Before the next competition officially began, students had approximately three hours for rest and treatment.

Che Yufei had sustained minimal damage in the previous battle. After maintaining his Dharmic Bone and taking some standard medication, he began to review the information displayed in his Eye-Bone. Since he posted on his Moments after the competition, he had gradually started receiving messages. He smiled as he opened the comments under his post, seeing former high school and college classmates surprised by his entry into the top ten of the competition. Concurrently, the internship applications he had quietly submitted were now unexpectedly garnering responses.

Meanwhile, Shi Yunxiang was eager to showcase his top-ten ranking from the competition. He announced his top-ten achievement in various group chats. To Shi Yunxiang, this was only natural. “If I get a competition ranking and don’t show it off… wouldn’t it be pointless?” he thought. “When you achieve something, you must flaunt it to let everyone who knows you be aware. That’s the rule of survival for university students.” He joyfully replied to a message from his mentor, a message he hadn’t received in a long time. Among the demon-descended students at Myriad Laws University, some also approached him, inquiring about his situation and whether he needed a loan from the Demon-Descendant Student Aid Fund. Looking at the replies in his Eye-Bone, Shi Yunxiang once again marveled at the prestige of a top-ten ranking in the civil engineering competition.

Ying Clan Ancestral Hall Group Chat

Ying Xin: I made it into the top ten of the Civil Engineering Department competition!
Ying Xin: Ranking screenshot.image_file

Ying Xin’s ranking screenshot immediately brought many dormant members in the group chat to life.

First Patriarch: Excellent, excellent! Achieving this in your second year means a promising future.
Fourth Patriarch: Ying Xin, you got this ranking as a substitute, didn’t you?
Second Patriarch: Good! You’ve latched onto a strong connection. Make sure to hold on tight and don’t let go.
Fifth Patriarch: Compared to that, the ranking itself isn’t so important. You’ll understand when you’re a higher-grade student: ranking is more important than ability, but choosing the right side is more important than ranking, and one’s background is the crucial key.
First Patriarch: Did you send a gift? Take my ashes and give them to them.
Third Patriarch: Grandpa, have you forgotten? You already had me give away most of your ashes. There’s hardly any left.
Third Patriarch: Just burn mine. There should still be plenty.

Seeing the responses from her father, grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, ancestral father… Ying Xin felt a warmth spread through her heart. This was the support her family’s heritage and bloodline provided.

Meanwhile, Yu Xinghan lay by the construction site, simultaneously practicing cultivation breathing exercises and manipulating his Dharmic Bone to chat.

Songyang Hometown Group Chat.

Yu Xinghan, Myriad Laws University, Foundation Establishment Class Rank 5, Civil Engineering Competition Top 10, Engineering Health Management Specialist: Hahaha, Song Hailong, that video you posted is interesting.
Song Hailong, Immortal Weapon University, Foundation Establishment Class Rank 3: I posted that last week, didn’t I? Why are you only replying now?
Zhao Tianxing, Fengdu University (Contact me for data top-ups): Top 10?
(Omitted text) Yu Xinghan: Are you talking about the civil engineering competition top 10?
Yu Xinghan: Zhang Yu and I participated in the department-internal civil engineering competition. We defeated a few sixth-year students and were lucky enough to get into the top 10.
Yu Xinghan: It’s quite rare for a second-year student to achieve this ranking. I guess Zhang Yu and I really did surpass the average level of previous generations in Myriad Laws University’s Civil Engineering Department.

Seeing the various admiring replies in the chat, Yu Xinghan then asked them to support his videos. At the same time, Lian Tianji’s avatar began to flash.

Lian Tianji: Brother Xinghan, my assistant forgot to forward your last message to me.
Lian Tianji: Which of your videos do you want me to recommend and share?

Upon seeing Lian Tianji’s reply, Yu Xinghan’s spirits lifted. He immediately began chatting with him, and they eventually agreed that when Yu Xinghan went to Acacia University for a project, they would definitely film a video together.

“Acacia University…” Yu Xinghan’s gaze became resolute. “I’m definitely going!”

Just then, Yu Xinghan saw Zhang Yu and Xiao Qingxuan return. He quickly went to meet them and asked, “How is it?”

Xiao Qingxuan calmly replied, “His injuries were already quite stable. The doctor provided some simple treatment and used the medicine Director Gao sent. He should fully recover after resting for about an hour.” Everyone quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Yu’s astonishing performance in the previous competition against Ma Xuan had, without them realizing it, made him indispensable as the team’s main force in the upcoming contests.

However, shortly after, with the release of the next round’s schedule, everyone on the team became grim-faced.

“In the new round of the competition, the remaining top ten teams will face each other in pairs.”
“The preliminary top ten ranking will be determined by each team’s construction completion rate.”
“The winners of these paired matches will have one challenge opportunity in the next round. For example, successfully challenging the third-place team means becoming the third-place team themselves…”

Zhang Yu thoughtfully remarked, “So, this round determines the preliminary top ten, and the next round will decide the final rankings.”

Che Yufei frowned. “We’re up against Su Yanyang’s team this round? This…” He looked at Shi Huaiyu beside him and asked, “You used to be on their team. How big is the gap between us and them?”

