Chapter 1670 Clueless Savage Girl
The remaining three Desolate Beasts were also Peak Golden Wilds. However, due to differing body types, their strength was considerably less than the Golden Lion killed by Nick.
If one could slay these three Desolate Beasts alone, might there be a chance to gain favor from the great races within the Middle Void and secure entry?
But immediately, Sun Hao realized he was overthinking it.
These three Desolate Beasts already had masters. From the viewing platforms nearest the central spectator stand, three Noble Barbarians vaulted onto their feet and strode purposefully towards the three arenas.
These three Noble Barbarians were also impressively tall, only slightly shorter than Sun Hao in the tavern. One was bare-handed, another wielded a large axe, and the last was encased in leather armor wielding a giant staff.
Their fighting spirit high, majestic, the three Noble Barbarians charged forward towards the arenas.
The upper echelons of the Barbarian Tribe likely anticipated this; no other Noble Barbarian emerged to cause trouble. These three Desolate Beasts were clearly the designated prey for these three brutes' promotion.
The Bloodbattle Savage Flags seemed to crackle angrily. As the battles began, the three arenas rotated slightly to face the central spectator stand directly, granting the Middle Void races there the best possible vantage point.
Sun Hao lifted the wine barrel from the stone table, tore off a chunk of cooked meat, and began eating and drinking.
If he wanted to enter the Middle Void, his performance on the arena in the coming days would be crucial; he absolutely had to fight his way into the top one thousand.
He tilted his head back, guzzling the wine. Finishing it, he slammed the barrel down on the stone table. He looked beside him, at the little savage girl who had appeared next to Border Collie. She was looking at him and the dog with a face full of craving. Sun Hao grinned and said, "Little sister, drink if you want, eat if you want. It’s my treat."
This was an underaged savage girl. Her eyes held a muddled innocence, her body completely undeveloped. She was like a tiny tot before Sun Hao.
Hearing Sun Hao address her, the little savage girl pointed at her own nose, then at the meat and wine on the table.
Sun Hao smiled and nodded. The little savage girl let out a cheer, sat down on the bench closer to Sun Hao, next to Border Collie, reached out to tear off a piece of cooked meat, grabbed a large wine barrel with both hands, and glugged it straight into her mouth.
It was probably her first time drinking wine. After a couple of large gulps, she slammed the barrel onto the stone table with a thump and began furiously fanning her mouth, as if the alcohol was burning intensely.
Sun Hao laughed heartily: "Bite some meat, it’ll taste better". With that, he opened his mouth and took a savage bite.
Mimicking him, the little savage girl also opened her mouth and took a savage bite.
While chewing the meat, the little savage girl gave Sun Hao a thumbs up. His method worked; she was very pleased.
At that moment, Border Collie stealthily stretched out its dog paw.
Sun Hao’s eyes widened warningly. He gave the stone table a light tap. A large chunk of cooked meat fell off, landing in front of Border Collie. With another flick, a wine barrel flew to land beside the dog.
Border Collie slumped dejectedly and mumbled, "Boss, I really wanted to try tearing meat with my claws."
The little savage girl, munching on meat, looked at Border Collie in amazement. After a few bites, she turned her curious gaze to Sun Hao and blurred out with extreme curiosity, "Barbarian Warrior, although your dog is shockingly ugly, it actually talks..."
Border Collie rolled its eyes at her. Both dog paws clutched a wine barrel larger than its own body by several times, beginning to pour wine into its mouth.
The little savage girl expressed even more amazement: "That mangy dog even drinks wine? Not scared of getting dead drunk?"
Border Collie lowered the wine barrel and retorted huffily, "You're the mangy one! Your whole family is mangy! Barbarians would die from drunkenness before a dog ever would!"
The little savage girl looked utterly bewildered at Sun Hao: "What the doggie said is so profound, Lanlan doesn’t understand it."
Border Collie’s eyes darted as it barked: "This little lass, why aren't you with your family? You could get kidnapped this way, which would be very dangerous, you know?"
What Border Collie said was correct. The Ancient Barbarian City was vast beyond measure. If a little savage girl got separated from her family and lacked any special means, the odds were high she'd become utterly lost within the Ancient Barbarian City.
The little savage girl muttered, "My brother is incredibly powerful. Wherever I hide, he finds me. If it weren’t for him being busy right now, I couldn’t even sneak out. Miserable doggie, don’t fuss about Lanlan."
Border Collie: "You're the miserable one! Your whole family is miserable!"
The little savage girl looked back at Sun Hao, her expression one of vague, uncomprehending puzzlement: "Barbarian Warrior, your doggie talks so profoundly. Lanlan still didn't understand."
Sun Hao… indeed, underaged barbarians weren't especially bright. Their heads seemed not quite functional; that was a racial characteristic. But a little savage girl being this clueless was rare.
