Chapter 11

Zhou Lu did not know who his parents were.

Sixteen years ago, on a snowy night, the leader of the Thirty-Seven Hunting Ground, Huerle, braved the heavy snow with his men to search for lost cattle and sheep in the wilderness. They found Zhou Lu, who was crying.

That day was bitterly cold, and even people wrapped in thick, bulky fur coats shivered. Huerle, unable to fathom how this infant survived such a heavy snow, felt immense pity and picked up Zhou Lu, holding him close to his chest and bringing him back. Based on the name "Zhou Lu" written on the swaddling clothes, he named the child.

Over the years, it was his grandfather who raised Zhou Lu with great hardship. Zhou Lu only knew of his grandfather and not his parents, and the words "father" and "mother" were always a source of pain for him.

Just now, when Hu Biao insulted Zhou Lu by saying he was "raised by a mother but not taught by one," it thoroughly enraged Zhou Lu.

"Pick up your whip and throw it again, and I'll fight you!"

Zhou Lu's cold voice made Hu Biao's body stiffen. Hu Biao turned around in disbelief, seeing Zhou Lu standing there stubbornly, his face pale and his body trembling with anger.

Hu Biao was suddenly overjoyed.

He hadn't expected that a casual remark would provoke Zhou Lu so effectively.

"Little brat, want to be a hero? You've been so mean and vicious, and I was just wondering how to deal with you. Now that you've come to me, if I don't beat you so badly that you can't get back on a horse, I'm not your grandpa."

Hu Biao hid his malicious joy, his face cold and stern. He kicked the whip with his toe, sending it flying back to Zhou Lu's feet.

"Duels" were a form of binding agreement. Once a duel was declared, any injuries, disabilities, or deaths were considered voluntary, and neither party could complain afterward.

Lei Meng waved his hand, and the hunters of Eagle Wing Squad Six stepped back ten paces. The men's eyes showed concern and worry, but also a hidden excitement and enthusiasm.

On the vast plains, physical strength was always the fundamental means of resolving all problems. A true warrior should not back down but should charge forward bravely.

When Zhou Lu refused Hu Biao's whip earlier, it felt satisfying and refreshing, but the men of Eagle Wing Squad Six were secretly a bit unhappy. Zhou Lu's actions were not those of a true warrior.

This time, when Zhou Lu faced the Fox Hunter Captain and challenged him to a duel, although the Eagle Wing brothers were still extremely worried, they mostly gave him a thumbs up, secretly admiring his courage.

Moreover, the hunters of Eagle Wing Squad Six were also eagerly anticipating a real fight from Zhou Lu.

Being able to kick a strong man like Dage away with one kick, yet not revealing his true strength, was quite mysterious. With such strength, he wouldn't be at a great disadvantage against Hu Biao, right? At least he should be able to retreat before being seriously injured or disabled...

On the other side, Qian Ji, the female archer, glared at the fat man, her eyes filled with anger, and she reined in her horse, retreating ten paces.

Hu Biao and Zhou Lu separated, also standing ten paces apart.

Lei Meng, as the referee, stood in the middle.

This sturdy centurion was now full of killing intent, turning his head coldly to look at both sides and asked, "Are you both ready?"

Hu Biao, who was already impatient, nodded forcefully.

On the other side, Zhou Lu took a deep breath, his face tense. He felt very uncertain.

The savage aura vortex and ten savage meridians of the Dao territory were indeed miraculous, giving Zhou Lu an incredible sense of control in battle. However, Zhou Lu was only at the fourth level of the Tu Man Heart Sutra, while Hu Biao was a sixth-level hunter.

More importantly, Hu Biao was a powerful warrior who had seen countless life-and-death battles and had risen to the position of Fox Hunter Captain through years of bloodshed. His hunting knife was wielded with lethal skill, and his combat experience was so rich that it left people in awe.

Even Lei Meng, the centurion, had no confidence in defeating Hu Biao.

Zhou Lu's heart pounded, and he took a deep breath to calm himself, his face pale. He nodded to Lei Meng.

Lei Meng looked at Zhou Lu with concern, swallowed hard, and waved his hand, signaling the start of the duel. Then he leaped backward.

In an instant, the entire valley fell silent, and everyone's heart was on edge, their eyes fixed on the two figures in the center.

This was a wide, flat area in the valley, usually used for training horses. The countless hooves had left deep tracks in the hard rocks, making the ground uneven and even a misstep could cause a sprain.

However, this had almost no effect on Hu Biao.

The moment Lei Meng waved his hand, Hu Biao's legs bent slightly, and he sprang forward like a cheetah, his hunting knife gleaming coldly.

