C162 The Evil Lee Zi
The leaderboard was in a state of constant flux.
Lee Zi's ranking skyrocketed from beyond the top 100 to number 43, and she was still climbing.
In just a brief span of time, Lee Zi had broken into the top 20.
Her points shot up from zero to 120 in no time. And this was only the beginning, not the end!
Under the watchful eyes of the audience, Lee Zi's score continued to rise at an alarming rate.
The pace of her ascent was astonishing, and after a moment of realization, viewers' eyes sparkled as they eagerly clicked into Lee Zi's live stream.
Apart from Chu Yi, Lee Zi's stream had the highest viewership across all live stream rooms.
While she didn't quite reach Chu Yi's level, Lee Zi's stream consistently had a significantly larger permanent audience than any other, excluding Chu Yi's.
This was to be expected.
Many were drawn to Chu Yi for his good looks, and of course, the extensive coverage by Ah Lang Network played a role.
But when it came to Lee Zi...
She was definitely a hot topic.
Once a prodigy destined to become a War God, her path had crumbled, leaving her a shadow of her former self.
Yet now, she had risen once again, making a powerful comeback!
Lee Zi was captivating to watch.
And then there was her beauty, which was of paramount importance!
It was truly exceptional.
To these viewers, Lee Zi's beauty was at the pinnacle of human female attractiveness.
Even though she hadn't fully matured, her beauty was still capable of bringing a nation to its knees.
This was no exaggeration; otherwise, Lee Zi wouldn't have amassed such a following.
Something monumental seemed to be happening with Lee Zi, prompting a frenzy of viewers to rush into her live stream.
Yet, unnoticed by many, there were other shifts happening on the leaderboard besides Lee Zi's rise.
Indeed, while there were no changes at the very top apart from Lee Zi, the lower rankings had seen some interesting movements.
The most obvious was the reduction in the number of people listed.
Lee Zi's punches were incredibly powerful!
So powerful that they sent shivers down the spine.
Chu Yi, on the other hand, was a Gold Level prodigy. Regardless of how he achieved his status, Gold Level was Gold Level.
A Gold Level prodigy, even with an unstable foundation, possessed an extremely terrifying power for destruction.
Such a being, like Chu Yi, was certainly not an opponent that Silver Level Demonic Beasts could contend with.
Lee Zi, however, was different. She was merely at the Silver Level, and specifically, at the Elementary Silver Level!
In this third phase of the assessment, being at the Elementary Silver Level was practically insignificant, akin to being as inconsequential as an ant.
It could be said that, among the two hundred and fifty-six participants this time, aside from a handful of lucky ones, everyone's realm had surpassed that of Lee Zi, with some even advancing beyond by an entire level.
As a result, many held little expectation for Lee Zi.
Yet, when they witnessed the fearsome figure on the screen, everyone was shaken.
Most of the audience were ordinary people, but born into an era of martial arts resurgence, even they had some understanding of cultivators and warriors.
They were acutely aware of the terrifying and stunning combat strength that Lee Zi had demonstrated.
Other geniuses and exceptional talents had previously shown their prowess in battle, each displaying remarkable abilities. Many had even effortlessly slain Silver Level Demonic Beasts.
But compared to Lee Zi at this moment, there was still a vast difference!
Lee Zi had only slain Bronze Beasts, worth a mere ten points each, but the sheer number was...
Astonishing!
Over fifty Bronze Level Demonic Beasts had fallen to her, including three Silver Level Demonic Beasts at the forefront.
She faced a Demonic Beast tribe, not particularly powerful, but numerous.
While the individual strength of this tribe wasn't particularly notable, their collective might meant that even stronger Demonic Beasts would hesitate to provoke them.
No one had anticipated that Lee Zi would choose them as her first target.
Of course, if a Gold Level genius were present, this would hardly be noteworthy.
If she could eliminate the leading three Silver Demonic Beasts, then the multitude of Bronze Level Demonic Beasts, no matter how numerous, would pose little threat to a Gold Level talent.
But now...
Lee Zi was not Chu Yi. She remained at the Silver Level, specifically at the Elementary Silver Level, making her the least powerful among all the prodigious talents.
For her, taking on such a challenge was indeed risky.
Of course, that was everyone's initial reaction upon witnessing Lee Zi confront those Demonic Beasts.
But having experienced Lee Zi's lethal prowess, they could no longer regard her in the same light.
Powerful? Undoubtedly, she was immensely powerful!
Lee Zi even seemed to surpass those geniuses at the Silver Peak, her strength seemingly more formidable!
After all, many had witnessed these geniuses slay Bronze Level Demonic Beasts, yet none could match Lee Zi's effortless ease.
Indeed, Lee Zi was now slicing through Demonic Beasts as if they were mere vegetables.
To her, Bronze Level beasts were insignificant, mere ants; a single punch from her would cause them to burst explosively!
Bronze, no less!
Even the smallest of Bronze beasts towered over ten meters high.
And the most formidable among them reached a staggering fifty meters in length.
