Glancing around, he saw that quite a few talented Dao students from Third-Level City Dao Studies were still competing in the Dharma Combat Arena beside the plaza.
The Old Principal glanced at several Dao students standing behind the principal of Luanshan Dao Studies, their brows and eyes brimming with pride.
In previous years, Blue Mountain had won far more often than it had lost. But judging by the situation this time, the outstanding Dao students from Blue Mountain's other four Dao Studies had probably all been defeated.
"Bai Yi..."
"Principal, please let me give it a try."
Hearing the Old Principal's voice, Bai Yi was just about to step forward when Hua Ming strode out beside him. As he passed Bai Yi, he cast him a lingering look.
"Good. Then go see what Luanshan Dao Studies can do."
The Old Principal stroked his beard and chuckled. His impression of Bai Yi was so deep that he had forgotten Hua Ming's current strength was quite impressive too.
"Hmph, Old Qian, we'd like to see where you got that confidence."
Seeing the Old Principal act like this, the principals from Luanshan Dao Studies snorted. Then they swept their sleeves and headed toward the Dharma Combat Arena.
As the crowd surged across the plaza, seeing that another resource competition between city Dao Studies was about to begin, many Dao Studies teams with nothing else to do gathered around.
"Luan Mountain No. 1 Middle School, Qiu Yong!"
"Blue Mountain No. 2 Middle School, Hua Ming!"
In the Dharma Combat Arena, Qiu Yong glanced at Hua Ming in front of him, then swept his peripheral vision over Bai Yi below.
As the top student of Luan Mountain No. 1 Middle School, he didn't want to waste words. As long as he defeated the person in front of him, that Sword Cultivator would naturally come up next.
"Watch out!"
Qiu Yong's Spiritual Power erupted. His legs bent, wrapped in faint Lightning Arcs. Accompanied by a thunderous explosion, his figure appeared in front of Hua Ming like a streak of lightning. A fist wrapped in lightning shook the air.
Feeling the force of the punch, Hua Ming's gaze sharpened slightly. Scarlet Spiritual Power surfaced on his fingertip as he drew a single stroke.
Flames surged through the air, forming a wall of fire in front of him.
The instant the wall of fire shattered under the force of the punch, the Magnetic-Light Crimson Fire Talisman Register appeared. A Multitude of Flames Talisman then formed in midair, and boundless scarlet flames turned into a sea of fire that swallowed Qiu Yong.
"A Blazing Fire Talisman at Dao Resonance Major Accomplishment?!"
The Dao students watching from all around cried out softly. In a Third-Level City Dao Studies, if a Third Year of High School student could reach the Qi Refining Fifth Layer and cultivate a Magic Art to Dao Resonance Major Accomplishment, then getting into a First-Rate Academy was practically a sure thing.
Feeling the scorching heat all around him, Qiu Yong's heart gave a jolt. He unleashed the Thunder Marsh Body Tempering Method, also at Dao Resonance Major Accomplishment, to its fullest.
As lightning surged through his body, Dao Resonance patterns condensed as well. Thunder flashed, and he instantly threw dozens of punches, scattering the sea of fire.
He stamped down hard, turning into a bolt of lightning as he burst through the flames.
Hua Ming's pupils contracted slightly. He formed a Dao Seal with his fingers, and several Blazing Flame Talisman Birds appeared in the sea of fire, shrieking as they flew toward Qiu Yong.
Taking advantage of the delay, Hua Ming touched the air with his fingertip. Specks of azure flame rose, and an Azure Flame Talisman was swiftly inscribed into the Magnetic-Light Crimson Fire Talisman Register.
The Azure Flames churned like waves. Two fiery tigers took shape within them and lunged at Qiu Yong from the left and right.
Once the Azure Flame Talisman had formed, Hua Ming's face paled slightly as he put more distance between them. In his hands, Blazing Fire Talismans and Multitude of Flames Talismans continued to take shape. A vast sea of fire surged down, while Blazing Flame Talisman Birds rose in a continuous stream from within it, beating their wings.
Qiu Yong's lightning had just shattered one Azure Flame tiger when several Blazing Flame Talisman Birds struck his back and were crushed by the lightning.
Feeling the sea of fire that had completely engulfed him, Qiu Yong saw a pair of Thunder Ring Artifacts flash on his arms. Thunder boomed, and he leapt into the air as lightning gathered into a long blade that slashed down hard.
The thunderbolt split the sea of fire. Looking at Hua Ming, whose face had grown slightly pale,
Qiu Yong's eyes lit up. He was just about to dart forward when he saw another Multitude of Flames Talisman form at Hua Ming's fingertip. The severed sea of fire filled in again.
The boundless flames surged toward him once more.
"I concede!"
Glancing at his skin, already charred in places, Qiu Yong called out helplessly.
The sea of fire gradually receded. Hua Ming calmed the Spiritual Power within him, which had been nearly exhausted, and looked at Bai Yi with a little more confidence in his eyes.
"Old Qiu, your junior still needs to work harder on the Thunder Marsh Body Tempering Method."
