Chapter 1252: A Solo Battle

Zhou Ying carefully kept the blood and hair, treating it like a rare treasure.

Zhang Lie asked, "Are you able to continuously merge lifeforms by repeating this process? Doesn't that mean that you'll be able to produce the strongest lifeform eventually?"

Zhou Ying replied, "I thought so at first, that I would be able to merge the genes of all the members of Team Zenith to create an incredible biological weapon, but biological paradigms are hard to grasp, and random mutations can lead to stronger or weaker pairings than expected. Furthermore, I also have to make sure that the pairings are compatible with one another. It's a long process, and far more challenging than I anticipated."

"I'll leave you to work hard on it, then. It could be a potent tool in your arsenal. Hong Xi, Zhang Hanxiang, it's your turn."

Hong Xi requested, "I've grown stronger than I was in the second real, and I'd like to challenge you myself, Master."

Zhang Hanxiang added, "I've grown much stronger myself!"

Zhang Lie rolled his eyes. "Who hasn't? We don't have much time, so let's get going."

Hong Xi begged, "I'd like to challenge you alone, Master!"

Zhang Hanxiang nodded. "I'd also like to compare my strength to yours, Brother."

Seeing their determined gazes, Zhang Lie sighed. "If you force me to take a single step, I'll grant this request."

Hong Xi and Zhang Hanxiang nodded seriously as Zhu reinforced the dimensional barriers once more.

Zhang Hanxiang gave off wisps of frost that gathered on the ground.

"[Syzygy]!"

Hong Xi's eyes glowed. Her left eye morphed into a black sun, and her right eye into a silver moon. To her back, a pitch-black sun and a silver moon rose into the air. Their light illuminated the sky. The black sun and silver moon were linked by a golden thread, which brought them into proximity with each other.

The black sun and silver moon began to merge. The black sun turned a deep red, and the silver moon a rusty red.

The two celestial bodies overlapped, the silver moon taking on a blue sheen.

As they overlapped perfectly, the moon absorbed the black sunlight and transformed into a fully realized pale blue moon.

As the light shone down on them, Zhang Hanxiang's cold grew more intense, and the temperature of the pocket dimension dropped.

Zhang Hanxiang whispered, "Hong Xi, we have to give Brother a fright."

Hong Xi nodded, activating all her combat-oriented soulshards in one fell swoop. A fan of feathers materialized in her left hand, and a moonlit sword in her right. Behind her, multicolored light flared. The domain of [Eclipse] spread out beneath her feet. She walked forward, moonlight radiating from her every move. A black sun appeared behind her, sparking where it touched the moonlight at her feet.

Wind howled. The sword in her right hand gleamed like the radiant moon. As she waved her fan, she summoned a twister in the air—but with a wave of his hand, Zhang Lie dispelled her technique.

Meanwhile, Zhang Hanxiang held her palm up and channeled bitter cold. Cold air froze everything around her. A layer of frost covered the ground, and snow began to drift down from the heavens.

"Excellent courage to come at me straight on." Zhang Lie deflected Zhang Hanxiang's palm with his own.

Zhang Hanxiang's frost was completely ineffective against Zhang Lie. Zhang Lie summoned a layer of pale blue genetic energy over his body to isolate himself from the chill.

Zhang Hanxiang frowned. She launched a flurry of attacks at Zhang Lie, channeling the might and intensity of a blizzard, a snowstorm.

Meanwhile, Hong Xi leapt forward with [The Elusive Moon], then activated a superior-grade illusory leopard soulshard to speed herself up further. She appeared behind Zhang Lie, but she was sent flying into the distance despite Zhang Lie not even turning around.

Hong Xi revolved in midair and waved her fan. Her sword glinted with moonlight, and she shot forward once more.

Once again, Zhang Lie waved at his back and dispelled her attack.

A blizzard formed around Zhang Hanxiang. Her hands glowed brightly in blue, freezing heaven and earth and sending the battlefield into the deep of winter. A burst of icy energy emanated from her. Zhang Lie met her fist for fist, causing the chill to dissipate in an explosion of energy that sent the snow all around her blowing up into the air.

Zhang Hanxiang stumbled back, and Hong Xi hurriedly rushed up to support her.

"[The Hidden Moon]!"

Her blade seemed to cut apart a silvery veil in the sky—but Zhang Lie intercepted her attack once more. She didn't see how; he had made his move after hers, but before she could reach him, his palm had already struck her chest.

Hong Xi's spirit-fox robe sent a protective burst of foxflame toward Zhang Lie, but it didn't hurt him at all. His water-attuned genetic energy easily countered it.

Zhang Hanxiang skated over the frozen ground, her body as limber and agile as an acrobat's. Blades of ice formed by her feet, which she shot at Zhang Lie. Zhang Lie countered with a punch, sending her flying.

She revolved in mid-air, dispelling the excess momentum. Just then, a silver shadow appeared beside him. Hong Xi, wrapped in a gale of wind, struck at Zhang Lie with a silver flash.

Zhang Hanxiang struck again with a few spikes of ice. Zhang Lie easily knocked them aside, then swung back around to grab Hong Xi's sword. Zhang Hanxiang barreled forward, surrounded by a whirlwind of ice. As she came close to Zhang Lie, he punched in her direction and sent her flying.

Hong Xi launched an attack, but she was kicked away before it could land.

The aura around Zhang Hanxiang deepened. Her hair began to freeze over, and her fists had turned noticeably blue. Zhang Lie felt a deep chill sweep over him.

"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Soar]!"

Pale blue genetic energy rippled about Zhang Lie's arms. He flicked his wrists, causing a frightening aura to descend on the world. The sky began to darken, and a fish the size of a whale materialized in the air.

A howling gale swept over the two combatants. As more and more genetic energy gathered around Zhang Lie's arms, it looked as though he were at the heart of a whirlpool.

A huge wave soared into the air. As Zhang Lie punched forward, the fish slammed its huge tail on the ground and sent a torrent of water surging.

Ripples of energy spread out from Zhang Lie, warping the space around him. The towering waves looked like enraged black dragons, flooding the pocket dimension.

Frost and flood collided in a huge rumble that shook the heavens and caused the pocket dimension to quake.

As the waves burst apart, the air filled with echoes of Zhang Lie's signature genetic energy, shattering space and swallowing up all life in its vicinity.