Chapter 421: Unleashing Their Powers |
Although the students were disgruntled, an exam was still an exam.
So once it officially began, they each brought out their real skills, giving it their all on the worksite to score the best results possible.
Li Xiao threw back his head and downed the mixed potion in one gulp. As the Blood Tribulation Powder, Bloodburst Berserker Pill, and Hundred-Trials Heart-Eating Parasite entered his system, they transformed into surging waves of volatile medicinal power, flooding through his limbs and bones.
Bang!
His heart pounded violently, so fast it felt like a drum beating inside his chest.
“Body—hold it together!”
Li Xiao knew that downing such potent substances all at once placed a massive burden on his body.
But he also knew he didn’t have many options on this kind of testing ground.
“Compared to rich kids like Gongshu Jin and Ji Yuanshu, or someone with a legacy clan like Ying Xin… the ones I should be learning from are Zhang Yu, Yu Xinghan, and Che Yufei.”
Over the past year, Li Xiao had spent every spare moment watching ads, hunting for coupons, leeching off acquaintances, and begging top students for guidance—painstakingly stockpiling potential bit by bit and reinforcing his fundamentals.
In martial cultivation, he didn’t chase flashy or diverse Techniques. He focused on a single one—one that could both temper his body and handle heavy labor—and finally pushed it to Level 20.
As for Law Husks, he pinched every penny. Most days he wore patched-together secondhand models or low-end brands like Fierce Tiger Model. Only for critical occasions would he rent high-end gear.
And for a crucial exam like this final? He’d need to chug tiger-and-wolf tonics to awaken every last drop of dormant strength.
“The Immortal Path is about slow, steady accumulation—and erupting when it counts.”
In the next instant, mana and blood essence surged wildly through his body as he activated the Level 5 War Demon Life-Draining Technique.
Whoosh!
With a single breath, Li Xiao could already taste blood in the air.
“So this is what Zhang Yu used to feel like, fighting for his life?”
Bang!
He stomped forward, his body blurring into a string of afterimages as he dashed toward his assignment, guided by the task projection from his EyeNet.
Watching this, Tu Lishan noted in his EyeNet log, “Li Xiao’s been solid this whole year, figured out where he stands. He’s just a laborer now, but as long as he keeps paying me commission, I’ll keep him employed for life. Why not?”
…
Meanwhile, Yu Xinghan was methodically stretching and massaging his limbs, loosening each joint and tendon to minimize damage later on.
Reading his assignment, he thought, “Trash hauling? Doesn’t really match my current Law Husk setup.”
Yu Xinghan knew that Law Husks—bodily-type artifacts for cultivators—had a huge impact on performance.
Equipping one that fit your job could mean the difference between floundering and flying.
So, he messaged a few of his massage clients and posted in Zhang Yu’s backup dual-cultivation group, asking to borrow compatible Law Husks in exchange for massage vouchers.
Soon, a courier arrived with several pieces, which Yu Xinghan quickly swapped in.
Tu Lishan observed his calm execution and thought, “This kid’s built quite a network in the past two years. Knows how to leverage platforms to tap into personal resources—definitely a talent for the Immortal Path…”
Yu Xinghan: “Mr. Tu, those two new massage therapists today? Chest muscles like cannonballs. Biceps bigger than my head. Want me to save you a spot?”
Tu Lishan: “How many times do I have to say—don’t message me during work hours.”
Yu Xinghan: “Got it, got it. After the exam, I’ll wait for you on the second floor with the crew.”
Tu Lishan shook his head at the discount voucher Yu Xinghan sent. “That boy… still too earnest. You can tell he’s from the first floor.”
…
Now Tu Lishan turned his gaze to Ying Xin. “The Ying clan’s sixth-generation civil engineer heritage? She’s wringing every drop of it out. Looks like they’ve really decided to fight their way upward.”
Ying Xin, clad in six full sets of Law Husks, was radiating overwhelming mana. Her spiritual power surged like a pack of wild beasts, devouring her mana like mad.
The strain was enormous, but her strength exploded—rising, rising, rising—like a runaway stallion trying to buck her consciousness off its back.
Then, one by one, streams of intent flowed into her Law Husks, slowly calming the frenzy.
Seeing the sync rate spike, Ying Xin blinked. “Grandpa? Grandma? Weren’t you working overtime? Why are you here?”
Grandparents: “Silly girl, we are working overtime—overtime to help with your exam!”
Great-grandparents: “Ying Xin! We’re here to support you too!”
