https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-230-The-Third-Trial-of-the-Flesh/13686747/
Chapter 231: The Outcome is Decided
As Zhang Yu and Ye Lingshao quietly prepared for their final exam, the audience in the Viewing Stand had largely shifted their attention away from the Physical Fitness Track.
After all, for viewers tuning in remotely via the Ling Realm network, they were simultaneously watching the finals of all four tracks in Kunxu’s First Layer Foundation Establishment Exam. Many university representatives, driven by their own institutional interests and specific recruitment needs, paid little attention to this particular track. Their focus remained firmly fixed on the other competitions.
And when Zhang Yu and Ye Lingshao paused for a breather, even those who had been following the Physical Fitness Track naturally turned their gaze elsewhere.
“Dao Heart and Martial Energy aren’t exactly exciting to watch,” muttered Crying-Laughing Emoji, after glancing briefly at the two arenas. “Let me check out the martial arts match instead.”
“Among the four categories—Dao Heart, Martial Energy, Physical Body, and Martial Arts—this one’s the most interesting,” he mused. “Still, the Physical Fitness Track draws more viewers, since it suits so many majors.”
“Martial arts, on the other hand, is basically always a live combat test—mostly relevant to safety, weapons, warfare, military, and a few niche fields like combat-oriented alchemy, Spirit Armor crafting, and medicinal techniques. Those specialties tend to pay closer attention…”
Just as Crying-Laughing Emoji thought this, his eyes flicked to the martial arts arena—and he froze.
“The match is already over?”
Staring at the woman collapsed on the arena floor, her body barely holding together, he instinctively triggered the rewind function.
The scene before him snapped backward, fast-forwarding through time until it reached the beginning of the match.
…
The exam was once again overseen by Huang Zichou.
First, the arena materialized. Then came the rules, the explanations, and the candidates’ preparations.
When all was set, Bai Zhenzhen and Yun Jing stepped onto the arena from opposite sides.
This final Martial Arts Exam would be a best-of-three, with three separate arena battles.
After each match, both contestants would receive unlimited medical treatment.
And in each round, Zheng Shen would intervene to save them before death.
That meant: in every single battle, both fighters could unleash their full power—no holds barred, no fear, no mercy. They could pour out every last ounce of their combat potential.
Around the arena, various Combat Spirit Roots and weapons were laid out, available for free selection.
But neither Bai Zhenzhen nor Yun Jing reached for a Spirit Root.
Instead, Bai Zhenzhen selected a Yuan Ci Zhen Dong Jian, a high-tier blade that, when infused with Martial Energy, vibrated at a high frequency, unleashing devastating destructive force.
She felt the cold grip of the hilt in her hand and thought to herself: This kind of corporate-grade artifact… under normal circumstances, I’d never be able to wield it.
And then there’s this Unlimited Medical Insurance after each round…
A small, satisfied smile tugged at her lips. I’ve never fought a battle so comfortably in my life.
As the countdown above the arena reached zero, Bai Zhenzhen suddenly raised her sword high.
“University representatives in the Viewing Stand—pay close attention,” she declared.
Her sword pointed at Yun Jing.
“Next, I will defeat my opponent in a single strike.”
“Think carefully about what kind of offer you’ll make me.”
On the other side of the arena, Yun Jing remained calm. Inside his mind, he mused: Same trick as last time—trying to provoke me?
This woman really loves using taunts.
Yun Jing didn’t respond. Instead, as the countdown hit zero, he acted.
Both his upper and lower dantians ignited simultaneously, unleashing molten streams of Martial Energy. With a single palm strike, a wall of fire erupted—vast, roaring, like a waterfall crashing toward Bai Zhenzhen.
Three months ago, this very technique had forced Bai Zhenzhen out of the arena, costing her the exam.
But now, after three months of relentless combat, that once-impenetrable flame seemed riddled with flaws.
In the Alliance War, she had fought countless battles, witnessing how Songyang City’s lowest-tier cultivators—those driven by survival, profit, or blood—could devise astonishing, creative ways to fight.
Through it all, Bai Zhenzhen felt her Zhen Linggen evolving, adapting. She no longer felt the Jinkē Alliance’s masters were weak. Rather, she had grown stronger—so strong that she could now sense the subtle shifts in Spirit Energy in the air, detect the micro-flaws in her opponent’s movements.
She had once believed the Jinkē Alliance’s Peak Qi Refinement cultivators had all been killed.
But now she knew the truth: it wasn’t that they had weakened.
It was simply that she had grown stronger.
In her eyes, the once-impenetrable fire wall now had several weak spots.
With a flick of her sword, Bai Zhenzhen cut through the flames and stepped forward.
“I’m coming,” she said with a faint smile.
Then, in a flash, she shot forward like lightning.
Yun Jing thought: Wan Jian Wu Zhong Jue?
Her attack was fast—but not fast enough to escape his gaze.
His eye Spirit Armor, almost instantly, analyzed her movements, predicted her follow-up techniques, and pinpointed every flaw in her form.
Sure, I can’t match Ye Lingshao’s freakish talent—three years of high school, and he’s already mastered countless techniques.
But I’ve bought just as many copyrights. I’ve got no less data.
That was why Yun Jing had spent so much on acquiring technique licenses—so he could store vast amounts of combat data into his eye Spirit Armor. It allowed him to instantly recognize opponents’ moves and exploit their weaknesses during battle.
Of course, such a system came at a cost few students could afford.
Even Yun Jing had sacrificed countless hours and immense effort.
