Securing a Place in the Top Hundred

The lunch break was short and precious. As the long, drawn-out sound of the Niujiao once again pierced the tranquility of the valley, the 143 warriors who had secured their place in the afternoon's duel rose quickly from all directions and gathered in front of the podium, as if wound up tightly!

On the training ground, after a morning of fierce competition, the atmosphere became even more solemn and tense. The number of participants had decreased sharply, but those who remained were undoubtedly the elite who had undergone a more brutal selection process. The registrar quickly counted and confirmed that all 143 people were present, with no one absent.

Standing atop the high platform, Jianshi's gaze swept across the battle-ready faces below with lightning speed. He refrained from lengthy mobilization speeches, simply uttering two words in a deep voice. "Begin!"

At his command, the referees acted swiftly, guiding the warriors to their assigned arenas. The number of participants had been reduced to just over one hundred, and the number of arenas had been correspondingly reduced to twenty. To prepare for potentially more intense and protracted battles, the number of referees at each arena was increased to eight, ensuring comprehensive monitoring of the competition, timely rulings, and protection of the contestants' safety.

Yan followed the signs to his arena, where three matches would be held that afternoon, and he was scheduled to fight in the first match. The more than one hundred warriors about to engage in battle were of diverse backgrounds but formidable strength: there were chieftains and warriors from the Plain Tribe; there were core veterans who had followed the Fire Tribe since before its expansion; and there were young elites who had recently come of age from the Youth Team and distinguished themselves in the Hunting Team. It could be said that most of the top martial representatives from each generation and lineage of the Fire Tribe had gathered here.

"First match preparation! Flame, versus Kuangfeng!"

Yan composed himself, spear in hand, and stepped into the arena. Almost simultaneously, his opponent also entered the arena— Kuangfeng, one of the best warriors among the earliest members of the Fire Tribe, renowned for his swift attacks and tenacious style, and a famous fierce general in the tribe. He was much older than Yan, with some signs of hardship on his face, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and his physique was lean and strong, with muscles sculpted like rock.

When Kuangfeng saw Yan, his face showed no contempt, but rather an unprecedented seriousness and solemnity. He knew, of course, the weight of the young man before him—this was no opponent whose abilities could be measured by age. Yan's victories in recent years had been widely known throughout the tribe; he was a true young hero forged in blood and fire.

The two men stood five steps apart, exchanging no words, and almost simultaneously assumed standard fighting stances. Their wooden spears were held level, their gazes fixed on each other, their bodies slowly adjusting to the slightest movement of their opponent. The air in the arena seemed to freeze, and even the clamor of the surrounding audience seemed to subside.

The two began to move slowly, circling around, like two fierce beasts scrutinizing each other, searching for weaknesses. Kuangfeng was an experienced player, full of patience; Yan, on the other hand, was even calmer, as still as a deep well. After turning half a circle, a glint flashed in Kuangfeng's eyes—he noticed that Yan seemed to have shifted his center of gravity slightly to the right, a very minor flaw!

"Now!" Kuangfeng roared, his feet suddenly exerting force, his body rushing forward like an arrow released from a bow. With the momentum of his charge, the wooden spear he gripped tightly in his hands transformed into a black line, piercing straight for Yan's left chest! This thrust was as fast as lightning and as Dali as Kuangfeng, Kuangfeng's famous "Thrust" technique, which had claimed the lives of countless opponents.

However, Yan seemed to have anticipated this. The moment the Kuangfeng started, he instantly adjusted his center of gravity, neither dodging nor avoiding. He suddenly exerted force in his waist, twisted his body and swung his arm. The wooden spear in his hand drew a precise arc from bottom to top, and the spear shaft accurately hit the spear shaft that the Kuangfeng was thrusting at him.

"Clang!"

With a crisp impact, Kuangfeng felt a powerful yet subtle force coming from the spear shaft, which not only deflected his sure-fire thrust but also made his hands go numb, his arms go weak, and his forward momentum come to a halt.

