Ultragene Warlord

Chapter 1570: You Set Us Up

Zhang Lie's physical body had grown multiple times stronger as well. The post-tournament Zhang Lie would have been able to defeat the pre-tournament Zhang Lie in just one punch.

Zhang Lie unlocked his apparatus. Outside, Bu Wentian had already prepared a feast for them all.

Bu Wentian stepped forward, his arms outstretched. "Congratulations! You've performed the greatest miracle since the inception of the Cup. None of you belonged to a supreme force, but you bagged the top seven spots in it!"

Zhang Lie drew Guicang and held it against Bu Wentian's neck.

"You set us up!"

Bu Wentian raised his hands in surprise. "Do you mean the fact that I didn't provide detailed information about the Cup?"

Zhang Lie narrowed his eyes. "What else?"

Bu Wentian shook his head. "I don't know anything else."

Zhang Lie frowned. "Why didn't you tell us about the details of the tournament proper? Don't tell us you don't know a thing—even ordinary competitors knew of the information, whereas we went in knowing nothing!"

Bu Wentian replied, "I wanted all of you to understand something about the universe."

"What is it?"

"That it's no simple place. It's filled with competition and cruelty, and I wanted all of you to experience it for yourselves. That's where you're headed, after all." "If you weren't aware of its true nature, you would surely suffer in the long run. I never expected that you would be able to win despite missing much of the background information. You're even more impressive than I dared to imagine, and you created a miracle the likes of which I could never have matched."

Zhang Lie frowned. "And is that it?"

Bu Wentian shrugged. "I've said my piece. Kill me if you want—I wouldn't blame you. But I'm just an avatar, you see. You wouldn't be hurting or threatening my main body by killing me."

"I need sufficient compensation."

Bu Wentian nodded. "Absolutely."

Zhang Lie sheathed his sword. "Are you familiar with the eighth Immortal King?"

Bu Wentian nodded. "The previous Immortal King, isn't he? Of course I know of him. He's an impressive figure, and I was shocked to see him in the tournament."

Zhang Lie was unable to fully trust Bu Wentian, whose background was unknown and who refused to give them any information about where he came from. He chose not to speak of his father.

"When will the prizes arrive?"

"The flower of universal life will take a few days to be prepared, and I'll have to collect it on your behalf. Don't try to do so yourself. The entire universe is searching for you. If you appear anywhere in the public eye, you'll cause unnecessary trouble."

Zhang Lie nodded in response.

He didn't have a means of heading toward the fifth realm regardless.

Bu Wentian retrieved a document. "This is an agreement that allows me to claim the prizes on your behalf. Sign it."

Zhang Lie scanned the document and confirmed that everything was in order before he did so.

Bu Wentian continued, "As for the soulshard I promised you, I'll hand it to you along with the flower of universal life."

"As for my companions?" Zhang Lie asked.

Bu Wentian replied, "They left the apparatus before you did, and likewise asked about the details of the tournament that I left out. After I provided them with the same information I gave you, they began to train to digest the benefits they obtained during the tournament."

With a wave of Bu Wentian's hand, several screens appeared before them. Zhang Lie could see that everyone was hard at work.

Fog gathered. The runes glowed brilliantly as the runes crashed into each other with tinkling noises, as though they were notes of some divine music.

Sun Xiaowu sat cross-legged as the runes hovered around him, smashing his bones. He bore with the intense pain as the runes granted him their golden light. The rumbling of thunder could be heard within his body as golden light bathed his limbs and bones, shrouding him in radiance.

The golden light was like a scorching flame. Despite the overwhelming temperature, Sun Xiaowu stood still and motionless as the golden runes branded themselves on his skin.

Sun Xiaowu's bones cracked. He shuddered in overwhelming pain as the golden runes seeped into his very bones.

His body sizzled and cracked as his bones were pulverized further. as blood seeped out of his skin, carrying trace impurities from his mind along with it.

He had managed to attune to the demonic seed in the virtual realm, but he would have to do so again in the physical one.

Fang Yi's silver ball was crackling with lightning. Light pierced through the heavens as his silver ball transformed into a silver sun, then turned golden-yellow. Pitch-black storm winds surrounded it, almost like an eggshell. Karmic power wrapped around it, flecked with divine aura, and even bits of chaos started to appear.

This was an astounding transformation.

Yang Ze's situation was much the same. Pale-blue genetic energy spread out from underneath his body like tendrils of water. Spatial ripples surrounded him. As time passed, the genetic energy beneath his body formed waves over which light refracted. Space seemed to fold into high-dimensional accordion-like layers.

Li Feng was surrounded with light and radiated a holy, divine aura. An arclight dragon spawned around him.

The three hunters were attuning to the insight over natural law that they had gleaned in the virtual realm.

Sun Mengmeng was undergoing a metamorphosis. Manifestations formed around her and condensed into the form of phoenixes, their wings outstretched.

Zhou Ying's body radiated with light as she too transformed. A giant tree manifested around her, shining and splendid, so large she was about to break the room she was in.

Bu Wentian frowned. With a wave of his hand, he teleported Zhou Ying into the trial chamber.

As he watched the members of Team Zenith cultivate and digest their gains, Zhang Lie asked, "Where can I train?"

"In the room I prepared for you," Bu Wentian replied, then changed his mind. Zhang Lie's ability to cause destruction was unrivaled. "Hold on. Let me prepare a separate trial chamber for you."

"Hurry!"

Zhang Lie didn't want to be left behind by his comrades.

Bu Wentian waved a hand and teleported Zhang Lie to his own trial chamber. He shouted, "Once you're all finished, let's have a banquet together!"

Team Zenith didn't know the extent of the commotion they had caused. The entire universe seemed to be paying attention. Countless gazes were focused on the redemption of the Cup rewards.

The members of Team Zenith hadn't been seen since the Cup, but surely they would claim their prizes.

The flower of universal life was a rare and invaluable treasure even among the entirety of the universe. No one would give up on such a prize.

As everyone watched on in anticipation, they were astonished to find someone wholly irrelevant step forward, someone who wasn't Zhang Lie or a member of Team Zenith.