Cultivation: From Poor Peasant to Celestial Lord

Chapter 39: Chapter 38: The Magic Technique Barrier Ends

The next morning, at the crack of dawn.

Chu Bai once again stood in the Martial Arts Arena of the Anping Examination Hall.

After a night of Breath Regulation, combined with the unique nourishing effect of his Purifying Power, the soreness from his blocked meridians the day before had completely vanished. He was now full of energy, his aura withdrawn, and he had returned to his peak condition.

But even so, he felt an unusual sense of pressure.

Though the number of people in the arena was the same as the day before, the atmosphere was far more somber and deadly. The twenty-seven candidates stood in two rows, their eyes glinting with either battle lust or solemn focus.

Everyone knew that the first test, Qi Absorption, was a measure of innate talent and luck. While it had created a gap between them, it wasn’t enough to seal their fates.

But today’s Magic Technique Barrier was where they would truly be tested. It was a straightforward contest of combat prowess, and the test where the gap between candidates could widen most drastically—or where one could even get injured.

"Silence!"

Atop the high platform, County Captain Zhang Cheng appeared once more. He wore martial attire today, making him look even more sharp and imposing.

Without any preamble, he produced his Official Seal and tossed it into the air.

HUMMM—

As the familiar sound of a Spell being cast rang out, the golden Law Net that blotted out the sky reappeared.

This time, however, it didn’t lower a Spirit Nurturing Platform. Instead, it sent down twenty-seven golden curtains of light.

These light curtains, like massive folding screens, instantly partitioned the Martial Arts Arena into twenty-seven separate, transparent cubicles. Each cubicle was roughly five zhang on each side, providing enough room for a single person to move about freely.

"The second test: Spirit Control."

Zhang Cheng announced the rules coldly, "The time limit is four hours. The Law Net will project Beast Shadow Puppets, condensed from Spiritual Qi, into your cubicles. You are to destroy them using Magic Techniques. The winner is the one who destroys the most."

"Enter!"

At the command, Chu Bai took a deep breath and stepped into the cubicle marked with the number three.

The moment he stepped inside, the light curtain sealed behind him, blocking out all external sound and interference.

AWOOOO—

At almost the exact same time, the air in the center of the cubicle distorted. Countless motes of azure Spiritual Qi rapidly converged, forming an azure wolf the size of a calf.

Although the azure wolf had no physical body, its eyes were crimson and its fangs were bared menacingly. Sharp wind blades swirled around its form, and it exuded an oppressive aura comparable to that of a fierce tiger.

’A Wind Wolf Puppet?’

Chu Bai’s gaze sharpened.

Before he could get a better look, the Wind Wolf let out a roar. It kicked off the ground with its hind legs, transforming into an azure afterimage and lunging straight for him with a fetid gust of wind.

It was incredibly fast!

An ordinary person would have been knocked down and torn to shreds by that attack.

But the beatings Chu Bai had endured at the Zhao Mansion these past few months had not been for nothing.

With a quick shift in his footwork, his body gliding like a willow catkin in the wind, he slipped three feet to the left and perfectly dodged the Wind Wolf’s pounce.

At the same time, he lightly raised his right index finger.

’Condense!’

The technique activated the instant he willed it.

A deep blue Water Needle instantly formed at his fingertip and shot out, carrying a bone-chilling cold.

As fast as a bolt of lightning, the Water Needle accurately pierced the Wind Wolf between its eyes.

The Wind Wolf didn’t even have time to cry out. Its body stiffened abruptly before disintegrating into a cloud of azure light motes and vanishing.

’One point down.’

Chu Bai lowered his finger, but he did not let his guard down.

Sure enough, just three breaths later, the air distorted once more. This time, two Wind Wolves appeared!

’The difficulty is increasing already?’

Chu Bai’s body weaved and dodged, a blur of motion within the confined space.

He didn’t attack rashly, instead patiently waiting for an opening. The moment their pounces missed and they were caught off-balance—their momentum spent, just before they could recover—he flicked out his hands.

Two Water Needles shot out, one for each wolf, scoring another one-hit kill.

