<h4>Chapter 1288: Disciples'' Growth</h4>


    Zhang Lie had no choice but to tread lightly, to treat the world like a fragile object that could easily be destroyed. Zhu helped teleport him to the members of Team Zenith.


    The members of Team Zenith had all gathered. Zhang Lie cocked his head curiously as he smiled at them. "You''re all present?"


    Sun Mengmeng mirrored his smile. "We were wondering what sort of mess you created this time, Captain."


    "What sort of mess could I create?"


    "The entire world heard and witnessed themotion you caused."


    Zhang Lie didn''t deny it any longer. "I''ve finished preparations for my ascension, so I''m here to say farewell to all of you."


    Sun Mengmeng cried out, "You''re about to ascend, Captain?"


    Yang Ze asked, "This quickly?"


    "I''ve stayed in the third realm for too long, and it can''t amodate my strength any longer." Zhang Lie waved an arm casually, causing space to shatter in the vicinity.


    The crowd of hunters could sense just how much strength was contained within a casual wave of his arm, and their faces turned pale.


    It would take them all their strength to defend against even such a casual wave—and they might not even seed.


    Zhang Lie asked, "Where are Jun Jiuxiao and Ye Xianchen?"


    "They''re outside," Sun Mengmeng replied.


    Zhang Lie headed outside to see Jun Jiuxiao and Ye Xianchen being trained by Fang Yi.


    Heunched his spear, crackling with wind and lightning, with incredible force. It sent wind howling and lightning shing through the sky. With his spear, he invoked chaotic energy in the form of lightning and raging wind.


    Fang Yi attacked the two hunters with Chaos. Against his relentless attacks, Jun Jiuxiao and Ye Xianchen were barely able to keep up their defense. Fang Yi thundered, "What''s the matter? Is this all you''ve got?"


    Jun Jiuxiao and Ye Xianchen were repeatedly forced back.


    Fang Yi shouted, "Zhang Lie''s attacks will be far more forceful! If you can''t even handle my attacks, how will you handle his? Again!"


    "[Tiger''s Howl, Dragon''s Bellow]!"


    Fang Yi''s spear took on the aspect of a dragon of the winds and a storm tiger as he charged forward.


    Wind and storm roared around him, and his spear resonated with his gic energy. The spear which the king of chaos had granted him demonstrated shocking strength, infusing chaotic energy into the mix.


    This was only meant to be training, but Fang Yi didn''t seem to be holding back.


    "[Heaven-Splitting de]!"


    Wind and storm wrapped around Jun Jiuxiao, condensing on his de. The silvery-white de glowed resplendently as it tore apart the heavens.


    "[Nightmarish Strike]!"


    Ye Xianchen gripped her daggers tightly. As though a demon were descending on the realm, ck gic energy poured from her and manifested in the form of a fierce demonic head. Just as she was about to sh at the bug with her daggers,


    The ck and white lights twined together in the air, corkscrewing and shing against Fang Yi''s [Tiger''s Howl, Dragon''s Bellow]. To Fang Yi''s surprise, their defense held firm against his attack.


    Zhang Lie pped loudly. "Excellent. It seems as though you''ve both grown significantly over this period of time."


    Compared to their appearances a few months ago, Jun Jiuxiao had grown somewhat thinner, while a dark aura surrounded Ye Xianchen.


    Zhang Lie eyed them both. "You''ve maxed out your monarch gene fragments, haven''t you?"


    Jun Jiuxiao and Ye Xianchen nodded.


    "Thanks to your farm, Master, we maxed out our monarch gene fragmentsst month."


    Zhang Lie replied, "I had nned to give you both more time to grow, but I have to ascend soon. Come, let''s spar."


    Jun Jiuxiao smiled wryly. "We''d better not, Master. We know just how strong you are now, and you could beat us even more handily than before."


    Zhang Lie snorted. "As though that weren''t already the case! Sun Mengmeng and the others can''t beat me, either."


    The members of Team Zenith refused to meet Zhang Lie''s gaze.


    Zhang Lie turned to Zhu.


    With a wave of her hand, everyone was transported to a familiar location—where Zhang Lie had once tested the members of Team Zenith, as well as where Zhang Lie had absorbed Potion #5.


    "Jun Jiuxiao, Ye Xianchen, choose one of you to start off."


    Jun Jiuxiao and Ye Xianchen were resigned to their fate. Jun Jiuxiao stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Master, please advise me."


    Zhu warned Zhang Lie as she set up barriers, "Please make sure you don''t use your full strength."


    "Don''t worry."


    Zhu warned again, "Don''t even use a tenth of your strength, or the unified world you worked so hard to help construct will be ruined by your own hands!"


    The members of Team Zenith cheered Zhang Lie''s two disciples on. "Come on, you can do it! Make sure to give our captain a shock!"


    "[Heaven-Splitting de]!"


    Wind and storm wrapped around Jun Jiuxiao, condensing on his de. The silvery-white de tore apart the heavens.


    Zhang Lie reached out and pinched the tip of his de between his fingers. "Is this it?"


    Jun Jiuxiao kicked at Zhang Lie''s abdomen, but before the kick could connect, Zhang Lie had lifted Jun Jiuxiao higher into the air through the de that he still held pinched between his fingers.


    Jun Jiuxiao immediately gave up on the sword and retreated as he pulled out a new sword from his extradimensional storage.


    "Here, back at you!"


    Zhang Lie sent Jun Jiuxiao''s sword flying back at him and pierced through his wrist.


    Without any hesitation, Jun Jiuxiao retrieved yet another sword from his extradimensional storage. Zhang Lie snapped his fingers, causing space to shatter. The force of the snap caused a tornado to spawn in the air.


    "[Wind''s Spirit]!"


    Wind and storm wrapped around Jun Jiuxiao, forming a barrier against the waves of energy that Zhang Lie''s snap had caused.


    It blocked the bulk of the energy as Jun Jiuxiao prepared andunched another sword technique.


    However, Zhang Lie''s body seemed to be guarded by a formless barrier. Jun Jiuxiao''s sword found itself deflected by a mysterious energy, a barrier he was unable to cut through.


    Suddenly, he stepped back, then infused a technique into his de until it was crackling with wind and lightning, charging it up with incredible prating ability.


    As he thrust forward, it sent wind howling and lightning shing through the sky, leaving a dozen afterimages in its wake surrounding Zhang Lie''s body.


    "Not bad, not bad!" Zhang Lie smiled and nodded, but he hadn''t even moved.


    The sh of metal filled the arena. Jun Jiuxiao swung his sword again and again, but it stubbornly refused to make contact.


    The disparity in strength between them caused Jun Jiuxiao to despair, but he had no intention of giving up.


    "[Dragontiger de]!" Jun Jiuxiao''s sword took on the aspect of a dragon of the winds and a storm tiger as he charged forward.


    Wind and storm roared around him, resonating with his gic energy.


    Zhang Lie grinned. "Isn''t this Fang Yi''s [Tiger''s Howl, Dragon''s Bellow]?"


    Fang Yi, spectating from a distance, shouted, "Well, Captain? I taught him this attack. It''s passable, isn''t it?"


    Because of the simrity in their frameworks, Jun Jiuxiao had specifically sought out Fang Yi for additional training and to learn his techniques.


    "Interesting." Zhang Lie struck casually, but his attack had somehow outstripped Jun Jiuxiao''s.