Chapter 313: Zhang Yu vs. Gongshu Jin
Myriad Laws University City, 450th floor.
When Zhang Yu emerged from the Primordial Magnetic Channel, he was immediately greeted by a cavernous space — a floor soaring fifty meters high. Within this vast chamber sprawled a labyrinth of structures: multi-story buildings leaning precariously, squat shacks askew, tangled narrow alleys, and collapsed ruins.
“It looks like a battlefield,” he mused.
The scene felt strangely familiar. Suddenly, he realized it resembled the abandoned factory ruins he had explored earlier.
At the same moment, information about the examination field appeared in his Bionic Eye’s display.
“Just as I suspected — a complex terrain simulating an urban battlefield, designed for various training exercises.”
Zhang Yu mused, “This area is probably used more frequently by departments like Security, which focus on combat training.”
“But why is the Civil Engineering Department holding an exam here…? Is it due to the impact of the University War?”
Following the Bionic Eye’s navigation prompts toward his destination, Zhang Yu’s gaze swept over the surrounding buildings and ruins.
Drawing on his recent construction experience, Zhang Yu could tell that the buildings in the Simulation Battlefield were poorly constructed.
“The contractors for this Examination Field must have made a fortune.”
Just then, a message flashed across Zhang Yu’s Bionic Eye:
Yu Xinghan: “We’re getting custom-blended medicinal elixirs. Want one?”
Zhang Yu: “Yeah, but something stronger?”
After three months of gourmet meals and potent drinks at the wilderness construction site, Zhang Yu found he couldn’t stomach ordinary enhanced medicine anymore. He had never realized how bland and tasteless those simple nutrient supplements, stamina restoratives, and Magic Power replenishers were.
Yu Xinghan: Want extra ingredients? Illusory Flavor Mushroom Powder? Neurotransmitters? Mood Modulators? Whatever flavor you want, just pay extra.
Looking at Kunxu Pharmacy’s flavor options, Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, yet he couldn’t deny the logic of paying extra for customization.
Zhang Yu: “Never mind, I’ll stick with the original flavor.”
After ordering his post-exam elixir, Zhang Yu followed the arrow in his Bionic Eye to a crossroads.
There he found Gongshu Jin already waiting.
Upon seeing Zhang Yu, Gongshu Jin nodded slightly and said nothing more. He immersed himself completely in his own world, sensing the power within his body and constantly adjusting his state to its peak.
“The top student of the first semester… that will be me,” Gongshu Jin thought to himself.
Meanwhile, through the Examination Field’s surveillance system, Tu Lishan was observing the examination.
“Unlike the pure physical strength of the Qi Refining Stage, after entering the Foundation Establishment Stage, the body and Magic Power gradually fuse into a single furnace, acquiring various characteristics of the Immortal Dao. Body refinement now relies heavily on the support of Magic Power,” Tu Lishan mused.
“At this point, assessing mere physical strength in the Body Refinement Exam is increasingly meaningless.”
“Instead, the focus should be on how much data the body can generate when enhanced by Magic Power and boosted by cultivation arts. That’s what truly matters.”
“As long as they don’t conjure daoist arts to boost themselves directly, any cultivation arts that enhance physical strength and unleash bursts of power are fair game.”
“As for Bionics, they’re simply another part of the human body.”
Thinking this, Tu Lishan realized the gap between Zhang Yu and Gongshu Jin would likely widen even further in the upcoming exam.
Just then, as Zhang Yu and Gongshu Jin arrived, lines of text appeared in their Bionic Eyes, outlining the rules of the exam.
As their teacher, Tu Lishan could naturally see the same information.
“The Body Refinement Exam consists of two trials: the Speed Trial and the Strength Trial, each testing the candidates’ body refinement level in different dimensions.”
“The first trial is the Speed Trial, to be conducted in this First Layer’s Simulation Battlefield. Candidates must navigate complex terrain at high speeds, dodging extreme heat, explosions, and attacks imbued with special Magic Power.”
Tu Lishan mused inwardly, “This is designed to test candidates’ comprehensive abilities — speed, reflexes, agility — under complex terrain conditions.”
