Martial Conquest of the Nine Desolates

The Duel Arena at the center of Barbarian Valley City was abuzz with excitement as the first round of the Heavenly Pride Battle concluded under the watchful eyes of the masses.

In the first round, out of the Ten Great Families, a total of eighteen people were defeated without obtaining any points, whereas another eighteen successfully advanced to the second round and gained one point each.

It's worth noting that all four of the Young Talents representing the Yang Family had good fortune and advanced to the second round. Only Xiao Ye, due to drawing a bye slip, did not earn any points.

"Hope to succeed in the second round as well!" Yang Wudao from the Yang Family's seating area clenched his fists anxiously.

According to the rules of this Heavenly Pride Battle, in addition to one's own strength, luck also plays a crucial part in reaching the end. If one encounters a strong opponent early on, elimination is inevitable.

Of course, the Young Talents representing the same family draw their lots from the same bamboo tube to avoid drawing slips with the same number and inadvertently engaging in fratricide.

All of this took place under the surveillance of a black-robed elder to ensure fairness and impartiality.

"The drawing of lots for the second round will now begin!" announced the black-robed elder acting as the judge at that moment.

At once, the eighteen successful Young Talents from the first round, along with Xiao Ye, stepped forward to draw their lots.

Xiao Ye's hand held a bamboo slip labeled 'Four,' designating him for the fourth match of the second round.

"Ha ha, Brother Xiao, seems like your luck isn't as good as last time!" Yang Qianyu approached and said after seeing the number on Xiao Ye's bamboo slip and gave his own slip a shake.

Xiao Ye took a close look and was instantly speechless because Yang Qianyu had drawn a blank slip.

This meant that Yang Qianyu had drawn the bye for the second round; he would not need to fight and would advance directly.

Yang Qianyu's laughter drew the attention of the others, and the surrounding Martial Artists showed expressions of astonishment.

The Yang Family indeed had good fortune. In the first round, it was Xiao Ye's turn for a bye, and in the second, it was Yang Qianyu. Even though this meant they could not gain points, the chances for the Yang Family's Young Talents to make it to the top three had significantly increased.

"Thank you, Han Tian. If it wasn't for your solo entry, I wouldn't have been able to get a bye," Yang Qianyu said appreciatively, turning his head to look towards Han Tian of the Han Family.

Upon hearing Yang Qianyu's words, Han Tian's expression instantly darkened.

"Don't be too pleased with yourselves, Yang Family. It's just a fluke that you've made it this far. But I assure you, the first place in this battle will belong to me. Any Young Talent from the Yang Family that faces me will not die but will be gravely injured!" As Han Tian spoke, he glanced at Xiao Ye before turning to leave.

"Damn, this guy is way too arrogant!" Yang Qianyu exclaimed angrily, fists clenched.

Originally, he intended to provoke Han Tian, but the latter seemed to not even consider him a threat.

"Relax, Brother Yang, such arrogance will lead him to underestimate his opponents, which will work in our favor," Xiao Ye said, smiling as he held back the fired-up Yang Qianyu.

"Alright, Brother Xiao, Brother Yang Xuan, it's your turn to shine. Go for it!" Yang Qianyu said to Xiao Ye and the others, then returned to his seat in the Yang Family area.

The drawing of lots concluded, and the first match of the second round began!

The first contestants were the Young Talents of the Wang and Feng Families from Barbarian Valley City's Ten Great Families.

Both young men had powerful Physical Bodies, having easily defeated their opponents in the first round, their Blood Qi as surging and torrential as the tide. Now facing each other head-on, it was like the sharp point of a needle against the edge of wheat.

As soon as they entered the arena, they immediately set the atmosphere alight, with shouts resounding loudly.

After the black-robed elder announced the start, both Young Talents roared like human-shaped Ferocious Beasts and charged at each other, the collision sounding like muffled thunder and causing the very air to tremble.

Xiao Ye, slightly intrigued, looked up at the stage where two figures continued to brawl, and after watching for a moment, couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

These youths' Physical Body Power was truly formidable. If tested on the City Entrance Stone, they could probably arouse three halos of light—slightly less than Yang Qianyu's. However, their Body Combat Skills were rather crude and could hardly unleash their full potential.

"Could it be that the Young Talents of Barbarian Valley City all focus on enhancing their Physical Body Power without paying much attention to Body Combat Skills?" Xiao Ye speculated with a flash in his eyes and could not help but smile slightly.

If that was indeed the case, even if Han Tian's Physical Body Power was stronger than his, Xiao Ye could still overcome the gap in Realm and defeat his opponent.

By then, the fight on the platform had reached a feverish intensity. The two combatants were locked in fierce combat, evenly matched and fighting with a thunderous clamor, causing the ground of the Duel Arena to tremble as if there were an earthquake.

Eventually, the Feng Family's Young Talent triumphed, seizing an opportunity to send the Wang Family's Young Talent flying off the stage with a punch, causing the Wang Family Head's face to darken.

With the first match of the second round over, the atmosphere in the Duel Arena remained heated, the onlooking Martial Artists engaged in intense discussion about the battle.

In the subsequent second and third matches, Xiao Ye paid close attention and confirmed his observation—the Young Talents of the Ten Great Families of Barbarian Valley City had indeed very strong Physical Bodies, but their understanding and grasp of Body Combat Skills were quite lacking or even insufficient.

With his hypothesis confirmed, Xiao Ye felt even less pressure.

"Next up, the fourth match of the second round. Would the Young Talent with bamboo slip number four please come to the stage!" With the third match concluded, the black-robed judge stepped up and announced with a powerful voice.

"My turn!" Xiao Ye's spirits lifted upon hearing this, and under everyone's gaze, he stepped forward and headed toward the stage.

"Brother Xiao, good luck, win with style. This is your first fight after all!" Yang Qianfan shouted encouragement from behind.

Xiao Ye turned his head, nodded at Yang Qianfan, and smiled slightly.

"Is that young man the Xiao Ye that was invited by the Yang Family to replace a fighter?"

"Yes, that's him. To be invited by the Yang Family to fight, he must be quite formidable. Let's watch closely this time."

"He he, just hope that the Yang Family isn't just picking someone at random to make up the numbers, knowing they're doomed to lose."

...

With Xiao Ye entering the arena, nearly all gazes in the Duel Arena turned towards him, and various discussions about him filled the air.

That a Young Martial Artist was found by the Yang Family to participate in the Heavenly Pride Battle on their behalf had long ceased to be a secret, so Xiao Ye, as an outsider, attracted quite a bit of interest from many.