Chapter 1035: Bad to Step In
Everyone who finished the meal gained ten monarch gene fragments. Because this was the first time the members of Team Zenith and Zhang Hanxiang were consuming monarch-grade meat, the impact it would have on their bodies was significant. They would all need to rest and consolidate their strength.
Unlike what Zhu had said, the monarch-grade lifeform meat turned out to be quite valuable for her. The flesh of high-grade genetic lifeforms had a particularly beneficial effect even on aliens, allowing them to strengthen their bodies.
The explosive strength it contained would hasten their own cultivation, though the effect was far less direct than with the hunters of the Milky Way.
Zhang Lie stood up and was about to leave when Zhu, who had finished consolidating her strength, opened her eyes and asked, "Won't you wait for the others?"
Zhang Lie replied, "It isn't dangerous here, so there's no need for me to remain present—and what's more, you're here too, aren't you?"
With Zhu around, no one would disturb the members of Team Zenith and Zhang Hanxiang from digesting the monarch-grade meat they had just consumed.
Zhu shoo her head. "That's not what I mean. Aren't you going to say farewell to them when they wake up?"
Zhang Lie sighed. "It's not as though I'm leaving forever—just a few days. I'll be back in two days to participate in the meeting among the superior worlds. There's no danger."
Zhu widened her sapphire-like eyes, each of which seemed as wide as an ocean. "I'll miss you, Zhang Lie."
Zhang Lie reached out and patted Zhu on the head, feeling her soft, cold, wavy hair. "I'll just be a few days. Keep working hard on cultivating the genetic lifeforms and await my return."
Zhu nodded. "I'll cultivate another monarch-grade lifeform, so you'd better return quickly!"
Zhang Lie waved a hand in farewell, shattered space, and left.
He arrived by the disaster-grade multicolored dragon's side. When the dragon sensed his arrival, it immediately widened its eyes.
Zhang Lie patted it on the head and grumbled, "You've been with me for so long! Why haven't you advanced yet?"
It was evident that the multicolored dragon was already beyond an ordinary disaster-grade lifeform in strength, but trying to break through the next threshold was no mean feat. Perhaps different lifeforms had to accumulate different amounts of energy between each threshold.
The disaster-grade multicolored dragon keened in protest: Do you think every disaster-grade lifeform is like that weirdo, Gold Comet? It was ridiculous that it had gone from superior-grade all the way to disaster-grade in such a short period of time, and from there into monarch-grade. I'm normal; Gold Comet's just too fast!
Zhang Lie didn't, and indeed couldn't, realize just how aggrieved the dragon felt.
"Alright, then, let's set off!"
Zhang Lie clambered up the dragon's back and into the palace therein. The disaster-grade dragon spread its wings, flapped them, and flew off toward the Zongming world.
The moment Zhang Lie arrived, Li Zongming seemed to sense him. He teleported right outside the palace. Zhang Lie waved and stepped out.
Li Zongming called out, "Zhang Lie, you're finally here! I was wondering whether you had too many affairs to take care of in the draconian world now that it had evolved into a superior world, and whether it might delay our departure."
Zhang Lie replied, "There's no need to worry, Your Majesty. I'm punctual and reliable."
Li Zongming glared at him. "I told you, call me Father or Father-in-Law!"
Zhang Lie touched his nose without answering Li Zongming.
Li Zongming didn't mind. "Do you want to go see Qianlin for a bit?"
"Of course." Zhang Lie flew to her room and knocked.
"Come in," Li Qianlin's pleasant voice called out.
"Did you miss me?" Zhang Lie asked, pushing open the door.
Li Qianlin rolled her eyes. "Dream on! You haven't been gone for long. Why should I miss you?"
Zhang Lie sighed. "I'm a lonely child that no one cares about..."
"You're a rather fast-growing child, aren't you?"
Zhang Lie shrugged. "Just two days ago, I wonder who was it that was almost bawling her eyes out because of me..."
Li Qianlin blushed red. "Who was almost bawling her eyes out? My eyes were simply sweating!"
"...just what sort of biology do you have that you sweat from your eyes?"
"Hmph!"
Zhang Lie stepped forward and reached out to grab Li Qianlin's hands. Li Qianlin tried to break free from his grip, but she gave up after a few tries.
Zhang Lie looked her in the eyes. "I did miss you. I've missed you for an entire year."
"When have we been apart for a year?"
Li Qianlin blushed as she lowered her head, not daring to look straight into Zhang Lie's ardent gaze.
Zhang Lie smiled. "China has an ancient proverb: a day without seeing each other is like being apart for three autumns. It's been too long, hasn't it?"
Li Qianlin freed her hands from Zhang Lie's grip and turned around. "Is this how you pick up innocent girls?"
"Why would I do so?"
"Don't you have lots of beauties around you? Aren't you enjoying being around Sun Mengmeng?"
"What's this about Sun Mengmeng?"
"If not Sun Mengmeng, then how about Hong Xi, or Yun Bing? There are so many beautiful women around you that I don't know how to feel. As an alien princess, I might feel fresh and exciting to you—but how about after that freshness has passed?"
Zhang Lie whirled Li Qianlin around and faced her seriously, directly. "The only thing I'd like to steal with my words is your heart."
The two of them looked at each other, gradually growing closer, just as a voice piped up from outside the door. "I can't see anything, nothing at all! Pretend I'm not here."
Zhang Lie turned around in rage. He was familiar with this voice, of course. "Damn it, Dong Mingxing! Don't you know how to read the mood?"
If you wanted us to pretend you weren't here, you shouldn't have made any noise! Not only were you peeping at us from outside, you even interrupted us at the most critical moment...
Dong Mingxing snapped back, "I was going to welcome you after seeing your dragon! What sort of attitude is this?"
Zhang Lie found Li Zongming in the audience chamber. Li Zongming sipped his tea and turned to him. "How was your chat with Qianlin?"
Zhang Lie's face was as dark as charcoal. "Don't mention it. I'm sure you saw how it went as the king of the realm, didn't you?"
Li Zongming laughed as he handed him a cup of tea. "Don't be angry. Have some tea and calm down. I can't imagine Dong Mingxing harbors any ill will."
Zhang Lie snatched the tea over and downed it in a single gulp. "You knew she was there, and you didn' stop her!"
Seeing Zhang Lie drink the highest-quality tea as though it were water, Li Zongming winced. "I shouldn't meddle in the affairs of the young."
"Considering how much I do for you, can't you do this much for me?"
Li Zongming had a pained expression on his face as he replied, "Surely you don't expect me to guard the door for you? As the king of the realm, I'd hope I could keep a little dignity..."
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