The Fourth Round of Matches Ends

The brief tranquility of the rest area was broken by the long, drawn-out sound of Niujiao horns. The advancing warriors quickly gathered in front of the platform, and the surrounding tribesmen also regrouped. The crowd was even more surging than in the morning, as everyone wanted to witness the birth of the top 200 in the Fire Tribe's main valley.

Standing atop the high platform, Jianshi's piercing gaze swept over the four hundred faces below, faces still brimming with fighting spirit after three rounds of elimination. The registrar quickly finished counting and reported in a low voice. Jianshi nodded slightly, his booming voice once again echoing through the valley:

"Warriors! You have proven with your strength that you are the elite among the thousands of warriors of the Fire Tribe!"

The four hundred people in the audience stood tall, their eyes fixed intently.

"This next round will determine who from the Fire Tribe Valley will make it into the final top 200!" Jianshi's voice carried an inspiring force. "These two hundred will join the eighty-six warriors selected from Little Gathering Valley and Deer Tribe to compete for the final top 100, and even the top ten!"

He paused, his tone turning serious. "The further we go, the stronger the opponents will be, and the more dangerous the battles will become. I urge you to give it your all, but even more importantly, remember your kinship! Protect yourselves, and don't accidentally harm your fellow tribesmen!"

"Now, the final round of the competition—to narrow down the field from 400 to 200—begins!"

"Good! Good! Good!" The four hundred warriors responded with three thunderous shouts, the sound waves rolling and stirring the hearts of the people. The surrounding tribespeople also erupted in cheers like a tsunami, pushing the atmosphere of the entire valley to a new climax.

Under the referee's guidance, the warriors quickly split up and headed to their respective arenas. The number of participants was now halved, but the number of arenas remained at forty. Around each arena, four referees performed their duties, their expressions more focused than in the morning.

Yan arrived at the designated arena. The format for this round was ten people per arena, with five matches of two-on-one duels. He was assigned to the fourth match. While waiting, he rested in the waiting area, calmly observing the battle that was about to begin on the arena.

The first two to step onto the stage immediately caught Yan's attention. One of them was an old acquaintance— Qingti, the warrior leader of the Original Deer Tribe. Years ago, Light Hoof had impressed Yan with his agility and excellent scouting abilities on his first trip to the Fish Tribe. Now, Qingti possessed an even more Chenwen demeanor, standing on the arena like a spirit deer poised to pounce. His opponent was Shifeng — the Xiaotou from the Stone River basin upstream of the Fish River, who had only managed to advance after a grueling battle that morning. However, Shifeng Crack still looked somewhat tired, clearly indicating that he hadn't fully recovered from the exhausting battle that morning.

"Start!"

Before the referee had even finished speaking, his Qingti moved. His movements were still Xunjie, but now they possessed a greater precision and power than before. Instead of probing and testing the waters, he directly raised his spear and swung it, the speed of which quickly created a whooshing sound.

Although Shifeng was exhausted, his fighting spirit remained undiminished, and he gritted his teeth and raised his spear to parry.

"Bang!"

The two spears clashed with a crisp sound. Shifeng was jolted and stumbled back two steps before barely regaining his footing. A look of astonishment flashed across his face; he clearly hadn't expected his opponent's arm strength to be so formidable.

Yan, watching from below the stage, secretly admired Qingti. It seemed that Qingti had not become complacent after joining the Fire Tribe. Not only had he maintained his original advantages, but he had also strengthened his strength training. His attack just now had perfectly combined speed and power.

After suffering a loss, Shifeng became more cautious and tried to counterattack with a steady defense. However, once Qingti's attack was launched, it was as smooth as flowing water, with unpredictable steps. His wooden spear would sometimes thrust and sometimes sweep, sometimes feint to lure the enemy, and sometimes strike with lightning speed. He had obviously seen that Shifeng Feng was exhausted, so he was not in a hurry to attack. Instead, he kept maneuvering his opponent to deplete his already limited strength.

Shifeng struggled to hold on for ten rounds, drenched in sweat and his movements noticeably sluggish. By the twentieth round, his defense was on the verge of collapse. Qingti seized the opportunity, delivering a precise Thrust that Shifeng Feng narrowly deflected. Qing Ti then shifted his footwork with ghostly speed, closing the distance instantly. With a flick of his wooden spear shaft, he deflected Shifeng's weakened defense, simultaneously delivering a clean and swift sweeping kick to the side!

"Thump!"

The Shifeng crevice was already unstable underfoot, and this perfectly timed sweep caused him to lose his balance and fall to the ground, unable to get up for a moment.

