Chapter 374: Throwing Zhang Yu Over
“After all, the number of Soul Cultivators is still increasing every year. They’re bound to become cheaper in the future.”
“If the University War breaks out, there will be an explosive surge in Soul Cultivators. Signing a permanent contract now would be a waste of money.”
“Besides, these Soul Cultivators work their hardest when they’re competing for temporary jobs.”
Su Yanyang was wealthy, but he was never generous.
He believed that the richer someone was, the more they should save.
“Wealth is like cultivation in the Immortal Dao. The higher your cultivation, the greater your daily consumption. Both wealth and power gradually radiate outward, flowing to the poor and diminishing over time.”
“Only by minimizing the loss of wealth and cultivation, preventing it from draining into the hands of the poor, can one advance further on the Immortal Dao.”
“Even Immortals who transcend the Three Debts and Five Insurances strive to become Flawless True Immortals. Who am I to squander money?”
Meanwhile, an increasingly violent gale rose outside the arena, swirling into a tornado-like vortex.
At the center of the vortex, Ji Yuanshu was enveloped in the storm, his body spinning faster and faster.
“The gravity field’s fluctuations are unpredictable. Trying to counter it with brute force would be a foolish strategy.”
“The most effective approach is to counter it with speed.”
“No matter how complex the gravity field’s variations, if I can traverse it at high speed within a short time frame, the force acting on me will be minimal, leaving it no opportunity to alter my trajectory.”
Bang!
Mach 1
Mach 2
Mach 3!
As Ji Yuanshu accelerated violently, his figure blurred into an indistinct streak, each movement unleashing thunderous booms.
“Almost there…”
Sensing his body had reached its maximum acceleration, Ji Yuanshu flashed forward, charging straight into the gravity field.
The Soul-Chasing Eye instantly locked onto the figure ahead, transmitting the information through the neural network to the Impermanent Wind low-altitude flight components in his legs.
With a slight adjustment to the surrounding storm, Ji Yuanshu shot past the crowd of students like a bolt of lightning, crossing the finish line.
One of the figures he overtook was none other than Zhang Yu.
“Zhang Yu, huh?”
Ji Yuanshu’s thoughts flickered briefly before he dismissed the matter.
“He’s not my real opponent.”
Although Zhang Yu moved quickly, surpassing many seniors, there were always others who were faster, overtaking him in turn.
He didn’t mind this. After all, many participants in this competition were wealthier, had trained longer, and naturally outpaced him.
Speed had never been his forte anyway.
“I’ll focus on improving my speed when I have more time. Right now, I’m too busy to worry about that.”
Reaching the finish line, he regrouped with Shi Huaiyu and the others. Together, they checked the time rankings.
Seeing their team had secured 15th place, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Che Yufei said, “We made it into the top 20! We’re through to the next round!”
At the same time, they understood that this ranking reflected their team’s average performance in speed and resistance to the gravitational field — around 15th place.
Shi Huaiyu thought to herself, “In terms of overall strength… we’re definitely weaker. But based on our recent training, we’re not lacking in construction and combat skills.”
“We still have a good chance of making it into the top ten.”
With the conclusion of this elimination round, the top 20 competition teams advanced, while the remaining competitors were eliminated and departed the arena.
Above the arena, Tu Lishan observed the data from the 20 remaining teams, thinking to himself, “40% Peace Faction, 30% War Faction, 30% Neutral Faction. We’re slightly behind in numbers.”
“But there’s nothing we can do about it. The Finance Department approved substantial loans for them.”
Tu Lishan knew that where money flowed, Qi Luck followed. With the Finance Department’s backing as a major financial patron, he wasn’t surprised by the current situation.
“But loans must eventually be repaid. While our slow-and-steady project development may yield slower profits, it’s ultimately more sustainable…”
Tu Lishan mused, “We’ll see how the numbers shift in the next round, when the top 20 are narrowed down to 10.”
“At least in terms of top-tier strength, we should have the advantage.”
Just then, Wei Huai, the geology teacher, displayed Zhang Yu and Ji Yuanshu’s scores, smiling. “Looks like hard work still can’t beat money.”
Tu Lishan replied calmly, “Ji Yuanshu borrowed so many Spirit Coins. Does he think he won’t have to repay them?”
Wei Huai said, “Who doesn’t take out loans when starting? As long as you develop quickly enough, the initial loans are just small change.”
Tu Lishan countered, “What if you don’t develop quickly enough? You’ll end up working for the loan platform, eventually leading yourself down a dead end.”
“Zhang Yu, on the other hand, has a strong physique. Pushing himself to the limit suits his path. As his income rises, he’ll only grow stronger. His future looks promising.”
Watching their heated exchange, Director Gao and Director Lin remained silent, as if they hadn’t heard a word.
But the other teachers knew that Tu Lishan and Wei Huai were merely proxies for Director Gao and Director Lin, respectively. While they appeared to be discussing two Second-Year students, they were actually debating the different paths chosen by their factions.
Just then, Old Director True Monarch Sacred Mountain chuckled and said, “Those with strong Immortal Dao Potential should take out loans, while those with weaker potential should push themselves to the limit. Under the governance of the Ten Great Sects, everyone cultivates Immortality. Every student stands on the immortal path. There are no dead ends here, Teacher Tu. You jest.”
Hearing True Monarch Sacred Mountain’s words, Tu Lishan and Wei Huai immediately ceased their argument.
True Monarch Sacred Mountain continued, “Spirit Coins and lifespan are both resources for the Immortal Dao. Use whichever you have more of.”
“Replenish lifespan with Spirit Coins, and earn Spirit Coins with lifespan. The two complement each other and should not be neglected. Teachers, do you agree?”
Tu Lishan and Wei Huai bowed in agreement.
