Chapter 198: Exam Suspended?

Chapter 198: Exam Paused?

As the mana meridian injection entered his body, Zhang Yu felt the mana within him, which had been circulating day and night without rest, surge with even greater ferocity.

Under the fierce absorption of the Great Sun Qi Sea, the surrounding spiritual energy converged like rivers flowing into the sea, continuously pouring in and eventually transforming into strands of mana within Zhang Yu's dantian.

"A pity, a pity I have no spiritual root. If I had one, and if I were on a spiritual vein... I could push my mana to the Qi Refining limit of 100 units today, couldn't I?"

At the same time, Zhang Yu could feel the meridians in his body beginning to twitch slightly, his heart accelerating, and his breathing growing rapid.

"Side effects of the mana meridian injection? Different from the Imitation Phoenix Function Serum—it seems to put more strain on the respiratory system and blood circulation."

"Indeed, different types of drugs place burdens on different parts of the body."

"So, to score higher and cultivate more comprehensively during this buffet-like process, I should take more varied drugs, fully utilizing the carrying capacity of different areas of the body..."

"Drugs targeting the Dao heart, mana, and physical strength—I can take all three, both to share the side effects and to enhance my overall strength."

Though he felt another layer of strain on his body, Zhang Yu did not stop. Instead, he continued twisting his body, practicing the Spring and Autumn Infinite Zen, steadily improving his physical strength.

He knew all too well how rare this opportunity for free, buffet-style drug-taking was today.

"The total self-service time is only one hour."

"In this hour, I must seize the moment to cultivate, wasting as little of the drug's potency as possible..."

Thus, under the influence of the Great Sun Qi Sea and the Spring and Autumn Infinite Zen, the effects of the mana meridian injection and the Imitation Phoenix Function Serum were fully utilized, continuously boosting Zhang Yu's cultivation efficiency and accelerating the growth of his mana and physical strength.

On the other side, Ye Lingxiao, watching Zhang Yu inject the mana meridian injection, refused to be outdone and followed with one of his own.

Feeling the drug's power enter his body, his blood, meridians, and mana seemed to boil over. Ye Lingxiao knew that, for the moment, his tolerance for the mana meridian injection had reached a temporary limit.

He struggled to control his muscles from violently twitching, thinking to himself: "Next, if I take another drug, I should choose the Dao Dissolving Slow-Release Capsule or the Imitation Phoenix Function Serum."

"Once I digest some of this drug's power, I'll..."

Thus, over the next few minutes, Ye Lingxiao continued to circulate the Spring and Autumn Infinite Zen to digest the drug's power while pondering which drug to take next.

But before he could make a final decision, he saw Zhang Yu, after a round of digestion, grab another mana meridian injection and plunge it into his body.

Watching this, Ye Lingxiao's eyelid twitched: "This guy..."

Faced with Zhang Yu's lead once again, Ye Lingxiao, the prodigy of the Immortal Capital who had always been first in everything and dominated every exam, naturally could not accept defeat.

Taking a deep breath, he grabbed a Dao Dissolving Slow-Release Capsule and swallowed it.

In an instant, he felt all sorts of negative emotions in his heart suppressed, and even the pain from the side effects within his body was largely alleviated.

Sensing this, Ye Lingxiao rejoiced inwardly: "Indeed, this Dao Dissolving Slow-Release Capsule effectively eases my tension and reduces the mental impact of the drug's side effects."

"Taking this drug first will help me perform better in the exam ahead."

"But what are its adverse effects?"

"I feel nothing? Could it be that this drug has no adverse effects? But that seems unlikely..."

Thus, a few minutes later, as Zhang Yu injected another mana meridian injection and took another Imitation Phoenix Function Serum,

Ye Lingxiao responded by swallowing two more Dao Dissolving Slow-Release Capsules.

Their scores, half an hour into the exam, both reached a staggering 9000 points.

Zhang Yu's mana and physical strength also improved during this process, reaching 97.6 mana and a physical strength level of 9.90, inching closer to the Qi Refining limit.

Watching their high scores, the other examinees, whether Yu Xinghan or Meng Tao, felt their hearts race.

Though they weren't the ones consuming such fierce drugs, just imagining the terrifying drug power within Zhang Yu and Ye Lingxiao's bodies filled them with awe.

Meng Tao thought to himself: "It's only a little over halfway through, and they've already taken six rounds of divine drugs? Their metabolic abilities are that much stronger than mine? If I compared today's drug-eating contest to a shit-eating contest, I'd be like a dung beetle facing a septic tank—the difference is like heaven and earth..."

Yu Xinghan stared deeply at Zhang Yu: "This kid... he's keeping up with the top Immortal Capital heir? He must have hidden his strength when selling seeds at the Red Tower. If he were producing while taking drugs, his output would far surpass mine."

