C160 A Suicidal Expert

Chu Yi's eyes narrowed slightly.

In that moment, Chu Yi understood.

"It seems we have another daredevil on our hands."

Despite the considerable distance and seeing only distant smoke and dust on the live feed, Chu Yi's senses had already reached deep into the fray.

He had seen it.

Ahead, a figure was sprinting desperately, pursued by more than a dozen Demonic Beasts!

Indeed, more than a dozen.

While these Demonic Beasts weren't exceptionally formidable, the weakest among them was of the middle Silver Level.

The most powerful boasted the strength of a quasi-Gold Level!

The quasi-Gold Level strength...

Out of the two hundred fifty-six candidates this time around, barring those of the Gold Level, even a Silver Peak prodigy might struggle to overcome them!

Of course, this didn't mean they were unbeatable, just difficult to conquer.

But now...

With the addition of those dozen-plus Demonic Beasts, even the Gold Level geniuses might not stand a chance.

After all, these Demonic Beasts appeared to be from the same clan.

So many Demonic Beasts banding together wasn't as simple as one plus one.

If they were a mix of different Demonic Beasts, perhaps the lower-level ones wouldn't pose much of a threat. But if they were all from the same species, that was a significant problem.

"Brother, help me..."

The genius running ahead looked utterly disheveled, yet Chu Yi could sense that the man had not sustained serious injuries so far—merely superficial wounds, though he appeared rather pitiful.

Indeed, quite pitiful.

His clothes were shredded, hanging in strips, with some wounds still oozing blood.

Clearly, this genius was not to be underestimated.

His physique must be incredibly robust, having kept the Demonic Beasts at bay thus far.

However, this wouldn't last much longer, as it seemed he was nearing his limit...

Chu Yi was at a loss for words.

He could easily surmise the sequence of events that had led to this predicament.

He guessed the man had probably targeted one or several Silver Level Demonic Beasts but, due to his own strength, failed to slay them outright, inadvertently drawing the attention of their clan members.

In the end, the situation had naturally evolved into its current state.

Confronted with the terrifying hordes of Demonic Beasts, Chu Yi was acutely aware that aside from himself and Lee Zi, even the geniuses among the Gold Demonic Beasts would have to flee if they were to face them.

At last, the reckless little genius had closed in to less than a hundred meters from Chu Yi.

For these elite geniuses and Demonic Beasts, a hundred meters was trivial—they could likely cover the distance in a mere second or two.

A gleam of excitement shone in the eyes of the little genius.

Alone, he was no match for the Demonic Beasts, but with a teammate...

He would still be outmatched.

However, with someone else to draw some of the fire, his escape would be much easier.

As Chu Yi had surmised, the reason this daredevil was being pursued was that he had antagonized the entire clan.

Yet, his penchant for danger was even more pronounced than Chu Yi had imagined.

Chu Yi had speculated that he might have attempted to take down one or two ordinary Gold Demonic Beasts. In reality, this thrill-seeker was actually plotting against the entire Demonic Beast clan at his back!

Indeed, it was as outlandish as it sounded.

It wasn't that he was delusional about his own strength or oblivious to reality, thinking he could single-handedly annihilate the Demonic Beast clan.

He had an ace up his sleeve.

Yes, a very special concoction.

He was exploiting a loophole in the examination.

The examination rules hadn't explicitly forbidden bringing supplementary equipment.

In fact, the higher-ups had intentionally allowed this.

Without medicines to replenish their strength, the geniuses truly wouldn't last long.

But no one expected that this individual, in addition to carrying essential life-saving medicines, had also prepared an array of special 'assistive' concoctions.

These 'assistive' medicines were, in fact, potions with unique properties.

Take, for instance—

Poison...

These were no ordinary poisons. The mere fact that a family's prodigy was equipped with them spoke volumes about their value.

And it was with these potent poisons at his disposal that the little genius had the audacity to truly flirt with death.

In his scheme, he intended to use poison to incapacitate all the Demonic Beasts, then finish them off with a single punch each. The rules of the assessment didn't prohibit such tactics, so he thought he was cleverly exploiting a loophole. Unfortunately, what he could conceive, the government bigwigs could certainly anticipate as well. Hence, his loophole exploitation didn't go as planned, and he nearly got himself in serious trouble.

These Demonic Beasts—

No, it wasn't just these Demonic Beasts. Many had an extraordinary immunity to poison. What would be lethal to humans was at most a minor nuisance to them, perhaps just a foul smell or a bitter taste. The resistance of Demonic Beasts to poison was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

Nevertheless, the concoction created by this reckless young prodigy was authentic and did have some impact. It didn't kill all the members of the Demonic Beast tribe, but it did knock out a fair number. At least, that's what he believed. So, just as he was about to enter the fray and clean up, ready to ascend to the pinnacle of his life, the Demonic Beasts all started to come to, waking up one by one. The ensuing chaos doesn't need elaboration.

