Chapter 167: The Final Match, Martial Arts Exam

Chapter 167 The Final Round, Martial Arts Examination

On the opposite side of the testing hall.

As milky‑white sweat continuously seeped from Yuxinghan’s skin, each wave of heat from within evaporated it, leaving layer upon layer of pale marks upon his flesh.

In that very process, Yuxinghan gradually became aware of a growing discomfort within his body.

He knew that such a state of incomplete digestion could not be sustained for long.

If he kept forcing himself, the burden on his digestive system would mount, eventually turning back to wound the very organ that sustained him.

Yet, seeing that he could not widen the gap with Zhang Yu, Yuxinghan clenched his teeth tighter, swallowing and digesting with reckless frenzy, determined to preserve his rank.

“Damned body, rally for me!”

He slapped his own belly hard, a surge of defiant spirit flaring in his heart.

“I am the Golden Core disciple, the direct pupil chosen by Master Xinghuo. How could I lose to Zhang Yu…?”

Though he seemed to laugh and chat with many classmates, the status of a Golden Core disciple always left a trace of pride in Yuxinghan’s heart, a reminder that he was fundamentally different from the others.

Especially when facing Zhang Yu, the candidate he had once eliminated, to claim he felt no superiority… that was impossible.

He merely concealed that sense of superiority well, particularly when Zhang Yu handed him money.

But at this moment, as Yuxinghan gave his all in the exam and found himself unable to shake off Zhang Yu, that superiority turned into a thin thread of irritation.

“How could I possibly lose to him?”

“I have been cultivated by the Golden Core master, I even spent a fortune learning techniques from Zhang Yu…”

“How could I… lose to him?!”

Just as Yuxinghan prepared to battle Zhang Yu to the bitter end, a sudden, fierce pain in his viscera jolted him awake.

Feeling the internal ache, Yuxinghan’s mind suddenly recalled Master Xinghuo’s words.

“Xinghan, you follow me in refining the Celestial Martial Heart Technique, forging an invincible fighting spirit and boundless will—this is a blessing.”

“But the world has always been filled with those beyond you, heavens beyond heavens; who dares claim a life without defeat? Who can ever be truly invincible?”

“When you encounter those beyond man and beyond heaven, that endless will may betray you, causing defeat upon defeat.”

With a sigh, Master Xinghuo, his voice heavy with age, said, “Let go when it is time to let go.”

“Defeat is not terrifying.”

“As long as the money remains, countless chances will still exist.”

“I leave these words in your mind today, hoping they may serve you one day in the future.”

As Master Xinghuo’s words flashed through Yuxinghan’s head, the battlefield fervor that had filled his thoughts suddenly cooled, and he swiftly accepted a stark truth.

“Zhang Yu… truly surpasses me.”

“From this examination, at least in physical technique, he has already eclipsed me completely, leaving me with no means to retaliate.”

Though it was hard and unwilling, Yuxinghan knew the fact was a fact; he had to acknowledge it.

“If I keep forcing the fight, when my digestive system can no longer bear this overload, my eating speed will plummet, and I may not even hold the twentieth place.”

He exhaled a breath in his heart, realizing it was time to let go.

In the next instant, the milky sweat ceased to pour from his body, and his eating returned to normal.

Moments later, on the light screen, the column marked 55—Zhang Yu’s—surpassed Yuxinghan, climbing to the fifteenth position.

Seeing this, Yuxinghan let out another deep sigh, repeatedly telling himself it was all right.

“Losing is fine; as long as the money remains, there will be a chance to catch up.”

Watching Yuxinghan’s surrender, Huang Zichou praised, “I didn’t expect this Golden Core disciple to let go in time; he’s managed to preserve his current rank.”

Another minor deity sighed, “Charging upward with all your might is simple.”

“But knowing when to slow down, recognizing your own weight in the spotlight, knowing which debts you cannot incur, which contracts you must not sign—that is the hard part.”

Observing this, Deng Bingding thought inwardly, “It seems that after that little fire spirit fell to the first layer, he not only reflected deeply but also trained his disciple well.”

“Alas, the person improved, but the money is gone—what use is that?”

At that moment, as the contest neared its end, Huang Zichou said, “Lord Deng, this round of the Gluttony Clash proceeds smoothly; the contestants each display their divine talents, showing how the cultivation education of Kunxu’s first floor flourishes.”

Another minor deity, while recording the scene for a report, praised, “I recall the earliest Foundation‑building exams—students only had to test raw physical strength.”

“Later came refined tests of power, speed, and myriad techniques.”

“Look at it now.”