Just then, a message from Director Gao appeared in Tu Lishan’s Bionic Eye: “Lishan, are you here to watch Gongshu Jin’s exam too?”
Tu Lishan immediately replied: “Yes, Director. I’m curious to see if Gongshu Jin can surpass Ji Yuanshu after three months of intensive training.”
While Tu Lishan and Director Gao exchanged messages, the first trial of the exam officially began.
As the countdown timer appeared, Zhang Yu swallowed several conventional pills.
Gongshu Jin, on the other hand, pulled out three syringes and viciously stabbed them into his neck. He felt his internal organs pulsing violently, his blood thickening to the consistency of jam, his heart swelling to twice its normal size, and his meridians vibrating intensely under the surging Magic Power.
Sensing all this, Gongshu Jin smiled faintly. “Excellent. I’ve reached my peak condition.”
If the younger, more naive Zhang Yu had witnessed this, he would have silently cursed Gongshu Jin’s unnatural body refinement methods.
But the Zhang Yu standing here now, watching Gongshu Jin discard the syringes and noting the residual fluid inside, wondered if he could salvage them for a second-hand injection.
Fu Ji reminded him, “Have you forgotten the University exam rules? Borrowing another candidate’s resources during the exam counts as stealing their Immortal Dao Potential, which is considered cheating.”
“Damn it, Kunxu…” Zhang Yu cursed inwardly. “Each layer is more abnormal than the last.”
3!
2!
1!
With the final countdown, Zhang Yu and Gongshu Jin vanished simultaneously with a soft pop.
Sharp sonic booms echoed continuously.
The two streaked forward in tandem, leaving trails of air currents in their wake. Following the routes marked in their Bionic Eyes, they darted through the complex network of alleys and streets, executing high-speed turns and explosive sprints with relentless momentum.
Magic Power surged through his meridians, vital energy roared through his muscles, and as Zhang Yu and Gongshu Jin continuously unleashed their inner power, their speed increased exponentially, their figures blurring into streaks of motion.
Within Gongshu Jin’s Bionic Eye, detailed readouts of his body’s vital signs flickered:
Body Temperature: 115°C Magic Power Channeling: 30% Muscle Power Activation: 80%
Currently Executing: Whale Swallowing Profound Breath Technique (Level 15) Boiling Blood Burning Body Art (Level 14) Ten Thousand Mile Flying Sword Step (Level 12) Active Mental Cultivation Technique: Azure Dragon Leaping Heaven Heart Technique (Level 15)
His gaze swept across the cascading data streams, sensing the medicinal power dispersing through his body. Gongshu Jin felt himself operating at peak efficiency.
“115°C is just right — the optimal balance between heat dissipation and bodily function after activating the Boiling Blood Burning Body Art, where Magic Power and vital energy blend perfectly. It’s also the ideal temperature for the medicinal power to circulate effectively.”
A subtle glance revealed Zhang Yu relentlessly pursuing him from behind.
“He’s really pushing himself.”
“But I haven’t even gone all out yet…”
In the next instant, with a thought from Gongshu Jin, his spinal vertebrae vibrated rhythmically, emitting a thunderous rumble.
The Vajra Profound Creation Spinal Bionic could assist users in performing cultivation arts by connecting to their nerves and meridians.
However, this Spinal Bionic could only store and utilize one cultivation art at a time.
To achieve the fastest possible time in the first stage and unleash even greater speed, Gongshu Jin had deliberately adjusted the cultivation art stored within the Spinal Bionic. He switched from his usual Level 20 Body Refinement Technique to a specialized art designed to enhance bodily displacement.
Ten Thousand Mile Flying Sword Step — Level 20 Propulsion!
The mobilization of his physical strength and Magic Power surged anew!
In the next instant…
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, Gongshu Jin’s figure vanished as if by teleportation.
If anyone had looked up after hearing the series of sonic booms, they would have found the spot where the shockwave had exploded empty. He had already surpassed the speed of sound, sprinting ahead of the sonic boom.
