I am a Warrior

In the square, the commotion caused by Ye Tian and Ye Wei swiftly drew a gathering of villagers, eager to witness the spectacle. 

Upon hearing Ye Wei's words, the crowd comprehended the situation: Ye Wei was deliberately targeting Ye Tian. Anger flickered in the eyes of many villagers, their simple hearts unaccustomed to such schemes. Yet, a few youths, who had once envied Ye Tian's talents, wore expressions of malicious delight. 

"Ye Wei, do you seek a fight?" Before Ye Tian could respond, Ye Meng, seeing his son being bullied, exclaimed angrily. 

"Ye Meng, this is a matter for the younger generation. Why are you interfering? Besides, my son hasn't said anything untrue; those were indeed the words of the captain!" Ye Wei's father, Ye Ba, retorted with a sneer. As the vice-captain of the beast hunting team, with strength reaching Warrior Level 8, he was indifferent to Ye Meng, a mere Warrior Level 7. 

"Ye Ba, you well know my son has yet to awaken his martial spirit!" Ye Meng's fury boiled over at the retort. 

"Whose fault is that? Besides, the captain did not say that those who failed to awaken their martial spirit shouldn't participate in the contest!" Ye Ba replied coldly. 

"You…" Ye Meng was rendered speechless by rage. 

"Enough!" 

With a sharp command, Ye Feng silenced them. His fierce gaze enveloped the square, instilling an air of tranquility. His high standing made him a likely candidate for the next village chief, and even Ye Ba had to show respect. 

"Hmph!" 

Ye Tian observed the unfolding drama with a detached gaze, finally understanding the importance of strength. In this land dominated by Warriors, only the powerful wield authority and make decisions. 

"Ye Tian, why do you refuse to participate in the contest?" Ye Feng turned his attention to Ye Tian, his tone grave. 

With Ye Ba and Ye Wei's antics disrupting the proceedings, Ye Feng felt it necessary to reprimand Ye Tian, though he recognized his innocence and intended only a mild admonition. 

However, Ye Tian's response astonished everyone. 

"Respectfully reporting, Uncle Feng, I have already advanced to Warrior level, so I see no need to participate in the contest." Ye Tian replied calmly, maintaining his composed demeanor throughout. 

As his words echoed, the crowd fell into stunned silence. 

"Come, let us drink! A toast among old friends!" 

"Village chief, those youngsters are causing a ruckus; aren't you going to intervene?" 

"Intervene? Why should I? It's only youthful exuberance; weren't you the same in your day? Feng will handle it." 

Not far away, Ye Shi was drinking with several elders from the village. Despite their strength, they heard Ye Tian's proclamation and all paused in disbelief. 

"Advanced to Warrior level?" 

"Impossible!" 

"Ye Tian must be out of his mind!" 

After a moment of silence, the crowd erupted in a cacophony of disbelief, shaking their heads in unison, convinced that Ye Tian had snapped under pressure. 

Even Ye Meng grew anxious, grasping Ye Tian's arm, he exclaimed, "Tian'er, what's wrong with you? Stop spouting nonsense; don't scare me like this. Don't worry, with your old man here, no one dares to lay a finger on you." 

"Sigh, this child... I didn't expect him to be unable to handle the pressure!" In the distance, Ye Shi retracted his gaze and sighed. 

"That may not be the case; perhaps he truly has advanced to Warrior level," an elder nearby murmured. If Ye Tian were present, he would recognize this elder as the guardian of the Bai Wu Pavilion. 

"Elder San, what do you mean?" Ye Shi furrowed his brow. 

"Let's wait and see; today is a day for celebration," the elder from Bai Wu Pavilion said with a faint smile, his eyes gleaming with interest as they fixed on the composed Ye Tian in the distance. He mused, This boy is quite skilled at hiding his true abilities; even his father is unaware. Ye Wei has truly bitten off more than he can chew this time. I just wonder how well he has trained in his Thunder Palm. 

Upon hearing this, Ye Shi's frown deepened as he turned his attention back to Ye Tian. 

Nearby, Ye Tian looked at his anxious father, forcing a bitter smile. 

"Father, do you not believe me either? I truly have advanced to Warrior level," Ye Tian replied with a weary grin. 

"Tian'er, come back with me; don't worry, they won't stop us!" Ye Meng, dismissing Ye Tian's protests, turned to leave. 

"Hey..." Ye Wei immediately protested, but before he could say more, Ye Feng shot him a piercing glare that silenced him. 

Seeing this, Ye Ba fell silent as well, whispering to Ye Wei, "Son, know when to stop." 

At that moment, Ye Feng spoke again, addressing Ye Meng. "Take him home; consider this matter settled. It is also my oversight. If you need any assistance, don't hesitate to find me." 

Clearly, he too believed Ye Tian was merely overwhelmed and had lost his sanity. 

"Thank you, Captain!" Ye Meng expressed his gratitude, touched that Ye Feng was so forgiving despite his earlier outburst. 

Ye Tian, feeling utterly exasperated, thought, Did I merely become a Warrior, and now no one believes me? 

"Sigh!" 

With that thought, Ye Tian sighed softly, freeing himself from his father's grasp and striding toward a pile of massive stones at the edge of the square. 

