Chapter 1292: A Time for Farewells
Zhang Lie told the members of Team Zenith, "It's time for me to leave."
Sun Mengmeng sighed. "Must you leave, Captain?"
Yang Ze placed both hands behind his head. "Don't make it sound like you won't see each other again! We can ascend to the fourth realm right now as well."
Zhang Lie shook his head. "You'd better not. Although you do possess sufficient monarch gene fragments to ensure your survival in the fourth realm, your own strength is a bit lacking, and you should grow stronger now if you want to be able to develop rapidly there. You've never stopped fighting since ascending to the third realm, so take advantage of the birth of this new world to rest a little and digest the combat experience you've accumulated to date.
The members of Team Zenith nodded.
Zhang Lie continued, "Furthermore, it'll be necessary to maintain law and order in this new world. I'd recommend staying here and waiting for a few months, perhaps even half a year, before ascending."
Sun Mengmeng began, "All of us will see you again eventually, so there's nothing we're too concerned about, but some of us will never be able to ascend to a higher realm."
Zhu nodded. "You must be speaking of Li Qianlin, Mengmeng."
Zhang Lie's body shook, and he sighed. "I'm not fated to be with her. It does leave me with regrets, but..."
But he had already made up for tearing his heart out in his past life, and what remaining regrets he had meant little in comparison.
"I won't be leaving immediately, after all. I'll be talking with Hong Tianqi first, then returning to bid farewell to all those who have impacted me in the third realm.
Zhu helped teleport Zhang Lie back to the humans' settlement in the draconian kingdom, where the teleporter out of the dimensional world was located.
Zhang Lie warned, "Zhu, I'll be leaving the third realm for some time."
"Got it." Zhu waved a hand as Zhang Lie stepped into the teleporter and returned to the Milky Way.
It had been a long time since his last return.
He immediately called Hong Tianqi with his transceiver. As usual, his secretary picked up. Zhang Lie had a bath and waited for a bit before Hong Tianqi returned the call.
"Long time no see."
"Haha, it might have been a long while for you, but it was just three days over here. However, from the perspective of the Milky way, I suppose ridiculous changes have occurred in the third realm—the formation of a new unified world, a kingdom for hunters from the Milky Way, and the construction of a high council for the third realm. I've been having nonstop meetings for three days just because of what's been happening."
Zhang Lie nodded.
Hong Tianqi continued, "You really are impressive, to shock me over and over again, as though you have no limits whatsoever. I never caught the attention of the ruling upper class of the third realm. I thought it was impressive enough that you managed to obtain so much information about the superior worlds of antiquity—but you even destroyed them outright, too!
"I thought that that was astounding enough, but you even rebuilt the third realm and unified the countless worlds within, then constructed a high council to rule over it..."
Zhang Lie waved a hand. "That's quite enough praise. I've heard too much of the like, and I'd prefer not to hear more."
Hong Tianqi continued, "I've received a report about the high council of the third realm, and there's not much I need to ask you about there. Well done. You've created an opportunity and established important status and precedent for the Milky Way hunters."
The current head of the high council was Yun Bing of Earth, from the Milky Way.
Hong Tianqi looked at Zhang Lie earnestly. "To be frank, you've done far more to help humanity in the dimensional world than I, the highest authority, have. I really must thank you."
Zhang Lie was as blunt as ever. "I don't need any thanks. Is there anything else? Otherwise, I'll cut the call."
Hong Tianqi shouted, "Hold on! Is it that hard for you to entertain a conversation with me?"
"If there's nothing else, let's stop here."
Hong Tianqi finally cut to the chase. His tone was serious as he asked, "I heard you're ascending to the fourth realm?"
"I've stayed in the third realm for too long, and the third realm can't withstand my current level of strength."
Hong Tianqi asked, "Do you know what the fourth realm is like?"
Zhang Lie nodded. "More or less."
"To the hunters of the Milky Way, the fourth realm is even more of a mess than the third realm. The third realm might have been divided into three thousand worlds, but there are plenty of different races inhabiting those worlds, and we snuck through the cracks, before you and your Team Zenith arrived in the third realm. Considering how decentralized power in the third realm was, we even managed to acquire some status of our own—but in the fourth realm, all that's left to us are the cracks."
There was a huge disparity in strength between the inhabitants of the third realm and of the fourth.
Hong Tianqi took a deep breath. "There are far too many strong aliens in the fourth realm, and even the genetic lifeforms aren't to be trifled with. The disaster-grade lifeforms that were so rare in the second and third realms are plentiful and commonplace in the fourth, and there are even existences beyond disaster-grade. To date, none within the Milky Way have killed those existences."
