Atop the high platform, Judge Li stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his red robes snapping in the wind. His imposing gaze swept over the entire assembly, pausing on Chu Bai for a moment before he finally spoke, his voice drowning out the surrounding din:
"The first round is now concluded. The Dharma Artifacts you have obtained will be carried over to the next two rounds."
"These are the rules of the Immortal Official Examination, and also your fated opportunity. No matter the methods used, the result is all that matters."
Upon hearing this, the faces of the many empty-handed students below soured. Fall behind once, and you’ll fall behind at every turn. The gap created in this first round would be carried into the next, and possibly even magnified indefinitely.
But then, Judge Li’s tone shifted, a hint of grimness entering his voice that made the once-lively atmosphere suddenly turn cold:
"Since you have obtained these powerful artifacts, you must now prove you have the strength to be worthy of them."
"By my decree!"
Judge Li waved his great sleeve, and the space behind him trembled. In an instant, a massive Water Mirror materialized.
The mirror reflected a dark and deep jungle. Ancient trees towered into the sky, miasma filled the air, and the faint, mournful roars of beasts echoed out, striking fear into the hearts of all who heard.
"You have one hour to rest."
"In one hour, the second round of the examination begins: Demon Hunting!"
Judge Li’s voice was as cold as ice, reaching every person’s ears with perfect clarity:
"Location: A projected Spirit Realm of the Black Cloud Mountain Range’s periphery."
"Rules: Slay an Evil Qi Demon Beast to obtain a boost from its Evil Qi, which will be counted toward your total score."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd like a razor’s edge as he delivered the cruelest rule of all:
"Any and all methods used within the Spirit Realm are considered fair game."
It had already been made clear that items the candidates brought themselves, such as Dharma Artifacts and Pills, were forbidden.
However, the Dharma Artifacts obtained in the first round were permitted.
As for what ’any and all methods’ entailed...
A chill went down everyone’s spines. They understood instantly.
Cooperation, traps, or even... ambushing their fellow students!
In other words, while the environment was only a projection and no one would truly die, the logic of conflict within it was no different from that of the brutal Cultivation Realm.
Anything goes!
A tense atmosphere began to spread across the plaza.
In the first round, though there had been scrambling and competition, it was mostly over ownerless items. Rarely did anyone fight tooth and nail just to eliminate a rival.
If things got too difficult, one could simply give up and settle for a lesser Dharma Artifact.
Out of more than a hundred contestants, only a dozen or so had been eliminated.
But this second round was different.
Everyone understood a simple truth: the number of available spots was limited.
If they could eliminate a powerful opponent early on in this treacherous jungle, or steal the Evil Qi another had painstakingly acquired from hunting Demon Beasts, they would have one less formidable rival and a greater chance of victory in the third round’s arena battles.
Countless gazes, filled with assessment and calculation, began to drift through the crowd.
Especially on Chu Bai.
The three Upper Grade Dharma Artifacts he now possessed were both terrifying weapons and priceless treasures that would surely draw a pack of circling wolves.
The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.
Chu Bai felt the malicious gazes on him from all sides, but his expression remained calm. He simply began to circulate the Guiyuan Technique, seizing this one-hour break to recover his Spiritual Power.
He knew one thing for certain: the real fight was only just beginning.
Chu Bai found a blue-green stone and sat down cross-legged. Just as he settled into a meditative posture, Zhou Changkong and Instructor Lei hurried over, flanking him like two guardian statues and blocking the prying eyes all around.
"How are you? Are you injured?"
Zhou Changkong’s usually stern, rigid face was now etched with unconcealable concern and anxiety.
Though the last battle had been spectacular, it had been a heart-pounding affair to watch. He had been terrified that Chu Bai might have overexerted himself just to prove a point.
Instructor Lei’s eyes were wide as he looked Chu Bai up and down, as if expecting to find a hole somewhere on his body.
Chu Bai slowly exhaled, opened his eyes, and offered the two instructors a faint, reassuring smile. "Don’t worry, Master Zhou. I just used a lot of Spiritual Power, but I’m not injured. With the Guiyuan Technique, I’ll be recovered after a moment of Breath Regulation."
Hearing this, the two of them looked as if a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders, and they both let out a long sigh of relief.
"As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters!"
Instructor Lei was a straightforward man. He couldn’t help but reach out to clap Chu Bai heavily on the shoulder, though he seemed to pull back his strength at the last second as if afraid of breaking him. He laughed heartily. "Good lad! You really did us proud! When I saw you snatch that Golden Seal right out of Ji Li’s hands, this old man... ahem, I almost jumped up and cheered!"
Zhou Changkong wasn’t so brazen, but the smile in his eyes was impossible to hide. He nodded repeatedly. "A pleasant surprise, indeed. I thought it would be a feat for you to just hold on to the Fire Element Ring. I never imagined... you would accomplish so much."
The instructors gathered around Chu Bai, their words filled with relief and pride.
In that one battle, Chu Bai had not only made a name for himself, but had also given a massive morale boost to the first-year students of the Dayuan Prefecture Daoist School.
However, after a moment of joy, Zhou Changkong’s expression quickly turned grave again.
The next round of the examination was actual Demon Hunting.
Unlike the first round, the projected Spirit Realm was fraught with danger—and not just from Demon Beasts, but from the hearts of men.
According to the rules, instructors were forbidden from giving students any material aid, such as Pills or Talismans, during the break to ensure fairness.
The only thing they could do now was offer some words of advice.
Zhou Changkong mulled it over for a moment, then lowered his voice and said gravely, "In this next round of Demon Hunting, you must remember one thing: your top priority is to protect yourself."

Comments

Loading...