Golden Jade Dew

As the enormous golden Law Net overhead gave another low tremor, the multicolored spiritual lights across the Martial Training Ground abruptly went out. Then a new wave of light surged forth like a tide, covering the hundred Spirit-Gathering Platforms once more.

The second round of attribute changes had begun.

This time, no one was as composed as before.

Many had not fully withdrawn from their cultivation in the previous round when they were forced to stop. Some failed to halt their techniques in time, suffered a backlash of spiritual energy, and had blood trickle from the corners of their mouths.

"Quick! Find a suitable spot!"

The crowd erupted into motion. After the first round, everyone understood the importance of seizing the initiative.

Chu Bai, too, was forced to stop cultivating. He opened his eyes, and the keen perception granted by Quick-Witted spread out at once, sweeping over the nearby Spirit-Gathering Platforms.

But this time, his luck was clearly not as good.

"Fire, wood, earth... Why are they all conflicting or unrelated attributes?"

Chu Bai's brows drew tight.

He primarily cultivated the Water Method. If he forcibly absorbed Fire Spiritual Energy, fire and water would clash and his meridians would suffer. Earth Spiritual Energy suppressed water, so absorbing it would drastically reduce his efficiency. As for Mu Ling Spiritual Energy, water nourished wood, so he could absorb it—but only by expending his own Spell Power to nourish the wood energy. It would be a losing bargain.

He looked farther across the Martial Training Ground. At the other end stood several stone platforms glowing a deep blue with the Water Attribute.

But they were too far away, and people had already crowded around them.

In the instant he hesitated, several quick-eyed candidates claimed those platforms. Two people on one of them nearly came to blows over the spot; if not for the Black-Armored Guards' presence, they would likely have started fighting.

I can't get over there.

Chu Bai made the assessment calmly.

Time was short. Every breath spent hesitating meant lost points and brought him closer to elimination. In a test where every second counted, there was no time to choose the perfect answer.

If I can't get the best, I'll take the most suitable.

Chu Bai's gaze shifted and finally settled on a Spirit-Gathering Platform a dozen or so paces to his right.

No familiar water vapor rose from it. Instead, it flickered with a stark white light and gave off a sharp aura that stung his skin.

It held Metal Attribute spiritual energy.

Of the Five Phases, metal generates water.

His master's teachings on how the Five Phases generated and restrained one another flashed through Chu Bai's mind. Metal Energy is sharp. Drawing it into my body will feel like being cut by knives. But if I can tame it, metal can turn into water without end. Absorbing and converting it won't be as efficient as pure water, but it can hone the edge of my Spell Power. And it's compatible enough that it won't clash like fire or earth.

It isn't my first choice, but it isn't bad.

His mind made up, Chu Bai shot toward the Metal Attribute Spirit-Gathering Platform like an arrow loosed from its bow.

Several others had spotted it too, but perhaps they feared its sharp metal energy, or perhaps they were simply a step slower. Chu Bai reached it first and sat cross-legged.

"Rise!"

Chu Bai wasted no time. The moment he sat down, he began circulating his cultivation technique.

"Hiss..."

As the first thread of Metal Energy entered his body, Chu Bai sucked in a breath.

This was hardly absorbing spiritual energy. It was like swallowing a fistful of steel needles! The razor-sharp energy rampaged through his meridians as though it meant to slice them apart inch by inch.

"Change for me!"

Chu Bai gritted his teeth and forcibly drew on the strand of deep-blue spiritual power in his dantian.

A supple current of water met the sharp Metal Energy. Softness overcame hardness, and water tempered metal.

Under the washing and enveloping force of his Spell Power, the violent Metal Energy gradually lost its edges. It became a stream of water carrying a faint sharpness and slowly flowed into the Jade Ring.

The conversion was much slower than in the previous round, but the spiritual energy was exceptionally pure. Every thread was densely concentrated.

Chu Bai found his footing and once more entered a state of cultivation free from distraction.

Atop the raised platform.

The three examiners looked down over the field, taking in everyone's performance.

Zhang Cheng sat in the central seat, his face stern. To his left sat an elegant, middle-aged scholar named Li Wenyuan, the Prefectural Dao Academy's Instructor in Classics Theory. To his right sat Zhao Wu, a burly, bearded man responsible for the Dao Academy's Combat Training.

"That young man is remarkable."

Li Wenyuan gently waved the folding fan in his hand and pointed to Chu Bai below, admiration filling his eyes. "He drew in qi like a Whale Swallow in the first round, so his foundation is clearly excellent. When things changed in the second, he stayed calm. He didn't blindly follow the crowd; he understood how the Five Phases generate one another and made a decisive choice. Whatever his final score in this first test, his temperament and adaptability alone put him near the top."

Zhang Ironface nodded slightly. A barely perceptible glimmer of approval passed through his seemingly emotionless eyes. "A promising seedling. Far better than those aristocratic clan heirs who only know how to bury their heads in books or pile up pills."

"A promising seedling, yes. What a shame..."

Beside him, Zhao Wu sighed, his voice tinged with frustration and helplessness. "A shame he was born at the wrong time. In past years, a performance like his would have made admission to the Dao Academy a nail hammered into the board. But this year..."

Zhao Wu paused and held up two thick fingers. "The Dao Academy in Anping County has only two official places left."

"Two?" Zhang Cheng frowned. "Haven't there always been three?"

"That's old news." Zhao Wu gave a bitter smile. "Just a few days ago, Qingzhou's Provincial Government issued an iron decree. With the Killing Intent Tide along the border growing worse, it's concentrating resources on the top talents most likely to reach Foundation Establishment, or even the Purple Abode. So it's cutting places across the thirty-six prefectures under its jurisdiction and their hundreds of counties."

"Anping County is relatively lucky. Some remote counties didn't keep a single place. Their allocations were simply merged with others."

A heavy silence settled over the platform.

Resources were being concentrated. The strong would survive and the weak would be cast aside; competition would be fiercer than ever.

"Two places..." Zhang Ironface swept his gaze across the field before it settled on three figures.

"The one holding the Water Attribute platform and advancing steadily is Wang Teng, the county magistrate's assistant's son, isn't he? His family has a long scholarly tradition, and his foundation is the most solid. He's currently second."

"And that one..." Zhao Wu pointed to a platform flashing with lightning in a corner. "That boy's called Li Han. He's ruthless enough to swallow Thunder Spiritual Energy directly, and he's doing it fast. He's provisionally first."

"Then there's Chu Bai, provisionally third."

Zhang Ironface said gravely, "As for the others... their foundations are still lacking. I'm afraid they have no chance."

"Three people fighting for two places."

Li Wenyuan closed his folding fan and sighed. "One of them must be eliminated. Whoever it is, it will be a terrible shame."

On the Martial Training Ground, time ticked away.

The second round was about to end.

Chu Bai remained immersed in the pain and pleasure of Metal Energy tempering his meridians.

As threads of water spiritual energy carrying a sharp edge flowed into the Jade Ring, he could feel his Spell Power taking on a hint of that sharpness too.

There was no time to strip it away completely. Fortunately, it was compatible and did not seem to have any harmful effects.

Chu Bai knew nothing of the examiners' discussion. At this point, he knew only one thing.

No matter how cruel the rules or who his opponents were, only by becoming strong enough could he break through every barrier.

Even if there were only one place, he would fight for it!