Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

Chapter 146 Qi Refining Level 7 and the Foundation Establishment Seed of the Dao Academy (Long Chapter, Please Subscribe)
"You actually managed to defeat this kid, what a pity!"

"However, letting him suffer the pain in his soul is also a way to vent my anger!"

Seeing Zhou Ling return to the rest area, He Zijian patted him on the shoulder and praised him.

"Brother He, you must also defeat Jin Sheng, and we'll meet in the finals!"

Zhou Ling smiled and encouraged He Zijian.

"Yes, Jin Sheng is not easy to deal with, but I will fight with all my might. It won't be so easy for him to defeat me!"

He Zijian smiled and said confidently.

Zhou Ling nodded; he still thought highly of He Zijian.

It remains to be seen who will emerge victorious in the clash of their sword intents.
"Congratulations, Zhou Ling!"

He Lingyun also congratulated Zhou Ling.

She was also quite surprised that Zhou Ling was able to defeat Nan Feng and enter the finals.

Although they knew Zhou Ling was much stronger than he appeared, they never expected him to defeat two promising disciples at the ninth level of Qi Refining in succession.

Of course, not only did she not expect it, but Li Ru, Zhou Shan and others did not expect it either.

Wang Xin, however, continued to support Zhou Ling as always.

Zhou Ling smiled and nodded to He Lingyun, then walked towards her parents.

"Ling'er made it to the finals! It feels like a dream!"

Looking at his son approaching, Li Ru asked Zhou Shan with some disbelief.

Zhou Shan nodded excitedly and said, "My son really made it to the finals! He definitely has a chance to reach the Foundation Establishment stage in the future. My Zhou family is finally going to produce a Foundation Establishment cultivator!"

It should be understood that only by becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator can one establish a family. Therefore, establishing a family after Foundation Establishment is the lifelong dream of most independent cultivators.

"Dad, Mom!"

Zhou Ling called out and sat down on the futon next to him.

Although we won this battle, it was quite costly, and we need to make the most of our time to recover.

"Ling'er, are you alright?"

Li Ru asked with concern.

She was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, and her spiritual cultivation was average, but from Nan Feng's screams just now, she could guess how dangerous the battle had been.

"It's nothing, it just took a lot of effort!"

Zhou Ling smiled.

Knowing his mother's personality, even if something happened, he wouldn't dare let her know, lest she worry.

Hearing this, Li Rucai breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ling-ge'er is really amazing! He was even able to break through Nan Feng's soul attack!"

Wang Yu also walked over and said in a praising tone.

However, in her opinion, this was normal, after all, given Zi Ling's cultivation level, the soul techniques she taught Zhou Ling and the others must have been quite advanced.

"Aunt Wang! It was just a lucky victory; the cost was too high!"

Zhou Ling said modestly.

"Hmm, you've done very well!"

"But his cultivation level is still a bit too low!"

Wang Yu said encouragingly.

After thinking for a moment, he took out a pill bottle from his storage ring and handed it to Zhou Ling, saying, "Brother Ling, this is a Zheng Yuan Pill, which is known as a Lesser Foundation Establishment Pill for Qi Refining cultivators."

"It can help you break through the bottleneck of the mid-stage of Qi Refining."

"I was planning to give it to you after you finished the competition."

"However, now that you've reached this point, I think you can use the Zheng Yuan Pill to try and see if you can enter the seventh level of Qi Refining."

"This will give us a better chance in the upcoming finals!"

"Thank you, Aunt Wang!" Zhou Ling accepted the pill bottle and hurriedly bowed to express his gratitude.

He now has fifty-nine spiritual acupoints in his body, just one step away from the seventh level of Qi Refining.

If he can reach the seventh level of Qi Refining at this time, it will definitely be extremely advantageous for him in the upcoming finals.

After all, at the sixth level of Qi Refining, he was clearly outmatched by disciples like He Zijian and Jin Sheng, whose magical power was equally profound and pure.

All I can say is that the Zheng Yuan Pill came at the perfect time!

However, he also had some concerns. After all, to break through the bottleneck of the seventh level of Qi Refining by cultivating the "Five Elements Qian Yuan True Technique", he needed a much greater supply of spiritual energy than an ordinary sixth-level Qi Refining cultivator.