The gods watched the students: some wreathed in smoke, some bellies swollen larger than a person, some sprinting to restroom each minute, some beating themselves to thunderous cracks, some bodies trembling like blenders, some vomiting only to shove the expelled matter back into their mouths… Deng Bingding smiled and nodded, “Each generation outstrips the last; the Way of Immortals thrives, blessings to the world.”

Huang Zichou hurried, “All thanks to the Heavenly Court’s guidance and the diligent deities of each department, like Lord Deng, who cares for the masses.”

Deng Bingding smiled faintly, “Capture these arena athletes well, select a few, and submit them so the higher officials can see the vibrant life of Kunxu’s first floor…”

Huang Zichou obeyed at once; he knew the great deities of each department and the celestial beings of the Heavenly Court most cherished seeing these younger cultivators strive and ascend the Path.

With the Gluttony Clash concluded, the rankings finally solidified.

Many students, too hurried to check the standings, rushed toward the restrooms.

Ye Lingxiao, however, stood firm, eyes flickering coldly as he surveyed his second place and the first‑place cloud‑scenery.

Sensing Ye Lingxiao’s hostility, Cloud‑Scenery smiled, “You won the last round; this time I simply win back.”

“The perfect bloodline of the Ye clan isn’t so perfect after all, is it? At least in consumption, it seems inferior to my alchemical furnace digestion.”

Ye Lingxiao gave no reply, but the fierce desire for victory blazing in his eyes said everything—he would win the third round.

In his heart he thought, “Before, because of the clan, the corporation, the stock price, the advertisements… I could never settle scores with Cloud‑Scenery.”

“Now, on this Foundation‑building arena, I finally can clash with him head‑on.”

Dai Xingzhi glanced at his seventh‑place standing, a faint smile of satisfaction crossing his face, thinking the exam would spare him from elimination today.

Then he cast a glance at the tenth‑place Meng Tao, who bore the Gluttony spirit root, and the fourteenth‑place Zhang Yu, a ripple of doubt stirring within him.

“Number 55, that outsider… must be wealthy, yet he lands only fourteenth?”

Dai Xingzhi mused inwardly, “Deliberate, perhaps?”

Recalling Zhang Yu’s performance, he shook his head, “Doesn’t seem so.”

“And his digestive system shows nothing extraordinary.”

Curious, Dai Xingzhi asked Zhang Yu, “Could it be that his strength isn’t as formidable as I once imagined?”

It was clear the sentiment was not unique to Dai Xingzhi; many students cast puzzled glances toward Zhang Yu.

Huang Zichou evaluated, “It’s still Ye Lingxiao and Cloud‑Scenery who blaze ahead alone.”

“The other top ranks are all students from Immortal Capital.”

“This batch’s four Foundation certificates look destined to be swept by Immortal Capital again.”

“As for those three Songyang folk…”

Looking at fourteenth‑place Zhang Yu, sixteenth‑place Yuxinghan, and twentieth‑place Bai Zhenzhen, Huang Zichou sighed, “They have great potential; next year’s Foundation exam they might actually get a taste of a certificate.”

But at the same time, the righteous deities, including Huang Zichou and Deng Bingding, were murmuring in their hearts wondering what on earth had happened in Songyang to suddenly produce three students with the potential to pass the foundation‑building exam.

‘It’s none of my business if they fail,’ Huang Zichou thought to himself, ‘I’m only in charge of overseeing their foundation‑building examinations.’

After a period of recuperation,

the third round, also the final examination of the day, officially commenced.

Deng Bingding proclaimed loudly, ‘The martial arts exam tests one’s mastery and comprehension of martial techniques.’

‘One could say that a person’s martial cultivation cannot be judged solely by combat; the process of learning a technique also reflects it…’

Huang Zichou sneered inwardly, ‘Isn’t it all just a ploy to save the budget? The Heavenly Court and the Eight Divine Departments show mercy to mortal examinees; in past foundation‑building exams on the first tier of Kunxu, the combat trials even covered medical expenses.’

‘The great deities merely utter a few words, and the medical costs are covered; any shortfall must be shouldered by us below.’

‘If we didn’t cull enough, letting so many students plunge into combat so early, leaving them bloodied and torn, we’d have no idea how much it would cost.’

With a swift clap of his hands, Deng Bingding caused a luminous screen to materialize before each student.

‘In this martial arts trial, you shall each select a technique and, over the next two hours, contemplate and practice it.’

‘We have arranged these techniques by difficulty, from one‑star the simplest to ten‑star the most arduous.’

‘The higher the difficulty of the technique you master, the greater the points you shall earn.’

‘But should the chosen technique prove unattainable, you will score zero for this stage.’

‘Moreover, the reward technique for today’s exam is precisely the one you have selected.’

‘If you fail to rank within the top twenty overall and are eliminated… the cost of the technique will fall upon you to bear.’

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(End of chapter)