Chu Li had improved significantly in his martial arts skills since he had made substantial progress in his Earth Matrix and Reincarnation Scripture cultivation level as well as his inner energy. While his Earth Matrix and Reincarnation Scripture cultivation level were still lower than Monk Zhi Shan's, his inner energy was no longer inferior to Zhi Shan's inner energy.
Nonetheless, the Earth Matrix and Reincarnation Scripture were mysterious and profound, so he would still be no match for Zhi Shan even though he could compete with Zhi Shan's inner energy.
However, since his Nature Restoration Manifestation had improved immensely during his time on the battlefield, he was able to anticipate and determine Monk Zhi Shan's thoughts in advance without any help from the Omniscient Mirror and had managed to launch his attacks before Zhi Shan could make his move.