From the start of the duel, Hu Biao set the tone: a rapid, relentless charge. This would be a brutal, no-frills battle, like a meteor collision.

Hu Biao leaped into the air like a soaring eagle, every movement smooth and fluid. Each step covered nearly ten feet, and his state today could only be described as miraculous.

Hearing the distant exclamations of admiration, Hu Biao's vanity was greatly satisfied. He knew that the hunters of Eagle Wing Squad Six, though often at odds with the Fox Hunters, still deeply respected him. They never dared to insult his strength in their taunts.

Hu Biao's greatest wish now was to quickly reach Zhou Lu, display his Blood Fox Knife Technique to the fullest, and show him what true knife skills and the strength of a sixth-level hunter were.

Under the Blood Fox Knife Technique, if the little brat could last five moves, it wouldn't be considered impressive. Hu Biao set the limit at three moves, aiming to decisively and thoroughly defeat the little brat within three moves, then stomp on him in front of Qian Ji...

Hu Biao leaped again, his eyes narrowing, and he licked his lips viciously. In his eyes, Zhou Lu was already a sitting duck. A novice hunter was nothing in his strength.

A light hum of a bowstring.

This sound shattered all of Hu Biao's dreams. A sharp arrow shot toward him like a meteor.

Hu Biao's eyes widened. He had been staring at Zhou Lu, but he hadn't even seen how Zhou Lu drew the bow, and the arrow was already there.

"What speed is that?"

Instinctively, Hu Biao raised his knife, using the first move of the Blood Fox Knife Technique. The cold blade cut through the arrow, and the spiral force from the arrow sent his hunting knife flying.

Hu Biao's wrist went numb, and he landed with a thud, stepping back.

"Huh?"

The entire crowd gasped in surprise.

Zhou Lu didn't charge forward after the duel started; instead, he suddenly drew his bow, which already stunned them.

They recognized that Zhou Lu had used the simplest bow-drawing technique, but from drawing the bow to releasing the arrow, all the movements were fluid and seamless, and the angle of the arrow was so tricky that it was almost impossible to defend against. The arrow shot up diagonally, a highly difficult shooting technique that suddenly appeared in the hands of a low-level hunter, leaving everyone amazed.

More impressively, Zhou Lu had shot the arrow with a spiral force.

In the simplest bow technique, he had incorporated so many high-difficulty skills, demonstrating the art of the bow to the fullest and making Hu Biao struggle to defend.

Just one arrow had stopped Hu Biao's charge.

This was simply unbelievable.

The sudden turn of events made the crowd even more excited.

Hu Biao, shot down from his high position, his face alternating between red and blue, was extremely angry. He raised his hunting knife, ready to charge again.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Zhou Lu drew his bow again, this time with two arrows. He released both arrows simultaneously.

The valley erupted in a roar, the hunters of Eagle Wing Squad Six boiling with excitement.

Zhou Lu's arrows had become two streaks, drawing an elegant arc and shooting toward Hu Biao like lightning.

Meteor Twin Arrows.

This was an extremely difficult shooting technique. Among the over a hundred hunters of Eagle Wing Squad Six, almost no one could do it. Zhou Lu's sudden leap from a simple bow-drawing technique to such a high-difficulty skill shocked everyone.

"Divine Archer?"

"Could Zhou Lu have reached the level of a Divine Archer?"

Even Lei Meng was no longer calm, his eyes bloodshot with excitement, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked.

No one could describe Lei Meng's feelings at this moment, nor could anyone guess how overjoyed he was.

He had been extremely depressed when the fat man was forcibly assigned to him by the Hunter Leader Meng Yan. He had planned to play a trick to embarrass the fat man and then beg the Hunter Leader to kick the waste out. But in a moment, Zhou Lu's impressive kick that sent Dage flying changed his mind.

And in another moment, Zhou Lu suddenly showed the potential of a Divine Archer.

Meteor Twin Arrows. Even if Zhou Lu hadn't reached the level of a Divine Archer, he was probably very close.

Lei Meng had been waiting for three years for something like this, and now it had suddenly fallen into his lap, leaving him dazed.

Hu Biao was also greatly shocked by Zhou Lu's two arrows. His heart sank. If the first arrow's spiral force was a fluke, the second arrow was definitely not.

Facing such a skilled archer, Hu Biao's expression became serious. He used the second and third moves of the Blood Fox Knife Technique in a fluid motion, deflecting the two arrows.

However, the strange force on the arrows made Hu Biao extremely uncomfortable.

One arrow pushed to the left, the other to the right, almost making his hunting knife fly out of his hand. The tearing force made his chest churn with discomfort, and he became extremely wary of Zhou Lu's arrows.