Being the center of attention was not something easily endured.
As the saying goes, when someone shows great courtesy, there is always something they seek in return.
Now, with so many extraordinarily talented people surrounding Liu Bai, it was obvious that their admiration was not only because of his strength.
"Junior Liu Bai, you finally arrived," Chu Lin said excitedly as he approached, his expression filled with warmth as though meeting a long-lost brother.
Liu Bai smiled calmly. "Senior Chu Lin, you are making me feel rather flattered. You came early, I see. So, did you try challenging the one at the mountaintop?"
With their personalities, it was impossible for them to come here and simply watch from the sidelines. They would surely attempt a challenge themselves.
Chu Lin's smile turned bitter. He nodded slightly and sighed. "We did, but we were utterly defeated."
That came as no surprise. After all, the one above was a genuine expert of the Heaven Completion Realm, far stronger than any of them. Even when Chu Lin joined forces with Wei Fan and Yue Qing, the three of them together could not last more than a few moves.
As Yue Qing, who had just approached, heard his words, she added softly, "His strength is at the peak of the Early-phase Heaven Completion Realm. The sheer pressure of his spirit power alone reduced our combat strength by half. Against him, we had no chance of victory."
At this point, their only hope rested on Liu Bai's formation arts.
However, their opponent was not a mindless Spiritual King. If he faced Liu Bai, he certainly would not allow him the time to set up a grand array.
Wei Fan, who had also come closer, nodded in agreement with Yue Qing's assessment.
Among everyone present, he possessed the highest cultivation. When they faced the guardian before, he had engaged head-on and thus understood that man's power best.
"I see," Liu Bai murmured softly, nodding slightly before raising his gaze toward the summit.
Amid the swirling mist, he saw a faint figure standing with arms crossed, seemingly gazing down through layers of space to meet his eyes.
A faint smile curved Liu Bai's lips. Then, without hesitation, he took out his Moon-Chasing Bow from his spatial ring. Under everyone's puzzled gazes, he raised it and aimed toward that indistinct figure in the mountain mist.
Buzz!
As the bowstring was drawn, the air trembled violently. A deep hum echoed across the heavens and earth as a violent storm of spirit energy swept across the platform.
A dazzling light burst from the drawn bowstring, lightning flickering around it—earth as its bones, metal as its arrowhead, wood as its wings, and water and fire as its blade.
This arrow contained the strongest power Liu Bai currently commanded. It was his most powerful attack without relying on any Array.
A faint gray spiritual light coiled around his right hand, and the Moon-Chasing Bow trembled slightly.
There was no deafening explosion or thunderous roar. The surrounding space merely rippled for a moment before returning to calm.
Many thought they were seeing things—until the man atop the mountain furrowed his brows.
He, the young guardian standing high above, was looking down when he noticed a youth far below aiming a drawn bow straight at him.
Was this boy insane?
The foot of the mountain was several thousand zhang below the peak.
Even if the arrow could reach him, with their cultivation gap and his superior vantage point, what use would such an attack be?
Could it be that the youth simply wanted to declare a challenge?
Just as the thought crossed his mind, an intense sense of danger suddenly flooded his heart.
He saw a blazing sun rise from the base of the mountain, and in the blink of an eye, it appeared before him.
"Heavenly River Sword Technique, Galaxy Descent!"
In that critical instant, a resplendent longsword appeared in his hand. Its blade shimmered like clear water as he slashed toward the blazing sun.
A brilliant light erupted.
At that moment, the entire world seemed to freeze and grow cold.
A torrential surge of sword energy erupted skyward, forming a massive sword beam hundreds of zhang tall.
That overwhelming energy gathered with astonishing speed, and within moments, a colossal river of sword energy condensed in the heavens.
A devastating aura radiated from that river, shaking the very air.
The sword hummed sharply.
Everyone below watched in shock as the celestial river of sword light descended, transforming into a blinding pillar of radiance filled with unrestrained sword intent that swept downward upon them.
