In just over a month, he had cultivated the White Rainbow Sword Art, which was already quite difficult to master, to Dao Resonance Minor Accomplishment.
He had only ever heard of such progress. Only prodigies from great families could achieve it.
Perhaps he really would live to see No. 2 Middle School produce a student who made it into the Four Academies and Ten Palaces.
The Old Principal glanced at Bai Yi, coughed lightly, then took a silver box from his drawer and placed it before him.
"Cough... Since you've already gained some insight into the White Rainbow Sword Art, I shouldn't say anything more."
"I just got this Nanoparticle Dao Robe a few days ago. I'll give it to you."
Bai Yi looked at the Wehua logo on the box, and his expression faltered slightly.
This Nanoparticle Dao Robe was a defensive First-Tier Superior-Grade artifact that the Wehua Group had just released.
Made with Heavenly Rock as its primary material and paired with over a hundred million Nanoparticle Machines, it had two interconnected formations etched into it by the Mozi M5 Micro-Scale Lithography Machine: the Spirit-Consolidating Formation and the Body-Fortifying Formation.
Its retail price was no lower than that of the Heart-Questioning Sword in his hands. More importantly, it was hard to come by.
"Old Principal, this..."
"What, you treasure it so much you don't dare take it?"
"Don't worry. This thing is no longer of any use to me."
"I think since you're giving it to me anyway, I remember the U7 Model Dao Robe also came with a pair of boots when it was released."
"Do you think you could..."
Seeing Bai Yi's face on the verge of turning into a fawning grin, the Old Principal's expression stiffened. He found a smaller matching box in the cabinet and tossed it at Bai Yi with an ill-tempered look.
"Take them both. Now get lost."
"Sure thing."
Bai Yi caught the box in one hand, respectfully bowed to the Old Principal in thanks, then hurried out of the Principal's Office in long strides, afraid the Old Principal would change his mind and take the things back.
"Haha, that kid's amusing. Very amusing."
Seeing Bai Yi flee as if escaping a disaster, the Old Principal shook his head with a laugh.
In all these years, this was the first time a student had dared to ask him for something like that.
Still, these things had long been of no use to him. Perhaps they would serve their greatest purpose in the hands of this young fellow.
"I wonder how long that kid from the Hua Household can hold out..."
After leaving the Academic Affairs Building, Bai Yi carefully examined the Nanoparticle Dao Robe and Long Boots in his hands. He could no longer suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth.
This must be what it meant to be treated like a genius.
If he hadn't made breakthroughs in both the Minor Five Elements Art and the White Rainbow Sword Art recently, forget the Dao Robe-he probably would've gotten a harsh scolding instead.
"I've still got two bottles of Qi-Nourishing Pills waiting for me. I can't forget those."
Sixty thousand yuan.
He tucked the things into his pocket and guided the Sword-Flight Technique with his thoughts. The Heart-Questioning Sword on his back suddenly flew from its sheath, and man and sword headed straight for the Dueling Arena.
No. 2 Middle School's Dueling Arena
Several thousand years ago, after all the Academies below the Immortal Alliance's Four Academies and Ten Palaces added Dharma combat performance to their admission criteria, Dueling Arenas had appeared in every Advanced Dao Studies school.
This tradition hadn't faded over thousands of years of inheritance. If anything, it had only grown more popular.
Nowadays, many Second-rate Academies and Third-Rate Private Sects had even established a Single-Recruitment Track for Combat-Spell Specialist Students, leading many students with average cultivation talent to hope they could use it to leap over the dragon gate.
As a result, every day, large numbers of students from the First, Second, and Third Years of High School came to No. 2 Middle School's Dueling Arena to spar.
"Why is Senior Hua Ming at the Dueling Arena today?"
"I don't know. He's been standing there for more than ten minutes, hasn't he?"
Several new students in their First Year of High School whispered among themselves. All around them, dense crowds had gathered, their gazes repeatedly turning toward the Dharma Combat Arena where Hua Ming stood.
