C10 Lee Zi Is Awesome!

Chu Yi glared at the stunning girl before him, exasperated. "Lee Zi, if you're so powerful, why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

Lee Zi, unimpressed, shot back, "You never asked."

"And shouldn't you know how strong I am by now?"

Lee Zi, the icy beauty standing before him, had been acquainted with Chu Yi since childhood. To Chu Yi, she was his childhood friend, but to Lee Zi, their connection was nothing short of a complicated fate. They had attended the same schools from kindergarten through high school, always ending up in the same class.

While Chu Yi was the undisputed heartthrob of any school he attended, Lee Zi was, without a doubt, the belle of the ball. Unlike Chu Yi, whose looks were his main asset, Lee Zi's academic performance was stellar—she was a true scholar. Chu Yi recalled that in all the years of exams, Lee Zi had only ever missed one due to illness, and every other time, she had come out on top.

Her achievements were enough to fill her peers with a profound sense of despair. Indeed, Lee Zi was the proverbial child from another family who set the bar impossibly high.

Of course, that was the Lee Zi of the past. The current Lee Zi...

Chu Yi's lips twitched slightly at the thought.

She was formidable.

So formidable that a casual blow from her could severely wound the Bronze warrior, leaving him powerless to fight back.

It seemed that no matter how much the world changed, Lee Zi remained true to herself. This girl, no matter what she did, was so exceptional it was downright disheartening...

"Can you still get up?" Lee Zi asked, towering over the fallen Bronze warrior. Her lovely face was tinged with a chilling coldness that could make one's heart skip a beat.

The Bronze warrior's mouth twisted into a grimace as he glared hatefully at Lee Zi. But in that moment, Lee Zi smiled—a smile that momentarily captivated Chu Yi. He quickly shook off the distracting thought.

"I know you're plotting how to get back at me later. If you can't get back at me, you'll go after my family, right?" Lee Zi's voice was light, her smile seemingly sweet as she gazed down at him. Yet, from an angle hidden from Chu Yi's view, that smile carried an icy edge.

"Do you really think I wouldn't dare to kill you?"

The Bronze Warrior glanced at Lee Zi with a look of astonishment. He remained silent, but his eyes conveyed a clear message.

Killing...

Even with the privileges afforded to a cultivator like the Bronze Warrior, he wouldn't dare to take a life unless pushed to the brink of madness.

Cultivators do enjoy certain privileges, but should they kill innocents, the repercussions are far more severe than for ordinary people.

That's why a cultivator would not resort to killing unless absolutely necessary.

Lee Zi's smile remained radiant. "I'm only eighteen years old..."

In that instant, the Bronze Warrior trembled, a realization dawning on him.

Indeed, cultivators can't just kill without cause.

But what about a prodigious eighteen-year-old cultivator?

Still, it's not permissible.

However, what if this cultivator had just cause?

The Terran Federation, as well as other civilizations, have robust protective systems in place for youthful prodigies. Even if these young geniuses err, unless it's due to malicious intent, the consequences they face are negligible.

And now, if Lee Zi were to strike him down, it would be in self-defense.

For him, such an act would bring significant trouble, but for a young genius, it would likely be a mere formality.

Moreover...

The Bronze Warrior was acutely aware of the implications of the power Lee Zi had previously demonstrated.

It was a power that dwarfed his own, at the very least...

Silver!

An eighteen-year-old at the Silver level...

At that moment, the Bronze Warrior felt his mind wander.

He didn't want to acknowledge it, but he understood deep down that Lee Zi wasn't just bluffing.

"I'm sorry..."

For him to utter these words was incredibly difficult, but now, in the interest of survival, the Bronze Warrior's pride was the least of his concerns.

"I swear, I'll never show my face here again."

There was no deep-seated animosity between him and Lee Zi; he had merely attempted a loan shark scheme and had cast covetous glances at Lee Zi's allure.

Now, it was clear that Lee Zi was not someone he could afford to cross. And as for the future...

