37: Chapter 37 Pre-exam Intensive Study in the Confidential Room

After Wang Pingan's consciousness withdrew from his Divine Kingdom, a knock came from outside the stone door of the secret room.

He retracted his Divine Sense, deactivated the defensive formation, and the stone door slowly opened.

Old Li was standing outside the door.

This 2nd Order God homeroom teacher was not wearing his teacher's robe; he had changed into casual black attire, and the communication function on his wristwatch was turned off.

"Come with me."

Old Li's tone was brief, with no unnecessary pleasantries.

Wang Pingan followed him, walked through the manor corridor, and boarded a gray flying car with no markings.

The flying car did not head toward the school's teaching buildings; instead, it circled around the main architecture of Tianhai No. 1 High School and landed in front of an inconspicuous, low gray building in the northwest corner of the campus.

Wang Pingan had never noticed this building before.

Old Li led him through the side door and down the stairs.

First basement level.

Second basement level.

Third basement level.

At the end of the corridor on the lowest level was an alloy door with no nameplate.

Old Li pressed his palm for identification, and the door emitted a dull sound as it slowly slid open to both sides.

Behind the door was a small secret room. The four walls were embedded with psionic shielding formations, three anti-eavesdropping spirit stones hung from the ceiling, and an information terminal was running in the corner.

Principal Zhou Mingyuan was already sitting inside.

When Wang Pingan saw Zhou Mingyuan, he understood that this was no ordinary conversation.

After entering, Old Li closed the alloy door behind him and pressed his palm against the door panel to activate the shielding formation.

White psionic patterns spread from the walls to the floor and then to the ceiling; the entire secret room was completely sealed off.

Zhou Mingyuan nodded at Wang Pingan. "Sit."

Wang Pingan pulled out a chair, sat down, and waited patiently.

Zhou Mingyuan glanced at Old Li.

Old Li walked to the information terminal and pulled up an encrypted file.

The red seal of the Federal Education Bureau and a top-secret label popped up on the light screen.

"This intelligence was issued two days ago from the Xuanyuan Star Region Department of Education, and it was only given to the principals of the top three ranked schools on each planet."

Old Li pointed at the text on the light screen, his speaking pace slow.

"The format for this year's Seventeen Stars Nova Assessment preliminary round has changed."

Wang Pingan's gaze fell onto the light screen.

The file title read: "Notice on the Revision of the Preliminary Round Format for the 117th Nova Assessment."

Old Li enlarged the key content.

"It is not a conventional sandbox confrontation, not a simulated deduction, and not a virtual projection."

He paused for a moment.

"It is a Plane Fragment Conquest."

Wang Pingan's brows twitched slightly.

Plane fragments are small spatial shards that actually exist in the void, usually remnants left behind after the collapse of an ancient Divine Kingdom.

Inside, there are resources, dangers, and wild alien races.

There is also the possibility of real death.

Old Li continued to scroll down.

"The Federation will open a medium-sized plane fragment as the examination venue. All participating students will carry their own subjects in physical form into the fragment to compete for resources."

"Within the fragment, source power veins, spirit plants, and blood essence sources are scattered everywhere; whoever seizes more gets higher points."

"Students below the elimination line will be directly disqualified, while those at the top will receive the Federation's key cultivation qualification and massive source power rewards."

Wang Pingan quickly digested this information.

Physical entry, not projection.

Subjects can truly be injured and truly die.

This is completely different from sandbox deduction.

Zhou Mingyuan's expression was solemn. "Inside the plane fragment, there is no connection to the external Federal Mall, and supplies cannot be temporarily transported in."

"Whatever amount of supplies you bring before entering is all you will have."

"Once it is fought through or used up, there are no replenishments."

This was the key.

Wang Pingan immediately grasped the crux of the matter.

His Immortal Martial Legion was a pure Combat Path, with all logistics outsourced.

There were no blacksmiths, no alchemists, and no merchant caravans within his Divine Kingdom.

Once inside the plane fragment, the connection to the external Federal Mall would be severed, and the logistics chain would be cut off directly.

The heavy armored legion consumed a massive amount of resources; the crimson flame saber required spiritual energy to be nurtured, the Black Iron Shield required repairs, the Psionic Heavy Cannon required crystal tubes and cooling talisman liquid, the Cavalry warhorses required high-quality grain, and the subjects required healing medicine and recovery pills.

If the supply was cut off, even the strongest legion would wither away day by day.

Old Li stared at Wang Pingan's expression. "You must have already thought of this."

"The pure Combat Path has a fatal flaw in the plane fragment, which is the lack of self-sufficiency."