But now that we have this opportunity, we should still try to seize it.

After all, the rewards and future treatment for first and second place are vastly different.

"Rainie, thank you so much!"

Li Ru also thanked Wang Yu with a face full of gratitude.

The price of this Zheng Yuan Dan is at least five or six hundred spirit stones on the market.

Moreover, the pills refined by Wang Yu generally contain one or two pill patterns, which makes them even more valuable.

"It's alright. After the two of them go to Xuan Yuan Dao Academy, Ling-ge'er will have to take good care of Xin'er."

Wang Yu smiled and said.

He then cautioned Zhou Ling, "This Zheng Yuan Dan is extremely potent and has a strong impact on the meridians. You should be mentally prepared when you take it!"

"Yes, Aunt Wang!"

Zhou Ling replied respectfully.

At the same time, the bell rang to start the second round of the competition.

Zhou Ling did not rush to refine the Zheng Yuan Pill, but instead turned his attention to the competition stage.

It's only the middle of the morning, and there are still more than two hours until the afternoon finals. He has plenty of time to refine this Zheng Yuan Dan.

Therefore, I plan to first use the [Intermediate Observation] and [Intermediate Analysis] talents to carefully observe and understand the sword intent of the two individuals.

On the one hand, it's to prepare for the next competition, and on the other hand, it's to learn.

After all, with the [Intermediate Analysis], he can analyze the strengths and weaknesses of his opponent's sword intent, and he can also summarize some useful experiences.

In particular, his own sword energy furnace largely originated from Jin Sheng's incinerating sword intent.

On the dueling platform, the two faced each other directly.

The atmosphere was somewhat solemn.

He Zijian was tall and imposing, exuding an air of arrogance and fierceness.

Although Jin Sheng looked rather thin, he had a calm demeanor and gave people a sense of profound weight, like a sword without a sharp edge.

"Your aura seems to have improved quite a bit!"

Looking at He Zijian, Jin Sheng raised an eyebrow, but his expression remained calm and composed.

You've changed quite a bit too!

He Zijian smiled and said.

As he spoke, he took out a thick, black greatsword from his storage bag.

The sword is seven feet long, enormous in size, and exudes a powerful and fierce aura.

"Humph!"

Jin Sheng gave a slight snort, then patted the storage bag at his waist. A three-foot-long, fiery red sword emerged, its aura blazing and fierce, its power even surpassing that of the Thick Black Sword.

Staring at Jin Sheng, He Zijian said arrogantly, "Then let's see who's the real deal. Let me see what's so special about the sword intent you've comprehended with your sword body!"

After speaking, He Zijian suddenly swung his greatsword, and a lightning sword light suddenly condensed on the greatsword, tearing out strands of lightning and flashing with a violent aura, before slashing down at Jin Sheng with a bang.

Facing the terrifying power of the giant sword that was crashing down, Jin Sheng was not afraid at all. The fiery red magic sword in his hand shone with a fiery red light, like a beautiful cloud shining in the sky.

Without flinching, it charged headlong into the thunderous sword light.

Then, the two powerful sword beams collided heavily.

Explosions rang out one after another, turning the arena into a purplish-red expanse.

At the point where the two swords clashed, rings of fierce sword energy rippled out.

The roaring sword beams, flashing with dazzling lightning and flames, instantly intertwined fiercely, annihilating and bombarding each other.

[You are observing the Furnace Sword Technique. Intermediate Observation +1, Incineration Sword Intent +1]

[You are analyzing the Furnace Sword Technique. Intermediate Analysis +1, Extinguishing Sword Intent +1]

[You are observing the Thunder-Breaking Sword Technique. Intermediate Observation +1, Thunder-Breaking Sword Intent +1]

[You are analyzing the Thunder-Breaking Sword Technique. Intermediate Analysis +1, Thunder-Breaking Sword Intent +1]

"Brother He actually comprehended the Thunder-Breaking Sword Intent!"

Zhou Ling was astonished to see the arena instantly filled with sword energy.

This was something he had never encountered before in the [Illusion Simulation].

It should be noted that lightning magic is the most difficult and the most powerful of all spells.

Moreover, this is a sword intent with lightning attributes. The difficulty of breaking through lightning sword intent is even more unimaginable!
"Perhaps Brother He has only just realized this recently!"