"First match, Qingti wins!" the referee declared immediately.

He Qingti stopped, his face devoid of smugness. He stepped forward, reached out and pulled Shifeng panting Shi Xian up, saying sincerely, "Your skills and perseverance are quite good. If I hadn't exhausted myself this morning, I wouldn't have won so quickly."

Using the Shifeng as leverage, he stood up, shaking his head with a wry smile, "A loss is a loss. There are so many powerful people in the Fire Tribe. I'm completely convinced. Thank you for going easy on me." He could tell from that kick that his opponent had held back.

The two patted each other on the shoulder and walked off the stage together, winning applause from the audience. This was not just about winning or losing, but also about the respect between martial artists.

The second match began immediately, featuring Changjiao, a renowned warrior leader from the original Green Sheep Tribe. This taciturn man, like an uncarved rock, exuded an imposing and unyielding aura. His opponent was Yangen, a Xiaotou who had joined the Fire Tribe back in the Little Gathering Valley era. When Yangen first joined, he was thin and bony, but now, several years later, thanks to the Fire Tribe's abundant food and systematic training, he had become strong and robust, with Chenwen gaze.

"Start!"

Changjiao did not launch a preemptive attack, but simply stood firmly with his spear. Yangen let out a low shout and took the lead, his wooden spear whistling as it thrust straight at Longhorn with tremendous force. Changjiao neither dodged nor evaded, but instead moved his wooden spear horizontally with seemingly slow but incredibly precise movements.

Thump!

With a dull thud, Yangen's attack momentum faltered. Yangen's heart tightened, and he immediately changed his tactics, unleashing his spear technique in an attempt to find an opening with a continuous barrage. However, Changjiao's defense was like an impenetrable wall. No matter which angle Yangen attacked from, his seemingly ordinary wooden spear always managed to block it perfectly. He didn't move his feet much, but he always managed to occupy the most advantageous position.

After a dozen or so rounds, Yangen's offensive gradually weakened, while Changjiao remained steady. After parrying Yangen's diagonal slash, Changjiao took a half-step forward for the first time, pushing his wooden spear forward. Yangen felt an irresistible, gentle force coming his way, and involuntarily staggered backward. When he came to his senses, one foot was already outside the ring.

"Match 2, Changjiao wins!" the referee announced.

After Yangen, he clasped his hands in a salute to Changjiao, completely convinced of his superiority. Changjiao simply nodded slightly and silently walked off the stage.

In the third match, the atmosphere suddenly became heated, as the warrior leader from the former White Pig Tribe, Houzong, took to the stage. This man, renowned for his strength, drew cheers from the moment he appeared. His opponent, however, caused the members of the Youth Team standing by the ring to collectively erupt in excitement— Shangou! This former member of the Youth Team, though still young, had shed his childishness and possessed sharp eyes.

"Go, Shangou!" Gubang, Daya, Zhuangchai, and the others shouted at the top of their lungs, even more excited than if they were on stage themselves. Yan also nodded slightly, casting an encouraging glance at Shangou.

"Start!"

Houzong lived up to his reputation. With a low growl, he swung his wooden spear, which swept across the room with a whistling sound. The Dali that it seemed he would sweep his opponent away with the spear. Shangou knew that the difference in strength was too great, so he dared not take the blow head-on. He nimbly shifted his feet and dodged the attack to the side. At the same time, his wooden spear, like a venomous snake, swiftly struck Houzong's slightly exposed ribs as he exerted force.

Houzong reacted swiftly, sheathing his spear and returning to defense. The two clashed, Houzong's attacks like a storm, powerful and fierce, forcing Shangou to dodge or deflect each blow. Shangou, on the other hand, fully displayed the agile style taught by Yan, flitting like a butterfly among flowers, weaving through the gaps in Houzong's fierce attacks, striking and retreating immediately, never greedy for credit. Occasionally, he would use a few simple and ruthless close-quarters combat techniques, which, although lacking in strength, could not pose a real threat, but repeatedly forced Houzong to retreat and disrupt his offensive rhythm.

The battle was exceptionally exciting, drawing cheers from the audience. In the blink of an eye, eighteen rounds had passed. Although the Shangou defended brilliantly and dodged skillfully, his stamina was greatly depleted and his breathing was disordered. Houzong seized the moment when the Shangou's steps faltered slightly after one of his dodges, and suddenly took a step forward. Instead of aiming for a fatal blow, he swiftly pushed forward with the shaft of his wooden spear!

The Shangou had exhausted its old strength and had not yet generated new strength. It was pushed backward by this Dali and eventually fell out of the ring.

