C109 The Arrival of His Parents

After dinner, Chu Yi didn't leave. His primary reason for visiting the Chu family was to see his grandfather, and everything else was just a pleasant surprise. He couldn't possibly leave without seeing him first. Besides, Lee Zi was in the middle of a breakthrough.

By the afternoon, Chu Cencen had vanished, leaving only Chu Yi, Chu Yun, and his fourth aunt. Chu Yun's smile faded as he watched Lee Zi, who was undergoing her breakthrough, his expression turning grave.

"Yi, there's no issue between you and Lee Zi, is there?" Chu Yun's view of Lee Zi had evolved beyond the simple respect of a younger family member. While her current strength was modest, her potential was absolutely frightening—a Sixth Level Genius. Even though Chu Yun didn't fully grasp the significance of that title, he understood that Lee Zi's abilities were considered terrifying even by advanced civilization standards.

Chu Yun was concerned that any problems between Lee Zi and Chu Yi could lead to significant losses for the Chu family. "Lee Zi trusts me a lot," Chu Yi reflected, then added, "An extraordinary amount. It goes beyond everything else." He was certain that Lee Zi's trust in him even surpassed life and death.

Chu Yun was about to ask another question when his fourth aunt chimed in, "Why are you meddling in the couple's affairs?" Chu Yun could only offer a sheepish laugh and drop the subject.

"By the way, Fourth Uncle, may I use that device again tomorrow?" Chu Yi considered, even though the testing chamber was one of the Chu family's most closely guarded secrets, it shouldn't be an issue to use it once more.

Chu Yun's silence, however, puzzled Chu Yi. "Is it inconvenient?"

Chu Yi didn't think the Chu family was stingy or that they didn't accept him. If they were stingy, they wouldn't have offered him the spiritual fruits and Demon King meat. And if they didn't accept him, they wouldn't have shared so many secrets. Clearly, there was something he was unaware of.

As expected, Chu Yun finally spoke up. "Yi, after hearing your explanation, I've come to understand about the testing chamber..."

"To be precise, the genius battle was certainly a huge help to you," Chu Yun began, as Chu Yi nodded in agreement. "However, this testing chamber..." Chu Yun scratched his head, "might not be available for your use in the short term."

Chu Yi remained silent, listening attentively.

"Yi, you might not realize the astronomical amount of energy required to activate this device," Chu Yun continued. "Of course, if it were just electricity, it wouldn't be a big deal. The Chu family isn't the wealthiest in the world, but we're still a prominent household."

"The issue is that activating this testing chamber requires certain key materials," he explained. "While these materials are common in advanced civilizations, they're exceedingly rare in less developed ones."

The Chu family could afford these precious materials, but their power would fade over time if not used. Since the Chu family seldom used these devices, they had virtually no stockpile.

This time, even if Chu Yi was eager to continue his battles, the remaining materials wouldn't last much longer.

Chu Yi felt somewhat resigned. He had finally found a rapid way to enhance his abilities, only to be faced with this setback.

"But don't worry," Chu Yun reassured him, "I've already reached out to our family's contacts, and they're accelerating their procurement efforts. I believe it won't be long before we have what we need."

Chu Yi was the sole male descendant in three generations of the Chu family, and a prodigious talent at that. The Chu family had every reason to back him up!

Though Chu Yi had only just returned to the Chu family, they had been invested in him since his birth. To them, Chu Yi was as much a part of the family as any of the other younger members raised within its ranks.

If Chu Yi had been lackluster, perhaps the Chu family members wouldn't have been as interested. But now, he was clearly a top-tier prodigy, on par with or even surpassing the most formidable geniuses in the history of the Terran Human Race. This was no overstatement.

Even leaving Chu Yi aside, Lee Zi alone was a marvel. While Chu Yi's genius might not match Lee Zi's, his talent was still nothing short of astonishing.

Chu Yun would simply listen and smile whenever Lee Zi claimed that Chu Yi was stronger than her. It's typical for a girl in love to speak so fondly, and besides, Chu Yun believed that the instruments don't lie. If Chu Yi was assessed as a Fourth Level genius, then that's exactly what he was.

The family spent the entire afternoon engaged in lively conversation. The Chu family was quite familiar with Chu Yi, but he still had a lot to learn about them. Consequently, Chu Yun spent most of the time introducing Chu Yi to the various family members.

Lee Zi, meanwhile, had completed her breakthrough without much delay. It wasn't a major leap to a new realm, and given her prior experience with breakthroughs, this one went smoothly. In a relatively short time, she had advanced to the middle stage of the Bronze Realm.