Tu Lishan thought to himself, “That old fox! He’ll side with whoever offers him the most benefits, playing both factions against each other. Now he wants both money and longevity, and the Headmaster’s position too… Let’s see how long he can keep stuffing himself before he bursts.”
True Monarch Sacred Mountain continued, “Next is the second round of eliminations. The schedule has been drafted. Please review it and share any feedback.”
Tu Lishan examined the 20-to-10 match list and thought, “The matchups are almost entirely between students from the War Faction and the Peace Faction, with Neutral Faction students mixed in on both sides.”
“This elimination round will be a direct clash between the two factions’ students.”
He glanced unconsciously at Director Gao and Director Lin, thinking they must have secretly reached some agreement to arrange the matches this way.
On the arena floor below, Zhang Yu’s Bionic Eye displayed information about Yu Xinghan and the others.
He looked up and saw Ying Xin, Yu Xinghan, and Gongshu Jin standing in the stands, waving at him.
Besides them, reserve members from other teams were also in the stands.
During the first round of eliminations, reserve members weren’t required to participate, so they had watched the matches from the stands.
With the first round concluded, the reserve members were now rejoining their respective teams.
Yu Xinghan asked curiously, “How will the second round work?”
Shi Huaiyu replied, “To narrow down from 20 teams to 10, they’ll probably draw lots randomly, with two teams facing off in each match.”
Shortly after she spoke, the competition schedule appeared before them.
Looking at the match list, Zhang Yu noticed that each team’s battle location had been assigned to a different layer of the Simulation Battlefield.
His gaze sharpened as he saw that his team was scheduled to face Ma Xuan and Ji Yuanshu’s team.
“The second round of the elimination tournament will officially begin in 10 minutes. Please ensure your teams arrive at the designated venues on time.”
Meanwhile, Su Yanyang looked at Ma Xuan and said, “Oh? You’re facing Shi Huaiyu’s team?”
Ma Xuan smiled slightly. “Senior Brother, it seems I’ve been lucky. Securing a spot in the top ten should be quite straightforward now.”
Su Yanyang pondered for a moment. “You can completely dominate Shi Huaiyu.”
“Among the remaining five members, besides Xiao Qingxuan, the other three are washed-up veterans, and one is just a second-year student. None of them pose any real threat.”
Ma Xuan thought to himself, “Actually, that second-year student, Zhang Yu, might be a bit troublesome.”
However, he believed he had already thoroughly analyzed Zhang Yu and had plenty of countermeasures prepared, so he didn’t mention it aloud.
Curious, Ma Xuan asked, “I’ve heard rumors about Xiao Qingxuan. I usually avoid provoking him, but during the competition, we don’t have to worry about compensation, maintenance fees, or medical expenses. So what’s the problem?”
Su Yanyang considered for a moment. “I heard a story once, though I don’t know if it’s true or not.”
“The Golden Core True Person from ancient times who supposedly possessed Xiao Qingxuan wasn’t scared off by the debt. Instead, he disguised himself as Xiao Qingxuan.”
“As for the real Xiao Qingxuan… he’s already been sold.”
“Ah?” Ma Xuan exclaimed in surprise. “Is that true? But… if a Golden Core True Person possessed him, why is he only ranked 40th in the All-Attribute rankings as a Ninth-Year student? And how could he deceive the True Monarchs in the department? According to the Dao, illegal possession should result in the soul being punished and the physical body being seized, that’s the proper consequence.”
Su Yanyang said calmly, “I don’t know if this story is true or not. But consider this: with such a massive debt, how could Xiao Qingxuan possibly survive in Kunxu? Logically, every penny he earned would be immediately deducted, making it impossible for him to move an inch.”
Seeing Ma Xuan’s thoughtful expression, Su Yanyang said, “Good that you’re aware of the situation.”
“The key to this match isn’t just winning, but winning decisively. Don’t let Shi Huaiyu and Xiao Qingxuan exhaust you too much, or it will affect the later matches.”
“Now, hurry up and lead your team.”
Outside the one-square-kilometer Simulation Battlefield, Zhang Yu and Ji Yuanshu’s competition teams stood facing each other.
Compared to Shi Huaiyu’s team, who were brimming with fighting spirit, Ma Xuan’s group appeared remarkably calm. However, Cong Na and Ji Yuanshu couldn’t help but steal glances at Xiao Qingxuan.
Cong Na then turned her gaze to Zhang Yu, thinking to herself, “Ah, Zhang Yu would have been better off staying with our team. At least he could have earned some Comprehensive Points.”
As the competition rules were displayed before them, the participants entered the battlefield according to the instructions.
The teams then drew lots to determine the attack and defense order.
Shi Huaiyu glanced at the results and announced, “We’ll attack first.”
“Everyone, don’t be nervous. Just follow our training plan. We’ve got this.”
As the battle officially began, Shi Huaiyu’s six teammates charged toward the opposing team’s position in succession.
But the next moment, the earth trembled violently, and with a deafening roar, countless grains of sand and dust shot skyward.
Ma Xuan thrust his palm forward and said calmly, “Let’s eliminate four of them first.”
In the blink of an eye, the swirling sand and dust surged toward Zhang Yu and his group like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf them entirely.
Ma Xuan knew his opponents were weaker, but he wouldn’t underestimate them. Instead, he would exploit their disadvantage to eliminate them swiftly, leaving them no chance to retaliate.
But in the very next instant, a figure shot out like a cannonball, propelled by immense force. It tore through the swirling sand and dust like a meteor, hurtling toward them.
“That’s… Zhang Yu?”
Ma Xuan was momentarily stunned, but he quickly recovered, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Shi Huaiyu and the others… they’ve teamed up to launch Zhang Yu ahead?”