C173 After the Battle

The three prodigies watched everything before them with blank expressions. To them, the law was a privilege exclusive to those born into noble families, a tool they alone could manipulate. But now, they faced an unexpected outcome.

They weren't fools; they understood the guardian leader's words were credible. Once a final judgment was passed, any family objections would be futile. The government would never allow their families to contest the verdict. Besides, would their families truly challenge the government over the deaths of three individuals?

These scions knew that family interests trumped all else. There was no point in further discussion. A heavy silence fell, and their eyes blazed with a crimson fury. "No, you can't do this!" they protested.

Their prospects were bleak. The opposition had meticulously planned, considering every possibility and consequence. They were clear that this wasn't just about targeting them; they weren't significant enough to prompt a change in government policy. It was all because of that young figure—Chu Yi.

In a flash of insight, they understood. If they were in the government's shoes, choosing between Chu Yi and themselves would be a no-brainer. The decision wouldn't just be between them and Chu Yi, but even against the combined weight of their three families, there would be no hesitation.

After all, Chu Yi had the potential to become a War God, a pillar of the human race, and a top-tier warrior if fortune favored him. In contrast, families like theirs were dime a dozen in Redmarsh—there were hundreds.

The choice was clear; it was not a matter of preference but of inevitability. Following the silence, despair surged forth. They knew their power was insufficient to change their fate, but they were out of options.

Thus, they split up, each darting in a different direction, using secret techniques to push their speed to the limit. Their only goal was to escape. They knew that if they could just get out of this area, they would be safe.

Only within this region was the signal disrupted due to the fierce battle between Chu Yi and the guardian. If they could just make it to an area with a signal, they would be safe. Out in the open, it was unlikely that even the government would dare to execute them. So, the only option was to flee! Once so ruthless, they were now in a state of disarray. At this moment, the three geniuses were exerting every ounce of their strength.

The commander of the guardians gave Chu Yi a questioning look, as if to offer assistance. Chu Yi offered a smile in return, though it was chillingly cold. Without sparing the two guardians another glance, he vanished in an instant. "This speed..." A sense of astonishment filled the eyes of the guardians. Such incredible speed...

"When he battled me, he wasn't nearly this fast..." The guard's eyes held a tinge of sourness. Despite Chu Yi's recent display of power, his pride prevented him from acknowledging it. But now... If Chu Yi had fought with that speed against him, his retaliation would have been laughable.

The commander wanted to offer some words of comfort, considering the defeated was one of his own. Yet, all he could muster was a deep sigh. From a distance, a dreadful disturbance was felt, followed by a scream. The two guardians knew then that one of their own had fallen. Shortly after, two voices were heard: "Those three are indeed true Silver Level geniuses." "But Chu Yi, he's not just any Gold Level prodigy..."

The guard paused, suddenly grasping the implication of his leader's words. Indeed, they were all genuine Silver Level talents, without exception. But Chu Yi was something else entirely; he was not just a Gold Level phenomenon. Could a Gold Level genius punish those at the Diamond tier? Moreover, Chu Yi had done so while still concealing his true power and leveraging the force of nature itself—something utterly inconceivable.

Yet, Chu Yi had achieved it. Therefore, he transcended the usual definition of a Gold Level genius. Shortly thereafter, Chu Yi returned, his demeanor serene, the earlier iciness gone. His gaze, however, when he looked upon the two guardians, lacked any warmth. The commander understood that Chu Yi harbored deep-seated grievances against them. Honestly, had he been unaware of the prior conflict, he might have harbored some resentment towards Chu Yi himself.

Everyone is prone to making mistakes.

Yet, after learning about the battle that had taken place just a few hours earlier, the leader found himself at a loss for how to face Chu Yi.

There had been a significant issue with the Guardians responsible for that area. They failed to come to Chu Yi's aid when he was in peril.

Now, they had once again stood by as Chu Yi's lover was engulfed in danger. His negligence had nearly resulted in her demise.

He understood that anyone would be upset if such incidents occurred twice.

He had intended to offer an explanation, but Chu Yi had left without a backward glance.

Witnessing this, the nearby Guardians grew frustrated.

"We've done so much for him. Doesn't he owe us a word of thanks?"

"Isn't he concerned about alienating us Guardians?"

With the knowledge of what had transpired, the current leader of the Guardians found Chu Yi's attitude unsurprising.

He turned to face the Guardian who had spoken, his gaze icy.

"Leader, why are you looking at me like that?"

He felt a surge of discontent.

The leader of the Guardians finally shook his head: "After this incident, you should step down from the team."

The Guardian was taken aback.

"Leader, what do you mean?"

The Guardian replied, "This is the decision from above."

It was clearly his own fault!

