Cultivation: From Poor Peasant to Celestial Lord

Chapter 37: Chapter 36: A Crushing Lead

The third and fourth rounds of the assessment followed in quick succession. As the Law Net hummed, the Spiritual Qi Attributes on the hundred Spirit Nurturing Platforms changed unpredictably.

Chu Bai had a terrible run of luck in these two rounds.

In the third round, he only managed to grab a Wood Attribute Spirit Nurturing Platform.

Though Water Generating Wood meant the Wood Qi was gentle and harmless, it also meant he had to expend his own Magical Power to nurture the Wood Qi, taming it before it could be absorbed into his Jade Ring.

This give-and-take process drastically reduced his efficiency.

When the fourth round arrived, it was that scalp-numbing Metal Attribute again. Even with his previous experience, the continuous assault of the Metal Qi made his normally tough meridians begin to ache faintly, as if they were filled with fine grains of sand.

"HUFF... HUFF..."

Sweat beaded on Chu Bai’s forehead, and his breathing grew ragged.

Even with the protection of his Purifying Power, the congestion in his meridians from switching between different attributes of Spiritual Qi was inevitably building up.

He spared a moment to glance around.

The scene was even more brutal than he had anticipated. Most of the examinees were now pale and trembling.

Some were even curled up on the stone platforms in pain, completely unable to continue cultivating, and could only watch helplessly as time slipped away.

Meanwhile, for the few at the top, the brilliant light from their Jade Rings made their lead impossible to hide.

In contrast, Chu Bai’s ranking had begun to fall, dragged down by the last two rounds.

HUMMM—

Just then, the Law Net overhead once again emitted a low, deep tremor.

The fifth and final round was here!

All the examinees who hadn’t given up rallied their spirits, staring intently at the Spirit Nurturing Platforms that were about to light up. This was their last chance for a comeback.

The platforms lit up.

A sharp glint flashed in Chu Bai’s eyes.

Less than ten paces directly in front of him, a Spirit Nurturing Platform began to glow with a white light that was neither of the Five Elements nor a variation, but was pure and transparent, as soft as moonlight.

’This is... attributeless spiritual energy?’

Chu Bai was ecstatic.

He recognized it at a glance: Little Pure Spiritual Energy.

Although it wasn’t as balanced and peaceful as Pure Qi, its strength lay in its flawless purity. It was a universal tonic that any Cultivation Technique could absorb without loss, and it placed no burden on the meridians!

’Get it!’

This time, Chu Bai held nothing back.

He pushed off, his body shooting forward like an arrow released from its bow.

The two other examinees nearby who had also targeted the platform saw only a blur, and the coveted spot was already his.

...

「On the high platform.」

Li Wenyuan fanned himself as he watched the changes in the arena, shaking his head slightly. "Chu Bai’s luck really is a bit poor. He was held back by the attributes in the previous rounds. And though he managed to grab an Attributeless platform this final round, judging by his earlier performance, his main discipline should be a Water Technique. Attributeless spiritual energy is harmless to him, but it won’t make him any faster. It’ll be difficult for him to have any explosive growth."

Zhao Wu also sighed. "What a pity. If he’d gotten a Water platform, he might have had a shot at the top three. As it stands, he’ll probably just manage a passing grade."

In the two examiners’ eyes, Chu Bai’s best performance was in the first round with the Water Attribute, and he had sought out generating attributes after that, so they naturally classified him as a Cultivator specializing in the Water Element.

However, the instant Chu Bai settled onto the platform, a strange phenomenon occurred!

The gentle white light on the Spirit Nurturing Platform, as if pulled by some immense force, began to spin wildly, forming a vortex of Spiritual Qi visible to the naked eye!

"What?!"

Li Wenyuan’s fan froze mid-motion, his eyes widening in shock.

His absorption speed... it was thirty percent faster than when he absorbed Water Spiritual Qi in the first round!

No, it was more than thirty percent!

He wasn’t just absorbing it; he was devouring it whole!

"Wh-what’s going on?" Zhao Wu was also completely stunned. "Could it be he’s not a Water Cultivator?"

The two exchanged a look, and as if struck by the same bolt of lightning, realization dawned, their eyes filled with utter shock.

"Pure Qi! This kid isn’t just a Water Cultivator—he built his foundation with Pure Qi!"

"For him, attributeless spiritual energy isn’t just harmless—it’s a true return to his Origin, completely unobstructed!"

"We all misjudged him!"

...

「On the Martial Arts Arena.」

By this final round, most of the examinees, including Wang Teng and Li Han, were in agony from the accumulation of foreign impurities in their meridians.

Their absorption efficiency plummeted. They were like old oxen pulling a broken cart, able to grind out only the tiniest progress.

Only Chu Bai was different. He was now going at full blast!

The Little Pure Spiritual Energy entered his body, perfectly compatible with his Pure Qi foundation. There wasn’t the slightest hint of rejection.

More importantly, that unique wisp of Purifying Power within him flared to life once more.

The azure Magical Power, carrying the pure Little Pure Spiritual Energy, surged through his meridians like a torrential flood. The Gold and Wood Qi accumulated from the previous two rounds instantly crumbled before this torrent and were completely washed away.

His meridians were clearer than ever before!

While others were slowing down, he was speeding up!

The light from the Jade Ring on Chu Bai’s finger surged, its brightness visibly swelling. In an instant, it outshone the nearby Wang Teng, then eclipsed the imposing Li Han.

His rank, which had been fourth or fifth, skyrocketed. He shot straight to the top, rapidly pulling away and creating an enormous lead!

CLANG—

With the final clang of the Copper Gong, the five double-hours were up.

The Law Net dispersed, and the Spiritual Light on the Spirit Nurturing Platforms slowly faded.

Most of the examinees in the arena were collapsed on the ground, looking as if they’d just been fished out of the water. They gasped for breath, not even having the strength to lift a hand.

Only Chu Bai remained seated cross-legged. He slowly concluded his technique, exhaled a long, turbid breath, his expression calm and composed, as if he had just woken from a short nap.

Seeing the brilliance of the Jade Ring on his hand, the impatient Zhao Wu could no longer restrain himself. He leaped directly from the high platform, dashing over to Chu Bai in just a few strides.

"Give me the Jade Ring!"

Chu Bai rose, offered a bow, and handed over the Jade Ring, which glowed with an almost piercing light.

Zhao Wu snatched it and extended his Divine Sense into it.

The next moment, the burly vice-examiner’s large, bell-like eyes widened, and his hand trembled slightly.

He snapped his head up, looking at Li Wenyuan and Zhang Tiemian on the high platform. His voice cracked with sheer shock as it echoed across the arena:

"Old Li! Magistrate Zhang! You have to see this!"

"This kid... There’s a full strand of Spiritual Qi in this Jade Ring!"

"A full strand?!"

The entire arena fell silent.

Everyone’s gaze, even those of the examinees collapsed on the ground, now focused with disbelief on the youth in the green robes.

That was the limit of what the Jade Ring could hold.

After all, in these short five double-hours, anyone who could fill it to seventy or eighty percent of capacity was already among the frontrunners. Reaching ninety percent would make one a powerful contender for the top spot.

In daily cultivation, absorbing one strand of Spiritual Qi in three days was considered normal progress. Shortening that to two days was already rare.

And yet Chu Bai... he had managed to gather one complete strand!

This wasn’t just first place. It was a complete and utter rout!