Chapter 165: The Last Match, Martial Arts Exam

On the other side of the examination hall.

Milky-white sweat continuously poured from Yu Xinghan's body, only to be evaporated by waves of heat emanating from within him, leaving layer after layer of white residue on his skin. As this happened, Yu Xinghan gradually began to feel discomfort in his body. He knew that such an incomplete state of digestion could not be sustained for long. If he kept pushing himself, the burden on his digestive system would steadily increase, ultimately causing damage to it.

But seeing that he couldn't pull ahead of Zhang Yu, Yu Xinghan clenched his teeth tightly, continuing to frantically swallow and digest in order to maintain his rank.

“Damn body, keep it together!” He slapped his stomach hard, a surge of unwillingness to admit defeat rising within him. “I am a Golden Core Disciple, a personal disciple chosen by True Master Xinghuo. How can I lose to Zhang Yu...?”

Although he usually seemed to chat and laugh with many students, his identity as a Golden Core Disciple had always instilled a hint of arrogance in Yu Xinghan, making him realize that he was ultimately different from other students. Especially when facing Zhang Yu, a candidate disciple he had eliminated before, to say he felt no sense of superiority... that would be impossible. However, this sense of superiority was well-hidden by him, especially when Zhang Yu paid him.

But at this moment, as Yu Xinghan gave his all in the exam and found he couldn't shake off Zhang Yu, that sense of superiority transformed into a hint of irritation.

“How could I lose to him? I've received training from a Golden Core True Master, and I even spent so much money learning techniques from Zhang Yu... How could I... lose to him?!”

Just as Yu Xinghan was determined to fight to the end against Zhang Yu, a sudden strong discomfort from his internal organs startled him awake. Feeling the discomfort in his internal organs, True Master Xinghuo's words suddenly flashed through Yu Xinghan's mind.

“Xinghan, you cultivate the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Art with me, forging an indomitable fighting spirit and endless resolve. This is inherently a good thing. But in this world, there is always someone better, beyond every sky. Who dares to claim invincibility throughout their life? Who can be unrivaled in every encounter? When you encounter someone better, or a higher realm, this endless resolve might actually harm you, causing you to fail even more spectacularly.”

With a sigh, True Master Xinghuo said with profound weariness, “Let go when you should. Defeat is not scary. As long as you have money, countless opportunities remain. I impart these words to you today, hoping they will prove useful one day in the future.”

As True Master Xinghuo's words flashed through Yu Xinghan's mind, his mind, previously filled with fighting spirit, suddenly calmed down, and he quickly accepted a fact.

“Zhang Yu... has indeed surpassed me. Judging from this exam, at least in physical techniques, he is completely above me, having thoroughly surpassed me and left me with no ability to fight back.”

Although it was difficult and he was unwilling, Yu Xinghan knew that facts were facts, and he had to admit them. “If I continue to fight stubbornly, once my digestive system can no longer withstand this overload, my eating speed will severely decline, and I might not even be able to hold onto the 20th position.”

He sighed inwardly, knowing it was time to let go. The next moment, milky-white sweat no longer flowed from his body, and he returned to a normal eating state.

A moment later, on the light screen, the pillar representing Zhang Yu, number 55, surpassed Yu Xinghan, reaching 15th place. Seeing this, Yu Xinghan once again sighed deeply, continually telling himself that it was alright. “It's okay to lose. As long as you still have money, there's a chance to catch up.”

Observing Yu Xinghan's concession, Huang Zichou praised, “I didn’t expect this Golden Core Disciple to be able to let go in time. He managed to preserve his current ranking.”

Another minor deity sighed, “Pushing desperately to climb higher is easy. But knowing when to slow down, even when in the spotlight, knowing your own limits, understanding which debts you shouldn’t incur, and which contracts you shouldn’t sign—that’s not easy.”

Watching this scene, Deng Bingding thought to himself, “It seems that after Xinghuo, that little devil, fell to Layer 1, not only did he properly reflect on himself, but he also trained his disciple well. Too bad, he may have changed for the better, but his money is gone. What good is that?”

Just then, as the competition gradually drew to a close, Huang Zichou said, “Lord Deng, this round of the Gluttony Contest has progressed smoothly. The contestants have all displayed their unique abilities. It's clear that immortal cultivation education on Kunxu Layer 1 is increasingly prosperous.”

Another minor deity, while taking photos of the scene for reporting materials, praised, “I still remember the earliest Foundation Establishment exams. Students only needed to compete in physical strength. Later, more refined tests for strength, speed, and various techniques were introduced. And look at it now.”

The deities looked at the students on the scene: some were steaming, some had stomachs swollen larger than themselves, some went to the toilet every minute, some frantically punched themselves producing thunderous sounds, some vibrated like blenders, and some vomited while stuffing the regurgitated contents back into their mouths...

