Chapter 236: Victory Decided

Just as Zhang Yu and Ye Lingxiao were silently preparing for the final exam.

The vast majority of the audience in the stands, however, no longer kept their attention focused on the exam venue of the physical track.

After all, for these viewers watching remotely through the spiritual network, they were actually simultaneously watching the finals on all four tracks of the Foundation Establishment Exam on the first layer of Kunxu today.

Many university representatives, due to the interests they represented, had special requirements for recruitment and had not paid much attention to the physical track here, with most of their focus always on the other tracks.

And while Zhang Yu and Ye Lingxiao were taking a temporary break, even the viewers who had originally been focused on the physical track naturally turned their attention to the other arenas first.

“The Dao-heart and mana tracks aren’t very entertaining to watch.”

“(crying laughing emoji)” After taking a couple of looks at the Dao-heart and mana exam venues, he finally decided to check out the martial arts arena.

“Among the Dao-heart, mana, physical, and martial arts tracks at the Qi Refining stage, the most interesting exams to watch should be physical and martial arts, right?”

“But the physical track has more viewers, after all, this track is suitable for many majors.”

“As for martial arts, they test practical combat every year, mainly related to security, weapons, warfare, military matters, and at most, the representatives of majors like combat-oriented artifact forging, Dharma frameworks, and pharmacology pay more attention...”

“(crying laughing emoji)” Just as these thoughts passed through his mind, he looked at the martial arts arena and was slightly stunned, only to find that the match there had already ended.

“That fast?”

Looking at the woman collapsed on the arena platform, her body almost disintegrating, “(crying laughing emoji)” curiously selected the replay function.

So the scene before his eyes began to rewind rapidly, and soon started playing from the beginning of this match.

It was also on the examination ground presided over by Huang Zichou.

First, the arena materialized, then the exam content and rules were explained, and the examinees prepared.

After all this was done, Bai Zhenzhen and Yun Jing walked up from opposite sides of the arena platform.

In this final martial arts exam, there would be three arena battles in a best-of-three format.

After each arena battle, both examinees would receive unlimited medical treatment.

And in each arena match, the True Gods would also save them before death.

That is to say, in every round of these three matches, both sides could fight with no reservations, with the strongest, most desperate, and most uninhibited attitude, unleashing all their combat potential.

In addition, various combat spirit roots and weapons were placed on the side, available for both sides to choose freely.

However, neither Yun Jing nor Bai Zhenzhen borrowed any combat spirit roots.

Instead, Bai Zhenzhen chose a Yuanci Oscillation Sword; after infusing it with mana, the blade could oscillate at high frequency, unleashing tremendous destructive power.

Feeling the cold emanating from the hilt, Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself: “This enterprise-grade magical artifact, under normal circumstances, I would never be able to use it, right?”

“And the unlimited medical treatment after each round...” Thinking of this, Bai Zhenzhen couldn't help but crack a slight smile: “In my whole life, I've never fought such a well-provisioned battle.”

As the countdown above the arena gradually reached zero.

Bai Zhenzhen suddenly raised her longsword high and shouted: “University representatives in the audience, watch closely.”

Pointing her sword at Yun Jing, she said: “Next, I will defeat my opponent within one move.”

“Think carefully about what conditions you should offer me.”

Hearing these words from the other end of the arena, Yun Jing's face was calm, but he thought to himself: “Same as the last time I fought Dai Xingzhi, she's trying to anger me?”

“This woman really likes using provocation.”

In response to Bai Zhenzhen's provocation, Yun Jing did not speak; the moment the countdown reached zero, he responded with action.

Both his chest and lower abdomen's dual dantians activated simultaneously, mana like lava burst forth unceasingly, and as Yun Jing struck out with a palm, it transformed into a raging sea of fire sweeping across the sky, like a waterfall sweeping toward Bai Zhenzhen's position.

In that battle three months ago, Bai Zhenzhen had been forced out of the arena by this large-area technique, losing that exam.

But now three months had passed, and what had seemed to Bai Zhenzhen like an unstoppable move back then was now full of flaws.

Over this past period, Bai Zhenzhen had experienced battle after battle in gang fights, witnessing how the lowest-level cultivators in Songyang City, in order to earn money, kill, do business, survive... could come up with countless ingenious methods to fight.

