C277 The Battle That Belonged to Lee Zi(4)
In other words, he was half a person!
Because in Reinhardt's eyes, Young Master Lee was merely half a person!
Cage was somewhat taken aback, as it was the first time he had ever seen Reinhardt look at someone else with such an expression.
"Tell me, Reinhardt, you haven't fallen for her just because she's beautiful, have you?"
Reinhardt gave his companion a sidelong glance and responded with a tone dripping with disdain, "Crude!"
Cage was momentarily taken aback, his face turning a shade of red.
To Cage, Reinhardt was the epitome of brute force. Despite his usual pretense of refinement, his true nature was that of a brute.
Yet now, he was being called crude by a brute.
"I have no interest whatsoever in her appearance, but her strength..."
Reinhardt paused, his eyes shining even more intensely.
"I'm very interested in that!"
"Right now, she's no match for me, but if she were to reach a realm similar to mine, then..."
Cage felt something was off.
He knew his friend well.
In Reinhardt's view, he was second only to heaven and earth, with Reinhardt himself as the supreme leader!
Indeed, Reinhardt was that arrogant and proud.
And rightfully so.
His talent was extraordinary, making him one of the most elite in the Oleini region. Even in the annals of the region's history, Reinhardt could be ranked among the top three Invincible Geniuses.
He was a prodigy!
Absolutely.
Although he hadn't yet clashed with the geniuses from other regions, everyone who knew of Reinhardt acknowledged him as the true Young Sovereign of the era.
But now, Reinhardt expressed interest in the girl known as Lee Zi.
He implied that if she were on the same level, the prospect of a challenge was intriguing!
This revelation genuinely astonished Cage.
This was Reinhardt, after all!
For Reinhardt to take an interest in someone, rather than dismiss them as unworthy, meant that even if she wasn't superior to Reinhardt, the difference between them wasn't negligible.
Even though Cage had previously recognized Lee Zi's exceptional talent, he had never imagined that she could be on par with Reinhardt.
That seemed a bit too far-fetched.
"Is that girl truly that formidable?"
Reinhard fell into a brief silence before speaking in an odd tone, "Truth be told, Lee Zi's talent is quite extraordinary. She might even be on par with me."
"What truly captures my attention, though, is her unwavering dedication to the martial path!"
Before arriving here, they had already familiarized themselves with the so-called seeded players.
To Reinhard, these supposed seeds were worthless, not even Chu Yi, who ranked first, amounted to much.
At best, he was a person of exceptional talent. Chu Yi might even surpass him in that regard, but Reinhard still wouldn't consider him a threat.
The reason being, he saw no trace of a resolute martial spirit in Chu Yi!
Indeed, talent is crucial for becoming a strong individual, arguably the most critical aspect, but possessing a steadfast martial spirit is equally essential.
Chu Yi may have unmatched talent, but he lacks the heart for martial arts!
Reinhard believed that although Chu Yi could currently give him a run for his money, over time, he would leave Chu Yi far behind.
Moreover, if they were to engage in a battle to the death right now, Reinhard was confident that he would emerge victorious.
His willpower was far superior to Chu Yi's!
Yes, that was Reinhard's firm belief.
With his exceptional willpower, Chu Yi stood no chance against him.
Of course, even Reinhard would concede that Chu Yi was not worthless.
"But aside from Chu Yi, I had written off the rest of the seeded players from the Adirang Region as trash. Yet today, I'm taken aback by Lee Zi!"
"Excellent, truly excellent, remarkably so!"
Cage remained quiet.
He watched Lee Zi's bloodied figure, a peculiar gleam in his eyes.
To be praised by Reinhard, to have him utter 'excellent' not once but thrice, was unprecedented.
In that moment, as Cage took a closer look at Lee Zi, he seemed to understand Reinhard's words.
Lee Zi was indeed unlike the other prodigies!
Some might have already noticed, but he believed that most of the strong had not.
They had failed to see the intensity in Lee Zi's eyes, her madness mixed with an unyielding spirit. They hadn't realized that Young Master Lee, amidst his frenzy, was actually showing signs of fear.
Fear had taken hold...
Yes, Young Master Lee was truly gripped by fear.
There was no escaping the reality that Lee Zi's abilities were simply too extraordinary, too defiant of the natural order. Young Master Lee had come to the stark realization that without his deep reserves of power, and had he not been significantly more advanced in his cultivation than Lee Zi, he would stand no chance in a confrontation.
Perhaps he would have been utterly overpowered by Lee Zi shortly after their battle commenced.
And as time marched on, it appeared as though Lee Zi's strength was only increasing!
Of course, this was merely an illusion in the mind of Young Master Lee.
Lee Zi couldn't possibly be growing stronger; it was Young Master Lee who was weakening. Yet, Lee Zi's decline in strength was happening at a slower pace.
As a result, it seemed to Young Master Lee that his opponent was becoming ever more formidable.
Nevertheless, Young Master Lee was aware that even now, he remained the stronger of the two.
Regrettably...
Young Master Lee felt that he was nearing his limit.
Indeed, even though he was currently more powerful than Lee Zi, the relentless ferocity of his adversary had instilled a genuine sense of dread within him.
Victory might be within his grasp, or it might slip through his fingers—this was something not even Young Master Lee could ascertain with certainty.
But there was one thing he could assure: even if he emerged victorious over Lee Zi, it would be at a great cost, resulting in a victory marred by unspeakable devastation.
Beyond the outcome of the battle, Young Master Lee harbored another concern—his very life was at stake!
The conflict with Lee Zi had escalated to the point where both combatants had unleashed their most devastating techniques.
They had laid all their cards on the table, convinced that Lee Zi had done the same.
There was no holding back; in their pursuit of triumph, they had exhausted every strategy at their disposal.
At this juncture, anyone would be skeptical if either claimed to have any reserve of strength left.
Thus, whether it was he or Lee Zi, any lapse in concentration could prove fatal...
Contemplating the horrific power surges generated by their clashes, Young Master Lee was acutely aware that failure to withstand the onslaught would result in instantaneous obliteration.
Indeed, several peak Diamond Level Great Generals were present.
If he and Lee Zi were merely exhibiting the same level of power as those prodigies of prior encounters, then Young Master Lee was confident that these Diamond Level Great Generals would surely manage to keep everything under control.
At that point, the worst he could expect was to be severely wounded.
If it was just a matter of being severely wounded, Young Master Lee could come to terms with that.
However, considering their current level and strength, could those top-tier Diamond Level Great Generals actually intervene at the crucial moment?
Could they truly ensure their safety?