Monarch-grade lifeforms!
It was clear that monarch-grade lifeforms didn't have to be specially cultivated in the fourth realm, just like disaster-grade lifeforms in the third realm. They might still be rare, but not so rare as to be non-existent.
Hong Tianqi continued, "The most frightening aspect of the fourth realm are the hordes of genetic lifeforms and various alien organizations that have taken root. Even all the hunters of the Milky Way working together wouldn't be able to defeat one such horde or organization; the hunters of the Milky Way are pitifully weak by fourth-realm standards.
Despite the fact that the dimensional world had existed for decades, there were only a rare few hunters who could ascend to the fourth realm—fewer than ten from on a single planet on average.
Furthermore, if a hunter were to ascend without having maxed gene fragments, that hunter would be far weaker in the new realm; even those hunters with maxed gene fragments would have a period of weakness.
Hong Tianqi thanked Zhang Lie again. "Without your limit-breaking potions, the hunters of the fourth realm wouldn't have any breathing room whatsoever."
This was no exaggeration. The Milky Way hunters were doing particularly poorly in the fourth realm, and their strongholds were quickly torn down after being established.
Hong Tianqi continued, "As someone who has once ascended to the fourth realm, let me give you some advice, or perhaps experience: be cautious and circumspect."
Zhang Lie couldn't help laughing. "Are you sure that's your experience talking, and not just a warning?"
Hong Tianqi replied seriously, "Don't laugh—treat this seriously, please. I wouldn't joke about something like this; it's experience accumulated from countless experienced hunters' wisdom. After you advance, don't try to max out your gene fragments immediately. Remain cautious at all costs—survival is the most important."
Zhang Lie couldn't help but wonder, "It looks like you were whacked pretty hard in the fourth realm, almost to the point of psychological trauma."
Hong Tianqi retorted, "You might be able to laugh about it now, but once you ascend to the fourth realm, you'll understand how easy you had it during the first three realms! The fourth realm is on hell difficulty—that's when the true nightmare begins."
How many geniuses had fallen after ascending to the fourth realm? They had continued flaunting themselves the way they did in the first three realms, thinking that they were the apex of strength—only to be crushed into nothing more than meat paste.
Hong Tianqi urged, "You're my most favored junior, and I'd like to see you remain alive in the future."
This was why Zhang Lie had never intended on bringing Li Qianlin into the fourth realm.
The fourth realm was far too cruel, and survival wouldn't be easy. Even with Zhang Lie's current strength, he wasn't confident he would be able to sweep through the fourth realm with abandon.
Hong Tianqi sighed. Such was the curse of the blessed; they had built up their own mythos and were unwilling to listen to reason.
"Now that you're about to ascend to the fourth realm, I can share relevant information about it with you."
Information about the fourth realm had been semi-classified among the Milky Way, a decision made by the united world federation in order to avoid a new generation of hunters fearing what they would have to encounter and choosing to remain in a lower realm instead. When hunters from the third realm were about to ascend, there would be senior hunters to contact and share information with them.
Zhang Lie had learned about this in his past life.
Hong Tianqi began reading off the information packet. "The fourth realm contains many teleportation apparatuses, all of which have been left behind when we Milky Way hunters fled. Some are located where old Milky Way strongholds used to be, but they were destroyed by one alien organization or another. The two strongest such organizations are the Eternal Sun and the Ancient Gods' Abode. If you see members of either organization, run away immediately."
"I understand!"
Generally, most hunters who heard this information were very shocked and immediately asked why. Hong Tianqi had done so himself back then, but Zhang Lie seemed completely unperturbed.
Hong Tianqi mistook Zhang Lie's insouciance as arrogance.
He warned, "I'm not trying to scare you. Most fourth-realm races are strongly xenophobic, and they believe that us intruders, us foreigners, are all invaders hoping to take over their world and constrict their living space. Of course, even more fourth-realm aliens and organizations view us as fresh food, especially the two top organizations of the fourth realm."
They were strong enough to treat anything in the fourth realm as food, and they thought of Milky Way hunters as particular delicacies.
"I'll transmit information about these two organizations to you shortly. Make sure to commit it to memory. However, at least for the short term, I don't think you'll have to worry. Apparently, an extremely strong organization has just sprung up in the fourth realm, and it grew so rapidly that it's now able to compete with the two strongest organizations for strength."
Zhang Lie hadn't heard this piece of news in his past life.
Back then, the death spirits' war hadn't yet started, and Zhang Lie was still struggling to make it through the third realm.