Though born into a noble family, his allowance wasn’t infinite. To get more money, he had to earn it himself.
From second grade, he had followed his Father’s advice and started his own ventures.
He still remembered his Father’s words:
“There are two truths I want you to understand.”
“First: although cultivation begins in high school, making money starts the moment you’re born.”
“Second: the upper limit of your cultivation path is determined by your wealth.”
“From these two facts, one conclusion follows.”
“The true path of cultivation begins the very moment you’re born.”
“Start earning, Yun Jing. The earlier you start, the more you earn. The more you earn, the further you’ll go on the immortal path.”
Yun Jing believed every word.
By the age of five, he was already investing—angel investor in several companies.
In second grade, he founded his first business.
While classmates were doing homework, he was crunching financial reports.
While they studied, he was leading midnight meetings.
While they took tests, he was working alongside employees through the night.
And after entering Xianyun High School, he never stopped.
“While others meditate, I’m making money.”
“While others train, I’m making money.”
“While others refine their bodies, I’m still making money.”
“It’s this relentless, daily grind—year after year—that brought me here.”
“Since I was five, I’ve been cultivating.”
In the past three months, his cultivation had meant one thing: more money.
Because of it, he had managed to expand his eye Spirit Armor’s technique database, even under his family’s tight budget. He had outsourced the refinement of his meridians and flesh to dozens of university graduates. He had used Stored Spirit Roots to purchase Martial Energy from college students.
Now, with both palms outstretched, he struck according to his Spirit Armor’s guidance—targeting the precise flaws in Bai Zhenzhen’s technique.
But then—suddenly—she changed her move.
She unleashed a basic high school-level sword technique.
No time to think. Yun Jing adjusted instantly, shifting his attack accordingly.
Watching this, Bai Zhenzhen couldn’t help but smile.
“Our battle began half a year ago.”
That was right after the second round of the Foundation Establishment Exam.
At that moment, she had learned who her strongest rival truly was—this man.
So she began studying him—every detail she could observe.
She searched for the model of his Spirit Armor, analyzed his martial arts style, studied his dual dantians, and investigated the strange phenomena during combat.
She seized every chance to observe, then spent nights gathering data, slowly building a complete profile of her opponent.
For instance, his Spirit Armor.
Through endless searches on shopping sites and side-by-side comparisons, she finally confirmed it.
Tianyan Company’s corporate-grade Spirit Armor—Tianji. The only model usable during the Qi Cultivation Stage.
She had memorized every detail of its performance, every specification.
She read every review, watched every video, even sent private messages to top reviewers, offering gifts for answers.
She knew it inside and out.
The biggest flaw of the Tianji is its spirit soul—too rigid, too predictable.
When I use a basic high school sword technique—so simple, so common—the flaws are already standardized. That means the Tianji’s countermeasures are predictable.
To Bai Zhenzhen, once she drew her sword in that basic form, she already knew how he would respond—knew his next move before it even came.
She didn’t dodge. She didn’t block.
Instead, she accepted the cost.
With half her body engulfed in flames, she took severe burns—just to get one chance to strike.
Thud.
Bai Zhenzhen collapsed to one knee, smoke rising from her scorched body.
At the same moment, the sword flashed with electric sparks—piercing Yun Jing’s shoulder.
But Yun Jing barely flinched.
With my Body-Protection Technique and Combat Spirit Root, her strike couldn’t possibly—
Then, the wound on his shoulder, barely visible before, suddenly widened under the surge of Martial Energy.
Blood erupted like a fountain, tearing through his body.
“What?!”
Yun Jing stared, stunned. How could his body—outsourced to over a hundred university students, refined through countless iterations—be broken so easily?
…
Later, after three months of investigation, Yun Jing discovered the truth.
Several university graduates, after receiving his contract, had subcontracted the work to a group of junior college students.
And among them, one had passed the task on to a high school student.
It was that high schooler’s careless mistake that created the tiny flaw.
And Bai Zhenzhen had sensed it.
That one flaw had broken through his Body-Protection Technique.
…
Now, in the arena, a sharp shink echoed through the air.
The sword, riding the crack in his defenses, nearly severed half of Yun Jing’s body.
At that instant, Zheng Shen intervened—saving both fighters.
Bai Zhenzhen was severely injured.
But Yun Jing—nearly dead.
First round: Bai Zhenzhen wins.
After treatment, Bai Zhenzhen stepped back onto the arena for the second match, her expression arrogant.
“Told you I’d defeat you in one strike,” she said, her voice calm.
Seeing her smug demeanor, Yun Jing had to admit—he was annoyed.
Not just angry. Nervous.
Nervous because he didn’t know how she had broken his Body-Protection Technique.
So, from the start of the second round, he unleashed everything.
With his dual dantians pouring out fire, he turned the entire arena into a sea of flames, denying Bai Zhenzhen even a chance to close the distance.
Under his relentless barrage, Bai Zhenzhen fought for over ten minutes—then was forced off the arena.
After the match, Yun Jing regained his confidence.
My raw strength is still superior, he thought. As long as I stay focused, avoid her tricks, I can’t lose.
“Now it’s one-all,” he thought. “If I win this final round, I earn the Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate.”
But when the third round began, Bai Zhenzhen once again raised her sword to the sky, pointing at the Viewing Stand.
“Everyone—watch closely.”
“This round is already over.”
“Later, I’ll still defeat him in one strike.”
“My university goal is only the top ten.”
“Start preparing your offers.”
(End of Chapter)
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