Chapter 1354: Needs to be Publicized

Lin Lingfeng was, at the moment, regretting her decisions very much. She regretted that she hadn't paid enough attention to the discontent hunters of the city, causing the situation to devolve to this extent. She should have stopped them the moment she learned that they had been trying to attack the airship.

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

She was hoping to give the hunters' stress and pressure an outlet, but had ignited the bomb called Zhang Lie instead. She thought that she was able to control the hunters of the gathering point, but she had lost control entirely.

The hunters who had made a move were regretting their actions as much as Lin Lingfeng herself. If they had known that he were here, they would never have struck.

Zhang Lie was a monster—trying to take down his airship in his presence was akin to commiting suicide! Everyone present had witnessed how he had taken down Cthaat's son.

However, by this point, it was too late for regrets. The hunters who had made a move had already been restrained by Lin Lingfeng's group. Their wrists were tied up as they were flung to the ground.

Without a choice, the hunters could only hope for clemency in the court of public opinion. They shouted, "Zhang Lie, you selfish bastard! You should know that the technology of this airship would revolutionize the living conditions of all hunters in the fourth realm!"

This was no crime they had committed, only justice!

"All that we did, we did for the good of the Milky Way! If we can figure out the airship's technology, we'd be able to build one of our own! This can't remain anyone's private property—it has to be shared publicly like the limit-breaking potions!"

"Zhang Lie, I learned of your name very early on in my career, and I always thought of you like a hero. You rescued humanity in the second realm and was the savior of the third, ending the perennial wars that raged on there. I didn't expect you to be so selfish in person."

"If you give up the airship, we hunters won't have to worry about the threat of beast stampedes any longer, and we'd have the ability to establish ourselves in the fourth realm. Hunters all over the Milky Way would thank you."

Zhang Lie turned to Lin Lingfeng as he narrowed his eyes. "Did you plan this?"

Lin Lingfeng immediately shook her head. "No, of course not!"

Shocked, she immediately shouted, "Don't let these hunters say anything more!"

The hunters struggled. "Are you afraid that I'm right? That I'm calling you a selfish bastard because you are one?!"

Quite a few hunters had gathered by the scene to watch the spectacle unfold.

"So these hunters were really trying to improve our living conditions?"

"It does make sense for Zhang Lie to give up his airship for the good of the Milky Way, doesn't it?"

One genetic hunter rolled his eyes. "There are so many single men in the Milky Way, many of whom are virgins! Why don't you think of the good of these virgins and sacrifice your wife? There are countless orphans—why not sacrifice your mother? There are countless impoverished people—why not sacrifice your wealth? You're nothing more than a bunch of opportunistic fools."

"That's hardly the same thing! Exploring the fourth realm is the program set out by the Milky Way and the responsibility of every hunter. Why is it that we can't enjoy lives of comfort in the Milky Way and are forced into the fourth realm? It's all so future generations can have it better!"

"Right, haven't you heard the united world federation's new policy? Hunters of the fourth realm can't remain in the Milky Way longer than three months at a time, and they have to spend at least fifty times more time in the fourth realm. In other words, if they want to spend a day in the Milky Way, they'll have to suffer through forty in the fourth realm!"

"All our predecessors have sacrificed their time and lives—why can't Zhang Lie?"

"So many people have donated money and blood to various causes—why don't I see you doing the same?"

The hunters of Lin Lingfeng's city began arguing with each other. Some felt that Zhang Lie's actions were perfectly reasonable, but most were in support of the hunters.

"It was appropriate for them to try to take the airship, but doing so by force was not."

"They're no different from thieves."

"If they didn't take it by force, do you think Zhang Lie would give it up willingly?"

Zhang Lie folded his arms and laughed. "I don't have to explain myself, but I'm disgusted by the fact that you'd try to steal my possessions and justify it in the name of the common good. First, the airship wasn't built using the Milky Way's technology, and if I release information about it without careful consideration, it'll surely start a galaxywide conflict."

The restrained hunters frowned. "That's just an excuse! Spreading the technology will only allow us all to grow stronger. Don't the recipe for the limit-breaking potion and the information about disaster gene fragments demonstrate that?"

Zhang Lie raised a second finger. "Secondly, and most importantly, I'd like to ask you why you ascended to the fourth realm."

"To explore it, of course!"

Zhang Lie shook his head. "You've already forgotten why you ascended due to the harsh conditions of the fourth realm."

The hunters hesitated.

"The reason you did so is to grow stronger. Our goal isn't to establish gathering points for future generations, but to grow stronger ourselves."

The restrained hunters cried out, "How are we supposed to grow stronger? It's difficult enough for us to survive!"

"There are more strong fourth-realm hunters than third-realm ones, aren't there?"

The restrained hunters retorted, "That's because only the elites of the third realm can make it into the fourth!"

"I don't disagree, but the harsh environment of the fourth realm will spur your growth and allow you to develop strength via adversity. The reason we ascended to the fourth realm wasn't to explore it, or to establish ourselves, but rather to ascend to the fifth."

The restrained hunters were quite upset at Zhang Lie's defense.

"Are you looking down on our predecessors' hard work?! What's more, the airship's technology isn't in conflict with our growing stronger!"

"These predecessors you keep talking about are all weaklings. The strongest hunters have ascended to the fifth realm. Why didn't they stay behind to help usher in a time of peace and prosperity for those hunters to come? It's because they know that living in safety would only cause subsequent hunters to lose their will, their sharpness, their strength to overcome adversity."

Zhang Lie had said the same thing many, many times over in the second realm, and it was one of the reasons he hadn't been interested in the kingdom of Limit.

"We ascend so as to grow stronger, to keep ascending. Genes are what we should rely on—our bodies themselves! This airship technology would only cause subsequent hunters to grow complacent and slow us all down. For instance, if we had access to guns or high-tech weaponry here, who would train their bodies?"

This was why Bu Wentian had reminded Zhang Lie not to divulge the airship's technology before he left.