Hong Tianqi smiled. "The two strongest organizations of the fourth realm are currently fretting and trying to think up of ways to deal with this unwelcome intruder, so it's the best time for you to ascend. As long as you're not too unlucky and end up in a safe location, you won't have to worry about your life."
Zhang Lie replied, "If there's nothing else, let's end the call here. I still have to say goodbye to friends and family in the third realm."
Hong Tianqi reiterated, "Remember not to make a commotion in the fourth realm."
"I know, I know." Zhang Lie hung up. By then, Hong Tianqi had already sent the relevant information packets to him. He glanced through them in a cursory fashion; the information was essentially what he knew from his past life. He had a meal, then returned to the third realm.
The moment he did so, Zhu rushed over to him.
Zhu shouted, "Bad news, bad news, Zhang Lie!"
Zhang Lie frowned. "What's the bad news?"
Zhu tugged on Zhang Lie's hand. "There's no time to explain. Come with me!"
Zhu was about to teleport them both away when Zhang Lie shattered space and stopped her. "Just what has happened? Tell me everything first."
Zhu cried out, "It's not the time for this, Zhang Lie! If we delay any longer, someone might die—the third realm might be destroyed!"
Zhang Lie cocked his head. "If you don't explain clearly what's going on, how can I resolve the issue?"
Zhu was panicking. "You'll know when you see it, Zhang Lie!"
Zhang Lie replied, "I'm very curious just what it is that could have happened in two days that you, the ruler of the realm, can't resolve. Even if you can't do so, can't the members of Team Zenith help you?"
Zhu asked, "Zhang Lie, are you sure you want to know?"
"Tell me. Just what sort of problem can't you resolve?"
"Li Qianlin and Sun Mengmeng have started to fight."
Zhang Lie: ...
"...do you at least have a more believable lie?"
Zhang Lie responded, after a stunned silence.
He wasn't looking down on Li Qianlin; rather, Sun Mengmeng was at the peak of the third realm, and even Li Qianlin and her father together might not be able to take Sun Mengmeng down.
Perhaps only the three former superior kings, in addition to Zhu, would be a match for Sun Mengmeng.
If Li Qianlin and Sun Mengmeng really were to start fighting, the members of Team Zenith would stop them.
Zhu was clearly lying.
"I'm telling the truth! If you don't believe me, go have a look!"
"Very well. I'll pretend to be tricked by you, but if this ends up being something silly..."
Even though he knew that Zhu was very clearly lying, there was the slightest possibility he could be wrong, and he couldn't negate that possibility.
Zhu teleported them to the venue immediately.
Fireworks and streamers rang out as Zhu and Zhang Lie appeared.
When Zhang Lie saw what lay before him, he was stunned.
[Savior of the Realm's Farewell Ceremony—Zhang Lie, we'll forever remember you!] read a banner hanging in the sky. A humongous circular table below was heaped with a feast, and those who had been with Zhang Lie throughout the third realm were each shooting streamers into the air.
The members of Team Zenith, Sun Mengmeng, Yang Ze, Li Feng, Fang Yi, Sun Xiaowu, Zhou Ying, as well as Hong Xi, Zhang Hanxiang, Ye Xianchen, Jun Jiuxiao, Li Zongming, the draconian sage, the Lie king, his brother, Dong Mingxing, Yun Bing, Chu Feng, and the Yeluo chieftain—familiar faces were smiling at Zhang Lie, welcoming his arrival.
Zhang Lie stood still in a daze, then slowly turned to Zhu.
"This is your so-called 'fight'?"
Zhu smiled happily. "It's a farewell party for you. Aren't you happy?"
"You brat, you've started lying to me! Those members of Team Zenith have corrupted you, haven't they?"
Zhang Lie reached out and mussed up Zhu's sea-blue hair.
She shrieked as she tried to run away and hid behind Sun Mengmeng's back.
"Zhang Lie, aren't you happy?"
Sun Mengmeng smiled. "We didn't organize anything when you ascended to the third realm, so we wanted to do something for you now before you ascended to the fourth realm."
"For genetic hunters, ascension is a natural rite," Zhang Lie replied, sighing. He sounded exasperated, but his lips curled up in a smile.
Zhu protested, "But we're not all genetic hunters here! There are lots of us who won't be able to see you again, likely for good!"
Yun Bing explained, "This isn't just a farewell party for you, Zhang Lie."
Zhang Lie pointed at the banner in mid-air. "So that's fake? I hope you won't be tearing my name off afterwards..."
Yun Bing laughed. "No, no, Zhang Lie, you misunderstand. It's also a celebratory banquet in honor of you."
