Mythical Era: My Evolution into a Celestial Beast

Chapter 341: Absorbing the Power of Heaven and Earth (II)

When Chen Chu and Li Daoyi returned downstairs, they heard some unexpected news.

"Challenge me?" Chen Chu asked.

In the living room, the weakened Yan Ruoyi was sitting on the sofa, slowly sipping a cup of fruit-flavored milk tea that she held with both hands.

Xu Xiaoqi sat next to her with a tablet as she said, "Yes, that's right. The news of this challenge has already spread throughout Banan. After hearing this, I went and looked up the challenger. His name is Kleide, and he’s practically a monster."

"Oh, how so?" Chen Chu sat down on the sofa opposite them.

Xu Xiaoqi explained. “He’s the illegitimate son of a master running a small town martial arts academy. He was actually born there, but when he was five, that master died in a duel, and he and his mother were kicked out of the academy afterward.

“After several years of hardship, Kleide entered the local high school at sixteen. He only had average talent, though, and it took him three years to break through to the Second Heavenly Realm.

“That same year, his mother fell gravely ill, and that’s when he seemed to snap, taking her into the nearby mountain range even though it was infested with ordinary mutated creatures. He’s reappeared a few times, only to vanish back into the mountains again shortly after.

“The first time was two months after they first disappeared. He was almost a completely different man from before; he had not only broken through to the Fourth Realm, but also fused with the genes of high-level beasts, cultivated the True Martial Spirit, and comprehended the fist will.

“He swept through all the cultivators in his city, even defeating experts from the martial arts academies and the Fifth Realm teachers in the schools.

“The second time was three months later. This time, he was in the Fifth Realm, and subdued everyone from the three major martial arts academies in the provincial capital. His opponents included four Sixth Realm experts, but not even they could defeat him.

“The next time, four months ago, he had broken through to the Sixth Realm, and defeated two peak Sixth Realm experts with a single move.

“And now, he’s reappeared just an hour ago. He’s reached the peak of the Sixth Realm, and he challenged the strongest fighter of Banan’s top martial art academy. This was the only expert in the Seventh Heavenly Realm in Banan, specifically in the beginning stage, but Kleide still defeated him in one punch, which has shocked everyone.

“With this win, he’s ascended to the top of the young generation in Banan, earning the unofficial title of the Demon Fist of Destruction. Next, he plans to challenge top experts in other nations, starting with Mr. Chu. There’s speculation that he wants to try to break through to the Seventh Heavenly Realm by dueling you.”

After Xu Xiaoqi finished speaking, Li Daoyi said, "Interesting. Just twenty years old, but already at the peak of the Sixth Heavenly Realm, and able to defeat a beginning stage Seventh Realm expert in one move? That really shows how strong this person is. The authorities should be trying to recruit a freak like this, right?"

Xu Xiaoqi nodded. "Banan's officials have tried to recruit him, but he refused, saying he wanted to stay in the mountains with his mother."

"What do you think, brother Chu?" Li Daoyi looked at Chen Chu.

"I'll just sit back and see what happens."

"..." Li Daoyi was speechless. Just sit back? Well, I'll lie down and see then.

Pfft!

Yan Ruoyi let out a light laugh. "Sister Xiaoqi, there's no need to worry too much. Unless that person breaks through to the Seventh Heavenly Realm, he poses no threat to brother Chu."

"Indeed." Li Daoyi nodded in agreement. After collaborating for a while, the power Chen Chu had displayed made even him feel it was unfathomable and profound.

At that moment, Chen Chu suddenly asked, "Sister Xiaoqi, do you have any combat footage of this Kleide?"

Although he didn't really see Kleide as a threat—especially since his physical body had grown even stronger in the past few days—his cautious nature still made him want to understand the opponent.

"Yes." Xu Xiaoqi nodded. "When he challenged that Seventh Heavenly Realm expert, Banan's largest TV station broadcasted the entire fight live. The video’s available online."

As she spoke, Xu Xiaoqi pulled up the video on her phone and screencast it to the wall's LCD screen. However, when Chen Chu and Li Daoyi saw the rugged, weathered face on the big screen, they were both taken aback.