The thought alone sent a chill through the Bronze Warrior, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

"Rest assured, after this time, I'll vanish from this neighborhood. You have my word that you won't see me again."

His life was in their hands. If he kept resisting, he would unjustly lose it for sure!

The Bronze Oily Warrior lacked the iron will of a true martial artist. If he possessed such resolve, he wouldn't have resorted to these actions.

Lee Zi gave a slight nod and glanced at the group before approaching Chu Yi.

"How are you holding up? Can you move?"

Chu Yi gave Lee Zi an annoyed look. "What do you think?"

Right now, Chu Yi felt as if his body was falling apart, moving even slightly was a struggle.

Lee Zi hesitated, but ultimately she pulled a reagent from her pocket.

"Here, drink this."

Chu Yi's trust in Lee Zi was unwavering.

Whether in the past world or this new one.

Without any hesitation, he took the reagent and downed it in one go.

Lee Zi watched Chu Yi gulp it down, her eyes reflecting a twinge of distress.

"Actually, it tastes pretty good."

The taste was the least of it. As soon as Chu Yi spoke, he felt a surge of immense power coursing through his body.

Instantly, this energy reached every corner of his flesh.

If Chu Yi had been just an ordinary person, he would have felt a pleasant warmth, but with his extraordinary Yuan Shen, he could effortlessly monitor every part of his body.

Chu Yi could swear that the benefits he'd reap from fully absorbing the power in this tiny vial of medicine would be no less than those from a month of rigorous training!

And his month of training was fundamentally different from anyone else's!

For others, it might take a year or even years.

A small vial of medicine could be equivalent to a year or even several years of arduous training for someone else.

So, what was the point of such grueling cultivation?

Obviously, with such miraculous effects, the medicine's price must be unimaginably high.

Even Chu Yi, who wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, recognized the value of the medicine he had just consumed.

He looked up at Lee Zi, genuinely surprised.

"Lee Zi, where did you get this? It's incredibly effective."

Lee Zi gave Chu Yi a dismissive glance. "You don't need to concern yourself with the details."

Chu Yi hesitated. Had he known the item was so valuable, he wouldn't have consumed it without a second thought.

Though his family was on the poorer side, they never lacked food or warmth.

Lee Zi's situation, however, was quite different.

Her mother's health was poor, preventing her from working, leaving the family's financial burden entirely on Lee Zi's father.

In their former world, Lee Zi's father lacked stable employment, piecing together odd jobs daily to afford Lee Zi's education and her mother's medical bills.

"Here's what we'll do: tell me what this is called, and I'll get you another one later."

Lee Zi gave Chu Yi an annoyed look and said, "Fine, you were no help, but you did show up for me."

"I, Lee Zi, don't like to owe anyone anything."

"If you can walk, then beat it. I need to get home."

As they spoke, Lee Zi had already left.

The potion was frighteningly effective; within minutes, Chu Yi felt significantly better.

Though not fully restored, his mobility was no longer hindered.

Watching Lee Zi depart, Chu Yi slowly got to his feet, took a deep breath, and made his way out of the alley towards his building.

Once Chu Yi had fully disappeared into the complex, Lee Zi emerged from the shadows and headed toward her own place, unaware that Chu Yi had seen her surreptitious exit all too clearly.

...

"Take this money back!"

"I, Chu Xiong, would rather die than use their money!"

Approaching his home, Chu Yi could hear voices from inside his room.

Ah, that was his dad's voice.

"Chu Xiong, do you want to drive us to our graves?"

"Yi is about to take the college entrance exams. With his grades, do you really think he has a shot at university?"

"Without a degree, he'll struggle to find a job. Are you trying to ruin his future?"

"They are your own family, your parents, Yi's grandparents, and uncles. What's wrong with accepting their help?"

Standing outside the door, Chu Yi was at a loss for words.

He touched his nose, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over him.

Am I truly that worthless?

Upon reflection, it seemed increasingly plausible that he was, indeed, just as his mother had described...