Just as Guo Xiong and the others were hesitating the ground behind them suddenly collapsed and pillars of blazing crimson magma shot into the sky. From within that magma emerged a gigantic hand flowing with molten rock which slapped down on the massive body of a Heavenly-Tier spiritual beast instantly erasing it from existence.
Boom Boom
The stone platform beneath them trembled violently as well. One after another magma pillars burst skyward under the countless shocked gazes of Li Xuantong and the others on the surrounding peaks. From within each pillar of magma a gigantic magma hand reached out blotting out the sky. The scene was as spectacular as it was terrifying.
"What is this thing?!" Li Xuantong, He Yao and the other newly arrived figures on the stone platform cried out in alarm dodging frantically.
Farther ahead Liu Bai and the others were also dumbfounded.
"We can't wait any longer. Those who can hold on head up now, those who can't immediately go down the mountain!" Liu Bai shouted then turned and charged toward the summit.
Su Xuan followed at once but Li Qing Guo Xiong and An Ran could only give bitter smiles and turn toward another path down the mountain.
The moment Liu Bai's group split up the spot they had just been standing on completely collapsed. Pillars of magma roared skyward turning everything in the vicinity into a sea of fire.
At the same time the massive stone platform continued to collapse. Enormous magma pillars surged upward and from within each emerged a colossal molten hand which smashed mercilessly at the Heavenly-Tier spiritual beasts and cultivators on the platform.
As Liu Bai fled with magma in pursuit he could not help glancing back. He saw a Heavenly Beast at the initial-Phase of Heaven Fusion Realm being seized by a magma hand and crushed to pieces.
Liu Bai's eyelid twitched and his heart ached slightly. Those were all experience points.
Unfortunately the creature causing such havoc never revealed itself giving Liu Bai no chance to fire an arrow at it. For now the only thing he could do was sprint toward the summit with all his speed.
On the stone platform Li Xuantong and the others also realized the desperate situation. They could only choose to leave the platform and there were two routes — head straight for the summit or flee down from the mountain top. But choosing the latter meant giving up the chance to compete for the top new student position.
Naturally Li Xuantong and the others were unwilling to give up. Apart from Li Xuantong the He Yao and Shen Cangsheng the others like Ye Tian and Xu Huang wanted to follow but were forced back by the sweeping magma hands and left scorched and disheveled. With a sigh they had no choice but to retreat.
Li Xuantong and the other two possessed strength far surpassing that of ordinary freshmen. By focusing entirely on evasion even the magma hands could not stop them and they rapidly closed in on the summit.
Perhaps angered by their consecutive breakthroughs a deep roar suddenly echoed from within the massive body of Northern Spirit Mountain.
The muffled roar reverberated through the mountain. The peaks shook and an enormous fissure split open from the summit. A flood of crimson magma poured out transforming into a colossal magma curtain nearly several thousand meters tall completely blocking Li Xuantong and the other two's path forward.
The magma waterfall stood between heaven and earth making the entire world blaze with heat. The scorching air caused the very Spiritual Energy to boil.
At that moment Liu Bai and Su Xuan who were already close to the summit saw this scene and surprise flashed in their eyes.
"Good thing you warned me earlier or if I were trapped by a magma waterfall of this scale I would have had to withdraw…" Su Xuan said with lingering fear.
Although she had broken through to the Mid-Phase of Heaven Fusion Realm her cultivation method was restrained by the mysterious spiritual beast hidden in the dark so she would be at a severe disadvantage in such a situation.
Likewise Li Qing and the others who were halfway down the mountain also saw this and felt waves of lingering fear.
Li Xuantong and the other two who had reached the magma waterfall stopped and realized how small they seemed before it. A crushing oppression like storm clouds pressing down descended from above making their hearts feel heavy.
Among the three Shen Cangsheng was the first to act. Scarlet-gold Spiritual Energy rapidly condensed within him forming a completely crimson spear in his hand. In the next instant he charged straight at the towering magma waterfall.
Everyone who saw this was instantly in an uproar. This was as good as courting death.
In the distant sky Lin Zheng and his companions narrowed their eyes slightly their gazes sharp. Shen Cangsheng's move was somewhat beyond their expectations.
