C159 The Young Chu Yi!

The clash between the two youths sent shockwaves around the globe!

Countless viewers were glued to the live broadcast, witnessing a figure in a bit of disarray, yet they couldn't shake off the astonishment in their eyes.

Even the most powerful elites were left speechless for an extended period.

No one could put their emotions into words.

Across the entire Adirang Region, and even in other main regions, many were tuned into this broadcast.

They watched in profound silence, filled with indescribable complexity.

It was common knowledge that the third phase of the examination was the battle between the main regions, and the fourth phase was the country war, the national exam!

This was true not only for the Adirang Region but for all the main regions.

Previously, the martial examination concluded at this point.

But this time was different, as a fifth phase had been introduced.

And the fifth stage was known as...

The country war!

It represented a contest among all the main regions within the entire Terran Federation.

In today's world, these main regions might appear relatively harmonious, given the threat of countless civilizations beyond, resulting in fewer internal conflicts within the regions.

But fewer does not mean nonexistent!

Internal strife is always present, and beyond that, there's another crucial issue: who will lead the future conquests of the Federation!

Even within a family, a hierarchy is established, not to mention the racial distinctions within the entire Terran Federation.

Thus, competition persists among the main regions.

The country war presents the perfect chance for the federal government to reshuffle its power structure.

This was the pact among the main regions.

Otherwise, why would the Adirang Region's federal government offer up so many resources, even treasures that could entice many noble families?

Power is the ultimate goal!

For power, they would pay any price!

Hence, to select the most suitable prodigies, governments from all the main regions on the planet were sparing no expense...

Standing beside the colossal carcass, Chu Yi's face betrayed his unease.

Despite his considerable strength, Chu Yi had no intention of just scraping by until the end, but he certainly didn't want to unveil his full capabilities too soon.

Revealing one's strength prematurely meant becoming a target.

This was precisely why Chu Yi had exercised such restraint during the second phase of the examination.

However, he had not anticipated that just as the third stage was beginning and the nation's attention was starting to focus, he would inadvertently reveal his strength.

While it wasn't his peak power, the strength he had shown was already enough to draw attention.

Chu Yi truly wished to remain under the radar, but alas, reality seemed to have other plans...

He felt a bit weary...

Casting a glance at the guardian beside him, Chu Yi refrained from speaking.

Despite the incident with Zhao Jun, Chu Yi still harbored a favorable view of these guardians.

These individuals were tirelessly defending the prodigies and freaks of nature, always lurking in the shadows, yet diligently preserving the brightness of their kin.

However...

Chu Yi didn't feel much fondness for the Diamond Level guardian before him.

Indeed, he had initially insisted that the guardian not intervene, but what about afterward?

Under normal circumstances, when he found himself in peril, the guardian should have stepped in.

But the guardian hesitated.

Clearly, in such a situation, the guardian lacked the confidence to come out unharmed.

Thus, he hesitated.

Guardianship was his duty, yet he faltered when it was most needed.

Had the guardian been merely Gold level, Chu Yi would have understood if he had turned tail and fled without a second thought.

In such an arena, against such a fearsome Demonic Beast, a Gold level would be simply signing their own death warrant.

But this guardian was Diamond Level!

Regardless of whether he could have 'rescued' Chu Yi at the time, the least he could have done was to make a move.

A Diamond Level Great General might not have been able to save him, but at worst, would have only sustained injuries. It was improbable for the Demonic Beast to slay a Diamond Great General, particularly one already wounded...

Of course, Chu Yi held no grudge against him; after all, the fear of death is universal.

He simply disliked the other party.

His feelings were neutral, devoid of any sentiment.

Chu Yi never expected others to live up to his own standards.

Ultimately, he turned and walked away from that place...

What Chu Yi was unaware of was that his actions had stirred up a storm of controversy on the outside!

In the conference room of Redmarsh City.

The influential leaders sat in silence.

Though none were War Gods, each possessed the top-tier strength of Diamond Level, merely a step away from becoming a War God themselves.

Chu Yi's previously demonstrated strength was well-known to them all. Yet, it was precisely this clarity that left them feeling both shocked and bewildered. They simply couldn't fathom how Chu Yi managed to slay that Demonic Beast with the power he had shown!

"Impossible..."

"With just the strength he initially showed, he could stand up to a Gold Level Demonic Beast. But in that environment, at that moment, Chu Yi should have been a goner!"

"So..."

The power players exchanged glances, a spark of excitement in their eyes.

"He's been concealing his true power!"

"Chu Yi's Gold Level is the real deal—a prodigy, or perhaps even a freak of nature!"

Indeed, when they first learned of Chu Yi's Gold Level status, these heavyweights weren't particularly impressed. After all, any top-tier force or family could easily nurture a young Gold Level if they so chose. But was that truly the mark of gold? Those so-called Gold Levels lacked the genuine strength to match the combat power they would possess after a natural ascent to the Gold Realm.

Chu Yi was initially thought to be one of these cases by the big shots. But it appears they were mistaken. Chu Yi's gold was true gold, the most authentic kind. Such gold possessed an exceptionally fearsome and monstrous strength within the Gold Realm.

