Chapter 313: The Dust Settles

Chapter 313: The Dust SettlesTo be frank, Zhang Lie was quite disappointed by the outcome of the match. How could the head of the Tianji Council himself have fallen to one technique—and one that affected him indirectly, if that?

Zhang Lie simply didn't have a good grasp of his strength relative to the other hunters of the realm. After all, obtaining peak gene fragments in the first realm had been an impossibly fortuitous encounter, and disaster gene fragments even more so.

What Zhang Lie had achieved was impossible to match without foreknowledge, and even Zhang Lie himself had been surprised that he had accomplished so much.

"Council Head Wang, listen up—don't try to extend your authority more than you already have. Clearly, you're not powerful enough to do more than this!" Zhang Lie lectured.

"You..." Wang Yanyi was about to retort, but the combination of the increased gravity and his roiling emotions proved too much for his battered body to bear. He spat out a mouthful of blood, then fell unconscious.

Zhang Lie reined in his genetic energy and glanced at him in disdain. "How could you have fainted just like that? I haven't even attacked you directly yet!"

The spectators didn't dare to imagine what a direct hit from Zhang Lie would feel like. The team leaders of the special forces found their backs drenched in sweat, unbelievably grateful that they hadn't provoked Zhang Lie too much. Otherwise...

In fact, Wang Yanyi felt much the same way. Although he had been beaten and shamed by Zhang Lie, his predominant emotion at the moment was fear, not anger. Only those who faced Zhang Lie for themselves would understand just how frightening he was as an enemy.

Wang Yanyi was very glad that, although he had unleashed killing intent toward Zhang Lie, because of Xiao Zhengyang's presence, he had only tried to defeat, rather than kill, his opponent. Otherwise, Zhang Lie might very well have struck him a lethal blow in return.

Was this really a newcomer to the second realm? Zhang Lie was stronger than any of the sura that Wang Yanyi had faced!

Even if he were to work together with Xiao Zhengyang, he didn't think they would be able to harm Zhang Lie at all. After having felt Zhang Lie's genetic energy for himself, he understood very well just how large the gulf between them was.

Yes, Zhang Lie was arrogant and prideful, but he had the strength to back it up, so Wang Yanyi had chosen to faint in order to not lose even more face in front of the spectators.

Wang Yanyi's inspired fainting brought an end to the demonstration, and the hunters of the Tianji Council scurried off with their head in tow.

After that, the governor and the special forces troops all looked at Zhang Lie as though he were a god.

"Governor Xiao, I apologize for causing so much trouble on my first day," Zhang Lie murmured with a sigh.

"It's no problem, no problem at all! They were the ones who started it, anyway. And with this performance, I doubt you'll have any trouble in the city any longer." Xiao Zhengyang's eyes shone as he looked at Zhang Lie, as though he were some massive treasure that he had unearthed.

Zhang Lie sighed again. "Please, don't mention it. I still have to process the gene fragments that I just absorbed today to increase my sensitivity and control. If I had done so, I'm sure I'd have been able to keep Wang Yanyi conscious for a little while longer."

Despite vanquishing Wang Yanyi in one blow, Zhang Lie was still complaining about his lack of finesse… Given the strength Zhang Lie had demonstrated, he was surely at the level of a lord-class hunter, beyond the governors of the human cities themselves.

Xiao Zhengyang didn't dare to rebut him. "Well, it's alright. It isn't as if he'll leave Qi, so feel free to challenge him the next time you see him."

"Forget it—he can't even take a single blow from me! Give me some time to adapt to my newfound strength. When I'm ready, I'll challenge you instead!"

Xiao Zhengyang was very adept at plaguing his enemies, but he seemed to have made a mistake this time around. Upon hearing Zhang Lie's words, Xiao Zhengyang felt his legs turn to jelly, and he barely avoided slumping to the ground. No, thank you, he wanted to live a few more years! He might be a little stronger than Wang Yanyi, but only barely. If Wang Yanyi had lost to Zhang Lie so easily, he wouldn't fare much better.

"Haha, perhaps if I'm free!" With so many people gathered here, it would be embarrassing to refuse Zhang Lie's request outright. Instead, Xiao Zhengyang decided that, the moment he returned to his manor, he would enter secluded cultivation until Zhang Lie left for the third realm...

The confrontation between the special forces and the Tianji Council seemed to be over, but there would surely be ramifications for Zhang Lie's actions that extended well into the future. Indeed, by the time Zhang Lie returned to his rooms, he found a missive from the governor's manor. Because of Zhang Lie's "honorable actions defending the authority of the special forces", he was promoted to senior advisor for the governor.

In other words, Governor Xiao would reach out to him if he encountered a dilemma that he wasn't sure how to resolve. It was a behind-the-scenes position that wouldn't bring Zhang Lie much fame, but he would have definite authority in Qi. Sᴇaʀᴄh the Nʘvᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

In fact, if it were possible, Xiao Zhengyang would have promoted him even further, but what he had done was already extreme enough. It was, after all, still Zhang Lie's first day in Qi.