Most students were grateful just to become skilled in a single Magic Technique.
But Chu Bai had not only mastered three Magic Techniques; from their power and control, it was clear he had reached the Mastery Level in all of them!
He had the Spirit Water Needle for offense, the Guardian Shield for defense, and the Formless Cloud Hand for control.
Such a perfectly balanced skillset was something only elite, third-year veterans who had struggled for years in the Daoist School could barely manage to achieve. For a first-year student, it was simply monstrous.
What startled Jii Yu even more was her faint realization that Chu Bai’s aura had become somewhat obscure and inscrutable.
In the past, she could discern the depths of Chu Bai’s Magical Power at a glance. But now, the young man’s aura seemed to be shrouded in mist. His Five Elements Circulation produced Endless Life, and even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like her found it difficult to see through him.
"Chu Bai."
Jii Yu composed herself and asked, "As for your Spirit Water Needle, what’s the maximum number you can control simultaneously while maintaining precision?"
She could tell that the Profound Iron Targets before them were no longer any challenge for Chu Bai.
In that last volley, Chu Bai had clearly just been practicing his fine control, not using his full strength at all.
Hearing this, Chu Bai stopped what he was doing and thought for a moment.
"How many?"
He silently calculated in his head.
’If I go all out, ignoring the consumption, and use the Magical Power from my endless Five Elements circulation...’
"Instructor," Chu Bai said, cupping his hands. He gave a number he felt was conservative enough not to be too shocking. "Around three hundred, I’d say."
"Three hundred?!"
The words had barely left his mouth when a collective gasp echoed across the Martial Arts Arena.
Even the pupils of the ever-composed Jii Yu contracted slightly.
The Spirit Water Needle, though a Basic Technique, was known for its high numbers and difficulty to control.
An ordinary student in the Early Stage of Qi Cultivation who could control thirty needles at once without losing control would be considered excellent. To control a hundred made one a genius.
Three hundred?
What an absurd level of Divine Sense and control that required!
It meant not only overwhelming firepower, but also that his opponent would have absolutely nowhere to escape!
In the crowd, Lin Xuewei, who had been silently watching Chu Bai, now wore a complicated expression.
As the second-ranked student in Class Three and the only person besides Chu Bai to have mastered a Magic Technique to the Mastery Level, the prodigious young woman knew better than anyone the weight behind that number.
"Three hundred..."
Lin Xuewei gave a bitter smile.
’I thought after these past six months of arduous cultivation, I’d closed the distance between myself and Chu Bai a little. I never imagined that not only has the gap not shrunk, it’s become an unbridgeable chasm.’
’He was already at Mastery during the mid-year assessment. Now, months later, has he really improved this much more?’
Lin Xuewei looked at the figure surrounded by the crowd, feeling both dejected and defiant. ’But I won’t give up so easily!’
However, neither the shocked Jii Yu nor the secretly competitive Lin Xuewei knew the truth—
that in Chu Bai’s eyes, three hundred was truly just a modest fraction of his real ability.
His gaze dropped, sweeping over a panel only he could see.
[Skill: Spirit Water Needle (Perfection 6/???)]
That’s right.
After months of grinding day and night, this Magic Technique—the one he had known the longest and used most often—had finally broken through the fetters of Mastery a short while ago, stepping into the legendary realm of Perfection!
For the current Chu Bai, any so-called numerical limit had long since ceased to exist.
The Perfection Level Spirit Water Needle meant the skill moved with his will; a needle formed with a single thought.
As long as he had enough Spiritual Qi in his body to sustain it, forget three hundred—he could control even a thousand needles as easily as his own limbs!
「Afternoon. The Practical Combat Martial Arts Arena.」
The sun blazed down as sweat flew through the air.
Instructor Lei stood on a high platform, his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze swept over the group of spirited young men and women below, and a rare hint of emotion touched his stern face.
’This class of students really is more driven than the previous ones.’
Especially Class Three.
Perhaps it was because they had an absurdly strong battle maniac like Chu Bai setting the tone. Through repeated beatings and pointers, the freshmen’s practical combat experience skyrocketed.
Compared to the flashy but impractical techniques of the other classes, once the students of Class Three started a fight, their ferocity and discipline were reminiscent of veteran students.
’It actually saves me a lot of trouble.’
