Chapter 1671 Savage Girl is a Witch
The real struggle for the arenas began, fierce battles erupting between the Noble Barbarians and others.
Particularly so, when halfway through the fighting, a Barbarian Warrior who had performed outstandingly in the battle, yet still failed to stabilize, was kicked off the Dueling Arena but subsequently caught the eye of a Mid-Void Cultivator. After that, the enthusiasm of the Barbarian Warriors turned incandescent.
Casualties began to appear on the ten great arenas.
No death contract was necessary; the Barbarian Arena itself was a death arena. Unless the defeated had the ability to flee, death was inevitable.
The fighting style of the Barbarian Tribe was utterly savage. In an instant, blood flowers, severed limbs, and broken bodies flew in all directions across the arenas.
The crimson clouds constituting the Barbarian Arena possessed a miraculous absorptive quality. Once a participant fell in combat, it wouldn't be long before they were digested and absorbed by the arena.
It was likely that the crimson hue of the Barbarian Arena was truly formed by absorbing the blood of countless Barbarian Warriors over time.
Sun Hao drank wine even as the fighting spirit within his body began to rise.
Reaching the Middle Void required conquering the Barbarian Arena; only by killing one’s way into the top ten would he have a chance. Like the Barbarian Warriors in the tavern, Sun Hao too seethed with battle intent.
The little savage girl sensed Sun Hao’s fighting spirit and mumbled, “Do you also want to go to the Middle Void?”
Sun Hao smiled and said, “Reaching the Middle Void is the pursuit and glory of every Barbarian Warrior...” Before he could finish, a large-framed Barbarian Warrior in the tavern roared, “I, Haliwei, come to challenge!”
Because he was the first warrior from the Savage Power Tavern to ascend the arena, everyone in the tavern, including Sun Hao, began to watch intently, focusing their full attention. Regrettably, Haliwei’s opponent, a Noble Barbariab, was clearly not just a little stronger. After a mere six exchanges of fierce combat, the adversary hoisted Haliwei’s body and brought it down hard against his knee, shattering him into two halves, scattering flesh and blood.
Other areas, especially where the Noble Barbarians themselves were situated, erupted in earth-shattering cheers at the bloody stimulus. The Savage Power Tavern fell silent.
After a while, a Barbarian Warrior said softly, “Haliwei’s strength was among the very best in this tavern. Be careful, brothers. If you intend to ascend the arena, try to wait a few days, let those powerful Noble Barbarians pass first, then we ascend...” The Barbarian Warriors snapped out of it and nodded in agreement.
But another Barbarian Warrior suddenly burst into loud laughter, “Don’t you all know? Mid-Void Cultivators usually only take the initiative to select warriors ascending the arena in the first three days. After those three days, the only true path is killing your way into the top ten! Hahaha! Didn’t we come to the Ancient Barbarian City precisely to seize this chance for glory? How can we fear death? Hahaha! I, Mirjate, come to challenge!”
The tavern collectively turned its gaze to Mirjate. Soon after, Mirjate charged onto the Barbarian Arena and began battling the arena master. Compared to Haliwei, he lasted longer, but still wasn't the arena master's match. Holding out for five rounds, seeing he couldn't sustain it, but feeling his performance might have caught the eye of a Mid-Void Cultivator, Mirjate broke and ran, leaping towards the arena railings to escape.
His opponent, however, did not let him off easily. Hurling a huge axe, he severed one of Mirjate’s arms. Mirjate collapsed on the plaza in agonized unconsciousness.
Like many injured Barbarian Warriors, after receiving treatment, he was sent back to the Savage Power Tavern.
Mirjate’s face was pale, but he cast a thread of hope towards the high platform, the direction of the Mid-Void Cultivators. After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he sighed, “Brothers… Old Mir failed. Be careful…”
A Barbarian Warrior boomed, “Brother Mirjate was the strongest warrior in the tavern! If even you couldn't come back unscathed, it seems the Savage Power Tavern might truly have no one selected this year either.”
Within the Ancient Barbarian City, small taverns like Savage Power numbered in the thousands, as numerous as hairs on a cow. The advantage of the taverns was that warriors exiting had direct access chutes to the arenas, making them far more suitable for charging the arenas than warriors just on the streets. On some streets, warriors trying to reach an arena first had to fight through layers of interception from other warriors, often becoming exhausted before even getting close to the arena, or even cut down on the spot.