Such creatures were monstrous to humans, their impact beyond words.
Yet, these fearsome monsters were trivial before Lee Zi's seemingly frail form.
Just one punch, so deceptively simple, obliterated them entirely.
It was so swift and decisive that it bordered on the unbelievable.
Witnessing Lee Zi's might, the audience streaming the live broadcast were astounded.
They believed that among all the prodigious talents present, Chu Yi stood unrivaled in strength, his power beyond comprehension.
After all, he was a fearsome genius at the Gold Level.
But could even Chu Yi dispatch a Bronze Demonic Beast with such clean efficiency?
Some believed it possible, others did not.
To date, no one had seen Chu Yi accomplish such a feat.
However, one thing was certain: Lee Zi was extraordinarily powerful, far from the so-called Silver-level waste who relied solely on the Chu family's resources!
If she were considered waste, then it seemed unlikely there were any geniuses at all...
"Is this Lee Zi?"
A curious glint appeared in the eyes of the influential figures in the room.
They remembered the Lee Zi of the past.
Back then, she was a gem in their eyes, her potential to become a War God making her the most treasured asset to these power players.
Who could have anticipated such a problem arising during the previous trial?
Many might have assumed the issue was resolved, but that was far from the case.
Zhao Jun posed a significant threat, so much so that his actions led to the Adirang Region losing someone who was destined to be a future War God.
This individual wasn't just a prodigy with the potential to become a War God; as long as he survived, he was certain to achieve that status!
As a result, the federal government was in turmoil, with even a War God Level figure stepping in to eliminate Zhao Jun once and for all.
Regrettably, despite two months of searching, they failed to find any trace of Zhao Jun. However, many strongholds of the only truth were destroyed in the process.
The government wouldn't let Zhao Jun's case rest; after all, this was tantamount to the federal government losing a War God.
From that point forward, these power players shifted their focus away from Lee Zi.
In plain terms, the world operates on utility. When you're useful, everyone fawns over you, but the moment you lose your value, the first to turn against you are often those who initially supported you!
Take Adirang Academy, for instance. Upon learning of Lee Zi's situation, Sun Wei, a teacher there, immediately opted for 'recycling the waste' by extracting Lee Zi's genetic fragments.
This clearly demonstrated the shift in attitude towards a fallen genius.
Naturally, the government's top brass wouldn't stoop to such vile actions, and it's unlikely that even the Academy would engage in such behavior.
But I digress.
One thing is for sure: Lee Zi, having lost his genetic power, has fallen from grace in the eyes of the elite.
He has completely vanished from their radar.
Yet, Lee Zi's recent emergence has caught their attention anew.
These big shots are influential not only because of their exceptional authority but also due to their formidable strength!
To rise to such a rank within the government or military, one must possess immense power, unless they hail from a prestigious family.
Even those from aristocratic backgrounds boast considerable strength.
So, it was clear to them what Lee Zi's current status was.
Rumors suggested that Lee Zi had ingratiated himself with the Chu family, leveraging their resources to just barely reach Silver Level. However, it was believed that Lee Zi's potential would plateau there, and even at Silver, he would be merely average.
At this moment, everyone could finally see the truth!
What does it mean to be an ordinary Silver?
If Lee Zi were just an ordinary Silver, how could she be so overwhelmingly strong?
Her strength could only be described as a terrifying force, invincible among her peers at the Silver Level!
Lee Zi was at the Elementary Silver stage, yet the power she demonstrated was even greater than those high-order geniuses and prodigies at the Silver Peak.
The key point here is that we're talking about geniuses and prodigies, not your run-of-the-mill Silver!
This fact alone speaks volumes.
Being on par with an ordinary Silver Peak might not seem like much, especially since Lee Zi was once a prodigy among prodigies. But to be comparable to those top-tier geniuses and prodigies is truly astonishing.
So —
"It seems that Lee Zi isn't as completely ruined as the rumors suggested..."
That's putting it mildly.
Even if Lee Zi hadn't been ruined, at the Silver Level, even with her genetic power activated, she would probably be at this level.
In fact, she might not have been as powerful as she is now.
Sure, dual-element genetic power is formidable, but to say it could bridge the gap to rival those at the Silver Peak, the geniuses and prodigies, seems a bit far-fetched.
Remember, we're talking about geniuses and prodigies here!
"I'm not too sure about this."
Feeling the weight of everyone's stares, the head of the Ministry of Education finally let out a sigh and spoke up.
He was aware that his admission was a dereliction of duty.
Yet, the expected reproach didn't come; instead, there was silence.
After a moment's thought, the official realized something.
The decision to abandon Lee Zi wasn't made by him alone.
If Lee Zi were just an ordinary prodigy, there wouldn't have been a need for so many leaders to make that call. But Lee Zi was a naturally awakened genetic practitioner!
That fact alone significantly elevated her importance.
After all, a naturally awakened genetic practitioner is someone who could potentially reach the War God Level in the future.
Since the initial decision was a collective one, now that there's a problem, it certainly couldn't all fall on his shoulders alone.
