Chapter 126: Prepared for Everything

"Head, if I've failed, then that must mean that Zhang Lie has quite a few tricks up his sleeve. Please, give me another chance. I swear I'll destroy him for the Wang clan!" the wizened old man shouted, seeing that Wang Han was deep in thought.

Wang Han frowned. "That reminds me. Apparently, this lad was among the hunters who entered the Eclipse Sage's ruins. Could he have obtained the Eclipse Sage's inheritance? In addition to his father's inheritance... yes, that must be how he became so difficult to deal with! We can't leave such a thorn by our sides."

Wang Han clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

The reason he had such killing intent against Zhang Lie wasn't only because of what he had done to the Wang clan, but also because of the opportunities and the resources that were available to him. If the Wang clan allowed him to grow unrestrained, he would surely ruin them all.

"Head, Zhang Lie's both a galaxy fighter and a dragonsoul warrior. It'll be extremely difficult to lay a hand on him, and we'll need a few helpers to be able to do so," the old man cautioned, sneaking a peek at Wang Han's face.

"Don't worry, we just need an opportunity to strike. As for helpers—well, we're not the only clan who wants to strike back at him. Get me a few more of those restricted potions, as strong as you can make them," Wang Han instructed. His smile was reminiscent of a snake's.

"Yes, Head!" The old man bowed, clambered up, and rushed off from the conference room.

"Zhang Lie, let's see just how tough you are!"

After dealing with the dojo leader certification, Zhang Lie immediately called Zhang Hong to inform her of the good news. Then, he rushed back into the dimensional world and toward the Desert of Silence.

A few drooping figures were splayed out by the exit to the desert. Their armor was caked in grime and sand, and exhaustion lined their features.

"I can't handle it any longer," Sun Xiaowu moaned.

Given the time difference between the real and dimensional worlds, Team Zenith had spent over ten days in the desert. They had killed, rested, and killed again. The Desert of Silence was equally dangerous at night as during the day, and they had to be alert at all times.

Several species of lifeforms in the desert were particularly active, and they had honed their senses to the point where even the slightest disturbance would wake them all.

However, their hellish training had rapidly increased their superior gene fragments and tempered their abilities and techniques, and they had all made huge gains from the excursion.

"When's the captain coming back to get us?" Yang Ze wheezed. As he fought with various superior-grade lifeforms, he had gained increased understanding of both [Fists of the Silent Sea] and [The Boundless Blade], and he wanted to demonstrate that newfound knowledge to Zhang Lie.

"It's been ten days since I felt the captain's aura. I think he's left the dimensional world entirely," Sun Mengmeng responded.

Just as they were talking among themselves, they suddenly heard the rustling of footsteps from the distance. The sound wasn't particularly loud and was partially camouflaged by the howling winds of the desert, so they would have had to be listening carefully to distinguish it.

Even so, every member of Team Zenith went on full alert, circulating their genetic energy and temporarily keeping their fatigue in abeyance.

"Not bad! You've all developed greatly in just ten days." Zhang Lie trudged through the sand toward them, having deliberately made some noise to test their instincts.

He had rushed straight to the Desert of Silence after his return.

He had been delayed in the real world for a day or so, and over ten days had passed in the dimensional world. He was fearful that some incident had befallen Team Zenith, but it looked as though they were all safe and sound.

"Captain!" Sun Mengmeng and the others cried out. After seeing his reliable figure walk closer, they were all finally able to relax.

"You've all gained quite a bit of experience, as well as some superior gene fragments, it seems."

"Of course! You don't know just what we've been through these past ten days," Fang Yi said, chuckling bitterly.

"Captain, you just left us there in the middle of the desert! Weren't you afraid that something would happen?" Sun Mengmeng pouted.

"Should I have been? The six of you are all armed to the teeth. What could have happened unless you wandered into the heart of the desert?"

"Don't mention it, Captain! We were wandering around the outer boundary when we saw an unusually strong superior-grade lifeform within, and we might have died if it noticed us!"

Everyone seemed relieved to be able to share their experiences with Zhang Lie, who was shocked to hear that, after his departure, Team Zenith had stayed along the outer perimeter before daring to venture closer to the heart of the desert.

They encountered quite a few stronger superior-grade lifeforms, but were able to hide or quickly defeat the ones they encountered. Although they found themselves in a few precarious situations, they had all made it out alive.

.

"Captain, just you wait! We'll teach that Qin Xiao a lesson on your behalf during the Void Cup!" Yang Ze rubbed his palms, cackling confidently.

𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Right, Captain, did you return to the real world? What was so urgent?" Sun Mengmeng asked. Something big had to have come up if Zhang Lie was forced to remain there for a full day.

"It was just some urgent paperwork that I had to take care of for the dojo. Don't worry, I've handled it all already! For the next few days, take some time to digest what you've gained in the Desert of Silence. I'll need all your help once the dojo's ready to open."

Zhang Lie didn't bother informing them about the trial that he had to overcome for the dojo leader's certification.

"In that case, captain, does it mean that the dojo's almost ready?"

The hunters of Team Zenith were astounded by how quickly everything had fallen into place. After all, given the stringent requirements and proceedings for founding a dojo, it was shocking that Zhang Lie had managed it all within the course of a month.

"Almost. All of you had better train hard—as my first disciples, you can't embarrass me!"

"Yes, Captain!" the hunters chorused.

"Alright. Shall we head back to the Blacksteel settlement now?" Zhang Lie turned around and began walking away, motioning for his teammates to follow after him, the evening sun lengthening their shadows as they departed.