Ultragene Warlord

dir= ”ltr ”>”That's why I'm only saying it once, Brother—thank you!” Her eyes glistened with tears as she beheld her brother anew.

Zhang Lie sighed.
“We'd better prepare a training regimen for you to get used to your legs.
In a few days' time, I think we'll even be able to take a walk together.”

“Yes, Brother!”

Over the next week, Zhang Lie spent whatever time he could spare with Zhang Hanxiang, helping her with all sorts of exercises and brewing tonics and potions for her, until she really was able to walk unaided.
At present, the two of them were slowly walking around the inner courtyard of the Zenith Dojo.

“Brother, how am I doing? It's all thanks to you!” Her legs were visibly trembling from the effort, and she still wasn't able to walk particularly quickly, but even that amount of recovery in the span of a week was nothing short of miraculous.

Zhang Lie smiled.
“You're doing very well, Hanxiang.”

She turned around to face him.
“In that case, Brother, do you think I'd be able to become a hunter, just like you?”

“Ah, well, there's no rush.
Once you've fully recovered, and once we've drilled some fundamentals into you, I'll certainly let you enter the dimensional world for yourself.”

For some reason, Zhang Hanxiang seemed to be particularly devoted to becoming a hunter after she learned that she would be able to walk again, but in truth, Zhang Lie didn't want to let her take such a risk.

The reason that Zhang Hanxiang wanted to enter the dimensional world as quickly as she could was to grow strong, strong enough to help her brother, but she had no clue how massive the difference in strength between her and her brother was.

Furthermore, as far as Zhang Lie was aware, now that the Void Cup was over, there was a disaster-grade lifeform slated to make an appearance in the first realm of the dimensional world, and it would be the most dangerous period for new hunters.

“Hanxiang, trust me when I say that now's not the time.
I promise you, I'll allow you to head in the moment I know it's safe, but before then, I expect you to listen to me.
Do you understand?”

Zhang Hanxiang sighed but nodded.
“I'll wait patiently, Brother.”

Zhang Lie didn't remember when exactly the incident had occurred, only that it had happened soon after the end of the Void Cup.
It was for that reason that, even after becoming the champion of the Void Cup, Zhang Lie still hadn't headed into the second realm. 

That disaster-grade lifeform was to be Zhang Lie's final target in the first realm.
It was a lifeform that had yet to be discovered to date.
As a disaster-grade lifeform, it was even stronger than the peak-grade moonlight wyrm that Zhang Lie had faced. 

In fact, the very designation of “disaster-grade” came from the fact that it had been a disaster for all the hunters of the first realm, none of whom were able to deal any damage to such a lifeform.
Only attacks imbued with spiritual energy of greater potency than those lifeforms possessed would even be able to damage them.

Zhang Lie hadn't mentioned the existence of a diaster-grade lifeform to the members of Team Zenith, because he knew that they still wouldn't be strong enough to handle such a foe.
Although he had slated the disaster-grade lifeform as his own target, he had no idea whether he would actually be able to do so.
If not for the fact that he knew that this disaster-grade lifeform would arrive in the first realm heavily wounded, he would hardly have dared to try.

The only reason Zhang Lie thought himself able to face such a creature was because it would be terribly wounded, and it would have its powers suppressed by the will of the world.
It was a significant risk, but also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one that Zhang Lie had no intention to give up.

If he really were able to take down the disaster-grade lifeform, then Zhang Lie's achievements and number of gene fragments as a first-realm hunter would be unparalleled by any hunter, past or future, to come.