Recalling that moment, the young prodigy is overwhelmed with a mix of bitterness and tears. If he hadn't been carrying enough items for registration, if his own strength hadn't been at the high end of the Silver Peak—almost at the threshold of Gold Level—his venture might have been a one-way trip.

Demonic Beasts are distinct from wild beasts because they possess a certain level of intelligence. It's not particularly high, but it's definitely there. So when they spotted him, they quickly caught on to what was happening. And that led to the situation Chu Yi witnessed.

"Brother, big brother, help me!" he cried out. At that moment, the little genius had completely abandoned any pretense of dignity. His character was no longer in question; after all, he had resorted to poisoning. If Chu Yi could save him, he wouldn't hesitate to call him "big brother"—or even "father."

Chu Yi had already assumed his position, while the daredevil genius had meticulously crafted eighteen different expressions of gratitude to offer afterward. Yes, just words.

"You merely saved my life, and now you expect a reward? Keep dreaming!" However, he wasn't about to reveal his true feelings just yet.

"Brother, when the time comes, unleash your most powerful attack to scatter these demonic beasts!"

"I only need a brief moment..."

He had been shouting from afar, but it wasn't until he reached Chu Yi's side that he finally finished his plea. That's when he caught sight of Chu Yi's preparatory stance. It was clear Chu Yi was gearing up for a major move!

In that instant, the reckless genius experienced a momentary mental blackout. And it wasn't just him; the online audience and everyone in Chu Yi's live stream were equally dumbfounded. Just when everyone expected Chu Yi to launch a powerful strike, they watched in shock as he channeled all his might into a punch directed at a massive cliff beside him. The mountain seemed ready to crumble as a fearsome quake ensued, sending a cascade of boulders tumbling down.

What was this tactic? Was he trying to deter the demonic beasts with a display of raw power? The daredevil genius was itching to berate Chu Yi. "You gathered all that strength just to show off and prove you're strong? Bullshit! These demonic beasts aren't human; they won't back down from a mere spectacle! And now that you've expended your energy, how will you cover my escape?"

But then, he saw it... After Chu Yi's punch, he didn't continue to power up or anything of the sort. Instead, he simply leaped to the side.

He leaped.

Leaped.

Leaped...

Gone.

Had Chu Yi remained still, the daredevil genius would have reached his side without issue. But Chu Yi's effortless jump had now set them on diverging paths. In a flash, understanding dawned on him. A moment later, the more perceptive viewers in the live stream caught on. And within three seconds, it clicked for everyone...

"Pfft—"

"This move..."

"All I can say is, Chu Yi is incredible!"

Indeed, Chu Yi's actions spoke volumes of his prowess.

Chu Yi's actions weren't for show; they were a calculated display of intimidation.

Indeed, intimidation was the goal.

He aimed to cow the Demonic Beasts into submission.

A mere strike wouldn't normally deter a frenzied horde of Demonic Beasts, but Chu Yi's deliberate leap away conveyed a clear message.

It was as if he was saying, "Keep chasing your prey; I have nothing to do with this."

This was the attitude Chu Yi projected.

Under normal circumstances, the Demonic Beasts wouldn't give Chu Yi's maneuvers a second thought.

You do your intimidating act, but we're not buying it.

But not this time!

The Demonic Beasts were acutely aware of who their true adversary was!

Engaging Chu Yi in battle would lead to one inevitable outcome: the human who had betrayed their entire clan would get away!

The intelligence of a Demonic Beast might not be high, but they were certainly not devoid of it.

A powerful individual of no consequence.

Another with a vendetta against Chu Yi but of lesser strength.

Was there really a choice to be made?

Revenge was the only course of action!

So, to the astonishment of all onlookers, the Demonic Beasts hurried past Chu Yi without so much as a sideways glance.

"Damn, I've just realized that even Demonic Beasts can be bullies who only pick on the weak and cower before the strong!"

"Bullying the weak and fearing the strong? It's clear they're focused on their objective!"

"These Demonic Beasts, not too shabby..."

"But on the other hand, isn't what Chu Yi is doing somewhat lacking in honor?"

That's correct, abandoning one's comrades in their time of need is indeed dishonorable.

However, this is purely a moral dilemma.

"Dishonorable my foot!"

"This isn't a genuine life-or-death struggle."

"That genius clearly has plenty of aces left to play."

"And should a true threat to his life arise, the guardians are sure to step in!"