Chapter 433: Expert Review

Chapter 433: Expert Commentary

Above the examination grounds, Zhang Yu’s body erupted in clusters of blood mist.

In the final moments of the test, Zhang Yu unleashed two consecutive ultimate techniques, manifesting a vast and terrifying power, yet the exertion had pushed his physical form to an unprecedented state of ruin.

As the earth ceased its tremors and the battlefield fell into a deathly silence, the Formless Spirit General beneath Zhang Yu’s feet began to crumble.

The mud and sand, which had appeared as lifelike as true flesh and blood, lost the tether of Zhang Yu’s power and disintegrated, scattering into a sky of dust.

Simultaneously, Zhang Yu, who had been standing atop the General’s head, began to plummet toward the ground.

In his final assault, every shred of his mana, every strand of his internal energy, and every fiber of his muscles had been pushed to their absolute limit, poured entirely into that singular, final strike.

Even the cognitive processes in his mind, bolstered by his multi-threaded thinking and the Residual Demon Pupil, had been driven to the breaking point.

Brain, muscle, viscera—every inch of his body had paid a heavy price for this overload.

Much like a sharp blade pushed beyond its limits in battle, the edge was bound to dull, chip, or even shatter.

Zhang Yu’s body was now a testament to torture; his muscles were torn, his bones fractured, his meridians ruptured, and his internal organs hemorrhaging.

As the Formless Spirit General collapsed, Zhang Yu’s form swayed, and he fell toward the earth.

He attempted to twist his waist to stabilize his descent, only to find that he lacked even a sliver of strength in his entire body.

It was in this instant that Zhang Yu realized a crucial lesson regarding the "micro-control" of martial arts.

He offered a bitter smile, thinking to himself: "When I use my own control to wring my body dry, it truly is a total exhaustion—I don't even have the strength to twitch."

Just as these thoughts wandered through his mind, a soft *whoosh* sounded in his ears.

A figure had pierced through the smoke and dust, arriving before him.

Director Gao caught the falling Zhang Yu, and seeing the blood-soaked, mangled state of the boy, he sighed inwardly: "Good child, rest well now."

Noticing Zhang Yu’s startled gaze, Director Gao said calmly: "Do not worry. The exam time has expired; it is over. My arrival is perfectly within the rules."

He then called out to the side: "Is there a True God present? Please, take this candidate for medical treatment."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu struggled to speak: "Tea... Teacher, no need for treatment..."

Director Gao interrupted him, his tone flat: "Rest assured, do not worry about the money. I will cover the medical expenses."

Deng Bingding appeared beside them, smiling: "Director Gao, I shall take him for treatment."

Looking at the Director, Deng Bingding thought to himself: "The mentor Zhang Yu requested is the Magnetic Pole True Lord, isn't it? This Director Gao..."

Director Gao frowned: "Is there anything else?"

Deng Bingding smiled faintly: "Nothing at all, nothing at all."

Watching Zhang Yu being carried away by Deng Bingding, Director Gao turned toward the flying ship, his figure flickering and vanishing from the examination grounds.

...

Meanwhile, as the candidates evacuated, True Gods began to appear one after another to clear the battlefield, assess the damage, and compile the data.

On the flying ship, the judges and guests were replaying the footage of the exam.

The scenes featuring Ping Han and Zhang Yu dominated the attention of the majority.

True Lord Qiyun spoke softly: "What are your thoughts, gentlemen?"

The Fifth-Rank God Geng Chenyi replied: "Ping Han has been tempered for years, his Daoist heart as firm as rock. Today, his long-accumulated strength has finally burst forth, sweeping the field with undeniable power."

"Especially that final mountain-clearing strike; I fear no one present could have withstood it."

Experts from other universities nodded in agreement, clearly favoring Ping Han for the military certification.

But then, True Lord Tianxiang curled his elephant trunk, his tusks vibrating as he spoke: "Truly unstoppable? I believe Zhang Yu could have blocked it."

The professor from the Heavenly Demon University chuckled, adding casually: "The martial aptitude displayed by Zhang Yu is clearly superior to every other candidate here."

"Even the most mundane martial techniques turn into wonders in his hands."

"Take his Dragon-Elephant Mountain-Crushing Palm: a common external martial art, yet when paired with his 'Small Tri-Unity' technique, it unleashed earth-shattering power. And the 'Nine Heavens Cloud-Void Force'—a military-grade art—he extracts twelve parts of effect from every ten parts of power. Based on this alone, I doubt any student here could break his guard."