These big shots understood the implications.

"Chu Yi is a shoo-in for the national war!"

Some had already made up their minds. Though the final selections would be determined after a series of assessments, these influencers had their ways of tipping the scales. After all, what's a competition without a little behind-the-scenes manipulation?

Of course, if Chu Yi truly underperformed, there was little they could do. But as long as he was decent and didn't lag too far behind, they could easily secure his spot.

Chu Yi was oblivious to these machinations, and even if he were aware, it wouldn't concern him. His sights were set on one thing only:

First place...

...

Chu Yi's pace quickened, and he soon found himself within a mountain range. Though termed a range, it was essentially a cluster of modest hills. The area wasn't vast, but it was sizable compared to the Earth of old.

Chu Yi came to a halt. Typically, such mountain ranges were home to Demonic Beasts.

Chu Yi had previously studied the map of this area, so he was aware that this mountain range was the largest within the entire examination zone. However, he was uncertain about the levels of the Demonic Beasts that resided here. At the very least, the Demonic Beasts claiming this territory would be of the Gold Level, and possibly even among the elite of the Gold Level. There was also a significant chance that a top-tier Demonic Beast could be lurking.

The existence of top-tier Demonic Beasts in these grounds was something War God Xu had mentioned earlier. While examining the map, Chu Yi had taken note of several key locations. War God Xu hadn't specified where the top-tier Demonic Beasts might be, but Chu Yi had a hunch that these areas were likely spots for their appearance. This particular mountain range was one of the locations Chu Yi had pegged as a probable hotspot.

More importantly, this mountain range was conspicuously absent from the map's marked resting points for examinees, and there were few such points in the vicinity. This was Chu Yi's primary basis for his judgment. The federal government's intention was to make the college entrance exam more realistic with its reforms, not to send students to their deaths.

Now the dilemma stood before him: should he venture in? If he encountered a top-tier Demonic Beast, Chu Yi wasn't sure how he would handle it. Fighting seemed feasible, as he was confident in his abilities. However, if the Demonic Beast turned out to be one of the stronger elite, Chu Yi would be out of options unless he chose to unveil his Stellar Combat Body.

At present, Chu Yi had no desire to expose his Stellar Combat Body. During its ultimate eruption in the past, he had matched the genius of the Devil Clan at the Silver Peak. The power unleashed by both at their limits was even capable of slaying gods—not just defeating a War God, but possessing the might to slay deities.

Therefore, Chu Yi was reluctant to play his 'final trump card' so early, especially now that he had advanced to the Gold Level, significantly stronger than before. After some contemplation, Chu Yi did not rush to decide whether to leave. Although the mountain range was not overly vast, it exceeded the limits of his sensory range, and Chu Yi was unsure if he was merely wasting time.

He thought that with Lee Zi's intelligence, she wouldn't just waltz into such a place.

It was clear that great peril lurked here.

However, before Chu Yi could decide on a course of action, trouble arose.

"Brother, help me!"

The ground thundered, and a voice echoed from the distance.

Chu Yi saw nothing but smoke and dust, and his live stream audience was witnessing the same chaos.

"What on earth?"

"Looks like a genius is being chased by a Demonic Beast?"

"Someone's calling for help!"

Due to the recent battle, Chu Yi's live stream room had seen an explosive increase in viewers.

A substantial portion of the audience had flocked to Chu Yi's stream, a number that was already staggering.

Consider that the other two hundred fifty-five combined only accounted for eighty percent.

But after that battle, the viewership nearly doubled!

The number of people remaining in Chu Yi's live stream room had reached forty percent of the total viewership.

This was an astounding figure, prompting the live stream staff to feature Chu Yi's channel prominently on the homepage.

There was no choice; Chu Yi's stream might even surpass the main page in viewership.

Chu Yi slightly furrowed his brow; he genuinely disliked complications.

The assessment was three days long, but Chu Yi planned to find Lee Zi within a day and spend the next two hunting Demonic Beasts with her.

Indeed, with Lee Zi's assistance and their combined strength and teamwork, they could easily take down the average Gold Level beasts without revealing their full power.

Yet, unexpectedly, he had to reveal some of his strength shortly after the start.

Still, this turned out to be a good thing. With Lee Zi by his side, Chu Yi felt confident enough to take on Diamond Level challenges.

So, the priority was to locate Lee Zi first, then focus on hunting Demonic Beasts—though Chu Yi wouldn't hesitate to dispatch any they encountered along the way.

But he was genuinely vexed by this unforeseen complication.

Lee Zi had already cried out for help. Ignoring the plea could tarnish his upstanding image.

Chu Yi was well aware that this third phase of the assessment was being broadcast live.

Every participant had a first-person camera attached to them.

While Chu Yi doubted many would watch his feed, the sheer number of viewers from the Adirang Region was overwhelming.

Therefore, Chu Yi was not keen on allowing even the slightest damage to his illustrious reputation.

Well, let's take a look.

If the issue is minor, then...

He would offer assistance.

However, if the enemy he stirred up was too formidable, Chu Yi would no longer concern himself with maintaining his image.

The trembling of the ground soon intensified, growing more and more severe by the moment.