C161 The Rankings Were Released!

When the term "Guardian" flashed across the screen, it immediately brought something to mind for the audience.

Indeed, these geniuses were supported by a cadre of Guardians.

Typically, Guardians would intervene in only two scenarios: one being the moment a genius faced imminent death.

The other, when a genius within their protected domain actively sought assistance.

The absence of Guardian intervention indicated that the genius was not truly in peril.

Should real danger have presented itself, it's likely the genius wouldn't have waited until a life-or-death situation arose; they would have called out for help right away.

"Now that you mention it, it seems there's no issue at all."

"But then again, can those Guardians truly safeguard the geniuses?"

A hush fell over the screen.

The audience was aware that the speaker wasn't genuinely questioning the Guardians' capabilities.

If the Guardians were truly unreliable, the government wouldn't have assigned them to this task.

These individuals were the elite geniuses and prodigies of Redmarsh. A problem with one or two might be manageable.

But if too many perished here, the government would be at a loss for words!

Besides, most people weren't fools; they recognized that these geniuses were formidable talents nurtured by powerful families. Any mishap would not only incite the fury of these families and factions but could also plunge Redmarsh into turmoil.

So, theoretically, these Guardians should be quite dependable.

The only exception was the unreliable Guardian that Chu Yi had encountered previously...

...

Chu Yi watched the genius's retreating figure and smirked with contempt.

Did this person really think he could outsmart him?

Ridiculous!

If his adversary were truly in dire straits, Chu Yi wouldn't mind stepping in—it wouldn't take up much of his time.

But the reality was different.

To others, that doomed genius seemed utterly pitiable, yet Chu Yi was confident that they hadn't shown their full strength.

In fact, it was clear that they had a motive for playing the victim—fishing!

Yes, fishing!

Despite appearing disheveled, if one were truly helpless or teetering on the brink of death, they would at least need to shed some blood to look the part.

Just like that reckless genius, he was completely unscathed. Aside from looking disheveled, there wasn't a single injury on him. Clearly, he had held back some strength!

Moreover, if he were truly being pursued, he'd be running for his life with every ounce of energy he had!

Yet, Chu Yi sensed that the other's aura was still remarkably steady.

It was evident that the genius was nowhere near his limit in terms of escape!

But what really mattered was something Chu Yi had noticed.

The distance between him and the Demonic Beasts was consistently kept within a certain range.

In essence, if the Demonic Beasts sped up, so did he. And if they slowed down, his pace decreased accordingly.

He was clearly baiting them!

Had Chu Yi been an impulsive youth who failed to see through the scheme, he might have recklessly charged in.

The best-case scenario in that instance would be drawing the attention of some of the Demonic Beasts.

And as for the remaining beasts...

Chu Yi was confident that the rascal would have a strategy to dispatch them!

That was pretty much the gist of it.

So, Chu Yi opted to simply observe from the sidelines.

There was no point in assisting someone like that...

Standing still, Chu Yi gazed at the vast mountain range, a hint of intrigue flickering in his eyes.

This was merely the outskirts, yet it was already home to fearsome Demonic Beasts of the Gold Level. What then, lay deeper within?

Hence—

"It looks like there's definitely a supreme Demonic Beast lurking here!"

A supreme Demonic Beast's power was often formidable.

Chu Yi's current power wasn't on par with such a creature.

However, slaying a supreme Demonic Beast could yield a massive reward of points.

Twenty thousand points!

A Bronze Level Demonic Beast was worth a mere ten points.

Even a Gold Level Demonic Beast, like the one Chu Yi had previously defeated that was on par with an ordinary Diamond Demonic Beast, was only worth a thousand points.

But now...

Taking down a supreme Demonic Beast would net a minimum of twenty thousand points.

Accomplishing this would virtually guarantee him a spot in the top three.

Chu Yi doubted that these prodigies could take down more than two hundred Silver Level Demonic Beasts in a mere three days.

However...

"The effort just doesn't seem worth it..."

"I doubt Lee Zi would venture into that area!"

Before, Chu Yi had already become good friends with Lee Zi. Once he arrived here, he knew he had to be extremely cautious and avoid the territories of the top-tier Demonic Beasts.

Although it was unclear where exactly these formidable Demonic Beasts resided, Chu Yi was confident that Lee Zi's intelligence would allow her to pick up on any hints.

Thus, Chu Yi was convinced that Lee Zi was not among them.

Since she wasn't here, then...

Chu Yi quickened his pace.

He dedicated a day to searching for Lee Zi, seizing the chance to eliminate a few Gold Level Demonic Beasts along the way. If time permitted, he would challenge the weakest of the top-tier Demonic Beasts.

The ideal outcome would be a successful kill. If not, his accumulated points would provide a solid foundation, securing him a spot in the top three.

