The aftershocks of the second monthly exam had yet to fully dissipate. Inside the classroom, all the students of Class Three were in their seats.
On the platform, Instructor Zhou Changkong stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze sweeping across the faces before him—young, yet already showing a sharp edge.
The quality of this year’s class was better than he had anticipated. The students in the front row, in particular, already showed faint signs of becoming the leaders of their year.
"You’ve been enrolled for over three months and have taken two monthly exams," Zhou Changkong began slowly. "You have laid your foundation in General Knowledge, and the rankings have clearly distinguished the strong from the weak.
But this is merely the first step on the long road of Cultivation. The victors must not grow arrogant, and the losers need not lose their will to fight. The next assessment will be the true watershed that determines the course of your future."
Everyone held their breath in concentration. Chu Bai looked up, his gaze sharp and focused.
"In a little while, it will be time for the semi-annual exam," Zhou Changkong said, his tone growing serious. "This will be a grand competition not just for our Class Three, but for all ten classes of your year—more than three hundred new students in total.
The top-ranked participants will not only receive generous rewards of Daoist Merit but will also gain the right to enter the Spirit Pavilion to select a type of qi."
"The Spirit Pavilion!"
A few students couldn’t suppress their gasps. Jiang Kuo involuntarily straightened his spine.
A thought stirred in Chu Bai’s mind.
He had heard about the Spirit Pavilion before.
It was a vital location within the Daoist School. Inside, Arrays sealed away all sorts of special attribute spiritual energy, collected by the Great Zhou Celestial Court from famed mountains, great rivers, and the deepest polar abysses.
Normally, if an ordinary disciple wished to enter the Spirit Pavilion to cultivate, they would have to pay one point of Daoist Merit just to stay for a single double-hour.
To choose any specific spiritual qi they wanted, it cost ten points of Daoist Merit per session; otherwise, they could only select a general category of qi, not a specific type.
For the vast majority of new students still scrambling to earn enough Daoist Merit for Basic Techniques, such a place was an unattainable luxury.
"The Spirit Pavilion houses a wide variety of spiritual qi, such as Geng Metal Essence Qi, Wood Breathing, or even the rare Thunder Gang Qi."
Zhou Changkong continued, "While most of you already possess spiritual qi from your families or from your own endeavors, during the Qi Cultivation stage before Foundation Establishment, the purity and variety of your spiritual qi will determine the upper limit of your future Dao Foundation.
With any given type of spiritual qi, the higher the purity, the better.
The top ten performers in the semi-annual exam will be allowed to enter the Spirit Pavilion, choose any Blessed Land to cultivate in for three days, and will also be rewarded with their choice of a Magic Technique."
Chu Bai’s fingers tapped lightly on his desk.
His Guiyuan Technique was all-encompassing. If he could enter the Spirit Pavilion and absorb a few types of special attribute spiritual energy, not only would it make the characteristics of his Spiritual Power more versatile, but it would also compensate for his current lack of offensive strength.
Furthermore, the ranking meant more than just that.
Chu Bai recalled his conversation with Zhang Shan from a few days prior.
As a second-year student who had been through it all, Zhang Shan had lamented, "Junior Brother, if you can make it into the top fifty in your first year, life will be a lot easier once you advance to the second year.
The General Knowledge classes mostly end, and the Instructors focus their attention on the top-ranked students. All the lucrative jobs and errands go to them, not to anyone in the middle or lower ranks."
Zhang Shan was currently in the middle ranks of the second-year class and could only take on thankless, grueling jobs like being a Teaching Assistant—a fact that he was still bitter about.
"So, do not slack off in the coming months."
With a final, deep look at Chu Bai, Lin Xuewei, and a few others, Zhou Changkong flicked his sleeve and departed.
The classroom instantly erupted in chatter.
"First on both lists! Brother Chu, you really stole the show this time,"
Jiang Kuo turned around, whispering with a conspiratorial wink. "But during the semi-annual exam, all those monsters who’ve been lying low in the other classes will finally show their faces. You’d better watch out."
