thefictionvixens Chapter 88: Final Exam
Chapter 88: Final Exam
(Ah! Ah! Ah!! Reviewing, reviewing, I'm going to die!!!)
In the early morning, sunlight filtered through the thin mist and shone on the tree-lined paths of Donghai College.
Yu Chen looked refreshed and walked briskly towards the cafeteria, as if he still carried the scent of morning dew.
Beside him, Gu Yue followed in silence, her eyes tinged with a barely perceptible light blue. Occasionally, when she glanced at Yu Chen, a hint of complex and unfathomable resentment lingered in her eyes.
As they passed the playground, the two of them noticed the two figures running at a steady pace on the track.
One of them was Tang Wulin, who never missed a morning exercise session and ran with focused concentration.
only……
Yu Chen paused slightly, subconsciously feeling that something was missing from the scene.
Oh right, Xie Xie is missing—that lovable rascal who would usually be standing by, grinning and complaining with a mournful look, "Wu Lin, slow down!" and "I'm going to die!"
Without that lively "human touch," even the morning sunlight seemed a bit quieter.
He quickly looked away, calmly took Gu Yue's hand, and led her into the cafeteria.
Ordering food, sitting down, and eating—the series of actions were smooth and natural, as if the departure of Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi yesterday, and the dissipation of the class atmosphere that followed, had no impact on him.
In fact, after talking and giving guidance to Gu Yue last night, it really didn't have any impact at all.
After breakfast, the four of them once again entered that familiar classroom dedicated to Class Zero.
Even though only two people were missing, the huge space felt much emptier. Zhang Yangzi's occasional witty remarks and Wang Jinxi's silent yet impactful presence were both absent, making the air feel colder and quieter than usual.
Not long after, Wu Changkong pushed open the door and entered right on time.
His gaze swept over the only four students in the seats, and without any further introduction, he announced directly:
"The second part of the final exam is about to begin. The location is outside the college. Follow me."
Yu Chen and the other three quickly got up and followed Wu Changkong out of the academy.
This time they didn't walk. A plain-looking soul-guided bus was already waiting at the academy gate.
Everyone boarded the bus, which started smoothly and headed straight for the outskirts of Donghai City.
The carriage was quiet. Yu Chen sat by the window, watching the street scenes rushing past outside.
Gu Yue sat beside him, her eyes closed in rest, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them.
Tang Wulin and Xie Xie sat in the front row, talking in hushed tones, their conversation likely about their possible destination.
About an hour later, the bus stopped at the entrance to a huge park on the outskirts of the city.
"get off."
Wu Changkong was the first to stand up.
The group followed him into the park. At the entrance stood a simple yet technologically advanced sign: [Donghai Soul Guidance Technology Park].
The park boasts excellent greenery, wide and clean roads, and a variety of buildings with modern and metallic designs scattered throughout. Some buildings have smooth and sharp lines, while others are covered with intricate soul-guiding patterns and observation windows.
"Teacher Wu, where is this...?"
Tang Wulin couldn't help but whisper to Xie Xie beside him, "Do you know?"
Xie Xie had obviously heard about this place, and answered in a low voice:
"I've heard of it. Most of the high-tech soul-guided technology companies and R&D centers in Donghai City are concentrated in this park. It's said that even some of the factories that produce mechs are located here."
"Mecha?"
Yu Chen, who had been walking quietly, narrowed his eyes slightly when he heard those two words.
Final exams, mecha production park... he had a vague idea in his mind.
It seems that Wu Changkong has taken them directly to the Tang Clan's stronghold in Donghai City.
The park was indeed enormous; they followed Wu Changkong for a full half hour.
For them, who were Soul Masters, this journey was not physically demanding, but the silent and aimless march was eroding their patience and curiosity.
However, this period of time was felt very differently by Yu Chen and Gu Yue.
After their heart-to-heart talk last night, their relationship has grown even closer. They are now like newlyweds, wanting to be together all the time. As a result, they don't feel any impatience at all, and everything they see now seems very novel.
However, this caused great trouble for Tang Wulin and Xie Xie, who were traveling with them.
Half an hour is not a short journey, and you are forced to endure the unintentional, "as if no one else is around" atmosphere emanating from the two people in front of you.
Xie Xie tried several times to find topics to chat with Tang Wulin, but was choked back by the invisible "barrier" in front of him. He could only stare at Tang Wulin and silently endure this long "dog food road".
Finally, Wu Changkong stopped in front of the entrance to a relatively independent small park.
Upon closer inspection, the group could finally see the building clearly. Compared to the other tall or unusual buildings in the park, it appeared quite "small," standing only three stories high, and its entire body was a deep blue.
The exterior walls appear to be made of some kind of special mirrored glass, smooth as a mirror, clearly reflecting the surrounding greenery and sky, and refracting unpredictable luster as the angle changes.
The building's main entrance is also a dark blue glass door, tightly closed, with no signs or nameplates, exuding a sense of mystery and understated elegance.
Wu Changkong stepped forward, extended his right hand, and pressed it directly onto the smooth glass door.
A pale blue beam of light swept across his palm.
