Chapter 920: Post-Disaster-Grade
Zhang Lie rushed over, only to find natural law visibly manifesting around the point of impact of the lightning. Even the will of the third realm itself had shown up. Something seemed to be developing in the heart of the pillar of lightning.
Zhang Lie quickly found Zhu, who had appeared around the source of the disturbance, and asked, "What's going on?"
Zhu cried out in surprise, "Zhang Lie, you're back!"
Shortly after, the draconian sage also appeared beside Zhang Lie, as though he too had sensed something. "I felt the will of the world's energy being sucked up by something. Has a lifeform evolved?"
Zhang Lie asked, "Just what's going on? What's within that pillar of lightning?"
Zhu replied, "Following your instructions, Zhang Lie, I've been allowing the disaster-grade lifeforms to fight among and devour each other. After half a year, Red Comet formed a cocoon."
Zhang Lie's eyes lit up in excitement. "You mean, Red Comet's the one that's within that pillar of lightning right now?"
Zhu nodded.
"Has it succeeded in its evolution?"
Zhu shook her head. "I can't be certain. Fortunately, you returned in time to witness it yourself."
Zhang Lie looked into the heart of the pillar with growing excitement. This very day, he might be able to observe the evolution of the first post-disaster-grade lifeform in the third realm.
Zhang Lie was tremendously excited.
As the cocoon wrapped in lightning absorbed more and more of the will of the world's energy, an unparalleled existence seemed to be on the cusp of being birthed. The aura it was giving off made Zhu have to huff for breath, and even the draconian sage was sweating.
A crack appeared in the cocoon. A golden scythe, tinted scarlet, speared out from within. It tore the rest of the cocoon apart, releasing a burst of golden light, so intense it tore the thunderclouds—and the rest of the sky—apart.
The fragments of natural law that had condensed in the vicinity of the lifeform were crushed to a fine powder. The entire world quaked as a mantis of tremendous size appeared in Zhang Lie's view. Its red-gold body appeared to be metallic. Its wings whirred, and the rainbow-colored energy of the world reflected off its gleaming scythes.
Zhang Lie clenched his fists tightly. "It looks like my theories are right. Even disaster-grade lifeforms can keep evolving!"
The red-gold mantis gave off an aura that didn't belong to a disaster-grade lifeform. It was over a hundred times stronger—no, over ten thousand times stronger!
Zhang Lie watched the evolution with rapt attention. Too much of his future advancement revolved around the existence of such lifeforms. The existence of such lifeforms meant that there were corresponding genes for such lifeforms, and he and the members of Team Zenith could continue growing stronger and stronger.
The red-gold mantis noticed Zhang Lie and shot toward him in a beam of light, causing Zhu to become nervous. Zhang Lie was able to control the disaster-grade Red Comet, but could he still do the same after Red Comet evolved? What if Red Comet's first thought was to get rid of its erstwhile owner?
Zhu couldn't help but be wary, but Zhang Lie motioned for her to relax.
The red-gold mantis flew straight toward Zhang Lie, bowling him over with its momentum. Zhang Lie chuckled as he rubbed the mantis's sleek, metallic exterior. He slapped Red Comet's exterior a few times, trying to nudge it off its body, but Red Comet continued to nuzzle up to Zhang Lie.
The mistmeld clam soulshard was all but ineffective against Red Comet at this point, but Red Comet vividly remembered the memories it had shared with Zhang Lie.
Its evolution had come with a corresponding increase in intelligence, and it knew very well that all that it had could be attributed to Zhang Lie. Zhang Lie could have killed it in one strike while it was weak, but he had decided to bring it along as a companion, giving it all that it possessed now along the way.
Red Comet would hardly do anything so foolish as to betray its benefactor.
"Is this a sixth-level lifeform, then?" The draconian sage scrutinized Red Comet carefully. "Its aura alone compares favorably to mine—I might be weaker than it is."
Zhang Lie rolled his eyes. It would be rather rude to reveal the truth—that Red Comet was now far superior in strength to the draconian sage. Its constitution and strength was on the level of kings of the peak of large worlds, such as the draconian sage himself, but its speed was several times faster than the draconian sage.
Furthermore, its facility with space meant that it could compete on even terms with kings of superior worlds. Its scythes were so sharp that they could cut natural law itself—and break any physical defense any of its foes possessed. In principle, with good enough timing, it might even be able to kill a superior king in combat.
Of course, this was only theoretical. The nine extant superior kings were all ancient existences with their own trump cards and reservoirs of power. The only one Red Comet might be able to compete with was Li Zongming, newest and youngest of the superior kings.
Zhang Lie hmmed. "You shouldn't be called Red Comet any longer. Now that your exoskeleton has turned a shade of gold, let's call you Gold Comet instead."
Once Gold Comet grew familiar with its strength and the increased capabilities of its body, it would become a far stronger combatant—perhaps one that could truly compete with superior kings.
After all, it was the first post-disaster-grade existence in the third realm, as far as anyone knew.
After Gold Comet finished nuzzling Zhang Lie, it turned to Zhu. Clearly, it had developed quite some rapport with Zhu after spending half a year together with her.
The draconian sage sighed as he contemplated Zhang Lie. "Why is it that you're able to cause such disturbances no matter where you go?"
It seemed that, so long as Zhang Lie remained in the third realm, there was always a surprise or another waiting for him.
If he hadn't witnessed it for himself, the draconian sage would hardly believe that there could be a sixth-level lifeform in the third realm.
Zhu suggested, "Now that Gold Comet has evolved into a post-disaster-grade lifeform, is there a name for its current classification?"
Zhang Lie nodded. "We'll have to come up with something."
Just as disaster-grade lifeforms were stronger than peak-grade lifeforms, there needed to be a name for post-disaster-grade lifeforms that reflected their superiority over disaster-grade ones.
Zhang Lie considered, "Only gods can quell disasters, but a god-class lifeform sounds rather..."
In Zhang Lie's eyes, strong though a post-disaster-grade lifeform was, it could hardly consider itself a god. Superior kings of the realm weren't at that level, either, regardless of what they personally thought.
Certainly, even the ancient superior kings referred to themselves as kings, not gods—so calling Gold Comet a god-class lifeform would hardly be appropriate.
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