Chapter 559: A Bewildering Truth

Zhang Lie's blades flashed as he attacked the energy shield surrounding a galactic battleship.

"[The Boundless Blade: Yawning Wave]!" Sword energy filled the air, overloading the shield in just an instant. The burgeoning energy tore a hole in the exterior of the battleship. The starbreak annihilator protruded out of the battleship's exterior as it prepared to fire—but Zhang Lie attacked first.

"[Shadow and Light]!" He whizzed into the interior of the battleship, which flashed with red light.

"Warning! An intruder has been detected. Warning! An intruder has been detected." The automated self-defense system activated, and the laser guns that emerged from hidden crevices pointed their reticles at Zhang Lie.

As Zhang Lie destroyed the guns, he headed toward the interior of the battleship, toward its engine room.

"Warning! An intruder has been detected in the engine room. Self-destruct sequence activated!"

"Warning! An intruder has been detected in the engine room. Self-destruct sequence activated!"

Zhang Lie asked, "Where are you from? How did you get here?"

"Self-destruct sequence activated. Ten-second countdown initiating..."

"I'm Zhang Lie, a hunter of the world federation!"

"Nine!"

"Is it truly an illusion, then? Very well. [The Boundless Blade: the River Lethe]!"

An underworld river hurtled into existence. The haunted souls of the underworld smashed apart the battleship from the inside out.

As black sword energy tore the interior of the battleship apart, Zhang Lie flew out. He frowned. He was unable to communicate with the artificial intelligence present within the battleship, so he had no choice but to keep exploring the sea of mists.

This time, thanks to Zhang Lie's foresight, the warship hadn't been destroyed by the battleship's starbreak annihilator.

Zhu shivered as she asked, "What was that just now?"

"Something called a galactic battleship."

"A galactic battleship?!"

Zhang Lie frowned. "It's not something that should have been able to appear in this realm."

The reason Zhang Lie was frowning wasn't because of the galactic battleship, but rather because he felt that he had had the exact same conversation before.

Following its original route, the warship steered into siren-infested waters, which Zhang Lie handily took care of.

Next, the same cruise ship as before appeared. This time, rather than getting on board, Zhang Lie smashed it apart from where he stood on the warship.

The warship suddenly changed course, causing Zhang Lie to snort. "Just like before..."

Again, it seemed like the mastermind behind the sea of mists was fearful of Zhang Lie's strength and was trying to send him out of the sea of mists.

Everything that had happened seemed to be a perfect duplicate of what had happened in the past. If nothing else, Zhang Lie was able to confirm that none of that had been a dream.

"Do you think you can bend me to your whim so easily? I'm not going to stay or leave just because you want me to!" Zhang Lie shouted, flying off into the distance with Zhu.

Zhang Lie activated his blood ant and dragonwolf soulshards simultaneously. Thick fur grew from his skin, followed by scales and a dragon's claws, as he transformed into a draconic wolfman.

"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Fade]!" With a punch, he summoned a blood dragon that tore apart the mist and spatial distortions ahead and flew straight toward his target.

Suddenly, an entire fleet of galactic battleships emerged from the sea, sending laser beams shooting toward Zhang Like like raindrops in a thunderstorm.

"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Hundred Dragons Soaring]!" Zhang Lie punched forward with his left arm, sending a torrent of dragons flooding outward.

Keening like peals of thunder, the horde of dragons smashed into the battleships that had gathered about Zhang Lie.

The battleships exploded in the sky like fireballs, vaporizing the mist around them.

The dragons fought against the battleships in what seemed to be an apocalyptic battle. Some of the dragons were pierced through by the battleships' lasers, while some battleships were smashed apart by the dragons. Fire and light filled the air.

As Zhang Lie punched forward, his fists summoned black dragon after black dragon, smashing the battleships around him apart.

At the center of the sea of mists was a gigantic clam that exuded mist from within its shell. This clam was the root cause behind the mist that pervaded the sea.

Zhu's eyes widened. "My father told me about such clams before! Their mists can all but replicate reality."

The gigantic clam shut its shell and tried to retreat back underwater, aware that Zhang Lie was a dangerous target to provoke.

"It's far too late!" Zhang Lie sent a dazzling streak of sword energy toward the clam. "[Rune: Control]!"

The image of a dragonturtle appeared before Zhang Lie as he raised his hand. Ripples spread out from the two tablets. They began to resonate as one, sending ripples that melded with sea and sky, suppressing the clam's unique ability.

As he was about to strike, Zhang Lie suddenly seemed to wake from a stupor. The reality before his eyes was no different from that which had happened in the past.

The clam shuddered as it suddenly broke free from Zhang Lie's seal. Zhang Lie activated his dragon's eye soulshard and scanned the surface of the sea, allowing him to spot the massive soul hidden right beneath the surface of the sea.

A pillar of genetic energy rose from Zhang Lie's body.

"[The Boundless Blade: Dragon's Wrath]!"

A blood-red dragon's roar shook the skies. Zhang Lie's sword energy caused the entire sea to tremble. It smashed apart whatever spatial distortions stood in its way and tore a furrow in the sky as it swept past the clam and struck the surface of the sea where the disaster-grade clam was located. A primordial aura rose into the air along with a multicolored mist.

The jewel-studded clam slowly appeared above the surface of the sea and made to open up.

This time, Zhang Lie didn't stand around waiting.

"[First Form: Parting the River]!" Gleaming light honed the edge of Zhang Lie's sword, and a beam of sword energy rose into the air.

Just then, a dragon's claw emerged from within the center of the clam and gently touched the center of the attack, dissipating it with seemingly no effort at all. As the rainbow-colored mist diffused into the air, Zhang Lie stumbled back before hitting something.

He turned back to see his father, whose face suddenly burst apart. Flesh bulged from within, expanding until Zhang Lie had no choice but to retreat. As he swung his sword at the mass of flesh, another face appeared— that of the monarch of stars.

The monarch of stars' fist thumped against Zhang Lie's body, sending him flying backward until he came in contact with the rainbow-colored mist.

His surroundings faded again to gray mist, so thick he could barely see his fingers.

"Mister! Mister! Mister!" Zhu's voice suddenly came from close by.

Startled, Zhang Lie glanced all around him. They had returned again to the warship.

"Where's the shell?!"