Zhou Ling made his own guess, but it didn't matter; this kind of observation and analysis would undoubtedly be of great help to him.

Just like when he comprehended the sword intent of incineration last time, he felt that there seemed to be a new change in the Five Elements Sword Meridians within his body.

"No matter what, with the [Thunderous Aura] talent as a supplement, this Thunder-Breaking Sword Intent is worth learning!"

Zhou Ling thought to himself.

Boom boom boom!
Just then, sword energy flew across the dueling platform.

The two sword techniques each had their own strengths. He Zijian's sword was wide and powerful, heavy as a mountain, accompanied by the roar of thunder, and had an extremely strong and masculine, profound artistic conception.

Jin Sheng's sword light is flexible and unpredictable, sometimes like a blooming sword lotus, sometimes like a fiery dragon emerging from the sea. The sword's momentum is unpredictable, but it has an extremely hot and extinguishing aura.

Even He Zijian's thunderous sword light couldn't gain the slightest advantage under the shroud of this incinerating sword intent.

The sky was filled with dazzling sword light, accompanied by booming explosions, constantly reminding all the spectators that these two were the most powerful disciples of this generation.

Thunder and fire are both attributes that are primarily characterized by their fierce and destructive nature.

Therefore, the battle between the two was entirely head-on, with little room for trickery.

The side with greater power has a chance of winning.

However, others might not notice anything amiss.

However, through [Intermediate Analysis], Zhou Ling knew that He Zijian's energy expenditure was significantly higher than Jin Sheng's at this moment.

Although both of them had grasped a remarkable level of sword intent.

However, Jin Sheng himself possesses a rare swordsmanship, and his understanding and control of sword intent far surpasses that of He Zijian.

The so-called spiritual body is one that is more in harmony with the rules of heaven and earth, and whose cultivation speed and comprehension far exceed those of ordinary cultivators.

Of course, spirits are also divided into different levels.

Zhou Ling didn't know what kind of sword body Jin Sheng possessed, but as long as it was a sword body, his understanding of swordsmanship would definitely surpass that of ordinary people.

Moreover, they have a natural affinity for swords, making them more powerful than ordinary sword cultivators, while also consuming less energy.

"It seems this kid knows Brother He's weakness, and he's mostly playing defensively right now!"

Zhou Ling's gaze narrowed slightly.

However, this also had its advantages for him. As the two talents continued to operate, Zhou Ling's observation and analysis of the two people's sword moves and sword intent became increasingly accurate.

Knowing yourself and knowing your enemy can help you win a hundred battles.

Boom!
Just as Zhou Ling was analyzing and pondering, a series of thunderous explosions came from the competition stage.

"cut!"

He Zijian swung his heavy sword, instantly unleashing three enormous sword beams that fiercely slammed down towards Jin Sheng.

"boom!"

"boom!"

The sword light roared with an extremely fierce cry, leaving a trail of white lightning in its wake. The dazzling sword light was so intense that no one dared to look directly at it.

"Burning Flame Sword!"

Jin Sheng dared not be careless in the slightest. He stared cautiously at the sword light in the air, chanted an incantation, and poured his magic power into the magic sword floating in front of him.

In an instant, the magic sword slashed down, instantly condensing into a fiery sword energy dragon several meters long, baring its fangs and claws as it flew towards the thunderous sword light.

Then, the fiery sword dragon roared fiercely, and the incoming thunderous sword energy was instantly incinerated by the scorching fiery sword energy.

Jin Sheng focused his mind and pointed, unleashing a fiery dragon sword aura that blasted out with unstoppable force, fiercely suppressing the thunderous sword light.

"Boom boom!"

Thunderous sword beams and fiery sword beams clashed fiercely, creating a deafening roar.

A terrifying aura of sword energy rose up.

"not good!"

The ancient instructor on the judges' panel hurriedly cast a spell, injecting a surge of spiritual energy into the light barrier surrounding the arena.

At this moment, the light shield of the competition platform was dim and lifeless, as if it would break at any moment.

This is a light shield formed by a second-tier defensive array.

It can withstand attacks from Foundation Establishment cultivators.

However, under the sweeping attack of the two people's terrifying sword energy, it was already in a precarious state and could collapse at any moment.

