Qin Han Chu had already prepared himself mentally, so he wasn't shocked when Gu Tian Yi unleashed his ancestral-level divine skill.
He controlled the Five-Colored Divine Mountain and pressed it down fiercely towards Gu Tian Yi.
Gu Tian Yi's sword aura split the void, and immense power forcefully struck the Five-Colored Divine Mountain.
Roaring explosions continued, and waves of residual energy spread outwards.
The sword aura seemed determined to break through everything, while Qin Han Chu's Five-Colored Divine Mountain acted as an insurmountable barrier.
Gu Tian Yi's face turned pale; he was at the end of his rope.
Meanwhile, Qin Han Chu had begun to cheat. His clone was providing divine power support to Qin Han Chu through the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe.
"Crush him!"
Qin Han Chu roared suddenly, and the Five-Colored Divine Mountain's brilliance intensified.
As Qin Han Chu injected his divine power, the Five-Colored Divine Mountain's might increased dramatically.
Faced with Qin Han Chu's divine power infusion, Gu Tian Yi's attack was directly suppressed.
"No!" Gu Tian Yi gritted his teeth and roared, trying his best to resist Qin Han Chu's assault.
"This... Baili Han Su's divine power is still so abundant?"
"He's too strong!"
"Gu Tian Yi can't hold on!"
The Divine Emperor expert from the Fengyun Divine Sect stood up nervously, glaring fiercely at Qin Han Chu on the arena with cold eyes.
"What a shame, I didn't expect such a powerful rogue cultivator to emerge."
"The Fengyun Divine Sect invested so much, only to lose in the end."
"His strength is immense, but his luck is poor."
Other sect powers certainly did not want Gu Tian Yi of the Fengyun Divine Sect to become the champion this year.
They were happy to see Gu Tian Yi defeated.
If Gu Tian Yi had won, the Fengyun Divine Sect would have undoubtedly flaunted their victory in front of them.
Now, they were reveling in the Fengyun Divine Sect's misfortune.
Under everyone's gaze, Gu Tian Yi reluctantly ceased his attack.
His divine power was completely depleted, leaving him with no strength to counter.
The Five-Colored Divine Mountain, now unhindered, crashed down with a roar.
Immediately after, Gu Tian Yi was seen outside the arena!
"This isn't over between us!" Gu Tian Yi gritted his teeth at Qin Han Chu.
"Very well, I await you anytime."
Qin Han Chu breathed a sigh of relief. Contesting for the championship was truly arduous.
He was now curious about the hidden reward Qing Yue Divine Maiden had mentioned earlier.
"Let me tell you all, this top-tier divine artifact, the Five Elements Divine Flags, was sold to him by me."
"I also played a role in his becoming the champion."
Seeing Qin Han Chu successfully claim the championship, the Divine Venerable who had previously sold him the Five Elements Divine Flags felt immensely regretful.
However, regret was useless now. All he could do was try to foster a good relationship with Qin Han Chu.
Having a true disciple's protection after entering the Ancient Dao Academy would undoubtedly offer more security.
"Congratulations on your Dao companion winning the position of Chief True Disciple!"
"Congratulations, fellow Daoist."
Many knew Ah Xiang was Qin Han Chu's Dao companion. These individuals offered their greetings to Ah Xiang with clasped hands.
Ah Xiang was also delighted at this moment, replying to them with a smile.
Just as everyone was discussing, the Mirror Lake world suddenly underwent a drastic change.
When everyone opened their eyes, they found themselves back outside the Mirror Lake world.
"What is your name?"
Although Qin Han Chu had stated his name during the battle, Qing Yue Divine Maiden inquired once more.
Qin Han Chu: "Baili Han Su."
"Congratulations on winning the championship. This is the Ascension Fortune Pill for you."
Qing Yue Divine Maiden waved her hand, and a medicine bottle flew towards Qin Han Chu.
Qin Han Chu received the bottle and put it away with a flip of his wrist.
"In addition to the Ascension Fortune Pill, these three drops of Undying Golden Liquid are also your reward."
