During these three days, Chu Bai did not engage in high-intensity training. Instead, he sat quietly behind closed doors and adjusted his energy and spirit to the peak state of Perfect Flawlessness.
In the early morning, the bell rang nine times, echoing over the entire Dao Academy.
Under the leadership of industry master Zhou Changkong, Chu Bai came to Forbidden Ground--Heavenly Spirit Martial Training Ground in the mountain behind the Dao Academy.
This place is not open to the public on weekdays. Only for major assessments of this level will the special Spirit Realm be used.
At this moment, the huge Martial Training Ground was already filled with people.
In addition to the approximately 100 elite students who have been screened and finally confirmed to participate in the competition, there are also many second- and third-year students who have not signed up but are simply here to observe and learn in the surrounding stands.
For them, being able to witness this duel, which represents the highest combat power of the Dao Academy, is a rare opportunity in itself.
Chu Bai As soon as he entered the venue, he saw a few familiar faces in the crowd.
"Junior Brother Chu!"
A voice of surprise came. Zhang Shan was standing in the front row of the viewing area, waving to him excitedly.
During this period of time, the two of them have collaborated on several missions and have become very familiar with each other. However, in the last month of Chu Bai's retreat, the two of them have not seen each other for some time.
Zhang Shan walked over quickly, patted Chu Bai on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Junior brother, are you also here to watch the game today? Just in time, let's find a good seat. This is Immortal Official Examination. The strong ones are competing for hegemony. Watching more can gain you a lot of knowledge."
He paused, and a trace of longing flashed in his eyes. "Although I was lucky enough to break through Qi Refining Third Layer, I know that Foundation Depth is still a little behind, so I didn't sign up this year. I plan to settle down for another year, and try sprinting next year to see if I can grab a spot for the next session."
Hearing this, Zhou Changkong, who was standing aside, looked at Zhang Shan with a strange expression, then shook his head and said softly, "Zhang Shan, you are mistaken this time."
"Chu Bai's participation quota has been confirmed by the prison."
"Ah?"
Zhang Shan was stunned, a little confused for a moment, his eyes flickering back and forth between Chu Bai and Zhou Changkong, "Participating? Junior Brother Chu? First grade?"
Although he knew that Chu Bai was very strong, even ridiculously strong, but... this was Immortal Official Examination!
"It seems that junior brother wants to leave the game early to experience the Asura Battlefield atmosphere and prepare for next year?"
Zhang Shan could only comfort himself in this way, and then he looked solemn, "How brave! In this case, senior brother will have to cheer for you in a while!"
Chu Bai smiled and did not explain much. He just cupped his hands in front of Zhang Shan and then turned around and walked towards the core area belonging to the contestants.
That is the center of the storm.
Soon, hundreds of contestants gathered.
Chu Bai stood in the crowd and glanced across.
Lü Qing, who stood like an iron tower with a giant sword on his back, was grinning at him, showing his white teeth; Wang Qingli, who was wearing a light yellow dress and had a cool expression, was also slightly nodding to him. Both of them are popular candidates to win the championship.
What is even more eye-catching is the figure standing at the front of the team like a star holding the moon.
It was a young man wearing brocade clothes, with a handsome face and an indifferent expression. He just stood there quietly, but there seemed to be a vacuum around him, and no one dared to approach easily.
Ji Li.
The legendary number one in the third grade who has never been defeated.
Chu Bai narrowed his eyes slightly and thought to himself, "It is indeed a gathering of outstanding people."
At this moment, three streams of light fell from the sky and landed on the high platform.
It was the three prison guards who usually saw the dragon but never saw its tail.
They are responsible for the final roll call and verification to ensure that the identity of each contestant is correct.
Immediately afterwards, several more majestic auras came.
The leader has white beard and hair, and has an immortal spirit. He is the dean of Great Plains Prefecture Dao Academy.
Behind him, two vice-deans followed, one of whom had sharp eyes, it was Lu He whom Chu Bai had met once when he was admitted to Ordination.
Lu He's eyes casually scanned the crowd below. When he saw the slightly immature figure standing among a group of third-year senior students, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Is that... the poor criminal leader from back then?"
Lu He's heart moved slightly, "This boy has only been in school for one year, but he is already qualified to stand here? Back then Ordination I thought he had an extraordinary temperament, but I didn't expect that his progress would be so fast. He is a talent that can be made."
However, he didn't say much, and just kept this concern in his heart.
"The time has come."
The dean took a step forward, his voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard throughout the audience, "This Immortal Official Grand Examination is a grand event for the imperial court to select talents. To show fairness, I specially invite Mr. Merit Office Judge to come and notarize it for us!"
Before he finished speaking, the wind and clouds in the sky suddenly changed color.
A majestic golden light broke through the clouds, fell straight down, and transformed into a middle-aged man wearing a dark red official robe and holding a Judge pen.
His face was upright, and there seemed to be Law Net flowing in his eyes. Just standing there made all the monks present feel a sense of oppression coming from the depths of their souls.
