Chapter 428: Each Displaying Divine Skills, Breakthrough Mid-Battle (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 428: Each Showing Their Prowess, A Breakthrough in the Heat of Battle (Seeking Monthly Votes)

True Monarch Qiyun looked toward Ping Han, the admiration in his eyes growing ever more profound.

In the projection, Ping Han’s construction progress was far ahead of the rest; he channeled his cultivation through the grand formation beneath his feet, and with every palm strike, the earth trembled and mountains swayed, swallowing legions of Yellow Turban Warriors.

"The most wealth, the deepest cultivation, and the highest efficiency in civil engineering among them all."

True Monarch Qiyun remarked, "Old Gao, your Civil Engineering Department has cultivated another fine disciple."

"Once the exam is over, remember to have a good talk with him; don't let such an opportunity go to waste."

Director Lin stood to the side, watching coldly, while Director Gao nodded helplessly, signaling his understanding.

Meanwhile, True Monarch Tianxiang watched Zhang Yu’s performance, noting with some surprise, "Though Zhang Yu’s display falls short of Ping Han’s, it is nonetheless commendable."

On screen, Zhang Yu’s hand seals shifted, continuously using the Lesser Triad to condense the swirling sands and fill the shattered frame of his earthen giant.

This rendered the giant akin to an immortal beast, constantly repairing itself amidst the wreckage as it fought off the Yellow Turban Warriors from every direction.

Simultaneously, surging internal energy coursed through the giant’s body, weaving through it like sinew and meridian.

With every pulse of this energy, the Nine Heavens Cloud Void Force absorbed the explosions and tremors of the onslaught.

This allowed the giant under Zhang Yu’s control to master a profound art of redirection, turning the force of the enemy’s bombardment into waves of surging pressure that swept across the battlefield.

Behind Zhang Yu, the Golden Jade Disk hovered, erupting with rays of crimson solar fire that detonated the distant warriors one by one.

Endless Azure Sand poured from his Cloud-Gathering Pouch, reinforcing the giant’s internal energy conduction and minimizing consumption.

His Earth-Shattering Bottle and Earth-Suppressing Seal were also deployed, either unleashing landslides to swallow the enemy or manifesting fields of pressure that froze the warriors in place, only for the giant to trample them into the dust.

Meanwhile, Ying Xin’s great-grandfather, while manipulating his artifacts, continued to soothe Zhao Tianxing and Mo Tianyi.

Ying Xin’s great-grandfather: Do not be nervous. Boss Zhang is overwhelmingly powerful; as long as we follow his plan, there will be no issues.

Zhao Tianxing: Senior, are you also a graduate of Myriad Dharma University?

Ying Xin’s great-grandfather: Haha, a hero does not boast of past glories.

Ying Xin’s great-grandfather: I am just like you now, merely a soul cultivator.

Ying Xin’s great-grandfather: Come to think of it, I envy you. You haven't been dead for many years, have you?

Ying Xin’s great-grandfather: The first five years after death are the most critical. The jobs you take and the resumes you build during this time will determine your future income.

Elsewhere, Zhang Yu’s mind raced, precisely manipulating every shred of power he exerted, feeling these forces fuse under his guidance to erupt with ever-increasing momentum.

"The Martial Saint Body enhances the Nine Heavens Cloud Void Force, and it enhances the Lesser Triad as well."

"It grants me the micro-control of a martial master, elevating the power of my techniques, as well as my parrying, redirection, evasion, destruction, range, speed, frequency, and piercing force..."

"And when the Nine Heavens Cloud Void Force and the Lesser Triad are applied together to this earthen giant, the effects are mutually additive..."

At this moment, Zhang Yu could feel his Nine Heavens Cloud Void energy coursing through the giant, granting it astonishing defensive and counter-offensive capabilities.

Under the blessing of the Martial Saint Body, the giant pushed forward with the power of the Lesser Triad, layered with the borrowed strength of the Nine Heavens Cloud Void Force.

This allowed the giant to unleash its full might, growing stronger with every clash.

With a thunderous boom, the giant took a step; the weight of a small mountain combined with the push of the Lesser Triad and the rebound force of the Nine Heavens Cloud Void Force... a single strike shattered the earth, sending legions of Yellow Turban Warriors flying.

And yet, Zhang Yu had not even pushed the Lesser Triad to its limit, having nominally practiced the third art of Civil Engineering, the Earth-Moving Transformation, for less than two months.

...

True Monarch Qiyun watched Zhang Yu, his gaze shifting slightly: "Zhang Yu’s control range for the Lesser Triad is not large, but it erupts with immense lethality."

True Monarch Tianxiang commented from the side: "That Nine Heavens Cloud Void Force is also used to perfection. Whether in redirection or explosive release, every wisp of energy and every ounce of strength is perfectly synchronized with the Lesser Triad."

"Winning with less, maximizing the lethality of every bit of power... he is a martial prodigy."

But a martial prodigy was only enough to earn a passing interest from True Monarch Tianxiang.

After all, this was not an era for martial prodigies; by comparison, he was more concerned with construction prodigies, crypto-trading prodigies, or geniuses with such vast wealth they could be called Innate Dao Bodies.

True Monarch Qiyun nodded slightly, privately noting that Zhang Yu had a promising future.

Yet, beyond the martial talent Zhang Yu displayed, another matter weighed on his mind.

While using his vice-principal credentials to view Zhang Yu’s file, he had discovered a hidden piece of information.

