The illusionary valley faded, and the ten remaining disciples stood at the center of the training ground.
For a mont, the entire viewing area was silent.
Then the silence changed. It beca restless.
Many disciples stared at the empty space where the Nascent Soul Shadow Beast had disappeared.
Their mouths opened. Then closed. Then opened again.
They did not dare complain.
Rules were rules.
Phase Two ended when only ten disciples remained. Since there were already ten left, the Sect Master naturally stopped the array.
That was fair.
But fairness did not stop the pain in their hearts.
They had been about to see it. Senior Brother Su’s third needle had almost landed!
For the first ti, they almost wanted to curse a fellow disciple. Specifically, the disciple who had been eliminated last!
If he had lasted just one breath longer, they might have seen their Senior Brother Su finish the impossible.
Several Outer Sect disciples clenched their fists in agony.
They wanted to ask the Sect Master to please let the beast return for one more breath.
But they did not dare.
So they could only suffer silently.
Yan’er also stared at the center of the training ground with wide eyes.
"Senior Brother almost won," she said softly.
The senior sisters beside her nodded seriously.
In their hearts, Su Bai had already won.
"The beast was simply lucky," they comforted themselves.
...
Above the platform, Li Xuanzong calmly ignored the restless audience.
However, he also understood why the disciples were dissatisfied.
The timing had indeed been...
Uncomfortable.
Even several Peak Masters looked faintly regretful.
Lu Canghai stroked his beard and looked at Su Bai.
His disciple’s face was calm.
But for so reason, Lu Canghai felt that Su Bai was probably thinking sothing strange.
And he was right.
...
Soon, the restlessness in the viewing area soon changed into excitent.
Because Phase Three was different.
The remaining disciples would now fight each other.
The final Mystic Realm slots would be decided directly.
The viewing area beca lively again.
"Who will win?"
"Senior Sister Ji definitely has one slot!"
"Senior Brother Han Yuelin too!"
"What about Senior Brother Su?"
"Are you asking if Senior Brother Su will win, or who is unlucky enough to fight him?"
The discussions grew louder and louder.
At that mont, Li Xuanzong’s voice echoed again.
"Phase Three will begin shortly."
The training ground beca quiet.
"The remaining ten disciples will draw lots and pair off into five one-on-one matches."
The ten disciples at the center looked up.
Li Xuanzong continued, "Round One. The five pairs will fight. The five winners will temporarily secure the Mystic Realm slots and stand on the winner’s podium."
His gaze swept over them.
"The five defeated disciples will enter the Redemption Pool."
So disciples in the viewing area imdiately perked up.
Li Xuanzong raised his hand.
"Round Two. The five defeated disciples will each have one final chance. They may challenge any one of the five winners on the podium. If the challenger wins, they will seize that slot."
The atmosphere changed again.
If soone lost because of a bad match-up, they still had one chance to prove themselves.
If soone won the first round but only because of luck, they still had to defend their slot.
Li Xuanzong added, "To ensure fairness, if two disciples have different cultivation levels, the higher cultivation will be suppressed to the sa stage as the lower cultivation."
This caused another stir.
If cultivation was suppressed, the fights would be more aningful.
Soon, an elder walked toward the ten finalists with a jade box.
Inside the box were ten wooden lots. Numbers one through five, each appearing twice.
The ten disciples drew one after another.
Su Bai reached in and picked one.
Number One.
He looked sideways.
Liu ng also opened her lot.
Number Two.
Su Bai felt relieved. At least he would not have to fight her.
Liu ng also let out a breath of relief.
Then she smiled.
"Senior Brother, luckily we are not opponents."
Su Bai nodded.
"Yes. That is good."
He did not want to hit his lucky star.
At that mont, the training ground changed again.
Five stone platforms slowly rose from the center of the ground. Each platform was marked with a number.
Li Xuanzong’s voice descended.
"Go to the platform corresponding to your number."
The ten disciples moved at once.
Su Bai stepped onto Platform One.
The stone beneath his feet was solid and smooth. Faint array lines glowed around the edges.
Then his opponent arrived. It was a sword cultivator that had been in his group during Phase Two.
His cultivation was also at Foundation Establishnt Seventh Stage.
That ant their cultivation did not need to be suppressed.
The sword cultivator stepped onto the platform.
When he saw Su Bai, his body stiffened.
For a mont, he looked as if he had stepped onto the wrong platform and entered a funeral by mistake.
Su Bai cupped his hands politely.
"Junior Brother."
The sword cultivator opened his mouth. Then closed it.
Finally, he clasped his hands deeply and bowed.
"Senior Brother Su."
Su Bai waited.
The sword cultivator took a deep breath.
Then said with great seriousness, "This junior is unworthy to fight Senior Brother Su. I yield."
The platform fell silent.
Su Bai froze.
The viewing area froze.
Then a wave of disbelief spread.
"He yielded?"
"He yielded before even drawing his sword?"
"Why?"
"Why are you asking why? Did you not see Phase Two?"