This demonstrates the terrifying power of their attack.

Fortunately, the light barrier gradually stabilized as the ancient instructor infused it with spiritual power.

The glass on the ground was already riddled with holes, with deep marks as if it had been plowed.

The two's terrifying fighting prowess left the judges utterly astonished.

It's astonishing that such powerful disciples, two of them, could emerge from such a small, second-grade immortal city.

They had already anticipated Jin Sheng's combat strength, after all, he was a swordsman, so his combat strength was bound to be extraordinary.

But the fact that He Zijian was able to comprehend the lightning-attribute sword intent also surprised them greatly!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
After a fierce but fruitless attack, He Zijian was eventually forced to switch to a defensive posture due to excessive exhaustion.

This is where the advantages of Jin Sheng's sword body become apparent. The fiery sword light moves at lightning speed and still has the power to suppress He Zijian.

He Zijian could only wield his heavy sword and condense sword energy in front of him for defense.

Even so, Jin Sheng's sword light continued to press down.

He was panting heavily. "Brother He, aren't you a formation master? Why are you so passive? Why aren't you using any formations or anything like that?"

Watching the battle unfold on the field, Zhou Ling felt anxious.

The two fought using only sword techniques, without relying on any other external objects.

Perhaps it was a tacit understanding formed from the intention to settle the score in kendo.

But Zhou Ling disagreed.

After all, whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat!

Why not use other methods if there are them?

Moreover, Jin Sheng is a swordsman, which gives him an advantage in swordsmanship.

Let's settle this with a single sword strike!

As soon as He Zijian finished speaking, his aura suddenly surged, and then he swung his sword down fiercely.

Rumble!
A fierce, thunderous sword aura slashed towards Jin Sheng with the force to cleave everything in its path.

Jin Sheng's expression turned solemn. Sensing the fierce sword energy rushing towards him, his aura suddenly surged, and an astonishing sword intent burst forth.

boom!
A massive fiery sword beam then slashed out.

Rumble!
Two sword beams clashed in mid-air, unleashing a terrifying explosion of sword energy.

The entire competition platform seemed to be teetering on the brink of collapse.

Finally, the thunderous sword light gradually dissipated and vanished amidst the fiery sword energy.

He Zijian turned pale and collapsed to the ground.

At this moment, his magical power was completely exhausted, and he had no strength left to fight.

While Jin Sheng was also having a tough time, he was in better shape than him.

"I lost!"

He Zijian shook his head helplessly!
"This is just a contest. If it were a direct fight, Brother He might not necessarily lose!"

Looking at the situation on the field, Zhou Ling thought to himself.

Both sides' sword techniques and sword intents were extremely powerful, but clearly, He Zijian's sword intent was not suitable for a prolonged battle.

It's more suitable to go all out and fight with all our might.

This kind of competition still restricted He Zijian's performance.

However, Jin Sheng's swordsmanship is beyond doubt.

Through the practical analysis of this battle, Zhou Ling also gained a great deal.

On the competition stage, after the judges announced Jin Sheng's victory, neither of them stepped down from the stage. Instead, they each took out a pill and swallowed it.

Recover by sitting cross-legged in place.

Jin Sheng didn't dare to be careless either. Although he defeated He Zijian, he was greatly exhausted.

In the afternoon, he will face Zhou Ling. Although Zhou Ling is only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, his skills are remarkable, and he still needs to be fully prepared.

Especially since this person has a good relationship with Wang Xin, he is even more determined to defeat him and leave a deep impression on Wang Xin.

Judging from their condition, one can tell how intense this battle was.

There was still some time before the afternoon's final match.

Zhou Ling didn't think much of it and took out the pill bottle that Wang Yu had given him earlier.

A white pill was poured out, its surface shimmering with a warm, jade-like luster, with two faint pill patterns shimmering within.

"The True Essence Pill with Two Dan Patterns!"

Zhou Ling was quite excited. Wang Xin and the others had been a great help to him along the way.

After taking the Qi-Harmony Pill, along with the [Restore to Original State] and [Spiritual Medicine Stress Response], his spiritual power has now recovered to 90%.

During this period, he continued to take the Erdanwen Heqi Pill every day, and his cultivation level improved rapidly.

