Simultaneously traversing: traversing countless heavens

Chapter 2: War Practice

"You should get some rest," Chu Zihang said earnestly as he looked at Su Qian, who had just opened the dormitory door.

Susie had prominent dark circles under her eyes, and her face was etched with exhaustion. Chu Zihang and Zhou Yi were already waiting in the corridor—they had arranged to go to the exam hall together last night.

"I'm sorry... I can't sleep." Susie lowered her head subconsciously, her voice filled with apology and barely concealed anxiety.

"It's okay, I understand." Chen Motong patted her shoulder, trying to dispel her tension with a relaxed tone. "When I was little, if my family promised to take me to the amusement park the next day, I would be so excited that I couldn't sleep all night."

That's completely different, okay... Susie silently protested in her mind, but didn't dare to say it out loud.

The four of them went together to the designated classroom on the second floor of the library and took their seats according to the names posted on the desks. The waiting time seemed to stretch out, and a silent tension filled the air in the classroom.

Finally, a large-framed, white-haired professor with a mane of thick, thick glasses and a stylishly wrinkled suit hurriedly pushed open the door and entered. He glanced at his watch and spoke rapidly: "Sorry, sorry! I'm late! The exam is about to begin... Oh right, I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Guderian, and I'm the proctor for this exam. Before we begin, let's announce the exam rules."

He cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping across the room from behind his glasses: "Cheating is absolutely forbidden. Violators will be disqualified from everything. Don't try to peek at other people's exam papers—the entire classroom is covered by cameras, there are no blind spots. Don't try to bring any electronic communication devices either; radio waves are also monitored in the classroom. I know you are all geniuses, but I can tell you that people even more talented than you have sat here taking exams before, and any cheating methods you can think of have already been tried and failed by others."

Zhou Yi turned off his phone as instructed, placed it on the corner of the table along with his student ID, and then accepted a blank exam paper that was so white it was almost blinding.

Immediately afterwards, he heard Professor Guderian say in a casual tone, as if announcing the weather, "Well then, candidates, begin answering the questions."

The students present were all stunned. More than one person's eyes flashed with a huge question mark: Where's the question? Where is the question?

Guderian seemed oblivious to the bewildered looks, leaving only a "Good luck" before walking briskly out of the classroom under the silent gaze of all the examinees, and "thoughtfully" closing the door behind him.

Zhou Yi observed the bewildered yet composed faces around him with great interest, and then quietly waited for the energetic rock music to begin.

The music suddenly exploded, sweeping through the entire space as expected.

Just as described in the original story, the classroom instantly turned into a scene of "chaotic dance." Some people began to convulse, some were frantically scribbling on their desks, and some were waving their arms and legs wildly.

Zhou Yijing sat in his seat and deliberately immersed himself in spiritual vision.

What came into view was an incredibly magnificent scene, like something out of a creation myth: volcanoes erupted with a roar, the gray sky was tinged with crimson, and the continuous black mountains resembled the spine of a colossal beast. Between heaven and earth, a giant dragon spread its wings, dancing and soaring wildly. The cold light of bronze, the heat of flames, and the torrent of lava intertwined and swirled with the soul-stirring roar, ultimately melting and coalescing into seven phantom swords of different shapes, suspended between heaven and earth, radiating a divine majesty as if they had cleaved through chaos.

This scene is clearly related to his words of power.

Zhou Yi's original bloodline level was very low, so low that he couldn't even stably ignite his Golden Eyes, let alone awaken the power of words. But ever since he shared the Seeker's abilities in the Gray Mist Space, the dormant power deep within his bloodline seemed to be instantly connected and illuminated. His Golden Eyes ignited naturally, and dragon runes appeared instinctively—all of this was as if the Seeker had awakened a unique "innate divine power."

My innate supernatural power: Heaven and Earth as a furnace.

This supernatural power not only greatly accelerates his process of forging the sect's magic weapon, the "Three Truths Borrowing Law Sword," but he is still exploring its deeper and more wondrous uses.

Zhou Yi slowly withdrew from his spiritual vision. He picked up his pen and drew a rough outline of the dragon dancing wildly in his mind on the blank exam paper, but deliberately concealed the seven key swords and the overly obvious bronze and fire elements.

Having done all this, he simply put down his pen, closed his eyes to rest, and casually glanced at the condition of his companions:

Susie had somehow gotten onto the desk and was swaying gently to an invisible rhythm, as if she were dancing a silent dance; Chu Zihang, on the other hand, was solemn, holding his pen like a knife, making clean and crisp slashing motions in the air; Chen Motong, sitting by the window, seemed much quieter. She sat there, letting her tears fall silently, her pen moving quickly across the paper, drawing something no one knew.

Zhou Yi closed his eyes again, waiting idly for the bell to ring to signal the end of the exam.

……

At noon, the school held a grand welcome lunch for the new students.

Susie sat at the ornately decorated long dining table, but her face could only be described as "as if she had lost her parents."