Sun Xiaowu laughed. "We've all learned so much from you, Zhang Lie, Captain! We know you prefer to keep a low profile, so we've only invited those who are near and dear to you."
Zhu stepped forward. "Without you, Zhang Lie, I could never have become who I am today."
The members of Team Zenith likewise bowed in gratitude. "It's all thanks to you that we can be who we are, that we could have advanced so quickly in the third realm, to grow to become the peak existences that we are today."
Sun Mengmeng, Yang Ze, Li Feng, Fang Yi, Sun Xiaowu, Zhou Ying, as well as Hong Xi, Zhang Hanxiang, Ye Xianchen, and Jun Jiuxiao, all said heartfelt words toward Zhang Lie.
Li Zongming said, "Without your having come to the world of the west, the Zongming world could never have been founded, and I would never have been able to fulfill the wishes left by my ancestors. Neither would I have managed to acquire the status I have now. I have you to thank for all this."
The draconian sage said, "Everyone else has already said what I want to say..."
"I'm the person who's most grateful to Master here! Without Master, I would already have died multiple times over. Please, Master, accept my kowtow." The Lie king knelt on the ground and knocked his forehead against the ground three resounding times.
Zhang Lie sighed as he helped the Lie king up.
"Wipe away your tears, now. You're already the king of the Lie kingdom, one of the four great kingdoms of the new world, and a council leader in the high council—no longer that weak ninth prince you once were. Don't cry anymore, alright? Otherwise, others will look down on you."
The Lie king wiped away his tears. "Please don't mind my disrespect, Master. I won't be able to remain by your side in the future."
Zhang Lie rolled his eyes. "As though you were frequently by my side beforehand!"
"I apologize, Master."
The Lie king seemed to return to his original self as the ninth prince.
"Alright, alright. I don't mean to criticize you. I was around for you when it was necessary, but now that you're alone, you'll have to learn how to stay strong. I've been examining your growth from afar, and you've grown to a tremendous extent. Your transformation from the ninth prince to the Lie king is the fastest among my disciples."
"It's all thanks to you, Master."
"All I did was help you a little; I barely taught you anything," Zhang Lie replied. "Do you know why I was willing to help you in the beginning?"
"For the primordial starflower, wasn't it?"
Zhang Lie smiled. "With my strength, do you think I wouldn't have been able to get the primordial starflower myself?"
The Lie king shook his head. "Of course not, Master! You'd be able to get anything you wanted."
Zhu nodded fervently, her eyes full of reverence. "Of course! There are plenty of primordial starflowers in the unified world, and I harvested a mountainful when you guys were researching Potion #5."
Zhang Lie smiled and corrected the two of them.
"Actually, at that time, I did do it for the primordial starflower."
Zhu frowned. "Ah, you're embarrassing me, Zhang Lie!"
Zhang Lie patted the Lie king's shoulder.
"I did help you at the beginning for the primordial starflower, but the fact that I chose to took you in as a disciple was because your actions moved me. As weak as you were, you had dreams far beyond your reach. Any other person might think your actions foolish, but your will was resolute. You reminded me of myself, so I chose to help you."
The Lie king couldn't help but feel touched once again.
Zhang Lie continued, "Make sure to govern your kingdom well. You're a king now."
Yun Bing bowed. "As a representative of the hunters of the Milky way, I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart, Zhang Lie. Without you, the Milky Way hunters would never have the status they do now, and neither would we have the Zenith Alliance of the third realm. This will have deep and significant ramifications for future generations of Milky Way hunters."
"And you must govern your kingdom well too, Yun Bing."
The draconian sage clapped his hands. "Now that everyone's done, let's start the feast! I've worked hard on the food, so don't let it go cold."
Everyone noticed that Zhang Lie was looking all around, as though searching for someone. Dong Mingxing leaned over.
"What, are you searching for someone?"
Zhang Lie didn't know how to answer at the spur of the moment.
Dong Mingxing continued, "If you miss her, you should go find her. She's still in the draconian kingdom, waiting for you."
Zhang Lie was about to step away when he aborted his actions, then shook his head in exasperation.
Li Zongming looked over. "You two young adults... I don't know what to tell you."
Zhang Lie seemed surprised. "You don't blame me?"
Li Zongming laughed coldly. "Don't think you're all that. You don't know how happy I am to have the fellow trying to kidnap my daughter leave. Do you really think I'll be happy to have you call me father-in-law? I'm glad my daughter will stay with me rather than abscond with a lad I don't know anything about."
Dong Mingxing sighed. "Like father, like daughter!"
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