C163 Despicable and Shameless!
"Let's take a look, then."
"I'm curious to see what Lee Zi's ultimate strength is..."
Those words sent a shiver through the crowd.
They had all forgotten one crucial fact!
Lee Zi, who was currently battling Bronze Level Demonic Beasts, wasn't even at her limit!
Indeed, even in her regular state, she was on par with those at the Silver Peak. Imagine her at her limit...
"After her genetic power shattered, she became even more formidable."
"Fascinating, truly fascinating..."
...
Lee Zi's live stream was suddenly swamped with viewers.
Lee Zi had been well-known in the past, but it was impossible for her to be a household name.
Most of Lee Zi's reputation was circulated among students and the elite in Redmarsh City, with very few ordinary people being aware of her.
However, with the start of the third stage of the assessment and the introduction of many talents, Lee Zi's existence and history became common knowledge.
Now, many had begun to refer to Lee Zi as the 'Goddess of Revenge.'
Indeed, the Goddess of Revenge.
This moniker wasn't about actual vengeance; rather, paired with Lee Zi's looks, it skyrocketed the popularity of her live stream, even threatening to eclipse Chu Yi's.
Still, the majority of viewers flocked to the official website's homepage.
As expected, the official website was streaming the battle, offering a comprehensive view that was far superior to Lee Zi's singular first-person perspective.
In the footage, Lee Zi's frenzied slaughter was nearing its conclusion.
Initially facing over fifty Bronze and three Silver Demonic Beasts, the opposition was formidable.
But now, only a handful of Bronze Demonic Beasts were left desperately fighting, with just one Silver Level Demonic Beast remaining.
It was a total annihilation!
Lee Zi, with her own strength, had decimated a lineup that even the Silver Peak elites could not handle.
Just as everyone assumed Lee Zi's score would smoothly rise to second place, a flash of cold light appeared out of nowhere.
The light moved too swiftly for the audience to catch a clear glimpse.
Yet, they witnessed Lee Zi's eerie hesitation.
Her punch should have finished off the last Silver Level Demonic Beast, but the sudden appearance of the cold light halted her deadly assault.
As a Demonic Beast, combat was an innate instinct.
It certainly wouldn't miss such a fleeting chance.
The beast chose not to flee, fully aware of the disparity in strength between itself and Lee Zi.
Even if it could evade this strike, its fate would remain unchanged.
Thus, with no other options, the Demonic Beast seized the moment to unleash a fearsome blow!
A Silver Level Demonic Beast, albeit at the Elementary stage, had a formidable size nearing a hundred meters.
The audience could only imagine the horror of such a massive creature channeling all its strength into a single attack.
A dreadful radiance converged within the Demonic Beast's maw as its colossal body, spanning nearly a hundred meters, began to coil. Spectators watched as an overwhelming force rushed towards its gaping mouth.
The next instant, a devastating beam of destruction emerged, shooting straight towards Lee Zi's position.
Boom!
Even through the screen, the viewers could sense the cataclysmic impact!
"Is this the power of a Silver Level Demonic Beast?!"
"Just an average Silver Level Demonic Beast?!"
"Are all Demonic Beasts this frightening?!"
The audience was flooded with questions.
They had always known Demonic Beasts to be fearsome, having witnessed their might in movies and games.
But the Demonic Beasts they were now witnessing were on an entirely different scale!
"These are the true Demonic Beasts!"
"Even at the Silver Level, they are far beyond the capabilities of any ordinary person!"
"Now, perhaps you can appreciate the grave dangers faced by those who protect us every day."
These revelations silenced many.
The federal government's annual military spending was a staggering sum.
This had led to decreased investment in public welfare. In the past, this was somewhat justifiable, but with technological advancements and shifting public sentiment, more people began to see this allocation as unreasonable.
Calls to cut military spending and boost public investment grew louder and more persistent.
But now, there was a newfound understanding.
Military spending could not be cut; in fact, it warranted an increase!
Given the formidable nature of such Demonic Beasts, the massive military expenditure seemed justifiable.
Moreover, if the military were unable to counter these Demonic Beasts, then—
"It's an absolute disaster!"
Indeed, without the protection of the military, even a run-of-the-mill Silver Demonic Beast could potentially lay waste to a small city!
They were oblivious before, but now that they're aware, they're determined to prevent such a catastrophe at all costs.
"But let's get back to the matter at hand."
"How is Little Sister Lee Zi doing?"
With that question, the conversation was steered back on track.
Yes, what had become of Lee Zi?
If she had taken that last hit head-on, it wouldn't matter if Lee Zi was a Silver Warrior or even a Gold Warrior, it would have been in vain!