Deng Bingding smiled and nodded, saying, “Students nowadays are stronger with each generation. It can be said that the path of immortal cultivation is flourishing, and the world is blessed.”

Huang Zichou quickly said, “This is all thanks to the wise guidance of the Heavenly Court, and the righteous gods of various ministries, like you, Lord Deng, who care deeply for the common people.”

Deng Bingding smiled slightly and said, “Make sure to get good photos of these contestants. Select a few to report together, so the elders above can also witness the vibrant vitality of Kunxu Layer 1...”

Huang Zichou quickly complied, knowing that the great gods of various ministries and the immortals in the Heavenly Court loved to see these immortal cultivation juniors below striving fiercely and bravely climbing the path to immortality.

With the end of the Gluttony Contest, the rankings were finally set. Many students, without even taking a good look at the rankings, had already rushed towards the restrooms.

Ye Lingxiao, however, stood firmly in place. He looked at his second place, and Yun Jing, who was in first place, and a cold gleam seemed to flash in his eyes. As if sensing Ye Lingxiao's hostility, Yun Jing smiled at him and said, “You won the last round; I'm just winning this one back. The perfect bloodline of the Ye clan doesn't seem so perfect, does it? At least in terms of eating, it appears inferior to my Cauldron-style digestive system.”

Ye Lingxiao did not reply, but the intense desire to win in his eyes said it all: he absolutely had to win the third round back. Ye Lingxiao thought to himself, “Before, because of my family, the company, stock prices, advertisements... I could never have a decisive match with Yun Jing. But now, in this Foundation Establishment exam, I can finally go all out against him.”

Dai Xingzhi looked at his 7th place ranking, revealing a satisfied smile, thinking that he probably wouldn't be eliminated from today's Foundation Establishment exam. He then glanced at Meng Tao, who possessed a Gluttony Spirit Root and had fallen to 10th place, and Zhang Yu, who had surged to 14th place, and a hint of doubt arose in his mind.

“This foreigner, number 55... he should be very rich, right? But why is he 14th this time?” Dai Xingzhi thought to himself, “Is he doing it on purpose again?” He recalled Zhang Yu's performance in the competition and shook his head slightly, “Doesn't seem like it. And his digestive system doesn't seem to have anything special about it.” Dai Xingzhi looked at Zhang Yu curiously, “Could it be that this guy's strength isn't actually as strong as I previously imagined?”

And clearly, Dai Xingzhi wasn't the only one thinking this on the scene; many students looked at Zhang Yu with a hint of doubt.

Huang Zichou commented, “It's still Ye Lingxiao and Yun Jing far ahead. The other top-ranked students are all from Xiandu. It seems the four Foundation Establishment certificates this time will once again be swept by people from Xiandu. As for those three from Songyang...”

Looking at Zhang Yu in 14th place, Yu Xinghan in 16th, and Bai Zhenzhen in 20th, Huang Zichou sighed, “They have great potential. In next year's Foundation Establishment exam, they might just have a chance to get a certificate.” But at the same time, the righteous gods, including Huang Zichou and Deng Bingding, were secretly wondering what was going on in Songyang to suddenly produce three students with the potential to pass the Foundation Establishment exam. “But what does it have to do with me?” Huang Zichou thought to himself, “I'm just in charge of their Foundation Establishment exam.”

After a period of rest, the third and final exam of the day officially began.

Deng Bingding announced loudly, “The martial arts exam tests an individual’s mastery and understanding of martial arts techniques. One's martial cultivation isn't solely demonstrated through combat; the process of learning cultivation methods reveals it just as much...”

Huang Zichou secretly curled his lips, “It's all just to save on the budget. The Heavenly Court and the Eight Righteous Gods have pity on the lower realm candidates, and in past Foundation Establishment exams on Kunxu Layer 1, the combat assessments always covered medical expenses. The great gods just move their lips and declare medical expenses covered with a single sentence. And then we down here have to scramble to make up the deficit? If we don't eliminate more, and let so many students engage in combat so early, causing them to be battered and bloody, then who knows how much money that would cost.”

Deng Bingding clapped his hands, and a light screen appeared before each student. “For this martial arts exam, you will choose a cultivation method yourselves and comprehend and cultivate it over the next two hours. These cultivation methods are categorized by difficulty, with one star being the easiest and ten stars being the most difficult. The higher the difficulty of the cultivation method you successfully master, the higher your score will naturally be. However, if the chosen cultivation method cannot be mastered, then you will receive 0 points for this round. Furthermore, the reward cultivation method for today's exam will be the method you choose. If you don't make it into the top 20 in total score and are eliminated... then you will also need to pay for the cultivation method yourselves.”