Though still not quite at the level she was when she first reached the Silver Realm, Lee Zi's current strength was undoubtedly greater than at her previous peak. Even utilizing just one of the battle bodies from her Five-star original body would rival the combined power of all three she wielded before. Such an improvement was a delightful surprise for her.

With just a month left before the college entrance exams, Lee Zi knew that any further progress would allow her to truly dazzle during the tests.

Chu Yun watched Lee Zi with pride and began to discuss the Chu family's affairs. Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was already six in the evening.

The sound of a knock on the door interrupted them, and Chu Yun rose to answer it. "Do we have a visitor?"

It was common for the Chu family to have visitors, though they typically arrived during the day; it was unusual for someone to show up around dinner time. Family members didn't need a key to enter.

Continuing the conversation, Chu Yun went to open the door. Usually, spending an entire afternoon chatting with the elders could be quite dull, but this time was different. Introducing Chu Yi to the Chu family had been anything but boring.

"Hey, Old Fifth, you've arrived!" The voice at the door caught Chu Yi's attention. At first, he didn't think much of it, but then he paused, taken aback.

Old Fifth?

Is that—

Dad?!

Indeed, when Chu Yi turned around, he saw his dad with a reluctant expression and his mom beaming with joy.

"Dad, Mom..."

Lee Zi also quickly stood up. "Uncle, Aunt..."

Chu's mother's eyes sparkled. "Oh, it's Lee Zi."

She approached as she spoke.

Chu Xiong's eyes brightened when he saw Lee Zi.

They understood the significance of Lee Zi's presence at the Chu family home at this moment.

Initially, when Chu Yi walked in, Chu Xiong had given him a rather stern look, but now it was replaced with one of complete satisfaction.

Chu Yi was somewhat at a loss for words, sensing that his standing in the family was likely to diminish even further.

"Lee Zi, your visit has made me so happy," Chu's mother exclaimed.

She had already gone over and taken Lee Zi's hands, examining her from head to toe.

Although they had been childhood friends and Chu's mother had met Lee Zi numerous times, this visit felt different.

Chu's mother found everything about Lee Zi refreshingly delightful this time around.

Lee Zi, on the other hand, was feeling rather awkward.

Initially, she was a bit nervous coming to the Chu family, but the bond between the Chu family and Chu Yi wasn't all that deep.

However, with Chu's father and mother...

Well, in the presence of these two, Lee Zi was genuinely flustered.

"Hello, Auntie..."

Lee Zi managed to greet her, albeit confusedly.

"Come on, have a seat," Chu's mother urged.

"The old man will be back soon. He's going to be over the moon to see the whole family back."

Chu Xiong clicked his tongue, "Over the moon? More like he might be so shocked he keels over..."

Smack!

Though Chu's mother wasn't a cultivator, Chu Xiong wasn't one either.

She didn't hold back with her slap, leaving Chu Xiong rubbing his head in pain and grimacing.

Chu Yun watched with a smile, keeping his comments to himself.

As Chu Xiong's older brother, Chu Yun was quite familiar with his sibling's antics.

He knew that at times like these, only their mother could render Chu Xiong speechless.

"Fourth brother, I appreciate you looking after Chu Yi."

Chu Xiong quickly gestured dismissively, "No need for thanks – we're family!"

Chu's mother remained silent, her smile unwavering.

Yet, when her gaze fell upon Chu Xiong, it carried an unmistakable sharpness.

"Chu Xiong, if you stir up any trouble, don't expect me to be lenient!"

Her voice was soft, almost a murmur, but given that everyone there, except for Chu's father and Chu's mother, were powerful figures, they heard her loud and clear.

Chu Yun's grin grew even wider, while Chu Xiong was visibly uncomfortable.

Before long, the sound of the door signaled another arrival.

"The old man must be back," someone noted.

Chu Xiong tensed up and fell into a contemplative silence.

A spark of curiosity lit up in Chu Yi's eyes.

He had pieced together the Chu family's background from the afternoon's conversation. The Chu family didn't have an ancient lineage; their status today was largely thanks to Chu Yi's grandfather, Chu Tianfeng.

His grandmother was equally influential, her role no less significant than that of Chu Tianfeng.

These two pillars of the Chu family were described by Chu Yun as nothing short of legendary, having established the vast Chu family empire from scratch – they were living legends.

Naturally, Chu Yi was intrigued by his grandparents.

And now, he was about to meet them...

As the door swung open, a robust man strode in.