You call this random?

Su Bai's mind raced as he weighed the pros and cons.

If you become the first target of the seven challengers, how should you respond?

Is it better to directly use ultimate techniques like [Dragon's Roar Sword Heaven] or the newly learned [Great Luo Sword Net] to intimidate Thunder with overwhelming force and save time and energy?

Or, to be on the safe side, should we use conventional swordsmanship to maneuver and conserve our Spiritual Power to deal with the possible onslaught of attacks?

Both options have their advantages and disadvantages.

The former is powerful and efficient, but it may reveal its hand too early and consume a lot of resources.

The latter is more prudent, but it may lead to a protracted battle, wasting energy and effort.

While he was secretly weighing his gains and losses, elsewhere, someone else was also feeling unsettled about the situation he was facing.

At the edge of the Underground Training Ground, a naturally formed protruding rock wall is now shrouded by an ingenious Concealment Formation. From below, it looks no different from an ordinary rock wall, but in reality, it has been transformed into a viewing platform with an excellent view.

At this moment, a dozen or so Cultivator with profound auras stood on the platform.

They were all Foundation Establishment Realm Academy Master and Elder from the Jade Mist Sect!

Standing before everyone, with his hands behind his back, overlooking the entire training ground, was none other than Fu Yunshen, the Hall Master of the Inner Sect Hall and the Golden Core Ancestor Fu Yunshen.

"Hall Master." Xu Shangran, the Academy Master the Sword Academy, twitched slightly as he looked down at Su Bai, who was enveloped in a pillar of light.

He couldn't help but say, "Isn't your 'random' selection of the top three a bit too 'random'?"

"Putting my kid Su in third place directly... isn't that a little unfair?"

The so-called "random selection" was simply a Fu Yunshen's divine Steward subtly instructing Li Zhao to make the selection; there was no trace of any array being activated.

Xu Shangran saw it clearly.

Fu Yunshen's gaze remained fixed below, and upon hearing this, he glanced indifferently at Xu Shangran.

"Since you have repeatedly boasted before me that the Sword Academy will be revitalized in your hands, and even lead a new era, and have been clamoring for reduced resources and preferential support..."

"Then I will give you a chance to prove it."

"Whether he's a mule or a horse, we'll find out once he's out there. Placing him in third place is just the right way to let everyone see what kind of person your so-called 'unparalleled Sword Dao genius' really is."

Several other Foundation Establishment Academy Master from the surrounding courts, Ice Court Academy Master and the Fire Court Academy Master, tried their best to keep their faces tense upon hearing this, but a few suppressed chuckles still escaped from their nostrils.

In the past six months Xu Shangran has been trying to secure resources for the Sword Academy by constantly praising Su Bai's Talent to Fu Yunshen, even to the point of being somewhat persistent.

They had already heard about it.

Seeing that Fu Yunshen had directly turned the tables on Su Bai, putting him on the spot with a hint of "Since you're so good at bragging, I'll see just how capable you really are," Su Bai naturally found it amusing.

Fu Yunshen seemed to think it wasn't quite right yet, and slowly added, "How about this, Court Master Xu?"

"If this young man Su Bai, can truly win first place in this competition under such circumstances, as you say?"

"I hereby grant the decision to waive half of the Sword Academy's facility maintenance fees for the next five years. What do you say?"

Xu Shangran was initially delighted, as the Sword Academy's funds were always stretched thin, and half of the venue fee was no small sum!

But then, he looked worried again.

Although he had great confidence in Su Bai's strength, the current situation... was clearly due to his own boasting, which had brought this undeserved disaster upon his disciple!

He could easily see through Su Bai's predicament: he had become the target of everyone's attacks and was likely to be repeatedly challenged and worn down.

If this leads to Su Bai running out of Spiritual Power and being unable to challenge Zhao Hanshuang for first place, then wouldn't the responsibility... fall entirely on his own mouth?

"Hall Master, this..." Xu Shangran wanted to say something more.

"What? You've lost confidence in the genius you discovered and praised so highly?" Fu Yunshen interrupted him with a half-smile.

Xu Shangran was speechless and could only swallow his words.

He cast a worried glance at the figure below.

Kid, live up to my expectations! Your reputation as my teacher and the benefits of the Sword Academy depend on you!

Battle Arena, Zhao Shanhe also cast a look of sympathy at Su Bai.

He naturally couldn't challenge his own Chief, but his goal was to Foundation Establishment Pill, so he had to get into the top three.

Therefore, his attention could only be focused on Yang Guang was in the second seat.

This defense mode is full of strategic gameplay; the later you act, the worse the defending champion's condition may be, and the greater your chances will be.

At this moment, the seven people, including Zhao Shanhe, were all observing and calculating, none of them willing to be the first to step forward as the "Goldstone."

A tense atmosphere permeated the area in front of the Battle Arena.

Just then, Steward Li Zhao, who was in mid-air, seemed to receive some kind of telepathic message. He nodded slightly and then spoke loudly again.

