At the front of the lecture hall, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.
"You want to register for the Immortal Official Examination?"
Zhou Changkong’s eyes widened, his voice unconsciously rising a few decibels and startling several birds outside the window into flight.
He stared at the calm-faced youth before him, momentarily at a loss for words.
The Immortal Official Examination was the Daoist School’s main event of the year. It was also the ultimate battle for all students, their chance to be a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate.
Although it was scheduled a few days before the school’s final graduation exams and the two didn’t conflict, still...
That thing was a true Chaotic Scene!
"Chu Bai, do you have any idea what you’re saying?"
Zhou Changkong took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He began to persuade him earnestly, "You’ve only been enrolled for a year! At best, you’re just a freshman who’s barely shed his greenness."
"And the ones who register for the Immortal Official Examination—which one of them isn’t a senior who has been honing their skills in the Daoist School for two or three years?
Among them, cultivators at Third-Layer Perfection of Qi Cultivation are everywhere. Whether it’s the depth of their Magic Techniques, their combat experience, or their stockpiles of Dharma Artifacts and Talismans, they are far beyond your current abilities."
"This... isn’t this a bit too hasty? A bit too soon?"
Zhou Changkong’s brow furrowed as he continued to analyze the pros and cons. "Though you’ve broken through to the Qi Cultivation Third Layer and possess unparalleled talent, there are only ten spots for Immortal Officials in the entire school! It’s like a thousand soldiers fighting to cross a single-plank bridge.
If you suffer a crushing defeat in the Immortal Official Examination, or even get injured, it will not only damage your Dao Heart but also affect your performance in the final exams a few days later.
If you lose your first-place spot for advancing to the second year because of this, that would be truly penny-wise and pound-foolish."
"Besides, in the hundred years since our Dayuan Prefecture Daoist School was founded, while there have been precedents of second-year students taking the exam ahead of schedule, there has never been a case of a first-year freshman daring to contend for an Immortal Official spot!
"This... is just too risky."
For a moment, Zhou Changkong was truly uncertain.
He was amazed by Chu Bai’s ambition, yet worried that this promising seedling would overreach by taking too large a step.
Faced with his master’s concerns, Chu Bai did not back down.
He raised his head, his gaze clear and resolute. His tone was calm, yet it carried a powerful self-confidence. "Master Zhou, I understand your worries.
But since the Daoist School doesn’t limit participants to a single attempt, nor does it explicitly forbid first-year students from taking the exam, there’s no harm in me giving it a try, is there?"
"I am not being arrogant or conceited."
Chu Bai bowed slightly and said sincerely, "For the past five months, I have fought Demon Beasts in the abandoned mining area and honed my Five Elements in the Spirit Pavilion. I believe I have some foundation to stand on.
Even if my skills prove inferior in the end, I know how to assess a situation.
If I am truly outmatched, I will concede decisively. I absolutely will not cling on stubbornly, nor will I let any injuries affect the final exams that follow."
"I just want to... go and see the view from the highest peak. Even if I fail, I want to know exactly where I fall short."
Zhou Changkong looked at the youth before him.
The fire burning in those eyes reminded him of the high spirits and bold ambitions he once had in his own youth.
He paced a few steps on the platform, his mind a battlefield of conflicting thoughts.
’A first-year student taking an Immortal Official spot?’
’It sounds like something straight out of a fantasy tale—utterly shocking.’
’But...’
’What if?’
’What if this kid really does create a miracle?’
If Chu Bai could really fight his way into the top ten as a first-year freshman, it wouldn’t just be his personal glory. It would be the supreme honor for the entire Dayuan Prefecture Daoist School, and for Zhou Changkong, his master!
He might even be recorded in the Daoist School’s history, becoming a legend for future generations to look up to.
The temptation was too great.
"HUUUU..."
After a long moment, Zhou Changkong stopped pacing. He let out a long, turbid breath and looked at Chu Bai with a helpless smile.
"Fine, fine."
"Since you have such lofty ambitions, how can I, your teacher, be the one to stand in your way?"
Zhou Changkong’s expression turned serious as he said in a deep voice, "Then give it a try!"
"I will help you submit your name. However, the final list for the Immortal Official Examination needs to be confirmed by all three Deans.
Your status as a first-year student is particularly unusual. If they feel you aren’t qualified and reject your application, then there’s nothing more I can do."
Joy filled Chu Bai’s heart, and he quickly bowed again. "Thank you for your help, Master Zhou! Regardless of the outcome, I will not disappoint your high hopes."
"Go on, go on."
Zhou Changkong waved his hand, a complex glint in his eyes as he watched Chu Bai’s departing figure.
’I bet the expressions on the three Deans’ faces will be quite something when they see a first-year’s name on the registration form, right?’
Although the only hard requirement for the Immortal Official Examination was reaching the Qi Cultivation Third Layer, to reach the third layer in just one year... how many people in this world could achieve that?
"Oh, Chu Bai, Chu Bai, just how many more surprises do you have in store for me?"
Zhou Changkong muttered to himself, a faint sense of anticipation rising in his heart.
After bidding farewell to the conflicted-looking Zhou Changkong, Chu Bai didn’t return to his room to rest. Instead, he hurried off, his feet never stopping as he made his way toward the Cultivation Rooms.
There was now less than a month until the fateful Immortal Official Examination.
Every minute, every second, was as precious as a Spirit Stone.
As he walked, he quickly reviewed the results of his closed-door cultivation over the past three-plus months in his mind.
Thanks to that risky method of cultivating Fire and Earth simultaneously, the Five Element Spiritual Energy in his body had finally formed a perfect minor cycle.
The Power of the Five Elements, endlessly generating, combined with the almost predatory absorption efficiency of the [Perfection Level] >, had caused his Cultivation to skyrocket.
In just under three months, he had forcefully broken through the bottleneck and stepped into the Qi Cultivation Third Layer—a realm countless of his fellow students could only dream of!
After stabilizing his Realm, Chu Bai had poured all his remaining time into polishing his Magic Techniques.

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