C49 Assemble

Chu Yi had previously taken the Demonic Beasts lightly, but he had since abandoned that notion.

These were merely Bronze Level Demonic Beasts. What about the Silver Level ones?

Or even the formidable Gold and Diamond Level Great Demons?

The thought was simply unfathomable!

Nonetheless, Chu Yi's attack had achieved some effect.

While it didn't shatter the Steelback Bear's skull, it did inflict some damage. The bear's attacks were now slower, and it staggered, struggling to maintain its balance.

This response completely enraged the Steelback Bear, achieving Chu Yi's initial objective.

At that moment, the Steelback Bear abandoned its previous quarry, Lee Zi, and turned its full attention to Chu Yi.

Its massive paws swung down towards him.

Chu Yi was leagues ahead of Lee Zi when it came to evasion. If Lee Zi could dodge, then it was even easier for Chu Yi.

Boom—

A vast crater suddenly formed where Chu Yi had been standing.

Using his agility, Chu Yi had already positioned himself at the Steelback Bear's chest.

The bear's strongest defense was its back, but that didn't mean its other areas were vulnerable.

Still, compared to its back and head, its softer chest was an easier target.

Chu Yi's punch left a noticeable dent in the Steelback Bear's chest, clearly indicating that the bear had been significantly wounded.

Just as the Steelback Bear was about to retaliate with a devastating blow, Lee Zi intervened.

Without a moment's hesitation, she launched her own punch!

Lee Zi's punch, long in the making, was significantly more powerful than Chu Yi's hurried attempt.

As her fist connected, the ground beneath the Steelback Bear's feet collapsed!

It was common knowledge that the Steelback Bear's defenses were formidable.

Any other student, aside from Lee Zi and Chu Yi, would have been incapable of penetrating the bear's defenses.

Yet the combined assault from Lee Zi and Chu Yi inflicted severe damage on the Steelback Bear.

Its agonized roars reverberated through the forest, indicating that the bear had never before experienced such a defeat.

In a frenzy, the bear lifted its other foot, intent on crushing Lee Zi, the insignificant pest. But before it could even complete the motion, Lee Zi had vanished from sight.

The excruciating pain radiating from its chest and feet caused the Steelback Bear to gradually lose its sanity. In its agony, the bear completely forgot about the human who had delivered a powerful blow to its chest just moments before.

Chu Yi gathered his strength and leaped into the air once again. Now, he was level with the Steelback Bear. In that instant, Chu Yi caught a glimpse of the frenzied, blood-red lust for slaughter in the eyes of the Steelback Bear.

Channeling all his power into his fist, Chu Yi unleashed a force more than twenty times his usual limit. His punch was so powerful that it blew apart half of the Steelback Bear's face, sending blood and brain matter scattering across the sky.

The Steelback Bear didn't even have a chance to cry out in pain as another deadly strike hit its chest.

Lee Zi stepped out of the shadows, no longer concealing her strength, and released her full combat power. Both Lee Zi and Chu Yi were at the Bronze Level, but their combined force of twenty times their normal strength was equivalent to a staggering twenty tons of force!

The Steelback Bear, though a formidable Demonic Beast, was still only at the Bronze Level and stood no chance against an attack of Silver Level magnitude. It collapsed without even managing a final whimper.

Chu Yi and Lee Zi stood beside the fallen Steelback Bear, observing the once-dominant creature of the forest. A peculiar look crossed their faces as they contemplated the battle. Had either of them faced the Steelback Bear alone, it would have taken a considerable amount of time to defeat it without resorting to their last-resort tactics, just as Chu Yi had done.

Using the momentum of his jump to reach mid-air had allowed Chu Yi to strike the Steelback Bear fatally, but it also left him vulnerable without a foothold, turning him into an easy target. If not for Lee Zi's timely intervention, which distracted the low-intelligence bear, Chu Yi would have been in grave danger.

And if Lee Zi had only attacked from the ground without Chu Yi's distraction, she would not have had the same opportunities to land such devastating blows on the Steelback Bear.

"The school will send someone to collect the Steelback Bear's body later. They'll transfer the points to our accounts at that time," Lee Zi explained.

Points? Chu Yi paused, the realization dawning on him.

He recalled the many precious resources for sale online, which required not only sufficient authority but also points.

"Points are very versatile. If you've accumulated enough historical points, you can even upgrade your authority."

"Oftentimes, points are more crucial than cash."

In the world of martial arts, lacking cash isn't the end of the world, but without points, you're truly stuck.

Points can be exchanged for many items that cash can't buy.

