At the age of eight, he impersonated the orphan of a military officer and went to the martial world.

Wang Ziteng was the first to react.

"Great idea!"

He roared and, without the slightest hesitation, charged toward the wrecked wooden boat like an arrow released from a bow.

With his arms bulging and a low growl of "Lift!" he managed to lift most of the bow of the boat out of the mud, relying on his innate strength and sheer grit!

"What are you all standing there for! If you want to live, come and help! Lift it together!"

Wang Ziteng looked up and shouted at the other children who were still in a daze, his voice like thunder.

"Carry them over there and run them over! Otherwise, none of us will survive!"

That shout was like lighting the fuse of a powder keg.

The children who had previously said they would fight to the death immediately realized what was happening and rushed over to help, yelling as they did so.

Those children who were initially hesitant and retreating, seeing a glimmer of hope for survival in their desperate situation, were also inspired by this spirit and gritted their teeth to rush forward.

Dozens of thin arms pushed and lifted, chanting off-key slogans, and actually managed to drag the heavy, broken wooden boat out of the mud and lift it shakily off the ground!

"One! Two! Push—!"

Under Wang Ziteng's roaring command, a group of ragged, emaciated children, like ants carrying battering rams, unleashed astonishing strength, pushing the rickety wooden boat toward the entrance of the narrow plank road in a desperate charge!

Not far away, at the edge of the mountain ridge.

The scholar in the blue robe, standing with his hands behind his back, gleamed even brighter in his eyes, his smile deepening as he murmured in praise, "Excellent! What a brilliant move to break the deadlock with an object! He doesn't rely on brute force, but knows how to outsmart others. This young man is a rough gem."

The armored youth behind him was also slightly moved, clearly not expecting these children to come up with such a method.

Under the observation deck's canopy.

Grandpa He, who taught the children martial arts, watched as Wang Ziteng raised his arm and a large crowd responded. A rare hint of approval appeared on his tense face. He nodded slightly: "Decisive in character, and with some charisma, he knows that in dire straits, only by working together can there be a chance of survival. Rare indeed."

The helmsman, Xu Changhe, narrowed his eyes as he watched the dilapidated wooden boat being pushed closer and closer by the children, a glint of shrewdness flashing deep within his eyes.

The leader of the Guzhu Hall next to him gave a soft "hmm," his sharp gaze sweeping over Zhang Yuan and Wang Ziteng in the crowd, and slowly said, "One dares to think, the other dares to act. They're a perfect match."

On the plank road.

Seeing the enormous wooden ship being pushed in like a monster, the faces of the gang members guarding the front row finally changed.

They possessed the strength of the Acquired Realm, but they had nowhere to maneuver on the narrow plank road. Faced with this colossal creature charging towards them like an overturned tidal wave, their wooden sticks seemed utterly ridiculous!

"Damn it! Get out of the way!"

"There's no escaping it! Jump into the river!"

Before the shouts and curses could even begin, the heavy bow of the dilapidated wooden boat slammed violently into the entrance of the pier!

"Boom—Crack!"

Wood chips flying everywhere!

The narrow entrance to the plank road was instantly blocked by the broken wooden boat!

The first two or three gang members were thrown into the air by the huge impact before they could even scream. They tumbled and fell into the turbid and swift river below like broken sacks, splashing up a lot of water before being swept away by the muddy waves!

The others who couldn't dodge in time were also grazed by the boat, lost their footing, and fell into the water screaming.

The plank road was in a mess, with only two or three gang members remaining standing a little behind. Seeing that things were not going well, they scrambled off the plank road and fled back to the riverbank in a sorry state, their faces pale. They dared not go forward to stop them anymore.

"Charge—!"

"Passed! Passed!"

The overwhelming joy of surviving the disaster instantly overwhelmed the children!

They erupted in deafening cheers, as if forgetting their hunger and fear, and like a flood bursting its banks, they rushed through the wrecked boardwalk and surged toward the ten lone bamboo stakes standing on the riverbank!

However, the path to survival was within reach, but the battle had only just begun.

On the shallow water of the riverbank, there were ten green bamboo stakes, each about the thickness of a bowl and about five feet high.

The top of the stake had been flattened, leaving a foothold of only half a foot in diameter. It was smooth and straight, making it inherently shaky and difficult to stand on.

