Su Xiao Li's First Battle

Several days later, Si Yao returned to Super Seminary.

This time, though, he hadn't come alone.

Su Xiao Li stood quietly at his side. She had changed into a snug training outfit that allowed her to move freely, and the fluffy phantom of a white fox tail behind her was no longer deliberately concealed. It swayed gently, naturally, and drew plenty of attention.

On the surface, this "visit" was an invitation from Lianfeng. In truth, Si Yao had used [Kongshi Realm Divine Power] to plant an extremely subtle thought suggestion in her mind, guiding her to send the invitation.

He needed to make contact with Super Seminary again, and he needed a more "public" stage.

After several days of intense training, with guidance from Si Yao that was practically "Thought Writing," the efficient environment of the [Mimic Training Space], and another substantial investment of True Points from Si Yao, Su Xiao Li had basically mastered her newly acquired powers.

A Quasi Third Generation Super Soldier, with Mental Charm, Elemental Control, impressive defenses, and strong close-combat abilities—she was just right for "demonstrating" the results, further cementing his unfathomable image as the "Pangu Old God," and gathering more "recognition" for the manifestation of [Yuanshi Realm Divine Power].

After all he'd spent on Su Xiao Li, the girl had better earn it back for him.

Sure enough, the moment they appeared, they drew everyone's attention.

Lena was the first to approach, curiously sizing up the faintly visible white fox tail behind Su Xiao Li. "Well, aren't you into some interesting stuff? Fox Spirit?"

As captain of the Xiong Bing Lian, Lena vaguely remembered Su Xiao Li, who had once been a "reserve member."

She knew Si Yao had taken Su Xiao Li away. Lianfeng had also vaguely mentioned that she seemed to have been "recruited," and Super Seminary hadn't dared ask any questions.

Now, seeing Su Xiao Li's distinctly "inhuman" transformation, her curiosity instantly went through the roof.

Si Yao glanced at Lena but said nothing.

Just then, Lianfeng, who was in charge of welcoming them, came over as well.

Before Lianfeng could exchange any pleasantries, Lena's eyes shifted. For no particular reason, she suddenly felt competitive and eager to see what would happen. She cut in ahead of Lianfeng with a grin. "Hey! Si Yao, how about having her spar with the Xiong Bing Lian?"

Lianfeng paused. "Spar?"

"Yeah!" Lena was already getting excited, hands on her hips. "Those guys have been training for ages, and aside from swinging their fists at each other, they haven't had a proper fight against Super Soldiers from another system! This is a rare chance to get some real combat experience! And we can see just how impressive Si Yao's handiwork is!"

Si Yao paid no attention to Lena's provocation. He turned to Su Xiao Li. "It's your call."

Su Xiao Li immediately straightened up, looking at Si Yao with determination. "Boss, I'm good! I want to give it a try!"

This was a rare chance to make Si Yao look good. How could she turn it down?

Soon, at Lena's call, the members of the Xiong Bing Lian gathered at Training Ground Three.

Ge Xiaolun, Liu Chuang, Zhao Xin, Qi Lin, Rui Mengmeng, and the others stared at Su Xiao Li in the middle of the training ground. They were especially struck by the strange fox tail behind her, and all wore looks of surprise and confusion.

"Good grief," Zhao Xin said, smacking his lips. "What's going on with this guy... I mean, this girl? Is that cosplay with special effects?"

Liu Chuang narrowed his eyes. "She looks... kind of intimidating."

"What's the situation?" Qi Lin instinctively looked at Qiangwei beside her.

"Is she new?"

Qiangwei hesitated. "No."

She had seen information about Su Xiao Li not long ago. But looking at her now, Si Yao had probably recruited her—and even upgraded her.

Lena strode to the center of the training ground and clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention.

"Listen up!" She cleared her throat, her voice carrying an unmistakable authority. "We're adding a real combat spar at short notice! A change of pace, so we don't spend every day beating on each other with Turtle Style Fist!"

