The warm-up competition, which took place around midnight, ended almost as soon as it began. The team of pilgrims who came to test them lost badly, and under the threat of the middle-aged pilgrim Ox Ruimu, they all stayed near the training camp without the slightest word of news.

Of course, the threat from Oaks Ruimu was only one aspect, and these pilgrims wanted to see the selected elites suffer a crushing defeat, and even the bruises on their bodies seemed less painful when they thought of that heart-warming scene.

The time of the challenge to determine the ownership of leadership is set as when the golden sun appears on the horizon. The sky was not yet fully bright, and a considerable number of people had gathered outside the settlements of the Black Lizard tribe - the desert barbarians worshipped strength, loved to fight, and not only strong warriors, but also young children and hunched old people, and a wonderful duel was their best entertainment to spice up their boring lives.

Although he did not wait for the information of the temptation, he still appeared at one end of the clearing, the chain mail made of steel rings could barely envelop the majestic body, and the arrogant smile of victory was held high on his face. Four warriors, almost as strong and savage as him, followed, waving their muscular arms at the crowd from time to time, letting out a beastly roar.

The crowd responded with the same ferocious roar that was the usual habit for barbarian warriors to take part in challenges, even among the more restrained walking tribes.

The procession of pilgrims was the second to appear, each mounted on a fierce sand lizard mount, carrying a gunpowder lance, two sharp scimitars hanging from their waists, some carrying a large slingshot, and bulging satchels hanging from their saddles. These are all standard equipment for pilgrims, but only a small part of them will be used in today's challenge.

Kenobi Hawkeye jumped off his mount with neat movements, nodded to Don Homer, and then turned his gaze to the other end of the clearing. Oaks Ruimu stood there in a simple, loose linen shirt, his hands folded in front of his chest, in a relaxed posture that was not nervous, and behind him stood several pilgrims with dejected heads and bruised faces.

"It seems that the brothers I sent have suffered a little. Kenobi shrugged his shoulders casually and said that this was not unexpected, and if Merlin Avery could not cope with even a small temptation, the challenge would be even more boring.

"Well, whether it's his little tricks and tricks, or something else, it's not certain. Homer was visibly annoyed, but he didn't want to be too bad with his companion at the moment of the challenge, so he just snorted heavily and raised his frighteningly large double-edged battle axe.

"Why haven't you seen those little cubs scared away by our prestige?" said a barbarian warrior jokingly, "Well, in fact, they need not be afraid, although Homer Boss is a little arrogant, he still takes good care of the underage baby." ”

"It's a pity that the baby of the walking tribe is too weak, Homer, I'm afraid you have to restrain a little more strength. The other barbarian warrior continued with contempt, then raised his head and let out a rough laugh.

The laughter caused more people to laugh like idiots, and then the sound spread in all directions, and in the blink of an eye, countless barbarian warriors were laughing wildly, clapping their chests and shaking their shoulders and thighs, but most of them didn't know what they were laughing at.

Outside the laughing crowd, the old shaman Glazer spread his hands helplessly, and then threw a quaint stone coin to Merlin Avery. "I thought Homer would have some brains under his skull. He murmured, "He has a hunch, but he has given the task to someone who will definitely not be able to complete it, even if it is a few children, it is much better than to leave it to the pilgrimager!"

"The warriors of the Black Lizard tribe are proud, more proud than I ever imagined. Avery contentedly put away the stone, an obsidian coin that had been baptized by spiritual power for decades or more, and was a precious material for alchemists who wanted to achieve something in their craft.

"Alright, the battle is about to begin, Elder Glazel, please pray to God the Father for me. ”

"Whose victory are you praying for?" said the old shaman in a low, hoarse voice, "I am the supreme shaman of the Black Lizard tribe, Brother Avery and should I rejoice in your victory?"

"If Homer has any hope of capturing the Beastmaster's Banner, pray for him victory. Avery replied softly, then turned to the laughter of the old shaman and squeezed into the crowd.

Ten heavily armed pilgrim apprentices stood in a tight queue in the midst of the raucous crowd, each of them dreary, perhaps because of the tension of the battle, and seemed out of place with the surrounding atmosphere.

With the help of the young warrior Kashwu, Avery managed to squeeze through with all his might. "Ready, brethren. He happily raised his right hand, and drew a pattern of flames rising in red paint in his palm. "Let's give those proud ones a little color!"