"How did you all do on the exam…" her voice trembled. "I think I'm definitely going to be deported." In her memory, she seemed to have been in a daze for a moment, and when she came to her senses, the exam was already over. As for what was written on the exam paper? A blank page. What else could this be but disaster?

"Girl, relax a bit." Chen Motong took the pickled cabbage and pork knuckle that Zhou Yi handed her, her tone confident. "I have a pretty good idea of ​​what we're going to be tested on. I think your reaction is normal."

Chu Zihang didn't look too good either, and seemed to have little appetite, only managing to eat a few bites of the mashed potatoes and sauerkraut in front of him. Zhou Yi was already planning in his mind to help Chu Zihang finish his roasted pork knuckle later—his appetite had increased since becoming a seeker of the law.

They sat beneath the restaurant's enormous, arched dome. It resembled a sanctuary from the age of knights, with a massive tree-shaped crystal chandelier hanging from the center, each leaf gleaming with warm light. The granite walls were adorned with Latin slogans welcoming the new students. Students in dark green school uniforms sat around long tables, at the far end of each table, where upperclassmen were tasked with setting the mood.

The person in charge of their table was Fingel, a seventh-grader.

At this moment, this notorious good-for-nothing, known throughout the school, was pouring out his grievances to the waiter:

"Is it this classic menu again? For the welcome lunch for new students, is there really no other choice besides roasted pork knuckle, mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut? **I've been eating this combination for seven years straight! Seven years!**"

"No problem, sir, I can make some adjustments for you." The waiter smiled politely.

"Is there anything...like beef stew with red wine that I'm really looking forward to?" Fingel's eyes lit up with hope.

"Of course. The options could be: roasted pork knuckle as the main dish, with double servings of mashed potatoes as the side dish; or roasted pork knuckle as the main dish, with double servings of sauerkraut as the side dish. Which would you prefer?"

"..." Fingel stared at the waiter. "Is there a pork knuckle lying across your head?"

"Please have a meal, sir. You have no choice. It's a tradition of the college. Besides, isn't German cuisine your hometown's food? How can you not love your hometown food?"

"The cows in my hometown still poop, and I don't like cow dung either." Fingel rolled his eyes. "Can you even understand that logic?"

The waiter maintained his impeccable smile, said nothing more, and simply stood quietly to the side until he watched Fingel devour half a pork knuckle before leaving contentedly.

"They're all extraordinary people..." Zhou Yi silently commented in his heart.

Seeing that Chu Zihang had put down his knife and fork, and the pork knuckle on the plate was almost untouched, Zhou Yi calmly forked it onto his own plate.

"Waste is shameful," he said righteously.

Chen Motong followed suit and quickly forked away the pork knuckle from Susie's plate, which Susie clearly had no interest in.

"Hey girl, I'll help you!"

Susie and Chu Zihang looked at each other, dumbfounded, staring at the two self-righteous "foodies" beside them.

……

The next few days passed peacefully without incident.

Until the 3E exam results are released.

The bloodline ratings are finalized: Su Xi, Grade A; Chen Motong, Grade A; Zhou Yi, Grade A; Chu Zihang, Grade B.

Almost instantly after the results were announced, the individuals became highly sought-after. Not only did student clubs at the university extend offers to them, but many professors also offered them positions.

It is worth mentioning that Professor Mans Rundstedt had extended a clear invitation to Zhou Yi before the official rating was announced. Zhou Yi did not refuse and successfully became Professor Rundstedt's student, and through his introduction, became a member of the Equipment Department.

The other three also made their own choices: Chu Zihang and Su Xi joined the Lionheart Society, a long-established and rigorous organization.

Chen Motong, wanting to learn ballet, chose the student council, which had an entire ballet troupe. (This is consistent with the original story.)

In the days that followed, Zhou Yi's life became extremely regular. Apart from necessary classes, he spent almost all his time in the equipment department's private forging room, focusing on refining his "Three Truths Myriad Laws Sword". Occasionally, when he had some free time, he would help the equipment department forge a batch of standard alchemical swords, as a way to practice and "pay rent".

Until this day.

Inside the forging room, the leaping golden magical flames illuminated the four walls, making them resemble the core of a furnace. Above an ancient bronze cauldron, a huge bronze sword hilt covered with mysterious patterns floated, radiating a calm and serene luster of perfect unity.

"After a whole semester... it's finally done."

Zhou Yi gazed at the sword hilt that had finally taken shape and let out a long sigh of relief. Although this was only the initial form of the "Three Truths Myriad Laws Sword" at the intermediate level of divine power, its core framework had already been established. In the future, he only needed to continuously infuse it with the myriad laws he had "borrowed" to gradually reveal the true power of the Three Truths Myriad Laws Sword.

With a slight thought, he gently raised his hand. The enormous bronze sword hilt seemed to possess a spirit, rapidly shrinking to a comfortable size and settling steadily into his palm.