Qing Yue Divine Maiden waved her hand again, and three drops of golden liquid flew towards Qin Han Chu.
These three drops of liquid, though only the size of soybeans, emitted a radiance as dazzling as the sun.
The appearance of the Undying Golden Liquid shocked all the Divine Venerables present, and even most of the Divine Emperors were stunned by these three drops.
Only the Divine Emperors of the Fengyun Divine Sect and a select few others seemed to have prior knowledge of them.
The Undying Golden Liquid was a top-tier divine item for tempering the Divine Seal, coveted even by Divine Emperor powerhouses.
The Fengyun Divine Sect had invested so many resources into Gu Tian Yi precisely to secure this Undying Golden Liquid for him.
Yet, this precious treasure had ended up with Qin Han Chu.
"It's actually Undying Golden Liquid!"
"Although there have been hidden rewards in previous years, I never expected this year's hidden reward to be the incredibly precious Undying Golden Liquid."
"These three drops of Undying Golden Liquid can strengthen the Divine Seal. The stronger the Divine Seal, the easier it is to break through realms."
Qin Han Chu never expected the Ancient Dao Academy to be so generous, offering three drops of Undying Golden Liquid as a reward.
These three drops of Undying Golden Liquid were worth at least five Ascension Fortune Pills.
This was the true reward for the champion!
Qin Han Chu, with an excited heart, put away the three drops of Undying Golden Liquid: "Thank you for the academy's reward."
"I declare the Grand Banquet officially open!"
"After the banquet, dedicated personnel will escort the newly admitted disciples for the enrollment procedures."
As Qing Yue Divine Maiden spoke, numerous tables and chairs appeared on the Mirror Lake.
Following this, Qin Han Chu and the others were involuntarily drawn to their respective seats.
As the champion of this year's Grand Banquet, Qin Han Chu was seated in the prime position to the right of Qing Yue Divine Maiden.
To Qin Han Chu's right sat Gu Tian Yi, his face filled with rage.
Behind Gu Tian Yi were the Divine Venerables who had attained true discipleship, such as Tian Mu Divine Venerable.
To Qing Yue Divine Maiden's left sat the Divine Emperors of the Ancient Dao Academy and the representative Divine Emperors from other sects.
Although Ah Xiang was Qin Han Chu's Dao companion, she was currently only an inner disciple, and thus was seated in a more distant location.
Once everyone was seated, servants of the Ancient Dao Academy arrived carrying divine fruits and divine wine.
The quality of the sustenance differed based on status.
Qin Han Chu and the other newly admitted true disciples received the same caliber of fare as the Divine Emperors; their divine fruits were top-grade Divine Emperor-level fruits, immensely beneficial for cultivation.
Ah Xiang and the other inner disciples consumed top-grade Divine Venerable-level divine fruits, which also offered some benefits for cultivation.
"Junior Brother Baili, where did you obtain these Five Elements Divine Flags?" Qing Yue Divine Maiden suddenly asked, looking at Qin Han Chu.
Qin Han Chu, of course, wouldn't reveal that he had visited a Divine Emperor's hidden treasure trove. He replied: "I coincidentally obtained two of the divine flags previously. The other three were purchased from a fellow Daoist of the Divine Venerable realm after I arrived in Ancient Dao City. At the time, I never imagined they formed a set of top-tier divine artifacts!"
"You only completed the Five Elements Divine Flags after arriving in Ancient Dao City?" a Divine Emperor-level "senior brother" exclaimed in surprise.
Qin Han Chu pointed to a Divine Venerable in the distance: "I bought them from this fellow Daoist. I even told a small lie to bargain at the time."
Upon seeing Qin Han Chu point to him and speak, the Divine Venerable felt even more displeased.
"Fellow Daoist Baili's ability to assemble this set of top-tier divine artifacts indicates that this is your destiny."
"Seeing you win the championship with the help of the Five Elements Divine Flags, I am also happy for you."
Despite his internal chagrin, this Divine Venerable rose and said with a smile.