Chapter 623: A Leap to First Place

“Master Luo, how many questions are you confident in answering?”

Hu Chao asked. He was certain he would outperform Luo Tian this time.

“I’m not sure. Seven or eight, I suppose.”

Luo Tian thought for a moment and replied humbly.

“Seven or eight?”

Hu Chao’s eyes went wide.

‘He’s really got some nerve. Isn’t he afraid of eating his words?’

Among the Mentors present, not even a handful could answer seven or eight questions correctly, and all of them were senior, experienced Mentors.

Luo Tian’s students all had high hopes for their teacher, and most of them didn’t doubt him for a second.

“Teacher Luo will definitely succeed.”

Luo Xiaoting snorted at Hu Chao.

If Luo Tian could answer eight questions correctly, he might have a chance to rank first and win a cultivation spot in the Celestial Spirit Valley.

Hu Chao was speechless. ‘These students are such fools. How can they believe him?’

‘I have no idea what Luo Tian usually teaches them to have them so completely duped.’

“Oh? Master Luo is that confident? It looks like you’re aiming for first place!”

Not far away, Liu Lu jeered in a sarcastic tone, deliberately trying to stir up trouble.

“Aiming for first?”

Many Mentors shot Luo Tian a sideways glance.

‘A Mentor this young wants to aim for first place?’

This round of the competition was ranked based on the accuracy of the answers and the time taken.

Luo Tian hadn’t answered a single question yet. Even if he really did manage to answer eight correctly, he wouldn’t get first place at this point.

“Young man, you shouldn’t be so ambitious. You can only improve by being grounded and recognizing your own limits,”

Peng Yuweng suddenly spoke up.

“Teacher Peng is right.”

“Young people these days are so reckless.”

Several Mentors immediately chimed in.

Luo Tian was a little surprised.

‘Did my one offhand, humble remark really cause such a stir?’

‘Liu Lu’s troublemaking certainly played a big part.’

Luo Tian couldn’t be bothered to argue with them.

‘Facts speak louder than words!’

HUM!

The Identity Token in Luo Tian’s hand glowed with a jade-green light as a message was transmitted.

Everyone knew that Luo Tian had started answering the questions.

But then, they saw something odd.

The Identity Token in Luo Tian’s hand was flashing over and over again. ‘What is he doing? Is he just guessing randomly because he can’t get them right?’

“He has such a poor disposition.”

Peng Yuweng shook his head, looked at Ye Shuiyun, and suggested, “Master Ye, I suggest that each question should only have one chance to answer.”

“Those are the current rules. I forgot to mention that earlier,”

Ye Shuiyun explained.

Peng Yuweng froze. ‘If that’s the rule, then what on earth is Luo Tian trying to do? Is he insane?’

He glanced at the rankings on the glowing green screen. Luo Tian’s name still hadn’t appeared.

In other words, Luo Tian hadn’t gotten a single question right, not even by guessing.

‘How can a foolish weirdo like him be a teacher? Isn’t he just a detriment to his students?’

“What’s going on?”

“What happened?”

“Master… Master Peng, quick, look at the leaderboard!”

Suddenly, the surrounding Mentors and students were staring fixedly at the leaderboard, their faces filled with shock and disbelief!

“It’s just a leaderboard. What’s so surprising?”

Peng Yuweng said dismissively, glancing up at the leaderboard.

At first, he saw nothing unusual.

But then, he realized something was wrong.

‘How did I end up in second place?’

When his gaze fixed on the first-place position, he was stunned to see the two words: “Luo Tian”!

BOOM!

Peng Yuweng’s mind reeled as if struck by a tidal wave. His expression froze, and his eyes filled with utter shock.

When the other Mentors looked for Luo Tian’s score, they had all instinctively looked toward the bottom of the leaderboard.

But Luo Tian’s name had appeared directly at the very top!

Some Mentors, Peng Yuweng included, only realized this after a moment.

“Impossible!”

Liu Lu shouted, his eyes glazed over in disbelief!

“Master Ye, has something gone wrong with the Celestial Spirit Valley’s Array?”

Peng Yuweng asked, his face grim.

“That’s right, there must be a mistake!”

“Please check it, Master Ye.”

The other Mentors chimed in.

They weren’t targeting Luo Tian; they just believed this had to be the reason. Otherwise, how could Master Luo have instantly jumped to first place?

“Wait a moment…”

Ye Shuiyun departed.

Hu Chao stared blankly at Luo Tian beside him.

Just moments ago, he had been mocking Luo Tian for his arrogance.

But looking at the reality of the situation, Luo Tian’s words had actually been incredibly humble.

‘There must be a mistake,’ Hu Chao thought, still refusing to believe it was real.

Only Luo Tian’s students, after their initial shock, were overcome with wild joy and began showering him with praise.

“Master Luo, if you used cheating to snatch first place, you will be severely punished once you’re discovered!”

“If you confess now, you might be treated leniently.”

Liu Lu said with a smirk.

“Someone of such questionable character should be expelled from the Saint Institute, no matter the circumstances. We can’t have him leading students astray,”

Peng Yuweng stated coldly.

He was also convinced that Luo Tian had cheated, so he wasn’t worried. First place would surely be his.

So far, he had answered seven questions correctly and missed two. Given a little more time, he was confident he could solve the final question as well.

WHOOSH!

Ye Shuiyun quickly returned.

All eyes fell upon her.

Ye Shuiyun fixed her gaze on Luo Tian and announced gravely, “There is nothing wrong with the Array. None of Luo Tian’s actions violated any rules. His score is valid!”