"Since none of you are taking action for the time being, the formation will randomly select the first challenger. The selected Disciple may choose to challenge or choose to abstain, thus forfeiting this round's opportunity..."

"No need, Steward Li."

A clear, eager voice interrupted Li Zhao.

Zhang Feifei, a genius Disciple of the Talisman Crafting Court, stepped out of the pillar of light, his gaze fixed intently on Su Bai. A smile of apology appeared on his lips, but his eyes were filled with fighting spirit.

"I'll give this first challenge to my junior brother."

Zhang Feifei cupped his hands towards Su Bai, "Chief Su of the Sword Academy, I'm really sorry, but I've got my eye on your third-place position!"

"Zhang Feifei? He does have an extra 'Fei' in his name, but hopefully it's not just a powerful name..."

A thought flashed through Su Bai's mind, but his expression remained calm, merely nodding slightly. "Please."

The next moment, a beam of teleportation light descended, engulfing the two into the massive arena.

The starting distance is three hundred zhang.

Zhang Feifei had clearly done in-depth research on the Sword Cultivator ' attack patterns, and was well aware of their terrifying explosive power and speed.

The moment he landed, without even glancing at Su Bai's location, he swiftly unleashed Talisman!

"Golden Gang Protection, talismans stacked, swiftly!"

He let out a low shout, and his fingertips flashed with spiritual light. One after another, Talisman of special texture, with a faint golden metallic luster, were instantly activated by him. However, instead of shooting them at the enemy, he applied them to his body in layers, like applying plasters!

One! Two! Three!... Ten!

In the blink of an eye, ten identical First-Tier Superior-Grade Gold Attribute Defense Talisman [Golden Gang Talisman] were perfectly superimposed on each other by him, linked with his own Spiritual Power using a special technique!

Buzz--!

A blinding golden light shot into the sky from Zhang Feifei's body!

The defensive aura of the ten layers of [Golden Gang Talisman] was not simply added together, but rather, under the guidance of his unique "Talisman Stacking Technique," it produced a kind of synergistic enhancement;

Eventually, a thick, foot-long, radiant spherical shield, resembling a miniature sun, was formed, completely enveloping him!

On the surface of the shield, pale golden runes flowed like mercury, exuding an aura of indestructibility and weight.

Not to mention Su Bai on the arena, even the thousands of Disciple watching from the sidelines could clearly feel the despair-inducing defensive power contained within that "Golden Sun"!

"This... ten Tier First-Tier Superior-Grade Defense Talismans stacked together?!"

One Disciple gasped, "How many Spirit Stone would that cost? Are the people in the Talisman Crafting Court all that rich?"

"The key is the layering technique! Ordinary Talisman have conflicting Spiritual Power, so they can't be layered at all! Senior Brother Zhang's 'talisman layering technique' is a unique skill of the Talisman Crafting Court!"

"Even a turtle's shell isn't this hard... How am I supposed to fight this?"

Su Bai was also slightly taken aback. Looking at the other party's glittering golden decorations, he couldn't help but blurt out, "Are you stacking tortoise shells here?"

Inside the protective barrier, Zhang Feifei, though reluctant to part with the ten valuable [Golden Gang Talisman], felt a surge of confidence as he experienced an unprecedented sense of solidity around him. His voice, brimming with smugness, emanated from the barrier. "Hehe, Chief Su, sorry! I'm taking your third place!"

He was confident that under the ten layers of [Golden Gang Protection], even if Su Bai's Sword Qi was sharp, it would be difficult to break through in a short time!

This period of time was enough for him to use a massive number of attack Talisman to completely overwhelm his opponent!

Ten layers of specially stacked Metal Attribute defenses... breaking through them with a strong attack would inevitably consume a tremendous amount of resources.

Su Bai's mind raced, and he made a decision in an instant.

My goal is Zhao Hanshuang, to be number one.

We can't waste too much Spiritual Power here.

No matter how strong this Talisman shield is, it will have a limited duration or a point of depletion... Let's see who has the patience and the ability to consume it!

He reached out and beckoned, and the Azure Dragon Sword hummed softly as it fell to his feet.

To deal with this "iron turtle," there's no need to pursue maximum attack power for now. Instead, using a Top-grade Magic Sword Flight for control is faster and allows for more flexible dodging.

With a flash of blue light, Su Bai had already ascended into the air on his sword, hovering several dozen feet above the ground, leisurely observing the "golden sun" below.

Seeing this, Zhang Feifei didn't hesitate and quickly applied a cyan Talisman to himself— First-Tier Superior-Grade [Divine Movement Talisman].

His body suddenly became light and swift.

He charged towards Su Bai's position below, his dazzling golden shield gleaming above him like a golden cannonball.

Upon entering the hundred-zhang range, a glint flashed in Zhang Feifei's eyes, and with a flick of his wrists, a handful of Vermilion Talisman scattered like a celestial maiden scattering flowers!

"Fire Butterfly flutter, go!"

The Talisman spontaneously combusted in mid-air without wind, but instead of turning into ordinary Fireball, they transformed into palm-sized, lifelike, and fluttering crimson flame butterflies!

