https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-346-The-Final-Professional-Exam-of-the-First-Academic-Year/13686917/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-348-The-Tide-of-Fate-Civil-Engineering-Orthodoxy/13686919/
Chapter 347: Intense Relocation
Tu Lishan looked at the group and said, “You now have fifteen minutes to prepare. Think carefully about what you’re going to do next.”
Zhang Yu stared at the blueprint emerging from the Eye Armor, his dual consciousness—linked through perfect mental synchronization—immediately forming a complete image of the structure in his mind.
“This… is a Bunker, isn’t it?” Zhang Yu thought. “The inherent design of a Bunker itself can withstand all kinds of assaults.”
“At the same time, this must be a hint—indicating that after completion, the structure will undergo a 10-Stage Attack. This clearly relates to warfare.”
Thinking this, Zhang Yu sighed inwardly. “War again? It seems the Civil Engineering Department really believes the University War will only grow larger. Even the exams are now full of preparations for combat.”
He studied the Bunker’s full structure, pondering its key components and his own advantages. “With my Construction Efficiency, I can complete this Bunker within three hours—no problem.”
“But the real challenge is pushing the Bunker’s Strength as high as possible, so it can absorb more damage and retain higher Integrity after the assault.”
“How can I push my advantage to the absolute limit?”
Just as Zhang Yu fell into deep thought, Li Xiao, gazing at the blueprint in the Eye Armor, suddenly narrowed his eyes, a spark of insight flashing within.
“The key lies in materials,” Li Xiao thought. “The higher the quality of materials used, the greater the Bunker’s Strength. Even with the same Construction Efficiency, superior materials make everything twice as effective.”
“So materials are everything.”
With that, Li Xiao began mentally selecting materials based on the blueprint, ranking them by importance.
“If materials are the deciding factor, then the outcome of this exam hinges entirely on the first thirty minutes—Material Selection.”
“The competition will be fierce. I must move first, grab the best materials before anyone else.”
Having made his decision, Li Xiao quickly finalized his top three essential materials.
Fifteen minutes passed in the blink of an eye. The moment Tu Lishan announced the start of the exam, Li Xiao shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
Even as his heart pounded like a drum, his Martial Energy surging through his meridians, his legs slicing through the air like axes, pushing his Acceleration to the absolute peak—
He could only watch in helpless frustration as two figures streaked ahead like comets, shattering the atmosphere with thunderous sonic booms, rocketing into the construction material zone before him.
It was Ji Yuanchi leading the charge, followed closely by Zhang Yu.
And just as the two vanished into the materials area, Gong Shuijin flickered into motion, trailing a long wave of air, and surged in third.
Watching others race ahead, Li Xiao felt a flicker of tension—but no panic. He had expected this.
Calmly, he mentally crossed off the top three most critical materials. Then, he focused on the fourth and fifth most important ones.
“The top-tier materials will be fiercely contested. I’d have no chance fighting for them.”
“Better to aim for the next tier—less contested, more manageable.”
But after scanning the area, a look of surprise flickered across his face.
“What’s going on?”
“Why are only Secret Steel No. 5 to No. 10 available?”
“What about Secret Steel No. 11 and above?”
“And why are the other materials so… low-grade?”
“Are we really supposed to build this Bunker using substandard, even inferior materials?!”
Just as Li Xiao was stunned by this revelation, Ying Xin’s Gang Qi flared violently. She swept up a massive pile of low-quality steel beams with a single, fluid motion.
Yet, she showed no surprise—only calm.
“I told you this was a test of Practical Operation. The real challenge isn’t just building strong—it’s about cutting costs, cutting corners. Using Substandard Materials to build a high-quality structure? That’s also part of the assessment.”
With Gang Qi swirling around her like a dragon, Ying Xin lifted dozens of tons of materials and charged toward her construction site.
At that moment, another series of sonic booms exploded in the air.
Ying Xin looked up and saw Ji Yuanchi leading the way, Zhang Yu right behind him, their Gang Qi swirling like storm clouds, dragging a torrent of building materials through the air.
Watching this, Ying Xin sighed inwardly—she knew her gap to the two was vast. But she quickly steadied herself.
“My opponent isn’t them.”
“My goal is Class Rank Four.”
Meanwhile, as students raced back and forth hauling materials, Tu Lishan observed with quiet admiration.
“The Dao of the Immortals is internal relocation—small-scale, within the body. Civil Engineering is external relocation—large-scale, in the world. One internal, one external. One hidden, one visible. They are interconnected, reflecting the great mysteries of the Dao.”
Thirty minutes passed in an instant.
When Tu Lishan declared the material transport phase over, Ying Xin glanced at the mountain of materials piled at her site and allowed herself a satisfied smile.
In fact, the amount she’d gathered far exceeded the blueprint’s requirements.
But soon, everyone understood why.
As Tu Lishan gave the signal to begin construction, Ying Xin let out a low shout. A wave of High-Temperature Gang Qi erupted from her body, distorting the air with searing heat, wrapping around the pile of steel.