He was terrified and hurriedly retreated to create distance, while looking at Yan with suspicion and uncertainty—this boy's strength far exceeded his expectations! What frightened him even more was that Yan did not pursue after blocking; otherwise, his defenses would have been wide open, and the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Yan remained standing, spear in hand, his breathing steady, as if he had merely brushed aside a fallen leaf. Kuangfeng took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his shock, and looked at Yan with deep admiration. No wonder he could so easily kill Tujiu, the leader of the Wolf Tribe; he was completely convinced of Yan's effortless strength.

After a brief respite, Kuangfeng launched another attack. This time, he no longer attempted to overpower Yan with brute force. He moved nimbly, quickly closing in, his wooden spear repeatedly feinting to disrupt Yan's vision and judgment. Then, with a low roar, his spear techniques suddenly became as dense as rain!

"Swish swish swish swish swish swish!"

Seven rapid thrusts, almost in a continuous motion, were aimed at Yan's face, throat, heart, shoulders, and ribs! This was Kuangfeng's trump card, the "Consecutive Thrusts," which relied on speed and frequency to win. It was extremely exhausting, but also incredibly powerful, and had helped him defeat many opponents stronger than himself.

Faced with this Kuangfeng barrage of attacks, Yan finally moved. He no longer remained stationary, his feet moving lightly and nimbly, his wooden spear parrying, deflecting, flicking, and drawing the attacks. He weaved through the dense shadow of spears, precisely neutralizing each strike. The clash of spears was continuous, like a torrential downpour on banana leaves. After seven thrusts, the Kuangfeng of attacks inevitably slowed slightly, a necessary weakness after a full-force burst.

At that very moment of transition between old and new forces, Yan Dong moved! He did not retract the wooden spear that had parried the final thrust, but instead pushed it forward, placing it on the middle of the spear shaft of the Kuangfeng, and then suddenly pulled it to the side! The Kuangfeng was in the moment when its old force was exhausted and its new force had not yet been generated. With this clever pull, its body became unstable and it staggered half a step to the side.

Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Yan leaped forward as if his feet were springy, instantly closing the distance. To Kuangfeng's horrified gaze, a lightning-fast side kick landed squarely on Kuangfeng's waist and abdomen!

"Bang!"

The Kuangfeng howled, and the immense force caused him to lose his balance completely, falling backward to the ground. The wooden spear in his hand also slipped from his grasp and rolled to the side. Just as he was about to struggle to his feet, a cold spear tip hovered an inch above his chest, motionless.

The entire process, from the Kuangfeng launching Consecutive Thrusts to being kicked down and subdued, took less than a breath and less than ten moves in total.

The sidelines were silent for a moment, then erupted into a thunderous roar of cheers! The boys from the Youth Team, including Gubang, Daya, and Zhuangchai, jumped up excitedly and shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Yan wins the first match!" the referee announced loudly, his tone tinged with a hint of surprise.

Yan slowly sheathed his spear, stepped forward, and reached out his hand to the still somewhat dazed Kuangfeng.

Kuangfeng lay on the ground, looking at Yan's young yet resolute face, then at the spot on his chest where the spear tip had just hovered. He felt a bitter and frustrated feeling in his heart. His proudest skill had been so easily broken in the eyes of his opponent... The gap was too great.

"Don't be discouraged," Yan Wen's gentle voice pulled him back to reality. "Your strength is enough to enter the top 100. After the afternoon's competition, there's a revival challenge. All seventy-one of you who were eliminated, including you, can compete for the remaining twenty-nine spots in the top 100. I think you'll have no problem advancing to the top 100."

Yan's words were like a warm current, dispelling the gloom in Kuangfeng's heart. He grasped Yan's hand, using it to help him stand up. Looking into Yan's sincere eyes, the frustration in his heart was gradually replaced by gratitude. "Thank you... thank you, Young Master Yan!" he said solemnly. Being defeated by such a person didn't seem so unacceptable after all.

Yan Chao nodded and walked back to the rest area of the arena amidst the continued cheers of the audience. His battle was over, and he had cleanly and decisively secured a valuable spot in the top 100.

The next two matches presented a completely different style from the first match and also took a long time.

