After cheering for Zhang Lie's victory, the human hunters began to worry that the winged would take revenge for Zhang Lie's actions, and they tried to report the encounter to the world federation. From the world federation's perspective, Zhang Lie hadn't done anything wrong by killing his opponent, and the winged hadn't responded excessively to Phoenix's death. As a result, even the highest authorities had no right to step in to adjudicate the matter.

The white-winged emperor ultimately managed to free himself from the combined onslaught of both the rainbow- and black-winged clan leader, but it ultimately was to no avail: the rest of his subordinates had all been taken down by the other two clans' forces by then.

Because of that memorable first match between Zhang Lie and Phoenix, the audience hadn't paid full attention to the remaining matches. Even after a day, the sight of Phoenix melting seemed to be ingrained in their mind.

Most shockingly, however, was the reaction of the winged to this entire affair. Despite their young prince being killed, the winged's revenge amounted to little more than a party offering scant resistance on Zhang Lie's route back to his hotel that night.

"Didn't you see Zhang Lie's escort last night? The starbeasts, nightdemons, and aquatics all sent guards his way?"

"Ah, I also noticed something interesting. All three clans from the winged used to stay in the Sufei Hotel, but something changed last night. The rainbow- and black-winged are still there, but the white-winged, to which Phoenix belonged, has vanished overnight! Given my experience, I bet there's been a schism in the clan!"

"A schism? You're wrong! This isn't something that can be described as a mere schism—apparently, the three clans are no longer united! I heard that the reason for this was because Zhang Lie told the other two winged clans that, as long as the white-winged were in power, he wouldn't help them with their limit fragment research."

"What?! Surely not— the winged lost a prince, the humans got away more or less unscathed, and it's the winged who are being forced to apologize?"

"Is that so exaggerated? I think not. After all, don't you see just how many forces Zhang Lie has amassed? Even the winged have to be wary of his strength. Furthermore, Phoenix was the cause of this whole affair, so isn't it natural that the winged would have to pay the price?"

Indeed, given how the winged usually behaved, most members of the audience landed on the conclusion that they were cowed by Zhang Lie's strength.

The next morning, the roster for the six upcoming matches was released.

Zhang Lie VS Li Feng

Fang Yi VS Xing Hui

Sun Mengmeng VS Lianna

Zhou Ying VS Xing Bai

Pu Kui VS Xing Yan

Pu Feng VS Yang Ze

Everyone turned to Li Feng with some sympathy in their gaze. He had really gotten unlucky, hadn't he? At the very least, none of the subsequent matches were between members of Team Zenith.

Sun Mengmeng's match with Lianna would likely be an exciting one; both hunters were of roughly equal strength, and their elemental attunements were diametrically opposed.

In the match between Fang Yi and Xing Hui, Zhang Lie favored Fang Yi. After all, Xing Hui was a hunter focused on strength, and he would be perfectly countered by Fang Yi's superlative speed.

Zhou Ying, unfortunately, would likely lose in her match against Xing Bai. As far as he knew, Xing Bai was stronger than even Phoenix himself. Fortunately, given the amiable relationship between the humans and the stardemons, it was unlikely that Xing Bai would hurt Zhou Ying too severely.

He expected Pu Kui to win against Xing Yan, given Pu Kui's status as the young leader of her clan. And, finally, for the match between Yang Ze and Pu Feng, Zhang Lie naturally favored his disciple.

After half an hour, the matches that day began in earnest.

"Captain, should I surrender directly?" Li Feng asked Zhang Lie.

None of his current success would have been possible without Zhang Lie, so he was rather nervous to be facing him now as an official opponent.

"Don't worry. Think of it as a sparring match between the two of us—show me how you've grown since we've last fought!"

"Yes, Captain!"

The result of this match was all but predetermined, so the audience didn't intend on paying it much mind: considering that Li Feng was one of Zhang Lie's teammates, it seemed obvious that Li Feng would admit defeat immediately.

Both competitors were teleported on stage.

"On the main arena, Zhang Lie VS Li Feng. The fight begins in ten seconds!"

...

"Begin!"

However, even from the beginning, the match didn't play out as the audience had anticipated.

"Zhang Lie, your life is forfeit!" A gigantic black hole suddenly emerged by the side of the main arena, and a white-winged hunter stepped out in glorious majesty—until he opened his mouth, and a piercing howl shook the battlefield.

"I-It's the white-winged emperor!" one member of the audience cried out.

Clearly, the white-winged emperor was here to claim Zhang Lie's life in revenge for his son's death. Feathers shot out of the emperor's six wings, and Zhang Lie's eyes widened in shock. Never had he felt the fear of death so close to his heart; he knew that, within the next thousandth of a second, the feathers would pierce through his body.

His opponent was too strong—at the very least, the white-winged emperor was a fourth-realm monarch-class hunter. Any other hunter might have closed his eyes and waited for his death, but Zhang Lie wouldn't. He had already perished once before; as long as he remained alive, he wouldn't give up.

Moments before death, Zhang Lie instantly activated his moonlight wyrm, white grub, venombane scorpion, forest wolfman, runic salamander, and blood ant soulshards.

A small, thin wyrm shot toward the feathers as quickly as a ray of moonlight while silvery-white armor materialized over Zhang Lie's body. Venombane appeared in Zhang Lie's right hand, and his body began to transform into that of a forest wolfman. Runic engravings crept up his arms, chest, and face.

As a blood moon appeared in the sky, his surroundings were dyed red, momentarily slowing down all attacks in his vicinity.

"[Ninesoul Dragonblade—First Form: Parting the River]!" The activation of all six soulshards gave Zhang Lie enough time to launch just one blow. Venombane pushed aside the feathers heading in Zhang Lie's direction, but they traveled so quickly that all his counterattack managed was to redirect them slightly. One shot straight toward the center of his forehead, too fast to be stalled by any other means.

The white feather stabbed into Zhang Lie's skin.

Beside him, a bubble seemed to pop. Two fingers crept out of the void and plucked that feather out of Zhang Lie's skin before it could kill him, removing its momentum as cleanly as though it really were nothing more than an ordinary feather.

Time seemed to have stopped completely; even the white-winged emperor was frozen stiff.

"Ah, I barely made it in time." A human popped into existence beside Zhang Lie. He was dressed in casual black armor, with a rather nondescript face. Zhang Lie didn't recognize him; indeed, if not for his startling actions, he wouldn't have paid any attention to him at all.

The sense of stasis suddenly faded. The white-winged emperor opposite Zhang Lie opened his eyes wide in dismay. "You—Martial Sage Hong Tianqi!"

Who else could have saved Zhang Lie from his doom? Zhang Lie released a sigh he had been holding back. If Hong Tianqi had just been a second later...

"You're really as rash and prone to anger as ever, aren't you?" Hong Tianqi spoke to the white-winged emperor as though he were lecturing a child.

"So what if you've broken through, Hong Tianqi? As if you'd dare step out of the fifth realm. Others might fear you, but I won't. No one will stop me from avenging my son today!" The white-winged emperor morphed into a beam of white light that shot toward Zhang Lie, another attack that Zhang Lie was unable to resist.

It moved so rapidly that Zhang Lie's brain simply couldn't process it in time; even if he could react, he had no defense strong enough to block it, nor movement fast enough to avoid it.

Fortunately, with Hong Tianqi around, he wasn't in danger.