BOOM!

The entire crowd erupted in an uproar!

The crowd of students and Mentors all turned to look at Luo Tian. ‘Could it be… we were all mistaken?’

‘But Luo Tian is so young. He shouldn’t have had any advantage. How did he manage to take first place?’

Peng Yuweng’s expression was unsightly.

If Luo Tian’s score was legitimate, then whether he could reclaim first place was now in doubt.

‘The last question is my only hope of surpassing him. I must get it right.’

Peng Yuweng’s eyes narrowed as he began to concentrate, thinking with all his might.

Just then, Peng Yuweng suddenly heard Ye Shuiyun announce, “Master Luo… answered all ten questions correctly.”

Ye Shuiyun only revealed this because so many people were still questioning the result.

“All of them correct?”

“How is that possible?”

The crowd grew even more agitated, their voices rising in a chorus of doubt!

Peng Yuweng’s concentration was shattered. He felt his qi and blood surge, and he nearly coughed up a mouthful of old blood!

‘All ten questions correct!’

No matter what he did now, it was impossible for Peng Yuweng to take first place!

After the uproar, the crowd gradually fell silent.

To get all ten questions right, either Luo Tian was the real deal, or he had known the questions in advance and prepared the answers.

If it was the former, there was no use arguing.

If it was the latter, it meant Luo Tian had a powerful backer, making it just as pointless to argue.

The other Mentors all gave up on this round of the trial.

The trial was ranked based on time and accuracy.

Luo Tian had answered all ten questions correctly in such a short time.

Even if the other Mentors managed to answer all ten questions correctly, they would still rank behind Luo Tian!

“Master Luo, congratulations,”

Ye Shuiyun said with a smile.

In truth, she knew even more of the inside details.

Luo Tian hadn’t just answered all ten questions correctly; he had submitted the answers to all ten at almost the exact same moment!

Even she suspected that Luo Tian had obtained the questions beforehand and prepared the answers.

After Luo Tian’s victory.

He was allowed to send three students into the Celestial Spirit Valley to cultivate for ten days.

Luo Tian looked at his eleven students and called out three names: “Deng Xiaoqian, Zi Qing, and Zhao Gang…”

His ultimate goal was to secure as many spots as possible for the Ancient Secret Realm!

Luo Xiaoting and Guan Hongfei were already set, so Luo Tian gave this opportunity to his next-best students.

As for Zi Qing, her Cultivation had been stagnant for too long, and she had immense room for improvement, so he gave her a chance as well.

No student dared to object to Luo Tian’s decision.

Deng Xiaoqian, Zi Qing, and the resolute young man named Zhao Gang quickly entered the Celestial Spirit Valley.

Luo Tian had been wondering how he was going to give his students special training before the Chuyang Grand Competition.

Now, he could just send them directly into the Celestial Spirit Valley to cultivate.

“The second round of the trial will be held in ten days, so you Mentors still have a chance. Also, since Master Luo won this time, he is not eligible to participate in the next round…”

Ye Shuiyun announced.

Luo Tian didn’t mind.

He hadn’t planned on taking all the spots for himself anyway, as that would have drawn the ire of all the other Mentors.

The crowd gradually dispersed.

…

Inside the Celestial Spirit Valley, a dense white mist permeated the air.

At its center was an enormous pool filled with a flowing, light-cyan liquid that emitted astonishing fluctuations of Spiritual Qi.

The Celestial Spirit Valley was open exclusively to students of Chuyang Tower, and its cultivation effects were only significant for those below the Celestial Pool Realm. For Celestial Level Martial Artists, cultivating here had little effect.

Inside the Celestial Spirit Pool, four students were already cultivating.

They had all spent a large number of Academic Credits and Spiritual Essence Coins to redeem this chance to cultivate here.

“Someone’s here!”

“I wonder which Mentor won this round’s competition for the spots!”

“It must be a Mentor from the War Martial Institute!”

The four students chatted amongst themselves.

“Luo Xiaoting? I told you, a Mentor from the War Martial Institute must have won.”

“You idiot! Luo Xiaoting already transferred institutes. She’s now under a new Mentor from the Celestial Blade Institute!”

The four students were rather surprised.

‘What kind of trial was it out there? How did a new, inexperienced Mentor from the Celestial Blade Institute manage to win?’

Zi Qing, Deng Xiaoqian, and Zhao Gang, their faces alight with excitement, immediately began their cultivation.

‘Such dense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi… and it’s even mixed with various medicinal liquids to aid cultivation…’

Having spent two years in the Grass and Wood Institute, Zi Qing recognized this at a glance.

‘I remember a special Secret Technique that can squeeze out my Martial Vein’s potential within a few days to increase my cultivation speed… There will be some side effects afterward, but it should be worth it.’

Zi Qing thought to herself.

VWOOM!

As she activated the Secret Technique, a brilliant, emerald-green radiance shone from behind Zi Qing. A strange Phoenix Bird was faintly visible within the light, exuding a majestic and sacred aura.

The water in the pool began to churn, and the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi surged madly into Zi Qing’s body.

Deng Xiaoqian and the other students all stared at Zi Qing in shock!

‘Is this really that failure whose cultivation had hit a wall? Her efficiency at absorbing Spiritual Qi is terrifying!’

「Ten days passed in a flash.」

Their cultivation in the Celestial Spirit Valley came to an end.

Afterward, Luo Tian couldn’t be bothered to put his students through any harsh training.

He did nothing, waited for another ten days, then gathered his students on schedule and headed to the Celestial Spirit Valley once more.