In an instant, a soft yet irresistible white light flared, enveloping Ji Li’s battered body and teleporting him out of the arena in a flash.
Several Medical Cultivators, who had been waiting nearby, immediately surrounded him. Amidst flashes of Spiritual Light, they began to stabilize his injuries.
After all, he was a prodigy of the Daoist School, and several deans were personally presiding over the event. Even if that Golden Eye Shattering Illusion had truly struck his eyes, a protective Restriction would have been triggered the instant before it could cause irreversible damage. There was absolutely no chance he would have been killed or left with a lasting injury.
Meanwhile, on the arena stage.
Chu Bai’s condition wasn’t much better.
He was bathed in blood, his clothes shredded to tatters. His exposed skin was covered in a dense network of fine cuts, scraped into him by the raw force of the Primordial Magnetic Storm.
He knelt on one knee, one hand braced against the ground, gasping for breath. Every inhalation sent a searing, sharp pain through his chest and lungs.
The power of that last move, the Polar Celestial Waterfall, had been truly terrifying. It was a killing blow powerful enough to crush an elite aberrant beast.
Ji Li hadn’t even used it when he was ganged up on earlier, likely saving it for a critical moment.
Even with his Perfection Level Guardian Shield protecting him, supplemented by a body enhanced with Evil Qi, Chu Bai had been unable to completely resist that pervasive, tearing force.
His organs had been shaken and his meridians damaged. He was, indeed, seriously injured.
However...
Chu Bai slowly raised his head. Looking at the empty space on the other side of the arena, he forced a difficult smile.
With his opponent eliminated, the match was decided.
He took a deep breath, and forcing himself to ignore the intense pain wracking his body, he slowly, tremblingly, rose to his feet.
Though he cut a wretched figure and his steps were still unsteady, he ultimately stood firm, his spine remaining ramrod straight.
He glanced around, his gaze sweeping over the faces in the crowd, each one contorted with excitement.
"Chu Bai!!!"
It’s unknown who was the first to shatter the brief, dead silence, but they screamed his name until their voice was hoarse.
That single shout seemed to detonate the entire plaza, instantly unleashing a tsunami of cheers and applause.
"He won! He actually won!"
"The Daoist School Champion! The first-year champion!"
"My heavens, a battle that transcended Realms! With such style... he can truly be called the number one student in our Dayuan Prefecture Daoist School!"
In the stands, whether they were new students or old, Noble Sons or scholars from humble backgrounds, everyone’s face was flushed red. They pumped their fists in the air, shouting his name for a final match that would surely be recorded in the annals of history.
Feeling the heatwave of cheers wash over him, Chu Bai silently circulated the Guiyuan Technique. He performed some light Breath Regulation to calm the surging qi and blood in his body.
’A pyrrhic victory...’
He sighed inwardly, feeling every part of his body protest, yet he couldn’t conceal the sliver of delight in his eyes.
’But thankfully... I still won.’
He knew perfectly well that defeating Ji Li, who was at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer, was not just a matter of luck. It was the result of many overlapping factors.
First was his numerical advantage in Dharma Artifacts.
In the first round, he had given his all to seize the Gold Acceptance Seal. This not only weakened Ji Li’s arsenal but also gave himself a trump card that served for both offense and defense. This shift in advantage was the deciding factor.
Second was his Perfection Level Magic Skill Realm.
Without the Guardian Shield, which could devour Spiritual Power and possessed properties of all Five Elements, he probably wouldn’t have even survived Ji Li’s first wave of attacks, let alone endured the final storm.
And then... there was his critically important Seven Kills Fate Chart.
As a Noble Family Descendant, Ji Li had been taught by famous masters since childhood. His combat experience was indeed vast, and one might even call him cunningly proficient.
But even that was not enough when faced with the near-instinctual killing intuition granted by his Fate Chart.
It was precisely by relying on that split-second decisiveness and ruthlessness that he was able to seize the fleeting opening in a desperate situation and settle the outcome with a single strike.
Chu Bai stood in the center of the arena, basking in the glorious limelight as he slowly regained his ability to move.
The cheers gradually died down, and the Barrier that had enveloped the plaza slowly dissipated.
Three deans and the red-robed Judge Li descended from above, landing lightly in the center of the arena.
Judge Li’s gaze swept over the crowd before finally resting on the youth who, though bathed in blood, still stood tall and straight. His eyes were filled with approval.
He cleared his throat, his voice, empowered by Spiritual Power, carrying across the entire plaza:
"The champion of this year’s Immortal Official Examination is—Chu Bai!"
As his name was formally announced, the crowd below erupted in thunderous applause once more.
Chu Bai clasped his hands and bowed to the crowd in all directions. Though his body was exhausted, his spirits were more energized than ever before.
Next came the most exciting part: the award ceremony.
A dean personally announced the rewards provided by the Daoist School for the Immortal Official Examination.
"First place, Chu Bai."
The dean smiled at Chu Bai. With a grand wave of his sleeve, three spheres of light appeared in mid-air, revealing the three Upper Grade Dharma Artifacts Chu Bai had used during the examination: the Fire Element Ring, the Essence-Bearing Tripod, and the Gold Acceptance Seal.
"According to the rules, the champion may choose any one of the Upper Grade Dharma Artifacts he obtained to take with him as his personal property."
"Furthermore, we bestow one hundred Spirit Stones to aid in his cultivation."
As soon as these words were spoken, a collective gasp swept through the audience below. Countless gazes filled with envy and jealousy threatened to drown Chu Bai.
That was an Upper Grade Dharma Artifact!
Its value was far more than a thousand gold pieces! It was a great treasure that could be used as a core tool all the way until Late-stage Qi Cultivation!
In fact, only a Cultivator who had reached Late-stage Qi Cultivation would have enough Spiritual Power to fully activate it and unleash its full might.
If sold in an outside Marketplace, an Upper Grade Dharma Artifact would be worth several thousand taels of silver at a minimum. If it were a Top Grade one or had special functions, it was common for the price to be driven up to tens of thousands.

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