Chapter 33: Battle of Demonic Power

"Wow! It's Tingting!" Qi Fang exclaimed, staring at the screen with wide-eyed wonder.

Ye Yang was stunned as well. The footage Wang Feng had shown him was of Gao Ting in battle, fighting dozens of zombies and several terrifying mutants. But what truly puzzled him was...

"Why are you here again? Jeez, didn't I say I'd play with you after my internship?" Ye Yang asked, feeling rather frustrated. When he had returned to his room, he had already found Qi Fang engrossed in a fierce battle on the PS5.

"Um... Aunt Zhou Yue said you've been exhausted lately, so she asked me to bring you some soup to build up your strength."

"There's soup? Where is it?" Ye Yang’s interest was piqued.

"I finished it."

"..." Ye Yang felt an immediate urge to throttle the girl. She had to have been sent by the heavens specifically to punish him!

But that was a matter for another time. Ye Yang was already completely captivated by the combat on the screen. After a moment, he closed the app, copied the video onto a flash drive, and played it on the television’s large screen. As the image expanded dozens of times, both of them were left dumbfounded.

"Sister Tingting is so strong," Qi Fang murmured in admiration.

Ye Yang nodded fervently. Even though he didn't particularly like Gao Ting, her strength was undeniably terrifying. He could barely even track her movements with his eyes. Was this the result of practicing martial arts since childhood? He had never trained, so could he ever achieve such a level?

In the video, Gao Ting wielded two gleaming short silver swords. Her speed was so fast it seemed as if she were flying; the zombies couldn't even keep up with her, stumbling about in a chaotic, mindless heap. While the mutants possessed greater strength, they were completely outclassed by her speed.

Gao Ting’s rhythm was fast, and her tactical approach was formidable. She used her speed to quickly clear the zombies before engaging the mutants head-on. The result of the fight left Ye Yang slack-jawed: it took Gao Ting less than a minute to take down four mutants.

There were three parts to the footage. The first was her solo fight; the second showed her working in tandem with Ling Fengyan and Sang Shi. While Gao Ting’s raw power wasn't quite on par with theirs, she functioned as the absolute lynchpin of the team.

From baiting enemies and controlling the field to coordinating maneuvers and supporting her teammates, Gao Ting handled nearly everything, leaving Ling Fengyan and Sang Shi free to unleash their own devastating power.

"I really... I truly admire her," Ye Yang sighed.

What excited Ye Yang the most was the third segment: Gao Ting taking on a Predator single-handedly. It was the most spectacular part of the footage.

As the blades flashed, Gao Ting moved with lightning speed, too fast for even the Predator to track.

With a strike, a deep, bone-reaching gash appeared on the Predator's back. The creature shrieked in agony, the blood-red gaze it turned toward them made both Qi Fang and Ye Yang shiver.

With a deafening boom, the Predator’s counterattack demolished a low wall, pulverizing the stone. Ye Yang gritted his teeth so hard they ached. This thing was that strong? It was like a tank! And this was only a Level 3! If a Level 4 monster were this strong, what would it be like?

But the attack didn't even graze Gao Ting; she had already flashed several meters away, untouched even by the flying shrapnel.

The blades flashed again. Gao Ting moved like a phantom circling the Predator, enveloped in a halo of white light. The creature couldn't break free. Every phantom image trailed several streaks of white light, each one drawing blood.

With a sudden dash, Gao Ting leaped away. The white light dissipated, the blade shadows ceased, and the Predator collapsed with a thunderous crash, its body covered in dozens, perhaps hundreds, of gruesome wounds.

"Roar..." The Predator was still growling, but it couldn't stand. Ye Yang saw it clearly: the monster's leg tendons had been severed, and its spine likely shattered. That must have been the result of her supernatural energy. Ye Yang realized that Gao Ting’s short swords could easily pierce the Predator’s incredibly tough hide—a hide that even bullets struggled to penetrate!

Even for a Predator, such injuries were difficult to recover from, especially since they were caused by mercury-based weapons. The toxins prevented regeneration, leaving the beast to collapse and hiss on the ground.

