TL: Etude
"An elite warrior!" Wind Wolf stared at Ye Tian in disbelief. Becoming an elite warrior had been his lifelong goal, and he knew how difficult it was, especially for someone like him with only basic cultivation talent. Even those with medium-level cultivation talent would only hope to become elite warriors in their twenties. Yet here was Ye Tian, so young and already an elite warrior.
"High-level cultivation talent!" The thought flashed through Wind Wolf's mind. This was a talent on par with the Lin family's ancestor, a surefire path to becoming a great warrior, and perhaps even ascending beyond that level. At the very least, he could reach the pinnacle of great warriors and become the strongest in Linhai Base.
Having such a prodigy in their team was an honor for them all. Ye Tian moved so fast that Wind Wolf couldn't even track him. In a matter of moments, all ten fire-spitting lizards lay dead under Ye Tian's blade, instantly killed.
"Master Ye Tian!" Wind Wolf said respectfully.
"Master Ye Tian!" The others also bowed.
An elite warrior was far stronger than an ordinary warrior, not just in strength, but also in reaction time, speed, and the total amount of elemental energy. Even an early stage elite martial warrior with a physical strength of 10,001 jin was much stronger than a peak stage martial warrior with 9,999 jin of strength; they were not on the same level.
Previously, they had thought of Ye Tian as just a warrior and had been informal with him. But now that they knew he was an elite warrior, they naturally became much more formal.
"You all don't need to be so formal. Just call me Ye Tian. However, I'd like you to keep my status as an elite warrior a secret for now," Ye Tian said.
"I'll take the liberty of calling you by your name then!" Wind Wolf laughed. "Don't worry, we won't reveal that you're an elite warrior."
He understood why Ye Tian wanted to keep his cultivation level a secret; he probably feared the major families of Linhai Base. Once Ye Tian's talent was exposed, those major families might try to win him over, but there was also a risk that some might try to kill him out of jealousy.
Just then, a scream echoed from the distance.
"It's Zhang Ben!" Wind Wolf frowned.
Zhang Ben was the warrior who had run away earlier, clearly having encountered other fire-spitting lizards. Wind Wolf was inclined to rescue him, but Ye Tian stopped him.
"Wind Wolf, there's no need to save this man. We won't reveal my secret, but he might," Ye Tian said.
Wind Wolf paused, looked at the others, and then remained silent, clearly giving up on the idea of rescuing Zhang Ben. The scream soon faded, signifying Zhang Ben's death.
"Wind Wolf, let's continue moving forward. We should aim to clear out all the beasts in this valley as soon as possible," Ye Tian suggested.
Wind Wolf nodded. Without Ye Tian, he would naturally not dare to clear the valley of beasts, but with Ye Tian present, it was a different story. A single elite warrior was more than enough to deal with a group of fire-spitting lizards.
They moved on and soon came across Zhang Ben's corpse, as well as several fire-spitting lizards feasting on it. Ye Tian casually killed these lizards and they continued on their way.
Along the way, whenever they encountered more than one fire-spitting lizard, Ye Tian would take them down himself. Only when a single lizard appeared would he allow Wind Wolf and the others to get some practice. In this manner, Ye Tian led the group deep into the valley.
Here, he found a large number of fire-spitting lizards. Standing atop a massive rock, he looked out and saw no fewer than thirty of these creatures, all surrounding an even larger lizard.
"That is..." Ye Tian's expression turned slightly serious. Although he was too far away to discern the larger lizard's specific talents, its size—far exceeding the usual three meters—indicated that it was no low-level beast.
"It must be an intermediate-level beast," Ye Tian speculated. Ordinary intermediate-level beasts didn't concern him, but one with an offensive talent would undoubtedly be the king among beasts.
"We have a bit of a problem. There are thirty fire-spitting lizards there, and one of them appears to be an intermediate-level beast," Ye Tian informed Wind Wolf and the others.
"What?!" Wind Wolf was shocked. An intermediate-level fire-spitting lizard would be incredibly powerful, far beyond the capabilities of an average elite warrior.
"Ye Tian, let's just leave. We can always abandon the mission," Wind Wolf suggested through gritted teeth. Although reluctant to give up, he knew the dangers of an intermediate-level fire-spitting lizard and didn't think Ye Tian could handle it.
"Wind Wolf, I'm not that weak. The fire-spitting lizard has a special talent—fire talent—and I have a special talent as well," Ye Tian revealed a little.
"You... also have a special talent?" Wind Wolf exclaimed in astonishment. Warriors with special talents were in a completely different league. Even great warriors would think twice before offending an elite warrior with a special talent.
"Yes, I possess a basic speed talent that triples my speed. My swordsmanship is also quite good. Killing that intermediate-level beast won't be a problem. I plan to carry out a beheading operation; you guys should stay away," Ye Tian advised.
He was confident in his ability to kill the intermediate-level beast but less certain about protecting Wind Wolf and the others. If they didn't heed his warning, things could get complicated.
"Ye Tian, we'll retreat to a safe distance. Be careful, and if it's not going well, just withdraw," Wind Wolf said.
"I understand," Ye Tian nodded.
Once Wind Wolf and the others had retreated to a safe distance, Ye Tian made his move.
"Speed Talent!" Ye Tian activated his triple-speed boost and charged toward the group of fire-spitting lizards at an incredible speed. At that moment, the leader of the fire-spitting lizards, who had been sleeping, woke up due to the cries of its subordinates. Its enormous eyes fixed intently on Ye Tian.
It was determined to kill the little insect that had disturbed its sleep. Yes, in its eyes, Ye Tian was nothing more than a tiny insect.
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