Chapter 1199: The Scaleman World
Li Zongming grew alarmed. Zhang Lie's attack was simply too strong.
A huge rumble shook the heavens, and the void quaked. As the waves burst apart, the air filled with echoes of Zhang Lie's signature genetic energy, shattering space and swallowing up all life in its vicinity.
Amidst the pale-blue storm of genetic energy, Li Zongming tried his best to remain standing, like a leaf being buffeted by the wind.
"Aaaaaahh——"!
Li Zongming howled, sending rainbow-colored flames flaring up all around him. The pale-blue currents were particularly ferocious. They caused his bones to crack and wounds to appear all over his body as Li Zongming continued to howl, as though purging himself of all his grievance, all his exasperation.
After the pale-blue storm swept him by, Li Zongming ended up drifting across the void on his back.
Zhang Lie asked, "Do you feel better?"
Li Zongming sighed. "As expected, the disparity between the two of us is too large."
To allow Li Zongming to expel all his grievances, Zhang Lie either had to put up a good fight against Li Zongming, give Li Zongming free rein to strike him, or quash him with overwhelming might.
Given that high-dimensional spaces were collapsing as they spoke, Zhang Lie didn't have the time to have a drawn-out fight against Li Zongming. He had no choice but to choose the third option, to use overwhelming might against him.
Li Zongming floated on the void, his soul seeming to have left him behind. He sighed. "Thank you."
Zhang Lie didn't respond. He allowed Li Zongming to continue floating as he returned to the Zongming world, where he met up with the members of Team Zenith again. Li Qianlin had followed behind the members of Team Zenith and had witnessed Zhang Lie's final blow. She grumbled, "Must you do that to Father?"
Zhang Lie spread his arms. "I made sure to cause only superficial injury."
Otherwise, Li Zongming would have been torn to shreds from Zhang Lie's technique.
"Don't worry. After the three thousand worlds combine, the aliens of the Zongming world will receive more land and more resources, and their lives will improve for the better." Zhang Lie turned around. "We need to head to the next world, now—the scaleman world."
Zhang Lie left almost immediately, giving Li Zongming the time and space he needed to prepare to give up his world. He and the members of Team Zenith headed to the scaleman world on the back of the multicolored disaster-grade dragon.
The scaleman world had developed in peace for quite some time, and it had grown significantly more advanced since Zhang Lie was last there.
The moment he entered the scaleman world, the scaleman king teleported before them. Zhang Lie stepped out of the palace on the disaster-grade dragon's back. The scaleman king cupped his hands, overjoyed, and asked, "Master, what brings you here?"
Zhang Lie replied, "I'm here on serious business."
"Has something happened?" the scaleman king asked.
"I intend to unify the three thousand worlds," Zhang Lie replied.
"Joyous tidings indeed." The scaleman king gestured. "Please come talk inside my palace."
Zhang Lie asked, "Do you understand that this means you'll have to give up rulership of the scaleman world?"
"Of course," the scaleman king replied.
Sun Xiaowu seemed taken aback. "You do?"
Yang Ze asked, "Why are you so calm about all this?"
Zhang Lie introduced, "These are my companions, who helped me fight the superior kings of antiquity."
The scaleman king greeted them warmly. "It's great to finally meet all of you. I learned of you from the Zongming king, and you all are true heroes. It's all thanks to you that the scaleman world could be preserved to the present day."
Sun Mengmeng asked, "Are you really willing to hand over the scaleman world just like that?"
The scaleman king nodded. "The scaleman world might as well have been the creation of my master alone. I'm sure that he'll give back more than he takes."
Li Qianlin relaxed. "You really are a good disciple..."
Zhang Lie raised his head proudly. "Quite so."
The scaleman king glanced at Li Qianlin with some shock. "Is this... your esteemed wife, Master?"
Li Qianlin flushed and lowered her head, but she didn't say no.
Sun Mengmeng snorted. "She's still far from being a wife."
Over the years, the scaleman king had grown up to become a wise and virtuous ruler. Glancing at Sun Mengmeng's aggrieved expression, the scaleman king smiled awkwardly and changed the topic.
"However, I do need to let my brother know about this."
The scaleman king invited Zhang Lie and the others into the palace. Shortly thereafter, the erstwhile crown prince rushed over and bowed to Zhang Lie.
"I greet the grandmaster."
Zhang Lie waved a hand. "No, none of that. Those who aren't in the know might even think me a retired emperor or the like."
The former crown prince's forehead beaded with sweat as he forced a smile. Zhang Lie's status within the scaleman world... might as well be that of a retired emperor.
He began, "I heard about the news from His Majesty. Is there no way around this?"
Zhang Lie sighed. "If there were, I wouldn't be in such a rush."
The prince continued, "Grandmaster, you've elevated this world to its current heights, but the scaleman dynasty has lasted for tens of thousands of years. To submit to your rule would be to end this dynasty with our own hands—how would we be able to face our ancestors in the underworld?"
Zhang Lie shook his head. "You have no choice. No lifeform in this realm has a choice any longer."
The prince frowned. "Not even for old times' sake?"
Zhang Lie sighed again. "I didn't make myself clear the first time because of your emperor's trust in me, but it seems that I should. If you refuse, I can leave the scaleman world alone... but it'll be destroyed forevermore."
The prince quailed. His legs trembled, and he fell kneeling to the floor.
Zhang Lie continued, "I'm not trying to scare or threaten you. It's an inevitability.
The prince gulped. "As for the Zongming king and the draconian sage..."
"They both agreed to this."
The prince was silent, not knowing how to respond.
It was clear that he didn't want to accept, but the scaleman king was leisurely sipping tea by the table, as though the matter was already beyond his consideration.
Inwardly, Zhang Lie was very glad that he had chosen to champion the ninth prince rather than the inflexible and small-minded crown prince.
Yang Ze laughed coldly. "Aren't you aware that it's precisely because of old times' sake that our captain's willing to chat with you like this? Otherwise, your world would have been destroyed long ago."
Sun Xiaowu continued, "We were the ones who destroyed the other superior worlds, those that have existed since antiquity. Don't you know what it means that we're all gathered here?"
Sun Mengmeng threatened, "Considering your acquaintance with our captain, don't force our hand."
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l