https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-172-Second-Round-Grouping-Ye-Lingshao-s-Battle-Intent/13686644/
Chapter 171: Passing the Exam
Meanwhile, Yu Xinghan merely glanced at Zhang Yu’s retreating back before turning his attention elsewhere.
There was something far more urgent now.
After the divine power of the Health Department’s Great Deity descended upon him, reversing his Sterilization Surgery, Yu Xinghan had initially felt nothing different.
He returned to the exam hall and began practicing Tiangang Qigong.
But as the Martial Energy flowed through his body, the gradual condensation of pure yang gongqi triggered a rising heat within him—his spirit grew restless, his mind scattered.
Even more disconcerting was the flood of vivid images appearing in his mind—faces of women, one after another, uncontrollably surfacing.
Bai Zhenzhen. Le Mulan. Zhang Pianpian. Girls he’d seen at Bailong High School. Even female students present at the scene today—each one flashing before his eyes like a swarm of distractions.
They spun in his mind like endless mental noise, pulling him off balance, weakening his control over the gongqi.
Until, finally, all the images vanished—leaving only one.
Li Xuelian—the daughter of Xinghuo Immortal, his senior.
As her figure emerged, Yu Xinghan suddenly realized just how beautiful she truly was. Her mature allure radiated like a subtle flame, deepening his breaths, making them coarser.
The hundred-year age gap. Her status as the Great Immortal’s daughter.
Just thinking about it sent a jolt of excitement through him.
His pure yang gongqi wavered dangerously close to collapsing.
Yu Xinghan snapped back to reality with a sharp mental cry:
“No! I can’t lose to Li Xuelian!”
He bit down hard on his own tongue, then forced his mind to recall Zhang Yu, Song Hailong, Chu Qiuhé, Xiong Wenwu.
Especially Song Hailong—each time he thought of him, the burning heat in his body eased slightly, allowing him to endure the practice of Tiangang Qigong.
…
On the other side, Bai Zhenzhen had already fully immersed herself in mentally rehearsing Wan Jian Wu Zhong Jue.
She hadn’t even noticed Zhang Yu had finished his exam.
Her face was flushed crimson. Her mind raced so fast that waves of heat radiated from her skull, visible as faint wisps of white vapor.
Inside her mind, another version of Zhang Yu—her idealized image—stood before her, surrounded by countless Wuxiang Yun'gang.
They clashed in a storm of swordlight.
As each sword technique of Wan Jian Wu Zhong Jue was executed, Bai Zhenzhen’s movements grew faster, sharper, shimmering with electric arcs, weaving through the clouds of sword aura like a lightning bolt tearing through the sky.
She was slowly, relentlessly, carving a flaw into the image of Zhang Yu.
Then—BOOM! A thunderclap echoed through her mind.
She had won.
And in that moment, she understood: she’d defeated the mental image because she could no longer find any weakness in her own sword technique.
The imaginary Zhang Yu had no openings left.
At that instant, a surge of sword intent erupted from her core.
All the techniques of Wan Jian Wu Zhong Jue flowed through her like a river of memory—so clear, so complete, as if she had trained them thousands of times.
“The intent precedes thought. The sword moves with the will. That is the true essence of Wan Jian Wu Zhong Jue.”
She realized: the specific movements didn’t matter.
What mattered was the cultivation of the Endless Sword Intent.
With that sword intent forged, she could graft any technique into Wan Jian Wu Zhong Jue.
She could even invent new techniques on the spot to break through an opponent’s form.
“Wan Jian Wu Zhong Jue… its forms are infinite.”
“Given the Endless Sword Intent, any technique can be adapted, fused, or created anew—just to defeat the enemy.”
“The key isn’t the moves. It’s the sword intent.”
“Ordinary cultivators must train tens of thousands of techniques until they become instinct. Only then can they achieve intent before thought, sword following will.”
“But for someone like me—true genius—once I grasp the essence, I naturally master Wan Jian Wu Zhong Jue.”
A confident smile curled on Bai Zhenzhen’s lips as she looked around.
Most of the students had already vanished.
Later, she learned they had all completed their chosen martial arts and gone to rest.
“Hmm? Yu Xinghan still hasn’t finished?”
She turned to look at him—only to see his face flush red, instantly averting his gaze as if terrified of her.
“What’s wrong with him?” she muttered.
Just then, Huang Zichou stepped before her.
“Your Endless Sword Intent… I’ve sensed it,” he said. “Exam over. Go rest in the adjacent room.”
…
As time passed, the two-hour window drew to a close.
The number of remaining candidates dwindled.
When Yu Xinghan finally collapsed, pale and drained, after completing Tiangang Qigong, only a handful remained.
Huang Zichou glanced at the clock, then at Li Tongyun, still desperately trying.
“One minute left.”
Li Tongyun pushed harder, but failed.
When the bell rang, she cried out, “I did it! I really did it—I trained it!”
Huang Zichou ignored her. With a flick of divine power, he swept her and the others who had failed into the void.
Li Tongyun knew—her failure in the Foundation Establishment Exam meant she’d soon become company property.
…
Moments later, the remaining candidates returned to the hall.
Yun Jing approached Ye Lingshao.
“You trained the Ten-Star Difficulty technique, right?”
