Chapter 230: Physical Third Stage

Chapter 230: The Physical Body's Third Trial

In the spectator stands.

The civil engineering representative from Wanfa University, nicknamed "Husky Head," looked at the results of this round, nodded with satisfaction, and said, "Not bad, not bad. Ye Lingxiao has a sharp mind and a strong adaptability to physical changes. In the future, once he’s fitted with an office-grade dharma-skeleton, he’ll be a prime candidate for feng shui and array design. Working forty-eight hours a day shouldn’t be much of a problem for him."

"Zhang Yu’s physical body is progressing even faster than his Dao-heart, which shows his body is more useful than his brain. In the future, he’ll definitely be a natural at digging dirt on construction sites. He won't even need to be fitted with too many dharma-skeletons to become an all-around force cultivator. Not only is he more efficient than a dharma-treasure, but more importantly, his food expenses will definitely be cheaper than the rental fee of a dharma-treasure."

Speaking up to this point, he had already broken into a smile: "One for design, one for construction—these two will surely become the twin stars of my civil engineering department in the future."

At this moment, he was already somewhat impatient, wishing he could recruit both of them right away.

He thought to himself, "The market competition is fierce nowadays. On one hand, the bankruptcy rate, inner-demon possession rate, and sudden death rate of civil engineering students have been rising year after year, and capable current students are always in short supply. On the other hand, that bunch of beastly creatures from Tianyao University is engaging in low-price competition, causing the department's profits to keep declining."

"If these two are nurtured properly, they will surely surpass those ox demons, horse demons, dragon demons, and elephant demons, helping me earn quite a bit more money..."

As for why he considered current students more than graduates, it was, of course, because graduates demanded salaries that were far too high—how could they ever be as cost-effective as current students?

Hearing Husky Head's lamentations, the "Kitty Head" from the finance department nearby also nodded slightly and said, "These two are indeed decent."

"Though they aren't rich enough, and their foundations in the immortal path are a bit lacking."

"Yet between the pecking and drinking of the Heavenly Dao, there is always a sliver of vitality left for mortals to climb the path to immortality."

"Their foundations in the immortal path may be a bit poor, but their borrowing potential is remarkably high."

"If they enter Wanfa, you can send them to me. I can help them arrange a student loan."

Having said that, Kitty Head reminded him, "However, I see quite a few people here who are interested in them. If you split your bets equally between the two, you might end up recruiting neither."

"It would be better to concentrate your budget and bet primarily on one person, which would increase your success rate."

Hearing this, Husky Head fell into contemplation: "You have a point..."

Kitty Head asked curiously, "Then which one do you plan to concentrate your budget on recruiting?"

Husky Head smiled faintly and said, "Ye Lingxiao, naturally. Between the two of them, Ye Lingxiao is still the stronger one at present."

"Besides, he is in his senior year of high school after all, with only half a year left before enrollment. When the time comes, he can be put to work immediately."

"As for that Zhang Yu... his college entrance examination isn't until next year, so we can talk about it then. There’s no rush."

Just as the two representatives from Wanfa University were discussing their subsequent arrangements, on the other side, the "Smile Emoji" spoke to his son, saying, "See, I wasn't wrong, was I? Isn't Ye Lingxiao more useful?"

"The low synchronization rate on the dharma-skeleton indicates that Zhang Yu’s brain is clearly not as sharp as Ye Lingxiao's."

"In fact, this could already be seen from the previous round. After all, poverty breeds short-sightedness; he has lacked nurturing in this regard since childhood..."

On the side, the "Laughing-Crying Emoji" nodded absentmindedly, thinking to himself, "So what if he's inferior to Ye Lingxiao? Wouldn't it be better if I just take both of them?"

"Anyway, I can only use Ye Lingxiao for half a year, but this Zhang Yu still has a year and a half before university. Just when Ye Lingxiao leaves, he can take over the baton as the high schooler flagship."

Meanwhile, Huang Zichou had almost finished explaining the contents of the third round of the examination.

Zhang Yu pondered the contents of this final round in his mind, thinking silently, "Is it a competition of physical performance against Ye Lingxiao using the Dragon-Binding Cord under different hazardous environments?"

High temperature, low temperature, high pressure, lethal poison, strong acid, strong alkali, hyper-gravity...

In this final exam room, Zhang Yu and Ye Lingxiao would randomly experience various hazardous environments.

Under such drastically changing conditions, even with their formidable physical bodies, there was a risk to their lives.

Huang Zichou reminded them once again, "The medical expenses after the exam are sponsored by the Wanquan Medical Insurance Company. Once you feel you cannot hold on, press the alarm device immediately, and I will safely bring you out to receive treatment."

"I remind you once again, under the rapid changes of this high-risk environment, there is already a possibility that it could kill you."

"So once you feel you cannot hold on, admit defeat immediately."

"If you die in the examination hall, this exam will bear absolutely no responsibility, nor will you receive any compensation..."

To make this absolutely clear, witnessed by the five Righteous Gods present, Zhang Yu and Ye Lingxiao signed a contract together, promising that regardless of whether they suffered disability, severe injury, or death in the final exam room... no matter what kind of harm they endured, they would not hold anyone accountable, would not seek compensation, and would not expose it to the public...

Looking at the densely packed lines of potential injuries and the vast number of waived rights that followed, Zhang Yu felt the danger of the next round more and more acutely.

But having come this far, it was naturally impossible for Zhang Yu to give up. He merely thought to himself, "But the point that one might die in this round... could it be a psychological pressure intentionally placed on us?"

