What had happened? How had he lost to Zhang Lie in just one move?

Zhang Quan was unable to accept this result. He hadn't even seen just what Zhang Lie had done to evade his attack; indeed, neither had the onlookers, given the billowing clouds of dust that Zhang Quan's attack had generated.

On the other hand, Zhang Quan was able to sense the fluctuations of genetic energy from his attack quite clearly. The unusual black ripples that Zhang Lie had generated had dissolved his attack in an instant—Zhang Lie was a far stronger hunter than he was!

Since Zhang Quan didn't surrender to him, Zhang Lie flicked his finger at his forehead and knocked him unconscious.

The victor was Zhang Lie. Unlike Chu Feng, who received quite a few cheers from the Chu and Yun delegations after his victory, Zhang Lie's victory was greeted with silence, shock, and astonishment. 

How had they not known about the existence of such a powerful hunter? It was only then that Chu Zhennan understood why Yun Bing and Chu Feng were so willing to side with Zhang Lie.

After a pregnant silence, the Yun and Chu delegations finally gave a belated cheer.

"Haha! Zhang Lie, you knocked him unconscious with just a flick of your finger? Aren't you getting ridiculously strong?" The moment he walked back toward the Chu delegation, Chu Feng began to tease him.

Yun Bing didn't say a word, but her eyes were gleaming. Zhang Lie's dominating victory had been firmly imprinted in her mind. Chu Xun and Yun Meng both surrounded Zhang Lie, circling him as they gave him admiring looks.

On the other hand, the other factions present had gone completely silent, their expressions making it seem as though they had forcibly swallowed a few large flies. What sort of disgusting situation was this?! Who would have expected that they would lose so completely? Just who was that hunter called Zhang Lie? How had Zhang Quan fallen to a single blow?

They were the ones who had suggested staking everything on a match. After losing so completely, they didn't dare remain at the scene any longer.

After a few customary farewells and a few heated glances in Zhang Lie's direction, the remaining delegations all left swiftly.

"Phew, they're finally gone!" Zhang Lie relaxed.

Yun Bing scoffed. "As if you were ever worried!"

"Didn't you see how many people there were? It would have been troublesome, even for me, to fight them all!"

In truth, Zhang Lie did have a way of escaping, given how familiar he had become with the ruins. If a fight were imminent, it would have been trivial for him to escape, but it would have been far harder to bring Fang Yi and Sun Mengmeng with him.

"Alright, alright! Regardless, I have to thank both of you for standing up for me today. These techniques aren't too bad, so I'll hand them over to you."

The reason that the Yun and Chu clans had protected Zhang Lie at all costs was because they knew that the other major clans wouldn't dare attack, and that Zhang Lie's strength as a hunter was worth the favor that they would obtain from him.

Furthermore, they were more or less friends by now. He wouldn't have met Chu Feng and Yun Bing if he hadn't initially wanted to make a transaction with them, but after a slew of successful transactions, they had earned his respect.

Zhang Lie knew that Yun Bing and Chu Feng hadn't done him a favor out of pure altruism, but it was nevertheless a rare ally who would do so much for him. In particular, Yun Bing, who had brought out her orb of primality, had staked her life on the line.

Even if they weren't interested in the spoils from the ruins, the elders who had come along with them would hardly permit them to return with nothing. After taking such a huge risk on his behalf, they should certainly receive part of the spoils.

Although these techniques weren't too valuable to the prestigious Yun and Chu clans, surely there had to be something unusual about techniques that the Eclipse Sage himself would keep on hand.

Zhang Lie offered each of them a manual. [Almanac of the Winds] and [Cloud Spires] were two of the seven pinnacle-grade techniques left behind by the Eclipse Sage.

The two of them were intending to refuse politely and instead accept a favor for the indeterminate future, but Zhang Lie refused to play such games. "What, are you looking down on these pinnacle-grade techniques? If you are, I'll keep them for myself!"

The moment he made to take back the manuals, neither hunter could stand still. Even the elders beside them were raring to make a move.

"No, Zhang Lie, don't! We were just trying to be polite!" Chu Feng immediately took the proffered [Almanac of the Winds], and Yun Bing [Cloud Spires].

Of course, Zhang Lie wasn't really intending to keep the manuals for himself; he would reward amity and avenge enmity. The manuals were certainly worth the favor the Yun and Chu clans had done for him, and even if Yun Bing and Chu Feng had refused the manuals, he would have foisted the manuals on them regardless.

Having divided up the spoils, it was time to leave the ruins.

"Again, thank you for helping my team when they were in need. I'll see you both again soon!"

Zhang Lie was about to leave with his team when the elders from the two clans called him back. "Wait, lad!"

Zhang Lie, Chu Feng, and Yun Bing had been talking among themselves, and the two elders had remained silent during their conversation. That Zhang Lie had handed over the two manuals gained him the two elders' approval. He seemed relatively honorable, and he was certainly a strong hunter, so it would be well worth the two clans' time to make an acquaintance of him.

"Lad, we, along with the Zhou, He, and Qian clans, have been major powers in the capital for decades, and we're all quite familiar with each other's antics. I doubt they've given up on the inheritance so easily, so as a precaution, you'd best return to the capital with us before teleporting away!"

Indeed, he had obtained the Eclipse Sage's inheritance! How could the other clans retreat so easily, especially after knowing that such a valuable possession was in his hands?

The Yun and Chu clans would protect him within the ruins, and they had motioned to stake their claim to the inheritance on a match, but who knew what they would do when they were all back in the real world?

After all, no matter how strong Zhang Lie was, he was still from a younger generation of hunters, and if the three clans were adamant on acquiring it even at the cost of their reputation, they could easily send stronger hunters from older generations his way.

Zhang Lie bowed his head. "I neglected this possibility. Thank you for your reminder, elders, and I'd be honored to travel with your delegation!"