A single sword turned into a heavenly river.
At that moment, whether it was Chu Lin, Wei Fan, or other top-ranked geniuses of the Heavenly Ranking, all of their faces turned pale as they sensed the sword river's might.
Especially Chu Lin and his two companions, who had previously faced the mountain guardian. Their expressions darkened with realization and humiliation.
It was now clear that the guardian had not even used his full strength when he fought them earlier.
That realization stung more than defeat itself.
Boom!
Countless sword energies roared, tearing through the air. Even before the river of swords struck the ground, the mountain wall of Spiritual light Mountain was already riddled with holes.
When the sword river descended, it clashed head-on with the rising blazing sun.
At that instant, countless eyes—both within and outside the Spiritual light World—were watching intently.
The blazing sun collided with the sword river.
A thunderous explosion followed, echoing through the entire Spiritual light World.
Blinding light engulfed the heavens, brighter than the sun itself, piercing through the murky sky. The intensity was so fierce that many instinctively squinted, their eyes burning from the radiance.
Boom!
A massive storm of Spiritual energy formed instantly, twisting the space at the point of impact.
All eyes were fixed on the immense vortex of energy, which was growing increasingly violent and distorted—signs that space itself was on the verge of collapse.
Creak!
When the storm reached its limit, it suddenly exploded. A tidal wave of spiritual ripples spread across the sky, shaking the heavens.
For a moment, everyone witnessed a scene of unparalleled magnificence.
Boom!
The shockwave struck the mountain, and the massive peak began to tremble violently. Huge boulders tumbled down from above, as though the mountain might collapse.
"Get out of here!"
A terrified shout rang out, and countless figures soared into the sky like a swarm of locusts.
Although it had been only two attacks at the level of the Heaven Completion Realm, they were already powerful enough to terrify everyone present.
The Spiritual light Mountain, vast and ancient, remained standing—but the sheer power displayed had stunned them all.
At this moment, everyone looked at Liu Bai as though he were a monster.
It was expected for the guardian atop the mountain—a genuine Heaven Completion Realm expert armed with formidable Spiritual arts—to unleash such might.
But Liu Bai?
The youth now stood below, slightly out of breath, the spiritual energy within him clearly drained.
Yet what did that exhaustion matter? He had just exchanged blows head-on with a Heaven Completion Realm powerhouse and had not been defeated.
And Liu Bai's current cultivation… was only at the Early-phase of the Heaven Transforming Realm, having just broken through within the Spiritual light World.
Compared to that, even Lin Zheng and the other two could hardly be considered much.
After all, this fellow had only entered the Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy for less than a year, whereas Lin Zheng and the others had cultivated there for nearly four years.
They could not even imagine what Liu Bai would become after another four years. Perhaps by then, he would be an existence so high that they could only look up to him.
As the numerous students stared at Liu Bai in stunned silence, a loud voice suddenly resounded from the mountain peak above.
"There is no need to continue fighting. This final trial, you all have passed!"
Everyone froze for a moment, then an earthshaking cheer erupted.
Chu Lin and Yue Qing, after breathing a sigh of relief, turned their gazes toward Liu Bai, eyes filled with admiration.
"Junior Liu Bai, you truly never fail to surprise us!" Chu Lin exclaimed in amazement.
Back then in Mu City, he had slain Fan Tong using a grand array. In the Hunting Battle, he had suppressed and killed a Spiritual King with another formation. And now, without any array at all, he had forced back the final Guardian with a single arrow.
Each opponent he faced was stronger than the last, yet Liu Bai's performance only grew more relaxed and effortless.
Such an unbelievable scene was something outsiders could not even dream of.
After such a display, Liu Bai naturally could not act too ostentatiously. He maintained a humble expression and said, "It was merely that senior on the mountain showing mercy. My arrow just now didn't injure him in the least. At most, it ended in a draw."
