I Can Extract Divine Power

Chapter 373 - 157: Entering the Netherworld, Confronting Wang Tianxing

Shen Bai therefore decided to first grind his Life and Death Storage Skill to Level 4.

After reaching Level 4, he would then grind the Water Control Technique until it underwent its second qualitative transformation.

Meanwhile, Feng Zheng was arranging the final round of the competition.

As for the matter of Wang Tianxing, Feng Zheng had also dispatched men to conduct a detailed search.

But time was far too short. In Shen Bai’s opinion, this method of searching would be fruitless.

However, as Shen Bai had said, they would deal with whatever came their way. The truth would reveal itself tomorrow.

The entire night passed in a blur of frenzied grinding for Shen Bai.

By the time the next morning arrived, thanks to a double Skill Level bonus, his Life and Death Storage Skill had grown substantially, but it was still a ways off from Level 4.

Seeing that it was about time, Shen Bai didn’t linger in his room. He let Amber emerge from within him, then walked out the door, cradling Amber as he headed for the nine-story tower.

At the nine-story tower, Feng Zheng was currently arranging the final examination.

A solemn atmosphere filled the air.

Shen Bai’s capture of a mole the day before had allowed many of the more astute examinees to sense that something was wrong. They knew this internal examination would be far from peaceful.

But no one let it show. They merely schemed quietly in their hearts.

As usual, Shen Bai’s arrival drew everyone’s attention, as if an invisible spotlight followed him.

Once Shen Bai reached the judges’ platform and sat down, Feng Zheng spoke leisurely before he even had a chance to.

"We searched all night yesterday, but there are still no leads. Our target is hidden very deep."

Shen Bai nodded. "That’s to be expected. It would be stranger if Wang Tianxing were that easy to deal with."

The Third Prince had rested for a night and recovered some of his strength. His injuries had also started to heal.

Seeing the two of them talking, the Third Prince chimed in.

"The Xinhua Academy has always been a faction of lunatics. Their danger level is not to be underestimated. Why don’t we postpone the examination and request support from a higher-level city?"

From a purely cautious standpoint, the Third Prince’s suggestion was indeed the safest course of action.

But Shen Bai and Feng Zheng both shook their heads in unison.

"Is there some downside?" the Third Prince asked.

After all, he wasn’t an expert and had never worked for the Observatory, so he was quite puzzled.

Feng Zheng explained, "Requesting support from a higher-level city involves official procedures. Besides, since our opponent is the most brilliant young talent from the Xinhua Academy, he’s certainly factored this possibility into his plans. He won’t give us that kind of time."

Shen Bai nodded in agreement. "It would take at least a day, even at the fastest. There’s no telling what kind of trouble Wang Tianxing could stir up in that time."

Hearing their responses, the Third Prince nodded. "That’s true. Indeed, my thinking was flawed."

Feng Zheng said no more and instead glanced at the time.

It was nearly time. He walked forward and began to announce the details of the final stage of the examination.

Yesterday’s rankings had been posted, but even so, the Observatory members weren’t anxious. They all wanted to see what kind of incident would unfold.

Besides, if they got lucky and managed to help resolve whatever incident occurred, it would undoubtedly smooth their future careers.

The third stage of the competition was no different from the second, aside from having fewer contestants.

The dueling format was slightly altered. Instead of drawing lots, matches were now based on rankings.

Anyone wishing to challenge someone ranked higher than them could issue an upward challenge.

Of course, one could only challenge someone up to five ranks higher. These battles were scheduled to take place on the top three floors of the nine-story tower.

Shen Bai was the most bored of all, as his first-place rank was already set in stone.

None of the other Observatory members seemed to have any intention of challenging him, so Shen Bai simply sat there, his attention fixed on the mirror in the sky.

He didn’t use this time to grind his Skill Level. He needed to watch carefully for any signs of trouble.

The competition proceeded. Shen Bai watched the various fights displayed in the mirror, finding them rather dull.

Now, at his level, even though he was still in the Meridian Realm, even fighters at the Unity Realm were hardly a challenge for him. From his perspective, the fighting skills of the Observatory members in the competition were relatively weak.

One after another, Observatory members stepped forward to challenge those ranked above them.

Shen Bai’s attention shifted to Ouyang Sword for a moment.

He had to admit, although Ouyang Sword had suffered a miserable defeat at his hands, his Swordsmanship was actually quite formidable.

Thanks to his excellent performance in the second stage, Ouyang Sword was ranked ninth.

Now, he had begun to challenge the seventh-ranked contestant.

The seventh-ranked contestant was an expert in Sword Skill. In the blink of an eye, the two had already exchanged hundreds of blows.

The two were evenly matched, neither able to gain an advantage.

Shen Bai, being a Swordsmanship expert himself, could tell that Ouyang Sword was beginning to gain the upper hand.

’At this rate, Ouyang Sword will win in just over a hundred more moves,’ Shen Bai thought.

He shifted his gaze elsewhere, carefully scanning each of the other matches.

Time slipped by, and in what felt like the blink of an eye, half a day had passed.

By then, the final outcomes had been decided.

The top ten rankings had stabilized. To Shen Bai’s surprise, Ouyang Sword had secured the fifth-place position.

As for the top three, they were examinees who hadn’t stood out at the beginning of the competition.

But the strength they now displayed surpassed even that of Lv Bei and his group.