Fang Yi hesitated for a moment. "For my framework, I'd like to choose [Rondo of Wind and Storm]!"

"What?!" You want to cultivate [Rondo of Wind and Storm]?" 

Zhang Lie was surprised that Li Feng would choose [Arclight Dragon's Imprint], but even that paled in comparison to Fang Yi's choice of framework. After all, in his past life, Fang Yi had achieved great success with his water-attuned framework.

Was the temptation of a mythic-grade framework so large that he would give up all the progress he had made, so large that even Fang Yi, who had been a famous hunter in the past, was tempted?

"Is that unacceptable?" Fang Yi asked, sensing Zhang Lie's unusual response.

"No, but you have to explain your reasoning. After all, your old framework was water-attuned, and you made more progress with it than anyone else on the team with theirs. Why do you suddenly want to switch to [Rondo of Wind and Storm]? You don't seem like a hunter who only cares about their framework's rarity," Zhang Lie explained his concerns.

Fang Yi was rather touched by Zhang Lie's attention and desire to help him. He had a reason for choosing [Rondo of Wind and Storm], and it wasn't because it was a mythic-grade framework.

"Will you trust me, Captain?"

However, he didn't reveal that reason.

"Of course. If not, you wouldn't be here! There's some secret you're keeping to yourself, isn't there?"

Zhang Lie smirked when he saw Fang Yi fidget. Everyone had a secret or two of their own, and he was just testing Fang Yi to see what he would reveal.

Subject to Zhang Lie's scrutiny, Fang Yi quickly promised, "Don't worry, Captain, no matter how many secrets I have, I swear it won't endanger you or our team. However, I'm still a little shocked by what's going on myself, so is it fine if I report back after a few days?"

"Honestly, I'm surprised by just how far off some of my predictions have been, but if you're interested in this framework, then feel free to study it.  What about your other techniques? Which ones have you chosen?"

Fang Yi didn't expect Zhang Lie would agree so easily, but he quickly replied, "[Heaven's Judgment], a spear technique; [Wind's Spirit], a fist technique; and [Floating Clouds], a footwork technique."

Zhang Lie was, once again, surprised by Fang Yi's choices.

[Heaven's Judgment] was a legendary-grade lightning-attuned spear technique, and would be an attack of unparalleled might when developed to its fullest.

[Wind's Spirit] was a legendary-grade wind-attuned fist technique, with attacks of dizzying speed and variety,

[Floating Clouds] was a legendary-grade wind-attuned footwork technique, a rare technique that boasted both extreme speed and difficulty.

The three manuals were difficult enough to master on an individual basis, but when combined, and with a mythic-grade framework to boot… it seemed as though Fang Yi really was set on becoming strong, no matter how hard he would have to work.

"I imagine you understand the difficulty of these techniques, but if you're picking them anyway, you must have a reason as to why. In that case, take these manuals and head to a training room." Zhang Lie intended to leave Fang Yi to his own devices but to keep a close eye on his progress.

Only Sun Xiaowu and Zhou Ying were left. Neither deviated from Zhang Lie's expectations, and continued studying techniques corresponding to their original elemental attunement.

Sun Xiaowu's framework would be the legendary-grade [Adamantine Aegis], with auxiliary pinnacle-grade sword technique [Golden Divide], the legendary-grade fist technique [Goldenscale Palm], and footwork technique [Blinding Flash].

Zhou Ying had chosen the legendary-grade framework [Avatar of the Fae], with spear technique [Storm of Leaves] and fist technique [Willow's Caress].

Sun Xiaowu's choices were within reason, but Zhang Lie was a little excited to see that Zhou Ying, just like Li Feng, had chosen a framework that focused on strengthening one's own body.

After giving them both a few pointers, he handed them their respective manuals and had them head into one of the training rooms as well. The entirety of Team Zenith had gone into seclusion.

They spent a whole month of the dimensional world in those rooms, and Zhang Lie was the first to leave: his newly learned [Mirrored Refraction] had just reached intermediate-stage, and he had also advanced considerably with [Fists of the Silent Sea] and [The Boundless Blade]. He had worked particularly diligently on [Fists of the Silent Sea], and had reached a significant level of accomplishment with it.

Of course, an important part of training was using those techniques in battle against opponents.

Zhang Lie informed the rest of the team that he was going to head out and fight against a few superior-grade lifeforms; after all, he was still somewhat far from reaching the superior gene capacity.

The Void Cup was imminent, and he would easily be able to dominate against his competitors once he capped his superior gene fragments.

Upon seeing Zhang Lie emerge from the Blacksteel Inn, many hunters shot him looks of respect and fear. After all, ever since he defended himself against Qin Xiao at the settlement gates, and after being heralded by Chu Feng and Yun Bing, rumors of Zhang Lie had spread far and wide throughout the entire settlement, most even more outlandish than what Zhang Lie himself could have come up with, but these rumors all shared one similarity: for one reason or another, Zhang Lie had managed to get himself noticed by Yun Bing and Chu Feng, and he was now an Important Figure.

A word or errant comment from him could easily ostracize any of them from the rest of the Blacksteel settlement, so most ordinary hunters would naturally fear him.

Of course, there were also some who would be envious or jealous of the circumstances that had led to his sudden rise in status. Those who were smart about it would bury it deep in their hearts, but those who weren't were easily taken advantage of by others: for instance, the hunter who was #43 on the gene leaderboard, Wu Kedi.

Wu Kedi was from the Wu clan in the city of Liao. He was tall, handsome, and prideful, and everything in life had gone smoothly for him—until he encountered who he considered to be the love of his life, Yun Bing.

He was so charmed by her that he swore he would acquire her at any costs, and he tried all manner of tactics to get close to her and to woo her. Unfortunately for him, Yun Bing didn't care for his advances, and hadn't even looked him in the eye once.

Wu Kedi originally thought that her disdain was because of his lack of strength, so he had been furiously training and hunting in order to advance on the gene leaderboard. Within a short period of time, he had advanced from position #111 to #43.

Within three months, he planned to reach the coveted top position on the gene leaderboard, crushing Yun Bing's pride and forcing her to look him in the eye, to become besotted with him. 

Unfortunately for him, his vivid imagination wouldn't become a reality. He had only gotten to #43 when a devious hunter told him that Yun Bing had found a boyfriend, and this boyfriend was someone who had been ridiculed by the entire settlement for quite a few months, a dastardly, weak, useless, and ugly fellow.

How could someone like Wu Kedi bear such humiliation? He swore that he would kill this boyfriend of hers, no matter whether what he had heard were rumors or the truth.