Zhang Lie was really quite worried that that peak-grade lifeform would go into hiding.

The worst-case scenario would be if it realized that it wasn't Zhang Lie's opponent and went into hiding until it consolidated enough power to strike once again. After all, Zhang Lie didn't have time to waste on playing hide-and-seek with a peak-grade lifeform.

The stampede of corrupted beasts had occurred because the peak-grade lifeform was confident of its own victory. This would be when it was least guarded, and hence the best time to strike.

Zhang Lie intended to kill it in one swift, decisive blow.

The peak-grade lifeform finally came into sight. It was a plant-based lifeform, with a gigantic body much like a cactus. Vines grew from its body like feelers, and at its very top was a vibrant flower with sharp teeth, from which black pollen was being exuded. The pollen was so dense that it seemed as though the plant were hidden behind black fog.

Zhang Lie didn't know what this creature was called, only that it had successfully killed most of the wood spirits in his past life. Only a small fraction had managed to escape from the forest.

Once the peak-grade lifeform evolved into disaster-grade, the effect of its pollen would be intensified. The pollen had the ability to corrode all life, though its effect on intelligent lifeforms was rather limited. Only after prolonged exposure would it cause the lifeforms to blacken and become corrupted. When those corrupted lifeforms themselves attacked other lifeforms, those other lifeforms would also become corrupted.

Essentially, these corrupted lifeforms were much like zombies. The only distinction was that even plant-based lifeforms could be corrupted.

Once the peak-grade lifeform evolved into disaster-grade, its pollen would apply equally well to intelligent lifeforms, and it would portend disaster for the second realm. The requirement for this peak-grade lifeform to evolve was to devour the majority of the wood spirits.

In his past life, Zhang Lie had seen quite a few analyses of the incident, and he was somewhat familiar with the pollen and the peak-grade lifeform that produced it.

In the end, the evolved disaster-grade lifeform had tried to extend its reach to the territory of the sura and offended someone it shouldn't have offended. One of the emperors of the sura themselves stepped forward and destroyed the disaster-grade lifeform in a battle that shook the entire realm.

Now, it was Zhang Lie's turn to take this peak-grade lifeform down.

When he approached the flower, it attacked with a few lashing tendrils. Zhang Lie activated his blood-red domain, red moonlight flaring by his feet. A black sun appeared behind his back, causing his aura to grow by an order of magnitude.

"[The Boundless Blade: Yawning Wave]!" He diced the tendrils to shreds and continued barreling onwards until he reached the plant's body. 

Black spikes erupted from the flower's cactus-like flesh, which Zhang Lie dodged gracefully. In the blink of an eye, he struck anew.

"[The Boundless Blade: Yawning Wave]!" Sword energy filled the air, tracing out a gigantic web that blocked all the spikes heading in his direction.

As he did so, ten corrupted superior-grade lifeforms came up to him from behind, surrounding him.

"Is this the source of your confidence? Unfortunately, you're still far too weak. [Fists of the Silent Sea: Fade]!" 

Zhang Lie threw out one lone punch, so strong it warped the space all around his fist. Ripples of energy spread out from him and formed into massive waves, destroying the corrupted lifeforms.

By then, the vines extending from the plant's body had regenerated. They struck from a few different locations, giving Zhang Lie no space to evade the blow.

"[Ninesoul Dragonblade—First Form: Parting the River]!" A line of sword energy split the world in two. Instead of retreating, Zhang Lie attacked, taking advantage of the momentum from his strike to charge forward. His blow dispersed the pollen and sliced straight at the flower's body, causing green ichor to spray out from the cut.

The flower began to shriek so shrilly that even Zhang Lie was forced to clutch his ears tightly. It then tried to take that opportunity to burrow into the ground.

"I won't let you go! [Ninesoul Dragonblade—First Form: Parting the River]!"

Ignoring the pain and tinnitus, Zhang Lie struck once more. The flower defended itself with flying tendrils to no avail.

The peak-grade flower's body shrunk down as it sprayed thick black fog into the air.

"This doesn't work against me!" Zhang Lie cut apart the fog itself, only to be pelted with a rain of spikes. "[Fists of the Silent Sea: Soar]!"

His punch formed a whirlpool of energy in the air, destroying the spikes.

"You won't get away! [Ninecarp Transformation: Fourth Form]!"

The image of a dragonturtle appeared before Zhang Lie as four runic tablets crashed into the rock floor, surrounding the flower from all four cardinal directions and forming a temporary seal on the flower itself.

"[Ninesoul Dragonblade—First Form: Parting the River]!"

Zhang Lie's blade cut space itself as the attack landed squarely on the flower, severing its pistils. The peak-grade flower was in such pain that it couldn't even scream; it tried to struggle, but Zhang Lie's four runic tablets forced it down.

The petals closed in on Zhang Lie's blade as sharp teeth clamped down on his hand.

"[The Boundless Blade: Requiem of the End]!" 

Glowing sword energy rippled over Venombane's surface, causing the flower to spray out large glops of green ichor. Crimson slashes flared from the peak-grade flower's main body, as though its body was being cut apart from the inside out.

Zhang Lie's sword energy tore apart the flower's body as the decomposing pieces fell to the ground.

[You successfully killed a peak-grade corpsevenom flower and obtained its soulshard. By consuming the flesh of the corpsevenom flower, you may receive one to ten peak gene fragments.]

The flower's soulshard was a pitch-black dagger, one that released black pollen with every attack. After storing the corpsevenom flower's flesh in his storage pouch, Zhang Lie returned to the wood spirits' clearing.

By then, the skirmish was nearing its end. Once the corpsevenom flower had perished, the corrupted lifeforms had turned on themselves. The members of Team Zenith and the hunters accompanying Zhang Lie were able to resolve the situation on their own easily without any help from Zhang Lie.

When they noticed him returning, the members of Team Zenith and Su Hong reported that there were no more than a thousand corrupted lifeforms left.