Great-great-grandparents: “Overtime is a family tradition! The whole crew’s here!”
Bound by blood, the six relatives’ intents synced perfectly with Ying Xin’s Law Husks and body, sending her synchronization rate soaring—soon reaching 150%.
Feeling the warmth of her family’s intent coursing through her, Ying Xin smiled. “Everyone—I understand your intent. I feel your support… Let’s go!”
Boom!
She launched forward, arms flaring as her hand Law Husks erupted with spiraling Martial Qi. Like miniature tornados, they swept through the waiting concrete, forming gray dragons that poured into the molds.
…
On another site, Gongshu Jin took one step forward—and a tide of Xuanhuang Qi surged outward, binding itself to every steel bar in sight, making their weight drop drastically.
Since last year’s civil engineering competition, he had obtained the Xuanhuang Mountain-Suppressing Seal—one of the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes.
After acquiring this long-coveted Technique, Gongshu Jin had devoted himself entirely to its study, and now had it at Level 17.
With the Technique unleashed, the entire site fell under his control, as if caught in a gravity anomaly. Steel materials floated into the air like leaves.
With the materials nearly weightless, Gongshu Jin’s efficiency skyrocketed. Each casual burst of Martial Qi flung entire bundles of rebar into place.
Watching his pay tick upward, stabilizing at second place in the class rankings, Gongshu Jin allowed himself a slight smile.
Until—he saw Ji Yuanshu catching up fast. His smile faded.
…
On a different worksite, seven credit cards formed a Seven-Star pattern in Ji Yuanshu’s Sea of Consciousness. Each pulsed with overwhelming fortune.
“With my Fortune-Based Dao Techniques and the seven-star borrowed fate… I might not beat Zhang Yu, but I’ll crush everyone else.”
At that moment, Gongshu Jin swapped in a new dantian Law Husk.
Normally, Gongshu Jin wouldn’t touch secondhand Law Husks—they were worn, unstable, and embarrassing.
But this time, the one he’d chosen was more expensive than most new ones.
Because it had belonged to Mo Shangjin.
Meticulously maintained and fine-tuned, this Law Husk was a perfect match for Xuanhuang Mountain-Suppressing Seal, boosting the Technique’s power by over 20%.
It even came with Mo Shangjin’s previous soul cultivator still embedded inside.
Feeling the precision in its operation and the incredible synergy, Gongshu Jin smiled. “Senior Mo’s soul cultivator and Law Husk combo—no wonder it’s so smooth.”
Soul Cultivator: “I just started this year.”
Gongshu Jin blinked. “Didn’t Senior Mo use the same soul cultivator for years?”
Soul Cultivator: “No, he just kept buying new ones.”
Soul Cultivator: “But don’t worry. The previous guy left great handover notes.”
Soon, Gongshu Jin felt the stability in his Technique climb even higher, his work efficiency rising again—solidifying his hold on second place.
Tu Lishan nodded to himself. “This kid’s just plain lucky. Ji Yuanshu’s power? Just borrowed fortune.”
“A clear difference. The winner’s obvious.”
…
Just then, Director Gao messaged him: How’s Zhang Yu doing on the test?
Tu Lishan didn’t reply. He sent over a video clip.
Zhang Yu stomped the ground—Xuanhuang Qi swept across the site.
Infused with the Taiyi Liquid Gold Pill, his surging Martial Qi turned golden, blazing skyward like a divine flame. With terrifying force, he poured concrete at lightning speed.
In his hand, the Groundfiend Bottle sprayed whirlwinds, sucking in materials and refining them instantly.
Above his head, the Goldfilament Jade Disk blazed with light. Powered by Flame-Sun Mana and Frost Abyss Technique, it adjusted temperature and humidity across the site, speeding concrete curing.
Now and then, beams of light shot from the disk, delivering rapid-fire heating or cooling to further process materials.
In basic form, the artifact could project light.
With basic mana: it caused explosions by triggering Spiritual Energy.
With Flame-Sun Mana: it became a heat-ray.
With Frost Abyss Technique: it became an ice-beam.
Armed with power and treasures, Zhang Yu dominated the leaderboard. Every student watching him was floored.
“He’s rich and strong!”
“Zhang Yu used to be broke—this proves our civil engineering track really does have a future!”
“No wonder he made the top 100 across the department. His earning rate is at least triple mine!”
No one questioned whether Zhang Yu’s use of artifacts was fair—just as no one questioned Law Husks.
After all, in their eyes, spirit coin was part of your strength.
Wealth was power.