Chapter 372: Seven Absolutes Transformation, Fierce Competition
Zhang Yu followed Shi Huaiyu and the others into the arena, where a vast plaza stretched before them.
The competition was divided into two sections: Architecture and Civil Engineering, each held in separate arenas. Zhang Yu had arrived at the Civil Engineering arena.
Students from all grades of the Civil Engineering Department had gathered here, standing in small groups, waiting for the competition to officially begin.
Almost none of the participants in this arena were from poor backgrounds; they were all academic overachievers and elites from every grade level.
Rankings such as Top 50, Top 30, and Top 10 in the All-Attribute Department Ranking floated in the air.
Bionics of various vibrant colors shimmered under the arena lights.
If the dense Foundation Establishment Domains weren’t being suppressed, they would likely be constantly flickering, filling the entire Bionic Eye’s field of vision.
Projections from the Spirit Realm filled the arena: teams gathering, advertisements flashing, random displays, and personalized special effects… The sight made Zhang Yu’s head spin.
This was the first time Zhang Yu had seen so many Civil Engineering elites gathered in one place.
He couldn’t help but exclaim, “There are so many participants in the competition!”
Shi Huaiyu replied, “Of course. After all, it boosts your Comprehensive Points.”
“The higher one’s ranking in the competition and the more Comprehensive Points earned, the greater the impact on the Overall Department Ranking.”
“Ordinary students might not care about this, but every academic overachiever from each grade level will inevitably participate.”
Shi Huaiyu sighed. “The academic overachievers and top students from the 8th, 9th, and 10th grades alone could form six or seven teams, practically monopolizing the top spots.”
Zhang Yu nodded slightly. Not all upperclassmen possessed overwhelming strength; after all, Che Yufei was still in the 7th grade.
Shi Huaiyu continued, “With the academic overachievers from the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th grades leading the charge and recruiting members, they can form another five or six teams, all vying for the top ten slots.”
“We stand no chance against the upperclassmen’s teams.”
“Our real opponents are the middle-grade teams. We need to snatch a top ten spot from their grasp.”
As Shi Huaiyu spoke, her tone grew serious. “Moreover, this year’s competition is likely to be even fiercer.”
The others nodded in agreement. As students in the Civil Engineering Department, they had gradually sensed the escalating tensions in recent months. The conflict between the War Faction and the Peace Faction was becoming increasingly public.
And this competition had clearly become the perfect arena for the two factions to clash.
Shi Huaiyu noticed staff members already broadcasting live from around the arena. She thought to herself, “This year’s Civil Engineering Competition results will directly impact the momentum of both factions, the stock prices of their backing companies, and the future choices of the Neutral Faction.”
“After all… if we, the War Faction, secure more top three and top ten spots, we’ll inevitably gain greater influence, win over more Neutral Faction support within the Civil Engineering Department, and ultimately gain the upper hand.”
“The same holds true for the Peace Faction.”
As she gazed at the elite students gathered in the square, their Overall Department Rankings displayed above their heads — Che Yufei, Shi Yunxiang, Tian Yang, Xiao Qingxuan, and the others — she felt a heavy weight of pressure settle upon her.
Just then, Shi Huaiyu’s footsteps gradually slowed to a halt. She looked at the figure before her and said, “Su Yanyang…”
The young man Shi Huaiyu addressed as Su Yanyang smiled faintly. His pupils seemed to burn with an eternal flame, and a radiant, pulsating light flickered on his chest, like a beating heart of pure energy.
Su Yanyang regarded Shi Huaiyu and said, “I didn’t expect you to continue competing, Huaiyu.”
“But to align yourself with such a group of weaklings…”
Su Yanyang’s gaze swept over Che Yufei, Shi Yunxiang, Zhang Yu, and the others, lingering briefly on Xiao Qingxuan before he subtly took a few steps back. “Your chances of winning aren’t high with this approach,” he continued.
“Without those comprehensive points, are you sure you’ll be fine if you don’t get first place in your class?”
“For old times’ sake, I’ll give you another chance. Spend some Spirit Coins to rejoin the team as a substitute. You can still earn some comprehensive points and maybe even compete for first place in the class.”
Shi Huaiyu curled her lip and retorted coldly, “I don’t need your concern. You should worry about yourself. Don’t forget to pay up when you lose the lawsuit.”
Su Yanyang shook his head, sighing. “The path of Immortal Cultivation forbids acting on impulse. That’s why you failed in the stock market back then.”
“And now you’re still being so irrational with your competition team.”
“I predict you’ll go bankrupt again…”
Watching Su Yanyang’s retreating figure, Che Yufei asked curiously, “Was he on your previous competition team?”
Shi Huaiyu spat out angrily, “That bastard wrecked my kidney and still refuses to pay compensation!”
“But…” Shi Huaiyu exhaled. “We’d better avoid him until we make it into the top ten. He’s incredibly strong.”
Zhang Yu’s gaze swept over Su Yanyang’s head, where the All-Attribute Department’s 29th-place ranking floated. This was clearly a significant improvement over Shi Huaiyu’s 38th-place ranking.
As all the competitors gathered, the Civil Engineering Competition officially began.
A handsome, youthful-looking man stood on the stage, addressing the assembled students below. “It’s time again for the annual Civil Engineering Competition…”
Staring at the name floating above the young man’s head, Zhang Yu murmured to himself, “Department Head of the Civil Engineering Department… True Monarch Sacred Mountain?”
