Chapter 1014: Victory, For Now

Within the Zongming world, Li Zongming could sense the energy released upon the two superior worlds' evolution. Despite the fact that he had only just become a superior king, this energy was something that all superior kings could innately sense.

"Are these the worlds that Zhang Lie mentioned would evolve before he set off?" Li Zongming focused his attention on the ripples of energy. "If I'm not mistaken, one of them is the draconian world to which Zhang Lie belongs. As expected, the worlds he frequent must be exceptional in their own right..."

Li Zongming continued to review a scroll on his throne, not intending to take action against either world.

Zhang Lie had informed him of the evolution beforehand; he would discuss how to handle the ramifications with Zhang Lie when he returned.

"I suppose the other superior worlds will make a move..."

Back in the shattered world of black rain, Zhang Lie declared, "I'm heading back now."

Nightdemon smirked. "So urgently? Do these worlds have anything to do with you?"

Zhang Lie rolled his eyes. "After two such worlds appeared within the Zongming world's jurisdiction, I have to make a move before the other superior worlds can."

Nightdemon replied, "There's no need to worry. Before the other superior worlds know that the death spirits have been dealt with, they won't do anything.

The Zongming world is safe for the moment. We'll see how the situation unfolds afterwards."

Zhang Lie replied, "Regardless, this is urgent business, and I had better rush back immediately. I'll leave the other superior worlds to you."

Given that his clone was here, the king of chaos surely knew of the news. The ice queen would be informed by the frost spirit commander, and the king of keys by his son.

Nightdemon replied, "It remains to contact the king of evil, the king of black fog, and the solar king. I'll deal with that."

Zhang Lie waved at him in acknowledgement, then headed toward the allied forces. Among the survivors, the Zongming forces were an absolute majority—Zhang Lie had kept his promise to guard the forces of the Zongming, draconian, and scaleman worlds.

Hong Xi and the others were working on administrative affairs when Zhang Lie found them. He asked, "How are the losses?"

Zhang Hanxiang replied, "With everyone's cooperation, we haven't lost too many troops."

Zhang Lie nodded. "Good. The war's over, so we can all go home now."

Upon hearing the words 'go home', everyone smiled—and quite a few aliens shed tears.

They could finally return home, after having survived quite a few life-and-death encounters on a battlefield that seemed to be galaxies away.

Zhang Lie sighed. "None of you will gain any rewards from participating in this battle, and I can't even ensure that all of you will return safe and sound."

These were all warriors who had protected the third realm from certain doom with their lives, but Zhang Lie wasn't even able to give them a reward or guarantee them safe travels.

Zhang Hanxiang replied, "Don't say that, Brother. Everyone came here in order to protect the third realm from the death spirits' encroachment."

Before the situation could grow tense, Nightdemon slowly landed by Zhang Lie's side. "I can handle transporting all your troops back to their homeworlds."

Zhang Lie turned to him. "Can you?"

Nightdemon shrugged. I'm a superior king, after all, even if this is only one of my clones. Of course I can establish a temporary wormhole."

The ink-black man also appeared by his side. "As for rewards, you can bring it up during the post-war meeting. I don't know what the outcome will be, though."

The warriors smiled in excitement. Compared to whatever measly reward they might obtain, they were happier about the recognition they would receive.

"I'll try my best." Zhang Lie knew very well what the superior kings were like, and how they viewed the aliens of lesser worlds as nothing more than ants. It would be difficult to convince them to give the aliens a fair share of rewards.

Nightdemon invoked the authority of a superior king. His shadow lengthened; his aura grew tremendously strong. The shadow seemed like the source of darkness, the origin of a primordial chaos, the end and beginning of all matter.

As his eyes flashed, three wormholes appeared. "To the Zongming world, the white world, and the king of keys respectively."

Zhang Lie nodded. "Thank you."

Before the frost spirit commander left, he extended a hand toward Zhang Lie. "I don't think I'll ever forget this war. I hope the next time we meet won't be on the battlefield."

Zhang Lie shook the frost spirit commander's ethereal hand. "Likewise."

Wilbow also offered Zhang Lie a handshake. "Thanks to you, we were easily able to end this war. I hope we won't meet again."

Zhang Lie couldn't help but laugh. "Shouldn't you hope to meet me again?"

Wilbow rolled his eyes. "You're a warrior of the Zongming world, and nothing good can come out of meeting you in the future. Either we're battling against each other, or we're both on the battlefield against a common enemy."

Zhang Lie inclined his head with a wry smile. "In that case, I hope I won't see you again, either."

Wilbow waved as he headed toward his wormhole. The ten million troops he had brought had dwindled to no more than ten thousand.

Such was the cost of war. The survival of so many of the Zongming world's forces could only be attributed to luck and Zhang Hanxiang and Hong Xi's hard work.

Nightdemon floated over. "You truly are an interesting fellow. I won't bid you farewell—I know we'll see each other again soon enough."

"Do you mean in the subsequent meeting, Nightdemon?"

Nightdemon grinned. His white coat, stained by blood, turned a dark-red color. "Who knows?"

The red of Nightdemon's coat deepened and darkened until it was almost black. Then, it flashed and opened wide, transforming into a pair of bat's wings. The black wings wrapped around Nightdemon as he took to the sky. When they unfurled again, he had morphed into a gigantic bat with a brilliant white smile the shape of a crescent moon, as though he were mocking the entire world. "Until our next meeting, hahahaha!"

Nightdemon vanished into the void, leaving nothing but an echo of his laughter behind. The ink-black man likewise bowed and disappeared into the darkness.

Zhang Lie waved a hand. "Let's set off too, then."

Following Zhang Lie's lead, the forces of the Zongming world marched into the wormhole.

Zhang Lie turned to his sister. "Are you satisfied now, Hanxiang? You've participated in a mythical battle of the third realm, just as you wanted to—and this battle will surely be recorded in the annals of the realm."