After all, such force could likely penetrate a steel plate a meter thick!
Instantly, all eyes were glued to the screen.
And it wasn't just the people watching; the Demonic Beasts were on edge too.
Their anxiety was palpable. If Lee Zi had survived, they would be the next to perish.
At last, the dust began to settle.
"Is there nobody there?"
Indeed, aside from a massive crater over twenty meters wide and four to five meters deep, there was no sign of anyone.
"Could she have been obliterated?"
"You're the one who's obliterated, your whole family is obliterated!"
"What about the guardian?"
"Yes, why haven't we seen the guardian take action?"
"Damn, now that you mention it, I remember there's supposed to be a guardian..."
The conversation veered towards the guardian once more.
Since the guardian had backed down when needed, the public had grown skeptical of them.
So, whenever there was trouble, it was always blamed on the guardian!
"Hold on, listen!"
Upon reading the line above, everyone fell silent.
Then, they heard it!
"That sounds like combat!"
"Lee Zi is fighting! She's alive!"
"But Lee Zi's live stream is still showing a black screen!"
Each participant was equipped with a device for live streaming, providing a first-person perspective.
Yet, all that could be seen on Lee Zi's live stream was darkness.
This had happened before during Chu Yi's battle, leading many to believe he had fallen.
"It's definitely another technical glitch."
Two lines of text drifted across the darkened screen.
The officials had already provided an explanation for the blackout during Chu Yi's fight.
In the presence of a powerful magnetic field, the devices carried by the examinees would experience communication interruptions, rendering the transmission of images impossible. This was the case previously and remains so now. It's an unavoidable issue; after all, live broadcasting is merely an added feature. They couldn't possibly encumber those prodigies and exceptional talents with various devices just for the sake of broadcasting, could they? Doing so would undoubtedly hinder their performance in battle. Moreover, such highly convenient devices are prone to losing signal amidst energy interference. It's simply an inescapable fact.
However, the situation in the official live broadcast room is different. The specialized broadcasting equipment installed there is significantly more reliable. Consequently, many viewers have flocked to Lee Zi's live stream, as the official broadcast room offered no visuals.
The wait was brief, as the official broadcast soon switched to alternative cameras and successfully captured Lee Zi on screen. "What's that?" On seeing Lee Zi's image, many viewers were taken aback by the unexpected sight. Lee Zi appeared somewhat disheveled, though only slightly. Yet, the opponents Lee Zi was facing looked even worse for wear. They were three figures—three people, to be precise. Indeed, Lee Zi was now engaged in battle with three fellow examinees!
"What on earth is happening?" The confusion among the viewers was palpable. Moments before, Lee Zi was clearly fighting a Demonic Beast, so how did it suddenly turn into a battle between Lee Zi and these examinees after the beast's assault? Something was amiss...
"The explanation is quite straightforward! These individuals sought to benefit from the chaos and launched a surprise attack on Lee Zi at a critical juncture!" The audience wasn't comprised solely of laypeople. Among them were numerous cultivators and warriors. While the ordinary viewers hadn't witnessed the recent turn of events, the more experienced ones had. "Someone attempted to ambush Lee Zi just before his final strike," they revealed. "But Lee Zi managed to evade the attack."
"Otherwise, why do you think the Demonic Beast had the chance to make that final move?" This clarification brought sudden clarity to many. Of course! Even when Lee Zi was surrounded by over fifty Demonic Beasts, he handled them with ease. It was only against the last Silver Demonic Beast that he nearly faced defeat!
If there weren't any issues, no one would believe it.
After hearing the explanation, they finally got it.
"Despicable! Shameless! Low!"
"Do these individuals still possess the pride and perseverance of geniuses?"
"To think they would resort to a sneak attack! Utterly despicable!"
"Yes, and it was three men against one woman. It's the epitome of shamelessness!"
The three geniuses were oblivious to these reactions. Even if they were aware, they would simply scoff.
Fools!
This was an assessment, and War God Xu had made it clear that there were no teammates in this challenge—everyone was an opponent, everyone was prey!
Their actions weren't despicable; they were part of the test.
Indeed, that was the logic.
However, the three geniuses were now feeling a pang of regret. Not for their actions, but because they had targeted Lee Zi.
They were all aware of Lee Zi's past and understood that she was no longer the formidable Lee Zi of old. Otherwise, they wouldn't have dared to attack.
Witnessing Lee Zi slay numerous Demonic Beasts and amass a staggering score, the trio ultimately decided to act.
Even though they recognized Lee Zi's formidable strength, their preconceived notions led them to underestimate her.