The second match featured Houpi, the former chieftain of the Bison Tribe, against a smaller tribe chief with a healthy wheat-colored complexion who had joined the Fire Tribe earlier. Both were typical powerhouses, burly and muscular. Their first encounter was a hard-hitting, head-on clash, each strike of their wooden spears producing a dull, drum-like thud that numbed the eardrums. They seemed to have abandoned all fancy techniques, engaging in a primal contest of strength, endurance, and resilience.

You unleash a Dali slash, I counter with an unstoppable thrust; you parry and then sweep with your backhand, I parry and then advance with a shoulder strike... The two are like two tireless war machines, battling fiercely on the ring, sweat flying everywhere, their heavy breathing clearly audible, but neither of them backs down.

After more than fifty rounds, Houpi, with his astonishing defense resembling Bison and slightly superior stamina, managed to wear down his opponent. After his opponent's thrust weakened slightly, Thick Skin seized the opportunity to force him back several steps, just outside the ring, thus winning the victory. Both fighters had some bruises, but they were all superficial injuries. After the match, they helped each other off the ring, earning applause of admiration from the audience.

The third match was between Liaoya, the former leader of the White Pig Tribe, and a leader of a small tribe who had migrated from the north with Yan. This northern man was exceptionally robust, like a moving Little Mountain, with terrifying strength, but relatively poor agility. Liaoya, on the other hand, was relatively "slender" (by the standards of the Fire Tribe) and was known for his agile moves and ability to seize opportunities in battle.

At the start of the match, the northern man attempted to overwhelm his opponent with sheer force, his wooden spear swung with ferocious power, forcing Liaoya to dodge repeatedly and avoid direct confrontation. However, Liaoya remained remarkably composed, not rushing to retaliate, but instead using his agile footwork to constantly move around, wearing down his opponent's stamina while carefully observing his opponent's fighting style.

The northern man, unable to gain the upper hand after a prolonged assault, grew increasingly impatient. Though his attacks were fierce, his openings gradually widened. Liaoya, like a patient hunter, dodged each fierce attack, his occasional counterattacks mostly probing and harassing. After more than sixty rounds, the northern man's movements noticeably slowed, his breathing labored, his clothes soaked with sweat. Liaoya, though also exhausted, still had energy to spare thanks to his more energy-efficient fighting style and precise rhythm control.

Finally, just as the northern man's all-out sweeping attack missed and his body leaned slightly forward, a glint of light flashed in Liaoya's eyes! He no longer dodged, but instead strode forward in the direction his opponent was leaning forward. Instead of using his spear, he lowered his shoulder and exerted force, his entire body slamming into his opponent like a cannonball!

Thump!

With a muffled thud, the northern man, caught off guard, was sent flying far away by this premeditated collision, landing with a thud outside the ring. He struggled for a moment but couldn't get up immediately.

"Liaoya wins the third match!" the referee announced.

Liaoya, also panting, walked out of the circle and helped his still somewhat dazed opponent to his feet. The opponent shook his head and gave Liaoya a thumbs up.

Three distinct yet equally exciting matches thrilled the audience in the arena. Yan, Houpi, and Liaoya, the victors, awaited the results of the other matches in the rest area.

As the setting sun once again painted the sky crimson, all the duels on the twenty arenas finally came to an end. The referees led their respective victors—a total of seventy-one people—to the podium for registration. These seventy-one people had firmly secured seventy-one of the top one hundred spots! Glory was already more than half in their hands.

The seventy-one who were defeated (including Feishi, the lucky one who advanced directly in the morning and did not participate in the afternoon's competition, but still needs to accept the challenge) need to register and prepare to participate in the subsequent revival challenge to compete for the remaining twenty-nine spots in the top 100. Feishi held the wooden "Number 72" tag, feeling the mixed feelings of resentment and challenge from the defeated strongmen around him, and knew that his title as the "lucky one" would probably face a severe test tomorrow.

In addition, among the 143 people who were eliminated earlier, only 20 people were given the precious challenge qualification after strict review. They will compete against the 71 people who were defeated this afternoon. The winners will also have the opportunity to compete for the 29 spots and enter the top 100.