Cultivation: From Poor Peasant to Celestial Lord

Chapter 73: Chapter 72: Difficulty Skyrockets

At that moment, outside the Cyan Prison Spirit Realm, at the Central Martial Arts Arena of Anping Daoist School.

Several massive Water Light Screens floated in mid-air, projecting real-time images from within the Spirit Realm.

A few middle-aged Cultivators in Daoist Robes of different colors were seated on a high platform. They were the three Deans of the Daoist School and a group of core Instructors.

Dean Su was currently staring intently at the screen showing the intense battle between Chu Bai and Tao Mingzhi. The moment the Heavy Sword was deflected by the Cloud Hand, the hot-tempered Dean slapped his thigh and burst out laughing.

"Excellent! This kid’s control over Magical Power has already reached the Microscopic level. In his hands, this ’Formless Cloud Hand’ actually carries a hint of ’Transforming Force’s’ True Intent. Even in this Blazing Furnace, he can rely on sheer control to overcome the geographical advantage. I like him!"

Dean Su’s words were filled with undisguised admiration.

However, Dean Liu, who was sitting to his left, frowned slightly. This Dean was in charge of academic affairs and maintained very close ties with the Noble Families from the Prefecture City.

"Senior Brother Su, while this boy is certainly outstanding in actual combat, his style is a bit too subtle and yielding."

Dean Liu spoke indifferently, pointing to Lin Xuewei and Class Two’s Dong Feng on another Water Light Screen. "Look at Lin Xuewei. Even while suppressed by the Fire Spiritual Qi, she can still rely on her family’s Secret Technique to force a breakthrough and slay a Qi Cultivation Stage Flame Fire Spider."

"And Dong Feng, with his ’Golden Scale Armor’ that provides unparalleled defense. That kind of overbearing, sweeping dominance—that is the spirit a disciple of our Great Zhou Daoist School ought to have."

"The Noble Family Descendants have deep foundations and many tricks up their sleeves. In my opinion, the final winner will have to come from one of them."

The implication was that while exceptionally talented individuals might excel in one area, their overall foundation was often lacking.

Dean Su snorted coldly upon hearing this. "Foundations? In a life-or-death battle, who cares about spirit? The one who survives is the winner!"

The two couldn’t come to an agreement, so they both turned their gazes to Dean Chen, who was seated in the center with his eyes closed, seemingly resting.

Dean Chen was rail-thin, his entire being seeming to have merged with the wooden chair.

He slowly opened his eyes. There wasn’t a single ripple in his gaze as he said softly, "It is still too early to tell."

Dean Su grew a little impatient and turned to Dean Chen. "Senior Brother Chen, the point totals are all tightly packed right now. Most of these kids are still just testing each other out. If they keep dawdling like this, how are we supposed to see anyone’s true Extreme Realm?"

Although the Foundation Establishment Three Stages didn’t affect one’s ultimate Cultivation level, they did determine one’s fundamental standing. Thus, attaining a Side Order Dao Foundation naturally granted a higher status than a Miscellaneous Order one.

Dean Chen was silent for a moment before suddenly speaking, his voice hoarse. "If you want to see the Extreme Realm, then let’s add some fuel to the fire."

Dean Su was momentarily stunned, then broke into a wide grin. "Senior Brother, you mean...?"

"The current environment inside the Spirit Realm has its ups and downs, but it’s still within their comfort zone."

Dean Chen pointed calmly at the screen. "If we want to select saplings who can stand firm in the Dayuan Prefecture Daoist School, or even on the future front lines of war, we have to make them walk through true despair."

"Junior Brother Su, it’s time for your ’Earth Smoke Fire’ to show its power."

Dean Su’s eyes narrowed, and then he burst into loud laughter and shot to his feet.

"Alright! Since Senior Brother has spoken, I’ll play a big game with these little guys!"

