Chapter 523: Schism in the World Federation

"With all this evidence stacked against you, your word means nothing,"

Hong Tianqi summarized. Suddenly, Amurong reached out and grabbed the recording device from his hands, then crushed it to pieces. "Evidence? What evidence?"

Hong Tianqi laughed. "Crush it all you want, Amurong. I have countless copies!"

Amurong slammed a fist on his table in rage. "Hong Tianqi, just what do you want?!"

"Oh? Are you finally admitting to your crimes now? Very well. Let me state my demands, then—given your nature and capabilities, you don't have the right to remain as the presiding authority of the world federation. Step down."

"Impossible!" Amurong stood in a fit of rage.

Hong Tianqi remained unperturbed. "You don't think you'll get away with touching me and mine, do you?"

The two authorities stood directly opposed to each other, and the fluctuations in their genetic energy clashed.

Shapeless energy erupted like a volcano, wrecking the entire office. Its walls began to crack. Neither man made a move; the interaction between their energies, unrestrained, was much like a disaster.

The other hunters in the room ducked down and clung to safety against the floor, trying to stay afloat as though they were canoes in a storm.

The walls of the office continued to crack, revealing the gold alloy within. Even the alloy was making screeching sounds, as though it were about to reach its breaking point. As the pressure in the room rose to a crescendo and the hunters thought they were about to be squeezed into pulp, the walls finally gave out and the office exploded like a bomb.

That such a thing could happen within the offices of the highest authorities of the world federation immediately drew intergalactic attention.

Hong Tianqi and Amurong reined in their genetic energy once more. Given their positions in the world federation, this wasn't a problem that could be resolved by martial force alone. Their fight wouldn't end up remaining as a private dispute; it would undoubtedly draw public attention. The reason that Hong Tianqi had confronted Amurong was to turn public opinion in his favor.

The opinion of the representatives that made up the world federation would decide their fates.

What had happened that day would be the prelude to a great upheaval within the world federation...

The office of the presiding authority of the world federation had exploded, and a schism was about to split the federation into two: Hong Tianqi and Amurong were finally in formal opposition.

The next day, Hong Tianqi held a press conference, explaining his discovery of what Amurong had done and claiming Amurong to be a despicable piece of trash.

He revealed that Amurong was knowingly targeting a pillar of the human race, that he was deliberately trying to provoke unrest and foment disorder. All these charges rendered him incapable of being the presiding authority of the world federation—or even an authority at all.

He admitted to barging into Amurong's office, and he provided the recording which he had shown to Amurong.

"The destruction of the office was caused by tension running rife between the two of us, but that's not the issue at hand. Amurong must be punished for his misdeeds and stripped from office. No criminal should be able to play such a fundamental role in the world federation!

"What has Amurong done ever since becoming the presiding authority of the world federation? Nothing more than to schedule trips to some impoverished star systems! He's never done anything productive or instrumental to the world federation, and I think the world federation deserves a better leader!

"And not only has he been useless, he has even committed a crime by taking advantage of his station!"

As a group of reporters took furious notes, Hong Tianqi made his stance clear.

The conference was being spread live across the galaxy, and any hunters could view it on a livestream as well.

"To think that Amurong was such a man—he's entirely unworthy of my respect!"

"How did he manage to advance to such a position in the first place? I think Hong Tianqi's absolutely right—it's time for him to step down!"

"How could he? He tried to target my idol's dojo! Zhang Lie was fighting for all of humanity in the second realm. Not only did this damnable presiding authority not offer a single measure of help, he even tried to backstab Zhang Lie!"

"Imagine if he had succeeded in his terrible plans!"

"Right? He was taking advantage of Zhang Lie being in the second realm and waging a war against the monarch of stars to try to kidnap his sister!"

Amurong's reputation fell to rock bottom.

By the time Zhang Lie reached the first marker on his map, there was nothing to be seen, let alone a disaster-grade lifeform.

Zhang Lie scoured the region and found an alien race nearby. With a superior-grade lifeform as compensation, he learned that he was too late—there had been an unusual patch of land nearby, but it had vanished two decades ago.

Clearly, that disaster-grade lifeform had moved on to another location.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible for the alien race to have settled here. Disappointed, Zhang Lie had no choice but to continue to the next marker.

A peak-grade lifeform as large as a mountain slumped over, its head bursting apart in a shower of red. As he sat on the mountainous lifeform's body, Zhang Lie crossed out another marker on his map. "This is the third one already..."

It was only then that Zhang Lie realized a significant problem with his quest. The sura had no understanding of disaster-grade lifeforms; the lifeforms they had cataloged were simply stronger than regular peak-grade ones.

There was a big gulf between peak- and disaster-grade, and killing these peak-grade lifeforms who had yet shown no advancement toward disaster-grade provided no disaster gene fragments at all.

He patted the lifeform beneath him. "How could you have been so slow at advancing? How many years had it been—and you still hadn't managed to make it to disaster-grade? Ridiculous!"

Zhang Lie knew that the transition from peak- to disaster-grade was a bottleneck, or the second realm would have been filled with disaster-grade lifeforms by now. Even so, he needed an outlet for his emotions.

Zhang Lie took a swig of water, retrieved his map, and set off toward the next lifeform.

According to the monarch of stars' information, his scouts had clearly experienced the effects corresponding to a disaster-grade domain there.

Zhang Lie arrived at a cave high in the mountains, one whose entrance was covered with all sorts of spiderwebs. Allegedly, deep within the cave was a particularly brightly pigmented disaster-grade spider.