Just then, Zhang Yu grabbed a Dragon-Elephant Formulation and injected it into his body.

Watching this, Ye Lingxiao's gaze sharpened, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

"Dragon-Elephant Formulation? Using that to temporarily surpass me?"

Seeing this, Ye Lingxiao felt as if he were at an auction, where an opponent with no remaining balance added a hundred bucks to try and outbid him. "Has he reached his limit?"

"And until now, he hasn't taken the Dao Dissolving Slow-Release Capsule—is he afraid of its unknown side effects?"

"If that's the case, then this exam is mine for the taking!"

Ye Lingxiao grabbed a Dao Dissolving Slow-Release Capsule, a look of determination flashing in his eyes.

Though he still didn't know what the adverse effects of this capsule were, he could sense that his body had not yet reached its limit.

"First place is always mine, and it will only ever be mine."

Standing at the pinnacle, forever dominating, forever seizing the top spot—this was not only the principle Ye Lingxiao had been taught since childhood but also the ancestral motto passed down through the Ye clan.

"In this Kunxu, if you don't become first, whether you're a noble family or a genius, you'll always face the day of elimination."

Thinking of how the Ye clan had strived generation after generation, gradually approaching the goal of becoming the strongest clan in the first layer of Kunxu, Ye Lingxiao felt a surge of emotion.

Especially considering that after this Foundation Establishment exam, the clan would use his post-Foundation Establishment self to promote the perfect bloodline, leading to more and more people learning about the high school Foundation Establishment exam.

This was both ambition and confidence.

It was because the Ye clan and several allied Immortal Capital noble families believed that the average wealth and strength of the Immortal Capital nobles had far surpassed other local forces in the first layer of Kunxu, and no other local force could threaten them.

The Foundation Establishment exam no longer needed to be concealed; instead, each year's Foundation Establishment qualification holders could be used for promotion, boosting the expansion of company operations and facilitating their infiltration into other cities.

Thinking of the Ye clan beginning to break out of the Immortal Capital and expand across the entire first layer of Kunxu, Ye Lingxiao felt a surge of heroic pride from generations of struggle.

"As the prodigy of the Ye clan, how could I lose to an outsider here?"

Opening his mouth, Ye Lingxiao swallowed another Dao Dissolving Slow-Release Capsule.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu had been observing Ye Lingxiao's reactions after taking the capsule.

The reason he hadn't taken it himself was the unknown adverse effects.

But he hadn't completely given up on the drug; instead, he wanted to observe Ye Lingxiao's response to determine whether he should take it.

"With my high school saint body, my metabolic ability for drugs must surpass Ye Lingxiao's."

"If Ye Lingxiao can endure it, then I can too."

In Zhang Yu's observation, Ye Lingxiao's muscles were now swollen and congested, his face was purple, and a small bump had risen on his head.

"Seems okay. I should be able to handle it too."

After waiting a few minutes, seeing that Ye Lingxiao had no major issues aside from the bump on his head swelling a bit more, Zhang Yu decided to give the Dao Dissolving Slow-Release Capsule a try.

As Zhang Yu picked up a capsule, Ye Lingxiao snorted coldly: "You still won't give up?"

He muttered: "I'll catch up to you soon. Once I take this Imitation Phoenix Function Serum, you won't be able to keep up."

Zhang Yu was momentarily stunned, looking at the drug in the other's hand, and said: "That's a Dao Dissolving Slow-Release Capsule, isn't it?"

Ye Lingxiao smiled faintly: "Take another Dao Dissolving Slow-Release Capsule? The side effects are indeed fierce—I can't take another. But the side effects aren't really a big deal. Once I take this Dao Dissolving Slow-Release Capsule, I'll completely suppress you!"

Hearing Ye Lingxiao's words, Zhang Yu was immediately shocked. Was what he just said human speech? Was it his own understanding that was flawed, or was something wrong with the other?

"Could this be the side effect of the Dao Dissolving Slow-Release Capsule?"

"Could it be lowering intelligence?"

Yuxinghan, Meng Tao, and the others nearby had all heard Ye Lingxiao's rambling speech, and they too looked at him with some surprise.

It was at this moment that Huang Zichou suddenly called a halt to the examination.

Huang Zichou said, "Contestant number 23 (Ye Lingxiao) is currently experiencing some physical issues and needs a two-minute break..."

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Going to treat Ye Lingxiao? These righteous gods do have some conscience after all, caring about the contestants' health and safety..."

Huang Zichou continued, "Next, all contestants will sign a contract with me, to keep confidential the reactions of contestant number 23 after taking the Daojie sustained-release capsule, and in the future, you must not disclose any negative information about this product..."

Damn it... Zhang Yu cursed inwardly, "Stopping the exam just to keep the side effects of this company's drug a secret?"

(The end of this chapter)