"Miss Xu, are you sure he's twenty and not forty?"

"He just looks a bit old."

"Alright." Chen Chu nodded with a peculiar expression.

In the video, Kleide stood on a hundred-meter stage. Opposite him was a ten-meter-tall monster covered in red scales with a dragon tail. It was clad in heavy armor that covered most of its body, and surrounded by red light that almost looked solidified, exuding a fierce aura that seemed to rip through the atmosphere.

This Seventh Heavenly Realm Mutated Beast Battle Body was the result of gene martial arts. Unlike Zhenwu true martial art cultivators who condensed a True Martial Phantom to harness the power of transcendent energy, gene martial art cultivators at the Seventh Heavenly Realm could form a Mutated Beast Battle Body.

In this state of merging man and beast, they possessed the strength and some abilities of the mutated beast, while also wielding transcendent weapons and armor, alongside combat skills that leveraged the power of mutated beasts.

This was similar to the battle body framework Chen Chu planned to build after reaching the Eighth Heavenly Realm. However, unlike those who only possessed the strength and abilities of the mutated beast, he could also harness transcendent energy and gather dozens to hundreds of times the power for enhancement.

Seeing the expert’s Mutated Beast Battle Body, Kleide also went through his own transformation. His entire right arm became covered in a black armor, resembling a beetle. Then...

Boom!

When Kleide threw a punch, the sky shattered and the stage collapsed.

With this terrifying punch, the air within a range of dozens of meters instantly solidified and shattered. The expert spewed blood as he was sent flying with his chest caved in, with no time to even react before being defeated.

This scene made Li Daoyi sit up straight, staring at Kleide in the video, who had a ten-meter-tall black phantom behind him. With a serious tone, he said, "That's actually advanced fist will. What domineering power."

Fist will, like sword will, was a special kind of will power that could greatly enhance a cultivator's combat strength. It was extremely rare for cultivators below the Seventh Heavenly Realm to comprehend normal will power, let alone advanced will. Those who could were freaks.

In this realm, only one last step was needed to manifest one's will. Once done, the power was comparable to the True Martial Phantom, just like "Zuo Jing" back in the Yunwu Mountains, who had a will that could illuminate the sun and moon and instantly kill a peak level 6 mutated beast.

Moreover, the fist will Kleide comprehended was filled with destructive intent, perfectly matching the martial art he had been cultivating. This mutual enhancement could unleash catastrophic power in an instant.

"No wonder this guy had the audacity to challenge Brother Chu. He's strong and confident, but I still think Brother Chu has the upper hand." Li Daoyi couldn’t help but marvel, then looked at Chen Chu with a smile, knowing he was even more formidable.

"This person is indeed very strong." Chen Chu nodded slightly.

"Based on the route he's traveling, he is expected to reach Miamir in half a month. Will you take on the challenge then, Mr. Chu?" Xu Xiaoqi asked curiously.

"We'll see when the time comes," Chen Chu responded noncommittally.

After sweeping through the southern mutated beast battlefield and killing a king's avatar, he no longer needed to prove anything. While he was somewhat interested in Kleide's gene martial art, he also had the task of protecting Yan Ruoyi, which was clearly more important. He wouldn't bother if he couldn't find the time.

Chen Chu looked at Yan Ruoyi and asked, "Miss Yan, how have you been feeling these past few days?"

The pale-faced Yan Ruoyi replied softly, "Much better now. I think I’ll be fully recovered in about half a month, and then I’ll be able to hold my final concert."

"Half a month." Chen Chu paused, and he exchanged a glance with Yan Ruoyi.

In half a month, Kleide would likely challenge him, and around the same time, Yan Ruoyi would just so happen to be recovered enough to hold her final concert.

Yan Ruoyi said softly, "It should be just a coincidence."

"Let's hope so," Chen Chu said, narrowing his eyes.

Coincidence? The dragon within Yan Ruoyi originated from Akunus. Given the shared origin, he could have sensed, or perhaps was already aware of her condition.

What if, on the night of Yan Ruoyi's concert, Kleide simultaneously challenged him with the weight of public opinion?