Had it not been for his complacency, believing he could handle everything, and if his subordinate had adhered to the established protocols, this situation might have been avoided.

Though the issue was somewhat resolved, his error was far too grave!

He had refrained from taking action in front of Chu Yi previously out of concern for maintaining the Guardians' internal hierarchy and prestige. But now...

It was time for a reckoning.

"If it weren't for you, would any of this have happened?"

The Guardian was jolted into recalling the origin of the problem.

"But, I..."

He faltered, attempting to explain.

"Have you forgotten the Guardians' code? Or did you think you were operating within the rules all along?"

If everything had been done by the book, then even with orders from above, the leader of the Guardians would never have allowed his subordinate to be dismissed.

But the root of the errors lay with him.

At that moment, he still wanted to argue his case, which was starting to really irk the leader of the Guardians.

"Moreover, what makes you think they wouldn't dare to cross us?"

"Do you believe he'll continue to trust us after this?"

"And does he truly need us?"

The last question was barely audible, not even the Guardian beside him caught it.

It was both a doubt and a certainty that lingered in his mind.

Indeed.

With such formidable power, did the young man still need the Guardians?

During their last standoff, even as the leader, he had felt an immense threat from Chu Yi.

He was a leader among the Guardians, not the very top, but there were few in the entire system who could match his strength.

And now Chu Yi possessed such might, what about the future?

Watching Chu Yi's departing figure, a shadow loomed over the leader of the Guardians' heart.

...

"I told you to wait patiently for me after you came in."

Chu Yi looked at Lee Zi, who was sitting there quietly.

Lee Zi remained silent, just gazing intently at Chu Yi.

"What's with that attitude?" Chu Yi feigned annoyance.

Unfortunately, Lee Zi was unmoved, simply continuing to stare, regardless of his comments.

Eventually, Chu Yi was the one to give in.

"Alright, alright."

"In the future, if you run into trouble, just eliminate any fool who dares to challenge you!"

"If the Chu family can't cover for you, then I will!"

Chu Yi's declaration was bold, and others might scoff at his words.

To the higher-ups, Chu Yi was seen as dependent on the Chu family.

But Lee Zi understood that Chu Yi and the Chu family were distinct entities.

At present, the Chu family might be stronger, but in time...

It wouldn't be long before Chu Yi would far surpass the Chu family...

"Come on, I'll take you to earn some points."

"We've always been the top two, and we'll maintain that brilliance this time too!"

Upon hearing this, Lee Zi finally spoke up.

"Tch, who's your partner..."

...

Inside the VIP room of Redmarsh City's premier Martial Arts Stadium.

Chu Tianfeng finally took a seat.

The benevolent smile returned to his face once more.

Yet now, no one dared to treat this robust elder as they had before.

He was the War God.

The mere mention of 'War God' said it all.

At that moment, the patriarchs of the three geniuses breathed a sigh of relief.

Their prodigies had attempted to assassinate Lee Zi and had nearly succeeded. They were acutely aware of Chu Tianfeng's chilling intent to kill.

The three patriarchs had no doubts that if Lee Zi had indeed fallen at the hands of those three, Chu Tianfeng would have already executed them without hesitation.

There was no room for doubt.

After all, this was the War God. Even if everyone in the room had joined forces, they wouldn't have been able to protect the trio!

Thankfully, Chu Yi arrived just in time.

Now, the three patriarchs harbored no resentment towards Chu Yi. In fact, they were somewhat grateful to him!

Yes, grateful that Chu Yi had slain the geniuses of their three families.

All eyes were fixed on the screen.

The image returned, showing the retreating figures of Chu Yi and Lee Zi.

A line of text also appeared, apologizing for the signal interruption and promising increased efforts to prevent such errors in the future.

The audience typically ignored such formalities.

The focus was on the final statement:

"To clarify what occurred after the signal disruption: Student Chu Yi engaged in a fierce battle with the guardian, resulting in the signal loss."

"Three geniuses unfortunately perished in the collateral damage of the fight."

"Although Chu Yi violated regulations and would typically face disqualification, considering this was his first offense and the consequences were not severe, he has been issued a warning."

Indeed, the explanation was crystal clear.

Yet, this statement stirred significant controversy online.

People were no longer the uninformed masses of the past.

While not everyone was fully knowledgeable, most were far from foolish.

At first glance, the statement seemed innocuous.

But upon closer reflection, the flaws became apparent.

"Holy smokes, a major battle? Chu Yi truly lives up to his reputation as a top contender for the exam, daring to take on the guardian!"

"Based on the government's usual approach, they're likely reducing Chu Yi's power as a form of indirect protection. But to use the term 'big fight'—that's significant!"

"Does that imply Chu Yi's power is now not far off from that of the guardian's?"

"Incredible!"