did he miss?"
"No, look behind it," Wang Qingli said suddenly, a hint of gravity in her voice.
Zhao Gang quickly turned his head and saw a small, deep pit had appeared on the stone wall behind the stake. Looking back at the stake, he saw that next to the spot where the Flying Saber had struck, there was now a small hole, clean through from front to back, with edges as smooth as a mirror!
Pierced through!
This Profound Iron Wooden Stake was durable enough to withstand a full-force blow from a Qi Cultivation Second Layer cultivator without breaking. And yet, it had been pierced through in an instant!
"HISS—"
Zhao Gang sucked in a cold breath, the slightly disdainful look on his face instantly freezing. He considered himself an expert with Flying Sabers, but achieving this level of penetration was absolutely impossible for him unless he used his life-bound Flying Saber, which he had nourished with Spiritual Power for a long time.
"A Mastery Level Magic Technique?"
Wang Qingli finally stood up, her gaze burning as she looked at Chu Bai. She hit the nail on the head: "And... it seems you’ve incorporated Geng Metal Qi into it? Such powerful penetration."
An expert’s touch is unmistakable.
This single, instantaneous, and shockingly powerful Spirit Water Needle was the best proof of Chu Bai’s offensive capability. With that kind of penetration, forget Burrow Rats—even an Iron-Backed Lizard, known for its defense, would be pierced straight through.
"What about your defense?" Wang Qingli pressed. "In an environment with swarms of Burrow Rats, you won’t last long with just offense."
With a mere thought from Chu Bai.
HUMMM!
A translucent, pale golden shield of light instantly materialized before him. The shield wasn’t a static object; it flowed and shifted. As Chu Bai’s Divine Sense twitched, the shield split into three, circling around his body and rotating, as if possessing a Spirituality of its own, automatically adjusting its defensive angles.
"Mastery Level Guardian Shield."
Chu Bai dispelled the shield and looked at the others, his tone calm. "My offense and defense are decent. I shouldn’t hold any of you back. Also, my primary Cultivation Technique has a fast Qi Recovery rate, so you won’t need to worry about looking after me."
The room fell silent.
Zhang Shan, watching from the side, was beaming as if he were the one showing off. "How about that? I told you Junior Brother Chu was a monster! Don’t let his first-year status fool you. If we really fought, it’s not certain who’d win or lose!"
Zhao Gang had long since shed his disdain. He scratched his head in embarrassment, cupped his fist toward Chu Bai, and said, "My apologies, I failed to recognize your skill. With a powerful ally like Junior Brother Chu joining us, our chances of clearing the abandoned mining area have increased by at least thirty percent."
Lin Xiaoyun’s eyes lit up as well. After all, the higher the team’s damage output, the less pressure there was on her as the healer.
"Since your strength is clearly not an issue, welcome to the team."
Wang Qingli wasn’t one to hesitate. She made the call and started laying out the strategy: "Since Junior Brother Chu excels at single-target takedowns and control, here’s the plan for the mines: I’ll be on the front line drawing aggro. Zhang Shan and Zhao Gang will cover the flanks. Junior Brother Chu, you’ll support from the center, cleaning up any that get through and taking down the Elite Rats. Xiaoyun, you’re on logistics. How does that sound?"
"No problem," Chu Bai nodded. The positioning was very logical. It would maximize the range advantage of his Spirit Water Needle and the explosive power of his Golden Eye Shattering Illusion.
"Good. We’ll gather at the Daoist School entrance tomorrow morning at 5:00 AM. This mission is expected to take three to five consecutive days of clearing. Everyone go back and prepare dried rations and Pills."
"Yes!"
Everyone answered in unison.
Stepping out of the Cultivation Room, Chu Bai watched the brilliant sunset glow, and the anxiety born from his poverty finally began to subside.
’Burrow Rats, eh...’
Chu Bai patted his completely empty money pouch, a smile touching the corners of his lips.
’I hope there are enough of you to satisfy my appetite.’

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