"This Zhang Yu used the permissions granted by his high school foundation exam to designate True Monarch Magnetic Pole as his mentor."

True Monarch Qiyun could not help but glance at Director Gao, who was watching Zhang Yu with rapt attention.

He thought to himself: "Does Old Gao know that the mentor his registered disciple chose is someone else?"

He could not be certain, for if Zhang Yu had any sense, he would have consulted with True Monarch Magnetic Pole first and obtained consent before making such a designation.

"How did a Civil Engineering student like Zhang Yu get connected to Magnetic Pole?"

"Though Old Gao and Magnetic Pole have had a friendship spanning hundreds of years..."

"And this Zhang Yu is a martial genius, well-suited for artifact refinement..."

In his mind, he pictured Old Gao leading Zhang Yu to meet Magnetic Pole, only to send his disciple into the other man's office.

True Monarch Qiyun sent a message: Old Gao, you’ve cultivated a fine disciple.

Director Gao: It is all thanks to the excellent environment created by the school leadership.

True Monarch Qiyun: You are becoming more magnanimous, Old Gao.

True Monarch Qiyun: As for disciples, out with the old and in with the new; don't take it too much to heart.

Director Gao stared at the message, momentarily stunned, failing to grasp the meaning at first.

But the next moment, he realized: "Is he talking about Ping Han?"

"Is he telling me to talk to Ping Han, and if he can't be persuaded back, not to be obsessed?"

A look of helplessness crossed Director Gao’s face; the more Ping Han’s performance stood out, the more he felt a sense of regret.

...

Meanwhile, the offensive on the field had shifted once more.

Winged Yellow Turban Warriors soared into the sky, launching an aerial assault.

Zhang Yu was startled: "Did they spend that much money on this exam?"

The other candidates also turned solemn, bracing for the onslaught.

Just then, Su Yanyang looked at the messages flickering on his interface and finally opened them.

"Jade Nectar Coins are up to 15?!"

His heart soared, and he laughed, "Just in time!"

He immediately allocated more computing resources to his soul cultivators, further enhancing the power of his tombs and formations.

Defensive structures rose from the ground, operated by the soul cultivators to meet the flying warriors.

...

On the other side, Xiao Yuji said coldly: "It is your turn."

"Finish this well, and you will not be shortchanged."

Her six arms, each holding an artifact, were now manned by a new batch of soul cultivators.

This contingent of soul-cultivators hailed from the construction firm owned by the family patriarch, possessing not only seasoned expertise in structural engineering but also a diverse array of innate talents.

Some were nearing the twilight of their existence, desperate for a reprieve to extend their lives; others had seen their cognitive faculties frozen for years, making rare employment opportunities precious; still others were bereft of descendants to provide for them, forced to rely solely on their own grit.

"Each carries a reason to risk it all, each burns with a fierce fighting spirit, and each is locked in a race against death..."

These were the individuals Xiaoyunji had handpicked, specifically to push his own combat capabilities to the limit during today's military certification examination.

...

On the other side, for every fraction the figure on Ping Han's chest climbed, his aura seemed to swell in tandem.

It was not merely his own presence; his magical treasures, his dharma-remains, and the array beneath his feet all appeared to grow increasingly ferocious as the price of the Qiongjiang coins on his chest surged.

This was because, under Ping Han's guidance, all the soul-cultivators under his command had also invested in the Qiongjiang coins.

With the coin price soaring, these cultivators surged forward with high spirits, not only boosting their computational pool resources but acting as if fueled by stimulants, their morale reaching toward the heavens.

Ping Han had even upgraded the networked services for their treasures and dharma-remains on the spot, elevating them from standard to gold-tier memberships, unleashing a torrent of amplified power.

As for Ping Han himself, he felt his Daoist heart becoming ever more polished and flawless.

"For two years, I have endured humiliation and swallowed my pride, all for this day when the Coin Dao reaches its zenith."

"Today, it is finally my turn, Ping Han, to soar into the firmament!"

With a single palm strike, the overwhelming dust and sand coalesced into a colossal hand, its strength amplified to madness by the dharma-remains and treasures, rising up to seize the sky-filling Yellow Turban warriors in its grip with one fell swoop.

Boom!

...

Zhang Yu’s form had already submerged deep within the earthen giant.

As the giant took each thunderous step, the wreckage of countless Yellow Turban warriors was swept into its body and delivered before Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu’s figure swelled in a sudden burst of growth, and after enlarging his own frame, he began to swallow the debris, setting to work on digesting it.

Though he currently bore the Martial Dao Sacred Body, with the University Sacred Body retaining only ten percent of its efficacy, his own formidable foundation, coupled with the Earth-Devouring Divine Art bolstered by the Martial Dao Sacred Body, granted him extraordinary digestive prowess.

Furthermore, the Taiyi Golden Liquid Pill gathered within his digestive system, acting like a suit of armor for his stomach and intestines, further enhancing his ability to break down and grind through his sustenance.

Added to this were the thermal fluctuations of the frigid and scorching dharma-veins, alongside the power of the Spring-Autumn Infinite Zen and the War-Demon Life-Waning Art...

At this moment, Zhang Yu’s gut was akin to a vast furnace, relentlessly refining the remnants of the Yellow Turban warriors into various high-tensile materials.

...

True Monarch Qiyun swept his gaze across the examinees, sighing with emotion: "Splendid, truly splendid. Each displays their own divine powers and unique arts, and one by one, they all manage to achieve breakthroughs in the heat of battle. They are truly the pride of my Myriad Laws."

(End of chapter)