magicChapter 1304: Hidden True Form  

Lin Lingfeng could see a flurry of bloody claws tracing a path forward. Where it passed through, the genetic lifeforms all around would fall. It was a blood-colored dragonwolf, and Lin Lingfeng was hard-pressed to believe that this was a genetic hunter—not because the dragonwolf wasn't humanoid, but rather because it was simply too strong.

There were countless non-humanoid races among the hunters of the Milky Way, some even stranger than most genetic lifeforms themselves. However, the dragonwolf was unreasonably, unbelievably strong. It took the lifeforms down as if it were a farmer tilling his field, as though they were made of papier mache.

Zhang Lie headed straight toward the bulk of the lifeforms up ahead, the blade Guicang in his hand.

As he slashed forward, the lifeforms fell like cut wheat.

The genetic hunters were terrified by the sight. "What in the world...?"

Blades of light were sweeping across the field and sending huge swathes of lifeforms to their death.

This was no ordinary stampede, but rather one composed mainly of superior- and peak-grade lifeforms.

[You successfully killed a superior-grade inkrune tiger. By consuming the flesh of the superior-grade inkrune tiger, you may receive one to ten superior gene fragments.]

[You successfully killed a superior-grade blackscale leopard. By consuming the flesh of the superior-grade blackscale leopard, you may receive one to ten superior gene fragments.]

[You successfully killed a superior-grade madhowl lion. By consuming the flesh of the superior-grade madhowl lion, you may receive one to ten superior gene fragments.]

The announcements of the will of the fourth realm continuously rang out in Zhang Lie's head.

The lifeform in the lead, which had taken down an entire wall by itself, slowly looked back. It looked like a huge octopus, surrounded by electricity, but where its tentacles would have been were snake heads instead.

"[The Boundless Blade: Yawning Wave]!" Water-attuned genetic energy wrapped around Guicang. As Zhang Lie struck, the sword energy fell from the heavens like a waterfall.

The octopus sprayed out an electrified discharge that clashed against Zhang Lie's sword. The resulting explosion cut apart even more of the city walls.

The density of lifeforms in the vicinity meant that, as Zhang Lie took on the electrified octopus, he was slaughtering a huge group of lifeforms incidentally as well. The will of the fourth realm kept making announcements in his head.

[You successfully killed a superior-grade inkrune tiger. By consuming the flesh of the superior-grade inkrune tiger, you may receive one to ten superior gene fragments.]

[You successfully killed a superior-grade blackscale leopard. By consuming the flesh of the superior-grade blackscale leopard, you may receive one to ten superior gene fragments.]

[You successfully killed a superior-grade madhowl lion. By consuming the flesh of the superior-grade madhowl lion, you may receive one to ten superior gene fragments.]

To Zhang Lie's surprise, even though he hadn't put much strength into his probing blow, the octopus had managed to deflect it completely.

"It must be beyond an ordinary peak-grade lifeform, but it doesn't seem to be disaster-grade just yet."

Zhang Lie's experience allowed him to ascertain the nature of the genetic lifeform very quickly.

"[The Boundless Blade: the River Lethe]!"

He raised the blade in his hand high into the air, encircled by black genetic energy. The temperature of the air dropped to sub-zero values, and a strong wind buffeted all combatants present. Blood-colored frost appeared around them all.

An underworld river materialized in the air. As though the doors to hell had just been thrown open, tens of thousands of serpents rushed out in a flood.

The octopus's eight snake heads all sprayed out lightning, which crackled around it like an electrified web.

The lightning continuously destroyed Zhang Lie's black serpents, but the serpents could reform quickly and near-endlessly from the remnants of Zhang Lie's genetic energy.

Suddenly, eight pillars of lightning emerged from underground.

Moving rapidly, Zhang Lie avoided their sneak attack, leaving bloody afterimages behind him. "[The Boundless Blade: the River Lethe]!"

Pitch-black energy immediately spread outward and suppressed the exploding smoke.

An ocean of genetic energy swallowed up the sky. The genetic hunters all looked up as the skies turned dark.

Waves surged forward, sounding like peals of thunder, like stampeding hooves. The surface of the sea frothed with angry waves, like dragons emerging with the tide. The entire sea roiled, and lightning crackled amidst the void. Countless serpents swam across the raging sea as lightning flashed ominously overhead, a scene right out of an apocalypse.

As Zhang Lie struck, an underworld river hurtled into existence, roaring into the sea. The sword energy roiled like black waves.

The sea had morphed into a boundless battlefield. The sea breeze was as a horn to action, and the serpents, thousands of courageous soldiers heeding its call.

The netherworld sea covered up the lightning and swallowed the octopus.

Countless black serpents tore at the octopus's body, black genetic energy corroding away flesh and blood. The octopus released another field of lightning as a protective barrier, but there were so many serpents that it was losing the fight bit by bit.

The ground shook and burst apart in an explosion of lightning—not from aboveground, but from below. Crackling strikes shot straight at Zhang Lie.

"[The Boundless Blade: Dragon's Wrath]!"

Zhang Lie thrust forward with Guicang, summoning a blood dragon and tearing apart lightning and the space in front of him.

A dragon's roar shook the sky as the pitch-black genetic energy turned blood-red. The underworld sea roiled, forming a gigantic blood dragon, its jaws wide open and its claws poised to swipe. The lightning storm was sucked into the midst of Zhang Lie's attack.

The blood dragon tore apart the ground and lacerated the octopus's prone body.

The genetic hunters within the city watched on in shock. The lifeform that all of them working together had been unable to counter, Zhang Lie was dealing with one on one. This couldn't be a genetic hunter!

Zhang Lie frowned. The will of the fourth realm had yet to make an announcement in his head, and it was clear that [The Boundless Blade: Dragon's Wrath] hadn't killed the octopus-like lifeform. Zhang Lie discovered the trick quickly; his gaze turned underground.

"[First Form: Parting the River]!"

Bright sword energy radiated from Zhang Lie like brilliant rays of sunlight, illuminating the entirety of the city.

A frightening force descended, energy rumbling and rippling around him. As Zhang Lie swung the blade in his hand, a huge slash of sword energy shot downward, splitting apart the ground and leaving a large furrow behind.

Deep underground was a core of energy formed of crackling lightning. Eight thick tentacles extended deep underground, buried like roots.

"As expected, its main body was underground..."