Just as he was about to speak, the fierce battle on the arena ahead reached a climax. Inside Sun Hao’s tavern, the Barbarian Warriors burst into cheers simultaneously. The Great Axe Warrior was the first to conclude his fight, slicing off the Peak Golden Wild’s head with a mighty chop of his war axe.
With one axe strike achieving glory, the savage warrior stood in the arena, holding the Desolate Beast's severed head aloft in one hand, his own broad axe raised high in the other, roaring defiantly.
The watching warriors roared back in unison; waves of cheers rippled through the tavern.
The little savage girl covered her ears, looked left and right, wagged her tongue, tore off another piece of meat, and after chewing a few bites, mumbled indistinctly, "Barbarian Warrior, are you also here to compete in the trials?"
Border Collie wasn't very impressed by the little savage girl. When she spoke it answered testily: "Of course he's here for the trials! Why else trek all this way for nothing? Sightseeing?"
The little savage girl blinked her big eyes: "Doggie, that sounds so profound. Lanlan still didn’t understand."
Border Collie rolled its dog eyes skyward. If this female youngling wasn't being intentionally obtuse, then her brain really wasn't much good.
Sun Hao nodded: "Hmm, you can call me Xiaoshan. I'm from the Jianghe Tribe, Jiang Xiaoshan. Look at my build, is it not majestic like a small mountain?"
The little savage girl nodded: "Mm! Xiaoshan’s build really is the tallest among the Barbarian Warriors. At one glance just now, Lanlan thought you stood out."
Border Collie barked out: "Boss stands out like crane among chickens. You’ve got good eyes!"
The little savage girl turned to Sun Hao again: "Xiaoshan, what is a chicken? So profound!"
Just then, a result was reached on the second arena. The Barbarian Warrior wielding the giant staff smashed the Desolate Beast's head open with a single, earth-shattering blow.
The last remaining Noble Barbarian warrior, not to be outdone, roared violently and smashed the Desolate Beast into oblivion with his bare, powerful fists, claiming victory.
The three Noble Barbarians were victorious, each standing proudly on their respective arena, awaiting selection by the Middle Void races.
Observing closely, Sun Hao had a faint realization. Though these three Noble Barbarians were quite formidable, under normal circumstances, especially in wild combat, they likely would struggle to defeat a Peak Golden Wild.
The Golden Wild beasts on the arena had many abilities restricted. This, he thought, was the true key to their victory.
Still, being able to slay Golden Wilds that were only partially restrained was a testament to the impressive strength of these three Noble Barbarians. They were not to be underestimated.
What surprised Sun Hao, however, was the lack of immediate confirmation from the Middle Void. They seemed to hesitate. Finally, two Mid-Void Cultivators stood forth, selecting the bare-handed warrior and the giant staff warrior. The Broad Axe warrior, the very first victor, was surprisingly passed over.
The selection of Barbarian Warriors was indeed marked by strong uncertainty.
The Broad Axe Barbarian Warrior hadn't expected this outcome. He took a deep, steadying breath, stood tall in the arena, raised his massive broad axe high, and bellowed: "I, Cang Fu of the Cangman Tribe, hold this arena now! If any wish to compete, step up quickly! Face me in battle!"
Having slain a Peak Desolate Beast yet still failing to attract the favor of the Mid-Void Cultivators, the only path remaining for Cang Fu to enter the Middle Void was to rely wholly on his strength and fight his way into the top ten.
He stood firm on the arena, axe held aloft, awaiting any challenger warriors.
However, lying dead behind him was a Peak Golden Wild beast. His combat power was laid bare before everyone. None of the Barbarian Warriors present rushed to attack immediately.
There were other available arenas ahead; there was no need to provoke this ferocious giant just yet.
Simultaneously, several more Noble Barbarians were stepping out from their positions around the coliseum. Thud! Thud! Thud! They strode purposefully, marching towards the arenas. Reaching the center of the platforms, they struck battle stances, tossed back their heads to the sky, and roared mightily, challenges echoing forth.
The first batch of arena lords manifested. The battle to seize control of the dueling grounds had commenced.
Though not explicitly written, some unwritten rules governed the Ancient Barbarian City. The first group of Noble Barbarians were usually both powerfully backed and formidable seed warriors. Once these warriors took the arenas, challengers were typically scarce. They just needed to hold until the day's end to automatically advance, entering the subsequent stage where the top one thousand competitors were randomly paired for combat.
At that stage, no quarter would be asked or given. True battles of life and death would erupt.
The first wave, the ten victorious arena lords, advanced triumphantly into the next round.
The second round of warriors stepping forward were also Noble Barbarians. However, this time, even among the elites, sparks of challenge and rivalry began to fly. Discontent and refusal to yield started to surface.