Chapter 84: The Impending Void Cup

After disappearing into the Blacksteel Inn, Zhang Lie hadn't been seen for an entire month.

However, just then, one of Wu Kedi's subordinates informed him that Zhang Lie had left the inn. Wu Kedi had no intention of letting him go. With a few trusted subordinates, he headed right outside the settlement gates, where he would lie in wait for Zhang Lie.

As for Zhang Lie, he didn't fear anything or anyone in the settlement after having consumed Potion #2 and reached his improved mutated gene capacity.

There was no reason to hide his identity any longer, so he had been going around uncloaked in the settlement. He had wondered whether or not there would be any hunters trying to target him, but he didn't expect it to be someone unfamiliar.

At the very least, Zhang Lie was quite certain he hadn't seen this particular hunter before. He had no recollection of ever interacting with him.

"Zhang Lie, your death is nigh!" Wu Kedi shouted, his voice full of confidence, as though he grasped his opponent's life wholly in his hands.

Zhang Lie responded in a surprisingly friendly manner. "I have no idea who you are. Leave now, and I'll spare your life."

"You think you can handle me, you gigolo?! How could Yun Bing have been attracted to someone as weak as you? Go, castrate him!" He motioned to his lackeys, giving them a cruel order.

In the blink of an eye, his five subordinates dashed toward Zhang Lie, surrounding him from five different directions. They would first subdue him, using no weapons beyond their hands and legs, and then castrate him once he was completely secured.

Unfortunately for them, Zhang Lie's white-grub armor was more than sufficient to bear the brunt of their attacks. By the time the attackers realized that their attacks were having no effect, it was already too late.

Zhang Lie moved so quickly that all they saw was a blur. They felt a pain in their abdomen, and only then noticed that they had been knocked up into the air.

Wu Kedi's lackeys had intended on subduing Zhang Lie with a numerical advantage, but they were far too weak for such an attempt to succeed. Even all five of them working together would be hard-pressed to block a single blow from Zhang Lie.

After all, they didn't realize just how strong Zhang Lie had grown.

A burst of genetic energy from Zhang Lie was all it took to knock them all onto the ground, and whether or not they would be able to keep their lives would be up to him.

"You damned useless pieces of trash! Can't you do anything on your own?!" ? Wu Kedi yelled. He materialized a pair of sharp claws, then stared furiously at Zhang Lie.

"Look, don't waste your time trying to attack me. If you apologize now, I might consider letting you walk away, but otherwise—"

Before Zhang Lie could finish talking, Wu Kedi was already rushing toward him. After all, from his perspective, Zhang Lie was just a weakling that wouldn't be able to stand up to him. Zhang Lie's aura might have fooled others, but certainly not someone as discerning as Wu Kedi himself!

Envy and jealousy had destroyed any semblance of logic in Wu Kedi's mind.

"[Talon Strike]!" Following Wu Kedi's howl, a violent gust of wind-attuned genetic energy took on the shape of a giant eagle and rushed toward Zhang Lie.

Nearby hunters, who had gathered because of the commotion, could feel the wind scouring their faces.

"Is this the strength of a top fifty hunter? It truly is remarkable!"

"If only I could have such strength!"

Despite the recent rumors circulating about the Blacksteel settlement, none of the onlookers looked favorably on him. After all, Zhang Lie was none other than the king of the dumps. Although his reputation seemed to be improving recently, he was thought to be a lackey of the Yun and Chu clans.

After all, who would believe that Zhang Lie could have grown so strong in just a few months?

Zhang Lie ignored the assault of wind rushing in his direction.

"Do you really have nothing better to do? I'm just trying to hunt."

He raised an arm and casually triggered [Fists of the Silent Sea]. With his current strength, he could defeat someone like Wu Kedi without even pulling out his sword.

On the other hand, Wu Kedi thought that Zhang Lie was a fool for trying to counter his attack head-on. As the king of the dumps, how could he imagine that he would be able to defend against a direct attack from him? Did Zhang Lie think he was all that just because he had defeated some of Wu Kedi's subordinates?

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Zhang Lie, prepare to die!" Wu Kedi clawed at Zhang Lie's armor, but he wasn't even able to pierce his first layer of protection.

At the same time, Zhang Lie's fist, seemingly without any force behind it, struck Wu Kedi's chest.

The two of them struck each other with their attacks, then continued moving forward in opposite directions. Zhang Lie walked forward, not sparing his opponent a single glance.

"You think you can turn your back on me? Come ba—"

Wu Kedi was in the middle of turning around when he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and flesh, then crumpled senselessly onto the ground. Amidst shocked cries from the onlookers, Wu Kedi closed his eyes for the last time.

"What happened?! Did Zhang Lie make a move?"

"I don't know! I didn't see anything! Could Zhang Lie be so strong that he's able to launch an intangible attack?"

Zhang Lie couldn't care less about the onlookers' comments. The Void Cup was less than a month away, and he would have to spend the remaining time dedicated to hunting superior-grade lifeforms, so as to ensure that he and his team would be well prepared for the Cup.

Given the past Zhang Lie's experience with the dimensional world, along with the notes that Fang Yi and the others had collated, it wouldn't be too difficult to find and hunt down these superior-grade lifeforms.

He intended on hunting down as many of the superior-grade lifeforms on the booklet as he could within this time.

As he was preparing for his hunt, the rest of Team Zenith was still furiously training away in their underground training rooms. Zhang Lie's trust in them motivated them to work as hard as they could. They couldn't let down their captain, they simply couldn't!

The month passed in the blink of an eye.

Those hunters who intended on participating in the Void Cup made their way back to the Blacksteel Settlement, waiting for the Cup to officially begin. Quite a few of them tried to relieve the stress of their preparations in the pubs in the area, such as the one owned by the Yun clan.

Amidst the crowds of people and almost tangible boom of music, a cloaked hunter sat by a corner of the pub, savoring the newest available brew. After having slaughtered superior-grade lifeforms for almost an entire month, Zhang Lie also needed to relax a little.

However, before he could finish his flask of wine, Yun Bing appeared in front of him.

"You were gone for a whole month! And even when you finally show up here, you refrain from informing me. Do you disdain me, Zhang Lie?" Yun Bing's somewhat coy tone almost made Zhang Lie spit out the mouthful of wine he had just consumed.

"Ah, ahem! I'm just here to sample the pub's newest offerings after having been gone for so long. I didn't plan on staying very long, so—farewell!"

Sensing an unusual mood, Zhang Lie immediately put down his cup of wine and made to leave. He had yet to deal with his relationships from his past life, and before he did so, he didn't want to attract any undue attention.