Ultragene Warlord

Chapter 322: False Identities

Zhang Hong called Zhang Lie back before he could escape and asked him two questions.

Zhang Lie thought for a moment, then replied, “I'll participate in the disciples' sending-off ceremony into the dimensional world, but it has to wait until I'm done with the lab.
There's no need for us to build more branches of the Zenith Dojo.
If there are too many applicants, then raise the bar—I want to value quality over quantity.”

“I understand!” Zhang Hong nodded firmly, and Zhang Lie hurried off.

He headed toward the lab, whereas Zhang Hong and Lin Xiu made for the training grounds by the disciples' rooms in order to search for Jun Jiuxiao and Ye Xianchen and discover just how they were related to the limit fragment research.

There, they found quite a few disciples practicing their techniques in earnest, barely noticing that Lin Xiu and Zhang Hong had entered their midst.

On the arena in the middle of the training ground, two slender youths were clashing against one another, one male and one female, each about thirteen or fourteen years of age. 

The male youth was dressed in white, his eyes fierce, a storm of genetic energy in his wake as he charged at his opponent with his fists.
The female youth was dressed in black, her eyes sharp, her hands transformed into claws wreathed with black flame as she dodged with grace.

“One last blow—[Heaven-Splitting Fist]!”

“[Darkbane Claws]!”

Black- and white-coloed genetic energy rippled out from the two youths as the spectating disciples watched on in shock and awe.
The floorboards of the arena began to crack. 

Even Zhang Hong and Lin Xiu were surprised by their display of strength. 

To be honest, they didn't know too much about Zhang Lie's apprentices—the dojo had only been responsible for their preliminary, foundational education; Zhang Lie and the members of Team Zenith had then worked with the duo personally for framework and technique selection, then independent tutoring afterwards.
They had created monsters.

It was then that the other disciples understood just what it meant to be one of the dojo leader's apprentices.

“Alright, Jiuxiao, Xianchen, it's time to stop! If you keep going, you'll wreck the entire arena!” Zhang Hong called out.
Her voice brought them back to reality.
They turned toward Zhang Hong, bowed, and leapt off the arena.

“Dojo Leader Zhang! Master Lin! What are the two of you doing here?”

It was true that Zhang Hong and Lin Xiu didn't play an important role in their cultivation and development as hunters, but they all got along quite well; in particular, a bubbly girl like Ye Xianchen was popular with just about everyone she met.

Only when she spoke did most of the disciples realize that Zhang Hong and Lin Xiu were in their midst.

“Dojo Leader Zhang!”

“Master Lin!”

Lin Xiu and Zhang Hong waved their hands and nodded at the excited disciples.

“Excellent work, everyone.
Please, continue your training,” Zhang Hong commented.
She turned to Zhang Lie's two apprentices.
“Jiuxiao, Xianchen, please come with me.”

“Yes, Dojo Leader!” 

Zhang Hong was the deputy dojo leader, beneath just Zhang Lie herself, and she had been accompanied by Lin Xiu.
Just what would warrant both of them coming for her and Jiuxiao together?

The four of them sat down within an unoccupied meditation chamber.
The moment they took their seats, Zhang Hong and Lin Xiu's faces turned dark, especially Lin Xiu's, and the atmosphere in the chamber grew tense.

“Explain yourselves.
Why have you snuck into the dojo hiding your identities? What are your objectives?” Lin Xiu shouted, his aura stunning the two of them into silence.

Jun Jiuxiao and Ye Xianchen blanched, as though they were being subject to something horrifying.
His face flushed, Jun Jiuxiao stuttered, “M-M-Master Lin, please hear us out, we never snuck into the dojo, and we never deliberately hid our identity! This is all a misunderstanding, so please listen to our explanation and don't chase us away!”

“Yes, Master Lin, Dojo Leader Zhang, Jiuxiao's right.
We can't be considered human, but we promise that we didn't enter the Zenith Dojo with malicious intent.

Please don't expel us from the dojo,” Ye Xianchen begged, following Jun Jiuxiao.

It was natural that the two apprentices would be worried; the dojo expressly barred disciples who intentionally hid their identity, and those who had joined for nefarious reasons.
Those who were found to have violated this rule would have their genetic core destroyed, then be kicked out of the dojo.

Lin Xiu and Zhang Hong glanced at each other, and Lin Xiu continued, “A misunderstanding? Explain yourselves.
What are your true identities and background? If you continue hiding anything from me…”

Lin Xiu was pretending to be angrier than he actually was in order to teach the two apprentices a lesson.
Although Zhang Lie was willing to let their deception slide, they had still broken one of the fundamental rules of the dojo, and it would hardly be acceptable for them to receive no punishment for what they had done, nor for the other disciples to feel as though they could likewise violate that rule.

“Yes, Master Lin!” The two apprentices knew that the truth would come out sooner or later; after all, as they continued to grow, their racial characteristics would quickly become unable to hide.

They calmed down and began their narration.
Jun Jiuxiao, still dressed in white, stood up.
Genetic energy flared around him as a pair of angelic wings sprouted from his back.