https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-230-The-Third-Trial-of-the-Flesh/13686747/
Chapter 229: The Fate Lies in the Third Trial
During the brief lull while watching the video feed, Huang Zichou, eager to avoid an awkward silence, decided to seize the moment to deliver a lecture.
“You two,” he said, “once you enter university and implant your Spirit Armor—or purchase flying swords, talismans, and other cultivation gear—make sure to watch out for things like this.”
He listed them off with the precision of a seasoned instructor:
“Check your equipment balance before leaving the house. Make sure your subscriptions are renewed. Clear out all pop-up ads. And don’t forget to pay your installment fees on time.”
“Every year, during university exams,” he continued, “there are always students who flunk simply because they overlooked something minor—like a forgotten renewal or an expired service. A single oversight can throw off their performance, tank their grades, and ruin their GPA.”
“Today, this is basically a preemptive lesson for you.”
Zhang Yu silently thought: Well, that was certainly a lesson. I’ll remember this for life. From now on, I’ll double-check everything before every exam.
Ye Lingshao, on the other hand, mused: Everyone’s got auto-renewal and auto-billing these days. What’s there to check? Oh right… poor people probably run out of funds. That’s rough.
About a minute later, Jianzong finally stabilized. Under the combined control of Zhang Yu and Ye Lingshao, it stirred back to life.
But Zhang Yu couldn’t shake the lingering sense of unease. If anything, the discomfort in his eyes had worsened.
At the same time, as Jianzong reconnected to their neural signals, the synchronization rates on their heads updated:
Zhang Yu: 90%
Ye Lingshao: 95%
This figure represented their overall synchronization with all implanted Spirit Armors. Clearly, the neural integration with Jianzong had caused both of their sync rates to drop.
Zhang Yu frowned. “The gap just got wider…”
Meanwhile, within Zheng Shen’s internal network, Mu Guiyin spoke:
“Beyond raw cultivation foundation, the biggest difference between them lies in their Dao Heart.”
“Ye Lingshao’s Dao Heart reached Level 10 last year. Zhang Yu’s is still only at Level 8.”
“Sure, this exam tests physical strength—but the Dao Heart is the core of a cultivator’s entire cultivation. It affects every aspect of one’s being. How could it not impact the body?”
“The gap in their Dao Hearts alone means Zhang Yu has no chance in this round.”
Another voice from Zheng Shen added:
“Ye Lingshao’s had a Level 10 Dao Heart for a long time now. He’s trained daily to perfectly control his body. His physical adaptability has been refined under the constant support of a high-level Dao Heart.”
“Only through relentless, daily cultivation of the body can one quickly adapt when the body changes. That’s the only way to push past the limits.”
Huang Zichou remained silent, but inwardly, he had to admit Mu Guiyin was right. Zhang Yu’s Dao Heart level was a serious bottleneck.
He thought: Zhang Yu is a year behind Ye Lingshao in cultivation. That he can even match Ye Lingshao’s physical strength is already impressive. The gap in Dao Heart is inevitable.
“Historically, the final stage of the Foundation Establishment Exam has always been a battle between cultivators with Level 10 Dao Heart, 100 Martial Energy, and Level 10 Physical Strength.”
“Who would’ve thought this year would produce a kid with only Level 8 Dao Heart, yet still make it to the final round?”
As he mused, Huang Zichou didn’t pause in his role as examiner. With a flick of his divine power, he summoned the third and final Spirit Armor for this stage.
It was a spine, pulsing with faint, eerie blood-red light—yet shaped like a white dragon, coiling and circling around him in midair, as if alive.
“This,” Huang Zichou announced, “is the Jiaolong Lingqi, a top-tier Spirit Armor crafted by Longhun Workshop.”
“As a specialization-class Dragon-type Spirit Armor, Longhun has decades of experience in crafting armor from various dragon materials. The Jiaolong Lingqi is considered a classic in spinal Spirit Armors.”
“Once implanted, its embedded dragon tendons can greatly enhance a cultivator’s physical capabilities. In the Foundation Establishment stage, the effect is roughly equivalent to a +1 level increase in Physical Strength.”
“Additionally, the armor contains a dragon-class Dao Art—Longwei Spell. Once activated, it can suppress the mind, preventing any cultivator with a Dao Heart level below 20 from properly circulating their inner alchemy within a hundred-meter radius.”
Zhang Yu’s heart skipped a beat. Damn. A suppression field. No, not suppression—mind-control. A mind suppression field. This is the first time I’ve seen a real Dao Art in action. In high school, Dao Arts were just basic Spells. I’ve never actually encountered the real thing.
As before, Zhang Yu felt his spine sever its neural connection to his brain.
