C157 The Terrifying Demonic Beast!!
Chu Yi paused to think and realized he had no choice but to begin a slow search. He felt quite confident about Lee Zi's safety; there was no one here capable of truly harming her. With the teachers' protection, Chu Yi was somewhat relieved. However, survival was one thing, and remaining undetected was another. If possible, Chu Yi preferred that Lee Zi stay hidden.
Surveying his surroundings, Chu Yi decisively chose a direction and took off. At his current speed, he could traverse several areas within an hour if he flew at top speed. But even with his considerable resources, sustained high-speed flight was out of the question. Under normal circumstances, a steady pace would allow Chu Yi to cover the entire examination area in half a day, assuming he didn't run into any issues.
Unfortunately, Chu Yi encountered trouble after traveling just over a dozen kilometers. Exiting the forest, he found himself on a grassland, as silent as the woods he'd left behind. But this silence was excessive, devoid of even the slightest sound, more silent than an anechoic chamber.
"There should at least be the sound of the wind to be normal," he muttered. "This level of quiet is a clear sign that something's amiss."
Demonic Beasts, despite their awakened intelligence, were vastly different from humans. If a human were laying a trap, they wouldn't make it eerily quiet.
"Let it go," Chu Yi told himself. "What can you really expect from a Demonic Beast?"
He had extended his senses, but all around him remained deathly still. Chu Yi slowed down, and his sensory range began to contract, shrinking to a three-hundred-meter radius around him. His senses weren't being suppressed; rather, he was focusing them into the ground beneath his feet. And in the next instant, Chu Yi finally sensed something.
"Although not the brightest, he's quite cunning."
Chu Yi found himself grateful for his previous journey to the Stellar Tower.
During that trial, he encountered a sandworm adept at such stealth.
Yet, the Demonic Beast beneath his feet now was stronger—
Much stronger!
Indeed, far more formidable!
At the time of the Stellar Tower trial, Chu Yi was merely at the Silver Level, facing a sandworm of the same rank.
That sandworm was exceptionally powerful, surpassing the average Silver by more than just a notch.
But Silver is still Silver, whereas the Demonic Beast at Chu Yi's feet was of the Gold Level!
A true Gold Level Demonic Beast!
Here in the grasslands, the Demonic Beast's carefully cultivated domain, coupled with its unique traits, it was so formidable that even an ordinary Diamond Great General might struggle to contend here.
"How revolting..."
Chu Yi was not fond of such Demonic Beasts.
Being of the Gold Level, yet with the advantage of terrain, it rivaled a Diamond—something he believed nobody would appreciate.
After some thought, Chu Yi opted for a detour.
It wasn't that he couldn't defeat it, but slaying this Demonic Beast would likely require revealing much of his power.
Even though the cost to Chu Yi's senses wouldn't be too steep, it was significantly more than taking down other Gold rank creatures.
So, it simply wasn't worth it...
The effort didn't justify the gain, leading Chu Yi to abandon the idea.
Regrettably, some things don't go as planned.
Chu Yi was no child of destiny, able to turn wishes into reality.
Thus, as he was about to circumvent the area, the Demonic Beast launched a sudden attack.
Had it been anyone else, they would have been easily ensnared.
No one anticipates a Demonic Beast emerging beneath them—a lesson many top talents learned the hard way during the Stellar Tower test.
And the same held true even for those within the Terran Federation.
Moreover, what good is foreknowledge of the Demonic Beast's attack patterns in such a situation?
What lies beneath one's feet is not always visible to the eye.
Thus, the Demonic Beast presented an almost insurmountable challenge. Aside from Chu Yi, none of the other candidates, including Lee Zi, stood a chance against it.
Suddenly, the ground erupted as a massive creature burst forth.
It was accompanied by a barrage of terrifyingly sharp, cold glints, the whistling of the wind threatening to slice through everything.
A fearsome assault!
Initially, Chu Yi had believed the Demonic Beast's difficulty stemmed solely from its geographical advantage. However, he had since revised his opinion.
Even above ground, the Demonic Beast's power was likely on par with an ordinary Intermediate or even a High Order Gold level creature!
It was truly terrifying!
Thankfully, Chu Yi had experience on his side and was well-prepared.
Thus, he managed to evade the moment the Demonic Beast emerged.
But the creature's sheer size meant that, despite Chu Yi's preemptive dodge, the sharp wind blades still lashed around him, leaving several cuts.
Thankfully, he was now beyond the reach of the Demonic Beast's central assault, and his robust physique was a saving grace.