Just minutes after word got out that Hua Ming had stepped onto the Dueling Arena, hundreds of No. 2 Middle School students had swarmed over.
As the school's unofficial top student, Hua Ming had last stepped onto the Dueling Arena a year ago, when he narrowly defeated Zhang Xingming in a single move.
Now, a year later, Hua Ming had returned to the Dueling Arena. None of them wanted to miss the spectacle.
"Guo Qingqing's here!"
"Senior Zhang Xingming's here too!"
The crowd parted, and Guo Qingqing and Zhang Xingming emerged, approaching the Dueling Arena where Hua Ming stood.
"Hua Ming, I heard your Blazing Fire Talisman has reached Dao Resonance Major Accomplishment."
"Perfect. This will let me wipe away the shame of losing by one move last year."
Zhang Xingming let out a low shout, planted his foot on the ground, and shot toward the Dueling Arena like a cannonball.
As Zhang Xingming closed in, Hua Ming opened his eyes, which had been shut. A trace of impatience flashed in them. Crimson Spiritual Power surged, and he jabbed one hand forward.
He sketched in midair, and a fire talisman appeared, then transformed into more than ten Firebirds swirling with Dao Resonance. They screeched as they attacked Zhang Xingming, knocking him back through the air.
"I'm not waiting for you this time."
After landing, Zhang Xingming swept his arm, extinguishing the flames. He glanced at his arm, now slightly charred, then stared at Hua Ming on the platform with a grave, gloomy expression.
He hadn't expected the Blazing Fire Talisman, after reaching Dao Resonance Major Accomplishment, to burn through his Vajra Body.
If they fought again, he'd probably lose even faster than he had a year ago.
With the Blazing Fire Talisman at Dao Resonance Major Accomplishment, and that First-Tier Supreme-Grade Talisman Artifact he was rumored to possess, Zhang Xingming had to admit that Hua Ming had now surpassed that guy from No. 1 Middle School and could be called Lanshan City's top Dao Student.
Just as Zhang Xingming was about to speak, Bai Yi's name suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"You're waiting for Bai Yi!"
As soon as those words left his mouth, the crowd packed around the Dueling Arena grew noisy.
Bai Yi's stunning performance at the last assessment had left many No. 2 Middle School students unable to recover even now.
Moreover, as a Sword Cultivator, Bai Yi had often appeared at the Dueling Arena before. His Dharma combat skills were formidable, but he was still far behind the other three.
Now, with Hua Ming acting this way, and Bai Yi's stunning performance earlier, the crowd couldn't help but grow even more expectant.
As everyone discussed it, a streak of sword light sped over from afar and landed directly on the Dharma Combat Arena where Hua Ming stood.
"It's Bai Yi!"
The sword light faded. Bai Yi leapt down from the Heart-Questioning Sword and looked at the masses of heads below, unable to help grinning.
That many people-half the school must be here.
"You came."
"A swordsman never breaks his word."
Hua Ming flipped his palm, and two bottles of Qi-Nourishing Pills appeared out of thin air. He then set them on a stone pillar to one side.
"Whether you win or lose, these two bottles of Qi-Nourishing Pills are yours."
As he spoke, crimson Spiritual Power erupted around Hua Ming like a volcano, its might approaching Qi Refining, Sixth Layer.
Red spiritual light wound around his fingertips. Before him, a golden-red Talisman Artifact sprang up, crackling with electric magnetic arcs.
Blazing Fire Talisman-Flame Swarm
Hua Ming's expression was grave. Spiritual light at his fingertips sketched out one Blazing Fire Talisman Rune after another. The Magnetic-Light Crimson Fire Talisman Register exhaled runes, and talisman patterns suddenly appeared on its screen, which was as smooth as paper and jade.
The talismans imprinted themselves in the air, drawing in Fire Spiritual Power to form a sea of flames in an instant.
Within the sea of flames,
runes flashed across the screen of the Magnetic-Light Crimson Fire Talisman Register. One Blazing Fire Talisman Firebird after another soared through the flames, crying out as they swept down with the sea of fire in a world-tilting torrent.
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