As time passed, the Spiritual Light scattered across the wasteland gradually thinned.
In Chu Bai’s hand, the [Essence-Bearing Tripod] finally fell completely still, transforming into a streak of light and vanishing into his Storage Bag.
The refinement was complete!
At this point, the first round of the assessment was nearing its end. Most of the participants had secured some gains, even if they were only Middle-Grade or Low-Grade. Once an artifact was refined and marked with a Divine Soul Brand, its ownership was set in stone, making it nearly impossible for others to snatch away.
Chu Bai scanned the entire field, quickly taking stock of the situation.
Wang Qingli held the [Profound Wood Shield], Jiangg Yingqiao clutched the Ancient Copper Mirror, Wu Jianfei had snatched the [Blazing Hammer], and Lü Qing was even clad in the [Profound Gold Armor], looking majestic. These top-tier experts had basically each secured an Upper-Grade Dharma Artifact.
And the ones who had made the most progress were still him and Ji Li.
Ji Li held a silver sword and a Copper Bell, while Chu Bai possessed the [Fire Element Ring] and the [Essence-Bearing Tripod]. With two artifacts each, they could be called the biggest winners of this round.
But the battle was clearly not over yet.
Chu Bai’s gaze shifted to the very center of the wasteland. There, a final Upper-Grade Dharma Artifact hovered alone, radiating a brilliant golden light.
[Gold Acceptance Seal]
So many people had fought over it before that after several chaotic brawls, it had become a hot potato, its ownership still undecided.
Now, it was the only variable left on the field—and the last juicy prize.
"Get out of my way! This thing is mine!"
A furious roar exploded like thunder.
Lü Qing, clad in the [Profound Gold Armor], was seen erupting in a blaze of golden light, like a Golden-Armored War God descending to the mortal realm. He was the first to charge into the fray, and with a sweep of his large hand, he seized the [Gold Acceptance Seal].
The defensive pressure emanating from the Treasure Armor was incredibly intimidating. Two students who had hoped to pick up scraps were struck by this aura; their faces turned pale with fear, and they decisively retreated to fight over the remaining Middle-Grade Dharma Artifacts instead.
Lü Qing was already physically formidable, and now, boosted by the Upper-Grade Treasure Armor, no one dared to challenge his might for a time.
But before he could even celebrate, a scorching fist wind came whistling toward him.
"Lü Qing! Now we can have a proper showdown!"
Wu Jianfei let out a savage grin. Although he couldn’t use the [Blazing Hammer] in his hand because it wasn’t fully refined, his iron fists, wreathed in raging flames, were just as shockingly powerful.
"Bring it on!"
Lü Qing’s eyes blazed with fighting spirit. Even though this was a competition where personal feelings didn’t matter, he had long wanted to have a good, clean fight with his old rival.
Since he didn’t have his long halberd, it would have to be fist against fist!
BOOM!
The two instantly clashed, golden light and fiery light weaving together in a terrifying display of power.
Although Wu Jianfei couldn’t take down the armor-clad Lü Qing right away, he was able to stall his refinement process, preventing him from peacefully claiming the Dharma Seal.
Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, a cold, indifferent voice descended from the sky.
"This Seal belongs to me."
In mid-air, Ji Li’s white robes were finally no longer spotless. He took a step down, his body descending like a meteorite, and formed hand seals. The immense Power of Primordial Magnetism transformed into two heavy pressures, blasting toward the two entangled fighters.
Facing these two experts of the same level, Ji Li clearly couldn’t just snatch the object from a distance as he had before; he had to enter the fray himself.
"Hah, Ji Li! Stop putting on an act!"
Although Lü Qing’s body was forced down by the pressure, he was not the least bit afraid. He even sneered, "You’ve been hovering up there, pretending to be some lofty master. The toll of walking on air must be considerable, right? You only delayed coming down because you didn’t want to show any weakness!"
"If you want to take this Square Seal now, you’ll have to get through my fists first!"
His thoughts exposed, Ji Li’s expression darkened slightly. He wasted no words. Although his silver sword was still being nurtured, his own hand-to-hand combat skills were also top-notch.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
In an instant, the three were locked in battle.
Ji Li’s Body Technique was graceful, his Power of Primordial Magnetism strange and unpredictable. Lü Qing’s defense was peerless, his punches fierce and powerful. Wu Jianfei was a raging wildfire, utterly violent.
The three fought without teaming up or backing down. It was a complete free-for-all.
Terrifying ripples of Spiritual Power spread in all directions. Wherever they passed, sand and stones flew, and the ground cracked.
"Back! Get back!"
"With those three fighting, I doubt anyone else will dare to get involved."
"Even the aftershocks could seriously injure us. Who would dare to risk such bad luck?"
Seeing this, the surrounding students who had still been harboring some hope all looked horrified and hastily retreated, terrified of being swept into the conflict.
"There’s only one Upper-Grade Dharma Artifact left, so of course the competition for it is the fiercest. We shouldn’t even think about it. Let’s just focus on refining what we have and wait for the next round."
Many students who no longer had any intention of competing simply stopped and began to perform Breath Regulation on the spot, seizing the time to recover their Spiritual Power in preparation for the next round: Demon Hunting.
In the center of the field, the three of them traded blows, locked in a stalemate.
Although Ji Li was slightly stronger, whenever he was about to suppress one of them to seize the Dharma Seal, the other would inevitably interfere. For a moment, the ownership of this final Upper-Grade Dharma Artifact was anyone’s guess.
「Above the clouds.」
The three deans and Judge Li from the Merit Department stood shoulder to shoulder, looking down on the smoke-filled battlefield below.
Watching Lü Qing, Wu Jianfei, and Ji Li fight cataclysmically over the final Dharma Seal, Vice-Dean Lu He stroked his long beard, unable to hide the smile lines crinkling at the corners of his eyes.
"Lord Li, what do you think of this year’s class of students?"
He turned his head to the solemn-faced, red-robed Judge beside him, his tone holding a hint of unconcealable pride.
If Ji Li were the only one hogging the spotlight, it would only prove that the Ji Family’s ancestors were smiling on them or that Ji Li himself was a monstrous talent. While it would have some connection to the Daoist School’s teaching, it wouldn’t necessarily reflect the overall quality of the school.

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