Just as his five fingers gripped the sword hilt—

"Clang!"

A blazing sword blade, formed purely from golden light, erupted from the void, emitting a clear, resonant sound. Zhou Yi did not hesitate, casually swinging it towards the bronze cauldron before him that had once held the sword's embryo.

In an instant, dozens of golden spatial ripples appeared out of thin air in all directions, centered on him! From each ripple, a sharp sword light of different colors and attributes suddenly shot out—crimson like fire, azure like ice, dazzling like gold, and dark purple like thunder…

The sturdy bronze cauldron didn't even manage a tremor before being completely reduced to dust amidst dozens of crisscrossing sword lights, scattering in all directions.

"Its power remains undiminished, just like it was in the world of supernatural abilities." Zhou Yi nodded in satisfaction and tested the feel of the sword. Then, the golden light on the blade subsided, the hilt shrank again, and he casually slipped it into his pocket.

Next, we just need to wait for the crucial moment of the "Three Gorges Project" to arrive.

He walked out of the underground equipment department and returned to the surface campus. The evening sunlight was a bit dazzling, and as he walked, he habitually browsed the college's internal forum on his phone.

For several days in a row, the most popular sections of the forum were almost entirely dominated by the same person: Chu Zihang, the newly appointed president of the Lionheart Society.

The original president, needing to focus on his internship in the second semester of his senior year, passed the position ahead of schedule to this rising star known for his "golden eyes that never go out."

Even Zhou Yi couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Chu Zihang is really something else to treat Bloodlust as a passive skill.

Just then, my phone vibrated; a message was from Susie:

[Zhou Yi, are you free tonight? Let's celebrate Zihang's birthday together, just a few of us old friends.]

The location was attached: Room 3 on the second floor of the cafeteria in Area A.

Zhou Yi replied, "I'll be there soon," and then turned around.

When he pushed open the door, the other three were already seated, leaving only him. Chen Motong had already started eating without any hesitation, and was currently working on a cheese-baked lobster, but his eyes kept drifting to the unclaimed lobster on the empty seat next to him.

Zhou Yi pulled out the empty chair, said "Congratulations on becoming the president" to Chu Zihang, and then sat down to join the battle with the lobster.

After a few drinks, Susie asked, "Zhou Yi, what have you been up to lately? I haven't seen you in ages." In her memory, since enrolling in school, Zhou Yi had become elusive, rarely seen except for a few general education courses.

"I'll learn to forge weapons in the equipment department and master a skill." Zhou Yi didn't look up, focusing on peeling shrimp meat. "If I can't find a job after graduation, at least I can open a blacksmith shop to make a living."

Susie was momentarily speechless at this overly simple and irrefutable reason. To a Chinese person, this reason was impeccable. She opened her mouth, but in the end, she could only say, "...Okay."

"You can join the Lionheart Society." Chu Zihang looked at him, his tone as serious and direct as ever. "I'll offer you the position of vice president. This will be helpful for your future resume."

"No thanks." Zhou Yi waved his hand. "I don't plan to join the Execution Department after graduation. Fighting all day isn't for me."

"Then join our student council!" Chen Motong finally put down the lobster shell she had pieced back together and interjected enthusiastically, "Few tasks, lots of money, US dollars! Plus, a whole ballet troupe of upperclassmen and underclassmen! I can introduce you. Caesar is really willing to spend a lot to recruit talent!"

"Using a honey trap? Caesar really knows how to go all out." Zhou Yi glanced at Chen Motong. "Unfortunately, I'm not interested."

Chen Motong gave him a thumbs up, then turned to Susie and shrugged: "I'm out of ideas. This guy is completely stubborn."

"Let's not talk about this anymore." Susie changed the subject, lowering her voice slightly, with a hint of nervousness and anticipation. "I heard... we'll be taking a war practice course soon? The upperclassmen were talking about it in a very dramatic way, like... the kind with real guns and ammunition?"

"Not just soon, it's already." Chen Motong shook his phone screen. "I've received official notification from Mans."

"War practice?" Zhou Yi was taken aback and frowned. "Professor Mans notified you? Why didn't I receive it?" He and Chen Motong were both under Professor Mans's supervision, so it didn't make sense that only one of them was notified.

"Because I'm the action group leader for this practical course." Chen Motong revealed a sly smile. "Professor Mans asked me to be responsible for informing the group members privately."

"Us?" Zhou Yi remembered that Mans only had two freshmen under his command. "Who else?"

"Hey," Chen Motong's smile widened, "you'd never guess who this is."

At almost the same time, in the dormitory area.

"What?! I'm going to participate in this freshman practical course?! And in a remote town in Spain?!"

Upon receiving Professor Guderian's phone call, Fingel sprang up from his bed, which was piled high with snack bags and expired magazines, as if he had been pricked in the buttocks by a needle.

------

The original first chapter was placed after the Dragon Clan Three Gorges quest.