Chapter 388 |
Inside the Spiritual Realm space.
During the competition, each team's communication group was made accessible to the judges and instructors, showcasing the internal dialogue and strategy of each team.
Zhang Yu's team was no exception.
As the instructors read through Zhang Yu’s messages in the group chat, one of them remarked, “Looks like Zhang Yu’s noticed something.”
Another added, “Judging from how he’s talking to the substitute teammate, it sounds like he’s probing for weaknesses.”
“The array was set up too hastily,” said a third instructor. “Without enough data collected, the Ten Thousand Ghosts Bewitching Array couldn’t simulate every scenario properly. He’s bound to have spotted a flaw.”
Lang Yougong chuckled. “Didn’t expect Zhang Yu to be so meticulous beneath that bold exterior.”
Wei Huai added, “But just now Su Yanyang’s team was still in full construction mode. They hadn’t really launched any attacks. Now that Zhang Yu’s found a flaw, Su Yanyang’s side will probably show us what smart construction can really do.”
…
Su Yanyang's gaze seemed to pierce every layer of obstruction, watching Zhang Yu’s trio stepping into the array.
Yet, just as they entered—poof—they vanished.
The Soul Cultivator serving as the array spirit reported: They dug a hole and went underground.
Su Yanyang: Useless. How’d you let them notice?
Array Spirit Soul Cultivator: We’re short on hands.
Su Yanyang: Do you want a negative review?
Seeing the soul cultivator go silent, Su Yanyang shook his head. “Soul cultivators—always making excuses. Artifact Spirits are way more obedient.”
He had once had the privilege of testing high-intelligence Artifact Spirits. In obedience, efficiency, self-motivation, and even learning ability, they far outclassed most soul cultivators.
“But damn, they’re expensive.”
Thinking about the price difference, Su Yanyang decided to make do with soul cultivators for now.
…
With dragon-shaped Martial Qi sweeping forward, the earth was ripped apart, forming a half-height tunnel.
Zhang Yu and Tian Yang followed behind Xiao Qingxuan, watching as he tunneled faster and faster, astonished.
“This isn’t the Starfall Meridian-Piercing Technique, is it?” Zhang Yu asked in surprise. “What kind of martial technique is this? You’re digging like a mole!”
Xiao Qingxuan didn’t reply, but thought to himself, “No way I’m telling them this is tomb-raiding tech passed down by some ancient Gold Core cultivator…”
Out loud, he said instead, “It’s probably the Ten Thousand Ghosts Bewitching Array. But it was rushed—they didn’t have time to stabilize it. If we can escape the building’s range, the illusions won’t affect us anymore.”
“But underground, it’s hard to tell directions… Zhang Yu, can you sense where the spiritual energy is concentrating?”
Using his Three-Eyed Divine Sight, Zhang Yu sensed the energy flow and marked the direction within his EyeNet overlay to guide Xiao Qingxuan.
Xiao Qingxuan mused, “Where spiritual energy gathers—if it’s not the core, it’s still a critical node. Wrecking it could really delay their progress.”
Meanwhile, Zhang Yu looked up info on the Ten Thousand Ghosts Bewitching Array, asking, “So just now… was that array spirit impersonating Shi Huaiyu and Yu Xinghan, replying to us?”
With the array’s influence temporarily lifted, Zhang Yu had reestablished contact with Shi Huaiyu’s team.
“It was probably a soul cultivator,” Shi Huaiyu said in the chat. “Su Yanyang usually uses those.”
“A soul cultivator?” Zhang Yu asked. “Aren’t they part of the team too? Doesn’t that make it more than six people?”
Shi Huaiyu was confused. “Soul cultivators don’t count as people.”
It felt to her like someone asking whether Artifact Spirits counted as contestants… What kind of question was that?
Zhang Yu fell silent. For the first time since entering Wanfa University, he truly grasped the low status soul cultivators held in others’ eyes.
“Well… maybe only poor soul cultivators,” he thought. “The ones with money are probably treated a lot differently.”
…
Su Yanyang smiled. “Three little rats.”
Though the array spirit had lost track of them, his screen still displayed a full map of the arena.
It was filled with heat signatures, spiritual currents, construction progress, spirit vein data, underground tremors—all integrated from the team’s six different sensor methods.
Watching one fast-moving tremor on the map, Su Yanyang was sure that was Zhang Yu and his team.
…
Boom!
Earth and sand exploded as Zhang Yu’s trio broke into an underground chamber.
The moment they appeared, streaming payment notifications popped up before them.
“Your account is overdue by 35 spirit coins. Service will be suspended in 1 minute. Please recharge immediately…”
Tian Yang stared, his heart skipping a beat.