At this terrifying speed, Gongshu Jin streaked through the city Simulation Battlefield like a bolt of lightning, rapidly widening the distance between himself and Zhang Yu.
Zhang Yu, who was channeling both his Sports Car Legs and the Battle Demon Life-Shattering Art, watched this unfold with a sense of helplessness.
“Tch… his cultivation is just bought with money. How can it compare to the solid foundation I’ve built through my own blood, sweat, and hard work?”
Though Zhang Yu thought this, he knew it would be nearly impossible to surpass Gongshu Jin in this trial.
Since arriving on the Second Layer, he had seized every opportunity to cultivate his techniques.
First, he focused on advancing his University Sacred Body, then on developing his Civil Engineering Sacred Body. Despite this relentless cultivation schedule, he never found time to practice a Foundation Establishment Stage technique to enhance his speed.
Speed-based cultivation arts were arguably his weakest area.
In the physical exams during the Qi Refining Stage, raw physical strength had been sufficient.
But upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, the trend shifted towards integrating physical strength with Magic Power.
The enhancement Magic Power provided to the body, the Immortal Dao characteristics inherent within the flesh — these became crucial criteria for body refinement assessments, making speed-based techniques essential.
Moreover, Zhang Yu faced a significant disadvantage: his reinforced bones had become considerably heavier.
This added weight inevitably hindered his agility.
Fortunately, the Examination Field’s complex terrain prevented Gongshu Jin from fully exploiting his raw speed advantage.
The periodically detonating devices and the onslaught of special Magic Power attacks like blade qi and sword qi also hampered Gongshu Jin’s progress.
In contrast, Zhang Yu, leveraging his Third Eye Mystic Power and the effects of his Time-Worn Demonic Eye, effortlessly evaded the various attacks. When evasion proved impossible, he relied on his robust physique to brute-force his way through.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, Gongshu Jin crossed the finish line.
He exhaled deeply, a scorching wave of heat radiating in all directions.
Then, he converted his Magic Power into a specialized ice-attribute Magic Power, rapidly cooling his body.
But shortly after Gongshu Jin reached the finish line, a series of explosive bangs announced Zhang Yu’s arrival at the finish line within the Bionic Eye.
Gongshu Jin turned to glance at Zhang Yu, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
It was only then that Gongshu Jin truly observed Zhang Yu’s condition. He was astonished to find that while Zhang Yu’s hair remained snow-white, his cheeks were now rosy and radiant, his eyes burned with resolute vigor, making him appear utterly transformed from the frail figure he’d seen just a week ago.
“This guy’s speed… isn’t half bad,” Gongshu Jin conceded inwardly.
Making this assessment, Gongshu Jin hurried toward the final Examination Field.
“My performance in the Speed Challenge was decent. If I can do well in the Strength Challenge too, I’ll definitely surpass Ji Yuanshu…”
Watching the performances of the two examinees in the Examination Field, Gongshu Jin’s excellence came as no surprise to Tu Lishan.
Particularly impressive was Gongshu Jin’s advantage in Spirit Coins, which left Tu Lishan marveling at his innate talent. The young man’s Immortal Dao Potential seemed to flow endlessly, like an inexhaustible spring.
Zhang Yu’s condition, however, stirred something within Tu Lishan’s heart. He thought to himself, “Zhang Yu’s physical recovery is remarkably strong. It seems his claims about his unique physique and rapid healing are indeed true.”
“But this field also plays a crucial role. It amplifies the importance of reaction time, agility, perception, and adaptability, while diminishing the advantage of pure movement speed.”
With these thoughts in mind, Tu Lishan couldn’t resist asking, “Director, is holding the Civil Engineering Department’s final exam here meant to prepare us for the future? Is the situation really… that dire?”
Director Gao replied calmly, “The scale of the University War continues to escalate. Even the Ten Greats… will inevitably be drawn into the conflict one day. Yet some short-sighted fools within the university still cling to the illusion that times will never change, that they can continue lying around and profiting as before.”
“Enough of this talk. Let’s see how Gongshu Jin performs in this final stage.”