C45 Strong Chu Yi Strong Lee Zi
The punch was immensely powerful, and the resulting sonic boom even impeded Chu Yi's movements. Yet, with his primordial spirit's heightened awareness, Chu Yi managed to spot a flaw in Lee Zi's attack. Without a moment's hesitation, he sidestepped, narrowly allowing the punch to whisk past his chest.
In that instant, Chu Yi's face contorted with alarm. He sensed an alarming surge in the punch's force as it grazed him. Although the punch had been evaded and its increased power couldn't harm him, the sonic boom it generated was not to be underestimated. With the punch's force amplified, the ensuing shockwave was significantly more intense.
Boom!
Chu Yi was sent crashing to the ground.
That was Lee Zi's doing. She had anticipated Chu Yi's evasion and had adapted her strategy accordingly. The sonic boom, while not causing severe damage, had inflicted a certain degree of harm and threw off Chu Yi's planned counterattack.
As Chu Yi leaped to his feet, Lee Zi's onslaught continued unabated. Her intent was clear, mirroring her previous approach, but the power behind this punch was palpably more fearsome. Lee Zi was no fool; she knew well that a repeat sneak attack would be futile. Thus, she unleashed her full strength.
Chu Yi's expression turned grave.
The power was overwhelming. If the previous punch had the force of over ten thousand kilograms, this one surely surpassed twenty thousand. Twenty thousand kilograms! An increase by twentyfold! How could this be?
Did Lee Zi tap into genetic power?
Chu Yi immediately dismissed the thought. Certain techniques could conceal the use of genetic power, undetectable even to some of the most formidable fighters. Zhen Ye had been a prime example. But Lee Zi couldn't possibly deceive Chu Yi, nor could anyone else for that matter. This display of strength was Lee Zi's own, unaided by genetic power.
Twentyfold? The revelation was staggering.
But Chu Yi had no time to dwell on the shock. Confronted with this overwhelming punch, he was forced to react on the fly.
Chu Yi's senses were fully attuned to his surroundings. He could see Lee Zi's punch coming, feeling its power and trajectory, but his body was frustratingly slow to respond.
This was a matter of combat experience. Had Chu Yi been more seasoned, he might have anticipated Lee Zi's sudden burst and avoided being taken by surprise.
Confronted with this overwhelming force, Chu Yi's mind raced with strategies, yet none seemed within reach.
He could easily counter if he tapped into the power of his primordial spirit to manipulate the laws, but Lee Zi hadn't resorted to using genetic power. How could Chu Yi justify using such force in response?
A touch of madness flickered in Chu Yi's eyes.
With no alternatives left, he decided to confront the challenge head-on. The Chu Yi of the past might have been cautious, his time at the Immortal Demon Temple reinforcing that trait. But as a young man, his blood ran hot with fervor.
A man should fight in a man's way!
With that resolve...
"Ahh!"
A punch was unleashed!
It was the mightiest blow Chu Yi had ever delivered—an extreme burst of power.
Chu Yi understood that sticking to a conservative strategy against Lee Zi would only lead to his defeat. Despite his fondness for her, he was not prepared to lose.
Even against the formidable Lee Zi, Chu Yi refused to believe he would be beaten. Casting aside all calculations, what remained was sheer force and confrontation.
In the midst of her powerful strike, Lee Zi suddenly saw the change in Chu Yi.
Yes, they had grown up together, true childhood friends. Though they had drifted apart since junior high, with hardly a word exchanged, Lee Zi's attention to Chu Yi was unmatched by anyone else. She often felt she knew Chu Yi better than he knew himself.
But now, Lee Zi saw a different Chu Yi.
He was Chu Yi, yet he was not. He embodied madness, shock, and an indomitable strength.
This was the impression Chu Yi left on Lee Zi.
She had never before sensed such a formidable aura emanating from Chu Yi, not even a hint of it.
This version of Chu Yi, unfamiliar yet exhilarating, was exactly the Chu Yi she envisioned in her heart.
His power surged, erupting in an instant!
For most prodigies, even those considered geniuses, such an explosive increase in strength isn't something that can be summoned at will. It typically requires extensive preparation or specific circumstances to unleash. Clearly, Chu Yi didn't fall into that category.
He unleashed his full potential in a flash...
An explosive burst of power...
Chu Yi had also amplified his strength more than twentyfold!
As a result, he feared nothing!
In the next instant, the collision occurred...
The first sounds to pierce the sky and earth clashed, sending a myriad of turbulent currents swirling through the air.
Here, on the city outskirts, where towering trees were absent, the resurgence of spiritual energy meant even the weeds towered over two meters high.