"Tian'er, what are you doing? Come back with me!" Ye Meng urged, rushing to stop Ye Tian, but was halted by Ye Feng's firm grip on his arm. 

"Captain?" Ye Meng frowned at Ye Feng. 

Ye Feng's gaze flickered, observing Ye Tian moving toward the stones. He quietly said, "Let's wait and see; it seems Ye Tian hasn't truly lost his mind." 

"Huh? Captain, do you mean...?" Ye Meng's eyes widened in excitement. 

"Captain, you can't seriously think that kid has actually advanced to Warrior level?" Ye Ba's mocking voice chimed in.

"Impossible! How could one become a warrior after failing to awaken their martial spirit?" sneered Ye Wei. 

Everyone turned to look at Ye Tian, who was approaching a pile of massive stones, including Ye Shi and the elders. 

There were a total of ten stones, corresponding to the ten levels of a warrior. The first stone weighed a thousand pounds, and only those with a strength level of at least a first-level warrior could lift it; a martial apprentice would be unable to budge it at all. 

These ten stones served as the testing grounds for the warriors of Ye Village to assess their levels. 

Ye Tian's approach to these stones was self-evident, drawing the gaze of all present—some filled with anticipation, some with derision, and others with malicious glee. 

"Since you don't believe me, I shall demonstrate the truth. This time, you are utterly mistaken!" 

Ye Tian advanced toward the first stone. 

Instantly, all eyes were on him. 

Even the slow-witted Ye Meng understood his son's intentions and felt a surge of excitement within. Could it be that Tian Er had truly become a warrior? Was it possible to become a warrior even after failing to awaken one's martial spirit? He couldn't recall having heard of such a thing. 

"Ye Tian, go ahead and lift it! If you can, I will eat this stone!" came Ye Wei's mocking voice. 

Today was not only the annual festival but also his day of great joy, as he was about to head to Lin Village to meet Lin Jiao Jiao, making him all the more eager to witness Ye Tian's embarrassment. 

"Is that so? You better not regret it!" 

Ye Tian turned at Ye Wei's words, a peculiar smile on his face. 

"Hmph! Let's see if you can actually lift it. Do you want me to give you an hour to prepare?" Ye Wei scoffed. 

"No need." 

Ye Tian snorted lightly, embracing the massive stone. With a fierce shout and a surge of energy, the stone trembled before being hoisted aloft, resting above his head. 

In that instant, the square fell into dead silence. 

Everyone stared at Ye Tian, who was lifting the stone, their expressions utterly remarkable. Moments later, gasps of astonishment filled the air. 

"Hahaha…" In the crowd, Ye Meng laughed heartily, his face alight with joy. "Tian Er has truly become a warrior!" 

"It's actually true!" Although he had his suspicions, seeing Ye Tian achieve the status of a warrior left Ye Feng astonished. 

From afar, the village chief, Ye Shi, was equally shocked. His eyes widened as he seemed to contemplate something, glancing at the elder from the Martial Arts Pavilion beside him, and said gravely, "Old man, did you know about this all along?" 

"Of course! That kid took the Thunderclap Palm from me. I wonder how well he's trained?" the elder from the Martial Arts Pavilion chuckled. 

"The Thunderclap Palm? He's only a first-level warrior and is already practicing the Thunderclap Palm? Isn't that a waste of his talent?" Ye Shi exclaimed anxiously. 

"Don't worry; that kid isn't as rash as he seems. We should just watch closely; perhaps he will surprise us," the elder from the Martial Arts Pavilion replied with a smile. 

"You can't possibly think he'll master the Thunderclap Palm, can you?" Ye Shi asked, incredulously. 

"Perhaps!" The elder from the Martial Arts Pavilion smiled, noncommittally. 

"How could that be? Even if he's become a warrior, how long has it been? It's impossible for him to master the Thunderclap Palm." Ye Shi shook his head, unable to believe that Ye Tian could have truly learned it. 

"You were the one who claimed he had no martial spirit," the elder from the Martial Arts Pavilion pointed out with a laugh. 

"Uh…" Ye Shi fell silent, momentarily at a loss for words. 

From a distance, everyone was stunned, looking at Ye Tian in disbelief. 

"Boom!" 

With a resounding crash, Ye Tian set the stone down, causing the square to tremble. 

He then surveyed the crowd around him with an air of pride, noticing the astonished expressions on their faces. 

"So, this is what it feels like to look down upon others? Quite exhilarating!" Ye Tian thought as he surveyed the onlookers, feeling an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and a sense that he might soon break through to become a second-level warrior. 

"Impossible!" 

A loud shout echoed from nearby, and it was Ye Wei, staring at Ye Tian in disbelief. "This is impossible! Without a martial spirit, how could you become a warrior?" 

"Facts speak louder than words," Ye Tian replied coldly with a smirk. 

"Hmph! Who's to say you didn't use some trick? If you're capable, let's spar and see what you've really got!" Ye Wei retorted coldly. 

Ye Tian's eyes flickered with determination at his words. He thought to himself: you're really asking for trouble. Today, I'll make sure you can't get married. Let's see if you dare to act so arrogantly afterward. 

With that, Ye Tian looked at Ye Wei and said icily, "Let's have a match." 

Instantly, the crowd erupted in excitement, their eyes filled with anticipation.