Zhang Yu had heard Tu Lishan mention this Old Director before, knowing him to be the true head of the Civil Engineering Department.
But Tu Lishan had also mentioned that the Old Director’s lifespan was nearing its end, that he was on the verge of dying of old age.
Yet the True Monarch Sacred Mountain standing on the stage radiated youthful vitality, showing no signs of approaching death.
At that moment, the True Monarch Sacred Mountain announced from the stage, “To adapt to the changing times, the school has decided to raise the stakes for this year’s Civil Engineering Competition by increasing the rewards.”
“The top seven teams in this competition will each receive two slots, each granting access to one of the Seven Absolutes of Civil Engineering cultivation arts. The allocation of these slots will be determined internally by each team.”
Upon hearing this announcement, the students below froze for a moment before erupting into excited chatter.
Zhang Yu exclaimed in surprise, “The Seven Absolutes of Civil Engineering? If the top seven teams each select two members, that means fourteen students will be granted the Seven Absolutes?”
He thought to himself, “Compared to the previous system where only the top student in each class could receive one of the Seven Absolutes, this is a massive expansion.”
Soon, Zhang Yu realized he wasn’t the only one thinking this.
“If they do this every year from now on, won’t many people end up mastering the Seven Absolutes, or even the Minor Threefold Combination?”
“And who knows, maybe even the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power will become more widely accessible.”
Fu Ji commented, “The cultivation arts have suddenly gone from being tightly restricted to being freely available. Could this be preparation for a potential University War? Heh, this is the opportunity of your generation, making it much easier for you to master the Seven Absolutes compared to previous students.”
“War truly is the ladder of progress. They’re giving you more opportunities even before the fighting has truly begun.”
Zhang Yu asked, “Does this mean the War Faction has gained the upper hand in the Civil Engineering Department?”
Fu Ji replied, “Not necessarily. The Peace Faction simply opposes the Ten Greats entering the war. That doesn’t mean they don’t want to master greater power.”
“Actually, if we consider the Civil Engineering Department’s own interests, I think both the pro-war and pro-peace factions would want to make the Seven Absolutes of Civil Engineering accessible to more students. That’s the only way to earn more money, after all.”
“Every department in the university operates the same way. They naturally want to expand continuously, acquire more resources, attract more students, and cultivate more powerful individuals.”
“Therefore, the past restrictions on the Seven Absolutes and their current relaxation must stem from the will of higher authorities, rather than being solely determined by the Civil Engineering Department itself.”
“Perhaps it’s the Architecture and Civil Engineering Faculty above the department? Or the leadership of Myriad Laws University? Or even the influence of the Myriad Laws Sect?”
“In any case, the sudden change in policy… We’re too low-ranking and lack access to information channels to delve into the reasons behind it.”
“But the consequences are clear: the Civil Engineering Competition will become even more fiercely contested. I’ve already seen several people arranging loans and ordering magical artifacts and Bionics to be delivered.”
Zhang Yu nodded in understanding. Whether pro-war or pro-peace, both factions would undoubtedly want more of their students to master the Seven Absolutes of Civil Engineering, and even the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power.
Moments later, the first elimination round began.
The plaza before them transformed, revealing a complex array of distorted and shifting gravitational fields.
Gravitational forces of varying directions and intensities formed a series of treacherous obstacles.
The elimination round’s objective was simple: students had to traverse the thousand-meter-wide gravitational field and record their completion times.
The completion times of each team’s members were summed to determine the team’s total time.
Based on these total times, the top twenty teams would advance to the next round, the 20-to-10 matches, while the remaining teams would be eliminated.
True Monarch Sacred Mountain remarked calmly, “In the Finance Department, the more wealth you accumulate, the easier it is to cultivate. For us in Civil Engineering… the stronger your physical body, the easier it is to cultivate.”
“This first elimination round is designed to weed out students with weak physical bodies.”
As the round began, students surged into the gravitational field, sprinting toward the finish line a thousand meters away.
Yet, students who had been moving at lightning speed, generating thunderous momentum just moments before, found their velocity plummeting upon entering the field. Their bodies staggered and swayed under the fluctuating gravitational forces.
As the students struggled through the gravity field, Zhang Yu sensed a subtle shift in the surrounding gravitational forces.
In the next instant, several figures shot across the field like black lightning, traversing the entire distance in the blink of an eye.
Zhang Yu’s eyes flickered. “It’s Mo Shangjin.”
He vividly remembered this senior who wielded the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power.
Mo Shangjin activated the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power, instantly carrying his five teammates across the thousand-meter gravity field.
“Impressive,” Zhang Yu thought.
Just as he was marveling at this feat, he sensed another subtle shift in the gravitational forces. Again, several figures crackled through the field, their passage marked by sonic booms.
“Is that the other Tenth-Year student who has mastered the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power?”
Zhang Yu was slightly taken aback. “So they’re not on the same team as Mo Shangjin?”
Fu Ji chuckled. “Most likely, one belongs to the War Faction and the other to the Peace Faction. This is just internal strife. They’d rather weaken their own team than cooperate with the other side.”
Zhang Yu shook his head. Mo Shangjin and the other Tenth-Year student’s teams were too far away for him to worry about. His immediate priority was finding a way to quickly traverse the gravity field himself.