Yet, amidst the formidable clash between Lee Zi and Chu Yi, the intense sonic boom generated an impact wave that sliced through the air.
Suddenly, any weed standing over two meters tall within a ten-meter radius seemed to be sheared by an invisible blade, vanishing in an instant!
And in that moment, Chu Yi and Lee Zi finally came into contact.
Their mighty, earth-shattering strike met in full force!
Boom!
This was no longer a mere sonic boom but a clash of titanic forces, the terrifying power threatening to upend the very fabric of the world.
Where they stood, a massive pit five meters across and one meter deep formed instantly!
Remember, this was the dawn of the Spiritual Qi revival!
In such an era, even the earth itself was incredibly resilient!
Yet, even so, the residual force of their confrontation carved out a five-meter-wide crater.
Terrifying, truly terrifying!
This was the pinnacle of combat, the awe-inspiring might unleashed during a clash between top-tier Genius Level warriors!
Both Chu Yi and Lee Zi had reached a twentyfold increase in their explosive power, vastly outstripping the typical twelvefold surge of a Genius Level warrior. This was precisely why, at just eighteen years old and within the Bronze Realm, they could produce such a staggering spectacle!
Time itself seemed to stand still.
Chu Yi's fist and Lee Zi's fist hung suspended in midair, a tableau of frozen violence. The scene could have been lifted from a painting, but the swirling air currents around them betrayed the true peril of their clash—a confrontation as dangerous as it was fearsome!
Time resumed its march, and in that instant, both Chu Yi and Lee Zi were sent hurtling backward, crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact.
Gasping for air, Chu Yi mustered the strength to rise from the dirt, as did Lee Zi, not far behind. Their disheveled appearances utterly shattered any semblance of poise they once held.
Severely wounded?
Hardly.
They had merely unleashed their power. Chu Yi and Lee Zi weren't sworn enemies, after all; there was no call for deadly tactics.
Still, the residual shockwaves of their skirmish had inflicted some harm. Should they persist in combat, they risked genuine internal damage.
Silence fell between them, their eyes locked in mutual recognition. It was as if they were truly seeing each other for the first time.
Chu Yi had always regarded Lee Zi as a prodigy, a Genius Level talent whose past achievements and inherent brilliance demanded such recognition. Yet Chu Yi had never imagined she could be this exceptional.
It was downright...
Astonishing!
A twenty-fold burst of extreme power.
Even now, Chu Yi couldn't be certain if this was the full extent of Lee Zi's strength. And Lee Zi, a genetic warrior, was a force to be reckoned with, having awakened her genetic power. Should she unleash it...
Chu Yi was convinced that an ordinary Silver Warrior would stand no chance against her—likely to be vanquished in an instant. Terrifying, indeed!
Chu Yi's mind reeled with shock, and Lee Zi's heart pounded with even greater astonishment. She had never envisioned Chu Yi as such a formidable presence...
With a deep inhalation, Lee Zi approached, her aura subsided, signaling a truce. Their brief encounter had been intense, mere moments that nonetheless allowed Lee Zi to gauge the depth of Chu Yi's power and the terror it could inspire.
That realization alone was sufficient.
"Let's go..." Lee Zi uttered simply, her words as straightforward as her character.
Watching Lee Zi stride ahead, Chu Yi couldn't help but feel like a dutiful spouse, silently trailing behind. Without a word, he followed Lee Zi to their destination and now back again.
"Come on, what are you waiting for? Let's go!" Lee Zi called out.
"Alright..." Chu Yi responded, shrugging nonchalantly. If he was going to be the dutiful spouse, so be it.
After taking the public flying car back to their neighborhood, they began walking towards their home. But as they approached a familiar intersection, Lee Zi halted. "Chu Yi, about that night, your strength..." she began.
Chu Yi's mind raced to the incident that had occurred right here, where he had come to her rescue. He remained silent, pondering. Lee Zi didn't press further, but the question hung heavily in the air.
"If it's not convenient, you don't have to talk about it," she said, her voice maintaining its usual cool detachment. Yet, Chu Yi sensed a tinge of disappointment lacing her words.
In that moment, Chu Yi reflected on all that Lee Zi had done for him since his arrival in this world. Compelled by gratitude, he decided to speak up. He stepped closer to her, locking eyes with a grave intensity.
After a prolonged gaze, Lee Zi's cheeks flushed—a sight Chu Yi had never witnessed before. His heart smiled at the rare expression, but he quickly composed himself.
"Lee Zi, there are things I simply can't clarify or explain," he confessed earnestly. "But I want you to believe that I never meant to keep secrets from you."
