Chapter 62

The violent explosion caused by the combination of rootless soil and the catalyst was immense, and the blast radius was extremely wide, with blinding white light visible everywhere.

In the final days of the battle, the three major military academies fought independently, with their bases far apart.

The world was filled with booming sounds, and the explosions even distorted the magnetic fields.

Although rootless soil is technically soil, it had undergone such extreme mutation that it was entirely different from regular soil. It could nurture the mechanical-looking broken dwarf trees, making it entirely possible to trigger an explosion.

However, for ordinary people, no one would ever think of detonating all the soil in the world.

So when the explosion occurred, except for a few ultra-star-level individuals, the students of the Imperial and Hanhai military academies were almost completely unprepared.

There was too much soil, and the fuses Ji Fu planted were ample; once one exploded, they all went off in succession.

Even the students of the Interstellar Academy were stunned by the earth-shattering explosion that lasted over an hour.

In their base, there was also the giant mechanical spider that had been dismantled by Hanhai Academy.

The previous night, Ji Fu had worked for several hours, dismantling and merging all the materials from the scrapped mechanical spider to create a massive sky-shield.

The sky-shield was semi-circular, covering the entire Interstellar Academy base.

This base was the only place on the entire planet where no fuses were planted.

Everything has its counter; what couldn’t be ignited by rootless soil naturally included the parasitic broken dwarf trees. The mechanical spider, although powerful, was easily dismantled by Vast Ocean.

But the materials from the spider came from the broken dwarf trees.

Using these discarded materials to create the sky-shield directly blocked the possibility of the explosion sweeping over them.

Everyone there was prepared for a final battle, but in the end, Ji Fu showed them an incredibly spectacular fireworks display.

They stood under the sky-shield, listening to the reports for one or two hours.

The Imperial and Hanhai academies suffered exceptionally heavy losses. The intensity of the rootless soil explosions wasn’t as high as the explosions Ji Fu created with star-level mech engines.

But the problem was that the soil was everywhere on the planet, causing a chain reaction of explosions that were unavoidable.

The ultra-star-level mech soldiers reacted quickly, responding as soon as the first explosion occurred.

The rootless soil explosions could cause some damage to ultra-star-level mechs, but it wasn’t enough to eliminate them.

However, they also couldn’t control the explosions.

This wasn’t a typical explosion; the anti-explosion systems in the mechs were ineffective.

After Zhou Xingyu evacuated with Han Siyi, he tried various methods, including high-pressure water guns, ultra-star-level giant shields, and ascending into the air. Most methods were ineffective, but ascending helped a bit.

However, the exam range was fixed on this planet; the mechs couldn’t fly into outer space and could only stay at a certain altitude to minimize the damage from the explosions.

Ultra-star-level mechs could ascend in time, but those below ultra-star-level, many of whom didn’t even have time to deploy their mechs, were eliminated.

In the end, the invincible ultra-star-level mechs had no opportunity to perform; the most they did was rescue people from the entire area.

The explosion caused fragmented regional networks, making communication impossible. The twisted explosions created huge obstacles, making searches extremely difficult.

While they were blindly rescuing people, four cannons rose from the Interstellar Academy base.

The four cannons, filled with explosive agents, were automated by Ji Fu.

As soon as the cannons fired, even the floating rootless soil in the air was ignited.

The entire world was lit up by the fire.

This unprecedented explosion left everyone amused.

In the midst of the constant elimination announcements from the Imperial and Hanhai academies, viewers were first shocked, then thoroughly entertained, and finally began making cheeky comments.

“Why didn’t you guys say Interstellar Academy had such a trick up its sleeve?”

“LOL, Happy New Year in advance, everyone.”

“Why aren’t those high-talent students from the Imperial and Hanhai academies saying anything? Don’t they like this grand spectacle?”

Unlike the lively comments, the examination room was dead silent.

“Three minutes left in the exam.”

Although there were still three minutes left, which could be enough for ultra-star-level students to potentially eliminate the Interstellar Academy, everyone knew that the exam result was basically decided.

Inside the examination field,

The explosions hadn’t stopped, and this remote, uninhabitable planet was left in ruins.

As long as the explosions couldn’t be stopped, ultra-star-level students couldn’t perform.

Who could have imagined that someone would use a massive explosion in a joint exam to restrict all ultra-star-level students?

“Exam over.” The final prompt sound increased the oppressive atmosphere in the examination room.

“The joint exam team battle is over. Reporting the remaining personnel: Imperial Military Academy, 15 survivors.”

Everyone in the live broadcast room was shocked to hear this.

“What the hell!? We knew the elimination rate was high, but this is unbelievable.”

