Ultragene Warlord

Chapter 1297: Lightbeetle Meat

The dimensional world was an ecosystem that had formed naturally, and there wouldn't be any easily exploitable loopholes.

In order to survive without penalty in the fourth realm, to be unaffected by its unwritten laws like Zhu in the third realm, Li Qianlin would have to reach the peak of the third realm, with at least equivalent strength to a superior king.

If she were weaker, perhaps only at the level of a king of a large world—or a disaster-grade lifeform—then she would slowly degrade and wither away due to the imposition of natural law. Furthermore, her cultivation would be blocked from progressing, so she would surely perish.

The king of chaos' subordinates, the members of the halls of chaos, were all at least at the level of superior kings, and some could easily have ascended on their own. They were naturally able to resist the influence of the fourth realm.

Furthermore, the king of chaos hadn't stowed any of his subordinates away. Rather, he and all his subordinates had forcibly broken past the boundaries of the third realm, inviting tribulation on them all. The rules of the dimensional world allowed such behavior but certainly not stowaways, and the entirety of the halls of chaos would be able to continue cultivating and ascending in the fourth realm.

If even disaster-grade lifeforms and kings of large worlds would be unable to survive the fourth realm, then Li Qianlin would suffer even more.

She was hardly defenseless; she had cultivated with Li Zongming for some time, but she knew she was untalented in this domain. She had chosen to give up early, and she had about the strength of the king of a small world.

For someone as weak as she was, entering the fourth realm would cause her to be crushed by natural law immediately.

Li Qianlin sighed. "In other words, I won't be able to survive here, or even go outside."

Zhang Lie looked down in a combination of guilt and shame. "If you're regretting your actions, I'll try my best to send you back home. The fourth realm's internal structure is significantly firmer than that of the third realm. You're aware of the king of chaos, aren't you? His ascension with the halls of chaos was what almost destroyed the third realm.

Li Qianlin nodded.

Zhang Lie continued, "However, this also meant that the king of chaos managed to create a route between the third and fourth realms. As long as we can find the king of chaos, we'll be able to find the dimensional crack between the realms, and I can send you back to the third realm in that manner."

Li Qianlin reached out for Zhang Lie's hand. "No, I won't go. It was difficult enough for me to remain by your side—as long as I can stay with you, I won't even mind being imprisoned."

Touched, Zhang Lie vowed, "I'll make sure to find a way for you to survive unscathed in the fourth realm proper."

Li Qianlin nodded. "I believe you."

She tugged on his hand.

"Come over, won't you? I just made some food, and it'd be far too boring to have it alone."

Zhang Lie ate a mouthful, a blissful smile on his face. "It's excellent. Right, I hunted a few weird lifeforms outside. Do you think you can make it more appetizing for me?"

"Let me have a look."

Zhang Lie returned outside the dragonwhale and glanced at the walls of the spacious cavern, which were filled with lightbeetles.

Because they were only regular-grade lifeforms, their numbers were frighteningly high.

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.

A howling gale swept over the cavern. As more and more genetic energy gathered around Zhang Lie's arms, it looked as though he were at the heart of a whirlpool.

"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Soar]!"

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 region.

A huge rumble shook the cavern, and the earth 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.

The will of the fourth realm repeatedly announced in his head, [You successfully killed a regular-grade lightbeetle. By consuming the flesh of the regular-grade lightbeetle, you may receive one to ten basic gene fragments.]

[You successfully killed a regular-grade lightbeetle. By consuming the flesh of the regular-grade lightbeetle, you may receive one to ten basic gene fragments.]

[You successfully killed a regular-grade lightbeetle. By consuming the flesh of the regular-grade lightbeetle, you may receive one to ten basic gene fragments.]

After his ascension, he had certainly grown stronger, but the imposition of the formless laws of the fourth realm did weaken him to some extent.

The pale blue genetic energy swept half the cavern clean of lightbeetles, filling the ground with their carcasses. Zhang Lie swept them up and brought it back within the soulspace. Li Qianlin peered at the mess he had brought back. "You've pulped them too much. Just what lifeforms are these?"

"Bugs—a species of regular-grade lifeforms known as lightbeetles."

Li Qianlin pursed her lips, but she brought the remnants of the lightbeetles to the kitchen and began preparing them as salad and skewers.

Zhang Lie didn't mind. He had eaten all manner of strange creatures from the first realm to the fourth, and it wasn't the first time he had consumed insects. The first time was the hardest, but after that, well...

[For consuming the flesh of a regular-grade lightbeetle, you received one basic gene fragment. Current total: 1]

As Zhang Lie ate the lightbeetle skewers, he gave Li Qianlin a thumbs up. "These are remarkably fragrant! I know bringing you up here with me was definitely the right choice.

Li Qianlin smiled. She was pleased to have been of use to Zhang Lie so early on.

[For consuming the flesh of a regular-grade lightbeetle, you received one basic gene fragment. Current total: 8]

[For consuming the flesh of a regular-grade lightbeetle, you received one basic gene fragment. Current total: 9]

[For consuming the flesh of a regular-grade lightbeetle, you received one basic gene fragment. Current total: 10]

Within moments, he had obtained ten basic gene fragments.

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, 10; Mutated, 0; Superior, 0; Peak, 0; Disaster, 0; 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)