She pointed at Su Xiao Li. "This is Su Xiao Li, a Super Soldier personally trained by Si Yao."

Then she pointed her thumb at herself, her tone unmistakably proud and faintly challenging. "And you were trained by me, Lena!"

Her gaze swept over Ge Xiaolun, Liu Chuang, and the others. Her voice rose. "Get your act together! Give it your best! Don't embarrass me! Understand?!"

The implication couldn't have been clearer: this spar concerned the pride of her, the Lieyang Main God and captain of the Xiong Bing Lian. If they lost or performed too poorly, they'd answer for it!

Provoked by Lena, Ge Xiaolun and the others immediately tensed and stood up straighter.

"First match!" Lena's gaze shifted as she called out a name. "Ge Xiaolun! You're up!"

Lena had her reasons for choosing Ge Xiaolun. He might be a coward, but he was tough as nails and possessed the Undefeated Body, making him exceptionally durable. He was just right for testing Su Xiao Li's strength and finding out what sort of attacks she used and how powerful they were. Even if he lost, he at least wouldn't be taken out in one hit, giving them a chance to gather more information.

"Huh?" Ge Xiaolun said, then walked out with a pained expression. "Sister Na, me again?"

"Quit whining! Get moving!" Lena glared at him.

Ge Xiaolun had no choice but to steel himself and walk to the center of the field. He gave Su Xiao Li an awkward smile. "Well... Classmate Xiao Li, please go easy on me."

Su Xiao Li took a deep breath, her gaze instantly sharpening. Without the slightest hesitation, she didn't even give Ge Xiaolun time to prepare. She opened with Mental Charm, a technique developed from [Kongshi Realm Divine Power]!

An invisible Mental Wave, laced with temptation and disorientation, instantly enveloped Ge Xiaolun!

Ge Xiaolun's head gave a dull buzz. The scene before him warped slightly, and Su Xiao Li seemed to be surrounded by a dreamy halo. His heart raced, his thoughts briefly stuttered and went blank, and he froze in place.

In that split-second opening, Su Xiao Li moved!

The basic enhancement of [Jingang Realm Divine Power] gave her speed and strength far beyond what she'd possessed before! She pushed off the ground and shot forward like an arrow loosed from its bow!

Before Ge Xiaolun had fully recovered from the Mental Impact, Su Xiao Li had already closed in. A swift, clean uppercut landed squarely on his chin!

Thud!

A muffled impact!

Ge Xiaolun felt a tremendous force slam into his chin. His feet left the ground, and he was knocked flying upward before he could do a thing!

"Waaah!" he cried in alarm as he flew through the air.

But that wasn't the end of it!

Su Xiao Li gave Ge Xiaolun no chance to land and recover. She raised both hands, instantly activating the basic Elemental Control of [Yongzhen Realm Divine Power]!

Energy Bullets, imbued with various attributes and different effects, rapidly coalesced in her palms. Like a string of cannon fire, they blasted toward Ge Xiaolun, who had no way to maneuver in midair!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions rang out across the training ground as flashes of energy in every color flickered, completely engulfing Ge Xiaolun.

Ge Xiaolun was like a human punching bag, tossed around in the air by a barrage of energy attacks. He couldn't even reach the ground, and could only endure them with his Undefeated Body, groaning, "Ow! Ow!"

The sidelines fell silent.

Every member of the Xiong Bing Lian was stunned.

Zhao Xin's mouth hung open. "Holy crap... what... what is this? Lun'er's getting beaten up by a girl!"

Liu Chuang rubbed his eyes. "Is Xiao Lun'er... dancing up there?"

Qi Lin gripped her sniper rifle, brows knitted. Su Xiao Li's swift, seamless attacks were completely beyond what she had expected.

Rui Mengmeng instinctively shrank back.

Even the smile on Lena's face had frozen.

She knew Su Xiao Li had become stronger after Si Yao upgraded her, but she hadn't expected this kind of fighting style!

She opened with control, followed with a close-in attack to knock him into the air, then kept him suspended with a seemingly endless combo... She was far too skilled at this. It was downright bullying!