Immediately afterwards, a previously inconspicuous area beside the door lit up with soft light, and a slightly teasing 3D projection appeared, accompanied by a somewhat eccentric male voice:
"Hey! What a rare guest! Isn't this our Donghai branch's 'high-and-mighty beauty'—Donghai Xiaochangkong? What brings you here?"
Wu Changkong's expression visibly turned colder, and his voice was as cold as ice:
"Open the door."
The projected voice sighed in feigned helplessness:
"Ugh, still so unlovable, no sense of humor at all."
Despite saying that, with a soft "ding," the seemingly heavy, dark blue glass door slid open smoothly to both sides without making a sound.
Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue behind him were all stunned.
"Little Long Sky Over the East China Sea"? "Flower on a High Mountain"?
What strange titles... The group subconsciously glanced at Teacher Wu's perpetually icy face, then quickly lowered their heads, barely suppressing any smiles that might appear on their lips.
Stepping through the glass door, the white floor, dark blue walls, and soft white lighting created a clean and tidy atmosphere, yet there was still no one there.
A circular metal platform floated over, supporting four metal bracelets.
"Put it on."
"Dancing in the Sky" is a concise and meaningful phrase.
Xie Xie picked up a bracelet and examined it curiously:
"Teacher Wu, what's this for? It's pretty cool."
"Identification device".
Wu Changkong glanced at him. "Wear it, and the defense system here will recognize you as either 'friendly' or 'testers.' Otherwise, trespassers will be dealt with by the automatic defense mechanism."
"deal with?"
Xie Xie's hand trembled, and he quickly put the bracelet on his wrist. "This is so high-tech...it even has a defense mechanism?"
Wu Changkong offered no further explanation and turned to walk deeper into the building.
The four quickly put on their wristbands and followed.
The group arrived at a passageway that stretched inwards, turning several corners in a row.
Suddenly, Wu Changkong's figure flashed as if swallowed by the light in front of him, and he disappeared instantly!
"Teacher Wu?!" Tang Wulin exclaimed in surprise.
Yu Chen, Gu Yue, and Xie Xie immediately stopped and looked warily at the empty passage ahead.
"This is... teleportation technology?"
Xie Xie's voice was filled with disbelief and shock. He came from a distinguished background and had some knowledge of cutting-edge technology.
As far as he knew, mature and stable space teleportation technology was still in a highly confidential research stage, far from being something that civilian or even ordinary soul master organizations could use at will!
"keep going."
Wu Changkong's cool voice echoed through the passageway from an unknown source.
Is it really that exaggerated?
Yu Chen glanced at his three companions and took the lead.
The moment you step inside, a strange feeling of being enveloped washes over you.
It felt as if I were surrounded by gentle flowing water, or enveloped by some kind of soft energy field.
My vision briefly blurred and distorted, and a slight feeling of dizziness washed over me.
The next moment, the feeling of being grounded returned.
Yu Chen appeared in a deep blue space. Above and below him were deep blue crystals, while the walls were silvery-white metal. The light refracted, creating an exceptionally strange effect.
Immediately afterwards, three faint lights flashed by, and Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue appeared one after another, all with expressions of shock and curiosity on their faces.
"My God! It really is teleportation!"
Xie Xie looked around and couldn't help but exclaim again, "Our second final exam session is really something else! What's this place for?"
Wu Changkong was already standing in front of the silver-white wall on one side of the room.
He tapped a spot on the wall a few times with his finger, and the wall shrunk inward like liquid, revealing a huge screen embedded in the wall and a uniquely shaped keyboard.
Wu Changkong's slender fingers landed on the keyboard and began to type rapidly.
A moment later, the screen froze, and a soft, synthesized electronic voice began to play:
"Identity confirmed: East China Sea Branch, Wu Changkong."
"Test mode initiated. Difficulty setting: Medium. Number of testers: Four."
"Ten-second countdown, get ready."
"ten--"
"Nine--"
"Huh? It's starting already?"
Xie Xie was dumbfounded and quickly looked at Wu Changkong, "Teacher Wu! What kind of test is this? What are the rules? What are the contents? At least give me some hints!"
Wu Changkong turned around, facing the four students with different expressions, his dark green eyes calm and unwavering:
"When faced with an emergency, do you really expect to have ample preparation time? Remember, do what you believe is the most important thing to do right now."
"Eight, seven, six... three, two, one! Test begins!"
The moment the electronic sound ended, four beams of azure light descended from the sky and enveloped Yu Chen and his companions without warning!
After an unknown amount of time, suddenly, a flash of light appeared, and Yu Chen felt his body instantly lose control, followed by a strong sense of weightlessness.
The world is spinning!
Everything around—the room, the companions, Wu Changkong—was stretched and distorted in an instant, then returned to a chaotic blue light.
This feeling was very clear, but fortunately his mental strength was strong enough that he quickly adapted to it.
Yu Chen looked around and found himself in an unfamiliar space. The earth was a pale white, there was no sky, and the end could not be seen.
Fortunately, he wasn't too high off the ground. In mid-air, Yu Chen struggled to adjust his posture, using his core muscles to control the angle and speed of his descent.
A few seconds later, he landed on his feet and rolled forward nimbly, dissipating most of the impact and landing steadily.