Chapter 1133: The Third Choice

The sword in Zhang Lie's hands burned with scarlet water-attuned genetic energy. Billowing clouds of red-tinted steam surrounded him as though he were a burning pyre.

The high-temperature steam was so hot that it visibly glowed an alarming shade of red.

The temperature ratcheted up dramatically, and the members of Team Zenith were forced to retreat even farther away. Sweat drenched their backs. Zhang Hanxiang sent her genetic energy out around her to keep the temperature around the group stable.

Zhang Lie's domain of scarlet steam looked less like a domain than a red sea, one which overtook the void. The temperature around Zhang Lie grew so hot that his surroundings began to warp. Mirages formed all around him.

One of Zhang Lie's blades glowed with radiant light; the other shone scarlet with water-attuned genetic energy.

He combined them both for a devastating effect. The spiritual, metaphysical sea combined with the scarlet steam that hung around Zhang Lie, half the attack in the boundary between the real and the illusory, linking together the physical and metaphysical, the real and the abstract.

The two halves of the attack clashed with each other. The spiritual sea began to burn, as though it had been ignited by the scarlet steam, forming spiritual flame. The scarlet steam, bolstered by the spiritual sea, grew even hotter. Contact with the steam seemed to sap at one's very soul.

Zhang Lie had allowed these two disparate sources of energy to combine, and their merger was so intense that the distinction between the real and illusory began to blur. The surface of the sea frothed with angry waves, like dragons emerging with the tide. The waves roared through the sea like galloping steeds, like thundering dragons.

From afar, the waves looked like a coven of flaming phoenixes spreading their wings and taking flight; from close up, they looked like flaming dragons.

These manifestations all drew from Zhang Lie's immense spiritual and genetic energy reserves, along with the sword techniques and willpower that he had honed over countless battlefields.

The spiritual sea seemed to belong to a separate dimension altogether, whereas the scarlet water-attuned genetic energy was in Zhang Lie's current dimension.

The two sources of energy were linked and made manifest by Zhang Lie, and they both surged forward as Zhang Lie swung his twin blades.

The two blades combined spiritual and genetic energy, willpower and time. All that melded into a tsunami which surged toward Silver.

The combination of these disparate energies was so potent that it could destroy any lifeform's body and soul.

.

Around the vortex of reality and illusion, the scarlet sea and spiritual sea spun around each other, forming a massive tsunami that shook the entirety of the void, which began to show signs of cracking apart.

Space shattered.

The attack that combined the real and the illusory, which had decimated everything in its path and slaughtered no less than Feitian of the xuluo and the death spirit king. However, against Silver, even this technique didn't have the desired effect.

Silver slowly stretched out an arm. The mysteries of life, which went beyond human thought and mathematical logic, reached out—and Zhang Lie's real-and-illusory attack fell apart in Silver's hands.

Silver nodded. "An excellent attack, one that can cause me harm. Don't feel bad—it's not a deep or obvious wound, so you can't see that I'm wounded."

Silver remained floating above the throne, not looking for a single moment like it had been injured.

Yang Ze shook his head. "Even our captain's having difficulty with this opponent..." How was anyone meant to attack Silver if Silver could dissolve any attack before it could land?

Wilbow praised, "Father, you've really grown so much stronger since your rebirth! Zhang Lie, I urge you to surrender now—don't waste everyone's time!"

Sun Mengmeng retorted confidently, "Our captain will surely win!"

Wilbow extended his arms. "You've all seen their confrontation. What makes you think Zhang Lie will win?"

Sun Mengmeng replied seriously, "Our captain has always been like this. Regardless of how frightening the enemy is, how mind-boggling their strength, he has never lost."

Wilbow shook his head. "Your blind faith is ill-placed."

From Wilbow's perspective, it was impossible for Silver to lose. Win? How could Zhang Lie ever hope to turn such an unfavorable situation around?

"[Ninesoul Dragonblade—Third Form: Separating Earth and Sky]!" White light split the void, cutting apart the horizon. The black- and white-colored energy that went into the slash erupted like a volcano. White energy drifted toward the skies, and black energy caused the sea to quake.

As the two shades of energy combined, everything in sight was destroyed.

A patch of void and chaos expanded where the horizon had been. Even Silver had to pay attention to Zhang Lie's attack.

The source of life dispersed Zhang Lie's attack once more.

Silver called out, "Submit to me. Resistance is futile. As thanks to your contribution in facilitating my rebirth, I'll give you a chance to submit. Kneel to me and swear to be my warrior henceforth—I only have Wilbow left, and I'll need some additional subordinates, after all."

Clearly, Silver looked favorably on Zhang Lie and the members of Team Zenith.

"This is your sole opportunity, for you and the rest of your team." Silver wanted to collect all the members of Team Zenith. "Death or submission—make your choice."

Zhang Lie stuck out a third finger. "I choose the third option."

Silver laughed. "What other choice have you?"

"I just need to kill you!"