Ge Xiaolun had plenty of strength and defense, but he hadn't even had a chance to use them!

Lianfeng knitted her brows. "Mental control to start, a close-range ambush to disrupt his rhythm, then sustained ranged firepower... Her tactics are flawless."

What alarmed them most was that Su Xiao Li's energy manipulation precision and power had already exceeded their understanding of a "newcomer."

They would have believed she was a seasoned veteran!

But hadn't Si Yao only taken her away a few days ago?

How had she become this strong?

In the Monitoring Room, Dukao watched the scene, his expression turning grave as well.

The combat skills and energy manipulation Su Xiao Li displayed made her seem like a completely different person from the streamer girl described in their files!

Si Yao's "modifications" had far surpassed their expectations.

The scene had become painfully awkward.

One of the Xiong Bing Lian's prized assets—the Galaxy Power, who supposedly possessed the Undefeated Body—hadn't lasted a single round against a "newcomer." He'd been beaten without the slightest chance to fight back, turned into fireworks in midair...

"That's enough," Si Yao said calmly.

Su Xiao Li immediately stopped and obediently took a step back.

The Aerial Energy Explosion Aftermath gradually dissipated, revealing Ge Xiaolun's battered figure. He fell from the sky like a rag, slamming into the ground with a thud. Though he had a powerful Third Generation God Body and the protection of Dark Alloy Armor, he wasn't actually hurt. Still, the explosions had left him so dazed that he lay on the ground for a long time without being able to get up.

The training ground was utterly silent.

Everyone had been shaken by the swift, decisive, almost overwhelming way the fight had ended.

A girl who, not long ago, had merely carried an ordinary Super Gene now possessed such terrifying combat ability after just a few days under Si Yao?

Lianfeng quickly recorded the data from a distance, her brows knitted. "Mental Interference, Elemental Control, a comprehensive increase in Physical Quality..."

The special Super Gene Su Xiao Li possessed wasn't part of the orthodox Shenhe Super Gene system, but in terms of strength, it fell between the First Generation and Second Generation.

Yet the data she'd just displayed had already surpassed the limits of a Second Generation Super Soldier...

Third Generation? Or Quasi-Third Generation?

In the Monitoring Room, Dukao watched Su Xiao Li on the screen, his brows knitted. He issued an order to Lena through the communicator. "Lena, continue testing. Have the other members fight her. We need more comprehensive data to assess her Physical Quality and the limits of her abilities."

Receiving the order, Lena took a deep breath and suppressed her shock. She was just about to call on Zhao Xin, the fastest among them, to give it a try.

"There's no need to make it so complicated." Si Yao's calm voice cut her off.

His gaze swept across the Xiong Bing Lian members standing ready at the sidelines, his tone even. "All of you, come at her together. It'll save time."

The moment he said it, the atmosphere in the training ground froze!

All of them at once?!

Every member of the Xiong Bing Lian, Lena included, changed expression.

What did he mean? Did he look down on them that much? He wanted them to gang up on a little girl?!

"Hey! Come on, man!" Liu Chuang was the first to lose patience. He strode forward with his fist raised, ready to argue. "That's a bit..."

He didn't get to finish. Si Yao's gaze swept casually over him.

There was no killing intent, no anger, not even the slightest trace of emotion.

But the moment those icy blue eyes met Liu Chuang's, a cold, lifeless feeling—something he couldn't describe, as though it came from the depths of the Endless Void—instantly swallowed him whole!

It was a shiver from the depths of his soul, as if some enormous being, impossible to understand or oppose, had looked down on him with indifference!

Liu Chuang's voice cut off. The rest of his words caught in his throat, his face turning pale in an instant. He instinctively took half a step back, fine beads of sweat even appearing at his temples.

Liu Chuang was instantly reminded of the pressure he'd felt when he and Ge Xiaolun had fought in the Dark Plane. But this time, the sensation was even more terrifying—a cold, empty void that seemed capable of freezing his very soul.