The soul-binding chain shot straight forward.
Ji Yingying's expression changed slightly as she stared at the Underworld Warden in shock, disbelief flashing across her face.
"First Rank? How is that possible?!"
She clearly remembered the scene during Bai Jue's awakening.
Among the ghosts he had absorbed, there had only been a single Ghost King—terrifyingly powerful.
Even without fighting it, she knew the Ghost King could easily crush her. After all, a Ghost King was a Third-Rank existence.
However, once a Ghost King was contracted and became a gatekeeper, summoning it again required an enormous amount of festival energy. With the reserves of an Apprentice Festival Adept, it was simply impossible.
As for the other ghosts Bai Jue had absorbed, she remembered clearly—none of them were First Rank.
And just like the Ghost King, once those ghosts entered the Underworld Court, bringing them back out would also require festival energy.
Bai Jue had only just awakened. With his current reserves, he shouldn't have been able to summon many entities at all.
That was precisely why she had dared to challenge him.
Yet now—
There was a First-Rank existence standing before her.
"This isn't right… this—this isn't a vengeful spirit!"
Ji Yingying dodged the soul-binding chain and suddenly cried out.
In this world, due to the existence of Festival Adepts, people had a deep understanding of myths, history, and traditional lore.
Seeing the official underworld robes, the sword at the waist, and the soul-binding chain in hand, a realization struck her.
"An underworld warden? This is an Underworld Warden?!"
"That's right."
Bai Jue nodded calmly.
Without another word, the Underworld Warden stepped forward. Yin energy surged, its form blurring into a ghostly afterimage as it charged toward Ji Yingying in an instant.
"This is impossible! How can you summon an Underworld Warden?!"
Ji Yingying exclaimed in shock.
Not only her—even Cheng Taihe, watching from the sidelines, wore a stunned expression.
Underworld Wardens belonged to the mythical underworld.
Among all known festival abilities, only one festival was capable of wielding underworld powers—
Qingming Festival.
And yet, they had all seen Bai Jue absorb those ghosts with their own eyes. There had been no Underworld Warden among them.
Unless—
Unless Bai Jue had awakened not only Zhongyuan, but also Qingming.
But that was even more impossible.
There had never been a case of someone awakening two festivals.
Bai Jue's lips curved into a faint smile.
"This is an Underworld Warden stationed within my Underworld Court. Its strength isn't exceptional—but it's more than enough."
Summoning this single warden had already consumed eighty percent of his festival energy.
With only twenty percent remaining, Bai Jue raised his right hand and smiled.
"And if this is all you can do… then this match is about to end."
As his words fell—
Black mist surged from Bai Jue's body, splitting to both sides and forming two ferocious figures.
Vengeful spirits.
At that point, Bai Jue's festival energy was completely depleted—but he had also confirmed his current limit.
"Zhongyuan… really is terrifying."
Hearing Bai Jue's words, Ji Yingying gave a bitter smile. But determination quickly replaced it.
After dodging the Underworld Warden's attack, icy energy erupted from her body.
The two vengeful spirits flanked her from both sides.
Her gaze sharpened as she shouted softly:
"Cold Surge!"
Frost exploded outward like a violent whirlwind, instantly engulfing both vengeful spirits and shredding them.
The spirits dissipated into black mist and returned to Bai Jue's body, where they would revive after a period of rest within the Underworld Court.
The Cold Surge continued, roaring toward the Underworld Warden.
This was clearly Ji Yingying's strongest attack. Her pale complexion made it obvious—this strike had drained every last bit of her festival energy.
But in the next moment—
The Underworld Warden remained utterly calm.
With a flick of its soul-binding chain, yin energy surged outward, forcibly restraining the icy whirlwind midair.
As the yin energy spread, the Cold Surge's power was steadily absorbed, fading away as if swallowed whole.
When the icy tempest finally vanished—
The Underworld Warden took a single step forward.
In an instant, it appeared before Ji Yingying.
The sword at its waist was already drawn, radiating ferocious killing intent as it rested against her neck.
"You've lost."
Bai Jue said with a smile.
The difference in strength was simply too great.
A First-Rank Underworld Warden could easily suppress an Apprentice Festival Adept.
The battle ended swiftly.
Effortlessly.
Bai Jue hadn't even needed to act personally.
And this only further highlighted the terror of the Zhongyuan Festival.
Even without the Underworld Warden, Bai Jue could have summoned ten vengeful spirits at once—the outcome would have been the same.
A newly awakened Zhongyuan Festival Adept might not possess overwhelming personal combat power, but with the Underworld Court alone, they could unleash sheer numbers and overwhelm enemies without mercy.
As the battle ended, a cold, clear voice echoed within Bai Jue's mind.
[Notice: You have engaged in combat. Your festival energy has increased slightly.]
[Notice: Through combat, you have gained insight into how to exploit your advantages. Comprehension +1.]
[Notice: You achieved an overwhelming victory through superior strength. You have obtained the ability: Danger Precognition.]
…
"Danger Precognition? A solid ability—what a great start."
Bai Jue felt genuine joy.
With this ability, his chances of dying prematurely would drop drastically. Even when facing danger, he could sense it in advance and avoid catastrophe.
On top of that, the increase in comprehension and festival energy allowed him to clearly feel his own growth—his mind felt sharper, clearer.
"Zhongyuan really is powerful," Ji Yingying said as she walked up to him.
Despite her loss, she was smiling.
"But when the college entrance exam comes around, Bai Jue, let's fight again. By then, I might be the one who beats you."
She looked at him seriously.
"My father once said that everyone should choose a goal to drive their progress. You're my goal now."
"Is that so?" Bai Jue replied with a smile. "Then you won't have the chance—because while you're getting stronger, I won't be standing still either."
"Hah. Then you'd better work hard. My progress will be fast."
Ji Yingying laughed, blinked at him, then turned and left.
Nearby, Cheng Taihe also came over, praised Bai Jue's strength, and soon departed as well.
Bai Jue recalled the Underworld Warden and prepared to leave the school and head home.
After becoming a Festival Adept, the school granted a one-month leave, exclusive to Festival Adepts. The purpose was to allow them to familiarize themselves with their powers and gain initial mastery.
There was no reason for Bai Jue to stay any longer.
Besides—
He still needed to handle his Festival Adept certification.
…
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