Dean Su strode to the edge of the high platform, his aura erupting from his body. In that instant, a gigantic furnace seemed to materialize in the sky above the once-calm Martial Arts Arena.

This was the might of a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator.

Dean Su formed a hand seal and chanted True Words. Two streams of dark gray flame suddenly erupted from his eyes.

Earth Smoke Fire.

This was no ordinary Five Elements Fire. It was a Dao Foundation fire that Dean Su had created during his Foundation Establishment by intercepting the foulest, densest smoky Evil Qi from the depths of an Earth Vein.

Not only was this fire scorching hot, but it also carried a smoky poison that could corrode Spiritual Power.

Normally, such a power should not have been used in a freshman assessment. But with Dean Chen’s tacit approval, Dean Su directly channeled this Power of Dao Foundation, connecting through the Law Net to continuously pour it into the Cyan Prison Spirit Realm.

"Rise!"

Dean Su made a grasping motion with one hand.

Inside the Spirit Realm, the dark red clouds instantly turned a deathly, eerie gray.

The already frenzied Mutated Demon Beasts inhaled the smoky evil of the "Earth Smoke Fire." Their eyes instantly turned crimson, their bodies swelled in size, and their brutal auras twisted into pure madness.

Not only that, but Dean Su again used his authority as a Dean to summon ten never-before-seen Shadow Beast projections at the core nodes of the Spirit Realm via the Law Net’s seals.

These Shadow Beasts were wreathed in gray smoke, their strength firmly at the Qi Cultivation Second Layer. Two of them had even reached the Qi Cultivation Third Layer.

They weren’t created for points. They were created for slaughter and obstruction.

"Old Liu, didn’t you have high hopes for those few?" Dean Su said with a cold smile as he sat back down. "Now the environment has changed drastically, and powerful Shadow Beasts have appeared. If they can’t even handle this kind of surprise, then giving them a spot in the Spirit Pavilion would be a waste."

...

「Inside the Spirit Realm.」

Chu Bai was just about to leave the lava lake.

Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble violently.

RUMBLE—

A distant mountain peak slowly began to collapse before his eyes. Immediately after, the once dark-red sky was covered by a suffocating gray mist.

Seven Kills Fate.

In his Sea of Consciousness, the blood-red Fate Chart spun wildly, emitting a series of urgent hums.

Chu Bai felt a chill run down his spine. The terrifying sensation of being targeted by an apex predator made the pores all over his body clench shut in an instant.

’This difficulty... something’s wrong.’

Chu Bai whipped his head around to look into the distance.

Within the gray, hazy dust, a massive dark silhouette nearly thirty feet tall was slowly emerging.

The silhouette had no physical body; it was composed entirely of fire and smoke so dense it looked black. In its hand, it carried a massive warhammer formed from condensed Evil Qi.

Qi Cultivation Second Layer.

And that murderous intent, seeping out from its very bones, was something no ordinary Demon Beast projection could possess!

’Subdue the enemy without fighting, hmm...?’

Chu Bai clenched his fists. The Guiyuan Technique inside him circulated frantically, resisting the fire poison in the air, which had suddenly intensified several times over.

At that moment, his Lingxi Mark was flashing wildly, as if warning of the approaching danger.

It wasn’t just him. All three hundred students inside the Spirit Realm were now plunged into unprecedented despair. The same people who had been fighting for points just moments ago were now staring in terror at the gray Shadow Beasts descending from the sky.

Chu Bai took a deep breath. There was no fear in his eyes, only an extreme, chilling calm.

’The difficulty has gone up quite a bit.’

He watched the Shadow Beast approach step by step, showing no signs of fear.

’But this is a good thing. This way, the gap created by luck will be evened out much faster.’

’Besides, I was just looking for some real combat to hone my skills. A life-or-death battle with an opponent at the same level is the best I could ask for.’

He brought the fingers of his right hand together, and three Spirit Water Needles materialized around him, their light appearing proud and sharp amidst the gray smoke.

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