Chapter 1273: Collection Complete

Chu Feng had manifested impressive construction ability in the second realm. Under his leadership, along with the powerful bodies of the draconians and genetic hunters, and the help of large numbers of superior-grade lifeforms, it took only ten days to construct a magnificent palace.

Because the construction had been accomplished in just ten days, the palace couldn't be compared to that in the Lie or Zongming kingdoms, but it did perfectly combine the architectural styles of the draconian kingdom and China.

The draconian sage had arranged for a guide, and Zhang Lie quickly found his way toward the sage.

"You asked me to head over right after the founding ceremony. Is something the matter?"

The draconian sage placed a bar of gold on the table. "Have a look at this."

The gold was giving off radiant light, as though it had been processed with special effects. Zhang Lie looked at it carefully and remarked to his surprise, "There's incredible energy within, even more so than the black gold that we discovered beforehand. Where in the world did you find this?"

The draconian sage stroked at his lower jaw with his hands. "This is precisely that black gold—or rather, a mutated version of it."

"How did you accomplish such a feat?"

The black gold harbored immense energy and had a surprisingly stable structure. It would be difficult to cause a mutation, and any accidents could lead to a tremendous explosion instead.

Zhang Lie thought for a moment. "No, that can't be. I know the draconians aren't that skilled technology-wise, and you shouldn't have the ability to generate such mutations at will."

To be able to cause stable mutations to the structure of this unusual black gold was beyond what a superior king could accomplish.

"That would be the realm of gods..."

The draconian sage stood up and clasped both hands behind his back. "It was indeed a god who manifested such a transformation."

"Don't joke with me!" Zhang Lie cried out laughing. "You're stronger than a superior king. Do you really believe that gods exist in the third realm? Why didn't it show itself when the third realm was suffering from a crisis, then?"

The draconian sage stared at Zhang Lie. "A god does exist in this realm."

"Does it? I'd like to see it!"

The draconian sage stared at Zhang Lie. "You should be aware of its presence."

Zhang Lie shrugged. "If I were, I'd have punched that deity in the face already."

He had always been an atheist. If there were such a thing as a deity, he'd punch it in the face.

Zhang Lie continued, "Sage, how have you suddenly become so superstitious? Was your transformation from superior king to a kingdom's king so extreme?"

"There hadn't been a deity in the third realm in the past, but one was born with the birth of the unified world," the draconian sage replied patiently.

"What, a deity popped out after realizing that the third realm was in good condition now?" Zhang Lie joked.

"What existence is closest to a deity within the third realm?" the draconian sage then asked.

Zhang Lie finally understood to whom the sage referred.

"Hold on, you're talking about the will of the realm?"

The draconian sage smiled. "You were the one who restored the will, too. How could you have forgotten?"

"If it's the will of the realm, then everything makes sense. It can do much that we can't."

After all, fundamentally speaking, the will of the world wasn't a lifeform.

Zhang Lie lifted up the glowing piece of golden metal in his hand. "When did the will of the world have time to mutate all this black gold?"

The draconian sage explained, "It was all an accident, something that happened when the will of the realm's blessing was imparted on the unified world. The black gold was transmuted into a higher form of energy then."

"Just like when the draconian world ascended to a superior world..."

The draconian sage continued, "I've begun calling this mutated metal rainbow gold."

"Simple and crude, I have to say..."

The draconian sage asked, "How do you think we should handle it?"

Zhang Lie rolled his eyes. "How else? The same way we dealt with the black gold."

The draconian sage frowned. "This rainbow gold is far superior to black gold, and possesses at least a hundred times its energy density. Is it really fine for us to treat it in such a cavalier fashion?

It could very well be a weapon of war, one that could revolutionize the present if they were able to use it as a power source for the death spirits' battleships.

Compared to the conversion of spiritual matter to energy that the death spirits had pioneered, this fuel could provide even more strength.

"The only difference is that the energy content has increased dramatically, isn't it? It's still as much a danger as before. There's nothing to worry about—we're the ones in charge of the third realm now. If anyone's unhappy about it, summon Yun Bing and the Lie king and discuss a solution with them."

The draconian sage thought for a moment. "That's true."

What the draconian sage feared was none other than the Zenith Alliance.

The Zenith Alliance, a kingdom of hunters led by the members of Team Zenith and Zhang Lie, could very well overwhelm the third realm all by themselves. Even when Zhang Lie ascended to the fourth realm, the members of Team Zenith would still be around. Until they all ascended, the aliens wouldn't be able to catch a break—the pressure they exuded was like that of a mountain, pressing down on their heads.

The draconian sage had been asking for Zhang Lie's response not based on him as an individual, but as a spokesperson representing the members of the Zenith Alliance. It was clear that Zhang Lie paid no heed to the incredible material, that he even disregarded it.

The draconian and Zongming kingdoms both knew about the existence of the black gold. Once the draconian sage reported the matter to Li Zongming, he would be aware of the existence of the rainbow gold shortly as well. With two kingdoms securing the strategic resource, even the Lie kingdom and the Zenith Alliance had to be careful with their actions.

The draconian sage thought that Zhang Lie didn't care because he was about to leave the third realm for the fourth. What he didn't know was that Zhang Lie had just had a big fight with Li Qianlin, and his brain was little more than paste at the moment.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be heading out first."

"Do you need me to send you out?"

"No, there's no need. I can shatter space on my own."

The draconian sage sighed. "If I were still a king of the realm, I'd have stopped you right then and there."

It was an uncomfortable feeling to have space shattered in your demesne, as though someone had drilled a hole in your backyard that you would have to repair.

However, the draconian sage was no longer a superior king, and the shattered space would heal on its own thanks to the will of the realm.

Zhang Lie returned to his residence, only to find a slender figure pounce on him in an embrace.

"You're back, Zhang Lie! Do you want food, or a bath, or me first?"

Zhang Lie rapped Zhu on the head. "Who's been teaching you this nonsense?"

Zhu clutched at her forehead as she laughed mischievously. "I learned it by osmosis from the others, I suppose."

While in the second realm, lots of genetic hunters had brought cultural artifacts from the Milky Way, like manga and literature, into the dimensional world. Zhu had watched and read quite a few when she was bored of tending to the lifeforms in the farm.

Zhu puffed out her chest. "Zhang Lie, I've gathered all the materials you wanted!"

"That quickly?"

Zhang Lie didn't look happy like she expected; instead, his expression was downcast and even crestfallen.

Zhu asked cautiously, "Are you upset, Zhang Lie?"