Ye Lingshao replied calmly, “Wan Jian Wu Zhong Jue.”
Yun Jing smirked.
The other had left five minutes earlier—this round was clearly his.
Ye Lingshao wasn’t surprised.
He’d completed Wan Jian Wu Zhong Jue in an hour and a half, and knew he’d secured first place.
Yun Jing thought bitterly: Hmph. When it comes to cultivation, I truly am inferior to him.
If this were a real combat test… I might have had a chance.
Seeing Ye Lingshao’s indifferent expression, Yun Jing’s frustration over losing the top spot flared again.
Then, he spotted Zhang Yu in the distance.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
“Say… if it were you,” Yun Jing asked, “could you master a Seven-Star difficulty technique in thirty-two minutes?”
Ye Lingshao paused.
A familiar face flashed in his mind.
“Thirty-two minutes?”
He considered. “A Seven-Star difficulty? Probably manageable.”
“An Eight-Star level? Depends on the technique.”
He looked at Yun Jing. “So… what’s the point?”
Yun Jing gestured toward Zhang Yu.
“That No. 55? He completed an Eight-Star level technique—Chunqiu Wujin Chan—in thirty-two minutes.”
Ye Lingshao froze. His eyes snapped to Zhang Yu.
At that moment, the Light Screen displayed the final rankings of the third martial arts exam.
1st Place – No. 23 (Ye Lingshao)
2nd Place – No. 11 (Yun Jing)
3rd Place – No. 56 (Bai Zhenzhen)
4th Place – No. 55 (Zhang Yu)
Ye Lingshao’s eyes widened.
Yun Jing hadn’t lied.
He stared at Zhang Yu, stunned:
Thirty-two minutes… to master Chunqiu Wujin Chan?
Could he do it?
He thought—yes, possibly. But it would be razor-thin.
“So…” Ye Lingshao murmured inwardly, “this No. 55… his talent and ability in technique cultivation… isn’t beneath me?”
This was the first time in years—since meeting members of the Ye clan—that he’d encountered someone whose potential matched his own.
Beside him, Yun Jing smiled.
“If he hadn’t picked an Eight-Star level technique for no reason, his score might’ve beaten yours.”
A true genius in technique cultivation—someone who mastered a technique after just one look, perfected it after one repetition.
Ye Lingshao now understood.
Could it be… this No. 55 has already mastered most of the Ten-Star or Nine-Star techniques? He only picked this one because it was the one he didn’t dislike?
Recalling No. 55’s performance in the previous Martial Energy and Physical Body exams, Ye Lingshao realized—this was entirely possible.
This guy doesn’t care about rankings at all.
…
Damn it… I only came in fourth? Was Eight-Star level too easy?
Zhang Yu stared at the rankings, gritting his teeth.
You rich bastards… if I had enough money, I’d have wiped all of you out.
Then he turned to Yu Xinghan, who was still clinging to his back.
“Why are you hiding behind me like a coward?”
Yu Xinghan gripped his shoulder. “Just… stand still. Just shield me.”
Bai Zhenzhen leaned in, curious. “Why are you looking at me like that? Like a common high school failure.”
Yu Xinghan groaned in distress. “Don’t look at me!”
He pointed at her. “Stay away!”
He’d never realized before how stunning Bai Zhenzhen truly was.
Though she still didn’t compare to Li Xuelian in his eyes, her beauty stirred something deep within him—his pure yang gongqi flared hotter, more chaotic.
This was unbearable for someone so disciplined.
If I’d known reversing the surgery would give me such a side effect—this massive weakness—I’d have never chosen Tiangang Qigong.
Bai Zhenzhen tilted her head. “You’re scared of me?”
Yu Xinghan nodded frantically. “Don’t come near me!”
She held out her hand. “Five hundred yuan for silence.”
Yu Xinghan’s breath hitched. “Fine, fine! I’ll give it to you later!”
As the Light Screen revealed the rankings, countless eyes turned toward Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.
Dai Xingzhi watched Zhang Yu, thinking:
Finished in thirty-two minutes… ranked fourth? That means he completed a high-star technique in that time? Not ten-star—otherwise he’d be first.
Still… even so, his technique learning ability is terrifying.
Someone with this kind of talent, surviving this far into the Foundation Establishment Exam… must be a super-rich outsider.
Of course. He didn’t care about rankings—just showed off casually.
And that woman…
Dai Xingzhi glanced at Bai Zhenzhen.
Finishing third in this exam proves her strength.
And she’s clearly close to No. 55. Probably another wealthy outsider.
His expression darkened.
These two… their real power might not be far behind Ye Lingshao and Yun Jing.
They’re serious contenders for the Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate.
With the third exam’s results finalized, the total scores were soon announced.
Ye Lingshao in first. Yun Jing in second.
Then came Bai Zhenzhen at 14th.
And Zhang Yu at 15th.
Though their rankings weren’t high, many students believed these two had held back—outsiders with untapped potential.
Deng Bingding surveyed the crowd.
“The top twenty remain. The rest are eliminated. Prepare to leave.”
She watched the twenty candidates before her and nodded in satisfaction.
From her hierarchy—vermin, beasts, humans—these twenty were all now on the verge of stepping into humanity.
(End of Chapter)
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