Ultragene Warlord

Chapter 337: Descendant of the Hong

Against the ferocious pack of superior-grade rhinodogs heading his way, Zhang Lie only smirked.

[Ninecarp Transformation: Fourth Form]! [Fists of the Silent Sea: Hundred Dragons Soaring]!

As the image of a dragonturtle appeared behind him, four runic tablets smashed into the ground, followed swiftly by the rhinodogs themselves.
Zhang Lie struck forward with his right fist, causing a torrent of black dragons to emerge from his palm.

The pack of rhinodogs was ravaged in an instant.

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

Hong Xi gaped at the man from where she hid in the cave.
Had he killed the whole pack, just like that? It took her a few moments to realize why the man before her seemed so familiar.
“You—aren't you Zhang Lie? Champion of the Void Cup, Zhang Lie?!”

Zhang Lie turned around with a smile.
“You recognize me?”

“Recognize? Is there a human that doesn't? You're the champion of the Void Cup, and I'm one of your top fans! I can't believe I'm meeting you in person here!” Hong Xi's eyes seemed to have transformed into a pair of twinkling stars.

Before she could continue talking, Zhang Lie stopped her. 

“We can't talk now—it's going to be dangerous to stay here much longer.” He salvaged the carcasses of the rhinodogs, packed up his food, then beckoned for Hong Xi to follow him.
They ran off to a mountain a few dozen kilometers away, where Zhang Lie repeated his cave-making technique and started another fire.

He retrieved the four roasted carcasses and began to consume them with gusto while Hong Xi prepared the carcasses of the rhinodogs for consumption.
This was a necessary skill for all genetic hunters, so even a young woman like her was adept at it.

Glancing at the bedraggled young woman who seemed oddly familiar, Zhang Lie asked,

“Can you explain your situation? How did a young woman like you come to be in such dire circumstances?”

Hong Xi hesitated.
“That, I, well, actually—”

“Enough.
Don't bother if you don't want to tell me—I only saved you because you seemed familiar somehow.
If you won't tell me anything, I'll just send you to the outer boundary of the forest tomorrow, where you can make your way back to Qi easily.”

Hong Xi's eyes dimmed for a moment before she made up her mind and asked, “Zhang Lie, do you know of the Eclipse Sage?”

Separated from her team, she hardly had the ability to survive, let alone search for hidden treasure.
Yes, hidden treasure—that was why she had appeared in the forest. 

Unfortunately, her team had underestimated how dangerous the forest would be.
Some of the hunters had died in an altercation, and she had been separated from the others.
If she hadn't found Zhang Lie, she would have perished.

She knew of Zhang Lie's strength, and she believed that he would be her only hope at getting to the treasure.
Thus, she couldn't let Zhang Lie ditch her now.

Zhang Lie scrutinized her.
“Are you a descendant of the Eclipse Sage?”

“Ah, yes—but how did you know?!”

Zhang Lie frowned.
“Do you come from the city of Tianhong on Mars?”

He remembered the Eclipse Sage's last words very clearly.
His first task for Zhang Lie was to destroy the Musi clan on Tarkus, and his second was to assist the remaining members of the Hong clan in Tianhong.

He had had Yang Ze investigate the situation, but he had been unable to find any trace of a Hong clan in Tianhong.
Many years prior, they had vanished without a trace due to the actions of the Musi clan.

Zhang Lie sent a few men to investigate the situation, but he had been too busy with everything else to follow up on this responsibility.
He did, however, identify some useful information about the Musi clan on Tarkus.
This clan ruled over Tarkus as a hegemon, and its clan head was a famous hunter of the third realm. 

Zhang Lie didn't feel that he was strong enough to take on the Musi clan as he was now, but he couldn't help being reminded of this affair after meeting a descendant of the Hong.
It looked as though it might be time to make plans to attack the Musi, after all.

Hong Xi shook her head.
“It's been a long time since my family lived in Tianhong.
After being targeted by our enemies, we had no choice but to hide our identities and head to the planet Tira instead.”

Zhang Lie's face turned severe.
“By your enemies, I assume you're referring to the Musi clan?  How's your clan been doing since then?”

Perhaps because she had identified some unusual emotion in Zhang Lie's tone, Hong Xi took a deep breath and began to tell him everything.
“My clan is in dire straits.
Of the main family, only my brother and I remain.
The Musi clan have been searching for us in order to claim the inheritance of the Eclipse Sage.
All we know, all that has been passed down from the elders of the clan, is that the sage left a treasury behind in the second realm.”

“And you intend on finding this treasury in order to resolve your clan's problems?”

Hong Xi nodded firmly.
“Yes.
We need to secure this inheritance, or I believe our clan will fall.
Zhang Lie, you're the champion of the Void Cup.
If you're willing to help me find the treasury, I'll give you everything inside but one item!”

Zhang Lie laughed.
“The manual for [Eclipse]?”

Hong Xi clenched her teeth and looked away.
As though she had just made a very big decision, she continued, “I'm willing to share [Eclipse] with you.”

The Musi clan was tightening its grip, and if the Hong clan couldn't obtain the Eclipse Sage's inheritance in time, both she and her brother would perish.

“But do you think that obtaining [Eclipse] will be sufficient? Do you think that it'll allow you to escape the clutches of the Musi? What if I intercede with the Musi on your behalf? I think they'll be willing to negotiate with me after my performance in the Void Cup,” Zhang Lie probed.

Hong Xi shook her head adamantly.
“No, the Musi clan would never agree.
As long as even a single member of the Hong lives on, the Musi will never let us go.”

“Good!” Zhang Lie nodded, satisfied.
“In that case, I'll help you out.”

“Really?” Hong Xi was hoping that that would be his response, but she still couldn't quite believe it.

“Of course—I would hardly stoop to lying to a young woman.
However, I do have a condition.”

“What condition? As long as I can satisfy it, I'll accept it!”

“Even if you'll have to give up your life?”

“Yes, but in that case, you have to promise to hand [Eclipse] to my brother.
What's the condition? I'm ready to hear it!”

“I'll let you know once we get to the treasury.”

Hong Xi drew close to Zhang Lie.
“In that case, let's set off immediately!”