CHAPTER 196: TWO PILLS AT ONCE

Yu Xinghan watched as Ye Lingxiao’s veins bulged and his muscles twitched uncontrollably. A shiver ran through his heart. “That Mana Circulation Injection is intense… even this Immortal City prodigy can barely handle it?”

Standing nearby, Meng Tao was visibly excited, anticipation gleaming in his eyes. “Did Ye Lingxiao slip up?”

His expression lit up with hope. “That injection hasn’t even hit the market yet. Maybe he’s never used it before? Didn’t expect it to hit this hard—looks like even he can’t take it!”

But in the next instant, Ye Lingxiao’s twitching face curled into a smile. He took a deep breath and exhaled with satisfaction. “High-purity Spirit Stim, huh? Been a while since I had something this potent.”

Inside his dantian, his meridians surged with frenzied excitement under the drug’s stimulus. Far from discomfort, he felt an intoxicating rush—mana howling like a storm through his body.

He might not have used the Mana Circulation Injection before, but he was long familiar with Spirit Stim.

He was even used to the muscle spasms it caused—he’d come to enjoy them, in fact.

“But since this is still an exam, I shouldn’t overdo it.”

Ye Lingxiao had always taken exams seriously.

From the bloodline assessments in preschool, to the Parent Background Exams in elementary, to the General Studies Exams in junior high—no matter the type, Ye Lingxiao had always aimed for first place.

To him, acing exams was second nature. More than that, it was his way of honoring the rules of Kunxu, of this world.

“The Immortal Path is paved with exams and rankings.”

“To climb higher on this path, one must excel again and again, pass each trial, and stand forever at the top.”

“That is the law of Kunxu. That is the Immortal Path.”

He inhaled deeply. The next moment, the twitching in his body halted—and then his muscles exploded outward.

Not just the muscles. His bones, which had been forcibly compressed before, now extended freely. His height shot up to a towering three and a half meters, his physique layered with muscles like overlapping armor plates.

Meng Tao blinked in confusion. “He stretched his muscles and inflated his body? What’s the point of that…”

But then he saw Ye Lingxiao calmly stretching, flexing as if just warming up, and the realization hit him like a hammer. “No… he’s not inflating. He’s releasing the restraints on his body.”

“This is his true form.”

“That small frame he normally keeps—that’s him compressing his muscles and bones on purpose.”

“Was that for training?”

Meng Tao didn’t know the reason, but one thing was clear: Ye Lingxiao was far stronger than he had imagined.

When their body sizes were equal, he already couldn’t win. Now that Ye Lingxiao was bigger and more muscular…

“This guy’s got at least twice my muscle mass.” Meng Tao sighed. “No wonder the Oasis Group called him the most perfect physique in all of high school.”

Even just looking at their bodies, Meng Tao knew he couldn’t compare. More mass meant greater drug resistance too.

But even this wasn’t Ye Lingxiao’s limit.

Ye Lingxiao twisted his torso. With a surge from his dantian, his mana transformed into Longevity Mana.

As he moved through a series of flowing motions, his Longevity Mana began to refine his body, expelling toxins.

Endless Spring and Autumn Meditation, Level 10—activated!

“Endless Spring and Autumn Meditation?” Meng Tao recognized the technique, and his heart shook. “The strongest physique, terrifying talent, and unlimited money… who knows how many Techniques this guy’s learned.” 𝑅𝘢Ν𝐨𝐁Ë𝓢

“He probably has a different Technique ready for every situation.”

Meng Tao thought bitterly, “Aside from Yun Jing, no other high schooler on the first floor of Kunxu could possibly compete with him.”

Just then, Meng Tao noticed another student beside him jabbing three syringes into his arm in rapid succession.

The other student’s focused expression snapped Meng Tao out of his daze.

Ye Lingxiao was strong—but there was only one first place.

“I can still aim for second! Or third, fourth… any spot with bonus points is better than nothing!”

Grabbing a vial from the kit, he stabbed the needle into his neck without hesitation.

Yu Xinghan, watching all of this, felt a chill in his chest. “Going for second place… or just trying to earn some bonus points?”

