"Teacher Yun Hong, Chu Lingguang succeeded, but in doing so, he lost his chance to be the top candidate. Should we congratulate him or pity him?"

Poisonous Snake asked.

"Are you blaming me for giving him the notes, for telling him how to form a Spiritual Defense?"

Yun Hong retorted.

"I’m asking if what Chu Lingguang did was worth it."

Poisonous Snake and Yun Hong locked eyes.

Xu Guozhong stroked his goatee, seemingly also waiting for Yun Hong’s answer.

Yun Hong watched Chu Lingguang’s figure fade into the distance and finally said, "Only Chu Lingguang himself knows if it was worth it. But at the very least, he has succeeded at one thing. Wouldn’t you agree?"

Neither Poisonous Snake nor Xu Guozhong replied, clearly dissatisfied with Yun Hong’s answer.

’I also have a friend who asked me to help him chop down a Dragon Claw Tree.’

SWOOSH!

Fatty Qin drew his longsword and charged toward the Dragon Claw Tree. The sight of Chu Lingguang’s triumphant return and the adoration he received made him want to experience it for himself.

Before anyone could stop him, he dashed onto the black soil and all the way to the base of the canopy. When he saw that nothing was happening, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled. ’Could the so-called Potential Energy attack be a lie?’

Though confused, he didn’t hesitate. He raised his longsword and swung at the lowest branch.

BUZZ!

But the instant he raised his sword, a wave of Potential Energy surged from the Dragon Claw Tree. Fatty Qin saw the tree before him transform into a black giant dragon lying prone on the ground, its face ferocious and its eyes glowing green.

He had just raised his longsword when he was scared witless, falling right on his rear. He scrambled backward, not even caring about his dropped sword, shrieking and wailing the whole way. It took all his might just to crawl off the black soil.

Everyone saw him sprawled on the grass, his face deathly pale and his body drenched in cold sweat. He had completely lost his usual air of a wealthy young master, looking more like a beaten dog.

They all couldn’t help but take a step back.

Fatty Qin was notoriously sly, so for the Dragon Claw Tree to scare him this badly, it was clear just how much courage and determination Chu Lingguang needed to succeed on his second attempt.

For a moment, the crowd’s jealousy toward Chu Lingguang lessened considerably.

With his Bloodline Level having undergone a massive evolution, Chu Lingguang needed enough meat to replenish his strength. Fortunately, the flesh he could eat now was all power-packed Demon Beast Flesh and Blood.

This time, for cutting down the Dragon Claw Tree, the Trial Ground teachers made an exception and let him eat his fill. He ate over ten pounds of Demon Beast Flesh and Blood in one sitting. Ultimately, Chu Lingguang completely digested all of it with his Zhenyuan Technique, and he looked much more invigorated as a result.

「That night.」

On his bed, Chu Lingguang released a Spiritual Sense Fluctuation, enveloping the surrounding area.

His Spiritual Sense had evolved. Its coverage expanded from a twenty-meter radius to a fifty-meter radius, and everything within his perception was crystal clear.

He could not only hear the slightest sound but also see every move of the surrounding students.

It was basically a 360-degree camera.

However, the A Class students were all exceptionally talented. Even if they hadn’t formed their own Spiritual Sense yet, their perception was still outstanding. Chu Lingguang quickly withdrew his Spiritual Sense to avoid any unnecessary trouble.

He focused his attention on his body.

He felt the transformation process of his True Dragon Power.

He had now successfully unlocked the fifth layer of his Dharma Aspect: the Qi Phase. Once the power of the Divine Image awakened, his strength would undergo an earth-shattering change. Coupled with his Bloodline Level reaching upper-middle grade, not even Xia Tianzhong would be his match.

ROAR-WAIL!

A low Dragon’s Roar and Elephant’s Wail resounded in Chu Lingguang’s Sea of Consciousness.

Skin, Flesh, Tendon, Bone, and Qi—the five layers of the Dharma Aspect unlocked one after another.

The Skin Aspect manifested, forming the Dragon Scale Elephant Hide. It tightened the surface of his skin, strengthening the Dragon Elephant and imbuing his skin with a degree of defensive power. If an ordinary person were to slash it with a knife, they might only leave a red mark.

The Flesh Aspect manifested, causing the Dragon Scale Elephant Hide to solidify. Besides further amplifying his Dragon Elephant Power, the defense would now permeate into his flesh and blood. Even a trained fighter would be unable to break through this flesh-and-blood defense with a single slash.

The Tendon Aspect manifested. His entire network of tendons looked like black dragons coiled within his flesh, multiplying the power in every inch of his body. When the Dragon Elephant power circulated, it was like a great dragon roaring, and his defense could even block arrow shafts shot by an ordinary person.

The Bone Aspect manifested. His flesh-and-blood defense would reach the state of bronze skin and iron bones, impervious to ordinary blades. The blood vessels throughout his body would be strengthened to their maximum. Even if his True Dragon Power were to erupt forth, it wouldn’t harm his blood vessels in the slightest. Both his defense and destructive power would reach a level unimaginable to an ordinary person.

The Qi Phase manifested. The flesh, already at the stage of bronze skin and iron bones, would gain another layer: the Qi Wave Armor. When that Qi Wave Armor solidified and clung to the surface of his body like a suit of armor, it was a sign that the Qi Phase had reached its peak. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

At this point, his defense would be indestructible. A single punch would carry unstoppable force, and his destructive power would be multiplied several times over. Simultaneously, the blood vessels in his body would be protected as if by a natural suit of armor. They would become stronger and more robust, allowing the power of the True Dragon and Divine Image to surge through them at will. Furthermore, he could now unleash the power within his bloodline to a much greater degree.

The Bone Aspect was a watershed.

The Qi Phase was a great leap forward.

Even if Chu Lingguang’s True Dragon Power couldn’t transform into the power of the Divine Image, his current strength had far surpassed what it was before. It felt as if a single casual punch could kill several Sambas.

The Qi Phase had now manifested.

Chu Lingguang saw a layer of Qi Wave Armor covering the surface of his body.

Mysterious elephant-like patterns covered this layer of Scale Armor. Chu Lingguang felt that with this defense, not even Yan Chengdu’s Three-Star Linked Pearls could necessarily harm him.