"Come on, come on, let’s not scheme about that stuff in the classroom."
Jiang Kuo slapped his desk, stood up, and beckoned grandly to Chu Bai, Zhou Tong, and Chen Shi. "My ranking jumped up to number ten today! When I go home for the break and tell the old man, I’ll definitely be able to get more Cultivation Resources. Come on, you guys! Today we’re going to the second floor of the cafeteria to treat ourselves to a real meal—some Spiritual Cuisine!"
The second floor of the cafeteria was a place many new students had never been.
Chu Bai and the other two followed Jiang Kuo up the wooden staircase, and a rich, fragrant aroma immediately washed over them.
The decor here was far more exquisite than on the first floor. The faint presence of an Array could be felt in the air, maintaining a high concentration of Spiritual Qi.
Zhou Tong looked at the wooden placards on the counter and sucked in a sharp breath. "The cheapest dish, ’Jade Spirit Bamboo Shoots,’ costs one point of Daoist Merit? One bite of that and my whole day of sweeping the grounds would be for nothing?"
"You silly kid," Jiang Kuo said, expertly pulling the group to a table. "This isn’t just about satisfying a craving. The amount of spiritual qi in one of these meals is equal to three days of hard cultivation, and it has none of the impurities or pill toxins. Watch this."
Jiang Kuo generously spent ten points of Daoist Merit.
Before long, several plates of enticingly colorful Spiritual Cuisine were served to their table.
Chu Bai picked up a piece of translucent Demon Bird flesh and put it in his mouth. He felt a warm current of energy slide down his throat and into his stomach, where it instantly exploded outward.
[Acquired Fate Chart: Nourishing and Exquisite] activated instantly.
Chu Bai felt the energy being converted into Spiritual Power by his body with incredible efficiency. It surged through his meridians and into his Dantian. The pleasant sensation of his Cultivation rising steadily was far beyond anything that could be achieved by simply sitting and meditating.
"It really is on another level," Chu Bai praised sincerely.
Too bad he had only just reached the point where he could afford regular meat; this Spiritual Cuisine was still a bit too extravagant.
"Of course it is."
Jiang Kuo said while chewing on a piece of Spiritual Flesh, "Too bad this stuff is so expensive; I can only afford to splurge like this once in a while. Brother Chu, your digestion speed is incredible! Judging by your aura, did you refine all of it in just a moment?"
Chu Bai smiled. "Once I get my reward from the new student assessment, I’ll treat everyone to another meal here."
The others were delighted, and quickly wished Chu Bai good luck in securing a high rank.
Just as they were enjoying their conversation, several figures appeared at the top of the stairs to the second floor.
The one in the lead wore a Cloud Brocade Daoist Robe and had an arrogant expression. It was Dong Feng from Class Two.
Chu Bai instinctively glanced at the people behind Dong Feng but didn’t see Li Han.
It was hard to say whether he hadn’t fully integrated into this new circle or simply lacked the financial means to join them.
Dong Feng saw Chu Bai as well, and their gazes met mid-air. Though no words were spoken, an invisible pressure seemed to make the surrounding air a few degrees heavier.
They broke eye contact with a silent, mutual understanding.
In a place like the Daoist School, private Magical Combat was strictly forbidden.
Besides, they were all still new students; the culture of sparring via Magical Combat had not yet taken hold. Such a practice would become much more common once they advanced to the second year.
For now, Realm and rankings were what mattered. For the upperclassmen, it was strength in Magical Combat that held weight. Any disputes were typically settled in the Martial Arts Arena.
After all, most of them were still only at the Qi Cultivation First Layer and still needed time to round out their repertoire of Magic Techniques. Even if a fight produced a clear winner, it wouldn’t prove much.
Chu Bai put down his chopsticks, his mind as calm as still water. ’He’s much more composed than last time.’
"Chu Bai?" Jiang Kuo asked quietly.
"It’s nothing. Let’s eat."
Chu Bai turned back and added, "This Spiritual Cuisine really is delicious. Thanks for this, Brother Jiang."

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