Chapter 1306: Hunters' Base magic

[For consuming the flesh of a superior-grade inkrune tiger, you received one superior gene fragment. Current total: 1]

[For consuming the flesh of a superior-grade inkrune tiger, you received one superior gene fragment. Current total: 2]

[For consuming the flesh of a superior-grade madhowl lion, you received one superior gene fragment. Current total: 3]

[For consuming the flesh of a peak-grade black-armored rhinoceros, you received one peak gene fragment. Current total: 1]

[For consuming the flesh of a peak-grade armored sandstorm beetle, you received one peak gene fragment. Current total: 2]

[For consuming the flesh of a peak-grade lightning snake octopus, you received one peak gene fragment. Current total: 3]

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, 130; Superior, 100; Peak, 30; 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)

Thanks to the stampede consisting of lifeforms of ten different races, Zhang Lie had maxed out his basic gene fragments outright, at 160 points, and was only 20 away from maxing out his mutated gene fragments too. Meanwhile, he lacked 50 superior gene fragments and already possessed 30 peak gene fragments.

After a full meal, Zhang Lie smiled with delight.

Li Qianlin rolled her eyes. "You might be comfortable, but what about me?" Zhang Lie rubbed Li Qianlin's wrists tenderly, but she slapped away his palms. "Go help me clean up if you're so free!"

"Ah, sorry, I have things to do. See you later!" Zhang Lie escaped from the dragonwhale soulshard, leaving the sighing Li Qianlin behind.

There were many genetic hunters in the city waiting to offer their thanks. Zhang Lie nodded to them all, then returned to the Milky Way.

The teleportation apparatus of the fourth realm wouldn't send the hunters back to their own homes, but rather to a galaxywide base of hunters in the Milky Way.

The base was exceptionally crowded, and all manner of hunters were present there.

Communication among hunters was encouraged so as to facilitate sharing intel or updating maps. The best food and accommodation were offered as amenities, along with all sorts of services for the top hunters.

It was similar to a military base for specialized top-tier troops, but with even more freedom and upgraded amenities. In some sense, it was like a vacation resort for hunters.

However, hunters wouldn't be able to remain in the base indefinitely. After some time, the services and food would no longer be free, and the fee would continue increasing in order to avoid hunters spending too much time relaxing rather than training and fighting, to get so used to luxury as to be unable to get back into top condition back in the dimensional world.

Resting and relaxing was necessary, but overdoing it would be a problem.

The hunters present at the base were elites that had passed through the gauntlet of the first three realms, and they naturally weren't overly tempted by these amenities.

Those hunters who returned from the fourth realm would only spend brief periods of time in the base before returning once more.

Zhang Lie found a transceiver with which to contact Hong Tianqi.

As usual, his secretary picked up. After about ten minutes, Hong Tianqi called back. "Haha, I thought you'd vanish for a long time, but you're already back!"

Zhang Lie rolled his eyes. "You might think it's fast back here in the Milky Way, but a lot of things happened to me in the dimensional world.

"How do you feel about the fourth realm?" Hong Tianqi asked.

"How else? I encountered two beast stampedes, and the gathering point I spawned at was lost to one of them."

Hong Tianqi gaped. "What? You just ascended! How could you have come across two beast stampedes already? I don't know whether to call you lucky or unlucky." Unlucky, for having encountered two such stampedes; lucky, for having survived both.

"They're part and parcel of the fourth realm, I suppose. I just have to get used to them."

Hong Tianqi was speechless. "It's true that stampedes in the fourth realm are commonplace, but not to his extent."

"So I'm the exceptional one?"

"You've always been exceptional."

"If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now. I still have to register as a fourth-realm hunter."

Newly ascended fourth-realm hunters would have to register their new status with the hunter's guild, which was right in the base. Zhang Lie knew where it was, having gone there before in his past life.

Hong Tianqi replied, "I have a lot of things to do on my end, too. If you encounter any trouble in the base, find some humans. We do still have quite a few hunters in the fourth realm, though most haven't made a name for themselves. If you have extra time, check in on some older gathering points and update their status for me, won't you?"

"Very well. Please help me send word to Zhang Hanxiang and the others in the third realm—tell them that I've ascended and am safe and sound."

Both parties hung up. Zhang Lie went off to finish his registration, which involved filling out an electronic form and taking records of his fingerprints.

The process was automated and conducted entirely via AI, and it was rather straightforward. Just teleporting into the base from the fourth realm basically qualified you for everything.

After finishing the registration, Zhang Lie returned to the city to find that a new wave of lifeforms had approached. This time, it was only half the size of the former, and there were none above peak grade.

Even so, the hunters within the city were having a hard time dealing with them. Most of the stronger hunters had been injured in battle from the previous stampede, and this new one was clearly targeting weak spots left over from the previous one. Genetic lifeforms charged at those weak spots heedless of their lives, and the hunters had no choice but to take down each one as they approached.

Zhang Lie, sensing Lin Lingfeng in command atop the city walls, leapt right up to her side.

"Another beast stampede?" Zhang Lie asked.

Lin Lingfeng smiled wryly. "Two days wasn't enough time to fix the walls. When other lifeforms noticed the gap in our defenses, they rushed over."

In just two days, the city was suffering from another crisis that could overwhelm them.

"Do you need help?"

Lin Lingfeng smiled in delight. "Are you willing to help, Sir?"

"It would be difficult for me to use this teleportation apparatus if your city were destroyed. Recall your hunters."