Chapter 314: Zhang Yu VS Gongshu Jin

The 450th floor of Ten Thousand Laws University City.

As Zhang Yu emerged from the magnetic channel, he was greeted by a floor that was a full 50 meters high. Within this vast space were buildings over ten stories tall, crooked low-rise houses, chaotic narrow alleys, and collapsed ruins.

“It looks just like a battlefield,” he thought.

The scene before him felt somewhat familiar. Suddenly, he realized it resembled the wild factory ruins he had visited previously. At the same time, information about the examination venue appeared in Zhang Yu’s eye-bone display.

“As expected, it’s a complex terrain simulating an urban battlefield, designed for various training exercises,” he mused. “This place must be used mostly by departments like Security, which are more concerned with combat, right? But why is our Civil Engineering department also having exams here? Is it due to the impact of the University Wars?”

Following the guidance in his eye-bone display towards the target location, Zhang Yu’s gaze swept over the surrounding buildings and ruins. With his current engineering experience, a closer look revealed that the quality of the buildings in this simulated battlefield was quite poor.

“The construction company for this examination venue must have made a hefty profit,” he thought.

Just then, a message flashed in Zhang Yu’s eye-bone display.

Yu Xinghan: We’re pooling for medicine. Do you want some?Zhang Yu: Yes, but do you have anything with more kick?

After three months of good food and drink at the outdoor construction site, Zhang Yu found he no longer enjoyed the standard pooled medicines upon his return. He had never found simple nutrient solutions, physical recovery agents, or spiritual power recovery agents so bland and tasteless.

Yu Xinghan: Want it enhanced? Illusion-flavor mushroom powder? Neurotransmitters? Or mood modulators? Anyway, whatever flavor you want, just pay extra.

Looking at the flavor options offered by Kunxu Pharmacy, Zhang Yu sighed, yet felt that paying extra seemed quite reasonable.

Zhang Yu: Never mind, I'll stick with the original flavor.

After ordering his post-exam dose of medicine, Zhang Yu followed the arrow in his eye-bone display to a crossroads. There, he found Gongshu Jin already waiting.

Upon seeing Zhang Yu, Gongshu Jin gave a slight nod, then said no more. He immersed himself completely, sensing the power within his body and continuously adjusting his state to peak performance.

“First place in class this semester… will be mine,” Gongshu Jin thought to himself.

Meanwhile, through the examination venue’s surveillance, Tu Lishan was also observing the test.

Tu Lishan mused, “Unlike the pure physical training of the Qi Refining stage, once one enters the Foundation Establishment stage, the physical body and spiritual power gradually merge, acquiring various immortal characteristics. Body refinement at this point is essentially inseparable from the support of spiritual power.”

“At this stage, evaluating purely physical strength in body refinement exams becomes increasingly meaningless. Instead, the focus is on how much raw power the physical body can unleash when augmented by spiritual power and enhanced by cultivation techniques.”

“As long as they’re not casting spiritual spells on themselves, all other cultivation techniques that enhance the body or unleash physical strength can be used freely. As for the Dharma Skeleton, it’s even more an integral part of the human body.”

Considering this, Tu Lishan felt that the gap between Zhang Yu and Gongshu Jin would likely widen significantly in the upcoming exam.

Just then, Tu Lishan saw a message from Director Gao in his eye-bone display: “Lishan, are you also here to watch Gongshu Jin’s exam?”

Tu Lishan immediately replied: Yes, Director. I’m also quite curious if Gongshu Jin can surpass Ji Yuanxu after these three months of training.

As Tu Lishan and Director Gao exchanged messages, the first stage of the exam officially began. A countdown appeared.

Zhang Yu took out a few standard pills and swallowed them.

Gongshu Jin, on the other hand, pulled out three syringes and plunged them into his neck. He felt his internal organs throbbing violently, his blood becoming as thick as jam, his heart expanding to twice its normal size, and his meridians subtly vibrating from the impact of surging spiritual power.

Gongshu Jin smiled faintly, feeling all of this: “Excellent, I have reached peak condition.”

If it had been the younger, less experienced Zhang Yu, he would have simply cursed the other party for not training naturally. But the current Zhang Yu looked at the syringes discarded on the ground, observed the leftover liquid within them, and wondered if he could pick them up and use a second-hand injection.

Fu Ji reminded him: “Have you forgotten the university exam rules? You are not allowed to borrow others’ items during the exam; otherwise, it’s considered stealing another’s immortal potential and is cheating.”

Zhang Yu inwardly cursed: “Damn Kunxu… each level is weirder than the last.”

As the countdown ended, with a soft *thump*, Zhang Yu and Gongshu Jin almost simultaneously vanished from their spots. Sharp air-splitting roars continuously echoed.

The two of them, one following the other, generated waves of air as they shot forth along the routes marked in their eye-bone displays. They executed high-speed turns and rapid sprints repeatedly through the complex alleys and streets before them.

Spiritual power surged through their meridians, and vital energy roared through their muscles. As both continuously unleashed the power within them, Zhang Yu and Gongshu Jin’s speeds grew faster and faster, their figures becoming increasingly blurred.

In Gongshu Jin’s eye-bone display, the condition of various body parts appeared, detailing his current state:Body temperature: 115°Spiritual power activation: 30Full muscular strength activation: 80%Currently running: Whale Swallowing Meditation Art, Level 15; Blood Boiling Body Burning Art, Level 14; Thousand Mile Flying Sword Step, Level 12.Currently active core technique: Azure Dragon Leaping Heaven Heart Art, Level 15.