"If we misjudge and are about to die under a danger exceeding our limits, will the Righteous Gods really not save us?"

"Given Kunxu’s twisted nature, conjuring up such a dangerous exam... it doesn't seem impossible either."

Meanwhile, on the other side, Huang Zichou thought to himself, "Lord Deng truly deserves to be a Righteous God of the sixth rank. This exam project is not only comprehensive—leaving everyone speechless with the results—but it also allows us to sell a batch of test data of the physical body at the peak of the Qi Refining stage under various environments. It really kills two birds with one stone."

But the high-risk environment that seemed extremely perilous to Zhang Yu was merely a part of this examination.

In this dangerous environment, he and Ye Lingxiao would stand on a high platform simultaneously, each gripping one end of the Dragon-Binding Cord.

As for the so-called Dragon-Binding Cord, according to Huang Zichou’s recent introduction, it was a long chain forged from high-strength materials. It was said that this chain was a binding device once used to imprison giant dragons.

Zhang Yu and Ye Lingxiao would each hold one end of the Dragon-Binding Cord; whoever could pull the opponent off the high platform first would win this exam.

If anyone let go of the Dragon-Binding Cord, they would also be judged an immediate loser.

Of course, whoever could not hold on under the hazardous environment would similarly be judged a loser.

Huang Zichou said, "This round tests not only the vitality and physical resilience you manifest under high-risk environments, but it also tests your physical strength and the potential that your bodies can burst forth with under such extreme pressure."

"And the key to it all is this extreme pressure."

"Compared to the path that lies ahead of you, high school might already be the last time you can truly relax..."

"What the hell..." Zhang Yu cursed in his heart, "Where exactly is high school relaxing?!"

Huang Zichou: "Once you enter university, you will have truly set foot upon the immortal path. In those ten years of university, you won't have a single moment to relax; the pressure you face will only grow heavier year after year."

"Sudden death, bankruptcy, dropping out, falling into demonic possession... all kinds of threats will strike at you endlessly, forcing out your potential."

"The focus of this round is to test exactly what kind of potential you can unleash under all kinds of extreme pressure..."

"You have a half-hour break next to recover from the consumption and effects of the previous two rounds."

"In half an hour, the final round of the examination will officially begin."

Just after Huang Zichou announced this half-hour break, Zhang Yu suddenly asked, "Examiner, during this half hour, will the medicines in the cabinet still be provided?"

Hearing this question, Huang Zichou froze slightly.

Meanwhile, within the internal network, a Righteous God immediately voiced opposition.

Mu Guiyin said, "The match hasn't even officially started yet, what is he eating for? Isn't this just inflating the budget for nothing?"

While the lesser gods opposed one after another, Huang Zichou remained silent. After all, spending extra money was the greatest enemy of the Righteous Gods, and anyone who dared to support it would surely become a target of public criticism.

But right at this moment, Huang Zichou suddenly received a message from Deng Bingding.

"Lord Deng? Asking me to support opening up the medicines?" Huang Zichou stared at the message sent by the other party, slightly stunned, but in the next instant, he spoke up decisively, "Aren't exam medicines supposed to be taken before the exam? I see no problem with it."

As the lesser gods bickered back and forth, eventually turning their gazes toward Deng Bingding, this sixth-rank Righteous God finally made his decision as the referee: "Mu Guiyin makes a valid point (thumbs up), but Zichou's words are also problem-free (thumbs up)."

"Let's open up the medicines fifteen minutes before the exam then."

Speaking up to this point, Deng Bingding smiled faintly again and added, "The sponsor also mentioned that they rarely see someone like Zhang Yu who eats medicine with such relish. They can sense a kind of medicinal hunger from him and particularly like the way he eats. They are willing to donate another batch of medicine so that Zhang Yu can eat his fill."

Thus, after resting for fifteen minutes, as the medicine cabinet opened, Zhang Yu hurried over, grabbed a large bottle of liquid medicine, and chugged it down his throat.

At the same time, his Meridian-Law Diagram had long since switched to the state of the High School Sacred Body, pushing his capacity to handle and metabolize medicine to the absolute limit of the Qi Refining stage.

Zhang Yu felt the swallowed medicine transform into surges of raging medicinal power exploding within his body. A moment later, it carried streams of medicinal toxins, converging toward the character for 'Zen' on his chest.

He thought to himself, "Excellent, I must take advantage of this free opportunity to take medicine and continue to accumulate medicinal toxins within these fifteen minutes..."

On the other side, Ye Lingxiao walked to the medicine cabinet, only taking some combat medicines that enhanced explosive power and restored physical strength and energy, intending to consume them before the exam began.

After all, for him, he was never short of medicine in daily life; taking too many drugs before the exam would instead require mental effort to digest, adding to the body's burden.

Then Ye Lingxiao touched the Spirit-Splitting Pill (Daojie Sustained-Release Capsule) he had brought, and thought to himself: "I'll take it right before the exam, using dual thinking, combined with my bloodline potential, to win this match in my strongest state, making these university representatives offer higher stakes in recruitment."

He had reached the final hurdle, and Ye Lingxiao had no hesitation about going all out from the start.

What made him hesitate was whether his strongest state required one or two Spirit-Splitting Pills.

On this point, even the laboratory had no definitive conclusion before he took today's Foundation Establishment Exam.

Ye Lingxiao thought to himself: "Taking two might make me stronger, but it could also have unforeseen consequences."

(The chapter ends)