Chapter 1311: Trial-Taker's Chamber

Zhang Lie: an emperor-grade lifeform

Techniques: Rippling Walk (pinnacle), Three-Wave Crescendo (pinnacle), Calm Waters (pinnacle), Fists of the Silent Sea (pinnacle), The Boundless Blade (pinnacle), Eclipse (pinnacle), Syzygy (pinnacle), Ninesoul Dragonblade (pinnacle), Blade of the Heavens (pinnacle)

Genes: Basic, 160; Mutated, 150; Superior, 150; Peak, 150; Disaster, 10; Monarch, 0; Emperor, 0

Soulshards: White Grub (superior), Blood Ant (superior), Potbellied Toad (mutated), Eternalspring Cocoon (superior), Dragonwolf (superior), Moonlight Wyrm (peak), Golden Roc (peak), Dragonwhale (disaster), Mistmeld Clam (disaster)

Zhang Lie had obtained ten more disaster gene fragments. He walked up to the gates of hell, but they didn't open.

"[The Boundless Blade: the River Lethe]!"

A pitch-black ocean appeared in its place. Waves surged forward, sounding like peals of thunder, like stampeding hooves.

The surface of the sea frothed with angry waves, like dragons emerging with the tide. The entire sea roiled, and lightning crackled amidst the void.

Countless serpents swam across the raging sea as lightning flashed ominously overhead, a scene right out of an apocalypse.

As Zhang Lie struck, an underworld river hurtled into existence, roaring into the sea. The sword energy roiled like black waves.

The sea had morphed into a boundless battlefield. The sea breeze was as a horn to action, and the serpents, thousands of courageous soldiers heeding its call.

The serpents smashed apart the gates of hell as Zhang Lie walked inside. The scenery changed. It was a white domain, with a giant glowing orb at its center.

The orb hummed. "Congratulations on finishing the first trial."

Zhang Lie frowned as the orb continued to speak. "Welcome, elite warrior, to the trial-taker's chamber. Six trials will be set for you within. Every three trials you finish, a reward will be provided. When the first five trials are complete, you will be able to access the sixth and final trial. Before you finish the trials, you will not be able to leave. Would you like to proceed with the trial or rest?"

Zhang Lie raised his head and asked, "Where did this trial-taker's chamber come from?"

"It is related to the reason that the dimensional world exists: in order to develop stronger elite warriors. Would you like to proceed with the trial or rest?"

"The reason that the dimensional world exists?"

The orb repeated what it had said before. "Would you like to proceed with the trial or rest?"

It didn't possess sufficient intelligence to answer questions beyond the realm of its programming—or perhaps, Zhang Lie didn't have the authority to command it to.

"Is there a place to rest around here?" Zhang Lie asked.

A door opened to his front, and Zhang Lie walked in. The interior of the room was clean and sparse. Zhang Lie checked to see if there was any danger within, only to find an unexpected possession in a corner of the room—the pendant of a necklace, which struck Zhang Lie as very familiar for some reason.

This was clearly an object produced within the Milky Way. He pressed the latch, and a miniaturized hologram appeared in view: a photograph of his family, his father, mother, Zhang Hanxiang, and himself. Zhang Lie's eyes widened. "What's this doing here?"

The orb replied, "This is a possession left behind by a previous trial-taker. This space is independent from the dimensional world at large, and is unaffected by its rules and laws."

Zhang Lie cried out, "What's this doing here? This belonged to my parents!"

Zhang Lie only knew that his parents were genetic hunters themselves, but not how strong they were.

All he remembered was that they had vanished one day, leaving him and Zhang Hanxiang behind.

The orb continued, "This was a possession left behind by one of the previous trial-takers. Perhaps your parents were among them."

Zhang Lie asked, "Where are they now?"

"Perhaps they perished during a trial, or perhaps they reached its end."

"Can I meet them?"

Zhang Lie couldn't repress his feelings after suddenly finding a trace of his parents where he least expected to.

The orb replied, "Neither of your parents exist within this space."

"Where are they?"

"It is recommended that you finish all the trials and head deep within. The answer you seek shall be revealed to you there."

"The answer?"

The orb replied robotically, "You possess insufficient qualifications to learn more."

Zhang Lie was about to rest for a little, but upon realizing that his parents had once visited this chamber, he couldn't help himself. If finishing these trials could lead him to his parents...

"I'd like to start the trials immediately."

The orb replied, "The system has identified an appropriate trial for you."

A pillar of light shone down on him, and Zhang Lie was transported to another small world.

He sensed a disaster-grade aura before him. Zhang Lie's current opponent was a humanoid black turtle.

It had four thick, stubby limbs, but was bipedal with a turtle's shell on his back. The pressure that it gave off didn't pale in comparison with the black nine-headed lion that Zhang Lie had defeated.

Upon seeing Zhang Lie's arrival, the turtle slammed a limb toward him.

Zhang Lie defended with crossed arms. The ground quaked and his feet sank into the mud as the turtle struck him, but Zhang Lie defended himself firmly.

"What incredible strength!"

The image of a golden tiger appeared behind Zhang Lie's back, and its roar echoed through the air.

"[Ninecarp Transformation: Golden Tiger]!"

A mountain of blades rested atop the tiger's back, and Zhang Lie's body itself underwent a transformation. His hair turned silvery-white, until they became akin to silver needles.

His genetic energy likewise became more honed. Silvery-white genetic energy gathered over his body, and tigers' stripes appeared on his arms. His eyes became those of a tiger's, and steely sharpness erupted from every pore.

Zhang Lie transformed into a ray of golden light. Sharp crystals of genetic energy pierced through everything in their path.

Despite having the appearance of a turtle, it was exceptionally nimble. It jumped into the air, dozens of meters high,and avoided the frightening attack.

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

Condensed genetic energy solidified into sharp silver crystals, which sliced through the air like blades.

The turtle agilely executed a backflip, retreating hundreds of meters in an instant. It landed on the ground with a huge crash, smashing a crater in the ground where it stood. Its body glowed with radiant light. Suddenly, a wave of black fog rose up from the ground and surrounded it like a hurricane.