Naturally, competition also existed among the small taverns. If a warrior from a small tavern managed to successfully enter the Middle Void, that tavern would inevitably gain great fame.
Savage Power wasn’t highly ranked among all the taverns. Both Mirjate and Haliwei had waited a little while before ascending. The warriors within the tavern were only of middling strength overall, making it truly difficult for any warrior to get notice amidst the fierce competition of the first three days.
As half a day passed, Sun Hao also noted a key feature of the Barbarian Arena: the killing was incredibly swift. Battles between Barbarian Warriors lacked much finesse; every move carried great power, testing pure combat prowess. Most fights ended within ten exchanges, and the results were invariably brutal.
The ten great arenas pulsed with constant, unending combat.
Beyond the taverns, which rapidly cycled through the names of warriors queuing to fight, the perimeter of the ten great arenas had numerous smaller arenas set within various access channels. Warriors also fought constantly on these smaller stages, seeking the qualification to ascend a main arena.
Sun Hao observed that the warriors on the smaller arenas were slightly weaker than those from the taverns. Many victorious warriors, upon gaining a main arena qualification, simply conceded defeat without actually taking the podium to challenge.
Sun Hao began to understand somewhat: hundreds of warriors on these peripheral arenas were primarily showcasing themselves, hoping for fortune to favor them unexpectedly. Regrettably, as he learned from the tavern warriors' discussions, the warriors on the smaller arenas had no chance at all if they didn't ascend the blood arenas; it was merely futile.
Mirjate’s defeat cast a heavy shadow over the morale of the Savage Power Tavern. Half a day later, still no warrior ascended the arena.
The first day offered the best chances. Sun Hao also hoped to be selected; otherwise, the only path left was seizing a top-ten spot, which would demand his utmost effort.
Sun Hao took a deep breath. His battle spirit surged fiercely. Standing straight, he decided to go and give it a try.
The little savage girl looked at the rising Sun Hao. A flicker of confusion passed through her eyes as she asked, “Xiaoshan, must you really go to the Middle Void? It seems so dangerous up there!”
The other warriors in the tavern, seeing Sun Hao actually stand up, were taken aback. Instantly, one warrior reacted. Pointing at Sun Hao, he roared with laughter, “Kid! You don’t have a shred of savage strength on you! Trying to go up and die?”
Sun Hao stepped out from behind his stone table and said loudly, “Whether it’s suicide, you’ll know after the fight!” He then nodded at the little savage girl, “Reaching the Middle Void is the pursuit and glory of every Barbarian Warrior. I too want to try. Don’t worry, Little Lan, I’ll be fine…”
Little Lan looked into Sun Hao’s sincere eyes and suddenly extended her left hand towards him. She said, “Since you insist on going to the Middle Void, then you don’t need to go to the Arena. Little Lan can take you…”
As she spoke, a small blue sphere appeared on the palm of Little Lan’s left hand, spinning mysteriously and profoundly. She rested her right hand on her head and murmured, “Contract… what type should I switch it to? Ah, right! Brother told me a Guardian Knight is best…”
Within the tavern, the moment Little Lan revealed the mysterious sphere, it fell dead silent. A warrior pointed a trembling finger at her, exclaiming in shock and awe, “You’re… Witch Clan…”
Little Lan answered casually, “Yes, yes. I am Gerlane of the Witch Clan. My brother is Germain. What’s wrong? Xiaoshan, I have a Guardian Knight contract here. If you're willing, I’ll take you to the Middle Void.”
Guardian Knight?
Sun Hao wasn't deeply familiar with the types of contracts. He didn't truly understand what a Guardian Knight entailed. He hesitated for a moment, saying nothing.
Within the tavern, a warrior had already knelt on the ground, declaring loudly, “Lady Witch! As long as you are willing to hire me, I vow to protect you for life!”
Gerlane murmured, “In this tavern, Xiaoshan’s the best. He’s nice. I’m only hiring Xiaoshan. Others need not apply.”
The Border Collie barked loudly, “Little Lan! Explain! What kind of deal is this Guardian Knight?”
Little Lan tilted her head, looking at the dog. “Puppy, that sounded so profound. Little Lan doesn’t understand.”
The tavern owner, the male Barbarian, stepped forward now. He said in a strong voice, “Xiaoshan. Guardian Knight is a high-level contract, one typically only a Barbarian Hero qualifies for. Its advantage is high status post-employment; you speak essentially as equals. The drawback is that conditions for dismissal are relatively harsh. Regardless, for you, this is quite an achievement…”