This is Judge who is in charge of the punishment reward of the first government and holds Law Net Divine Authority!
"I have met Mr. Judge."
Several prison guards and Instructor all bowed and saluted at this moment.
His authority and status are extremely high and he is at the same level as the dean.
Judge nodded slightly, scanned the audience with his eyes like torches, and his voice was as loud as a bell:
"Since we are selecting talents, fairness should come first."
"I am here to take charge, and I only care about true ability. Any cheating behavior will not be avoided Law Net Huihui!"
On the high platform, Judge Li, who was wearing a dark red official robe, stepped forward with a solemn expression and began to read out the specific charter of this Immortal Official Grand Examination.
"This exam is divided into three rounds, which are interlocking and progressive."
Judge Li's voice sounded like thunder in everyone's ears, and every word was extremely clear:
"The first round is called [Object Control]."
"In that specific area, there are hundreds of unowned magical artifacts collected by the Dao Academy. They are all used by the Qi Refinement Realm, but their grades vary."
"You need to communicate with spiritual power from a distance of five hundred feet to try to awaken and control its power. The first to fully activate and control it will own this magical weapon and can be used in the next round!"
"Limited to a quarter of an hour."
As soon as this statement came out, there was an uproar in the audience, and the discussion exploded like boiling water.
"Added to the next round? Doesn't that mean that the person who grabs the best magic weapon will win at the starting line?"
"Nonsense! This first round is clearly about grabbing equipment! Everyone is empty-handed now. If anyone can get a high-grade magic sword, their combat effectiveness will be doubled!"
The eyes of all the students became hot in an instant, and their breathing became rapid. Originally, everyone was a little unsure because they were banned from bringing their own magic weapons. Now, they can get the ownership of the magic weapon during the assessment, and it is first come, first served, and the strongest takes all. Who can not fight hard?
Judge Li ignored the commotion below and continued:
"The second round is [Demon Hunt]."
"You need to bring the magic weapon obtained in the first round and enter the specific Spirit Realm to hunt Demon Beast.
Demon Beast among the Spirit Realm this time is special, each head contains spiritual energy blessings with different attributes.
After hunting it down, the aura will attach to you and increase your combat power.
The more you kill, the stronger the increase will be!"
"As for the third round, it is the final [Arena battle]."
"At that time, you will use the magical weapon advantages and aura increases accumulated in the first two rounds to compete on Arena. The winner is king, and the loser will retire until the final ten places are determined!"
Chu Bai After hearing the rules, his eyes narrowed slightly and he quickly analyzed the pros and cons in his mind.
"This rule... is very interesting."
"Essentially, this is a snowballing game. If you grab a good magical weapon in the first round, you will be more efficient in killing monsters in the second round, and the spiritual energy you get will increase more. With the huge advantage accumulated in the first two rounds entering the third round, even if your cultivation level is slightly weaker, you can still rely on the previous advantage to not fall behind."
"On the other hand, if you lose in the first round, even if you are a genius, you will fall behind every step of the way, and you may not even have a chance to make a comeback."
"So... for this first level, you must go all out, and you must not hide your clumsiness!"
Chu Bai clenched his fists, a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes.
Compared with spiritual control? His Perfected Level's "Spirit Water Needle" and "Formless Cloud Hand" are best at remote subtle control!
"The rules are clear."
Judge Li turned to look at the dean beside him and nodded slightly.
The two raised their hands at the same time, and two Official Seals exuding vast pressure appeared out of thin air.
"Open!"
With a low cry, two Official Seal collided in the air, and golden light suddenly appeared, instantly connecting to the ubiquitous Great Zhou Law Net.
Rumble!
In an instant, the world was spinning.
The originally smooth Martial Training Ground underwent earth-shaking changes in an instant with the blessing of the power of Law Net.
In the area on the left, the space folded and turned into a gray Wasteland. And above Wasteland, hundreds of various magical instruments were densely inserted, just like Sword Tomb.
There are swords, guns, swords and halberds with cold light, and there are simple and thick bells, tripods and pagoda seals.
Some are restrained and unpretentious; some are overflowing with aura and sharp edge.
These have been stored by the Dao Academy for many years and are maintained by dedicated personnel on weekdays. They are now quietly waiting for their new owners.
The magic weapon is divided into three grades: upper, middle and lower. The higher the grade, the stronger the power, the further forward it is located and the deeper it goes into the Wasteland hinterland.
Many candidates were isolated by an invisible barrier in another area five hundred feet away.
As for those watching the battle, they were all isolated in the stands outside the Spirit Realm, and could only watch through the projection light screen, which would not affect the examination room in the slightest.
The three deans and Judge were suspended high in the sky, while Divine Sense swept across the entire space, looking down at the human world like gods.
In the venue, the atmosphere was extremely solemn.
Many students opened their eyes wide, Divine Sense fully opened, and kept looking at the pile of magic weapons in the distance, ready to select the target.
"What to choose?"
This is a game.
The first is the fit. Sword cultivators do not take advantage of the sword, and fire cultivators use water-based magic weapons. The power is halved. The fit is very important.
