"Deans," Judge Li said, turning his head with a meaningful look. "You all have truly cultivated some fine young talents for our Great Zhou."
As Judge Li finished speaking, the aura emanating from Ji Li below finally broke through its critical point.
HUMMM!
A clear, resonant cry pierced the heavens.
He’d reached the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer!
"It’s done."
Ji Li slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long, turbid breath. The sharp glint in his gaze was now contained, making his eyes seem deeper and more serene than before.
The violent fluctuations of Spiritual Power around him quickly subsided, replaced by a denser, more substantial pressure—the distinct aura of the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation.
For him, this breakthrough was merely a natural progression, the inevitable result of his efforts.
He had spent the last three years cultivating steadily and honing his foundation, pouring countless hours of blood, sweat, and tears into his training.
Now that the seal was lifted, it was as if a long-dammed flood had finally found an outlet. His Realm-Breaking was effortless, and he hadn’t felt even the slightest hint of a bottleneck.
’As for why I chose to hastily break through at this critical juncture...’
Ji Li tilted his head slightly, his gaze passing over the crowd to land on the young man not far away who was practicing the Gold Acceptance Seal. A complex look flickered in his eyes.
He was actually starting to feel the pressure.
Before today, if someone had told him a first-year student could threaten his position, he likely would have just laughed it off.
But now, things were different.
In the first round, he had underestimated his opponent and made a strategic error, losing to Chu Bai by a narrow margin and allowing the Gold Acceptance Seal, with its integrated offense and defense, to fall into his rival’s hands.
Then, in the brutal second round, their slaughter-fest atop the Spirit Realm Peak had ended in an apparent draw, with both of them acquiring a similar amount of Evil Qi. But he knew the truth: Chu Bai had achieved that feat while being besieged by more than ten people!
In the upcoming third round, a head-to-head battle, even someone as proud as Ji Li had to admit it: that newcomer named Chu Bai genuinely had a chance of defeating him.
For the sake of the final championship, for the sake of defending his three years of glory.
He couldn’t allow for any mishaps.
"The Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer..."
As Ji Li rose to his feet, the oppressive aura of the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation radiated out, completely undisguised. In an instant, the expressions of the others in the square changed. They felt their shoulders sink as the pressure on them doubled.
"This guy... he’s really enough to make you despair."
Lü Qing felt Ji Li’s unfathomable aura and couldn’t help but shake his head, a bitter smile touching his lips.
Over the past three years, as the Dayuan Prefecture Daoist School’s resident Martial Zealot, he had challenged Ji Li countless times. He had lost every single time, but he had never truly accepted defeat.
He had planned to go all out in this final round, to clash with Ji Li one last time and see if he could finally claim a victory.
But now...
The man had gone and broken through to the next Realm.
Even though he had also received a White Talisman, and breaking through to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer should have been a natural progression for a genius like Lü Qing, a breakthrough was, after all, an act of defying the heavens. It required one to adjust their condition, bathe, burn incense, and most importantly, calm their mind and focus their spirit.
Forcing a breakthrough in a hurry would inevitably leave behind hidden dangers, potentially even damaging one’s foundation.
’I can’t be as nonchalant about it as Ji Li,’ Lü Qing thought. To avoid damaging his foundation, he wasn’t prepared to take such a risk right now.
Besides...
He looked up at the sky.
There was less than an hour until the start of the third round.
For most people, that wasn’t even enough time to calm their minds, let alone attempt to break through such a critical barrier.
Ji Li’s gambit had succeeded, but it was truly like dancing on a razor’s edge. The slightest misstep would have meant utter ruin.
’Is this the gap between us?’ Lü Qing sighed. The competitive fire in his heart hadn’t been extinguished, but it had dimmed.
Meanwhile, Wang Qingli held her Cyan Wood Giant Shield, her beautiful eyes darting about as they remained fixed on Chu Bai, her expression complex.
When she came out of the Spirit Realm and saw Chu Bai standing safe and sound among the top ten, the heavy weight in her heart was finally lifted.
’Thankfully, my little Junior Brother pulled through and wasn’t eliminated by that pack of wolves. He’s secured his spot as an Immortal Official.’
