Chapter 1290: Manifold Ghosts  

Zhang Lie held up two fingers. "As for the second problem, your sword frequently slips out of your grip. This is a direct result of your trying to adapt a spear technique for the sword—your grip will suffer. Have you considered the fact that your weapon is your lifeline in an actual battle? You would have died twice over by now."

Jun Jiuxiao weakly hung his head after hearing Zhang Lie's criticisms.

He replied seriously, "Master, I'll keep your advice in mind. I won't make the same mistake a second time."

"I believe you can do it." Zhang Lie patted Jun Jiuxiao on the shoulder. "Go back and keep training after thinking about what I said. Ye Xianchen, it's your turn."

Ye Xianchen marched forward as the members of Team Zenith cheered behind her. "You can do it!"

Ye Xianchen pumped her fist in the air in response. Jun Jiuxiao patted Ye Xianchen on the shoulder as he left. "I wasn't able to surprise our master—I'll have to count on you."

Ye Xianchen's hands morphed into claws, and pitch-black genetic energy surrounded them like smoke.

"I'm coming, Master!"

"Come."

Pitch-black genetic energy burst forth from Ye Xianchen like smoke.

"[Darkbane Claws]!"

Black smoke surrounded Ye Xianchen, covering up the arena. Black claws spawned from the smoke, but Zhang Lie dispersed the smoke with a casual wave of his arm. By the time he had done so, Ye Xianchen had vanished from sight.

Zhang Lie wasn't surprised. He punched to his back casually, shattering space and sending Ye Xianchen flying.

Ye Xianchen murmured, "To think my [Nightwalker] was seen through so easily..." Zhang Lie rolled his eyes. "You're still quite a bit weaker than Yang Ze, who taught you about spatial manipulation.

Yang Ze, watching from the distance, called out, "Ye Xianchen, don't be discouraged! You're quite skilled—it's just that Zhang Lie's ridiculously strong!"

"[Nightmarish Strike]!"

Ye Xianchen gripped her daggers tightly. As though a demon were descending on the realm, black genetic energy poured from her and manifested in the form of a fierce demonic head.

Zhang Lie stretched out two fingers and easily pinched the demonic blade between them. Pitch-black genetic energy gathered by Ye Xianchen's feet, morphing into black wind and lightning, as she launched a flurry of kicks.

However, none of the attacks managed to land. Zhang Lie smiled in delight. "Excellent! I just taught Sun Xiaowu and the others this concept, and they've yet to learn it, but you're already getting quite skilled with transforming the nature of your genetic energy. This is [Stormwind Kick], isn't it? You just don't quite have a perfect grasp of the technique yet."

"[Night Parade: Hundredfold Echo]!"

A large number of ghosts suddenly emerged from Ye Xianchen's body, all formed of pitch-black genetic energy. Zhang Lie waved his fingers, dispersing all the ghosts and sending Ye Xianchen flying back.

Ye Xianchen barely managed to stabilize her body as the ghosts all landed atop her. Her eyes turned ink-black as ghastly winds surrounded her, almost as though she were being possessed.

Pitch-black ghosts crawled over her skin. She howled like a banshee, and a demonic shadow appeared behind her.

Right then and there, Ye Xianchen seemed to have transformed into a creature straight out of a nightmare.

She slashed forward, a dark cut filled with ghostly cries.

Zhang Lie rubbed at his lower jaw. "Interesting. This is Sun Xiaowu's Adamantine Aegis, isn't it? Rather than attempting to transform your genetic energy into elemental gold, you've worked hard on capturing the essence of the technique instead."

The sword energy roiled like black waves as the ghosts pounced toward Zhang Lie.

Ripples of energy spread out from Zhang Lie, warping the space around him. The towering waves looked like enraged black dragons, flooding the arena.

The explosion shattered space and sent waves of force rippling all around it. Like a rampaging beast, it devoured everything nearby, shattering space and swallowing up all life in its vicinity. Ye Xianchen was sent flying into the distance, the ghastly figures surrounding her disintegrating away.

The members of Team Zenith each erected their own defenses. They glanced at each other in shock, knowing that Zhang Lie hadn't used any technique whatsoever—it was simply an explosion of genetic energy from his body. Such an unrefined maneuver already possessed more strength than their full-power blows, as though Zhang Lie walking quickly could traverse a greater distance than if they were to drive.

Zhu sulked. "Zhang Lie, didn't you say you would rein it in?"

Zhang Lie scratched his head as he laughed with embarrassment. "Sorry, I couldn't control my strength."

Ye Xianchen was shocked by the sudden explosion of genetic energy, so much so that she had almost frozen up in fear.

Zhang Lie said, "Ye Xianchen, you've surprised me tremendously, even more so than Jun Jiuxiao. In that final attack, I saw traces of Sun Xiaowu's [Adamantine Aegis], along with my [The Boundless Blade: the River Lethe]. I haven't had time to advise you lately, so the fact that you've managed to emulate my technique to such an extent must be due to Li Feng."

Only Li Feng had performed a deep analysis and study into his techniques and tactics.

Li Feng seemed rather embarrassed. "Captain, your techniques are all very strong. I saw that Ye Xianchen and you shared a lot of points in common, so I advised her to use you as a reference. You don't mind, do you?"

Zhang Lie laughed. "Why would I? As long as you can all grow stronger, I wouldn't mind if you replicated all my techniques."

Ye Xianchen manifested her black sword in her hands once again. Zhang Lie asked, "Are you aware of your problems?"

Ye Xianchen shook her head. "Let's continue, please. I've learned a lot from everyone, and I'd like to get some pointers from you as well, Master."

"Very well."

Ye Xianchen converted pitch-black genetic energy into the energy of wind and storm.

"[Heaven's Judgment]!"

As she infused it into her sword, the combination of wind and lightning generated a frightening force that seemed to be able to penetrate space.

Zhang Lie kicked Ye Xianchen into the air.

"Being able to transform genetic energy at will, and to dual elements simultaneously, means that you're at the level of a genius, but your application of these techniques is still lacking."

Ye Xianchen dematerialized the sword, then transformed the resulting pitch-black genetic energy into countless dragons of black smoke that shot toward Zhang Lie, each the image of a ghostly dragon.

"Well done! You've mastered Li Feng's [Light Dragon's Remnants] to a considerable extent. What do you call this technique?" Zhang Lie praised. With a wave of his left arm, he shattered the dragons.

Ye Xianchen replied, "[Darkbane Dragon's Remnants]." magic

As she spoke, she snapped her fingers. Arrows of black smoke lit up in midair and shot toward Zhang Lie, transforming into blackflame arrows that exploded in front of him.