“…This is basically a total wipeout, isn’t it?”

“More than just a wipeout, it’s like using a cheat code to rack up points.”

If the mere 15 survivors from the Imperial Military Academy were shocking enough, the number of survivors from Hanhai Academy was like a thunderbolt striking everyone’s heads.

“Hanhai Academy, 5 survivors.”

Immediately, the entire comment section was filled with question marks.

“Is this for real!?”

If it weren’t for the collective battle tag preceding the announcement, people would have thought this was the final result of an individual match.

“This is record-breaking, guys. If I remember correctly, this is the first time this has happened in all the years of the joint exam, right?”

“Yes, yes, yes. Both the Imperial and Hanhai Academies have never seen such mass eliminations in a collective battle, and the total number of survivors from both schools doesn’t even match a single elite class.”

“…Is Interstellar Academy this ridiculous!?”

“For some reason, that final explosion seems strangely familiar.”

For the first time in history, Hanhai Academy faced such a huge blunder in a collective battle, with only five making it to the survival stage, creating an unprecedented uproar.

The live broadcast comments were all over the place.

Meanwhile, many in the examination room had faces as dark as the bottom of a pot.

Especially after hearing the final report.

“Interstellar Academy, 51 survivors.”

A dead silence filled the room.

This meant that in the last hour, not a single Interstellar student was eliminated.

With an absolutely overwhelming advantage, they secured first place in this joint exam’s collective battle.

Ji Fu herself, with a decent ranking in the first round and maxed out performance in the second, soared to the top of the individual leaderboard, surpassing several ultra-star levels to claim the top spot.

“…Absurd!” In the chilling silence, someone finally spoke.

For the Imperial and Hanhai Academies, they never anticipated such a crushing defeat.

Especially Vast Ocean, where so many star and star-plus level students were all eliminated.

Shen Qinglan survived, but when the explosions started, he was too far from Shen Qingxue.

To find Shen Qingxue, he only managed to save one star-level mech soldier along the way. Two others survived by using special defense systems, alternating several times, and barely made it with their mechs destroyed.

Fortunately, the bond between the twins allowed Shen Qinglan to find Shen Qingxue just in time before the massive explosion wave hit.

The core members of Hanhai survived, but the losses were incalculable.

Not to mention the meticulous planning and significant material investments Shen Qinglan made before the final battle, the damage to the elite class’s mechs alone was enormous.

These were tangible losses, with some being immeasurable.

After Shen Qinglan’s remark, Hanhai’s reputation inevitably suffered. With his top-tier talent and pride, he led Hanhai to a humiliating defeat.

It wasn’t just about not surpassing or winning against Interstellar; they didn’t even touch one of Interstellar’s low-talent students.

This wasn’t just a loss; it was a true humiliation.

Hanhai Academy’s head was breathing heavily, his chest filled with rage, nearly burning through his body.

The intense emotional fluctuations left everyone silent.

After a long silence, someone suddenly said, “Don’t you think that near-planet-wide explosion looked familiar?”

Almost simultaneously, everyone thought of someone from three years ago.

But…

“Are you suggesting Yun Chi?” The Alliance leader frowned. “The Alliance has repeatedly confirmed that Yun Chi died in the maximum-security prison.”

“Let me remind you all, Yun Chi was a lower-tier species.”

Lower-tier species can’t have talents, let alone high-level ones like S-level.

For thousands of years, there had never been an exception. Could there really be a deviation with Yun Chi?

“This explosion’s scale was too small, definitely not Yun Chi’s work.” Zhou Xingyu’s eyes were dark.

As a legion commander of high rank, his words commanded silence in the examination room.

Huang Peilan also looked at him, seeing Zhou Xingyu’s cold, sharp eyes. “It’s more like a copycat.”

These words changed the faces of everyone present.

Zhou Xingyu stood up, his high-ranking presence exerting strong pressure. With a blank expression, he said, “Notify the Alliance that there’s a suspect in the joint exam.”

He paused briefly before adding, “Suspected of being involved in major cases like An Yang and the Li Family.”

Silence—

Zhang Huan instinctively stood up. “Impossible!”

However, Zhou Xingyu’s words made many others react.

Someone spoke in a deep voice, “…No wonder it felt familiar. This method is identical to the mastermind who invaded the Li Family and blew up half of their planet.”

“Now that you mention it, the main suspect in the Li Family case was a young woman who has evaded capture for a long time.”

“Looking at it now, the reason she’s been so hard to catch is because she’s hidden in the military academy!”