With a final, precise strike, a blade pinned the creature’s forehead. With a final, miserable roar, the battle ended. Again, it took less than a minute. Her performance was nothing short of perfect!

Ye Yang was speechless for a long time. Gao Ting was just too strong. He couldn't help but try to mimic her movements, only to crash into the wall and knock over a bookshelf.

"Haha... you're so clumsy!" Qi Fang laughed without a shred of sympathy. Ye Yang ground his teeth in frustration, but he couldn't argue; compared to Gao Ting, he really was slow and clumsy.

"Why did you show me this? She has martial arts training; I can't do those moves at all," Ye Yang asked Wang Feng over the phone.

"You idiot, I'm not asking you to mimic the moves, but the combat style and the sense of rhythm! And how to channel your supernatural energy to complement your attacks."

"Her speed and technique are strong, but her supernatural energy isn't perfect. Because of her female physiology, her raw physical strength will eventually lag behind yours. Even if you can't pull off those exact moves, you can compensate in other areas."

"Actually, Gao Ting’s movements are overly flashy; half of them are useless. Just keep yours concise."

After hearing Wang Feng's explanation, Ye Yang nodded. That made sense. But he figured it would be a long, long time before he could ever catch up to Gao Ting. The gap was simply too vast.

Regarding the use of supernatural energy for attacks, Ye Yang noticed that when Gao Ting struck, white light surged over her silver swords, brilliant as the midday sun. That must have been the manifestation of her energy.

Ye Yang could actually do this now, though it was exhausting. Through the method Wang Feng taught him, he could coat the surface of his right arm in energy. Of course, it only worked on his right arm; he could feel the energy flowing elsewhere but couldn't control it.

He looked around, but there was nowhere suitable to test his power. He gave up the idea. Well, he could punch Qi Fang, but he suspected such an attack would KO the girl instantly...

Looking at his arm, he found it strange. He remembered Ling Fengyan’s energy was white, as was Sang Shi’s magic cannon and Gao Ting’s. His own energy, however, was gray, and even slightly black.

"Is it because my power level is too low?" Ye Yang muttered to himself. Perhaps it would change in the future.

"I'm staying here tonight. It's too late and it's freezing outside. You should call Aunt Zhou Yue," Qi Fang said from the side, clutching a pillow and looking pathetic.

Ye Yang ground his teeth. Needless to say, he’d be sleeping on the carpet again. And... he wouldn't have time to review the combat data. But he didn't plan to look at the data anyway; Gao Ting’s footage was far more compelling. That night, Ye Yang watched it at least a hundred times, engraving every movement and rhythm into his mind.

"I wonder when I'll be able to do that," Ye Yang dreamed aloud.

*BOOM!* He threw a punch, and a massive crater appeared on a concrete boulder, with countless cracks radiating outward, accompanied by a sharp, rhythmic snapping sound.

Looking at his fist, Ye Yang was completely stunned. When Wang Feng told him to hit the stone, he thought the guy was just looking for trouble and feared he’d shatter his own hand.

"Still a long way to go. Alright, go back to running," Wang Feng said, rolling his eyes, though a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. It was only the fourth day, and the speed of his progress was simply mind-boggling.

"Oh! Right, right!" Ye Yang took off running. This was the first time he had felt so motivated. Was he finally a superman? A superman who could shatter a boulder with one punch? Damn! He wanted to let out a roar toward the sky.

But he decided against it; otherwise, Wang Feng would definitely berate him again. Compared to true hunters like Gao Ting and Ling Fengyan, he was still far behind.

"By the way, are Gao Ting and Sang Shi Level 3 hunters? What about me? Um... although I'm technically Level 3, I don't mean the number that was just filled in as a cheat. I mean, what's my real strength level now?"

"Not even close. At best, you're Level 1, about the same as Lin Tian," Wang Feng retorted.

Ye Yang felt like crying. Even though Lin Tian was the second-in-command of the military department, he was universally recognized as the most useless hunter. Was he really only on par with that guy? How embarrassing...

"But at this rate, I estimate you'll surpass Level 2 and approach Level 3 before your internship," Wang Feng said, rarely wearing a smile. "But that depends entirely on your own effort."

