On the second floor of the Banished Immortal Residence, at a quiet seat facing the street, Li Jizhou lifted a cup of Spirit Wine, leaned on the railing, and looked at the pedestrians below with a somewhat hesitant expression.

"Seventh Brother, are you afraid of Old Jiu? After all, he is merely a ten-year-old child. Although he is extraordinarily talented, he still has the mind of a child. In the three rounds of the academy entrance examination, you scored seven points for your Wood Spirit Body in the first round of aptitude. He only scored two points more than you.

In the third round of cultivation level, you have been cultivating for just one month and have already reached the Qi Cultivation First Level. In this palace’s observation of your Divine Sense, it has already reached the level of Qi Cultivation Third Level, and your whole body’s Magical Power is condensed, which is truly remarkable. This cultivation speed is no less than Old Jiu’s, and in the academy entrance examination, the emphasis on existing cultivation levels is minimal.

Moreover, this round doesn’t only assess the level of cultivation but also the power of Magical Power and the condensation of Divine Sense.

The corresponding dharma drum for Qi Cultivation First Level rings once, while the one for Qi Cultivation Seventh Level rings seven times.

With the power of your Magical Power, this palace estimates at least five rings. Old Jiu can manage no more than that.

This round will have at most a two-point difference.

Thus, for the second round, the mental state examination, you only need to surpass him by five points to take first place.

Seventh Brother, think about it. If Father Emperor knows this result and realizes that the Ninth Prince, whom he endowed with a drop of the rare Innate Essence in five thousand years, is still not as good as you, wouldn’t he be moved?

He might even reevaluate his perception of you.

And this could dispel the Heart Demon within you, preventing future hidden dangers when transitioning to Nascent Soul.

It can also lead Old Jiu to become more restrained, no longer acting so arrogantly, disregarding us elder brothers!" Crown Prince Li Zhi, waving his hand to set up a barrier, advised earnestly.

Li Jizhou looked at the bustling street, his right hand trembling slightly as he held a Liuli cup, subtly revealing the turmoil within his heart.

Yet, his face remained unchanged, displaying an appearance of lack of confidence and reluctance to compete.

"Elder Brother, I know myself well. In talent, I indeed fall short of Ninth Brother. Moreover, Ninth Brother has the rich resources provided by the maternal family of Consort Rong. How can I compete?

This month’s cultivation seems to have progressed remarkably, all thanks to the generous gifts received during the King’s Coronation. The supreme cultivation technique bestowed by Father Emperor and the exquisite Open Source Pill given by the Empress played a big part, along with those pills and rare treasures Elder Brother gave a while ago,

Oh, and the considerable resources from Consort Rong. The reason for my rapid progress in Divine Soul is largely due to the Bodhi Fruit gifted by Ninth Brother.

Thus..."

Crown Prince Li Zhi, with his Golden Core cultivation, easily sensed Li Jizhou’s hand trembling as he held the wine cup. He chuckled, "Seventh Brother, you’re just too lacking in confidence and too... too kind-hearted."

"Just tell Elder Brother, do you wish to surpass Old Jiu and reclaim the glory that is yours?"

"I... I wish, but..." Li Jizhou’s gaze wavered, finally nodding.

"Haha, no need for buts. It’s right to wish. Take this; it’s a Yuan Condensing Pill I acquired for you at great cost. Take it when you return. With the Magical Power at Qi Cultivation First Level, it’s not a problem to recondense in three days. This pill greatly enhances the Qi Refining Stage and can make your Magical Power more condensed, laying a foundation for establishing a Top-Grade Dao Foundation." Li Zhi flipped his right hand, and a jade box emerged from his Storage Ring.

Li Jizhou showed a look of surprise.

The Yuan Condensing Pill and the Open Source Pill, both Low-Tier High-Grade pills, are only effective for newcomers before stepping into cultivation, but not just any Pill Master can make them.

Its purpose is to lay a foundation for late-stage cultivation; for most who cannot hope to surpass Divinity Transformation, the benefits and costs are minimal.

The main ingredient is extremely valuable, the same needed for Tier Four and Five pill concoctions.

