Black and red genetic energy exploded from the monarch of stars as he shouted, "That wasn't a smart decision. Regardless of how you try to protect them, they'll die!"

"That's not something you can decide!" Zhang Lie struck with a fist. "[Fists of the Silent Sea: Soar]!"

A frightening explosion engulfed the two combatants.

Zhang Lie's fist was so strong that the monarch of stars' very bones were trembling upon impact. If not for his extreme constitution, the monarch of stars' arm might have been crippled just from this one punch.

Even so, the monarch of stars could feel his bones creaking after the impact. Countless beasts seemed to materialize behind him, elevating his strength and sending Zhang Lie stumbling back.

"In my youth, I had my own goals and passion—to travel the world and have sex wherever I went! It's a little embarrassing, but in my youth, I found alien races and genetic lifeforms more attractive than sura. When I encountered them, I would often be so attracted that I would pounce on them, and I caused quite a few problems doing so."

The monarch of stars explained his background with a laugh, as though he were speaking to one of his descendants rather than facing a strong foe.

"No one wants to hear about that!" Zhang Lie's fists rippled and seemed to form countless afterimages in the air.

He met the monarch of stars fist for fist, but their combat styles were completely different. Each of the monarch of stars' fists seemed to carry the power and potential of a different genetic lifeform, and Zhang Lie felt as though he were battling a thousand beasts in quick succession.

The monarch of stars continued recounting, "I was besotted with my goal, and I met quite a few ridiculously strong lifeforms as a result. I barely escaped death several times, but I continued pouncing on them like a moth flies toward an open flame.

"Oh, it's a marvelous experience, one that you can hardly imagine without going through it on your own! In order to continue developing such experiences with more and more genetic lifeforms, I had to continue strengthening my body and soul. At some point, I reached the peak of the sura."

Despite engaging in a round of fisticuffs with Zhang Lie, the monarch of stars didn't seem nervous. He continued recounting stories from his youth, as though Zhang Lie were such an easy opponent that he didn't need to respond with full concentration.

As their fists continued to clash against each other, ripples and bloody light interlaced in the air.

So strong were the resulting explosions of genetic energy that quite a few Renhuang forces were getting knocked down. The ground shook as though there were an earthquake, and cracks began to form in the earth.

"However, as I grew stronger and stronger, I became tired of my youthful dalliances."

The monarch of stars' fists suddenly grew larger, and his skin was replaced with a dense layer of scales. As the monarch of stars' strength increased, Zhang Lie found himself being knocked back.

One of the monarch of stars' hands morphed into a bestial claw. "My intimate experiences with these genetic lifeforms allowed me to study them closely, and I've performed a few experiments on my body as well."

Fenghe had been very interested in stitching genetic lifeforms together, and it was the monarch of stars who had given him the requisite information to do so. Perhaps this was a manifestation of the monarch of stars' love of these lifeforms, or perhaps his desire to get closer to the realm of an asura, or perhaps both.

The monarch of stars waved his claw in mid-air, rending the sky with a few blades of wind.

"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Soar]!" Zhang Lie responded with another technique, one with such strength it made the very air warp. Ripples of energy spread out all around him, tearing the blades of wind to pieces.

The monarch of stars' muscles bunched up as he swiped at Zhang Lie's technique with his claw.

"[Rune: Control]!" Zhang Lie raised an arm into the air and sent the gravity and anti-gravity tablets crashing down by the monarch's side. Black ripples emanated from the two gravity-altering tablets, forming a localized region of distorted gravity.

Even the monarch of stars momentarily lost control of his body.

"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Fade]!" The punch took the form of a dark serpent that shot toward the monarch of stars, whose body seemed to be undergoing a significant transformation. His hands morphed into claws, his feet into hooves, and his eyes into slit golden pupils.

Unlike Fenghe, who had replaced essentially all parts of his body except his brain with other lifeforms, the monarch of stars had done so only with his four limbs.

Even stronger explosions filled the air. Despite being weakened by distance, it still felt like hurricanes were battering the retreating forces.

Sensing the strengthened disturbance, Xing Bai, who was still rushing far away, couldn't help but ask, "Can Zhang Lie really defeat the monarch of stars?"

Sun Mengmeng looked at him seriously. "Do you need to ask?"

Li Feng likewise chimed in, "Our captain has never before lost to anyone!"

Hong Yu shook her head. "It's too hard to say. The monarch of stars is the existence closest to that of an asura in this realm. He's so strong he can destroy heaven and earth with a single thought. Surely even Zhang Lie can't guarantee a victory against him?"

Lianna nodded. "Right, I've never heard of an alien race that has won against a sura empire before, or anyone who has managed to survive against a sura monarch."

Sun Mengmeng clenched her fists tightly. "I believe that our captain will be able to create a miracle—he's a legend!"

Lianna shook her head. "Zhang Lie is truly a strong hunter, but you have to recognize that his opponent is the strongest known sura!"

Hong Yu added seriously, "I feel like we had better make a few preparations just in case—"

As Zhang Lie's demonic serpent was knocked aside, his body began to transform. A black sun rose behind his back, and a bloody moon flared into existence at his feet. Under the combination of the two auras, Zhang Lie seemed to have transformed into a god.

The serpent's body likewise changed. Its scales turned a lurid red, and a layer of black flame rose above them. It opened its maw wide and pounced once again toward the sura monarch.

The monarch of stars blocked its attack with two arms, but he found, to his shock, that he was knocked back by the blow.

"Many years ago, I noticed the limits of my own body, and I had no choice but to head down a different path to strength. I supplanted my limbs with those of other lifeforms in order to obtain a stronger, more perfect body. If I were unable to overcome a chasm of strength with my own talent, then I would simply steal that talent from other lifeforms, other creatures. However, despite all that, I found that my strength was lacking."

The serpent's tail swiped at the monarch of stars, who leapt up into the sky to avoid the blow. "I quickly realized that stitching together more lifeforms wasn't going to improve my strength beyond a certain threshold, so I decided to change my soul, the core of my existence, instead."

Zhang Lie looked toward the monarch of stars with distaste. "Are you done talking?"

Thousands of beasts manifested behind the monarch of stars. He punched straight down, his fist slamming the serpent into the earth. 

"It's useless!" The monarch of stars pummeled the serpent's body until it dissipated into thin air.

"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Hundred Dragons Soaring]!" As the serpent vanished, Zhang Lie cocked his right arm and sent hundreds of dragons soaring into the air...