Chapter 70: A Surprise Encounter

Even with his entire clan, the forest wolfman wasn't able to do much against Zhang Lie, let alone a solitary lifeform like the longhorn dawnbeetle, which died after just two or three attacks.

However, it was exactly because such lifeforms were solitary that it was difficult to find many such mutated-grade dawnbeetles, and Zhang Lie was therefore unable to guarantee that a soulshard would condense. This particular dawnbeetle did not, and all Zhang Lie and the others would get from it was its flesh.

However, that didn't matter much to Zhang Lie, who had already obtained the better superior-grade forest wolfman soulshard.

After killing two superior-grade lifeforms, along with the various mutated-grade lifeforms they encountered along the way, it became dark, and Team Zenith's first day of hunting was over.

The hunters had all witnessed Zhang Lie's strength, and they were particularly glad to have someone like him as their captain. Some of them were already making plans to head to the city of Ning to meet Zhang Lie in real life.

Team Zenith sat around the table in Zhang Lie's suite at the Blacksteel Inn. Ever since they had taken Zhang Lie as their captain, they had always divided up their spoils in one inn or another. In the past, they didn't have such a surplus of points that they could afford to stay in one of the inns, and had to set up camp in a designated part of the Blacksteel settlement instead.

The carcasses of several mutated-grade lifeforms, as well as the two superior-grade ones, were casually laid out on the floor of the large, expansive, living room.

"Mengmeng, Zhou Ying, I'll leave the cooking to you two again! Everyone else, help set up the table and prepare. This is a feast we all worked hard for!" Under Zhang Lie's command, the gathered hunters got to work.

In almost no time at all, a sumptuous feast was ready to be served, and the ravenous hunters dug in with joy, their conversations punctuated by announcements from the will of the world.

As the feast was wrapping up, Yang Ze stood up somewhat tipsily and bowed deeply toward Zhang Lie. "Captain, I was awed by your strength today. I was beginning to suspect that you were a hunter who had even filled up his superior gene fragments to capacity! Who else would be able to kill a superior-grade lifeform in two or three blows?

"Tomorrow, I'll be heading toward the city of Ning. Please accept me as a disciple and teach me how to grow stronger!"

Zhang Lie hadn't anticipated something like this, but he reacted quickly. "You want to be my disciple? Come if you'd like."

His response was surprisingly casual. Zhang Lie was already making plans for the construction of the Zenith dojo, and Yang Ze's request came at a particularly opportune time.

When the other hunters saw how easily Yang Ze managed to become Zhang Lie's disciple, they were all quite envious, particularly Li Feng, whose family background wasn't illustrious. How could he give up this opportunity to grow stronger? He immediately emulated Yang Ze, requesting to head to Ning and become Zhang Lie's disciple as well.

Zhang Lie was intending to open a dojo, so he certainly didn't mind accepting multiple disciples. Seeing Yang Ze and Li Feng's successful apprenticeships, the other four hunters, Fang Yi and Sun Mengmeng included, all naturally became Zhang Lie's disciples as well.

The hunters promised that they would leave the dimensional world that night and teleport themselves to Ning early tomorrow. As a result, they wrapped up their sumptuous feast rather early. After finishing up the last dish, they departed to pack and to prepare for the journey lying ahead of them.

In truth, they were quite interested in meeting with each other in real life, and also with Zhang Lie.

The lively suite quickly turned quiet, and Zhang Lie felt a trace of loneliness. Of course, that loneliness dissipated as soon as he inspected his stats.

After consuming the flesh of two superior-grade lifeforms and four mutated-grade lifeforms, Zhang Lie's stats had gained another big boost.

Zhang Lie: a mortal lifeform

Framework: Foundation, Lv. MAX, Ninecarp Transformation, Second Form: Serpent

Techniques: Rippling Walk (advanced), Three-Wave Crescendo (advanced), Calm Waters (advanced), Fists of the Silent Sea (intermediate), The Boundless Blade (novice)

Genes: Basic, 160; Mutated, 132; Superior, 55

Soulshards: White Grub (superior), Galewolf (mutated), Blood Ant (superior), Potbellied Toad (mutated), Venombane Scorpion (superior), Eternalspring Cocoon (superior), Forest Wolfman (superior)

For a hunter of the first realm, these stats were ridiculous. He had obtained fifteen more superior gene fragments, and had thirty-two excess mutated gene fragments. These excess mutated fragments were limit fragments that were even more impactful than thirty-two superior gene fragments.

If he were to face off against the forest wolfman from that morning again, the wolfman likely wouldn't be able to withstand a single blow from him now.

These additional gene fragments caused Zhang Lie's strength to grow to a jawdropping level, and even Yun Bing and Chu Feng, whose superior gene fragments were almost at capacity, wouldn't be able to compete against him.

As Zhang Lie was lost in his thoughts, the doorbell rang. He commanded the robot in the kitchen to begin cleaning up as he walked to the door.

Zhang Lie expected that his errant visitor would be a hunter from Team Zenith who had misplaced an item or two in his suite, but after his encounter with Chu Xun, Zhang Lie had begun to take visitors much more seriously.

He almost jumped in shock as he saw the hunters waiting outside: Yun Bing, Yun Meng, Chu Feng, and Chu Xun. How had they found him so quickly?

But since they were already at his doorstep, Zhang Lie didn't intend on hiding any further. He opened the door, not even putting on his black cloak beforehand.

Yun Bing and Chu Feng recognized him immediately.

"Zhang Lie!" they shouted at once, thinking that he was in the middle of a meeting with the mysterious hunter in black.

After all, who would guess that Zhang Lie and the mysterious hunter were one and the same? The disparity in strength between them was simply too large.

As it turned out, Chu Xun would. She had seen Zhang Lie's appearance before, and when she heard her brother and Yun Bing calling out Zhang Lie's name, she was quite flummoxed.?Isn't this Blackie? How could it be—unless, unless Blackie is... Zhang Lie?!