Third-Round Rankings

At this moment, Su Mu's settlement data had all appeared in the instance.

[Third Stage - Territory Defense - Settlement]

[Initial Residents: 100,000,000]

[Final Residents: 176,000,000]

[Remaining percentage: 176%]

[Survival years: 100 years]

[Integration calculation in progress...]

[Base score: 100 + 176 × 100 = 17700]

[Coefficient: 71]

[Final score: 17700 × 71 = 1256700]

One million two hundred and fifty-six thousand seven hundred.

Looking at the data before him, he made some calculations in his mind.

Adding the 973,459 from the first level and the 448,000 from the second level, his total score has exceeded 2,670,000.

While thinking.

A flash of white light, and he was teleported out of the instance.

In the square, the white light dissipated, and Su Mu reappeared in the crowd.

Ye Qingxue looked over almost the instant he appeared.

She thought to herself, "Just as I thought."

Su Mu emerged much later than her; she persisted for forty-three years, while Su Mu persisted for at least seventy or eighty years.

She had never doubted that person's ability in dungeon design.

But at the same time, she was also thinking about another question... How exactly did Su Mu manage to stay inside for so long?

Her own solution was perfect enough.

The core of the Ice and Snow World is control. She spent most of her Soul Power to buy Ice and Snow terrain cards, freezing the entire northern part of her territory into an ice field. The nomadic cavalry's horses couldn't run on the ice at all. With the addition of interference cards like the Zither Sound Bewildering Formation, she thought she could hold out for at least sixty or seventy years.

But those nomadic peoples of the grasslands were incredibly resistant to the cold, and because of the harsher environment, they actually became even more warlike.

And their tactics are simply unbeatable.

They never engage in direct combat; they simply plunder border villages, looting and then fleeing.

She could hold the northern front, but not the eastern front.

They managed to hold the eastern front, but the western front was breached.

The territory's population had been steadily declining, and despite her desperate efforts to stop it, it still fell below 50 million in the 43rd year.

She thought about it for a long time and decided to ask Su Mu directly.

In any case, she genuinely admired Su Mu when it came to dungeon design.

For three years of high school, she lost to him in this subject every single year, and she accepted her defeat wholeheartedly. There was no need to be coy because of pride.

Su Mu was standing at the edge of the crowd when Ye Qingxue walked over and stopped in front of him.

"How many years have you persisted?" she asked, her tone calm, but her eyes held an undisguised curiosity.

Su Mu looked at her and thought for a moment.

He didn't find the third challenge particularly difficult.

The conflict between the Xiongnu and the Central Plains has long had mature solutions in history.

The Great Wall, beacon towers, military colonies, marriage alliances, and the sealing of the wolf's lair—any one of these would have sufficed. He simply chose the safest path among them.

Therefore, he felt that Ye Qingxue should be just as good, and could at least last for seventy or eighty years.

"It just lasted until the end of 100 years," Su Mu said casually.

He didn't mention that the population had grown to 176 million. He felt that number was too jarring to mention.

Ye Qingxue's eyes widened suddenly.

One hundred years.

A full year has passed.

She almost blurted out, "How did you do that?"

Before Su Mu could answer, the emotionless voice rang out again from mid-air.

"The third stage of the assessment has ended. Overall rankings are being updated."

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to it.

On the other side of the square, Zhao Wuji stood among the crowd from the Provincial No. 1 High School, his expression not looking good.

He only lasted until the forty-fifth year of the third stage.

It is still 55 years away from being 100 years old.

He even felt that his grade was failing.

With his understanding of dungeon design, plus the guidance of the design mentors in his family, he thought he could last at least sixty years.

As a result, it ended after forty-five years.

But when he heard the comments from those around him, his mood improved.

"This third level is way too difficult! I've held on for thirty-nine years and I can't take it anymore."

"I've been here for forty-one years. Those steppe cavalry are simply unbeatable. They're individually strong and they use guerrilla tactics. If you send a large force there, they've already run away. If you defend one direction, they'll circle around from another. I bought three S-level area-of-effect attack cards, but they never even come at me head-on."

"My core card is the S-rank Thunder Emperor's Hammer, which has high single-target burst damage, right? It can kill a cavalryman in one hit. But the problem is, I can't catch up. They ride wildebeests and run incredibly fast, and my hammer has a small range, so I miss eight out of ten times."

"I can't even see their taillights. Their territory is so vast, I have no idea which village they'll attack."

"I've lived here for forty years. When the population dropped below fifty million, I was completely stunned; I felt utterly helpless."

Hearing these comments made Zhao Wuji feel a little better.

Forty-five years, the highest I've heard of so far is forty-one years.

He has been ahead by a wide margin for forty-five years.

Lin Qingyin stood not far away, holding her guqin in her arms, her expression calm. When someone asked her how many years she had been playing, she softly replied, "Forty-three years."

Upon hearing this number, Zhao Wuji's lips curled into a slight smile.

Forty-five years versus forty-three years.

He beat Lin Qingyin.

What about Su Mu?

Zhao Wuji quickly made a mental calculation.

It certainly won't be much better, will it?

No one is good at everything; I'm sure I can handle this situation with ease.

And at this moment.

The surrounding examinees cast inquiring glances at him. One of them leaned over and asked, "Brother Zhao, how many years have you been playing?"

Zhao Wuji originally wanted to wait until the rankings were released before making a decision.

But then I realized that in the second round, he just wanted to show off, but ended up looking like a clown.

This time, he didn't want to repeat the same mistake.

"Forty-five years," he said directly.

A collective gasp of astonishment immediately filled the air.

"Forty-five years? Brother Zhao is amazing!"

"That's the highest I've heard of so far! Lin Qingyin is only forty-three."

"As expected of the Nine Nether Sword Master, even his dungeon design is so impressive."

Zhao Wuji remained calm and nodded slightly.

Although he didn't say anything, he couldn't suppress his smugness.

Then the leaderboard was refreshed.

And at that very moment...

Zhao Wuji looked up at the light screen, his gaze quickly sweeping over the list of the top fifty people.

First place: Su Mu, Rongcheng No. 1 High School. Total points: Hidden.

Second place: Li Fei, Suicheng No. 3 High School. Total points: Hidden.

Third place: Zhou Zekai, Nancheng No. 1 High School. Total points: Hidden.

Fourth place: Chen Zixuan, Provincial Capital No. 2 High School. Total points: Hidden.

Fifth place: Wang Muyuan, Decheng No. 1 High School. Total points: Hidden.

Thirteenth place, Zhao Wuji, Provincial Capital No. 1 High School. Total points: Hidden.

Zhao Wuji stared at the "thirteenth place" and felt as if he had been punched in the face.

Thirteenth.