Last time, after fusing with the Azure Lotus Fire Seed, I entered the sixth level of Qi Refining and activated seven spiritual acupoints at once, reaching a total of fifty-six.

In less than a month, he activated three more spiritual acupoints.

Although he had only been at the sixth level of Qi Refining for less than a month, he was practicing the "Five Elements Qianyang True Technique" and had the assistance of spiritual flames.

His foundation is solid and strong, in no way inferior to other Qi Refining Level 6 cultivators.

Simply put, Zhou Ling already possesses the foundation to break through the bottleneck of the late stage of Qi Refining with the help of external forces.

Then, Zhou Ling threw the pill directly into his mouth.

The Zheng Yuan Dan tasted bitter, but it melted in the mouth and then transformed into a stream of hot air that flowed into Zhou Ling's meridians.

It felt as if a flame had suddenly appeared in my meridians.

If it were an ordinary Qi Refining Level 6 cultivator, they could only first use spiritual power to nourish their entire body's meridians and slowly absorb the medicinal power. However, this absorption and refining process would also be accompanied by immense pain.

Some cultivators couldn't hold on and fainted.

However, Zhou Ling's meridians are now extremely resilient, so even though the Zheng Yuan Dan is incredibly powerful and domineering, he can withstand it.

A moment later, the scorching air began to spread through Zhou Ling's meridians.

A burning pain spread through my veins.

Zhou Ling remained calm, though he felt a tearing sensation within his meridians, it was entirely within his tolerance.

[You are refining the Zheng Yuan Pill. Medicinal stress +1, Zheng Yuan Pill efficacy +2]

As his talent prompted him, he felt another surge of powerful spiritual energy suddenly flow into his meridians, causing the spiritual energy to surge.

Even if the five elements circulation meridians are opened up.

At this moment, it also seemed to be filled with spiritual energy.

"boom!"

The powerful medicinal force instantly spread through the meridians, reaching every part of the body and transforming into pure spiritual energy to refine the acupoints.

In just a few breaths, the bottleneck of the late stage of Qi Refining, which is extremely difficult for Qi Refining cultivators, was reached.

Zhou Ling, however, broke through with ease.

*Thud!*

Two spiritual acupoints were opened in succession.

The surging spiritual energy rushed towards the Qi Sea like a tide.

At this moment, Zhou Ling had successfully become a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining.

"call!"

After an incense stick had burned, Zhou Ling gently exhaled, opened his eyes, and his face was full of joy.

This breakthrough went much more smoothly than he had expected.

After all, each step forward in condensing the five elements' spiritual veins requires the support of enormous spiritual energy.

This also shows that the Zheng Yuan Dan given by Aunt Wang was of very high quality.

In addition, the amplification of medicinal power triggered by the [Spiritual Medicine Stress] resulted in such abundant spiritual energy, giving me a sense of natural success.

Feeling the abundant spiritual energy within his body, Zhou Ling was filled with excitement.

The middle and late stages of Qi cultivation can be a major bottleneck.

At that moment, he felt his strength had more than doubled.

Their spirit and soul also became increasingly profound and pure.

"Congratulations, Brother Ling, on reaching the late stage of Qi Refining!"

Seeing the bright and clear look in Zhou Ling's eyes, Wang Yu was the first to sense the change in Zhou Ling's aura.

"Ling'er, you've really reached the late stage of Qi Refining!"

Li Ru was emotional, and although she tried her best to control herself, she couldn't help but have some tears in her eyes.

Nothing could excite her more than her son's current achievements.

"Ling'er is truly outstanding!"

Zhou Shan was also very excited, and his voice was a little hoarse.

My son has reached the seventh level of Qi Refining, which is a huge breakthrough.

"It's all thanks to Aunt Wang's Zheng Yuan Dan!"

Zhou Ling hurriedly thanked Wang Yu respectfully.

"Ling-ge'er, there's no need to be so polite. Just remember to take good care of Xin'er when you get to the academy!"

Wang Yu said with a smile.

"Don't worry, Aunt Wang!"

Zhou Ling said earnestly.

"Hmm, I've just entered the late stage of Qi Refining. I need to consolidate my skills more so I can perform better in the finals this afternoon!"

Wang Yu nodded again.

Zhou Ling nodded, then glanced at the competition platform.