"Right! Yes, I'm going running!" Ye Yang turned and bolted. As long as he worked hard, it was possible? Approaching Level 3? The thought that he might soon be close to the super-strong Sang Shi and Gao Ting made him want to scream with excitement.

"You still can't compare to them. Those two kids are the elites among the hunter trainees. They'll soon be promoted to Level 4. The trainees Ling Fengyan chooses all have great potential," Wang Feng added.

"Oh..." Ye Yang nodded, then suddenly remembered something: his partner! He still hadn't found a partner for his internship. It seemed he would have to find Sang Shi at lunch. That guy was an elite? Ye Yang immediately grew excited. If Sang Shi could help him, the combat internship would be much easier.

"A combat internship? No problem," Sang Shi replied directly and concisely. Ye Yang hadn't even needed to beg before he agreed.

"Thanks! Really, thank you," Ye Yang grinned. After thinking for a moment, he added, "By the way, my strength isn't that high. The Commander says I'll only be at best Level 2, approaching Level 3, before the internship."

"That fast? You're amazing," Sang Shi said in astonishment. He remembered that when they first met, Ye Yang was just a regular guy who wasn't afraid of infection and fought a bit ruthlessly. He was already approaching Level 3? And it had only been a few days!

Ye Yang laughed dryly, feeling quite proud. "Oh, by the way, for the other partner, can we find a Level 2 hunter? Someone with frost abilities and sensory attributes? I don't know many people."

"No problem. Heh, I'm actually very strong. It's just a combat internship; I can handle it alone," Sang Shi said, patting his chest. Ye Yang’s confidence soared; this definitely wasn't just bragging, as Wang Feng had also said Sang Shi was strong.

"By the way, have you found your team for after the internship? Which teacher do you plan to follow?" Sang Shi suddenly asked.

Ye Yang was stunned. A team? Finding a teacher? He knew nothing about that; he just thought all the teachers stayed in the research office.

"Oh, it's like this: the teachers who train your abilities are different from the ones who lead the mission teams," Sang Shi explained while eating.

From his explanation, Ye Yang understood a few things. When hunters carried out missions or rescues, they usually operated in teams, typically consisting of four members led by one or two teachers.

After the combat internship, teachers would invite trainees to join their teams. Of course, trainees could also look for teams that were short-handed and request to join.

"My team is short-handed. Originally, it was led by Teacher Ling Fengyan and another teacher, but that teacher died in a solo mission... sigh."

"Teacher Ling has incredibly high standards and doesn't like to take trainees without potential or those who don't work hard, so the spot has remained empty. The team only has three people, but you should be fine," Sang Shi smiled. "Besides, we're all acquaintances."

"Our team is great. Teacher Ling, of course, goes without saying—he’s the most senior teacher. Aside from Commander-in-Chief Wang, he's the strongest in headquarters. Gao Ting is also great, though her ability is a bit useless. But her absolute combat power is stronger than those with actual abilities—she's a bit of an oddity. And me... heh, you've seen me," Sang Shi laughed strangely. He was very confident in his own strength.

"By the way, what is Gao Ting’s ability? Why is it useless?" Ye Yang asked, puzzled.

Sang Shi scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "Her ability is powerful, but in combat, it's essentially non-existent. It’s the ability to perceive time. Um... she's basically a human clock. Any time, any place, she can immediately calculate the time, precise to the second! We don't even use stopwatches when we train for running; we just let Gao Ting calculate it—it's absolutely precise! But in combat..."

"I see." Ye Yang wiped sweat from his brow, feeling awkward. Calculating time to the second? That was indeed impressive, but also truly useless.

"If I join, will Teacher Ling agree?" Ye Yang asked. He wasn't picky about the team, just afraid of being rejected. Even though Ling Fengyan was decent to him, if the teacher had such high standards... he might not think much of him.

Seeing Ye Yang’s hesitation, Sang Shi laughed again. "No rush. Let's talk about it after our internship ends. By the way, who is the other partner? Let's find a time to meet up and discuss coordination."

"Deal! Let's go now!" Ye Yang was the impatient type. He slurped down his noodles in a few bites and dragged Sang Shi off to find Chen Yun.