Then, with a thunderous slap, she struck the molten metal. Cracks of lightning-like Gang Qi erupted through the red-hot steel, reshaping and retempering it with precision.
“No high-quality materials? Then I’ll reforge them myself.”
“On a construction site—especially a battlefield site—there’s never a guarantee of pristine, reliable materials. The key is Local Resource Utilization.”
Seeing this, many students were stunned, then suddenly enlightened—followed by deep disappointment.
Li Xiao watched, silently amazed. “So she’s re-forging the materials on-site? This is the practical wisdom passed down through six generations of Civil Engineering experts?”
“But most students only realized this too late. The time’s up. And the cultivation required? It’s not something everyone can handle.”
As Li Xiao marveled at Ying Xin’s experience and mastery, the ground suddenly trembled violently.
“What’s happening?”
Yu Xinghan, scanning the area, turned sharply—and saw that Gong Shuijin had replaced his pair of Spirit Armors.
Now, his arms looked like massive siege hammers, slamming into the ground with a thunderous boom.
Behind him, several more Spirit Armors lay arranged in sequence, ready to be swapped in at a moment’s notice.
“Damn rich bastard,” Yu Xinghan thought, jealousy burning in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to rip off that armor and wear it himself.
But as he watched, he muttered, “Is he laying the foundation?”
Yet something felt off. Using his Third Eye Ability, he sensed a change in the Spirit Energy in the air.
“This… is a Spirit Vein shift?” Yu Xinghan gasped. “There’s a Spirit Vein inside this Examination Hall?!”
“Of course there is,” Gong Shuijin thought, feeling the tremors beneath his feet. “The Examination Hall simulates a real Battlefield Construction Site. Naturally, it includes simulated Spirit Energy Conduits—Spirit Veins—under the ground.”
“Ordinary workers look at materials. Top-tier workers examine structure. But true masters of the Civil Engineering Department? They see the Array.”
“The Bunker’s design, the materials—none of that is the most important.”
“The Array is.”
“With a strong enough Array, even a mud wall can withstand a thousand troops, firestorms, and thunderbolts.”
“And to strengthen the Array, Guiding the Spirit Vein is the absolute priority.”
Now, his current Spirit Armor—Earth-Shaking Arm—was infused with Martial Energy. When activated, it unleashed the 20th-Level Earth-Shaking Palm.
But beyond that, its shock-absorbing structure, refined over centuries of practical use by countless users, enhanced the technique’s power far beyond what any student could achieve through mere years of training.
“My technique? Forged through thousands of hours of self-cultivation.”
“But you? You bought this armor and martial art with Lingbi.”
“Spirit Vein! Come forth!”
With his Gang Qi blazing like fire, Gong Shuijin poured all his energy into his Earth-Shaking Arm. The energy surged through intricate internal structures, transforming into visible, transparent shockwaves that warped the air and kicked up dust, slamming into the ground with devastating force.
The impact was so powerful that a student nearby stumbled and fell.
Meanwhile, the simulated Spirit Vein beneath the surface trembled violently, bending toward Gong Shuijin’s construction site—greatly amplifying his Array’s power.
But then—another shockwave rang out.
The Spirit Vein suddenly shifted direction, pulled away from Gong Shuijin’s site.
Gong Shuijin spun around, eyes wide.
Ji Yuanchi was doing the same thing—using the Earth-Shaking Palm, but with bare hands, no Spirit Armor.
“20th-Level Earth-Shaking Palm?” Gong Shuijin was stunned. “He’s mastered it? And his power… is even stronger than mine?”
Could it be due to higher Base Statistics?
But Gong Shuijin sensed it wasn’t just that.
Every punch Ji Yuanchi threw—his force, timing, Gang Qi flow—was perfectly balanced, flawless. As if the Spirit Vein was meant to be pulled exactly where Ji Yuanchi was pulling it. As if it were a Fated Outcome.
And Gong Shuijin, in resisting, was defying fate itself.
After another clash, Gong Shuijin felt a deep, burning shame. He had to admit—on the battlefield of Spirit Vein manipulation, he was completely outmatched.
On the other side, Ji Yuanchi remained unfazed.
After overpowering Gong Shuijin in the tug-of-war, he traced a hand seal, and the divine aura that had briefly guided his Gang Qi faded.
But in the next instant, that same aura surged into his Concrete Qi.
Now, his 10th-Level Concrete Qi unleashed power equivalent to a 20th-Level technique—each movement, every thread of Gang Qi, perfectly synchronized, like a masterpiece carved by divine hands.
This was the terror of Fate Dao Arts.
As long as Ji Yuanchi was willing to spend his luck, he could push any technique to its absolute peak—no matter his current level.
Of course, it came at a cost. Drawing too much on luck could lead to depletion. Once luck was gone, not only would power fail to rise—but his techniques would regress, mistakes would multiply.
But right now, Ji Yuanchi stood at the peak of his fortune, Fortune Overflowing, Fortune at its zenith.
He had no intention of losing. Not today. Not ever.
(End of Chapter)
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