Cultivation: From Poor Peasant to Celestial Lord

Chapter 71: Chapter 70: Ranking Sprint

After killing the herd of boars, Chu Bai didn’t linger in the valley.

Although his Magical Power at the Qi Cultivation Second Layer was abundant, the continuous high-intensity battles still left him feeling a bit weary.

In a place as fraught with danger as the Cyan Prison Spirit Realm, maintaining peak condition was more important than anything else.

He unfolded the simple map in his hand, his gaze locking onto a location marked as the Sword-Washing Spring.

It was one of the few areas in the Spirit Realm marked as a convergence point for Spiritual Qi.

Resting in a place like this would boost his recovery speed several times over.

After crossing through a few dense thorn forests, the moisture in the air gradually grew thicker.

Ahead, the clear, tinkling sound of a spring reached his ears.

Pushing aside the last layer of broad leaves, Chu Bai’s eyes lit up.

A clear spring flowed from a grotto of white jade-like rock, gathering into a small pool.

A faint white mist lingered above the water, a phenomenon caused by the extreme density of the Spiritual Qi.

However, just as Chu Bai was about to step forward, his body suddenly froze.

An indescribable chill shot up his spine and into his skull.

[Acquired Fate Chart: Seven Kills Fate]

The instinct it provided made Chu Bai react in an instant. Although the scene before him seemed peaceful and nothing appeared out of the ordinary, still...

In that instant, Chu Bai’s vision seemed to drain of color, and every blade of grass and tree around him became unnervingly clear.

This feeling of extreme calm told him: ’This Spiritual Spring is too quiet.’

There were no insects, no falling leaves. Even the sound of the wind rustling the treetops seemed deliberate.

’Someone’s here!’

Chu Bai was startled, but his expression didn’t betray a thing.

Feigning ignorance, he maintained his pace, walking step-by-step toward the spring.

The moment he was less than thirty feet from the spring, a shadow behind him sprang to life without warning.

An ink-black blur peeled itself from the shadows on the ground. It brandished a transparent short blade, aiming a silent slash at the back of Chu Bai’s neck.

The technique was incredibly refined, the Concealment so profound that an ordinary Cultivator would have been unable to detect it.

However, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, the instant the blade grazed his skin, Chu Bai’s body shifted an inch to the right at an impossible angle.

"I’ve been waiting."

Chu Bai’s cold voice sounded.

The shadowy figure clearly hadn’t expected Chu Bai to dodge the killing blow, and its movements faltered.

Why would Chu Bai let such an opportunity pass?

Without even turning, he unleashed the Formless Cloud Hand that had been gathering in his right palm. It shot backward like a clap of thunder, but not at the attacker—it struck the empty air.

BOOM!

The violent palm strike shattered a nearby pile of rocks, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris.

The force of the shockwave forced the youth hidden in the shadows to reveal himself. He wore a tight-fitting black Daoist Robe, his chest emblazoned with the characters for "Class One." His eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.

"How did you find me?" the youth asked, steadying himself. The short blade in his hand pulsed with a faint glow. "My Shadow Concealment Technique has never failed."

Chu Bai slowly turned, a Spirit Water Needle already formed in his hand.

"Your killing intent is too strong," Chu Bai said, looking at him calmly.

It was the truth. Under the perception of his Seven Kills Fate, any hostile ripple was infinitely amplified.

The youth’s expression flickered as he felt the mountain-like pressure emanating from Chu Bai.

"Qi Cultivation Second Layer... You’re that Chu Bai from Class Three?"

He gritted his teeth, and his figure blurred again as he tried to maneuver using his speed. "Even if you have a higher Realm, you can’t keep me here! This is my Domain!"

"Is that so?"

Chu Bai raised his right hand, his eyes calm.

Three sharp hums rang out simultaneously.

Three translucent Spirit Water Needles, each with a faintly visible vortex of water swirling within, shot out in an instant.

They didn’t strike the youth’s body. Instead, they flew at an incredibly precise angle, embedding themselves in a triangular pattern in the dirt less than an inch from his toes.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

With three muffled thuds, the Spiral Force ground the black rock into powder, and the flying shards of stone cut several bloody gashes into the youth’s legs.

More terrifying still, the shockwave of Magical Power from the three Water Needles tore his Shadow Escape to shreds, sending him stumbling out into the open once more.

The youth was utterly stunned.

He stared at the three deep, smoking holes at his feet as cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

’A Mastery Level Magic Technique?’

’And more than one at that!’

The Formless Cloud Hand from just a moment ago had been so powerful he could barely defend against it, and now the might of this Spirit Water Needle was just as terrifying.

He knew that if those three needles had been aimed even an inch higher, his feet would have been reduced to mangled flesh.

While you couldn’t die in the Secret Realm, a severe injury would get you teleported out. After being eliminated, the injuries would still need treatment, which would delay his cultivation.

The youth knew there was a significant gap between their Realms. He might have had a chance if his ambush had succeeded, but in a direct fight, he had no hope of victory.

For Daoist School students at this stage, the Magic Skill Realm of most was still at the ’skilled’ level.

Being skilled in two or three was considered pretty good.

’Yet this guy has two techniques at Mastery Level, and it seems like he has even more tricks up his sleeve...’

Chu Bai stood his ground, not moving a muscle, and simply pointed with his right index finger again.

In that instant, the youth felt an aura coming from Chu Bai that made him shudder.

This wasn’t a friendly spar between students. This was the ferocity of someone who had truly experienced life-and-death combat, someone who reveled in slaughter.

"Get eliminated, or shall we continue?"

Chu Bai’s voice was perfectly calm, devoid of any worldly emotion, but to the youth’s ears, it sounded like the judgment of Death itself.

The youth fell silent.

He glanced at Chu Bai, then at the Spiritual Spring that was just within reach, and finally, he lowered his head in humiliation.

He took a Lingxi Mark from his robes, swiped it with Magical Power, and transferred half of his points to Chu Bai.

"You’re strong."

The youth gritted his teeth, and without further hesitation, he crushed the Teleportation Talisman in his hand.

’It’s better to leave with half my points than to get injured fighting again.’

[Current Points: 210]

[Current Rank: 35th]

Watching the numbers flicker on the light screen, Chu Bai let out a long sigh of relief as the crimson glow in his Sea of Consciousness gradually subsided.

He walked over to the Spiritual Spring, cupped a handful of the clear water, and drank.

The water was sweet, flowing down his throat and nourishing his slightly taxed meridians.

He looked out at the gradually darkening sky, his mind exceptionally clear.

’It’s only the first day, and I’ve already reached 35th place.’

’The real challenges are probably waiting for me deeper in.’

Looking at the names at the top of the rankings, Chu Bai saw quite a few familiar ones.

He’d been at the school for half a year, and while he didn’t know them personally, he had at least heard of a few of the names.

Chu Bai sat down cross-legged by the spring and began to enter a deep state of recovery. ’The top twenty get a Cultivation Technique as a reward, and the top ten get access to the Spirit Pavilion... I have to fight for a good rank in this assessment.’

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