Chapter 347: This Child Possesses a Natural Civil Engineering Sacred Body
Having said his piece, Director Lin of the Peace Faction turned away, ending the exchange with Director Gao of the War Faction.
He glanced at the Examination Field in the distance, where countless strands of spiritual energy were converging toward Ji Yuanshu’s bunker beneath the ground.
With the Spirit Vein’s absolute support and the surging influx of spiritual energy, the formation’s operation had reached its peak.
Under the formation’s amplified power, a faint, shimmering glow emanated from the bunker’s exterior walls, as if a force field enveloped the entire structure.
Not only did the bunker radiate with a brilliant luster, but even after six waves of attacks, it remained pristine and untouched, standing like the sole sacred sanctuary amid the ruins of the Examination Field.
In stark contrast, because most of the spiritual energy was being drawn to Ji Yuanshu’s bunker, the formation within Zhang Yu’s bunker operated sluggishly, providing only a paper-thin layer of reinforcement to the structure.
After enduring six waves of attacks, Zhang Yu’s bunker, though structurally intact, was now marred with scorch marks, blast craters, and impact fractures. Its outermost layer had been almost completely peeled away.
Compared to Ji Yuanshu’s bunker, the difference in appearance was like that between a beggar and a corporate elite.
Anyone observing this scene would naturally assume that Ji Yuanshu’s bunker was far superior in construction quality and could withstand the upcoming assaults for much longer.
Gongshu Jin sighed inwardly, “As expected of the Finance Department, one of the three elite majors. While the Civil Engineering Department is still researching how to exert brute force, the Finance Department has already completely surpassed us in strategic thinking.”
“How can sweating and toiling on construction sites ever compare to managing resources on a global scale?”
On the other side, Ying Xin glanced at Ji Yuanshu’s bunker, then at Zhang Yu’s. “One side is a well-funded construction site with overtime pay; the other looks like a structure built with unpaid debts,” she thought. “The outcome is already decided.”
As these thoughts surfaced in the minds of the observers, the seventh wave of attacks descended upon the arena.
Blue thunderlight flickered through the air.
Even before the attack began, the free-floating electric charges in the atmosphere made the hairs on the Foundation Establishment Class students stand on end.
Students with heightened senses could feel powerful electromagnetic forces gathering above the ten-meter-high ceiling.
Gongshu Jin mused inwardly, “Is this the power of the Primordial Magnetic Channel being channeled here? As expected, each wave of attacks grows exponentially stronger, creating increasingly stark differences in student performance. This will allow for a more accurate differentiation of student abilities.”
“But it also means the gap between the top-tier students and the rest will widen even further. There won’t be any situation where someone scores a perfect 100 just because the total score is capped at 100.”
“With this wave of Thunder Magic, Zhang Yu’s bunker will likely be breached…”
As Gongshu Jin pondered, brilliant bolts of lightning, like colossal thunder pillars, crashed down upon the two remaining bunkers.
Amidst crackling explosions, blinding thunderlight instantly engulfed the entire structure, obscuring all within.
As the thunderlight gradually dissipated, the air reeked of scorching heat. The ground at the center of the Examination Field was charred black, and vast stretches of sand had melted into a viscous liquid under the extreme heat, now slowly cooling into a glassy substance.
Ji Yuanshu’s bunker remained standing tall amidst the lingering heat and steam, seemingly unscathed.
To everyone’s astonishment, Zhang Yu’s bunker, though its outer walls were blackened by burns, also stood firm, its primary structure intact.
Then, after the eighth wave of attacks concluded with a massive fiery explosion that then dissipated, a large section of the formation’s luminous glow on Ji Yuanshu’s bunker’s exterior had been extinguished.
At the formation’s weakest point, a massive crack had opened, faintly revealing the bunker’s interior.
In stark contrast, Zhang Yu’s bunker showed no further damage beyond its deepening charcoal-like burn marks.
“What?!” Gongshu Jin stared in disbelief at the scene. “How is this possible?”
The bunker with a perfectly functioning formation had been blasted open, leaving a gaping fissure.
Yet the bunker with the intermittently functioning formation remained completely unscathed?
It wasn’t just Gongshu Jin; nearly every student present struggled to comprehend what they were witnessing.
Director Lin of the Peace Faction was equally surprised. Unlike the students, who could only speculate, his Spirit Realm Projection flickered and instantly materialized inside Zhang Yu’s bunker.
“This is…”
His brow furrowed slightly as he examined the interior, noticing the extra steel-reinforced concrete pillars. A hypothesis began to form in his mind.
Without further observation, Director Lin waved his hand, summoning the bunker’s inspection reports for analysis.
Initially, based solely on observing the operation of the two formations, Director Lin had believed Ji Yuanshu had already secured victory.
But the current situation made him realize the matter was far more complex than he’d initially thought.
In the next moment, rows of data, photographs, video footage, and inspection evaluations for the bunker materialized before him.
