"If I get hurt, it just means my skills are lacking. It’ll be a good chance to see where the limits of my defense truly lie."
’If I can’t even withstand Chu Bai’s attacks,’ she thought, ’then I might as well not bother with the Immortal Official Examination. Besides... I have a fair bit of confidence in my Thick Earth Shield. I probably won’t get seriously hurt.’
Seeing how serious Wang Qingli was, Chu Bai thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.
In truth, always holding back was starting to feel a bit restrictive for him as well.
"In that case, we’ll do as you say, Senior Sister."
Chu Bai raised his hand, a green light flickering at his fingertips. "But to be on the safe side, let me place a few Rejuvenation Seals on you before we begin."
"If you do get hurt, they’ll heal you instantly, so it won’t affect our future training sessions."
Wang Qingli nodded, not refusing the offer.
She had already witnessed the marvel of this Healing Technique over their recent sessions. With it as a safety net, she could truly let loose and give it her all.
Chu Bai reached out and pressed a Rejuvenation Seal onto her neck. Now that his proficiency with it had increased, not only was the casting speed faster, but the power consumption was also slightly lower.
The healing effect, of course, was also enhanced.
"I’m ready!"
"Alright! Watch yourself!"
In the moments that followed, the atmosphere of the battle inside the Cultivation Room changed dramatically.
It was no longer a bout of tentative, probing exchanges, but a high-intensity confrontation that mirrored real combat.
Of course, their goal was always to sharpen their skills, not to fight to the death. So, while they used lethal techniques, they always maintained enough control to pull back at the last moment.
"Again!"
Wang Qingli cried out, and the earthy yellow Spiritual Light around her flared brilliantly.
The illusion of the Turtle Shell Shield behind her nearly solidified as several thick walls of earth erupted from the ground, shielding her completely.
Chu Bai’s expression remained calm. Using his Fire Step Ascension, he transformed into a red afterimage, weaving between the earthen walls.
The first exchange.
It was over in just thirty moves.
Chu Bai’s figure flickered like a phantom. Using a Soft Force from his Formless Cloud Hand, he cleverly redirected one of Wang Qingli’s Earth Spike Technique attacks, causing it to blast a hole in her own Earth Shield instead.
SWISH!
In an instant, thirty azure Spirit Water Needles shot through the opening like a school of fish, coming to a dead stop just three inches from Wang Qingli’s slightly pale face. The tip of each needle pulsed with a chilling, heart-stopping glint.
"I’ve lost," Wang Qingli said, helplessly dispelling her defenses.
After a moment of Breath Regulation, the second round began.
This time, Chu Bai didn’t rely on finesse, opting instead for a direct, frontal assault.
Fifty moves later.
BOOM!
With a tremendous explosion, a single strike from Chu Bai’s Perfection Level Formless Cloud Hand, carrying the force of a tidal wave, shattered the Triple Earth Shield that was Wang Qingli’s pride.
Amidst the shower of exploding earth and stone, Wang Qingli was thrown back several yards, struggling to regain her footing.
Another defeat.
Over the course of several rounds that lasted the entire day, Wang Qingli only managed to last more than a hundred moves once.
And that was only because Chu Bai had been slightly distracted while testing a newly conceived route for circulating his Spiritual Power, giving her an opportunity to drag out the fight.
As the last rays of the setting sun streamed through the transom window and into the Cultivation Room, the two finally stopped.
Wang Qingli sat on the floor, all decorum forgotten, gasping for breath. Strands of sweat-dampened hair clung to her temples.
She looked at the young man across from her, who was only slightly out of breath and was now skillfully applying a Rejuvenation Seal to himself. Her expression was a complex mixture of emotions.
At this point, she had no choice but to admit and accept a cruel fact—
The idea that they were evenly matched had been nothing but her own wishful thinking.
Whether it was his deadly combat experience, the seamless flow between his Magic Techniques, or the sheer depth of his Magical Power reserves, Chu Bai had surpassed her in every single way!
And even then...
Throughout these high-intensity bouts, she had the distinct feeling that Chu Bai was still holding back.
He hadn’t used that Golden Eye Pupil Technique even once!
’He’s unfathomable.’
That was the only way Wang Qingli could describe Chu Bai now.
Wang Qingli let out a long, turbid breath, shaking her head with a wry smile as she looked at Chu Bai. "We’re not evenly matched... Junior Brother, your combat strength is far greater than mine."
"I originally thought that if we met during the Immortal Official Examination, I might still have a chance to win. But now it seems that if that happens, I’d be better off conceding early to save myself from a humiliating defeat."
Hearing this, Chu Bai finished forming the seal in his hand and offered a gentle smile. "You’re being too modest, Senior Sister. Your defense is impenetrable. If not for my advantage in Body Technique and recovery, breaking through it would have been anything but easy."
"Don’t try to humor me."
Wang Qingli waved a dismissive hand and stood up, her gaze filled with a sigh of emotion. "I get it now. Someone like you can’t be measured by conventional standards."
"If you were a third-year student, even someone like Lü Qing would probably be completely overshadowed by you."
"In fact..."
She paused, thinking to herself, ’Even compared to the students a year above us, you’d absolutely be at the top of the rankings, completely unshakable. The title of ’number one freshman’ is far too small for you.’
"The other students are in for a rough time at this year’s final exams."
’No, wait. Junior Brother is already the undisputed strongest in his year; no one should be able to challenge his number one spot. Yet he’s preparing with all his might, just like me, and spending a fortune to do so...’
’Could it be... that his ambitions lie far beyond just this?!’

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