The second is distance and grade. Although a high-grade magic weapon is good, it is the farthest away, making communication the most difficult, and there will definitely be a lot of people staring at it, so it is easy to get into a fight. Although a low-grade magic weapon is close and easy to get, if you take it for the second round, you will probably suffer a big loss.
Chu Bai's eyes were like lightning, [Golden Eye Illusion-Breaker] was running quietly, his sight instantly penetrated hundreds of feet, and he could clearly see the intensity of the spiritual light of those magic weapons.
He quickly selected targets.
"I have "Formless Cloud Hand" and "Spirit Water Needle", and there is no shortage of remote control and control. What is missing now is the ultimate speed blessing, or stronger physical protection."
His eyes were fixed on a huge rock about 800 feet deep in Wasteland.
There was a crimson ring suspended there, with faint flame patterns flowing around it.
[Fire Element Ring]: Top-grade Qi Refining magic weapon. It can be attached to both feet, and when activated, flames will burst out. It can not only greatly enhance the speed of the body, but also kick out explosive fire to severely injure the enemy.
"Firestep Dash" suits me just right!" Chu Bai's heart moved.
And not far from the ring of fire, there is a pair of full-body armor exuding an earthy yellow halo. It seems to have amazing defensive power, and it should be a rare top-grade Defensive Magical Artifact.
"Fire Element Ring or that pair of treasure armor..."
Chu Bai secretly thought, "No matter which one I grab, it will greatly enhance my combat power."
Just when everyone was still struggling to think, an emotionless voice suddenly came from the air, instantly igniting the flames of war in the entire place.
"First round, begin!"
With Judge's command, the invisible barrier instantly dissipated.
Boom!
The originally stationary phalanx of a hundred people exploded in an instant. Countless rays of spiritual light shot up into the sky, and all kinds of movements were brilliant, rushing towards the Wasteland where the magic weapon was buried like an arrow from a string.
"Haha! I took the first step!"
A roar of laughter resounded throughout the audience.
I saw a strong man with a body like an iron tower taking one step forward. Fire exploded under his feet, and he walked directly through the air. Each step he took covered a distance of more than ten feet, and he rushed to the forefront like a broken bamboo.
This person's name is Wu Jianfei, a third-year fire cultivator with unparalleled fire skills. He is also a well-known ruthless person among the Dao Academy.
However, the gun shot out of the blue.
Just when he was about to throw away the large army, several obscure spiritual energy fluctuations suddenly erupted from behind.
"Get up!"
I don't know who shouted.
The ground beneath Wu Jianfei suddenly bulged, and four thick Earth Wall instantly closed together, turning into a solid cage that trapped him tightly.
At the same time, several ice picks and wind blades also roared towards him, blocking all his evasive routes.
There is no limit to the means of assessment, and interference with each other is naturally allowed.
For such a strong person who wanted to seize the opportunity, everyone tacitly chose to join forces to press it first.
"Hmph!"
Trapped in a cage, Wu Jianfei is not annoyed at all.
I saw red flames all over his body soaring, and his fists were like two red-hot hammers, slamming into Earth Wall in front of him.
Boom!
Earth and rocks flew away, and the cage was instantly shattered.
He strode out of the smoke. Although his body was a little sluggish, his momentum was stronger. He turned back and grinned at the crowd behind him. "Instead of trying all your efforts to block a certain family, it is better to save your spiritual energy to prevent yourself from being trapped by others!"
Although these words are arrogant, they hit the nail on the head.
Everyone is here to grab the magic weapon. It would be a joke if all the spiritual power was wasted on internal fighting and when the time comes to communicate with the magic weapon but they are unable to do so.
Perhaps he was awakened by these words, or perhaps he saw that Wu Jianfei was rough-skinned and tough to deal with, so the Spell Arts targeted him suddenly became much less intense.
This strong man took the opportunity to exert his strength again and still firmly occupied the first echelon position.
However, not everyone is as relaxed as he is.
Even if no one is targeting the few people at the front, they are still subject to restrictions.
This Wasteland is a special Spirit Realm. The deeper you go, the heavier the invisible spiritual pressure becomes, as if you are carrying a huge burden.
"Damn it! Someone tripped me with a vine!"
"Who created the fog? Do you have any sense of public morality?"
In just a few breaths, the large army had advanced more than a hundred feet.
However, due to various interference methods that emerged in an endless stream, the distance that should have been widened did not appear.
The dozen or so people in the first echelon clung to each other, and no one dared to rush too fast for fear of becoming the target of public criticism.
Chu Bai was mixed in the middle of the crowd and was not in a hurry to rush to the front.
He stepped on "Firestep Dash", and his body was like a fish, shuttled among all kinds of Spell Arts flying around.
"No rush."
Chu Bai looked calmly, "If you rush too fast now, you will only become a living target. The real fight will be in the magical weapon communication stage after five hundred feet."
"I am in the front position, so I don't need to hinder others anymore. I can leave some spiritual power for robbing the magic weapon."
"There is no limit to how many magic weapons you can get in the end..."