It was precisely during this continuous fighting that Bai Zhenzhen felt her true spiritual root constantly adapting, making her feel that the experts of the Jinke Gang were growing weaker and weaker, and their attacks had more and more flaws.

She had once thought that all the Qi Refining peak cultivators of the Jinke Gang had been killed.

Later she understood that it wasn't that the people of the Jinke Gang had grown weaker, but that she herself had grown stronger—more and more able to discern her opponents' flaws from the changes in the spiritual energy in the air.

Just like at this very moment, the impenetrable wall of fire had several points of weak firepower in her eyes.

With a flick of her longsword, Bai Zhenzhen had already crossed the fire wall and walked toward Yunjing.

"Here I come." Bai Zhenzhen smiled faintly, and the next instant she shot toward Yunjing like a bolt of lightning.

Yunjing thought to himself, "The Myriad Swords Without End Art?"

Bai Zhenzhen's attack was very fast, but still it did not escape the observation of Yunjing's eyes.

His eye Dharma Skeleton almost instantly judged Bai Zhenzhen's move, even her possible follow-up moves, and the flaw in each move.

"I really can't be like that freak Ye Lingxiao, learning a bunch of techniques in just three years of high school."

"But the techniques I've bought are definitely not fewer than his!"

The reason Yunjing bought the copyrights to various techniques was to store the data of a large number of techniques into his eye Dharma Skeleton, allowing him to instantly judge his opponent's moves in battle and find their weaknesses.

And to achieve that, the amount of money spent was clearly beyond what ordinary students could imagine.

Even Yunjing had spent a great deal of time and energy on it.

After all, even though he came from a wealthy family, the money his family gave him was not unlimited; if he wanted more money, he had to earn it himself.

Starting from the second grade of elementary school, Yunjing had already started a business under his father's encouragement.

He still remembered the words his father had said to him.

"There are two principles in this world that I want to tell you."

"First, although you can only begin cultivating the immortal path in high school, making money is something you can start from the moment you are born."

"Second, the upper limit a person can reach on the immortal path is determined by the wealth that person controls."

"From these two facts, a conclusion can be drawn."

"True immortal path cultivation actually begins from the moment you are born."

"Start making money, Yunjing. The earlier you start making money, the more you can earn, and the more money you earn, the farther you can go on the immortal path."

Yunjing very much agreed with what his father had said, so back in kindergarten, he had already started investing, becoming an angel investor in several companies.

In the second grade of elementary school, he founded his first company. While his classmates were doing homework, he was staying up late doing reports.

While his classmates were reviewing lessons, he was hosting midnight meetings.

While his classmates were grinding through exam papers, he was accompanying his employees through all-night overtime.

And after entering Xianyun High School, Yunjing still did not give up this path.

"While others are breathing exercises, I am making money."

"While others are in actual combat, I am making money."

"While others are body tempering, I am still making money."

"It is precisely by persisting in making money day after day, year after year, that I have been able to reach the point I am today…"

"I have been cultivating immortality since I was five years old!"

Just like in the past three months, Yunjing's cultivation was to continue making money.

!

It was precisely because he earned more money that, even with limited family budget, he could still have his eye Dharma Skeleton master more technique copyrights, could split and outsource his meridians and flesh-and-blood to university graduates for body tempering, and could use parasitic spirit roots to buy the magical power of university students…

Then Yunjing thrust out both palms, already following the guidance of his eye Dharma Skeleton to attack the flaws in Bai Zhenzhen's moves.

But in the next instant, he suddenly discovered that Bai Zhenzhen had bizarrely changed her technique, executing a basic high school swordsmanship move.

With no time to think further, Yunjing immediately changed his own attack in response.

And watching this scene, a smile curled at the corner of Bai Zhenzhen's mouth.

"Our battle actually started half a year ago."

Half a year ago was exactly when the second round of Foundation Establishment exams ended, and it was at that time Bai Zhenzhen learned that her strongest opponent on her track was the man before her.

