<h4>Chapter 295: Dragonturtle Tablet</h4>


    Zhang Lie''s words shocked the gathered troops. This wasn''t the first time they had met an arrogant hunter, but Zhang Lie was the most arrogant one they had seen.


    They were the special forces troops of Qi, and Zhang Lie''s opponents were six of their team leaders. Did Zhang Lie really think he could take on all six at once?


    Even Zhou Liao was staring agape at Zhang Lie. After all, the six of them were all easily within the top twenty strongest hunters of Qi, and they were used to cooperating with each other. With the six of them working together, even the governor Xiao Zhengyang would be hard-pressed to take him on—let alone a neer like Zhang Lie!


    "Rather bold of you,d—I''ll make sure not to pummel you too hardter on!"


    Zhang Lie''s words had clearly struck a nerve. He was looking down on the team leaders gathered here; how could they take this insult lying down?


    "Lad, we don''t want to bully you. Pick one of us to fight—anyone you want!"


    Zhang Lie actually did want to test out what it would be like to face them all at once, but that seemed like it would have to wait. The team leaders were too prideful to gang up on a neer like him, even given his earlier provocation.


    Zhang Lie pointed at Zhou Ming. "Very well, Team Leader Zhou Ming, I choose you!"


    After all, Zhou Ming was one of the only team leaders whose name he knew. The other team leaders were rather surprised by his selection, and they all looked toward Zhou Ming with envy. From their perspective, Zhou Ming was the lucky one among them who would be able to teach this arrogant upstart a lesson!


    The troops cleared out a space for the fight between Zhang Lie and Zhou Ming.


    Owing to his seniority, Zhou Ming couldn''t help feeling obligated to remind Zhang Lie, "If you can''t handle it anymore, just surrender. Losing to any of us wouldn''t be an embarrassment."


    "Thank you for the reminder, but I''ll say the same as well—don''t feel bad surrendering to me!" Zhang Lie meant his words sincerely, but to the spectators, they sounded like another arrogant provocation.


    As far as they knew, Zhou Ming was far stronger than Zhang Lie. It was only expected for Zhou Ming to give Zhang Lie such a warning; for Zhang Lie to do the same to Zhou Ming was the height of hubris.


    Bothbatants spoke up simultaneously, offering their opponent the first blow; they clearly believed that their opponent wouldn''t have a chance after they struck.


    "As the junior, you should go first. I''d rather not have others call me a bully," Zhou Ming advised.


    No matter what, Zhang Lie would be arade in arms in the future, so it would be in his best interest to keep up a cordial rtionship with him.


    "Are you certain?"


    Zhou Ming curled his fingers at Zhang Lie, beckoning him to get started.


    "In that case, be careful!" As Zhang Lie dashed forward, a blood moon rose into the air. ck mist shrouded the sun, and five strange beasts—a carp, a serpent, a winged tiger, a turtle, and a qilin—seemed to float across the skies.


    Unbelievably thick gic energy spread through the air, surrounding the turtle. At this moment, the spectators felt as though the force of gravity had suddenly multiplied all around them.


    Zhou Ming, Zhang Lie''s opponent, had it much worse. It seemed to him as though he were being crushed by a gigantic mountain, one that even made the gic energy circting throughout his body feel sluggish. Regardless, he was an elite of the second realm. The moment he felt his gic energy slow, he activated a number of soulshards.


    With a bestial cry, his body expanded, transforming his upper half-body into that of an eagle. Runes surrounded his body, and his red and blue gic armor was particrly striking.


    However, the fact that Zhang Lie had forced him to use his trump card so early made him seem somewhat weak.


    "What''s going on? Why did Zhou Ming use his soulshards already?"


    "What, can''t you see what''s going on? Zhou Ming was forced to activate his soulshards to defend against that neer''s attack!"


    "Really? How can that kid be so strong?"


    The troops whispered to each other, finally realizing that Zhang Lie might be a strong hunter in his own right. As they spoke, Zhang Lie stomped on the ground with one foot, and a runic tablet dropped from the turtle''s shell and smashed into the ground.


    The underground barracks quaked, and the troops present barely remained upright under the suddenly immense force of gravity. Even Zhou Liao and the spectating team leaders were forced to circte their own gic energy, let alone their team members and Zhou Ming on stage.


    The troops watching from a distance away red their gic energy, but even so, they were still forced to one knee.


    Zhou Ming''s body mmed against the ground due to a concentrated spike of gravity around him, his limbs unable to budge no matter how much strength or gic energy he forced through his body. He suddenly felt that, if Zhang Lie were to increase the force of gravity around him a little more, he might very well burst and die.


    It was a terrible feeling to experience; his life was in Zhang Lie''s hands.