C23 A New Awakened Zombie

Under Chen Yu's grueling regimen, each person consumed an average of four to five crystal nuclei.

Their physical strength, Qi, and blood levels had been pushed to the utmost limits achievable by ordinary humans.

Gradually, individuals began to withdraw from Chen Yu's relentless training.

Those who stepped aside received five crystal nuclei directly from Chen Yu. Following his instructions, they swallowed them all at once, then sat down to meditate, employing the breathing techniques he had taught them, aiming to make the leap and evolve.

Boom!

The whirlwind abated, leaving only three standing before Chen Yu.

Liu Xingzhong, Cui Yingying, and Bai Zijian.

These three had managed to withstand up to Chen Yu's eighteenth palm strike.

The rest had reached their breaking point by the fourteenth palm and were already on the sidelines, striving for their breakthrough.

Chen Yu regarded the trio with a mix of admiration and satisfaction.

His approach with this group was starkly different from the gentler training he gave Lee Hao, Liu Qiqi, Soong Yue, and Chu Chenhao. To unlock their potential and master the art of strength, he had employed far more rigorous and forceful methods to achieve a collective impact.

The perseverance of these three undoubtedly spoke volumes of their immense talent and potential.

"Could it be that I'm about to witness the emergence of three superpowered Awakened?" The thought sent a wave of excitement through Chen Yu.

In the apocalypse, the status of an ordinary Evolver was only marginally above that of a regular person.

In the struggle for survival, they were, at best, slightly more valuable cannon fodder.

Only the Awakened with superpowers were the true pillars of human strength, the foundation of humanity's resistance in the face of doomsday!

As someone who had returned to the onset of the apocalypse, Chen Yu was acutely aware of this.

Thus, the more Awakened standing with him, the greater his command of power, and the brighter the hope of carving a path through the apocalypse.

"Good! Show me the extent of your limits!"

With a surge of excitement, Chen Yu tossed each of them a crystal nucleus. These were no ordinary zombie nuclei, but those of mutated beasts, brimming with wildly potent genetic energy.

Liu Xingzhong, Cui Yingying, and Bai Zijian, having endured so far, could already sense their distinctiveness and harbored a profound sense of hope for their futures.

Taking the crystal nucleus Chen Yu tossed to them, they swallowed it without a second thought. A fiery heat coursed through their bodies, instantly engulfing them in a wave of warmth. Sweat erupted from their pores like a geyser.

Seizing the moment, Chen Yu delivered a precise palm strike. With only three individuals to focus on, he needed to be even more delicate and controlled as he channeled his palm's energy into their bodies. This would maximize the gene energy within the crystal nucleus and fully unleash their physical potential.

The twenty-first palm strike hit its mark, and the three simultaneously let out a cry, collapsing to the ground. Their skin reddened, nearly splitting with blood.

Chen Yu approached for a closer look and knew it was the critical moment. He quickly handed them another crystal nucleus, urging Liu Xingzhong, Cui Yingying, and Bai Zijian to break through using the technique he had taught.

Struggling to their feet, the trio wasted no time. They ingested the crystal nucleus and commenced their breakthrough.

Meanwhile, those chosen ones who had advanced earlier were completing their evolution, transforming into the envied superhumans. Regrettably, they were merely ordinary Evolvers, not Esper Awakened like Lee Hao and his peers.

"It looks like our hopes rest with these three," Chen Yu mused, his gaze settling on Liu Xingzhong, Cui Yingying, and Bai Zijian.

He didn't let the newly minted Evolvers rest on their laurels. After ensuring they were in good shape, he imparted additional strength techniques and precautionary advice. Then he organized them into teams of five to descend to the first floor, tasked with eliminating zombies and gathering crystal nuclei.

He issued a strict mandate for mutual oversight, forbidding any hoarding of the crystal nuclei. The consequences for doing so were severe: not only would they be barred from further training, but they would also be crippled and cast out of the team.

But with the threat of punishment came the promise of reward. Chen Yu made it clear that once the crystal nuclei were collected and submitted, each group would receive one-fifth of their haul as a team bonus, to be distributed internally based on each member's contribution.

At the onset of doomsday, everything was rough around the edges.

Chen Yu had no choice but to resort to such a rudimentary and forceful approach for the time being.

Only after the camp was officially up and running could they begin to establish more secure and sensible rules.

As Chen Yu was busy setting up these vital security measures for the marketplace,

Cui Yingying, the sole female among the trio, was the first to exhibit a change.

Under Chen Yu's watchful eye, Cui Yingying's skin began to glisten, her body taking on a luminous sheen. The air around her slowly turned crystal clear and hazy, eventually enveloping her completely until she vanished from Chen Yu's view.

Yet, thanks to Chen Yu's sharp combat instincts and his ability to sense presences,

he could still distinctly feel Cui Yingying's presence, even though she was invisible to the naked eye.

Crystal Barrier!

This ability allowed her to summon crystal particles to conceal herself, providing substantial defensive capabilities.

It was particularly effective against light and energy-based powers, offering enhanced protection. Against physical kinetic attacks, however, its defensive strength was only moderate.

Cui Yingying's disappearance from Chen Yu's line of sight was more a secondary effect of the Crystal Barrier rather than a true invisibility power.

The concept was straightforward: by using crystal particles to form an unseen wall around oneself.

Then, by altering the orientation of each particle, it could bend and refract light, rendering the person invisible to the human eye.

If someone were standing behind Cui Yingying at that moment, they would be able to see her figure.

But due to the refraction caused by the Crystal Barrier, they wouldn't be able to see Chen Yu.

"It's quite compatible with Liu Qiqi's ability!"

"Aura shielding coupled with the Crystal Barrier is the ultimate combo for stealth, reconnaissance, and concealment!"

"Liu Qiqi appears to be single..."

"The boss isn't getting any younger!"

Chen Yu mused over Cui Yingying's ability, his thoughts drifting into playful territory almost instinctively.

Perhaps emboldened by her confidence in her own powers, Cui Yingying stealthily moved closer to Chen Yu after she had set up her Crystal Barrier.

"Heh, the little lady's got some tricks up her sleeve!"

Chen Yu maintained his composure, acting as if he was completely unaware of Cui Yingying's actions.

In that situation, Cui Yingying initially circled Chen Yu from a distance of three to four meters, moving to his left and right, then front and back.

Observing that Chen Yu remained unmoved, she seemed to ascertain that she had gone unnoticed.

She then stealthily moved to Chen Yu's rear and extended her hand to tap his shoulder, aiming to give him a startle while flaunting her extraordinary abilities.

But just as Cui Yingying's hand was inches away from making contact with Chen Yu,

In a flash, Chen Yu reacted with lightning speed, reaching out to seize Cui Yingying.