Chapter 113: The Struggle for Territory

Although the Serpent King was not particularly optimistic about Zhou Tian, she ultimately led him to participate in the territorial contest after his persistent insistence.

“Roar! Roar!” From afar, Zhou Tian heard a series of roars. As he drew closer and took in the scene, a wave of nervousness washed over him.

Though he knew many magical beasts had gathered outside the capital, the sheer number of them clustered together still startled him.

As far as the eye could see, the landscape was dominated by magical beasts, with only a small clearing of about a hundred meters wide. Several beasts stood upon this space. Though the Serpent King did not introduce them, Zhou Tian understood they must be the Beast Kings.

“Hurry up, what are you dawdling for?” As Zhou Tian observed the Beast Kings, one of them caught sight of him and the Serpent King. Without any intention of engaging them in conversation, it casually glanced their way before urging them to approach.

“What's the rush?” The Serpent King replied irritably, then calmly led Zhou Tian toward the clearing.

Upon entering the clearing, Zhou Tian separated from the Serpent King. Zhou Tian stepped forward to accept the challenge, while the Serpent King joined the other Beast Kings as spectators.

There were no referees and few rules. The moment Zhou Tian stood in the clearing, a challenger leapt out from the crowd.

“Roar!” A lion-like beast over two meters tall charged into the clearing and lunged at Zhou Tian without a word.

Zhou Tian narrowed his eyes as his opponent attacked. At the moment of the assault, he flicked his tail, sending the beast flying.

“Too weak.” Having easily defeated his underpowered opponent, Zhou Tian shifted his gaze to the other beasts.

The lion’s demise did not intimidate the others. After the defeated beast was devoured by the pack, another challenger jumped into the clearing.

This time it was a massive badger-like beast, a natural enemy of serpents. Undoubtedly, this giant badger posed a far greater threat to Zhou Tian than the previous opponent.

Yet Zhou Tian showed no sign of fear. In a flash, he appeared behind the badger and flicked his tail again, sending it flying.

However, this badger was significantly stronger than the lion. Unlike the lion, which died instantly after the tail strike, the badger rolled on the ground to dissipate some of the force and survived the attack, albeit injured.

Refusing to relent, Zhou Tian dashed forward before the badger could regain its footing and struck it again, sending it flying once more.

Like a game of ping-pong, Zhou Tian repeatedly struck the badger back and forth, until, amidst the fearful stares of the gathered beasts, he finally defeated it outright.

“Next!” Having slain two challengers in quick succession without showing any signs of fatigue, Zhou Tian urged the remaining beasts, who were now visibly hesitant.

“Serpent King, your subordinate is a bit too arrogant!” Zhou Tian’s display had naturally ruffled some feathers, especially among a group of Beast Kings who felt they had been made a fool of. One Beast King standing beside the Serpent King expressed displeasure: “If this little brat dies, Serpent King, wouldn’t you be reluctant to lose him?”

“Of course I’d be reluctant. I even plan to make him my male serpent!” The Serpent King revealed her long-held intentions. Then she added, “But if any of your subordinates can truly kill him, that would be your achievement. As long as you don’t intervene personally, I won’t break the rules.”

“That’s a promise then,” the Beast King replied coolly, signaling one of his subordinates.

In an instant, what had been a clearing with only Zhou Tian suddenly hosted another beast.

Seeing this new challenger, Zhou Tian’s expression grew serious.

This time, his opponent was a rabbit-like beast no larger than a palm. Though it appeared harmless, Zhou Tian did not underestimate it. Its incredible speed alone placed Zhou Tian at a disadvantage.

In the natural order, creatures of the same category balance each other out, and strength often hinges on mastery in their respective domains.

Undoubtedly, the rabbit’s speed slightly surpassed Zhou Tian’s, meaning the young serpent was already at a disadvantage before the battle even began.

As expected, once the rabbit attacked, Zhou Tian struggled to keep up. The rabbit struck before Zhou Tian could react, and when he attempted to counterattack, the rabbit had already darted away.

This tug-of-war left Zhou Tian frustrated, powerless to unleash his strength. Yet, the silver lining was that while the rabbit was swift, its attacks were weak.

