Chapter 1308: Mudman of the Swamp  

Zhang Lie propelled himself off the ground with a layer of black genetic energy. His feet didn't sink into the muddy swamp; even in the swamp, he was able to walk as though over flat land.

The fish that had gathered around him were particularly ugly. The moment he drew close, they swarmed him.

Pitch-black genetic energy surged forth from Zhang Lie like dark clouds, but the ugly fish actually seemed to resist its corrosion.

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

Zhang Lie punched forward, and the black serpent behind him shot forth through the swamp, leaving a deep furrow behind.

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

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

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

A number of the garbage collectors were sucked into the serpent's wake.

The ugly fishes' ability to resist the corrosive energy only went so far.

The serpent's appearance summoned a peak-grade garbage collector. Just like its superior-grade brethren, it was streamlined with small eyes and two protruding lips, each with two petal-like teeth on either side of both lips. Its gills resembled combs with a dense series of tines, and its body was black with white spots all over. It was disgusting to behold, and Zhang Lie didn't want to look at such an ugly peak-grade lifeform any longer.

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

As Zhang Lie punched forward, a black serpent roared in outrage and shot forward, Immerse Yourself in the Storyverse: N♡vεlB¡n.

launching it up and away from the swamp, then straight back down.

As the peak-grade garbage collector landed back in the swamp, it began sucking up the mud from all over, causing a whirlpool to arise over the swamp's surface. The garbage collector's belly swelled. The next moment, it shot out all the mud it had sucked up, spraying it all over. The black serpent tore apart the waterfall of mud, but failed to strike the garbage collector.

As the mud splashed all over, the peak-grade garbage collector shot out from within, heading straight for Zhang Lie like a sharp blade. A poisonous spike shot out of its tail fin. Zhang Lie clenched his fists tightly and launched a punch.

Mud sprayed from all over his feet. The peak-grade garbage collector was sent flying once more. The black serpent soared up from behind the fish and bit its tail as it rose into the air.

A wave of annihilation exploded around the dragon. Pitch-black energy swallowed up everything in the vicinity like a storm at sea. A black hole sucked up the swamp's mud. No peak-grade lifeform could survive such a devastating explosion, and the will of the realm's announcement rang out in Zhang Lie's head once more.

[You successfully killed a peak-grade garbage collector. By consuming the flesh of the peak-grade garbage collector, you may receive one to ten peak gene fragments.]

Zhang Lie raised his head and looked up at the black hole that had formed in the air. "It looks like I won't be able to consume it, will I?"

Zhang Lie wouldn't have wanted to eat such an ugly fish, at any rate.

The genetic hunters of Lin Lingfeng's city hadn't explored any of the areas beyond the swamp, but most of the scouts predicted that there would be at least two peak-grade lifeforms within, likely more.

Zhang Lie certainly hoped that more would be present; after all, the ones he had encountered weren't edible.

Just as he was about to delve deeper into the swamp, he suddenly stopped. Rather than step forward, he took one step back, then punched in a certain direction.

Black mud erupted dozens of feet into the air.

"Come out!" Zhang Lie called out.

A humanoid figure appeared from deep within the swamp.

"Killing my pet in my territory, and making such a big ruckus about it... it's the first time I've seen such an arrogant lifeform."

Zhang Lie frowned at the humanoid formed out of the swamp mud. "An alien?"

He was shocked that aliens lived within the swamp.

The mudman sneered. "Since you're here, you might as well stay. Have fun playing with my pets.

Five peak-grade lifeforms flew over.

They had the head of mosquitoes and the body of caterpillars. Bug wings to their back allowed them to fly at a surprisingly rapid rate.

The mud beneath Zhang Lie shook as nine black-skinned salamanders emerged, opening their maws wide toward Zhang Lie and sealing off his escape routes. The next moment, bloody light flared around Zhang Lie.

The unusual mosquito-bugs and black salamanders were quickly torn to shreds.

[You successfully killed a peak-grade caterpillar fly. By consuming the flesh of the peak-grade caterpillar fly, you may receive one to ten peak gene fragments.]

[You successfully killed a peak-grade swamp salamander. By consuming the flesh of the peak-grade swamp salamander, you may receive one to ten peak gene fragments.]

[You successfully killed a peak-grade caterpillar fly. By consuming the flesh of the peak-grade caterpillar fly, you may receive one to ten peak gene fragments.]

[You successfully killed a peak-grade swamp salamander. By consuming the flesh of the peak-grade swamp salamander, you may receive one to ten peak gene fragments.]

As Zhang Lie activated his blood ant and dragonwolf soulshards, he transformed into a dragonwolf with russet fur and limbs covered with dragons' scales. His aura became magnified as a hurricane of blood spawned around him.

The mudman clapped in applause. "Impressive, very impressive! I hadn't expected you to transform."

"There are many things I can do you wouldn't expect."

Thanks to the influence of Zhang Lie's blood ant and dragonwolf soulshards, his black genetic energy had turned a garish blood-red.

Genetic energy burst forth from Zhang Lie as though there were hundreds, thousands of dragons surging throughout his body. Each muscle formed a dragon.

"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Hundred Dragons Soaring]!"

A horde of dragons launched out of Zhang Lie's left arm as he expended half his genetic energy in one supercharged attack.

Howling with the force of thunder, the hundred dragons soared through the air.

They were fierce and domineering, and all hundred of them boasted the power of annihilation.

The mudman transformed the mud of the swamp into a storm that surged toward the hundred dragons.

As they exploded and released bursts of annihilation, the entire swamp became covered in a huge black storm.

[You successfully killed a peak-grade caterpillar fly. By consuming the flesh of the peak-grade caterpillar fly, you may receive one to ten peak gene fragments.]

[You successfully killed a peak-grade swamp salamander. By consuming the flesh of the peak-grade swamp salamander, you may receive one to ten peak gene fragments.]

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

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

The will of the fourth realm's announcements continuously rang out in Zhang Lie's head. Clearly, the storm had sucked in lifeforms from all over the swamp. Zhang Lie quickly stored the peak-grade swamp salamander's carcass in his extradimensional storage before it could be sucked up into the storm and destroyed.

As the energy of annihilation dissipated, it revealed a brand-new swamp, the topography of which had changed to such an extent that it didn't look like the old one at all. A huge hole had formed with Zhang Lie at its center, as though a nuclear warhead had been detonated on the site. Black mud fell from the skies and filled up the hole.magic