"Once a protracted war drags on until supplies are exhausted, the legion will collapse without a fight."

Wang Pingan leaned back in his chair and was silent for a few seconds.

Then he opened his wristwatch and pulled up three files.

Three legally binding Federal contracts popped up on the light screen: the spirit herb supply contract with Wang Qingyan, the grain and iron ore supply contract with Zhao Yang, and the manufacturing agreement with the alchemy and forging workshops of the Wang family's main lineage.

"Teacher, please take a look at this."

Old Li leaned in.

The numbers on the contracts made his pupils shrink slightly.

Wang Qingyan's spirit herb order had already been increased to the fourth batch, totaling six times the normal demand.

Zhao Yang's grain and iron ore reserves were enough to sustain 3,000 people for more than half a year.

The healing powders, energy recovery pills, and mental soothing potions manufactured by the Wang family alchemists totaled over 20,000 units.

The spare crimson flame sabers, Black Iron Shields, Cavalry lance tips, and warhorse talisman armor plates manufactured by the forging workshop totaled over 1,000 pieces.

Old Li finished flipping through the contracts and looked up at Wang Pingan.

"When did you start hoarding?"

"The day I signed the logistics contracts."

Wang Pingan's tone was calm.

"The thing a pure Combat Path fears most is running out of supplies; I knew that from the very beginning."

"Therefore, outsourcing logistics isn't just about saving money and population; more importantly, the outsourcing parties can help me stockpile strategic reserves in advance."

"All these supplies have already been produced and are stored in the Divine Kingdom warehouses of Wang Qingyan and Zhao Yang."

"As long as I transfer all the supplies into my Divine Kingdom before the assessment, there won't be a supply shortage issue after entering the fragment."

Old Li closed the contract light screen and let out a long sigh of relief.

He looked at Zhou Mingyuan.

There was undisguised admiration in Zhou Mingyuan's eyes.

"You are even more cautious than I imagined."

Zhou Mingyuan stood up, walked to the information terminal, and pulled up the terrain estimation map of the plane fragment.

"The terrain inside the plane fragment is complex, with hills, ruins, dense forests, and mines interspersed."

"Most students will choose to occupy resource points first and then slowly expand."

"But your route is different."

Zhou Mingyuan swept his hand across several dense resource areas on the map.

"You have a complete three-in-one war system of infantry, Artillery Battalion, and Cavalry."

"You have sufficient logistics reserves to sustain long-term combat."

"The only thing you need to do is push forward."

"In the plane fragment, as long as the supplies of a pure Combat Path do not run out, it is a bulldozer."

"If you encounter a mountain, push through the mountain; if you encounter people, push through the people."

"Whoever stands in front of a resource point, crush them."

Old Li's expression was grave. "However, don't let your guard down. All seventeen planets have their own top-tier geniuses participating, and at least three or four of them have a comprehensive evaluation of A-grade or higher, with strong backing families as well."

"Additionally, the intelligence mentions that there are a few dark horses from off-planet this year. The Federation hasn't disclosed specific information, only advising each school to be vigilant."

Wang Pingan noted down all this information.

Zhou Mingyuan said earnestly, "There will be no record of this conversation, and you must not mention the change in the competition format to anyone else."

"The official notice will be issued three days before the assessment, at which time all participating students will be informed simultaneously."

"You have three more days to prepare than others; that is enough."

Wang Pingan stood up and bowed. "Thank you, Principal; thank you, Teacher."

Old Li waved his hand. "Don't thank me; just come back with results."

"Whether Tianhai No. 1 High School can stand out in the Seventeen Stars Assessment depends on you."

Wang Pingan did not stay long.

He followed Old Li out of the secret room, walked through the underground corridor, and returned to the surface.

The gray flying car was parked outside the low building, and the sky had already darkened.

Old Li drove him back to the entrance of the manor.

Before the flying car left, Old Li poked his head out of the car window.

"For the last seven days, hoard everything you can into your Divine Kingdom."

"Once you enter the plane fragment, you can only rely on what you have in your hands."

Wang Pingan nodded.

The flying car rose into the air and disappeared into the night.

Wang Pingan stood at the gate of the manor, his wristwatch already displaying the Federal Mall interface.

He did not go back into the house but walked directly toward the seclusion room.

The competition format had changed.

Plane Fragment Conquest.

Physical entry, severed supply lines.

This meant that all his previous preparations—outsourcing logistics, massive stockpiling, and the three-in-one war system—had all bet on the right direction.

But he still needed more.

Seven days.

He had to push his legion up another level.