Moreover, due to the potency of its main ingredient, only the finest products can be consumed by those just entering cultivation, rare in the world.

Not something an average cultivator can afford.

The Open Source Pill is Tier Four high-quality, while the Yuan Condensing Pill requires Tier Five high-quality.

At this moment, the Crown Prince actually took out this pill for Li Jizhou to overshadow the Ninth Prince in the academy entrance examination, causing Li Jizhou to be truly astonished.

"Thank you, Elder Brother, I shall give it my all!" Li Jizhou unceremoniously accepted the Yuan Condensing Pill.

Subsequently, he looked somewhat lost at the Storage Ring on the prince’s hand.

In the past two lifetimes, he used a Storage Bag made by merging space materials with a space array, limited in storage space, easily detectable by Divine Sense, and prone to collapse if its inner space array is damaged, thus typically unable to store living things.

.

The Storage Ring, however, is entirely crafted from High-Tier space material, with its own astral pocket, isolating Divine Sense detection and unyielding to external forces.

It can store live beings, even having a Spirit Gathering Array inside formed with spirit stones, creating a cultivation environment.

However, the space materials capable of creating a Storage Ring are extraordinary, at least Tier Six.

Not something common people can possess.

Even as a Prince in this lifetime, Li Jizhou still used a Storage Bag.

Crown Prince Li Zhi observed Li Jizhou’s expression, his heart pausing slightly.

His Storage Ring was a gift from Father Emperor at his coronation as Crown Prince, so it couldn’t be given to Li Jizhou.

Yet now, he wasn’t too concerned about the Storage Ring worth a hundred thousand Middle Grade spirit stones.

"Elder Brother believes in you. If three days later you can take the top spot, Elder Brother will have additional rewards."

Li Jizhou withdrew his gaze from Li Zhi’s Storage Ring, nodded, then showed a slight grin: "Elder Brother, with this pill you’ve given me, I pledge to go all out. Still, I remain not very confident; as for the reward..."

Li Zhi heard this, and secretly frowned, feeling somewhat disappointed in his seventh brother.

As a cultivator, to have no competitive spirit at all, how can such a Dao heart hope to achieve the Great Dao?

However, this also made him feel more at ease with Li Jizhou.

"Seventh brother, if you can take the top prize this time, big brother will gift you a top-grade storage ring! How about that?"

Li Jizhou’s eyes shone, and he immediately said, "Big brother! Your foolish brother will surely not disappoint you!"

With the blessing of Innate Wisdom from two lifetimes, and having undergone the heart trial in the thunderous secret realm of the Thunder Flame Sect in his previous life, Li Jizhou naturally has confidence in the heart trial.

As for the test of magical power, with the Cyan Emperor Creation Skill, which is of Ascension Immortal Scripture level and strives for extreme excellence, the degree of magical power consolidation is extraordinary, almost reaching the limit of the same level. Now, with the Yuan Condensing Pill gifted by the Crown Prince, the degree of magical power consolidation is probably rare in the world.

Seeing this, Li Zhi finally nodded with satisfaction.

That evening, Li Jizhou returned to the palace, preparing to swallow the Yuan Condensing Pill to consolidate his magical power.

Yet, Long Zhenxiao came again.

Li Jizhou’s face was filled with an increasing smile, considering the drama among the Ninth Prince, the Crown Prince, and the Dragon Aspect.

He immediately shifted his mindset and went out to greet him.

"Minister pays respects to His Highness!" Long Zhenxiao also had a smile on his face.

Li Jizhou gently supported him: "Dear Long, rise quickly. Have you come to bring me wood attribute spirit stones again this time?"

"..." Long Zhenxiao’s initially smiling face suddenly slightly stiffened.

"Your Highness, those ten wood attribute spirit stones have been completely consumed?"

Li Jizhou burst into laughter: "Haha, thanks to dear Long’s wood attribute spirit stones, I cultivated this month and have now reached Qi Cultivation First Level. How is the progress?"

"This is... delightful news, indeed. Your Highness is truly endowed with divine qualities, being no less than the Ninth Prince, even with a more stable temperament, promising great potential!" Long Zhenxiao sensed briefly and was instantly overjoyed.