Even worse, the lower half of the pile was submerged in the river and constantly eroded by the water flow, so the foundation was not entirely stable.

If someone climbs up, the people below only need to shake or push slightly, or even just forcefully hit the bamboo stake itself, and the person on top will lose their balance and instantly fall into the rushing river!

The children rushed to the base of the stake, their survival instinct driving them to climb upwards at all costs.

Someone had just grabbed the slippery bamboo stake and was trying to climb up when a competitor caught up from behind grabbed their trouser leg and yanked them down, screaming as they fell into the water.

Someone had barely climbed halfway up the bamboo stake when, in the ensuing scramble for another stake, a child bumped into it, causing the stake to shake violently. The person on top screamed and fell, instantly swallowed by the murky river.

In an instant, screams echoed along the riverbank, the sound of people falling into the water was incessant, and the turbid waves surged, mercilessly swallowing one weak figure after another.

Wang Ziteng protected Zhang Yuan as they rushed to a lone bamboo stake. Just as he was about to climb up and take up a spot, he suddenly stopped.

He turned to look at Zhang Yuan beside him, whose face was still pale and whose steps were unsteady. Then he looked at the chaotic scene around him, where people were fighting like hungry wolves and falling into the water one after another. His eyes instantly became extremely firm.

He shoved Zhang Yuan forward abruptly in front of the bamboo stake, his voice firm and resolute: "Go up there! Now!"

Zhang Yuan was taken aback: "Ziteng, you..."

"Stop talking nonsense! I'm guarding this place!" Wang Ziteng had already turned around, leaning against the bamboo stake, his fists clenched, adopting a defensive stance, like a cub guarding its territory, staring intently at the surrounding competitors who were eyeing him covetously and trying to approach, roaring, "If you want to touch him, you'll have to get past me first! Anyone who comes up here, I'll fight them to the death!"

Zhang Yuan's heart trembled violently, and a warm current mixed with sourness surged up instantly.

Without further hesitation, taking advantage of the brief opening created by Wang Ziteng's body, he used both hands and feet to climb up the slippery bamboo stake with difficulty but quickly.

His footing, which was only about half a foot in diameter, was swaying violently, and he had to do everything he could to keep his balance.

Standing on the swaying lone bamboo stake, Zhang Yuan's gaze went beyond the fierce struggle at his feet and looked further into the distance along the riverbank.

He saw the gang members who had been knocked into the water and scrambled ashore in a disheveled state, staring at the children with resentment and disbelief; he could almost see the shadows lurking on the edge of the mountains; he could feel the unusual tension and chill in the air.

The black iron plaque in his arms was pressed tightly against his chest, cold and heavy.

He knew perfectly well that the Green Bamboo Gang would face a devastating bloodbath today!

The competition for the qualification to become a disciple of Guzhu Hall has long since lost all meaning.

Survival is the only goal right now.

On the riverbank, ten solitary bamboo stakes stand like narrow bridges leading to survival, above the turbid and swift river.

The foothold was no more than half a foot in diameter, and the five-foot-high bamboo pole swayed violently as the river water eroded and the people above fought.

To gain a foothold on the stakes, you must completely defeat the challenger on the riverbank below!

The pressure of life and death instantly ignited the children's repressed animalistic instincts.

The fragile alliance that had just been forging ahead has crumbled, replaced by a naked struggle for survival!

"Get out of the way! This is my spot!"

"Get down!"

"Ah—don't pull me!"

Screams, curses, and the sound of falling into the water instantly intertwined into a hellish cacophony.

Several strong children rushed to the bamboo stakes they had chosen and climbed up using both their hands and feet.

But immediately, a competitor rushed up from behind and grabbed his ankles, trouser legs, and even his hair, dragging him down!

The moment they landed, they were not greeted by soft soil, but by the merciless punches, kicks, bites, and even headbutts from other children!

Just as someone grabbed onto the bamboo stake, someone below shook the bamboo pole violently. The person above screamed, lost their balance, and plunged into the churning, muddy waves, instantly swallowed up.

A boy of about eleven or twelve years old, with fierce eyes and a scar on his face, stared at the bamboo stake behind Wang Ziteng.

He clearly had some skill; he rushed forward and threw a punch straight at Wang Ziteng's face, the force of the punch whistling through the air!

