"In the future, the Daoist School’s historical archives will probably record this moment in bold strokes. Brothers, we... we’re witnessing history!"
A tidal wave of shouts surged, each wave higher than the last.
"Go, Chu Bai!"
"Chu Bai will win!"
Although the deafening cheers were blocked by the Restriction around the examination grounds and couldn’t reach Chu Bai’s ears, the waving arms and flushed faces in the stands created an indescribable energy field.
And among the cheering crowd, it wasn’t just the first-years from Chu Bai’s class.
Many senior students in third-year uniforms were even roaring along with them.
This wasn’t just out of admiration for the strong, but also a form of complex emotional catharsis.
For three years, Ji Li had been like a towering mountain, pressing down relentlessly on their heads.
His dominance—unbeaten among his peers and in a league of his own—had driven all his contemporaries to despair, even becoming the shadow of a Heart Demon for many.
No matter how hard they tried, no matter how they chased after him, his back remained forever out of reach.
But now...
The appearance of Chu Bai, that figure standing up to Ji Li as an equal, gave them their first glimpse of hope!
’So that impossibly arrogant genius isn’t invincible after all!’
’So he can be forced into a corner too!’
"Chu Bai! You have to win!"
The swirling sand began to settle.
Two hands were pressed firmly against the ceaselessly trembling Gold Acceptance Seal, their wildly different Spiritual Powers locked in a silent yet utterly perilous struggle.
Ji Li suddenly took a deep breath. He raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the battered look on his face vanished, replaced by the calm confidence of assured victory.
"You’re strong."
He looked at Chu Bai, who was just a breath away. His eyes held a hint of admiration, but it was overshadowed by absolute confidence. "But this victory is mine."
With that, the Power of Primordial Magnetism in his palm flared. The tyrannical pull instantly intensified severalfold, and the Restriction on the Golden Seal began to visibly tilt in his favor.
"My Primordial Magnetic Spiritual Power has reached the Perfection Level for my current Realm. Primordial Magnetism is a variant of the Metal Element, giving it a natural affinity for and control over Metal Dharma Artifacts."
Ji Li’s voice was steady as he spoke, enunciating every word.
"And this Gold Acceptance Seal is a peerless treasure of the pure Metal Element. Refining it is as natural to me as a fish taking to water."
"As for you..."
His gaze swept over the lingering fluctuations of Spiritual Power around Chu Bai. "The skills you just displayed... there was a Fire Technique Body Method, a Water Element Attack, and even some kind of control skill that resembled Cloud Qi."
"Your cultivation is a mess of different disciplines, not focused on a single one."
"With such mixed Spiritual Power attributes, you are naturally rejected by this Pure Gold Seal. How can you possibly compete with a pure Gold Cultivator like me?"
This wasn’t an empty boast, but a precise assessment based on the common knowledge of the Cultivation Realm.
This was part of the reason Ji Li had targeted Lü Qing so relentlessly earlier, even forming a tacit alliance with Chu Bai to do so. Although Lü Qing cultivated Golden Gang Qi, his was not as pure as Ji Li’s. And in his eyes, Chu Bai was a jack-of-all-trades, a "miscellaneous" cultivator who wasn’t specialized enough.
He just had to drag the fight to this final refining stage. With his overwhelming advantage in elemental affinity, victory could only be his!
"However..."
Ji Li looked at Chu Bai, who was still struggling to hold on, and his tone softened slightly. "You should be proud. You pushed me to the point of Spiritual Power exhaustion and even forced me to use my final trump card."
"I have to admit, in my three years at the Daoist School, you are the strongest and most surprising opponent I have ever met."
"If we were in the same class year, the outcome would have been uncertain."
This was incredibly high praise from Ji Li. Given his proud and competitive spirit, for him to make such a concession meant he already considered Chu Bai his equal in his heart.
However, in the face of these words—which, though fair, were delivered like a final verdict—Chu Bai remained expressionless.
He simply watched Ji Li in silence before retorting:
"Is that so?"
"You cultivate Metal Qi, so your affinity is high..."
A strange smile touched the corners of Chu Bai’s lips as he said softly,
"But who ever told you that I *don’t* cultivate Metal Qi?"
In that instant, Ji Li’s expression changed dramatically.
Before he could react, the calm Five Elements aura around Chu Bai’s body abruptly transformed.
The circulating auras of Fire, Water, and Wood were suddenly crushed by an invisible hand, then completely converted into the purest, sharpest—
Innate Geng Metal Qi!
BOOM!
A grim, murderous aura, reminiscent of clashing armies, erupted from Chu Bai’s palm and poured directly into the Gold Acceptance Seal.
"What?!"
Ji Li’s eyes flew wide. He stared in utter disbelief at the scene before him, and the hand he had pressed on the Golden Seal trembled involuntarily.
’A moment ago, he was a miscellaneous cultivator. How did he become a Metal Element Cultivator even purer than me in the blink of an eye?!’
’And the quality of this Metal Qi... it’s not the least bit inferior to my own!’
Chu Bai sneered inwardly.
’The Five Elements cycle, giving rise to Endless Life. As long as I wish it, I can be of any element I choose.’
’This was the truly terrifying aspect of the Little Five Elements cycle.’
’The moment I touched the Golden Seal, I used the Perfection Level Guiyuan Technique to convert all of my remaining Five Elements Spiritual Power into Innate Geng Metal Qi!’
’Now, my refining speed and elemental affinity are no different from Ji Li’s!’
Two columns of golden light shot into the sky as Chu Bai and Ji Li engaged in their final gambit.
The terrifying Spiritual Pressure turned the area within a ten-zhang radius into a forbidden zone.

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