When Zhang Yu was buried inside the underground cavity by Ma Xuan, he knew he had to get out as quickly as possible.
Because during the ti he was trapped, their team was short one person on the field.
“If Ma Xuan’s team uses this chance to eliminate one of ours… then we’re in trouble.”
Zhang Yu understood well—while it was rare for students to be killed outright in the Civil Engineering Tournant, it was quite common for them to surrender voluntarily and temporarily exit the match.
After all, dical expenses, Law Husk repairs, and artifact maintenance fees… all of it had to be paid by the participants themselves.
Once soone took too many hits and their treatnt costs outpaced their financial capacity, surrendering beca the natural choice.
“Our team is already weaker than Ma Xuan’s overall.”
“Without , Che Yufei and Shi Yunxiang will face even more pressure.”
“If their bodies or Law Husks keep taking damage…”
If he were in their shoes, Zhang Yu thought, surrendering would be perfectly reasonable. Winning the match but being unable to afford dical care or repairs? What’s the point?
“In this tournant, there’s more than just the visible health bar. Every contestant also has a hidden one—their financial resources.”
“The richer you are, the more damage you can afford, the longer you can hold out.”
“The poorer you are, the less you can take before giving up.”
Which ant that while he was buried underground, his teammates’ bank balances were steadily evaporating.
He had to return—fast—before anyone on their side was knocked out.
As that sense of urgency surged within him, a figure ford of Martial Qi took shape behind him, exuding a biting cold.
Within monts, bones condensed within the silhouette, and in seconds, a Frost Golem stood behind Zhang Yu.
Boom!
The Frost Golem drove its fist upward into the ceiling of earth above them, sending down a cascade of dirt and gravel.
Then another Frost Golem smashed its fist upward again, shaking the very ground.
One after another, nine Frost Golems erged as Zhang Yu poured his Martial Qi into them, their fists hamring upward in a storm of blows.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom…
After summoning nine Frost Golems, Zhang Yu activated the Starfall ridian-Piercing Technique, his fists pulsing with spiraling force as he punched upward.
Underground, it was as if a miniature excavation crew had suddenly erged. With Zhang Yu and his golems punching a path upward, dirt and rubble were hurled aside, tunneling a way out.
The tremors from below grew more intense as Zhang Yu rose.
By the ti Ma Xuan noticed the tremors…
Boom!
With a deafening crash, Zhang Yu burst through the surface alongside nine Frost Golems and landed back on the battlefield.
Zhang Yu said, “Apologies for the wait.”
At that mont, Cong Na and Yang Yan were holding the front line.
Ji Yuanshu was providing artillery support from afar.
Only Ma Xuan was left managing the battlefield remotely through Small Threefold Harmony, while Bu Ziran and Ji Susu were still engaged in construction.
Seeing Zhang Yu suddenly burst out of the earth, all three were visibly shaken.
Ma Xuan knew exactly how he had buried Zhang Yu. Based on his calculations, even with Zhang Yu’s cultivation level, it should’ve taken him at least twenty minutes to claw his way out—long enough for them to eliminate one or two enemies.
By then, Zhang Yu returning wouldn’t change the tide; Ma Xuan would’ve had all the ti he needed to clean up.
Gazing at the nine Frost Golems, Ma Xuan muttered inwardly, “So that’s how he did it… but he must’ve burned through a massive amount of Mana.”
anwhile, Zhang Yu scanned the battlefield with a fiery gaze. “Now… let’s pick up where we left off.”
The nine Frost Golems shimred faintly and kicked up a freezing gust as they charged toward Bu Ziran and Ji Susu.
Bu Ziran bellowed and stepped forward. “I’ll handle this!”
At the sa ti, his ssage appeared on his teammates’ EyeNet interface.
Bu Ziran: “This guy burned through tons of Martial Qi just to tunnel out—his Mana reserves must be low. He’s bluffing, trying to disrupt our construction and distract you, Ma Xuan.”
“Don’t fall for his provocation. I’ll take care of him.”
Bu Ziran’s Lung Law Husk pulsed, and a stream of Lung-Gold Sword Aura burst from his chest, converging at his fingertip.
With a flick of his finger, he unleashed the Xuan-Gold Free Sword, slashing at the nearest Frost Golem.
Bu Ziran’s Lung Law Husk naturally accumulated Lung-Gold Sword Aura with each breath.
And the Xuan-Gold Free Sword he practiced was specifically designed to pierce through Martial Qi.
This expert-grade technique, now enhanced with his Aura, sliced with explosive power.
