Chapter 1255: Onward Forevermore
Zhang Lie asked, "Would you like to continue?"
Zhang Hanxiang let her arms hang limply by her side. "No, I won't continue. As expected, I can't beat you, Brother."
The happiest spectator was none other than Zhu. Hong Xi and Zhang Hanxiang's trials, unlike those of the members of Team Zenith, hadn't destroyed any of the barriers she had erected. Hong Xi had only cracked them a little, while Zhang Hanxiang lowered the temperature of the pocket dimension below freezing.
Zhang Lie stepped forward and rubbed his sister's head.
"You've improved tremendously."
Zhang Hanxiang asked, "Brother, aren't you supposed to be asking me what I intuited from battle?"
Zhang Lie shook his head. "There's no need."
Zhang Hanxiang was taken aback. "Are you looking down on me, Brother?"
Zhang Lie shook his head. "You're mistaken. It's just that all of you have grown tremendously compared to when you were in the second realm, and there are no obvious deficiencies for me to correct. I'm only being nitpicky in hopes that you'll all continuously strive to improve on your current fundamentals."
Zhang Hanxiang seemed very surprised. "Does that mean I'm already really strong, then?"
Zhang Lie pinched his sister's cheeks.
"The others might not have major issues, but you'll have to work harder, I'm afraid. Your techniques need more effort—you can't just uniformly focus on chill and frost. My water-attuned genetic energy is able to take on different elemental forms with practice, and as a water-attuned hunter yourself, you should be able to do better."
Zhang Hanxiang pursed her lips. "I'll work hard on it later, then."
By then, Zhu had dispelled the barriers between the pocket dimension and the rest of the third realm. Li Zongming, the scaleman king, and the draconian sage all rushed over.
"What happened, ruler of the realm?"
Zhang Lie answered for Zhu. "There's nothing to worry about—I was just sparring with a few members of Team Zenith, and it looks like we caused a bigger commotion than intended."
Li Zongming, the scaleman king, and the draconian sage all sighed in relief.
The draconian sage muttered, "The skies turned gold and then suddenly darkened. We were all wondering what had happened—but it's just you guys again!"
Li Zongming patted his chest. "I was very worried that we had somehow encountered another crisis."
Li Zongming, the scaleman king, and the draconian sage were all a little spooked considering the massive crises that had just overwhelmed them.
Since encountering Zhang Lie, it felt like they hadn't known a moment's peace.
The draconian sage grumbled, "Zhang Lie, you and the members of Team Zenith know your limits, don't you? If you're careless, you might even destroy this new unified world!"
Li Zongming warned, "The unified world has just been formed, and it's still rather fragile, all things considered. All of you have the potential to break it, especially you, Zhang Lie."
Zhang Lie waved a hand. "I've finished testing all the members of Team Zenith, so this won't happen again. Right, how are matters coming along with all of you? Have you come up with plans for governance?"
The scaleman king replied, "We intend to establish kingdoms on the newly unified world."
The draconian sage added, "In relation to what you have on Earth, these kingdoms are the equivalent of your countries."
Li Zongming continued, "And as you've suggested, we'll establish an overarching committee for the unified world and jointly govern it."
Zhang Lie learned from the three of them that, after many days of discussions, they had decided to form a high council in the unified world.
Below the council would be four primary kingdoms.
Each kingdom would be able to govern itself, in a manner not unlike the individual superior worlds. Issues that concerned multiple kingdoms could be advanced to the high council for deliberation, and the high council also had the authority to oversee each kingdom.
The scaleman king stepped forward. "Master, my kingdom is known as the Lie Kingdom, and I'll be the king of Lie thereafter. The founding ceremony is in two days, and I'd like to extend you an invitation. Please come, Master." [1]
The draconian sage added, "My kingdom will be known as the Dragon Kingdom, and the draconians would also like to invite you and the members of Team Zenith to be present for our founding ceremony."
Li Zongming said, "And my kingdom will be the Zongming kingdom. All of you shall be honored guests."
Zhang Lie nodded. "We'll attend them all."
Sun Mengmeng asked, "Where's Yun Bing?"
The hunters of the Milky Way also intended to establish a coalition in the unified world, to build their own kingdom. Yun Bing came highly recommended by the members of Team Zenith to be the kingdom's representative.
No hunter dared object. They knew that Zhang Lie was backing the members of Team Zenith, and their own strength was emblematic of the power of genetic hunters. The Zenith Dojo had become the strongest organization among the hunters of the third realm.
If you included Zhang Lie and the members of Team Zenith, it would undoubtedly be the strongest organization—without any qualification.
The draconian sage explained, "Yun Bing intends on establishing a government working together with other forces from the Milky Way."
Li Zongming added, "If I remember correctly, she intends to name it the Zenith Alliance."
Sun Mengmeng sounded rather surprised. "Yun Bing even managed to get the other forces of the Milky Way on board?"
Zhang Lie seemed somewhat surprised. "I thought that the Zenith Dojo would have a kingdom of its own, as would the other forces of the Milky Way, but they've chosen to work together? I really have to figure out how Yun Bing achieved such a feat..."
Li Zongming urged, "Zhang Lie, you have to be present at my founding ceremony! If you don't attend, I won't let my daughter meet you anymore."
"Of course I will."
Li Zongming continued, "Furthermore, our high council needs a council head. We discussed the matter among ourselves, and we believe you're the most suitable candidate."
The draconian sage took over. "The only reason this unified world could form was because of your efforts, and you were the one who identified the crisis and resolved it. We believe you to be the most suitable candidate for the role."
A council head, just like Hong Tianqi? Zhang Lie thought over the offer seriously for a few moments before ultimately shaking his head and declining. "It's not for me, I think."
The scaleman king urged, "Won't you reconsider, Master? It would be difficult for any of us to take on this responsibility effectively, but you're different. Who would dare stand up against you in the third realm?"
Zhang Lie replied, "I won't be able to remain in the third realm for long. I'll have to leave sooner or later."
Li Zongming sighed. "Must you really?"
The scaleman king also seemed upset to see him go. "You won't reconsider, Master?"
Li Zongming asked, "This is an empire that you forged with your own hands. Are you just going to leave it be?"
"My goal isn't to become the ruler of a realm."
If Zhang Lie wanted to do so, he could have achieved that feat in the second realm. Zhang Lie knew very well that this supposed authority was all a facade—that if he really wanted to control his own fate, he would need personal strength.
"You must truly be ambitious, if even the unified world of the third realm is too little for you,"
Li Zongming sighed, out of either regret, worry, or both.
The draconian sage nodded. "You've never stopped moving forward, but I can't say whether that's good or bad."
"All genetic hunters are this way."
"But your footsteps move forward faster than anyone else's."
1. This is Lie as in Zhang Lie. ☜
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