Anyone else would have been shredded to pieces.
By then, not even the so-called guardians would have been able to intervene in time...
...
"Holy cow, check out the live feed for number 44!"
"Amazing, he actually dodged it!"
"But what good does dodging do? Looks like this guy's in deep trouble. Not even divine intervention could save him now, mark my words!"
Two hundred and fifty-six contestants were each equipped with live broadcasting gear, allowing viewers to tune into their status at any moment.
In certain key areas, especially around more popular candidates, additional live broadcasting devices were installed.
The government spared no effort in preparing for this broadcast.
Chu Yi's zone was no exception to this coverage.
The government officials responsible for the broadcast had one job: to showcase the most intense battle scenes.
The question of life or death was not their concern.
After witnessing Chu Yi's predicament, they swiftly switched the main screen to his feed.
In an effort to amplify the grandeur of this year's college entrance examination, the government had indeed explored countless strategies.
Live streaming was just one of the features.
Aside from the two hundred and fifty-six candidates, each with their own dedicated live streaming rooms, the government's official website also offered a main view and three secondary angles.
Typically, the main view was reserved for showcasing the most thrilling battles.
At first, the streamer hadn't been too concerned. The third stage had only just begun; where could all the drama be coming from?
But unexpectedly, Chu Yi found himself in a fierce clash with a formidable Demonic Beast!
Even though the beast's level couldn't be discerned through the screen, its sheer size indicated that it was at least at the Silver Peak—
No, this was a Gold Level Demonic Beast!
Everyone could see it!
Almost instantly, the Demonic Beast that had targeted Chu Yi burst forth from deep underground.
Its size—
Over 300 meters!
Typically, the realm and size of a Demonic Beast are correlated.
A Bronze Level Demonic Beast would measure between ten to fifty meters in either height or length.
Silver Level Beasts ranged from fifty to two hundred meters.
If a beast measured just over two hundred meters, it might be at the pinnacle of Silver or at the beginning of Gold Level.
However, a Demonic Beast stretching to 300 meters was undoubtedly at the Gold Level!
After all, Diamond Level Demonic Beasts, the crème de la crème, maxed out at 500 meters.
300 meters!
That was indicative of a Gold Level Great Demonic Beast!
Witnessing this spectacle, the online audience was electrified.
Who could have predicted that such a fierce confrontation would erupt at the very start of the third stage?
Chu Yi and his peers were aware of the relentless online promotion in recent days, with most people getting their updates from A Lang.
A Lang's special reports were often seen as a gambler's compass.
They weren't always spot on, but with a 70% accuracy rate, they were revered by many.
While A Lang covered countless candidates during each college entrance exam, they only featured one in their special report!
This time, it was Chu Yi.
Chu Yi's name had transcended the confines of Redmarsh and was now known throughout the entire Adirang Region. Anyone with aspirations to claim the title of national martial arts examination champion had taken note of him.
Recognizing Chu Yi was effortless. One glance was all it took to make his striking features unforgettable. His looks were considered among the finest in the nation.
As a result, in a live stream with two hundred and fifty-six viewers, over 20% gravitated towards Chu Yi's channel. Watching a handsome guy seemed like a pleasant way to pass the time for those who were bored.
Little did they know, Chu Yi was about to deliver an astonishing 'surprise'!
"What the hell did I just see?"
"A Gold Demonic Beast!"
"Isn't that just a giant centipede?"
"Pfft! Are you ignorant? That's a Shina, an incredibly terrifying Demonic Beast. Centipede? Please."
"Centipede or Shina, I'm curious about how beneficial it would be to brew it into wine..."
"Here we are in a life-and-death battle, and you're thinking about wine? Have you no empathy? But, on another note, could this creature really be used to prolong life?"
The online crowd was veering off into tangents, but Chu Yi couldn't see their comments. And even if he could, what would he do? Chase them down through the internet and confront them? That was hardly feasible, nor was it within his capabilities.
Right now, Chu Yi had more pressing concerns. The Shreeking Moth before him clearly saw him as a tasty treat. Demonic Beasts, upon reaching the Bronze level, could grow stronger by absorbing the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth. Flesh and blood were merely to satisfy their primal urges, except for the flesh of higher-level Demonic Beasts, which was more than a mere craving.
To the Shreeking Moth, Chu Yi was an appetizing dessert. Unruly, perhaps, but that only meant he was full of vigor, promising a satisfying crunch when it came time to feast.