Instructor Lei nodded slightly, thinking, ’The Cultivation Realm is a cruel place. Too many Cultivators focus only on their Cultivation Realm, burying their heads in practice, only to become lambs for the slaughter in a real life-or-death battle. The Daoist School wants well-rounded individuals who can fight, endure, and survive—not flowers raised in a greenhouse.’
’If this class is properly honed, besides Chu Bai, a few other remarkable talents should emerge.’
His gaze fell upon the fighting ring in the center of the arena.
There, Chu Bai stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes tidy and unwrinkled.
Below the ring, the fifth challenger, who had just been effortlessly dispatched with Formless Cloud Hand, was clutching his chest with a wry smile.
"Who else wants to give it a try?"
Chu Bai’s gaze was calm, devoid of any arrogance.
Although the students below had just been defeated, they weren’t discouraged. Instead, they were rubbing their hands together, the fighting spirit in their eyes burning even brighter.
Sparring with a master of this caliber, even if it meant getting crushed, was a rare and valuable experience.
Watching this unfold, Instructor Lei nodded in satisfaction.
「The next day, after General Knowledge class.」
After the other students had gradually dispersed, Chu Bai didn’t leave. Instead, he walked straight to the lecture platform to where Zhou Changkong was organizing his teaching materials.
"Master Zhou, I have something to report."
"Oh? Chu Bai." Zhou Changkong set down the scroll in his hand and smiled warmly. "You’re looking well. Have you made more progress in your cultivation?"
Chu Bai nodded. Without wasting any words, he released a sliver of his aura.
"I was fortunate enough to break through to the Third Layer of Qi Cultivation last night."
"What?!"
Zhou Changkong’s hand trembled, and he nearly dropped the teacup he had just picked up. He shot to his feet, grabbed Chu Bai’s wrist, and instantly probed him with his Spiritual Sense.
"The Third Layer of Qi Cultivation?!"
In an instant, Zhou Changkong’s face was a mask of shock and disbelief.
He could sense it with perfect clarity.
The Magical Power in Chu Bai’s body surged like a great river, far more potent than that of the Qi Cultivation Second Layer. Moreover, his aura was incredibly stable, showing none of the instability that often comes from a forced breakthrough.
’How long has he been enrolled? Not even a full year!’
’Even with the boost from a Class A Blessed Land, this speed is simply outrageous!’
And...
Zhou Changkong’s brow furrowed, then smoothed out again, his eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and awe. "Your body... how do you have so many different types of Spiritual Qi? Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth... you have all Five Elements?
And yet there’s no trace of impurity or conflict. Instead, they’re so harmonious, producing Endless Life?"
He was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator himself, so he naturally knew how difficult it was to cultivate multiple elements at once.
An ordinary person with just two elements would have to be extremely careful to maintain a balance; the slightest mistake could lead to cultivation deviation.
But the five energies inside Chu Bai’s body were as harmonious as a close-knit family!
Seeing his master’s astonishment, Chu Bai cupped his hands and explained, "Master Zhou, while I was cultivating in the Spirit Pavilion, I had a sudden insight. I tried to harmonize the elements using the principle of generation and was fortunate enough to absorb all five types of Spiritual Qi into my body, forming a Little Five Elements cycle."
"This Little Five Elements allows the Qi to move according to my will. If I use the Spirit Water Needle, I can instantly call upon Water Spiritual Qi; if I use Golden Eye Shattering Illusion, Gold Spiritual Qi takes precedence... I can switch between them freely, without any obstruction."
This was Chu Bai’s own definition of his current state. Although he was still a long way from achieving the truly complete Circulation Wheel, it was more than enough for the Qi Cultivation Stage.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Zhou Changkong said "Good!" three times, pacing excitedly on the platform. "The Little Five Elements! If your Dean Chen found out about this, he’d be too overjoyed to sleep!"
"With this, you’re guaranteed to defend your first-place title in the first-year final examinations a month from now! There’s no doubt about it!"
Zhou Changkong looked at his star pupil, his eyes filled with anticipation. "You’ll enter the second year with a Cultivation at the Third Layer of Qi Cultivation, which will still put you among the top combatants. After another year of refinement and consolidation..."
In Zhou Changkong’s eyes, a bright and open road already lay ahead for Chu Bai.
However, before he could finish his pleasant daydream, Chu Bai’s next words struck him like a clap of thunder.
"Master Zhou."
Chu Bai’s expression was calm, yet it carried an unshakable resolve.
"I don’t want to wait until next year."
"I want to apply for the Immortal Official Examination."

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