Despite being struck numerous times, Zhou Tian remained largely unscathed. He realized that as long as he avoided vital points, the rabbit could not inflict serious harm.

Thus, the battle became a protracted stalemate, lasting nearly an hour.

Speed is advantageous, but if one cannot swiftly defeat an opponent, that advantage may become a liability.

Even the most enduring magical beasts cannot maintain such exertion indefinitely. After almost an hour, the rabbit’s speed began to falter due to exhaustion.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhou Tian launched a relentless assault, preventing the rabbit from recovering.

Finally, when the rabbit’s stamina was nearly depleted, Zhou Tian struck the final blow.

He bit the rabbit lightly, unwilling to rely on brute force to kill such a swift opponent. Unsure whether a direct attack would finish it, he trusted his serpent venom instead.

At Zhou Tian’s bite, the surrounding beasts witnessed his venom’s potency for the first time.

Though only a small amount of venom entered the rabbit, it writhed in agony on the ground before dying, its body dissolving into pus under the venom's effects.

Seeing the deadly power of Zhou Tian’s venom, the expressions of the gathered beasts changed.

Aside from the Beast Kings present, no beast dared claim immunity against such poison. Facing an adversary whose bite meant certain death, many beasts began to hesitate.

Taking advantage of their reluctance, Zhou Tian rested, fully recovering his strength before roaring out his challenge: “Who else dares to face me?”

He repeated his challenge three times, but none stepped forward.

Just as Zhou Tian thought the contest was over, interference from the Beast Kings complicated matters.

Would Zhou Tian really claim the Serpent King’s underlord title? Though this outcome did not threaten the Beast Kings’ interests, they resented having their preparations undone by Zhou Tian’s single sentence. Despite Zhou Tian’s strength earning him rightful dominion over this region outside the capital, the Beast Kings still sought to trouble him.

“Yingjun, your turn!”

“Yingjun?” Zhou Tian was stunned by the name of the giant eagle reluctantly descending from the sky.

As if understanding Zhou Tian’s reaction, the eagle’s expression turned awkward. Yet, flushed with shame and anger, it no longer cared about Zhou Tian’s earlier conduct, glaring sharply before spreading its wings and taking flight.

Once reaching the Saint Stage, any creature can fly. Before that, wingless beings cannot reach the skies, giving birds a major advantage: once airborne, unless an opponent is also at the Saint Stage, they become easy targets.

Though Zhou Tian had means to bring down Yingjun, surrounded by countless beasts, he dared not reveal too much of his power. Thus, despite his annoyance at the eagle circling overhead, he endured its presence.

After circling over Zhou Tian’s head more than a dozen times, Yingjun, sensing a moment of weakness, suddenly swooped down.

Zhou Tian made little preparation against the aerial attack, only barely dodging a vital strike before Yingjun’s claws caught him.

Pleased by the success of the ambush, Yingjun smiled, preparing to take flight again.

If he could lift Zhou Tian into the sky, Yingjun was confident that even without attacking, releasing his grip would ensure Zhou Tian’s death.

But as Yingjun prepared to ascend, he failed to notice one thing: although Zhou Tian was caught, he had suffered no harm.

Seizing the moment, Zhou Tian suddenly sprang to life, giving Yingjun no chance to resist as he entwined himself around the eagle.

While Yingjun might have been capable of lifting Zhou Tian despite his weight, the serpent’s grip rendered flight impossible.

Without his aerial advantage, Yingjun’s chances of victory vanished.

After a brief struggle, Yingjun suffocated and died in Zhou Tian’s grasp.

It was only after this that the Beast Kings ceased their attempts to challenge Zhou Tian further.

Though they still found him detestable, provoking a conflict with the Serpent King over Zhou Tian was not worth the trouble. Even if their beasts could stand against him, any significant injury to their valued subordinates would be a source of regret.

Recognizing Zhou Tian’s strength and their inability to match him with ordinary beasts, the Beast Kings reluctantly acknowledged his authority, formally conceding his dominion over this sector outside the capital.

With the Beast Kings’ acceptance, the territorial contest concluded.

No longer needing to attack the capital, the million beasts amassed outside dispersed in waves at the Beast Kings’ command.

Only the Serpent King remained beside Zhou Tian after the others departed.