He Zijian and Jin Sheng remained seated cross-legged, recovering their internal magical power.

Zhou Ling sat back down on the futon, his mind still replaying the scene of He Zijian's battle with Jin Sheng.

A careful analysis of Jin Sheng's sword techniques.

If it weren't for the finals in the afternoon, he would have gone straight into the [Illusion Simulation] to have a real battle with his opponent, which would have been the most effective.

Although a simulation was conducted yesterday, the combat power displayed by Jin Sheng yesterday is still quite different from that of today.

Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Li Ru thanked Wang Yu with great joy!

"This little guy actually reached the seventh level of Qi Refining just like that."

As Hu Jiaoxi stood up from the judges' panel, her gaze swept over Zhou Ling, a hint of surprise appearing on her face.

He then said solemnly to the others, "I want to give Zhou Ling the spot for the Foundation Establishment seed of Lingxia Immortal City this year!"

"Foundation-Building Seed of the Daoist Academy!"

Upon hearing this, Steward Qin's face lit up with joy.

Foundation Establishment Seeds are disciples recognized by the four major academies as having great potential for assessment.

Once you become a Foundation Establishment Seed, you will be able to access various resources upon entering the Dao Academy and become a key disciple cultivated by the academy.

As long as one meets the academy's assessment standards, the academy will even provide Foundation Establishment Pills and auxiliary spiritual items.

There was only one spot available in Lingxia Immortal City this time, and after discussing it, the group had already decided to give it to Jin Sheng.

Now, Instructor Hu suddenly suggested giving it to Zhou Ling.

The others hesitated.

After all, this kind of thing is the result of discussions and negotiations among several people.

"Fellow Daoist Hu, Zhou Ling is indeed a good young fellow, but we have already discussed and agreed on this matter with Jin Sheng, so we cannot go back on our word!"

"Moreover, Jin Sheng possesses the Earth Flame Sword Body, and his potential is far beyond what Zhou Ling can match."

Instructor Wang of the Nine Heavens Sword Academy, who was usually not very talkative, couldn't help but speak up.

After all, Jin Sheng had already agreed to join the Nine Heavens Sword Academy, so Instructor Wang naturally sided with him.

Moreover, Jin Sheng possesses a sword physique, and his potential is beyond doubt, naturally far surpassing Zhou Ling, who only has a low-grade spiritual root.

The two are worlds apart in terms of qualifications alone.

However, Zhou Ling's cultivation talent was also quite amazing.

“What Fellow Daoist Wang said is quite right. As you said, Jin Sheng is a sword body and will definitely be able to establish his foundation in the future, even without the help of Foundation Establishment Pills.”

“Zhou Ling is different. He not only has a low-grade spiritual root, but he also comes from a rogue cultivator background with limited resources. The fact that he has reached this level shows that his talent is extremely amazing!”

"He certainly doesn't have many resources at hand. If he can become a Foundation Establishment seed, he will receive more resources when he enters the Dao Academy, which will be a great help to him!"

Instructor Hu said seriously.

"this?"

Instructor Wang was not good with words and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Thinking about it, Instructor Hu's reasons are not unreasonable.

After all, although Zhou Ling seems to have good potential, once he enters the Dao Academy, he will be facing the most outstanding disciples from various immortal cities.

He might not have such a big advantage anymore.

This limits the resources that can be obtained.

If there were this spot, the situation would definitely be much better.

He also admired Zhou Ling's talent.

It's not easy to refute that right now!

The others shared similar thoughts.

For a moment, everyone was caught in a dilemma.

"I think we should do this!"

"This year's Foundation Establishment seed spot for the Daoist Academy will be given to the champion of the competition."

"Whoever wins the final this afternoon will get this spot!"

After thinking for a moment, the old teacher finally spoke.

While this may seem fair, Zhou Ling's combat strength is still inferior to Jin Sheng's on the surface.

Therefore, I still prefer Jinsheng.

After all, the treatment of those with sword bodies is definitely different.

But this also gave Zhou Ling an opportunity.

Whether he can seize the opportunity depends on his own performance.

"That's fine!"

The others also expressed their support.

Instructor Hu could only nod.

He has now secured the opportunity for Zhou Ling; whether he can seize it depends on himself!
The judges then stood up and left the judging panel.

(End of this chapter)