With this in mind, a smile crept onto Chu Yi's face.

...

On the official website.

"Holy shit, the leaderboard's up already?"

"It hasn't even been an hour!"

"All I can say is, geniuses will be geniuses!"

"In just an hour, so many geniuses have already slain a significant number of Demonic Beasts..."

At that moment, countless people were viewing the leaderboard on the official website, each one filled with excitement and surprise.

Even if they were constantly hopping between different live streams, it was impossible to keep track of everyone's Demonic Beast kill count.

Since this was an evaluation, comparisons were inevitable.

People enjoyed seeing the rankings and comparisons unfold.

Initially, most believed it was unlikely for a leaderboard to appear so soon.

They thought that if it were to be released, it would probably take a day or two, or perhaps the officials, to maintain suspense or for other reasons, might only release the leaderboard at the very end.

Even though this was a martial examination, the public believed that if the higher-ups wanted to manipulate the results, they certainly could.

Now, however, with the rankings available, things were different.

Seeing the fluctuations in the number of Demonic Beasts slain next to someone's name on the leaderboard meant you could directly tune into their live stream.

Whether or not the kills were genuine would be immediately evident.

Moreover, with this system, all viewers can clearly see which streamer's room showcases the most brilliant talents. They'll know where to go to catch the best battles.

"The first place goes to —"

"Chu Yi!"

"Damn, I have to admit, Chu Yi truly deserves it."

"I was somewhat skeptical when they predicted Chu Yi would be the top scorer on this year's exam, but now —"

"Awesome, awesome, awesome!"

"My husband is the handsomest!"

Right now, Chu Yi's name is at the very top of the leaderboard.

And Chu Yi's score is —

1010!

Yes, that's over a thousand points.

Upon entering the testing grounds, Chu Yi casually dispatched a Bronze Level Demonic Beast, earning ten points.

Then he slew a Gold Level Centipede, racking up a thousand points.

So, Chu Yi's real score stands at 1010 points.

And he achieved this under the watchful eyes of all, leaving no room for doubt.

"But who is this Kang Quan?"

"He's quite impressive too!"

Kang Quan is currently second on the leaderboard.

He has already amassed 557 points!

In less than an hour since the start, he has secured 557 points, which is unbelievably impressive!

Consider that at this moment, more than half of the participants on the leaderboard still have zero points.

And the person in third place has only 210 points.

Yet Kang Quan has already hit 557 points, which is somewhat extraordinary...

"I've been watching Kang Quan. I was in his stream just now."

"I must say, the guy is a freak of nature. He found a nesting site for Demonic Beasts and wiped them out single-handedly with his sword!"

Someone from Kang Quan's stream confirmed his score was legitimate.

Hearing this, a wave of viewers began pouring into Kang Quan's stream.

Indeed, such a feat is monstrously impressive.

Many believe that the ability to single-handedly annihilate a group of Demonic Beasts suggests that Kang Quan's strength might be on par with Chu Yi's.

Lee Guoqiang, watching Chu Yi's name at the pinnacle of the list, couldn't help but smile with a mix of relief and excitement.

Chu Yi had assured him there were no issues, but Lee Guoqiang had thought it was just Chu Yi trying to comfort him.

Now, however...

"Good job, kid, I didn't expect you to become so powerful!"

Lee Guoqiang had witnessed Chu Yi's battle.

He was sure that even at his peak and without injuries, he wouldn't stand a chance against that fearsome Demonic Beast in such an environment.

He could have run, but he wouldn't have gotten away without a scratch.

But who could have imagined Chu Yi would be so formidable as to slay that Demonic Beast outright!

"Ah, it's just too bad about all that dust and smoke; otherwise, I could have seen how Chu Yi took down those Demonic Beasts."

Lee Guoqiang kept searching.

At last, he found Lee Zi's name in the 188th spot.

The 188th position seemed quite low, but Lee Guoqiang wasn't bothered.

Beyond the 43rd place, everyone had the same score.

Technically ranked 188th, Lee Zi should actually be considered tied for 44th!

Yes, that made sense.

"It seems Lee Zi is still holding steady. I just wonder if Chu Yi will be able to find her..."

Lee Guoqiang held great hope for the Lee Zi of the past, but while he still had hopes for the current Lee Zi, he wasn't as invested.

The reality was that Lee Zi's genetic power had been shattered. Although he didn't know how she had managed to recover to her current level and even advance into the Silver Level, Lee Guoqiang believed that the current Lee Zi couldn't compare to her former self.

"Sigh, the most important thing is that Lee Zi stays safe and sound."

"I just hope nothing happens to her—"

"What the—!"

As Lee Guoqiang was silently praying, he noticed Lee Zi's name had vanished.

Then, he saw Lee Zi's name reappear in the 43rd position.

But within seconds, her name began to shoot up rapidly.