The Han Family representative paused and then spoke, “…It’s not just the Li Family. Previously, the theft of large energy stones from the Han and Si Families’ star systems also involved a massive explosion.”

“The method used was also a near-planet-wide explosion.”

With the Han Family involved, Zhang Huan’s expression changed drastically.

With a somber look, Zhang Huan took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping across everyone. He said coldly, “There might be a misunderstanding. Ji Fu has been an alchemist since she joined the academy.”

“The explosive method she used involves alchemy, which is fundamentally different from the wanted criminal you’re talking about.”

“But an explosion is still an explosion. If she can think of using alchemy to cause an explosion, wouldn’t using traditional explosives be even easier?” The Fang Family representative immediately retorted. “There are very few people across the entire galaxy who can use explosions so proficiently. Don’t you think this is too much of a coincidence?”

Huang Peilan remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. “Whether it’s an alchemical explosion or another type of explosion, labeling a military academy student as a wanted criminal based solely on an explosion method is too hasty.”

She looked up at Zhou Xing. “Attacking the Li Family is a major incident. If we’re going to capture a suspect, shouldn’t we have concrete evidence before making a conclusion, don’t you think, Commander Zhou?”

Zhou Xing’s eyes were deep and his emotions hard to read. He responded slowly, “Yes and no. A thorough investigation will reveal the truth.”

“The slaughterhouse behind the Li Family is involved in many cases and is currently the largest gang in the galaxy. Within the Alliance, it has been classified as an SS-level threat, second only to Yun Chi’s trio from back in the day.”

“The methods and unmanned mechs used match those of this female student from Interstellar Academy.” He paused, his expression cold. “This joint exam has already concluded. As a military academy student, she has the responsibility to cooperate with the investigation.”

“If it turns out that she has nothing to do with these incidents, the Alliance will naturally clear her name.” This last sentence was clearly directed at Interstellar Academy.

Zhang Huan’s expression kept changing. He knew that Zhou Xing’s request was reasonable, and Interstellar shouldn’t refuse.

However, Ji Fu was their student, and from Interstellar Academy’s perspective, it looked like the Empire and Hanhai couldn’t accept their loss and were deliberately picking a fight.

But with so many people demanding an investigation, his objections were futile.

The only good news was that the joint exam was conducted as a live broadcast, and Ji Fu’s outstanding performance in both rounds had made her a star on the interstellar network.

The fame she gained would provide her with some protection, preventing her from being arbitrarily detained in a galactic prison.

After a long silence, he finally said, “Let’s proceed as Commander Zhou suggested.”

Zhou Xing nodded slightly and, in front of everyone, notified the Imperial Star Alliance Headquarters.

The headquarters responded, saying they would send someone over as soon as possible.

Before their people arrived, all the students participating in the joint exam had been transported to the exam rest area by starship.

Before the live broadcast ended, many netizens were worried that during the exam break, the Empire and Hanhai would trouble Ji Fu.

Unexpectedly, just after the live broadcast ended, and before Shen Qinglan and his group could find Ji Fu, they all received the news simultaneously.

Ji Fu had been taken by the Alliance.

The month-long joint exam had exhausted the students, but Ji Fu’s case still stirred up a huge storm within the three major military academies.

After the joint exam, both the Empire and Hanhai focused their discussions on Ji Fu.

People like Zhou Xingyu, who already held positions in the legion, and Shen Qinglan, with his wide network, were aware of the inside story.

Those who didn’t know recalled the final hour-long series of explosions and more or less understood.

The excitement spread from the joint exam to the outside world.

Ji Fu was detained in a temporary interrogation room for three hours before the Alliance people arrived.

The person who came was unexpected for everyone.

Zhou Xing sat outside the interrogation room. Looking up, he saw Fang Yanli walk in with a stern face, followed by Cheng Hao and Dean Yang from Interstellar Academy, and he paused.

Seeing Cheng Hao and Dean Yang behind Fang Yanli, everyone realized.

Interstellar Academy had agreed to the investigation, but they were not easy to bully.

If an investigation was to be done, it had to be conducted by someone absolutely fair.

How the Imperial Star Alliance Headquarters discussed this was unknown, but the people who came were almost all from the highest office.

Except for Wen Fang from the headquarters, who was a long-time friend of Fang Yanli.

Fang Yanli didn’t greet anyone present, just nodded slightly to Cheng Hao.

Cheng Hao immediately opened the interrogation room door, his face cold as he said, “The highest office is handling this case. Please leave the interrogation room temporarily.”

The room was cleared.

The officials present exchanged glances but said nothing, and they all got up and left.

The advantage of having Fang Yanli in charge of the interrogation was that, regardless of their personal thoughts, everyone believed that Fang Yanli would act justly.