Xiao Qingxuan barked, “We’ve entered the array again. Don’t fall for the illusions!”
…
Su Yanyang felt the vibrations in the earth and watched the array spirit’s video feed.
“They’re here.”
The great array beneath his feet now moved like an extension of his thoughts. He struck toward their location with a palm, then clenched his fist.
…
Zhang Yu’s trio suddenly felt the ground closing in like a metal vice—an alloy crushing in on all sides.
Zhang Yu punched forward, roaring dragon cries erupting as the Twenty Layers of the Nine-Dragon Heavenforce Palm, preloaded into his body by Xiao Qingxuan during the tunnel rush, detonated all at once.
The air boiled. Shockwaves tore through the underground chamber, ripping apart the collapsing walls.
One strike and they were gone, retreating into the tunnel as Xiao Qingxuan resumed digging.
Zhang Yu: He was ready for this.
Tian Yang: We were too loud. He picked up our vibrations.
Xiao Qingxuan: Split up.
…
Su Yanyang saw multiple new tremors appear on the map.
“Splitting up?”
“No… not just that. They’re using humanoid and dragon-shaped Martial Qi to throw off my sensors.”
Su Yanyang had studied every detail from Ma Xuan about their previous fight. He knew Zhang Yu used humanoid Martial Qi at distances up to sixty meters, and Xiao Qingxuan’s palm strikes could channel nearly a hundred meters.
“They’re using long-distance Martial Qi transmission to create fake tremors.”
“Fine by me.”
Su Yanyang checked the progress bar. “Fifty percent already?”
He messaged the team chat: “Deploy the foundation stakes.”
At that moment, in five corners of the construction site, desiccated corpses were buried underground. Each was injected with soul energy via a Spiritual Realm link.
…
Back in the Spiritual Realm space.
Jiao Lei's eyes gleamed. “Smart foundation stakes? Building caretakers?”
Wei Huai nodded. “Not just that. It’s a fusion of stake-driving, smart construction, and blood ritual tech.”
“Those corpses—they must’ve been refined into original souls.”
“Array completion rate’s gonna spike. Flow is optimized. Structural integrity just got a massive upgrade.”
Spiritual energy surged through spirit veins toward the building Su Yanyang’s team was constructing. Their spirit vein share hit 40% in an instant.
Lang Yougong frowned. “Things are getting tough. What are Zhang Yu and the others planning now?”
“Huh? Still splitting up?”
“With the array and structure stronger than ever, splitting up makes it hard to do any real damage.”
But then Lang Yougong blinked. “Wait… he’s eating?”
Zhang Yu opened his mouth and swallowed a huge bundle of construction material, then began cultivating furiously and slapping his stomach to aid digestion.
Lang Yougong nodded thoughtfully. “Eating… that’s actually smart.”
“On construction sites, eating is how you hide materials, tools, even coworkers. A basic survival skill.”
“If Su Yanyang fights with grand blueprints and mega-projects…”
“Then Zhang Yu is fighting like a true laborer—with petty tricks and clever sabotage.”
And Lang Yougong didn’t underestimate the approach. He knew that even the mightiest projects could collapse from a thousand tiny holes.
Especially in a setting like this—where supplies couldn’t be replenished—‘eating’ the materials was a very effective form of sabotage.
“But Zhang Yu can’t eat much before he has to retreat. That’s too slow. What’s next?”
Soon, the trio’s strategy changed again.
Tu Lishan squinted. “Zhang Yu’s hiding in the deepest part, focused on digesting materials. Huh? Not just digestion… is he refining them? Building something?”
“Xiao Qingxuan is digging tunnels, making a full underground network and tagging storage sites.”
“Tian Yang is hauling materials back to Zhang Yu to be eaten and processed.”
In Tu Lishan’s eyes, the trio had turned into a production line—scavenging, converting, and undermining Su Yanyang’s construction.
One instructor nodded. “They figured out the site layout fast. Transport network, rapid handling, material sorting… their civil engineering skills are really impressive.”
True Lord Magneto asked, “That good? Looks like your disciples are going to win.”
Director Gao sent a private message: We’re going to lose. Don’t ask.
True Lord Magneto: Oh? Why?
Director Gao: Su Yanyang already won. Now he’s just making sure Zhang Yu’s structure ranks low enough…
Director Gao: The lower Zhang Yu’s completion score, the lower his team’s ranking in the top ten.
Director Gao: And that means a better chance for Su Yanyang to place top seven.
Director Gao: And it drags the War Faction’s ranking down with them.
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