Dozens of Fire Butterfly flapped their wings and flew swiftly, their trajectories unpredictable, surrounding Su Bai in the air from all directions at an incredibly fast speed!

"Oh? That's interesting."

Su Bai raised an eyebrow.

The geniuses of this Talisman Crafting Court are indeed more than just skilled at stacking armor.

With a slight thought, the Azure Dragon Sword beneath his feet shimmered with azure light, and his figure became as agile and elusive as a willow catkin in the wind—a subtle Movement Method from the "Dragon Roaming Sword Control Technique."

At the same time, another ordinary low-grade Low-grade Magic Sword quietly slid out from his sleeve, hovering beside him, ready to strike.

A Fire Butterfly flew straight at him, and Su Bai abruptly changed the trajectory of his Sword Flight, narrowly dodging it.

The Fire Butterfly brushed past him, flew several feet away, and then exploded with a bang, turning into a scorching fire cloud about ten feet in diameter, with an oppressive heat wave.

Immediately afterwards, even more Fire Butterfly swarmed in, weaving together a crimson web of death.

Su Bai unleashed the "Dragon Roaming Sword Control Technique" to its fullest extent, weaving and changing direction through the gaps in the Fire Butterfly, the cyan Sword Light tracing dazzling paths in the air.

Zhang Feifei's [Fire Butterfly Talisman] has clearly been improved, with its flight speed and ability to change direction far exceeding that of ordinary Talisman attacks.

Several Fire Butterfly still anticipated Su Bai's evasive route and blocked his path.

"Cut!"

Su Bai pointed his finger, and the Low-grade Magic Sword beside him moved accordingly, shooting out several pale blue ordinary Sword Qi that accurately hit the Fire Butterfly that had no way to avoid them, exploding them in mid-air before they could get close!

Boom boom boom!

Fiery clouds burst forth in the sky, reflecting Su Bai's calm face and the agile Sword Light of his sword.

He maintained a safe distance from the explosion's epicenter throughout, and with his superb Sword Flight and precise Sword Qi strikes, he managed to neutralize dozens of troublesome Fire Butterfly, his clothes fluttering and spotless.

A murmur of astonishment rippled through the crowd.

"What incredible Movement Method! Is this the Sword Cultivator's Sword Control Technique? It's like dancing!"

"Multitasking! Dodging on one Sword Flight while simultaneously controlling another to intercept... Su Bai's control over flying swords is terrifying!"

"Senior Brother Zhang's Fire Butterfly Talisman were both fast and cunning; they were all either dodged or detonated..."

Zhang Feifei, watching from below, frowned deeply, inwardly astonished. "Dual swords wielded simultaneously, evasion and attack seamlessly linked... This Sword-riding Technique has truly reached perfection! No wonder he's the Chief the Sword Academy!"

He held back, unleashing several more attack Talisman of different attributes.

Wind Blade, Ice Cone, Stone Thorn... all sorts of low-level Law Technique, delivered in the form of Talisman, rained down on Su Bai in the air like a storm.

Su Bai remained calm.

He wielded the Azure Dragon Sword, mastering the art of dodging. When he couldn't dodge, he would unleash ordinary Sword Qi with Low-grade Magic Sword to defeat the opponent.

Possessing the "Yin Yang Guixu Sword Meridian," he consumes very little energy when unleashing these uncompressed ordinary Sword Qi, which he can easily withstand.

As this wave of Talisman attacks came to an end, a glint flashed in Su Bai. Seizing an opening, he manipulated his Low-grade Magic Sword to slash through the air!

A condensed, azure-colored Compressed Sword Qi aura tore through the air, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, and slashed directly at the dazzling "golden sun" below!

The Sword Qi struck the golden shield, producing a dull "clang" sound like striking solid metal!

The surface of the shield rippled violently with golden light, and the flow of the pale golden runes noticeably accelerated.

However... the shield remained intact and did not break.

Zhang Feifei was jolted by the impact of the Sword Qi energy, but quickly regained his footing. Feeling the stability of the protective shield, his confidence soared.

He threw his head back and laughed loudly, "Hahaha! Su Bai! Useless! This is ten layers of [Golden Gang Talisman] stacked together, Endless Vitality, as solid as a rock!"

"No matter how sharp your Sword Qi is, you won't be able to break through it anytime soon! I am the nemesis of you Sword Cultivator! Admit defeat, wouldn't it be better to conserve your Spiritual Power for the challenges ahead?"

Su Bai had already gotten a general idea of what was going on after his initial probe.

This tortoise shell is indeed hard; forcibly breaking it open would require at least a killing move of the [Dragon's Roar Sword Heaven] level, and the consumption would be considerable.

He glanced at Zhang Feifei's smug face, then at the still-brilliant protective shield surrounding him, and suddenly a very faint smile appeared on his lips.

He stopped attacking and even retrieved the Low-grade Magic Sword.

Then, under the watchful eyes of countless people, he actually sat cross-legged on the broad blade of the Azure Dragon Sword!