The interrogation room door closed.

The dark room quieted down. Fang Yanli looked through the one-way glass at the person sitting inside.

A cold beam of light shone on her.

From this angle, she looked even more like that person from the past.

Fang Yanli’s gaze fell on her hair.

Before this joint exam, he had already considered the possibility of her deliberately dyeing her hair.

Interstellar Academy’s records showed she didn’t have the potential for manifesting talent visibly.

The appearance of high-level talent traits was just a possibility, not something everyone had, nor did it mean that those with visible traits were all highly talented.

Dyeing hair or not was a personal right.

Identifying her specific identity by appearance alone was quite absurd.

Fang Yanli knew his limitations, so he always had his own methods for identifying people.

By the time he had captured a large number of suspects from the legion and left, he was already 80% sure that the person in front of him was Yun Chi.

Combined with her recent performance in the joint exam, her intelligence and cunning, and her ambiguous attitude, Fang Yanli was now nearly 90% certain.

He stared through the glass, inch by inch, at the person sitting lazily.

This time, instead of walking directly in to face her as he had before, he turned and instructed Cheng Hao, “Confiscate her optical brain.”

In front of him, Cheng Hao entered the room. When Ji Fu saw who had arrived, she didn’t seem surprised.

She calmly raised her hand and removed the optical brain from her wrist, handing it to Cheng Hao without any hesitation.

Before Cheng Hao left, she thoughtfully lifted her gaze and, through the dark, impenetrable glass, made eye contact with Fang Yanli.

The cold light shone on her, highlighting her emotionless face.

Wen Fang quickly examined the optical brain that Ji Fu handed over.

He looked up and said softly, “Everything is normal.”

The optical brain showed no signs of tampering or anything suspicious. The system was clean, just a standard model commonly used by military academy students.

Stored inside were her mecha, Jiaoyue, and the drone mecha, Yan Yan.

All the contents matched the live broadcast.

Fang Yanli lowered his gaze. As with every previous time, there was no evidence.

He stared through the glass at the calm person inside.

The probability that Ji Fu was Yun Chi shot up to 99% in his mind.

The remaining 1% was reserved for a potentially non-existent key piece of evidence.

Ji Fu looked at the opaque glass that completely blocked her view. She had considered the possibility of her identity being exposed before triggering the explosions at the exam site.

She had also thought that Fang Yanli might be the one to interrogate her.

However, Fang Yanli’s current behavior was unexpected.

She had assumed that by this point, Fang Yanli would have already confirmed she was Yun Chi.

The nature of the live broadcast exam revealed too much. Even if she hadn’t caused the final explosion, Fang Yanli would still have identified her as Yun Chi.

Therefore, she hadn’t hesitated to detonate the scene and had prepared for the consequences.

Maintaining a hidden identity forever was never really possible.

After using Blue Rosso to purge the excess chemicals in her body, her talent not only advanced to S level, but its recovery speed also increased manifold.

By the end of yesterday’s exam, her talent had slowly recovered to S+ level within a month.

The optical brain she handed over contained the details of her mecha, Jiaoyue, and the top-level bombs she created as part of Jiaoyue, integrated with the mecha.

These were star-grade, remotely controlled bombs.

She didn’t even need to reach out to activate them.

Her true optical brain was a 0.35-millimeter-thick eye membrane, adhered to her eyes.

This was her childhood dream.

When she was young, her greatest wish was to have an optical brain of her own design.

After years of improvement in her pharmacology, this dream finally came true.

While developing those chemicals and the roots for Rootless soil, she simultaneously used super-star-level materials to create this eye membrane optical brain.

To the outside world, it looked just like making another chemical.

She made so many chemicals of such varied types that when she applied a chemical to her eyes, no one found it unusual.

Many mecha technicians did the same, as their eyes were crucial for their work, and special eye nutrient solutions were common.

But she was using it as an excuse to place the optical brain on her eyes.

This highly intelligent optical brain connected to her cochlea, replacing the bone conduction earphones she had abandoned during the exam.

So now, what she saw wasn’t just this dark glass but also…

The freshly logged-in mecha, Canglan, through which she could see the blue.

Resting and recuperating for over a month, Wei Lan’s body had mostly recovered.

However, his injuries had been too severe, and his life signs were at 37%, much lower than Zhou Xingyu’s during the exam.

Wei Lan opened his eyes, his clear gaze meeting hers. He looked straight at her before saying, “Load combat system.”

[Beep, terminal connected]

Wei Lan’s voice could perfectly reach her ears.

[Extreme combat mode loaded]