The impact was far worse than the previous two times. The spine governs all movement in the body. Losing that connection instantly left him limp on the operating table, feeling completely paralyzed. A cold shiver ran through him.
After about fifteen seconds, Zhang Yu regained the sensation of his spine. But this time, the feeling was utterly strange—his spine no longer controlled his body. It only bent and twisted as his will directed it.
Worse, he felt his consciousness being pulled into the spine itself, as if he were being absorbed, guiding the Jiaolong Lingqi like a white dragon soaring through the heavens…
Then, abruptly, Zhang Yu snapped back to reality. Phew. That was close. I almost lost myself to the armor’s influence. Just a mental illusion.
He thought: This isn’t even full implantation—just neural connection. And already this intense. So after Foundation Establishment, when I actually implant all these Spirit Armors, the burden will be far heavier than I imagined.
So why bother with implants at all? If I don’t need to wear other Spirit Armors, why not just use talismans?
He’d had this question before. Fujie had once explained it clearly.
“The truth is simple,” she’d said. “Spirit Armors were invented by the artificers—to create a leapfrogging advantage in the talisman market and trigger an industry revolution.”
“To rise in Kunxu, you must outperform everyone else. As more people use Spirit Armors to boost their performance, amplifying their talismans’ power, you’ll be left behind unless you adopt them too.”
“Eventually, you won’t have a choice.”
As Zhang Yu struggled to adapt to the Jiaolong Lingqi, the Dogs Head in the audience stand commented:
“This Jiaolong Lingqi looks impressive.”
The Cat Head beside him narrowed his eyes. “You’re interested? Then I’d advise against buying it.”
Dogs Head raised an eyebrow. “Got insider info?”
He knew the finance department’s people were deeply connected, always in the know, with access to exclusive data.
Cat Head replied coolly:
“Don’t need insider info. The manufacturer said it themselves. They specialize in dragon-themed armors—meaning they’re not skilled with other materials. And calling it a ‘classic’? That means it’s already outdated.”
“Plus, Longhun Workshop had a scandal before—revealed that less than 5% of their dragon material was real. Most was just powdered bone.”
“Given the price, I’d bet most of this spine armor is made from common beast materials. If you’re lucky, 3% is even from actual dragons—probably farmed hybrids.”
“Mass-produced gear like this? You’re not going to get premium materials. If you’ve got the money, go for custom-made Spirit Armor.”
Dogs Head thought: Yeah, well, I don’t have the money.
He lost all interest in the Jiaolong Lingqi and sighed:
“These days, Spirit Armors are all about cutting corners and false advertising. You’ve got to research thoroughly before buying—or you’ll get scammed.”
At that moment, the synchronization rates updated again:
Zhang Yu: 79%
Ye Lingshao: 86%
Zhang Yu whispered: Is it over?
He wasn’t surprised. He thought: It’s probably the Dao Heart. That’s the difference.
Though he’d lost this round due to his Dao Heart lagging behind, Zhang Yu didn’t dwell on it. After all, he’d pushed himself to the absolute limit over the past year.
Now, all he wanted was to prepare for the next stage—give everything he had, and fight with every fiber of his being to win the Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate.
Inside Zheng Shen’s network, Mu Guiyin continued:
“There are two paths for Spirit Armor development. The first is to refine your own body parts into Spirit Armor. The stronger your body, the stronger the armor. And since it’s part of you, it’s perfectly compatible.”
“But that path is incredibly difficult. Customizing Spirit Armors for individuals is astronomically expensive—out of reach for almost everyone.”
“So most cultivators take the second path.”
“Gradually replacing weaker external Spirit Armors with stronger ones, slowly refining them until they become part of your body.”
“But if you can’t adapt to a new armor, your cultivation will regress instead of progress.”
“And this is just for humanoid Spirit Armors. Rumor has it the upper echelons are already experimenting with non-humanoid forms.”
A junior deity interjected:
“Sure, those might be powerful in same-level matches—but once implanted, you lose your human form entirely. They’re incompatible with most Xian Dao cultivation techniques. After implantation, you can’t even cultivate. It’s a complete reversal of priorities.”
Mu Guiyin brought the discussion back:
“In short, Zhang Yu’s body is strong, but his Dao Heart is weak. He hasn’t even fully mastered his original body, let alone adapt to a new one.”
“Ye Lingshao, on the other hand, clearly adapts faster after Foundation Establishment. He has a brighter future.”
With the second round concluded and Ye Lingshao’s victory confirmed, Huang Zichou stepped forward to announce the final trial.
The result of this third and final stage would determine once and for all who would claim the Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate.
(End of Chapter)
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