Thirty layers of blast-resistant armor poured…
Seismic isolation layer installed between the foundation and bedrock to minimize the transmission of explosive vibrations…
Multiple layers of sand, gravel, and alloys to dissipate kinetic energy…
Dense reinforced concrete pillars forming a multi-layered parallel load-bearing system…
Viscous damping structures at critical nodes to absorb explosive energy and further mitigate structural damage…
Reading through the detailed records, even Director Lin was slightly taken aback. “So much redundancy?”
“In just three hours… his construction output more than doubled that of others.”
“This kid… he achieved all this through sheer civil engineering skill?”
Just then, Director Gao’s figure materialized beside Director Lin. Gazing at the incredibly robust bunker, he smiled faintly. “Director Lin, as you yourself said, every fortress that seems impregnable is ultimately breached from within.”
“The Finance Department may stir up trouble on the project, but in the Examination Field, only cold steel and concrete matter. Ultimately, it’s our Civil Engineering expertise that will prevail.”
Director Lin casually closed the data window floating before him and sneered, “Director Gao, don’t celebrate too soon.”
“Zhang Yu’s construction efficiency is impressive, but even the strongest steel and concrete have their limits. He’ll soon reach his fatigue threshold.”
“Qi Luck’s blessing, the momentum of fate, and the convergence of spiritual energy — these are the forces of heaven and earth, boundless and inexhaustible.”
His gaze seemed to pierce through layers of barriers, reaching Ji Yuanshu’s bunker on the other side.
There, under the continuous infusion of Spirit Vein energy, the formation’s weakened power was rapidly restoring itself, soon reaching its peak.
“The formation can be restored to its peak again and again. Can this bunker do the same?” Director Lin asked pointedly. “With money comes Qi Luck, and with Qi Luck come endless opportunities. Without it, no matter how advanced your technology or how strong your materials, how many defeats can you afford?”
Director Gao met his gaze unflinchingly, replying calmly, “No one can remain undefeated forever. All that matters is that I fight to the end in this battle.”
“Very well,” Director Lin retorted, his eyes locking onto his rival’s. “Then let’s see who’s left standing in the end.”
In that moment, their wills seemed to transcend multiple Spirit Realms, clashing and surging in the air between them.
Simultaneously, the ninth wave of attacks descended from the heavens.
Yin Lightning erupted in all directions, dark thunderlight sweeping across the battlefield.
Under the relentless assault of thunderlight, the formation protecting Ji Yuanshu’s bunker violently surged. Layer after layer of defense was shattered by the Yin Lightning, and cracks began to appear on the outer walls, indicating imminent collapse.
When the tenth and final wave struck — the most devastating of all — thunder dragons descended from the heavens, unleashing explosions, searing heat, and electromagnetic pulses that forced nearby students to retreat repeatedly.
Ji Yuanshu’s bunker trembled violently, gradually collapsing under the relentless bombardment of tsunami-like shockwaves.
By the time the assault ended, the once three-story bunker had been reduced to a single remaining level.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu’s bunker… apart from a partially collapsed section of one outer wall, its main structure remained completely intact.
Watching this unfold, Director Lin’s brow furrowed sharply. “Even doubling the reinforcement work wouldn’t achieve this. What else did he do?”
With a mental command, Zhang Yu’s construction records materialized before him.
Director Gao smiled faintly and instructed Tu Lishan, “Take the students to the site for a closer look. Let them learn something from this.”
Led by Tu Lishan, Gongshu Jin, Ying Xin, Li Xiao, Yu Xinghan, and the other students entered the Examination Field.
Stepping onto the still-scorching earth, they slowly approached Zhang Yu’s bunker.
Gongshu Jin, astonished by the sheer volume of redundant structures within the fortress, exclaimed, “He built all this in just three hours?”
Tu Lishan replied, “That’s what makes Student Zhang Yu so remarkable.”
“I brought you here today to show you his work and to make you truly understand the gap between your capabilities and his.”
As he spoke, Tu Lishan tapped his finger lightly, and a video materialized before the group.
For post-examination review, record-keeping, and oversight, every candidate’s entire examination process in the Examination Field was filmed and recorded.
The video now playing showed Zhang Yu’s construction process.
If the students had merely been mildly surprised by the sight of the Humanoid Gang Qi darting back and forth, working like an entire construction team, the next revelation from Tu Lishan struck them with a sense of awe.
Tu Lishan stated calmly, “Zhang Yu maintained this level of construction for a full three hours.”
Recalling the footage of Zhang Yu repeatedly consuming medicinal pills during construction, Tu Lishan couldn’t help but marvel inwardly, “Such medicinal absorption, such resilience, and a physique so robust it can be repeatedly pushed to its limits… truly a born Civil Engineering Sacred Body.”
His fleeting thoughts gave way to his explanation. “Of course, even with all that, he still couldn’t have withstood ten waves of attacks.”
“The key to his success lies in the Building Materials he used.”