Wei Fan laughed and said teasingly, "A draw is already amazing enough, isn't it? The three of us went up before and were utterly crushed. And by the rules of the Hunting Battle, as long as the participants fight the Guardian to a draw, it's considered a pass. So Junior Liu Bai, you really don't need to be modest. That wasn't mercy from him—it was you who earned victory for all of us with your strength!"
If Wei Fan had still harbored any jealousy over Liu Bai's rapid rise, that arrow had erased it completely.
The two of them were not even in the same world. Why would an ordinary man bother comparing himself with such a monstrous prodigy?
As the cheers resounded, a surge of spiritual light shot into the sky from the mountain peak and then burst apart. The next moment, space itself rippled slightly, and two aged figures slowly appeared above the mountain.
As soon as the two elders manifested, they rasped in unison, "Since the Guardian has chosen to concede, this final battle shall conclude with victory for the students. According to the rules, all participating students shall receive the opportunity of Spiritual light Baptism."
Upon hearing this verdict, countless students erupted into excited cheers once again.
After letting the uproar settle, the two elders turned their eyes toward Liu Bai and said, "You were the participant and victor of the final battle, so you will receive a special reward."
As one of them waved his sleeve, a dazzling stream of light shot forth, descending rapidly before Liu Bai and transforming into a crystal about ten feet in size, translucent and pure.
Within that crystal seemed to flow liquid light, and an incomparably pure and powerful spiritual energy emanated from within.
It was a Spiritual King-grade Spiritual Crystal.
Judging from its overwhelming energy, it was even stronger than the one produced by the Spiritual King Liu Bai and his companions had slain before.
"Your Spiritual light Baptism will be different from the others. Three days from now, come to the Hall of Judgment. An elder will personally conduct the baptism for you," one elder said with a kind smile.
But to their surprise, after a brief silence, Liu Bai suddenly asked, "Elder, may I freely dispose of this Spiritual Crystal as I wish?"
The unexpected question stunned both elders, leaving them momentarily confused about his meaning.
After a pause, one of them replied, "Naturally. Since it has been awarded to you, how you use it is your own decision. But you should think carefully. This is a rare and extremely important opportunity for your cultivation."
Liu Bai nodded lightly and asked again, "If I were to give it to someone else, would that person also gain the qualification for the special Spiritual light Baptism?"
At this, both elders froze again.
Soon, however, they seemed to understand his intention and frowned slightly. "This special Spiritual light Baptism is not limited to the conditions just mentioned. Any student who possesses a complete Spiritual King-grade Spiritual Crystal may also qualify for this opportunity."
As they spoke, their gazes shifted toward Yue Qing, who was likewise holding a Spiritual King Crystal, and one of them added, "Just like this Yue girl here—she too is eligible for the special baptism."
This revelation drew a wave of astonished murmurs, and when the crowd turned their eyes toward Yue Qing, they were filled with envy.
Liu Bai smiled faintly, then under everyone's astonished gazes, turned toward the gathered students. His calm voice echoed clearly through the air.
"The Spiritual King Crystal will be auctioned to the highest bidder."
Even though some had already guessed what he intended, hearing him actually say it still caused an uproar.
Many whispered among themselves, wondering if this monstrous new student had lost his mind. To auction off an opportunity that could directly enhance his own strength?
Liu Bai, however, paid no attention to their thoughts.
In his eyes, even a perfect baptism using this Spiritual King Crystal would at best raise his cultivation by one or two minor stages. But so what?
With his current experience requirements for advancement, even reaching the Late-phase of the Heaven Transformation Realm would take no more than two hundred thousand experience points—something entirely manageable for him.
Yet a rapid increase in cultivation was not the best choice for him now. He could raise his combat power through other means, which would help him gain experience faster and better conceal his true abilities from his prey.
When the time came for him to leave the Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy—the novice village of this world—he would step forth as Liu Bai, crushing everything before him with absolute dominance.
....
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