But...
Wang Qingli glanced at the imposing Ji Li, who had just broken through, then back at Chu Bai, who was still calmly practicing his techniques. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry.
’The outcome of this third round is hard to predict.’
She knew that Chu Bai’s current combat power was absolutely among the top of the ten remaining contestants. In fact, besides Ji Li, there might not be anyone who could definitively best him.
But if he were to contend with the current Ji Li...
Early-stage Qi Cultivation versus the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation—the gap between them couldn’t be bridged by a mere boost from Evil Qi.
’Junior Brother Chu, this round is going to be tough for you,’ Wang Qingli sighed to herself.
’I can channel much more of the Dharma Artifact’s power now.’
Chu Bai formed a Spell with his hands, watching the Gold Acceptance Seal before him weave and transform in the air—at times as heavy as a mountain, at others as light as a feather. He nodded to himself in approval.
’When I first got it, my Spiritual Power at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer, even with the Five Elements Transformation technique, was only enough to channel ten or twenty percent of this Upper Grade Dharma Artifact’s power. It felt like a child trying to swing a sledgehammer.’
’But now, with the boost from that massive amount of Evil Qi, both my physical body and my Spiritual Power have been enhanced. I can unleash the majority of this artifact’s power.’
He calculated internally while continuously changing his Hand Seals, experimenting with the coordination and synergy between his three Upper Grade Dharma Artifacts.
This wasn’t just a test of their power; it was a race against time to master them.
After all, he’d only had these treasures for a very short time.
He’d used them a few times in the Spirit Realm, but only to crudely smash his opponents or defend himself.
If he wanted to wield them like extensions of his own limbs in the upcoming arena battles, he needed to develop a deeper understanding and familiarity.
As for the terrifying pressure emanating from Ji Li’s sudden breakthrough to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer...
Chu Bai glanced at the white-robed figure out of the corner of his eye, his expression as calm as still water, betraying no hint of panic or despair.
His opponent had indeed grown much stronger, having crossed the barrier of a Great Realm. Both the quantity and quality of his Spiritual Power had undergone a fundamental transformation.
As for Chu Bai, although the White Talisman’s restrictions on him had also been lifted, his Cultivation at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer had yet to reach Perfection. It was clearly impossible for him to achieve a spontaneous breakthrough in such a short time as Ji Li had.
But this did not mean he had reached his limit.
With a thought, a system panel that only Chu Bai could see materialized before his eyes.
[Guardian Shield (Mastery 488/500)]
Seeing the familiar line of small, light-blue text, the corners of Chu Bai’s mouth curled up slightly.
Nearly a month ago, this Defense Technique had already been close to reaching the Perfection level.
In the time since, while preparing for the Immortal Official Examination, he had focused more of his energy on offensive measures and his Body Technique, but he had never neglected to practice his signature skill.
Before the examination began, he was just one step away from the final Realm of Perfection.
But after the high-intensity combat of the first two rounds—especially after frantically channeling it while besieged by more than a dozen people on the Spirit Realm Peak—his insight into this Magic Technique had unknowingly reached a tipping point.
It just needed one final push!
’The time I have left...’
’With my Spiritual Power recovery rate, I can still practice it many more times. And there are no comprehension restrictions...’
Chu Bai closed his eyes and began to simulate the Spiritual Power pathways for the Guardian Shield over and over in his mind.
’It’s enough.’
Once Guardian Shield broke through to the Perfection Realm, it wouldn’t just be a simple boost to his defense.
A Perfection Level Magic Technique often gives birth to unexpected, transformative effects, just like the rapid-fire ability of the Spirit Water Needle and the integrated offense and defense of the Formless Cloud Hand.
Besides that, he touched the Golden Seal tucked in his robes and felt the unceasing Five Elements Spiritual Power within him. A fiery battle intent glinted in his eyes.
The Immortal Official Examination was nearing its end, but the final victor had yet to be decided.
"Ji Li..."
Chu Bai slowly clenched his fists. The Evil Qi surged within him, intertwining with his soaring will to fight.
"The Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer... is a battle I can still win!"

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