Wang Ziteng's eyes flashed with a fierce light. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his feet firmly planted in a bow stance. His right fist shot out like a cannonball, precisely the "Bow Stance Punch" taught by Master He!

"Bang!"

As their fists collided, the scarred boy felt an immense force surge through him, causing a sharp pain in his arm. He staggered back three steps, finally stopping only after crashing into a bamboo stake behind him, his face filled with horror.

Wang Ziteng's strength far exceeded his expectations!

Under the shade of a pavilion not far away, a glint flashed in Old He's eyes: "Good! The stance is solid, and the power is fierce! He has already grasped seven-tenths of the true essence of this basic boxing technique!"

The leader of the Guzhu Hall nodded slightly: "His talent for strength is indeed rare."

Just as Wang Ziteng had repelled one person, another boy, as agile as a monkey, darted out from the side, his hands like claws, aiming straight for Wang Ziteng's waist and ribs with a tricky move!

Wang Ziteng reacted extremely quickly, blocking with his left elbow and using his right arm to grab the opponent's wrist with a "silk-wrapping hand" move. With a twist of his waist, he slammed the monkey-faced boy to the ground with a back throw!

"puff!"

The monkey-faced boy was dazed and confused, blood spilling from his mouth. He rolled to the edge of the wooden platform, half of his body dangling in the air, about to fall into the river!

Wang Ziteng instinctively reached out and grabbed the other person's wrist, trying to pull him up.

There was no gratitude in the monkey-faced boy's eyes; instead, a hint of resentment and madness flashed across them!

With his other hand, he suddenly pulled a sharpened bone dagger from his pocket and slashed it fiercely at the arm that Wang Ziteng was holding!

"Sizzle!"

The sound of tearing cloth rang out, and a deep bloody gash instantly appeared on Wang Ziteng's forearm, dripping with blood!

"you--!"

Wang Ziteng cried out in pain, looking at the other party's ungrateful behavior in disbelief, and subconsciously let go of his hand.

"Hahaha! You idiot!"

The monkey-faced boy laughed wildly, using the momentum to steady himself and flip onto the edge of the wooden platform.

However, Wang Ziteng's injury and this blatant betrayal were like igniting the final fuse!

Several children who were eyeing the location and were already bloodthirsty saw that Wang Ziteng's arm was injured and immediately found a way to break through!

"He's injured! Charge!"

"Kill him and take his place!"

Four or five children, like hungry wolves smelling blood, howled and pounced on Wang Ziteng from different directions!

Punches and kicks rained down like raindrops, and some even picked up stones from the ground!

Wang Ziteng roared and swung his arm to block, but two fists were no match for four hands. Coupled with the sharp pain in his arm, he was instantly forced into a dangerous situation. He was hit hard on the back and shoulder several times in succession, and he staggered. He was about to be knocked down and overwhelmed!

At this critical moment!

Zhang Yuan, who had been standing steadily on the bamboo stake, coldly observing the fierce battle below as if accumulating some kind of power, suddenly flashed a cold light in his eyes!

Without the slightest hesitation, he leaped from the lone bamboo stake five feet off the ground, like a hawk hunting its prey!

The small figure, carrying a resolute and ruthless air, landed precisely half a step behind Wang Ziteng!

"Waaah—"

A scream breaks through the air!

Zhang Yuan gripped the rusty broken sword tightly in his right hand, took a step forward, and his figure was so fast that only a blur remained.

The cold glint of the broken sword drew a strange and deadly arc amidst the chaos.

The rusted blade silently pierced the ribs of a burly child who was throwing a punch at the back of Wang Ziteng's head!

"Pfft!"

The cold metal easily tore through the coarse cloth and flesh, sinking deep inside!

The burly child's movements froze instantly, his ferocious expression solidified, transforming into extreme pain and bewilderment.

He didn't even see who did it.

Zhang Yuan's wrist didn't tremble at all; he twisted and pulled sharply!

"Sizzle—"

The broken sword's blade cut through the oil like a hot knife, leaving a deep, bone-revealing, half-foot-long, terrifying bloodstain on the opponent's ribs!

Broken pieces of internal organs mixed with scalding blood gushed out like a fountain!

Hot, viscous blood with a strong, fishy smell sprayed all over Zhang Yuan's head and face like ink being splashed!

His already tattered clothes were completely stained a glaring dark red!