Time trickled by.

As his kill count rose, the types of puppets began to change.

There were earth bears with astonishing defense, thunder leopards crackling with lightning, and even fire foxes that could spit Fireballs. Their numbers also grew, increasing from a single puppet at the start to three or even four at a time.

Beads of sweat began to form on Chu Bai’s forehead.

His Spirit Water Needle skill boasted powerful penetration and pinpoint accuracy, making it a deadly weapon against a single foe. But against a group, the weakness of having only one type of attack was laid bare.

He had no area-of-effect Magic Techniques, nor did he have any crowd-control skills. Faced with a siege by multiple puppets, he could only rely on his Body Technique to desperately weave between them, looking for chances to pick them off one by one.

’If I had the Water Binding Technique or the Ice Curse, even at the Beginner level, my efficiency would double...’

Chu Bai sighed to himself, but his hands never paused for even a fraction of a second.

He calculated the use of every last shred of his Spiritual Power, refusing to waste even the slightest bit.

Every Water Needle he fired took down a puppet.

...

Atop the high platform.

The three examiners looked down upon the entire arena.

"That Li Han kid is as fierce as they say," Zhao Wu said, pointing to a cubicle in the corner. Inside, lightning flashed. That Loose Cultivator, Li Han, was like a thunder god incarnate. A single blast of his Palm Thunder sent Thunder Serpents into a wild frenzy, instantly blowing three or four puppets to smithereens.

"With that kind of area-of-effect damage, he’s racking up points way too fast."

Li Wenyuan, however, was looking in another direction. "Wang Teng isn’t bad either. He advances and retreats with discipline, showing the composure of someone from a great family."

Finally, their gazes fell upon Chu Bai.

"This kid... it’s a bit of a shame."

Zhang Cheng shook his head slightly. "Although his Body Technique is exquisite and his Spiritual Power control has reached the Microscopic level, and he’s even practiced that Water Needle Skill to the Skilled Realm... his foundation is simply too shallow. His methods are one-dimensional. He’s at a disadvantage in this kind of siege."

"Still, to have lasted this long relying on a single trick, and without a single miss... his mental fortitude is truly rare."

...

With the final ringing of the Copper Gong, the four hours were up.

The Law Net dispersed, and the light curtains vanished.

All the attacking puppets instantly dissipated, their forms dissolving back into the Spiritual Qi of the world.

Chu Bai let out a long sigh of relief, feeling his legs go a little weak. The high-intensity battle had been a huge drain on both his mind and stamina, leaving him even more exhausted than he was the day before.

A short while later, a Clerk finished tallying the scores and presented the results.

Li Wenyuan took the roster and announced in a clear voice:

"First place, Li Han. Seventy-nine puppets destroyed. Rating—Grade A-Lower!"

The arena erupted in an uproar as countless awestruck gazes turned toward the cold-faced young man.

"Second place, Chu Bai. Seventy-five puppets destroyed. Rating—Grade A-Lower!"

"Third place, Wang Teng. Sixty-eight puppets destroyed. Rating—Grade B-Upper!"

Hearing the results, Chu Bai wasn’t surprised, nor was he particularly disappointed.

’Seventy-five puppets. That was the absolute limit of my current abilities.’

’I did my best with every Water Needle, every dodge.’

Although he hadn’t managed to take the top spot again, a rating of Grade A-Lower still kept him firmly ranked in the top two.

"The Magic Technique Barrier is now over."

Zhang Cheng’s voice rang out again, pulling everyone back from their thoughts. "You have a quarter of an hour for Breath Regulation and recovery. After that comes the final test—Heart Inquiry!"

Hearing the two words "Heart Inquiry," the previously noisy Martial Arts Arena fell instantly silent.

Everyone knew this test was the true Ghost Gate. It didn’t test one’s Cultivation or Magic Techniques, only the ethereal and intangible Dao Heart.

Chu Bai sat down cross-legged, swallowed a Qi Recovery Pill, and closed his eyes to begin his Breath Regulation.

’And now, for the final test.’