Li Xuantong and He Yao's expressions changed. Li Xuantong took a deep breath as golden Spiritual Energy erupted from his body and a massive golden beast resembling a lion appeared behind him.
He Yao's eyes turned cold as surging Spiritual Energy poured out of him faintly forming a resplendent demonic crane.
The two giant beasts let out dragon-like roars and phoenix-like cries as they dove into the magma waterfall.
The previously chaotic world suddenly grew quieter. All eyes turned to the magma curtain that obscured the sky waiting to see who would emerge first.
Soon
Whoosh
A crimson streak of light violently tore out from the magma curtain. The light faded to reveal a tall slender figure wreathed in smoke who stepped directly onto the towering summit.
"The first to appear is Shen Cangsheng?!"
"It's Shen Cangsheng? Then doesn't that mean he's the number one new student this time?"
"Nonsense Didn't you see that Liu Bai and Su Xuan had already reached the summit long ago? Look the Spirit Flag is already in Liu Bai's hands"
Only then did the crowd realize they had been so distracted by the sudden appearance of the mysterious spiritual beast that they had not noticed someone had already reached the summit earlier and claimed the Spirit Flag.
"Then what was the point of these three fighting their way up?"
This same question surfaced in the mind of the He Yao who had just broken through the magma waterfall his clothes covered in scorch marks and his teeth almost grinding to pieces.
Shen Cangsheng was calmer but there was still some unwillingness on his face.
Li Xuantong frowned deeply and could not help but ask "How did you know the stone platform at the summit was unsafe?"
If they had not paused on the platform and been delayed by the sudden attack of the mysterious spiritual beast how could Liu Bai have so easily claimed the Spirit Flag?
"I didn't know but didn't Elder Zhu Tian say that the first to reach the summit and take the Spirit Flag would be first place? Of course I was going to charge straight for the summit" Liu Bai said calmly.
At the side Su Xuan smiled to herself. If she had not followed him the whole time she might have believed his nonsense.
Liu Bai's words did not convince the three but at that moment Elder Zhu Tian had already arrived at the summit.
He glanced at the composed Liu Bai then at the dissatisfied He Yao and the others and his smile returned.
"Hehe since the Spirit Flag is in your hands you are first in this new student gathering. The rest will be ranked second to fifth according to their order of reaching the summit."
Hearing Elder Zhu Tian announce the result Shen Cangsheng and Li Xuantong both breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they were in the top five they could enter the Divine Codex Hall to choose a Deity-grade Art so being first was not that important.
The only one truly dissatisfied was the He Yao In his view Liu Bai's first place was entirely due to luck and completely unearned. But dissatisfaction was useless. This was not a tournament with one-on-one duels. Many times luck was also a part of one's strength. If you are unconvinced what can you do?
In the end the sensational new student gathering concluded in a rather dramatic fashion.
Regarding the reform of this new student gathering all the students were in heated discussion especially after seeing the magma waterfall that blocked the path. Its difficulty far exceeded that of previous years. Many senior students even felt that if they were in the same situation they might not be able to break through the fiery waterfall.
However after seeing Shen Cangsheng and the others force their way through the fiery waterfall everyone felt that Liu Bai's first place was mere luck and that the true top student of this year should be either Shen Cangsheng or Li Xuantong.
When this rumor spread Liu Bai did not care but the He Yao once again flew into a rage.
Why should the first place be Shen Cangsheng or Li Xuantong? He too had broken through the fiery waterfall so why was his name not even mentioned?
Unfortunately no one cared about his anger. After the new student gathering the participants were given five days to rest and recover. After all those battles were not easy for anyone. Even Liu Bai only restored his Spiritual Energy completely after resting for a full day.
As for Guo Xiong and Li Qing it took them three whole days to fully recover.
Liu Bai quietly remained in his own room, organizing the gains he had obtained from this New Student Gathering.
Although this year's New Student Gathering had been far more exhausting than those of previous years, it had also brought him rich rewards. Just from slaying beasts, the experience points he earned had exceeded one hundred thousand, and his Beast Soul Points had reached 510.