Shi Huaiyu touched her waist, her expression somewhat grim, and said, “The gap is significant. Su Yanyang’s personal strength goes without saying. As far as I know, his Iron Coffin alone contains nine sets of commonly used Dharmic Bones, covering various specializations. They perfectly complement his cultivation techniques, allowing him to fully unleash his formidable cultivation. Whether it’s direct combat, reconnaissance and maneuvering, terrain manipulation, formation setup, or large-scale construction… it’s fair to say his capabilities in all aspects far exceed ours, leaving him with no weaknesses. Furthermore, the other members of his team are all students ranked within the top 40 of the entire department. The Dharmic Bones, magic artifacts, and other equipment each of them possesses are all extremely valuable. Crucially, every one of these individuals is wealthy, so they will never fear the cost of consumption during the competition or the subsequent medical treatment and maintenance.” At this point, Shi Huaiyu sighed, “I suspect Su Yanyang received information about this long ago and assembled such a team probably with the aim of securing a top-seven spot. Moreover, he is extremely cautious in his actions and never shows the slightest carelessness, no matter the opponent…”

Listening to Shi Huaiyu describe the formidable strengths of Su Yanyang and his teammates, the surrounding team members gradually fell silent.

Che Yufei shook his head. “Anyway, we’ve already made it into the top ten. If the situation looks unfavorable in the next match, we should surrender early to avoid excessive losses.” Xiao Qingxuan observed the changing expressions of those around him and could sense a trace of relaxation appearing on each face. He understood clearly that reaching the top ten had already met the expectations of most team members. With the next opponent being so formidable, seemingly invincible, it was natural for them to consider giving up. Upon hearing this, Shi Huaiyu’s face showed a hint of reluctance, but she did not refute Che Yufei’s words. She lacked the confidence to encourage everyone to confront Su Yanyang, simply because the risks and potential losses were too great. Xiao Qingxuan looked at a thoughtful Zhang Yu and wondered, “The whole team has lost their fighting spirit. Do you still want to win in this situation?”

As the rest period ended, everyone prepared to re-enter the arena. At the entrance to the arena, the two teams stood facing each other.

Su Yanyang leaned against the Iron Coffin floating behind him, looked at Shi Huaiyu, and said, “Junior Sister Huaiyu, have you decided whether to fight to the end or surrender early? You should be very aware of the gap between us. If you surrender early, it would reduce losses for both sides, which I believe is a good strategy. We are all civil engineering students, so why should we exhaust each other? You know me; I detest unnecessary expenses the most.”

Shi Huaiyu gritted her teeth and said, “Win first, then talk.”

Su Yanyang shook his head helplessly. “Junior Sister, you’re still so irrational. On the path of cultivation, acting on impulse is the most forbidden thing.” He looked at Shi Huaiyu’s other teammates and advised, “Shi Huaiyu and I have some disagreements, so her choices might be influenced by emotions. You should try to persuade her. Wouldn’t it be better to save money for cultivation? Why waste it here? Don’t you agree…?”

Just as Che Yufei, Shi Yunxiang, and others’ gazes flickered, Zhang Yu suddenly stepped in front of Su Yanyang, looked at him, and said, “Are you trying to sow discord among us?”

“Oh?” Su Yanyang smiled. “What gave you that illusion?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Zhang Yu stared unyieldingly at Su Yanyang and said, “Before the battle even begins, you’re resorting to trash talk and trying to divide us. You’re not confident, are you? Is it true that you’re not so sure you can win against us after all?”

“Heh heh.” Su Yanyang’s smile grew brighter. “An interesting second-year student. It seems your confidence has inflated quite a bit after defeating Ma Xuan. Alright, I had intended to offer you some senior advice. But now it seems you’ll only listen after you’ve been defeated.”

Waving his hand, Su Yanyang retreated backward. At the same time, the Iron Coffin beside him abruptly opened, and several streaks of light shot out, hurtling towards Su Yanyang. He transformed instantly, and the Dharmic Bone set on his body switched. At this moment, Su Yanyang’s arms were composed of layers of crystals, through which electric currents pulsed, emitting a heart-stopping aura. His legs had also transformed into similar crystallized structures, imbued with anti-gravity that allowed him to float in mid-air. His chest and torso appeared to have transformed into blue gems, while crystal-like protrusions along his spine looked incredibly menacing.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Yu and the others’ gazes sharpened. Shi Huaiyu’s explanation appeared in their Eye-Bones.

Shi Huaiyu: Su Yanyang’s Dharmic Bones are all complete sets, bought as a full system.
Shi Huaiyu: Not only do they enhance his cultivation, but they also have synergistic effects, allowing for systematic strengthening and combat.
Shi Huaiyu: This set of Dharmic Bones is the Earth Fiend God series from the Myriad Path Artificer Sect, specifically designed to enhance the manipulation of earth fiend gravity.
Shi Huaiyu: When used to enhance the Seven Civil Engineering Arts, it can significantly increase their power and casting range.

Listening to Shi Huaiyu’s explanation and looking at Su Yanyang floating in mid-air, Che Yufei and the others felt much of their fighting spirit dissipate.

As the competition officially began, everyone entered the arena. The attack and defense order for both sides had also been determined through a random draw.

Shi Huaiyu murmured, “Are we the defending side for the first half?”

Che Yufei looked into the distance and said, “Should we, like last time, go out and meet them, repelling the enemy beyond the construction site?”

But to everyone’s surprise, unlike Ma Xuan who immediately launched a large-scale attack, Su Yanyang and his group initiated no offensive whatsoever.