"Third match, Houzong wins!" the referee announced loudly.

Houzong hunchbacked his spear, looking at the panting Shangou with admiration in his eyes. "Kid, you're young, but you're really agile! If you were any stronger, I'd have a headache."

Although the Shangou was defeated, he showed no dejection. On the contrary, he was somewhat excited to have gained the recognition of a strongman. He steadied his breathing and clasped his hands in thanks to Houzong- Maned: "Thank you for your guidance Houzong -Maned!"

Yan nodded slightly from below the stage. Shangou's performance had exceeded his expectations. He had used his agility and tactics very well. Given time, he would surely become a great man.

"Prepare for the fourth match! Flame, versus Heishi!"

Yan composed himself and stepped into the circle. His opponent was a dark-skinned, muscular young man named Heishi. Yan remembered him; he was the young leader of a small tribe near the Bison Tribe. When he joined the Fire Tribe, he was quite capable. Now, under the nurturing and training of the Fire Tribe, he had become even more robust and powerful, like a young black bear.

"Leader Yan." Upon seeing Yan, Heishi immediately bowed respectfully, his eyes filled with both awe and an barely suppressed desire to challenge him.

Yan smiled back, indicating that there was no need for formalities. "Heishi, attack without hesitation, let me see how you've grown in the Fire Tribe."

"Yes!" Heishi roared, getting into a fighting stance. He clearly knew that Yan's strength was unfathomable, so he went all out from the start, thrusting his wooden spear straight at Yan. His speed and power were well combined, showing a solid foundation and good training results.

Yan held his spear ready, and when the tip of the Shimao was about a foot in front of him, he slightly turned his body and seemingly casually deflected it outwards with his wooden spear. With a soft "clang," the Heishi's sure-fire thrust was deflected, but he reacted quickly, using the momentum to change his move and sweep Yan's lower body. Yan lightly touched the ground with his feet, calmly dodging the attack, and his wooden spear followed closely, pointing at the opening left by the Heishi's change of move, forcing the Heishi to hurriedly return to defense.

In the next few moves, Yan did not rush to end the fight. Instead, like an examiner, he guided and tested Heishi's reaction, strength, speed, and combat awareness with exquisite moves. Heishi also realized that this was a rare learning opportunity. He put aside the thought of winning or losing and focused on responding, showing off what he had learned to the fullest.

After four moves, Yan had already made his assessment. Heishi's foundation was very solid, his strength was formidable, and his combat awareness was also good. He had indeed reached the level of one of the best among the ten captains. What he lacked was some higher-level skills and experience in life-and-death combat. For the fifth move, Yan no longer held back. The wooden spear in his hand drew a mysterious arc. It seemed slow, but it suddenly accelerated the moment Heishi blocked, and the spear shaft slammed heavily into Heishi's spear shaft.

"Smack!"

A tremendous force struck, causing Heishi's tiger's mouth to go numb. He could no longer hold on, and the wooden spear slipped from his hand. He was also knocked back several steps, only managing to regain his footing after retreating outside the arena.

After he regained his footing, he looked at Yan, who remained calm and composed in the center of the room. His eyes were filled with a mixture of shock and gratitude. He knew that if Leader Yan had gotten serious, he might have already lost in the first move.

"Fourth match, Yan wins!" the referee's voice rang out.

Heishi took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Yan once more, everything understood without words. Yan nodded to him, sheathed his spear, and walked towards the rest area, whereupon the Youth Team's supporters cheered again.

Soon, the fifth match also concluded, and everyone waited a while. The battles on all forty arenas had come to an end, and the two hundred victors, led by their respective referees, gathered again in front of the main stage. They were all more or less covered in sweat and fatigue, but their eyes were brighter and more determined than ever before. They had emerged from three thousand two hundred people after four rounds of brutal elimination!

The registration process proceeded swiftly in the afterglow of the setting sun. Jianshi personally watched as the list was carefully recorded. These two hundred names represented the Fire Tribe's most elite warriors. The lottery was temporarily postponed—it would wait until the thirty-six chosen from the Little Gathering Valley and the fifty chosen from the Deer Tribe arrived before all two hundred and eighty-six people would draw lots together to determine the final top 100 competition and even the battle for the top ten.

"Warriors!" Jianshi's voice sounded particularly deep in the twilight, "You have proven your bravery! Three days later, when our brothers from the other two locations arrive, the final contest will determine who is the true warrior of the Fire Tribe! Now, go back and rest well, recharge your energy!"

"Roar!" Two hundred soldiers responded in unison.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Yan followed them back, bathed in the last rays of the setting sun.