As Shu Han stepped down from the platform, the crowd gathered around him.

Bai Xingyan was extremely excited. It was his first time seeing his master go all out. He had always known about his master's profound strength, but that move surpassed his expectations.

Di Guxue saw this and couldn't help but lower her proud head, sincerely admiring, "Uncle Master's prowess is unforgettable. Indeed, you are stronger than my master."

Song Changyi marveled, saying, "Brother Yu's move just now, even I might not have been able to handle it. If my father hadn't stepped in to stop it, Han Su might have been severely injured."

Wei Haolong came over, threw a playful punch at Shu Han, and teased, "You always hold back during our sparring! This must be your true strength!"

However, even that light-hearted punch caused intense pain throughout Shu Han's body.

Wobbling and almost fainting, Bai Xingyan quickly supported him, stabilizing his form.

Shu Han gave a wry smile, "I was forced into that situation. It's not that I wanted to hide my strength. As you saw, I couldn't control that state. What if I used it while sparring with you and ended up killing you?"

Wei Haolong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, "Indeed if I was caught off-guard by that move of yours just now, I might have been killed. By the way, why do you look so drained?"

Song Changyi commented, "Looking at Brother Yu, it seems he overexerted his body's potential. Such moves are detrimental to both health and cultivation!"

Shu Han nodded, "Exactly. I'll be weak for a while, but luckily, all the group matches are over. Otherwise, it would have been troublesome!"

"Weak for a while?"

Wei Haolong's eyes sparkled, and a sly smile appeared on his face. Just as he was about to ask Shu Han how long he'd be weak, Shu Han cut him off, "Don't worry, I'll recover before our advancement match. No need to be concerned for me."

Wei Haolong: ...

"I wasn't concerned at all!"

Subsequently, Shu Han asked Bai Xingyan to help him back to his cave for rest.

Wei Haolong shouted from behind, "Old Yu! Don't rush your recovery, take it slow! The advancement match is only a month away!"

Shu Han retorted, "Even if I haven't fully recovered, I can still thrash you!"

Once back in his cave, Shu Han immediately activated the Star Array and took a big gulp of spirit wine to begin his closed-door healing. With this victory, Shu Han had essentially secured a top three position on the leaderboard. In the upcoming matches, aside from Song Changyi, no one else could challenge him. As expected, the finals would likely be a showdown between him and Song Changyi.

However, Shu Han wasn't particularly interested in claiming the top position of the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard. All he wanted was a portion of the Earth Dragon Fire's origin.

After obtaining the origin, Shu Han planned to undergo long-term closed-door cultivation, focusing on refining the Earth Dragon Fire's origin and combining it with the Black Abyssal Fire to propel himself to the next realm.

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Furthermore, he had tasks related to the Five Elements True Essence Pill and the Grand Transfer Talisman. Most importantly, the number of Chaos Immortal Stones in the black jar had grown to a certain amount, almost meeting the minimum requirement for crafting an immortal sword.

Once the Chaos Immortal Sword was forged, forget about the likes of Song Changyi and Han Su. Even the early Core Formation elders of the Green Thunder Sect would find Shu Han a formidable opponent.

With the Chaos Immortal Sword for offense and Shrinking Earth into Inches for defense, Shu Han would have complete freedom of action against anyone below the mid-Core Formation stage. Only then would he truly establish himself in the cultivation world.

And so, Shu Han spent the entire month in secluded cultivation.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

The Heavenly Fire Leaderboard advancement competition began.

Song Changyi still led the rankings, unsurpassed. The other disciples also fought valiantly, their strengths closely matched, resulting in numerous spectacular battles. After three matches, it was finally time for the fourth battle between Shu Han and Wei Haolong.

That day, Shu Han emerged from his cave, and his spiritual power and physical strength were greatly restored, although not yet at their peak.

The side effects of the Sky Palace Mysterious Secret were substantial and could not be mitigated in just a short month.

Facing Wei Haolong in this state wouldn't be easy. Despite Shu Han's boastful claims, Wei Haolong had been making steady progress over the years. His top three ranking in the previous Heavenly Fire Leaderboard was well-earned. If not for Shu Han's familiarity with Wei Haolong's combat style, the outcome might be too close to call.

Shu Han left his cave, adjusted himself, and flew toward the distant Heavenly Fire Leaderboard arena.

By now, the surroundings of the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard platform were crowded with spectators.

Ever since his battle with Han Su, Shu Han's reputation had soared in the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, and he was hailed as the only person in a century who could rival Song Changyi. In fact, many disciples believed that Shu Han's strength even surpassed Song Changyi's, making him a favorite for the top spot in this Heavenly Fire Leaderboard.

Wei Haolong, on the other hand, had been famous for a long time. Being one of the senior disciples, despite his unrestrained and unruly behavior, many had grown up hearing tales of his might.

It was a match of a new dark horse against an old powerhouse.

The battle between Wei Haolong and Shu Han drew the largest crowd. The stands of the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard arena were packed to capacity, and even the distant cliffs were filled with spectators eagerly awaiting the two competitors.

Shu Han arrived first, transforming into a streak of light and descending onto the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard platform.

The crowd erupted in excitement immediately.

From below the platform, Bai Xingyan excitedly shouted, "My master will surely win!"

However, standing next to him, Di Guxue looked a bit uneasy. She had realized that her master truly wasn't a match for this uncle. Her agile eyes darted around, searching for Wei Haolong's figure, but he was nowhere to be seen.

After waiting for a considerable amount of time, the impatient murmurs started to spread among the audience. Atop the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard stands, seeing that Wei Haolong still hadn't appeared, Heavenly Fire Elder frowned deeply. Song Jinglun, sensing his concern, comforted him, "Old Wei, be patient. Haolong doesn't seem like the kind to flee before the fight. Besides, isn't Shu Han one of his close friends from recent years?"

Heavenly Fire Elder coldly responded, "If that young man doesn't perform well, I'll skin him alive!"

Seeing that Wei Haolong was still missing, the disciple hosting the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard flew to the platform and announced, "Is Senior Brother Wei present? If you don't show up, according to tradition, you will be deemed to have forfeited, and Junior Brother Yu will automatically win!"

Shu Han was also anxious inside, wondering what Wei was up to. Had he really fled before the battle? He had mentioned giving Shu Han a big surprise during the advancement competition – could it be a victory without a fight? What kind of surprise was that!

Just then, a voice echoed from below, "I'm here, I'm here! Was in a bit of a rush today. Why the urgency?"

Everyone turned to the source of the voice, and they saw a beautiful woman flying up to the platform. She had a slight smile on her face and her eyes were fixed on Shu Han.

The hosting disciple was confused. He approached her and asked, "Miss, I think you took a wrong turn! This is the stage for Senior Brother Wei and Junior Brother Yu. Why are you here?" The woman glared at him and snapped, "What nonsense are you talking about? I am Wei Haolong! Move aside and stop blocking my view."

"You're Senior Brother Wei?"

Wei Haolong glanced at him, and with a shimmering motion, transformed into his usual self, only to change back again.

With this act, all the cultivators present gasped in surprise.