Some experts nodded, finding merit in True Lord Tianxiang’s words.

Director Lin watched the two judges, who had been amicable moments ago, now locked in a verbal skirmish. He sighed at the weight of the military certification; the influence and interests involved were enough to spark disputes between all parties.

He thought: "True Lord Tianxiang does not want Ping Han to receive the certification, fearing it would threaten the Heavenly Demon University in the upcoming inter-school competition. After all, Ping Han’s 'Seven Absolutes' are complete; once he gains the certification, he will soon master the 'Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power'."

"The difference between mastering military-grade arts and not is like heaven and earth."

"If Ping Han then coordinates with Mo Shangjin... it would pose a grave threat to the Heavenly Demon University."

"As for Geng Chenyi, he has managed the Wanfa University for years. Does he favor Ping Han to secure a first-place finish for the Civil Engineering department and bolster his own political record? Or is there something else?"

Director Lin then looked at True Lord Qiyun, wondering: "What are his thoughts? Does he also support Ping Han, hoping for a victory for the Civil Engineering department?"

As Director Lin pondered, True Lord Tianxiang continued: "Look at Zhang Yu’s final outburst."

He flicked his finger, and the light screen enlarged, showing Zhang Yu sweeping away the Yellow Turban Warriors.

"Look at this move, and this one..."

Tianxiang traced the details of the palm strikes and the resulting deformations of the warriors.

"To absorb the power of the defensive works, to stack his own physical strength, to add the power of his internal energy, and then to fuse all of this into his martial arts, finally erupting through the 'Small Tri-Unity' giant..."

"This sequence of power control, where every step reinforces the destructive force, is nothing short of peak mastery."

"To do all this while striking with such precision—hitting the vital points of the Yellow Turban Warriors, using minimal force to cause maximum destruction—that is even harder."

"To repeat this hundreds of times in a mere moment, given the cultivation level of the candidates here, is a feat that borders on the impossible."

Many guests who had not analyzed the strike so closely now felt the exquisite brilliance of Zhang Yu’s final offensive.

Deng Bingding, while transporting Zhang Yu, listened to the judges and couldn't help but glance at the semi-conscious boy, thinking: "His performance seems even more astonishing than I initially estimated."

Director Lin thought: "This elephant demon... he really wants Zhang Yu to win that certification."

"True, if Zhang Yu learns the Seven Absolutes and masters the Mountain-Moving Divine Power, Mo Shangjin will have long since graduated. It would pose no threat to the Heavenly Demon University."

Meanwhile, Director Gao had returned to the ship. Hearing the analysis, he couldn't help but nod: "That boy Zhang Yu... he truly gave me a fright this time."

"Regardless of whether he gets the certification, it is time I officially take him as my disciple."

Just then, another guest remarked: "Zhang Yu is fine, but his desperate struggle is something Ping Han could achieve with sheer power alone."

"After this exam, Ping Han’s strength will continue to skyrocket. His potential, his ceiling, and his Daoist heart—which gambled everything—are far beyond Zhang Yu’s reach."

Another guest countered: "Zhang Yu risked his life; was his medical bill any smaller? Did he not also gamble everything? I see a heart as firm as rock. If he were as wealthy as Ping Han, his strength would surely far surpass him."

The previous guest waved a hand: "That is incorrect. Wealth, or the ability to secure resources, is part of one's strength. There are no 'ifs'."

Director Gao stood to the side, not interjecting.

He listened to the experts and professors argue, watching them struggle to decide who was more excellent and more deserving of the military certification. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"A pity I cannot record this."

"Otherwise, I would certainly send it to Magnetic Pole, just to see how these experts and professors have argued themselves into a frenzy over which of my two disciples is the better one."

Just as the altercation began to escalate, the clouds and lightning embodying True Monarch Qiyun flared, a potent pressure radiating from within as rolls of thunder drowned out every voice in the hall.

The thunderous reverberations coalesced into the articulate command of True Monarch Qiyun: "The military certification examination weighs only the performance of this trial; past encounters and future possibilities are irrelevant. Do not stray from the subject."

Geng Chenyi replied, "Indeed, we judge only by the performance on the field, and as it happens, the data has already been compiled."

A flicker of light crossed the screen, and the statistical summaries of each candidate appeared before the assembly.

Geng Chenyi gestured toward Ping Han, who stood at the summit of the rankings, and stated, "Ping Han holds the highest construction output and the widest range of destruction; I see no reason to dispute his acquisition of the military certificate."

(End of chapter)