He glanced at Meng Tao, whose skull was bulging under the strain of accelerated metabolism, and then at the other examinee, whose muscles were bloating with fluid from repeated injections.

Yu Xinghan shuddered. “These Immortal City kids treat drug use like a death match. If I go that hard… my body will be wrecked.”

Then he looked over to Zhang Yu—and saw that his score was still zero. He hadn’t taken a single dose.

“What’s he doing?”

Zhang Yu had been carefully observing Ye Lingxiao’s every move.

Because he was absolutely certain: Ye Lingxiao was his only real opponent in today’s Foundation Establishment exam.

As soon as he saw Ye Lingxiao use the Mana Circulation Injection, Zhang Yu knew he’d have to match it with a 1500-point miracle drug of his own.

After weighing his options, Zhang Yu made his decision. “Let’s try Phoenix-Mimicking Growth Agent first. Looks relatively stable, and it should boost my physical strength too.”

At that moment, the Righteous Gods watching remotely were buzzing with commentary.

Huang Zichou said, “That Perfect Bloodline is without a doubt the strongest on Kunxu’s first floor. The Ye family’s implementation is impressive. If they start offering modification services, they’ll corner the market immediately.”

Another God added, “This Foundation License contest might be a PR campaign for the Perfect Bloodline. The Ye family’s media push for Ye Lingxiao next year is going to be intense.”

“Heh, their stock’s probably going to jump.”

At that, the Righteous Gods shared a knowing laugh—even Deng Bingding, usually the most serious among them, cracked a smile.

Huang Zichou continued, “Looks like Ye Lingxiao’s locked in first place with that shot. The rest can only fight for the leftovers.”

Another God sighed. “With a bloodline that strengthens the body, shifts your form, grants ridiculous drug resistance and Technique absorption... The physical category might as well be renamed ‘Ye Lingxiao’s Solo Stage.’ What are the others even competing for?”

Then Huang Zichou blinked. “Wait… Zhang Yu’s using Phoenix-Mimicking Growth Agent?”

“He thinks he can handle the side effects?”

In that instant, all the Gods began checking Zhang Yu’s file.

“His monthly scores over the past two months have flatlined—or even dropped.”

“With what we’ve seen from him, he shouldn’t be able to withstand Phoenix-Mimicking Growth Agent.”

“Reckless. Get ready to save him.”

As they braced for a rescue, they saw Zhang Yu stand still after taking one pill—then calmly take a second.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Doesn’t feel as heavy as they claimed.”

The Gods collectively recoiled. “What?!”

“Two pills?! Is he trying to die?!”

If a candidate died during the Foundation Establishment exam, it would be a full-blown incident.

Deng Bingding, Huang Zichou, and the others all focused their divine attention on Zhang Yu. Their divine projections hovered nearby, ready to intervene.

One God asked, “Did this guy buy health insurance?”

Huang Zichou sighed. “Checked already. Expired.”

Then his eyes flashed. “Still, I was the one who approved him back then. I’ll handle the rescue. I’ll cover the medical expenses if it comes to that.”

The other Gods immediately looked at Huang Zichou with renewed warmth.

Deng Bingding nodded. “Make sure to save the footage. I’ll co-sign your reimbursement slip.”

That made Huang Zichou smile inwardly. “Looks like I just scored some points with Lord Deng.”

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu, after swallowing two Phoenix-Mimicking Growth Agents, felt a surge of heat in his stomach—like fire coursing into every limb and organ.

His belly twisted with pain, as if a giant hand were churning his intestines.

“The side effects are definitely stronger with two pills.”

“But it feels like… my body can take it.”

Sensing his body’s changes, Zhang Yu seized the moment. While the drug’s effects were peaking, he activated Endless Spring and Autumn Meditation.

Unlike Ye Lingxiao—who used it at max level 10 just to purge toxins and refine his already-elite physique—Zhang Yu’s body strength was only at 9.89.

He needed the brutal force of two Phoenix-Replica pills to push him to the next level.

He twisted his body, circulating Longevity Mana. His muscles and organs were caught in a rhythmic cycle of spring and autumn—constant nourishment and purification.