Therefore, based on everything she had observed, she began searching for what model the opponent’s Dharma Relic should be, what martial art he was executing, how his dual dantian worked, and what all the various anomalies during digestion and combat actually signified…

Bai Zhenzhen seized every chance to observe, and after the fact, she diligently collected information, piece by piece filling in her understanding of the opponent’s combat data.

For example, his Dharma Relic.

Through repeated searches on shopping websites and shape comparisons, Bai Zhenzhen finally confirmed the model of the Dharma Relic.

“The enterprise-grade Dharma Relic from Tianyan Corporation—Tianji—can be used even at the Qi Refining stage.”

Bai Zhenzhen had already memorized the data and performance of this ocular Dharma Relic.

She browsed reviews and evaluations online again and again, even sending private messages to review bloggers and influencers, asking about the details, and she didn’t hesitate to tip them.

In this process, Bai Zhenzhen came to understand the Dharma Relic extremely well.

“Tianji’s biggest flaw is that its artifact spirit is too rigid.”

“When I use the high school basic sword technique, because it’s so simple and common, its weaknesses are already conventional. Therefore, Tianji’s countermeasures can be predicted.”

For Bai Zhenzhen, when she used that one basic sword move, she already knew how the opponent would counter it, which meant she could predict his next move in advance.

Bai Zhenzhen did not dodge, nor did she choose to block.

Under this prediction, she chose to let half her body be engulfed in flames and suffer severe burns in exchange for an opportunity to thrust her sword at the opponent’s body.

With a thud, Bai Zhenzhen, exuding a burnt smell, knelt on one knee.

At the same time, with a soft *puchi*, the sword blade, crackling with electricity, pierced into the area of Yun Jing’s shoulder.

But Yun Jing was unimpressed: “With my protective technique and my combat spirit root, her sword strike absolutely cannot break… ”

The next moment, the tiny wound on Yun Jing’s shoulder suddenly expanded under the stimulation of his magic power, and a gush of blood sprayed out like a fountain, accelerating his body’s collapse.

“What?!”

Yun Jing stared at this scene in disbelief, utterly unable to understand how his body—outsourced to hundreds of university students, honed through countless trials—could be breached by such a light sword strike.

…

After this battle, following three months of investigation, Yun Jing learned that several university graduates, after receiving his outsourced project, had subcontracted it to a group of junior college graduates.

And among those junior college graduates, one person subcontracted their own portion to a high school student.

It was precisely because of that high school student’s negligence that Yun Jing’s body had a single flaw.

And it was that flaw that Bai Zhenzhen detected, allowing her to break through his protective technique.

…

At this very moment on the arena, with a soft swish, the long sword followed the erupting flaw and nearly sliced through most of Yun Jing’s body.

It was at that instant that the Righteous God saved Yun Jing and Bai Zhenzhen respectively.

Though Bai Zhenzhen was severely injured, Yun Jing had suffered a nearly fatal wound.

First round: Bai Zhenzhen wins.

After healing, when Bai Zhenzhen stepped onto the arena for the second round, she looked at Yun Jing with an arrogant expression and said coolly, “I told you I would defeat you in one strike.”

Seeing Bai Zhenzhen’s lofty attitude, Yun Jing had to admit that she had indeed provoked him a little.

And this anger was mixed with a kind of tension—a tension born from not knowing how the opponent had broken through his protective technique.

So as soon as the second round began, Yun Jing went all out, never giving her any chance to get close.

Relying on the insane output from his dual dantian, Yun Jing turned almost the entire arena into a sea of flames, leaving Bai Zhenzhen no chance to approach at all.

Under his relentless bombardment, Bai Zhenzhen struggled for over ten minutes before finally being forced off the arena.

After this second round battle, Yun Jing regained his confidence, knowing that his raw strength was above hers. As long as he stayed steady and didn’t fall for her little tricks, he couldn’t lose.

“Now it’s one win each,” Yun Jing thought to himself. “As long as I win this last round, I’ll get the Foundation Establishment qualification.”

But when the third round began, Bai Zhenzhen once again pointed her sword to the sky and said to the audience, “Everyone, watch closely.”

“This round is already over.”

“I will still defeat him in one strike.”

"My only university goal is the Top 10."

"You guys prepare the competitive conditions to recruit me."