However, he couldn’t help but twitch internally upon knowing that ten wood attribute spirit stones were used up in a month.

Not daring to pursue this topic further, he quickly changed the subject.

"Your Highness, I mainly came today because I learned you finally agreed to join the Daoist Academy for cultivation, which is a benevolent act!"

Li Jizhou didn’t mind the shift in topic, as he could master any conversation nonetheless.

His expression immediately turned passionate: "Indeed, initially I did not wish to contend with my ninth brother, but after pondering your words for days, I realized I should not be disheartened."

"Reviving His Highness’s fighting spirit brings joy to this minister!" Long Zhenxiao exclaimed joyfully.

However, Li Jizhou’s expression suddenly changed, his brow furrowed, somewhat discouraged: "Unfortunately, my ninth brother will also enter the Daoist Academy this year, and meeting in assessment will be awkward."

Long Zhenxiao’s eyes lit up: "Why say so, your Highness? Ninth Prince previously overshadowed your Highness and seized the Saint Emperor’s favor, is this not precisely the time to prove yourself?"

Li Jizhou sighed and shook his head: "Easy to say!"

"My ninth brother has the Ten Thousand Dharma Thunder Spirit Body and started Qi Cultivation half a year earlier than I did; now he’s already at Qi Cultivation Seventh Level, while I’m only at Qi Cultivation First Level. Moreover, he receives the Emperor’s grace, bestowed with various treasures for cultivation enhancement. Besides, Consort Rong’s family background is illustrious, and Marquis Rong’s Mansion offers considerable assistance; how can I compete?"

Long Zhenxiao smiled and shook his head: "Why lose confidence, Your Highness? Your Highness’s monthly progress to Qi Cultivation First Level and consolidated magical power is surely not weaker than the Ninth Prince.

Furthermore, though Ninth Prince is supported by Consort Rong, Your Highness is aided by Consort Zhen. Even if this minister’s resources are not abundant, I also wish to assist with all my might, perhaps not falling behind Marquis Rong’s Mansion."

Li Jizhou raised his eyebrows: "The dedication of dear Long will be remembered by this palace. However, with three days left for the assessment, the time is quite tight. Might you have divine artifacts or peculiar treasures to assist?"

"Haha, this minister came today precisely for this reason; this is the non-public secret skill ’Soul Condensing Needle’ from my ancestors’ ’Ancient Soul Forging Skill’.

This secret skill was meticulously researched by the ancestor with the Soul Forging Skill, mainly effective for consolidating the Divine Soul. It considerably condenses the Divine Sense during Qi Cultivation, though not yet reaching the level of the Primordial Spirit cutting through soul tablets, it can enhance the Divine Sense in the Core Formation Stage to rival the Nascent Soul’s Primordial Spirit.

This secret skill, acting on the Sea of Consciousness, suddenly manifests, potentially increasing Your Highness’s current Divine Sense by several times.

However, this technique excessively consumes the Divine Soul. Applying it once during the Qi Cultivation Stage requires half a year of nurturing to apply it again." Long Zhenxiao took out a jade talisman and handed it to Li Jizhou.

Li Jizhou’s face showed joy.

Although having the soul blessing from a previous life, upon reaching the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, the soul growth wasn’t as apparent. It was only thanks to Ye Jingyu’s bestowed Carefree Palace’s soul cultivation method that the soul cultivation reached the Golden Core Peak level.

But unable to ascend to Nascent Soul, leaving his soul at the Divine Sense stage, unable to feel the power of the Primordial Spirit like a sword.

Now, the secret soul technique gifted by Long Zhenxiao brought him great comfort.

With the Dragon Aspect’s gift of ’Ancient Soul Forging Skill,’ now possessing the ’Soul Condensing Needle’ secret skill, plus the accumulated soul essence from a previous life, his soul will also soar this lifetime.

Perhaps without needing Core Formation, even during the Foundation Establishment Stage, he could possess the power of consolidating a Primordial Spirit, a true secret weapon.

"Thank you for your efforts, dear Long! This palace will certainly give it my all!" Li Jizhou accepted it openly.