Chapter 1344: An Unexpected Boon
The sea of clouds was divided in twain. Upon seeing the clear sky above them, the genetic hunters were shocked. The sea of clouds trembled violently, clearly shocked by Zhang Lie's attack.
"I wonder if you'll be able to survive the next technique?"
Starlight surrounded Zhang Lie. Countless stars whizzed away from his body. His pitch-black genetic energy seemed like the astral void, with shining stars scattered throughout.
"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Fade]!"
His genetic energy condensed into a black dragon, whose scales were each a star. The stars inlaid in its body formed a long stellar river, which shot out alongside Zhang Lie's punch.
The stellar dragon cleared the sky of mist. The sea of clouds formed countless dense palms, attempting to restrict the dragon's movements.
"Is this all you've got?" the sea of clouds called out.
The mist transformed into hundreds of dragons that shot toward Zhang Lie.
The sea of clouds sounded particularly cocky. "You might be able to manifest dragons, but so can I—and more than you can!"
"I've never lost out in terms of numbers."
Black genetic energy burst forth from Zhang Lie, as though there were hundreds, thousands of dragons surging throughout his body.
"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Hundred Dragons Soaring]!"
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtA horde of dragons launched out of Zhang Lie's left arm as he expended half his genetic energy in one supercharged attack.
Howling with the force of thunder, the hundred stellar dragons soared through the air.
They obliterated the cloud dragons within moments, then tore apart the sea of clouds.
Even Cthaat's son was unable to handle so many attacks at once. The mist began to retreat as Zhang Lie chuckled. "You wee so arrogant when you approached—and now you're trying to flee?"
The sea of clouds replied in gasps and pants. "I'll come back soon enough, just you wait! I'll bring my brothers with me in the future. For killing my brother, you'll surely perish!"
"As I said, after making such a mess to a Milky Way gathering point in the fourth realm and killing so many genetic hunters, you won't be leaving alive." Zhang Lie snapped his fingers as the energy of annihilation erupted around him.
The stellar dragons all exploded, each with the force of a galaxy. A huge wave of energy spread out around him, forming a black hole that swallowed up everything in sight, including the white mist. Cthaat's son screamed as the mist was completely sucked in, unable to resist the pull of gravity.
As all the mist was devoured by the black hole, the battle ended.
Zhang Lie canceled his transformation and returned to his airship, which slowly landed in the city.
The buildings within the city hadn't been destroyed, but there were countless weapons and torn clothes left behind by the fallen hunters. Zhang Lie commented, "It looks like your gathering point has suffered another disaster."
Lin Lingfeng slowly walked over. "Thank you, Heavenly Monarch, for saving our gathering point once again."
Zhang Lie shook his head. "You had better call me Zhang Lie."
Lin Lingfeng continued, "If you hadn't arrived in a timely fashion, the hunters of the gathering point might all have perished."
"I thought you would hold a grudge against me for luring such an enemy to your gathering point."
Zhang Lie knew very well that this so-called Cthaat's son was targeting him.
Lin Lingfeng shook her head. "No one anticipated it, and no one would have wanted it. Furthermore, you've saved our gathering point twice over, Zhang Lie."
"It might as well have been none. I saved you once, but that sea of clouds came here for me."
Lin Lingfeng glanced at the airship behind Zhang Lie. "Where in the world did you get such an airship? I would never have believed that the technology of the Milky Way could be brought into the dimensional world..."
Zhang Lie shook his head. "This isn't from the Milky Way, but rather from the dimensional world itself."
Lin Lingfeng frowned. "The dimensional world shouldn't have any technology, though?"
The hunters of the Milky Way had once attempted to use materials from the dimensional world to make simple technology, but their experiments all failed.
Zhang Lie shook his head. "They're not using the same sort of science we do—it's a separate system entirely."
The hunters of the Milky Way had stumbled into a pitfall. They thought that technology didn't work in the dimensional world, but in truth, that wasn't the case. It was simply that the science and technology of the Milky Way was incompatible with the natural law of the dimensional world.
In the third realm, for instance, Zhang Lie had seen examples of technological development—the spiritual machines that the death spirit king had devised, or even the cultivation of special plants that the Yeluo chieftain had found in the second and third realms, which represented some bio-organic development. From these examples, it was apparent that a form of science was indeed available in the dimensional world, though one different from that practiced in the Milky Way.
Lin Lingfeng asked, "Where did you get it?"
"It was an unexpected boon."
"I won't ask you to reveal more information," Lin Lingfeng replied. "But I'm sure many people would go crazy upon seeing it..."
The researchers of the Milky Way and ambitious hunters would surely go crazy upon learning about the existence of airships in the dimensional world, and they would surely be tempted to dismantle the airship to understand the principles of its construction within the realm.
Zhang Lie mused, "I hadn't thought about this."
Lin Lingfeng shook her head in exasperation. "You're far too strong."
Zhang Lie's strength was so overwhelming that he could easily ignore anyone within the gathering point.
"Well, it looks like it's too late to hide it now."
Zhang Lie wasn't afraid of trouble—he had the strength to take on anyone and everyone.
However, since he was planning to return to the Milky Way for a while, for the safety of the airship and of Li Qianlin, Zhang Lie intended to take a few precautions. He returned to the airship and added more fuel.
He headed to the airship's furnace, which was scorching hot, and threw all the excess lifeform meat he had into it.
Then, he returned to the command center. He told Li Qianlin, "I'll be leaving the fourth realm for some time. Stay on the airship. I'll authorize you to command it."
Li Qianlin asked, "Approximately when will you return?"
"I'll be gone for about a day, so after the time dilation, perhaps two weeks."
Li Qianlin nodded. "Very well. I'll guard the airship during this time."
Zhang Lie smiled wryly. "Protect yourself first."