Zhang Lie was leaving the banquet early undoubtedly to spite Fu Bo, but that was no concern of hers. She bade him farewell politely, promising to pay him a visit. It was vital that she obtain his cooperation for developing a limit-breaking potion for the night spirits; everything else was secondary.

Fu Bo became even more displeased upon seeing Zhang Lie's behavior. He had been gracious enough to come find this puny Earthling himself; even if Zhang Lie had recently become famous, how could he hope to compare himself against an elite member of the nightdemons?

Fu Bo slammed a fist on the table as he stood up, two sharp spikes protruding out of his back. The members of Team Zenith all began circulating genetic energy, ready to fight back at the drop of a hat. Although violence wasn't permitted in the capital, if Fu Bo were to strike at Zhang Lie, they wouldn't go easy on him.

 "Is something the matter?" Fu Bo had crashed the banquet with an arrogant smirk on his face, and Zhang Lie had seen no reason at all to pay attention to someone like him. Perhaps most hunters on Earth couldn't compare to the prime races, but Zhang Lie didn't seem at all deferent or even interested in Fu Bo.

"You are arrogant, aren't you, Mr. Zhang Lie? I wonder if you have the strength to back that arrogance up."

Fu Bo stepped forward, so close their shoes were almost touching.

"Honored Fu Bo—"

"Shut up!" Ye Mo tried to dissuade Fu Bo from action, but he interrupted her immediately. He intended to teach Zhang Lie a lesson right then and there, causing Fang Yi to stand up, along with the rest of Team Zenith. When they met Zhang Lie's eyes, however, they sat back down.

Zhang Lie himself was enough. There was no need for them to gang up on Fu Bo.

Fu Bo's hand morphed into an eagle's talons, which he slashed in Zhang Lie's direction. The talons sparked with dark, black energy, and it seemed as though even an errant hit from that attack could easily be lethal.

Zhang Lie didn't seem to care. Activating [Calm Waters], he knocked Fu Bo aside in a contest of pure strength and gene fragments. In this regard, Zhang Lie wasn't an opponent that Fu Bo could handle.

Fu Bo felt as though he had caught nothing but a puddle of water. The next moment, Zhang Lie pushed at him, forcing him to stumble back.

"You!" Fu Bo cried out in alarm. No other opponent had ever managed to shake him off with such ease and careless effort. Upon viewing videos of Zhang Lie's fights, he had thought that the footage had been doctored; only now, facing him in person, did he realize that most of the rumors about Zhang Lie were true.

Zhang Lie was strong, and he was deliberately maintaining a low profile.

Ye Mo's eyes narrowed. She was likewise shocked by the sight; after all, Fu Bo was one of Pu Kui's closest attendants, and he was stronger than her by far. Zhang Lie had forced him back with nothing but a careless push! The sight strongly reinforced her desire to work with Zhang Lie.

Fang Yi, Yang Ze, and the others all rallied around Zhang Lie, taunting and mocking Fu Bo for his weakness. They weren't afraid that Fu Bo would target them next; they too had ten peak gene fragments each, and no one in this banquet hall could stand their combined strength.

"Fu Bo, it's not necessarily a good thing to be rash. I wouldn't want to make a mess of Ms. Ye's banquet, so I'm going to shrug this off, but if we meet again..." Zhang Lie turned and walked off, motioning for the rest of his teammates to depart with him. After everyone else departed, Ye Mo announced an end to the festivities.

Her clan's strength would dictate her clan's future, and Zhang Lie's theory of limit fragments would be a vital part of that strength.

Fu Bo slunk off in defeat, his mission ended in failure. Not only had he failed, he hadn't even been able to beat Zhang Lie!

Not long after Zhang Lie retreated to his quarters, Ye Mo came to pay him a visit, politely requesting his assistance.

"Ms. Ye, I know how much this means to you, but I can't guarantee any measure of success."

There was enough difference between mankind and the alien races that any research could well be fraught with complication. At the moment, without any research subjects in hand, they could hardly make any progress with the research, and the chance of failure would increase tremendously.

"Please don't worry, Mr. Zhang. The night spirits have many disciples in the dojos scattered around the capital. Would they be useful test subjects?"

Indeed, these disciples were largely the elites of the younger generation, with the very best genetics of their race. As long as they were studied carefully, they would surely be able to unlock the key behind the night spirits' evolution! For the good of her clan, even sacrificing one generation of promising hunters wasn't too much to ask.

Zhang Lie nodded; this was the best opportunity they would have. 

"I'll need to recruit the very best disciples of the younger generation. Only then will I have the highest chances of success," Zhang Lie warned. "Furthermore, I won't be able to help you until the end of the Void Cup, at least. Will you leave these children in my care? Otherwise, given what transpired with the nightdemons today, I'm afraid they might be preyed upon."

"You truly are thoughtful and considerate, Mr. Zhang. Very well!" Ye Mo accepted briskly. The Void Cup wouldn't last much longer; afterwards, the night spirits would finally be able to rise up as a clan!

She reached out for a handshake. "Mr. Zhang, I wish you success in the Void Cup."

"You as well, Ms. Ye."