After Lee Zi explained this to Chu Yi, he finally got it.

In reality, this was a strategy by the federal government to motivate powerful warriors to not remain idle in safety but to actively hunt Demonic Beasts.

Besides hunting Demonic Beasts, there are many other ways to earn points, though these tasks are significantly more challenging.

Simply put, hunting Demonic Beasts is the most straightforward method to accrue points.

The so-called trials are essentially a benefit since participants hunt Demonic Beasts under protection, which is a considerable advantage over the risks adventurers take.

"Let's keep going!"

Chu Yi nodded in agreement.

For the rest of the day, Chu Yi and Lee Zi encountered no formidable Demonic Beasts. The Steelback Bear they had slain in the nearby forest was already the dominant creature.

Typically, Demonic Beasts with a strong sense of territory prevent the emergence of similar creatures within their domain.

Therefore, as dusk approached, Chu Yi and Lee Zi decided not to venture further.

At that moment, Teacher Zhao appeared to escort them back to camp.

Upon seeing Lee Zi and Chu Yi bloodied, Teacher Zhao wore a peculiar expression.

His attention, however, was primarily on Chu Yi.

Teacher Zhao was well aware of Lee Zi's strengths and potential.

But Chu Yi was an anomaly!

Even after witnessing the fight between Chu Yi and Zhu Yu, Teacher Zhao considered Chu Yi to be merely a strong young man, a prodigy at best.

He had encountered prodigies before; Lee Zi was one, and a top-tier one at that.

Yet, such prodigies like Lee Zi were rare even in a talent-rich place like Redmarsh, emerging perhaps once every several decades or even a century!

And then there was Chu Yi...

What on earth was that?

The power unleashed in that final strike had caused Teacher Zhao's heart to quiver. Such force was certainly not within the realm of what an average prodigy could muster.

It seemed to be on par with Lee Zi's ultimate move.

Did this mean that the young man before him, Chu Yi, was just as strong as Lee Zi, aside from not experiencing a genetic awakening?

The realization left Teacher Zhao shaken to his core, a feeling he found impossible to articulate.

However, a moment later, Teacher Zhao's face broke into a smile—a peculiar mix of delight and intrigue.

Both Chu Yi and Lee Zi were left somewhat bewildered by his expression.

"Chu Yi, hello, you're doing very well!"

Chu Yi scratched his head, puzzled. Despite his exceptional perception, he couldn't decipher the meaning behind Teacher Zhao's words.

"Alright, time to head back..."

While speaking, Teacher Zhao pulled out his terminal and deftly manipulated it.

In less than ten seconds, a small flying car materialized before them.

"Get in..."

This was merely a trial, designed to bolster their experience, not a test of wilderness survival.

To conserve time, there was no need for them to trek back on foot.

The flying car's velocity far surpassed the walking pace of Chu Yi and Lee Zi, and in no time at all, they found themselves back at the camp.

By now, other students had started to trickle in, with Lee Zi and Chu Yi among the earlier arrivals.

After a brief exchange with Teacher Cang at the camp's entrance, Chu Yi and Lee Zi retreated to the temporary accommodations provided by the school.

The camp's amenities, while not comparable to those in the city, were significantly superior to what one might find in remote area hotels—a fact that did not escape Chu Yi's notice.

It was noteworthy that the entire camp had been erected in mere minutes.

"The level of technology in this world is truly impressive."

"With flourishing martial arts and advanced technology, life here is quite comfortable, save for the menace posed by Demonic Beasts."

Chu Yi believed that, apart from the threat of Demonic Beasts, Earth's inhabitants in this world led exceptionally fortunate lives.

Thanks to cutting-edge technology, a thriving martial arts culture, and the resurgence of Spiritual Qi, the human lifespan here had far surpassed that of his old world.

"Though we only engaged in one battle today, we still came away with something valuable."

Chu Yi may have had only one significant fight, but the rewards were quite good.

He now has some experience in handling creatures like the Steelback Bear.

After freshening up, he joined the others for a meal.

Clearly, this was the first time these students had the chance to hunt Demonic Beasts. Many had ample theoretical knowledge, but due to their inexperience and the intensity of a first encounter, there were several mishaps during the battle. In fact, two teams required the intervention of their instructors to avoid disaster.

As for the other students...

Apart from Chu Yi and Lee Zi, eight out of the ten teams sustained injuries.

However, this experience brought home the true horror of the Demonic Beasts.

The fear they felt was not just something seen in images or pictures; it was a palpable terror and might.

Thus, after today's events, the students shed their previous nonchalance and began to approach their tasks with caution.