His gaze swept over the lines of data, feeling the medicine’s potency dispersing throughout his body. Gongshu Jin felt that his current state couldn’t be any better.

“A body temperature of 115° is just right. It’s the optimal balance between heat dissipation and bodily function after activating the Blood Boiling Body Burning Art, where spiritual power and vital energy merge. It’s also the best operating temperature for the medicine.”

However, with a slight glance, Gongshu Jin noticed Zhang Yu steadily trailing behind him.

“He’s really pushing himself,” he thought. “But I’m not even at full power yet…”

The next moment, as Gongshu Jin’s thoughts stirred, the vertebrae in his spine vibrated section by section, emitting a rumbling sound. The Vajra Profound Creation’s spinal Dharma Skeleton could assist its user in performing cultivation techniques through external nerves and meridians. However, at any given time, this spinal Dharma Skeleton could only store and call upon one cultivation technique.

To achieve a good score in the first stage, the speed stage, and to unleash even higher speeds, he had specifically adjusted the cultivation technique stored in his spinal Dharma Skeleton. He had swapped the Level 20 body refinement technique, originally used for cultivation, for one specifically designed to enhance physical displacement ability.

Thousand Mile Flying Sword Step — Level 20 acceleration!

The mobilization of physical and spiritual power increased again!

The next moment… *Boom!* With an explosive sound, Gongshu Jin’s figure seemed to vanish instantly. If, at that moment, someone had heard the continuous air explosions and then looked up, they would no longer see his figure at the point where the air current burst. This was because, under continuous acceleration, he had already surpassed the speed of sound, sprinting ahead of the sonic boom.

At such terrifying speed, Gongshu Jin darted like a bolt of lightning through the urban simulated examination venue, rapidly widening the distance between himself and Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu, who was operating his Sports Car Legs and Battle Demon Longevity Art, watched this scene with a hint of helplessness.

“Tch… all that cultivation is built on money. How can it be as solid as my own cultivation, earned through blood, sweat, and hard practice?”

Although he thought this, Zhang Yu also knew it would be difficult for him to surpass Gongshu Jin in this stage. Ever since arriving on the second floor, he had seized every available moment to practice cultivation techniques. First, it was to advance his University Sacred Body, and then his Civil Engineering Sacred Body. In this incredibly tight cultivation schedule, he never had the opportunity to practice a Foundation Establishment stage technique specifically designed to increase his speed.

Cultivating speed-type techniques was, arguably, his weakness. If it had been a physical education exam during the Qi Refining stage, driven by pure physical strength, it wouldn’t have mattered. However, upon reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, as physical strength increases, the integration of the physical body and spiritual power becomes the trend. The enhancing effect of spiritual power on the body, and the immortal characteristics contained within the body—these were all important assessment criteria for body refinement scores, making speed-type techniques very crucial.

Furthermore, he had another significant disadvantage in this area: his heavily reinforced bones, which now felt quite weighty. Such an increase in weight would inevitably impede his speed.

Fortunately, the complex terrain of the examination venue prevented pure speed advantage from being fully demonstrated. Moreover, the periodically detonating devices and incoming special spiritual attacks like saber qi and sword qi also hindered Gongshu Jin’s speed. Zhang Yu, in contrast, with the effects of his Three-Eyed Divine Ability and Temporal Remnant Demonic Eye, could calmly dodge various attacks. If he couldn't dodge, he would simply push through with his robust physique.

With a loud crash, Gongshu Jin landed on the finish line. He let out a long breath, and waves of heat dispersed in all directions. Then, the spiritual power within his body transformed into a special ice-attribute spiritual power, continuously cooling him down. But not long after Gongshu Jin reached the finish line, amidst a series of explosive thumps, Zhang Yu also crossed the finish line in his eye-bone display.

Gongshu Jin turned and looked at Zhang Yu with a hint of surprise. It was then that Gongshu Jin truly took in Zhang Yu’s condition, noticing with some astonishment that, despite his white hair, his cheeks were ruddy and lustrous, and his eyes were firm and spirited, a stark contrast to his weakened appearance of a week ago.

“This guy’s speed… isn’t bad,” he mused.

Having made his assessment, Gongshu Jin hurried to the final examination area.

“My performance in the speed stage was quite good. Now, as long as I perform well in the strength stage, I will definitely surpass Ji Yuanxu…”

Observing the two students’ performances in the examination venue, Gongshu Jin’s excellence did not exceed Tu Lishan’s expectations. Especially Gongshu Jin’s advantage in spirit coins, which made Tu Lishan marvel at his truly astonishing talent and seemingly endless immortal potential.

Zhang Yu’s condition, however, stirred something in Tu Lishan’s mind. He thought: “Zhang Yu’s physical functions have recovered remarkably well. It seems, just as he said, his physique has unique aspects, and his recovery ability is also excellent.”

“But it’s also related to this venue, which amplifies the importance of reaction, agility, perception, and variable speed, while diminishing the advantage of pure displacement speed.”

Thinking this, Tu Lishan couldn’t help but ask: “Director, is holding the Civil Engineering department’s final exam here also adapting to future circumstances? Is it really… that severe?”

Director Gao replied calmly: “The scale of the University Wars has been escalating. Even our Top Ten… will eventually have their day of participation. It’s just that some incompetent individuals in the school still foolishly imagine that times will never change, and they can keep earning money by doing nothing, just like before.”

“Alright, let’s not dwell on that. Let’s see how Gongshu Jin performs in this final test.”