The Old Principal laughed loudly, looking at the burly old man across from him. "We'll just take the medicinal pills and Spiritual Energy resources for this year, then."
"Hmph, Old Qian, my junior may have been a step behind, but Luanshan hasn't lost yet."
As Old Qiu finished speaking, a young man with an intrigued look in his eyes walked onto the Dharma Combat Arena from among the Dao student team of Luanshan City Dao Studies.
"Your Blazing Fire Talisman is indeed well cultivated."
"If I weren't hoping to borrow a spot in the Third-Level City, I wouldn't want to do something this unfair."
The young man first offered Hua Ming sincere praise, then spoke with some apology.
"Formerly of Qunlan No. 6 Middle School, now of Luan Mountain No. 1 Middle School, Lu Zheng."
As soon as the young man spoke, many of the watching Dao students and Dao Studies principals, Hua Ming included, froze.
"A transfer student from a First-Level City? That guy really has no shame."
"Their First-Level City assessments aren't even counted together with ours."
"Damn, what's the point of competing now?"
The Dao students around them murmured. First-Level Cities had enormous advantages over Second-Tier and Third-Level Cities when it came to resources, cultivation, and education.
All assessments in First-Level Cities were separate from those in Second-Tier and Third-Level Cities. This was one small privilege the Immortal Alliance had secured for Dao students from Second-Tier and Third-Level Cities.
But from time to time, some Dao students with wealthy families and decent strength, yet no certainty of passing their First-Level City assessment, would be parachuted into a Second-Tier or Third-Level City before the Third Year of High School assessment.
Since it was only the Preliminary Trial, everyone in Second-Tier and Third-Level Cities merely grumbled about this occasional practice.
After all, anyone hoping to enter the Four Academies and Ten Palaces still had to take the entrance assessment in the end. Many Second-Tier and Third-Level Cities had no one who could pass the Preliminary Trial for years at a time, so giving up one or two spots was no great loss.
It might look like a violation of the rules, but in the end, only the strong made it all the way.
Hearing the murmurs around him, Lu Zheng's ears reddened. But for the benefits after the Preliminary Trial, he pretended he hadn't heard.
"Blue Mountain No. 2 Middle School, Hua Ming."
After taking medicinal pills and recovering to his peak, Hua Ming's face grew solemn as he cupped his hands. Scarlet Spiritual Power abruptly boiled, and the Magnetic-Light Crimson Fire Talisman Register appeared directly in front of him.
Spiritual Power gathered at his fingertip. He drew a Multitude of Flames Talisman, drawing on the Fire Spiritual Power of heaven and earth to turn it into a sea of fire.
Seeing that Lu Zheng made no move at all, Hua Ming furrowed his brows. The Dao Resonance in his Azure Flame Talisman, at Dao Resonance Major Accomplishment, flowed as three Azure Flame tigers formed. They trampled across the sea of fire as they charged straight at Lu Zheng.
"Sorry, my friend. Please forgive me for this."
Lu Zheng apologized quite sincerely, a flash of light in his eyes.
Chilling Spiritual Power surged out. He slowly raised his right foot and planted it heavily on the ground.
In an instant, icy formation patterns gathered beneath his feet and swiftly condensed into a Formation Diagram.
The Spiritual Power of heaven and earth surged. Freezing Frost and Snow burst from the Formation Diagram, forming pillar after pillar of ice that spread in every direction.
Just as the Azure Flame tigers returned through the flames and pounced from midair, a frost-cold breath swept over them. A thin layer of ice gradually formed over the scorching flames.
Then it spread, freezing the entire sea of fire.
Lu Zheng formed a seal with his fingers and swept downward. The ice pillars beneath the Formation Diagram turned into sharp swords that instantly shattered the sea of fire, stopping frozen right in front of Hua Ming.
"Thank you for the match, my friend."
Watching the combat end in an instant, all the Dao students gathered around fell silent.
It had to be said that Hua Ming's strength would have ranked among the best even in a Second-Tier City.
But against Lu Zheng, who was at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer Late Stage, had a strong grasp of the Minor Five Elements Art, and had already brought his Formation Daoist Arts to Dao Resonance Perfection, he was still far outmatched.
"And this guy couldn't even be certain of passing the First-Level City assessment..."
"Alas..."
Just as the many Dao students from the cities watching below were feeling frustrated and helpless, Lu Zheng looked at Bai Yi and brought his hands together, his expression apologetic.
"Classmate, from what I saw just now, you're probably Blue Mountain's top student this year, right?"
"Sorry, could I trouble you with something?"
Looking at Lu Zheng, whose face was full of apologies and who seemed a little embarrassed, Bai Yi froze, feeling rather at a loss for laughter or tears.
How had he become an easy target in someone else's eyes before he'd even made a move?
Seeing Bai Yi freeze, Lu Zheng lowered his head even further. He felt that becoming a transfer student had already been rather wrong of him, and taking part in the city combat competition now was even more shameless.
"Recover your Spiritual Power first."
Hearing Bai Yi's words, Lu Zheng shook his head. "It's fine. I haven't used up much."
Before you continue