In a flurry of slashes, Bu Ziran reduced one Frost Golem to shards.
But just as he smirked in satisfaction—convinced Zhang Yu was bluffing—a wave of chilling poison erupted from the broken golem’s remains.
The cold toxin rode the dissipating Martial Qi straight into Bu Ziran’s body, turning his face a ghastly violet and plunging his internal temperature.
“Zhang Yu still has this much Mana?!”
As the remaining eight golems closed in, Bu Ziran recoiled in alarm. Feeling the freezing cold gnawing at his insides, he imdiately retreated.
And he understood the dilemma.
“Destroy one, and you get poisoned.”
“Leave them alone, and they’ll demolish the structure.”
In that instant, Bu Ziran realized Zhang Yu wasn’t just annoying in person—his Martial Qi constructs were just as maddening.
He shouted, “Ji Susu, raise your body temperature with your cultivation before you strike!”
In seconds, both Bu Ziran and Ji Susu had to halt their construction. While cycling their Qi to stay warm, they dodged the relentless assault of the eight Frost Golems.
anwhile, Zhang Yu’s true body surged forward—muscles swelling as he maxed out the War Demon Life-Draining Technique, a storm howling around him as he barreled straight toward Ma Xuan.
Ma Xuan glanced at Bu Ziran and Ji Susu, then focused on the charging Zhang Yu.
“You want to fight too, on top of dealing with them?” he thought. “Arrogant.”
But he didn’t deactivate Small Threefold Harmony to fight.
“If I drop the array now, Shi Huaiyu and the others will imdiately rush in.”
“If we all start brawling here, the match becos chaos.”
“Compared to that… Zhang Yu? I can take a few hits.”
As he finished thinking, Zhang Yu arrived—War Demon Life-Draining Technique paired with Limitless Cloud Hands ripped through the air in a spiral of ice and fists, smashing toward Ma Xuan’s head.
Boom!
A shield of Protective Qi Barrier surged up from Ma Xuan, blocking the blow.
But as the cold seeped into his shield, Ma Xuan frowned.
Zhang Yu smiled calmly. “So, what’s your choice?”
“Let freeze you solid? Or drop your array and let Shi Huaiyu in to wreak havoc?”
“Ma Xuan, it’s your move.”
Ma Xuan replied flatly, “Zhang Yu, your Nine Heavens Cloudstride Force has made you cocky.”
“Shi Huaiyu’s not getting in.”
“And you… won’t hurt .”
As he spoke, golden light flared from his forehead and swept across his body. A soft glow enveloped him, shielding him entirely.
Seeing the golden script dancing under Ma Xuan’s skin, Zhang Yu narrowed his eyes. “A Skin Law Husk?”
He snapped a screenshot and sent it to the tournant group chat. The reply ca instantly.
Tian Yang: That’s the Diamond Incantation Skin from Vajra Forge. Activates the Diamond Body Incantation—high resistance to both physical and magical damage. Can’t be broken with ordinary attacks.
Zhang Yu’s thoughts sharpened. “So it’s a Dao Technique-type Law Husk?”
He launched more punches, but all were blocked by the shimring golden barrier. Ma Xuan didn’t budge—untouched and unmoved.
Ma Xuan’s lips curled into a confident smirk. He could feel the tide turning again.
But at that very mont, another figure burst out of the tunnel Zhang Yu had dug earlier.
“Xiao Qingxuan?!”
Ma Xuan’s eyes widened at the sight of Xiao Qingxuan, cloaked in dragon-shaped Martial Qi, erging from the earth.
In an instant, Ma Xuan understood. “No wonder he hadn’t been attacking much… He was tunneling underground? Wait—Shi Huaiyu must’ve been helping him too.”
“Zhang Yu was tunneling up, Xiao Qingxuan down—they must’ve linked their paths halfway.”
The image flashed in his mind: Shi Huaiyu manipulating the earth, Xiao Qingxuan digging the first half, Zhang Yu finishing the upward path. The tunnels connected seamlessly.
The Dragon Qi ant Xiao Qingxuan could still lend attacks to the surface using short-range transmission—even while underground.
Ma Xuan realized everything. The coordination, the feints, the illusion of presence on the surface—it was all planned.
Zhang Yu and Xiao Qingxuan exchanged a knowing glance.
“This… is bad.”
As Xiao Qingxuan arrived, he hurled a palm strike forward. Nine massive dragon-shaped waves of Martial Qi surged forth, slamming toward the half-built fortress.
Ma Xuan knew, in that mont, that his ti to hesitate was over.
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