"But I wanted to see Senior Brother Su fight!"
"So did I!"
Su Bai stood on the platform, silent.
For a brief mont, he did not know what to say.
He had trained for days.
He had been beaten by cloud clones.
He had burned his bed.
Then Phase Two ended before his final needle landed.
And now, in Phase Three, his opponent yielded before the fight began!
Su Bai had always disliked danger. He did not like fighting.
But at this mont...
For the first ti, Su Bai felt unsatisfied.
This feeling was strange.
’Was this what battle-loving cultivators felt when their opponent ran away?’
Su Bai suddenly understood Han Yuelin a little.
He looked at the sword cultivator in front of him. The disciple was still bowing.
Su Bai could not force him to fight.
After a mont, Su Bai sighed softly and nodded.
"Junior Brother is too polite."
The sword cultivator let out a breath of relief.
To him, this was not cowardice. This was wisdom.
His sword heart was firm, not foolish.
The elder on Platform One recovered and announced, "Platform One, Disciple Su Bai wins."
The viewing area erupted.
The Outer Sect disciples were especially emotional.
On one hand, Senior Brother Su had won.
On the other hand, they had not seen him fight.
After a mont, one Outer Sect disciple nodded solemnly.
"That sword disciple is wise."
Another disciple nodded as well.
"To know when to retreat is also cultivation."
"Indeed. Senior Brother Su spared him without needing to move."
"Worthy of Senior Brother Su’s rcy."
The sword cultivator, who had just stepped down from the platform, suddenly felt his reputation had sohow improved.
He did not understand how, but he accepted it.
Su Bai stood on the winner’s side with a complicated expression.
He had won. But why did it feel like buying a al and receiving only the receipt?
Just then, a startled yelp ca from Platform Two.
Su Bai turned his head.
Then froze.
On Platform Two stood Liu ng.
Across from her stood Ji Ruyue.
Su Bai’s expression beca serious.
Because of the tournant rules, their cultivation was suppressed to the sa stage. But realm suppression could only reduce raw cultivation.
It could not erase experience and control.
Liu ng took a deep breath.
Her face was nervous, but she did not yield.
Cold Qi spread instantly across the platform.
Frost crawled over the stone.
Liu ng imdiately moved.
She did not try to resist the cold directly.
Instead, she retreated in a circular path. One hand released green-red fla while the other scattered tiny seed-like sparks.
The fla landed on the frozen ground and burned stubbornly.
Ji Ruyue’s eyes shifted slightly.
Then ice spikes erupted from beneath Liu ng’s feet.
Liu ng twisted aside.
A burst of wood Qi erupted beneath her soles, pushing her body sideways.
An ice spike grazed her sleeve.
The sleeve froze instantly.
Liu ng pulled back and burned the frost away with fla.
The viewing area beca quiet.
Many disciples had not expected Liu ng to last this long.
After all, she was known more as an alchemist.
But now, her fire moved like living vines. Every fla she released was fed by wood Qi, growing stronger instead of fading. It crawled along the platform, blocking Ji Ruyue’s frost and forcing her to adjust.
Su Bai watched carefully.
Liu ng was not weak. She knew she could not overpower Ji Ruyue, so she kept moving.
She used fire to delay. Wood Qi to reinforce. Small bursts of movent to avoid being trapped.
She was clever.
But Ji Ruyue was smoother.
She did not chase Liu ng. She only lifted her hand and changed the shape of the battlefield.
Step by step, Liu ng’s space beca smaller.
Liu ng gritted her teeth. Then both her hands ignited.
Green-red fla surged around her body.
The fire spread in a circle and blood like a burning flower.
For a mont, the frost around her lted.
Several disciples gasped.
Even Su Bai’s eyes brightened.
It was... beautiful.
Liu ng thrust both palms forward.
The burning flower collapsed into a stream of fla and rushed toward Ji Ruyue.
Ji Ruyue finally moved her feet.
She raised two fingers, then a thin line of ice appeared.
The fla stream split apart.
Then the ice line vanished.
Liu ng’s eyes widened.
A cold wind brushed past her throat. The next mont, an ice blade stopped less than an inch from her neck.
The platform beca silent.
Liu ng froze.
Ji Ruyue’s voice was calm.
"Junior Sister, you lost."
Liu ng looked at the ice blade.
Then slowly exhaled.
She lowered her hands.
"I admit defeat."
The elder imdiately announced, "Platform Two, Ji Ruyue wins."
Liu ng stepped down, slightly pale but not injured.
Su Bai watched her enter the Redemption Pool area.
He sighed softly.
She had fought well.
Unfortunately, Ji Ruyue was simply too controlled.
Liu ng lost, but she did not look weak.
If anything, many disciples were now looking at her differently.
An alchemist who could fight like that was already frightening.
Su Bai lowered his gaze.
Round One was not over yet. But he had already secured a temporary slot.
Liu ng had entered the Redemption Pool.
And if she wanted a Mystic Realm slot...
She would have to challenge one of the winners later.
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