Zhang Lie: an emperor-grade lifeform
Techniques: Rippling Walk (pinnacle), Three-Wave Crescendo (pinnacle), Calm Waters (pinnacle), Fists of the Silent Sea (pinnacle), The Boundless Blade (pinnacle), Eclipse (pinnacle), Syzygy (pinnacle), Ninesoul Dragonblade (pinnacle), Blade of the Heavens (pinnacle)
Genes: Basic, 160; Mutated, 150; Superior, 150; Peak, 150; Disaster, 30; Monarch, 0; Emperor, 0
Soulshards: White Grub (superior), Blood Ant (superior), Potbellied Toad (mutated), Eternalspring Cocoon (superior), Dragonwolf (superior), Moonlight Wyrm (peak), Golden Roc (peak), Dragonwhale (disaster), Mistmeld Clam (disaster)
Within moments, Zhang Lie had obtained ten disaster gene fragments.
The orb spoke once more. "Congratulations on accomplishing the third trial. You may receive a reward. What sort of reward would you like?"
"I can choose?"
"Of course."
"Anything I want?"
"The trial-taker's chamber will attempt to fulfill it to the best of its ability."
Zhang Lie thought for a moment. "One of my friends was originally a lifeform from the third realm. Using a soulshard, I was able to bring her into the fourth realm, but owing to the natural law of the fourth realm, she can't leave the soulshard. I'd like to know what methods there are to bring her out in such a manner that she won't be instantly obliterated."
The orb replied, "She simply needs to transition into a lifeform from the fourth realm."
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"How?"
"Do you wish to choose a metamorphosis potion as your reward?
"A metamorphosis potion?"
"A potion allowing lifeforms from lower realms to metamorphosize into those from higher realms. You can understand it as a transition from a third-realm lifeform to a fourth-realm lifeform. After consuming the potion, not only will the lifeform be freed from the natural laws of the fourth realm, its potential, strength, and talent will all be greatly augmented. Such a potion is only effective on lifeforms from the dimensional world."
Zhang Lie's eyes widened. "That's an amazing potion! Is there a corresponding recipe?"
"Distribution of the recipe by the system is forbidden."
"What a pity."
"The reward will be provided when you leave the trial-taker's chamber."
In other words, before finishing all the trials, no prizes would be granted.
To think that the treasure the map had been pointing toward was the trial-taker's chamber itself… Zhang Lie was even more curious about the purpose and existence of the chamber now.
"Start the fourth trial."
"The system is identifying an appropriate trial for you. Match successful!"
As another pillar of light shone down on him, Zhang Lie was transported to another small world.
Unlike the three thousand worlds of the third realm, the independent worlds of the trial-taker's chamber were somehow more solid, more resistant to damage.
This time, Zhang Lie's opponent was a six-headed giant dragon.
Each of the six heads had differently colored eyes. They sprayed out flames of different elements, respectively fire, lightning, wind, ice, light, and darkness. Each head seemed to be an independent disaster-grade lifeform; in other words, it was as though Zhang Lie had to face six disaster-grade lifeforms at once.
"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Soar]!"
Pale blue genetic energy rippled about Zhang Lie's arms. He flicked his wrists, causing a frightening aura to descend on the world. The sky began to darken, and a fish the size of a whale materialized in the air.
A howling gale swept over the hall. As more and more genetic energy gathered around Zhang Lie's arms, it looked as though he were at the heart of a whirlpool.
A huge wave soared into the air. As Zhang Lie punched forward, the fish slammed its huge tail on the ground and sent a torrent of water surging.
Ripples of energy spread out from Zhang Lie, warping the space around him. The towering waves looked like enraged black dragons, flooding the world. It resisted even the sixfold breath attacks.
A huge rumble shook the heavens, and the entire world 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. Pale blue tides raged through the air like a storm, clashing against fire, lightning, wind, ice, light, and darkness.
"[The Boundless Blade: Yawning Wave]!"
Water-attuned genetic energy encircled Zhang Lie's finger as he unleashed devastating sword energy.
Waterfalls of energy fell from the skies as the six-headed dragon was handily suppressed. With thirty disaster gene fragments, Zhang Lie was at the point where he couldn't be threatened by disaster-grade lifeforms.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmA raging blue shark surfed over the waves and bit down on one of the dragon's necks.
"[Ninecarp Transformation]!"
A black serpent materialized behind Zhang Lie, by now so large and so developed that it resembled the world-swallowing serpent Jormungandr. It let out a threatening hiss as its scales clicked together.
As pitch-black energy spread all around them, the six-headed dragon struggled and spasmed. The corrosive energy slowly broke down the dragon's scales. Amidst the clouds of genetic energy, Zhang Lie struck, causing one of the dragon's heads to explode with a kick.
The dragon's head broke open in a flurry of crystal shards. Zhang Lie saw a bright red core at the center of the explosion.
[You successfully killed a disaster-grade inferno dragon. By consuming the core of the disaster-grade inferno dragon, you may receive one to ten disaster gene fragments.]
Was it really that simple? Even Zhang Lie was shocked.
The remaining five heads, enraged, counterattacked simultaneously. Even after losing one of its disaster-grade cores, the dragon didn't die. In fact, it seemed to grow berserk.
Arctic ice, crackling lightning, a hurricane's wind, and divine light and darkness—five different elemental energies merged together in a combined attack from the five heads.
"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Fade]!"
As Zhang Lie punched forward, the black serpent behind him shot forth and burst through the attack.
Even though the five heads were working together, Zhang Lie was agile and easily able to dodge their attacks by causing them to block or hinder each other.
The five heads merged their elemental breaths into an incredible hurricane of energy that scoured heaven and earth.
Seeing the combined elemental attack, Zhang Lie couldn't help but think of Fang Yi, though the five-headed dragon's elemental energies were far weaker in terms of technique, strength, and quality. The final attack, then, would be equally inferior.
Fang Yi's skill could penetrate through even the core of a planet.