Apart from the system rewards, he had also obtained fifty thousand Spiritual Value as a prize, along with the right to choose a Deity-grade Art.
"There are still four days before I can select the Deity-grade Art. I might as well take this chance to check out the High Grade Spirit Gathering Array…" Liu Bai thought to himself.
After several days of accumulation, he had nearly ten thousand Spiritual Value saved up again. After all, as the first on the Spirit Rankings, he received two thousand Spiritual Value each day without having to do anything.
Liu Bai wanted to see just how much experience he could gain from cultivation under the boost of a High Grade Spirit Gathering Array.
Once the thought crossed his mind, he acted immediately. He quickly left the New Student Area and made his way toward the High Grade Spirit Gathering Array located deep within the Spiritual Academy.
A dozen or so minutes later, Liu Bai halted and gazed ahead.
In front of him, the sky was violently twisted, forming what seemed like a massive gate of light. Beyond that gate surged an overwhelming tide of spiritual energy. Even from far away, one could feel the oppressive force it radiated.
Whoosh whoosh.
Outside that gate of light, numerous figures were darting toward it at high speed, clearly all students coming to cultivate in this Sixth Grade Spirit Gathering Array.
Liu Bai could not help but let out a sigh of admiration. The Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy had countless students, and many experts spent all their time cultivating within these Spirit Gathering Arrays, sometimes going into seclusion for a year or two without emerging.
Of course, to do such a thing, there was one prerequisite: you needed enough Spiritual Value.
This was why so many people sought to climb the rankings, because only those whose names were on the rankings could receive an unending supply of Spiritual Value.
After calming his mind, Liu Bai moved with the flow of people and charged into the Sixth Grade Spirit Gathering Array.
Boom.
The moment Liu Bai stepped into the Sixth Grade Spirit Gathering Array, he was immediately struck by a torrent of astonishing spiritual energy. His body suddenly felt much heavier, as if he were carrying a mountain on his shoulders.
Liu Bai circulated his spiritual energy to resist the pressure and lifted his gaze to survey his surroundings.
The territory covered by this Sixth Grade Spirit Gathering Array was vast, containing plains, valleys, rivers, and mountains. It looked like an untouched paradise.
In the distance, one could see a faint mist drifting about. This was not ordinary fog, but Spirit Mist condensed from pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy.
Generally speaking, such Spirit Mist would only form when the concentration of spiritual energy had reached a certain extreme. This was highly beneficial for cultivation.
"It truly lives up to the name of a Sixth Grade Spirit Gathering Array."
Compared to this place, the spiritual energy in the New Student Area seemed utterly pitiful, not to mention the Class C area where Liu Bai resided.
Of course, the cost of entering here was indeed extremely high.
Liu Bai glanced at the token in his hand and saw that four thousand Spiritual Value had already been deducted. In other words, just one day in this Sixth Grade Spirit Gathering Array required four thousand Spiritual Value.
As the current first place on the Spirit Rankings, Liu Bai earned two thousand Spiritual Value each day, and with the six thousand remaining in his possession, he could stay here for three to four days.
If he wanted to remain in a place like this for a prolonged period of secluded cultivation, he would have no choice but to challenge the Heavenly Rankings, otherwise he would always be troubled by a lack of Spiritual Value.
Next, things became simple. Liu Bai did not bother searching for the spots with the densest spiritual energy since such places were surely already occupied.
This time, he had not come primarily to improve his strength, but rather to test out a certain idea.
After flying for a while, Liu Bai finally found a quiet mountain peak. He descended to a smooth cliffside and sat down cross-legged.
At present, Liu Bai cultivated five different techniques, but the one with the highest level was the Mountain God Art, which refined Earth Attribute Spiritual Energy. According to the principles of the Five Elements generating one another, Liu Bai intended to use his Earth Attribute Spiritual Energy to enhance his Metal Attribute Spiritual Energy.
With that, Liu Bai began circulating his Flowing Gold Spirit Refinement Art. While absorbing the external spiritual energy, his Earth Attribute Spiritual Energy also began to rapidly circulate within his body. It then surged out from his spleen aperture and entered into his lung aperture.
...
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