The young apprentices raised their right hands to engage Avery in battle, and one after another flames converged as if a pillar of battle intent was ignited. "A little color!" they cried in unison, low in tone, but strong in their desire for victory, "show them!

The crowd dispersed like a tidal wave, and the two sides finally met in the clearing. On Homer's side were five elite barbarian warriors as tall as bears, or five living killing machines. Each barbarian warrior carried a heavy battle axe or greatsword in his hands, wore thick animal skin armor, and wore a lizard-scale cloaked in elaborate chains on his shoulders.

The pilgrims led by Kenobi Hawkeye assembled about five meters from Don Homer, and since it was a jousting challenge rather than a life-and-death duel, none of them carried the most powerful powder rifles, but lazily wiped their scimitars, and cast their gazes at the opposite side with a mixture of contempt and admiration.

As excellent pilgrims who had experienced at least five years of life-and-death struggle, they did have the qualifications to look down on the young apprentices, but as the apprentices walked slowly into the room with a uniform pace, Kenobi Hawkeye was the first to stand up straight, and the languid disguise disappeared from his body without a trace.

"How is it possible to ...... in such a short period of time," muttered the chief pilgrim, "is it just an empty shelf?"

At this, Kenobi shook his head, rejecting the unrealistic conjecture himself. During his time with Merlin Avery, he saw many advantages in the young pharmacist, and his whimsical and innovative way of thinking was an important part of it.

Avery walked in the middle of the group, ten heavily armed apprentices forming a tight and sturdy formation around him, their identical black leather armor, helmets, and weapons so uniform that it would be impossible to tell the difference between each one if they were seen by those who were not familiar with it.

This is common among the elite troops of the Holy Red Empire, but it is rare among the warriors of the desert barbarians. They place a lot of emphasis on personal prestige, and everyone wants to dress completely differently from everyone else.

Tattoos all over the body, exaggerated feathered tiaras on the head, or prickly shoulder pads on the shoulders are common, and some guys even make themselves weird and terrifying in a way that borders on disfigurement, like a fierce devil who only escapes from the rift of hell.

The challenge was presided over by the leaders of the two tribes, and when the figures of the head of the Sailian and the head of the Sti appeared side by side, the noise and cheers reached a new level. The Celestian was a formidable gray-haired warrior, and the Stitou were more knowledgeable scholars, both of whom enjoyed high prestige among their respective tribes, and when they both raised their hands at the same time, the noise suddenly stopped, and the clearing was so quiet that almost everyone's breathing could be heard.

"This is a battle that many have been waiting for for a long time!" the Celestian began to speak, not raising his voice, but his loud voice could be heard clearly by everyone around the clearing, "Ever since we exchanged tokens and formed a blood alliance, there have always been voices of doubt. Why was Merlin Avery able to form an alliance with two powerful barbarian tribes on an equal footing, and why did the great shaman Glazer look the other way at this young human?"

"You don't accept you, to tell you the truth, I don't accept either!" said the Stitu, a mocking tone that provoked a burst of laughter, "Of course, I'm not a samurai, I use my brains rather than my muscles to earn prestige, and if I were to fight Avery, I would probably lose badly." ”

The laughter was louder. Homer's face was a little unsightly, and he realized that he had made a mistake, and although some people waved their arms and shouted slogans of support, many more people had already regarded the challenge as a trick, a farce.

The Celestian spoke again, redirecting the atmosphere from relaxed to solemn and solemn, "Come, both sides of the challenge! In the presence of the Supreme Father, you will show your courage and strength, please the Father with blood and sweat, and bring prestige to our tribe!

The leader of the samurai, whose name was called, took a few steps forward and replied in a voice like a crack in a rock, "Chiefman, here I am!"

"Under the Father's watchful eye, speak your true thoughts!" the Celestian snapped the head.

"Let the strongest be honored and become captains!" shouted Don Homer's voice. The leader nodded approvingly, turning his gaze to the other side. "Merlin, Avery?"

"Celentou, I'm here. Avery stepped out of the heavily armed apprentices, who were almost identical to the people around him, except that he had no helmet or sword.

"The Father is watching you," said the Celestian, "to tell you what you really want." ”

"It's the same as Lord Don Homer's request, let the strongest man be the captain. Avery replied calmly, "But I would like to add that it is the whole team, not any one person, that is strong." ”

"Very well, then I declare that the tournament challenge has officially begun, and you now have three minutes to prepare. With that, the Celestian took a step back, his muscular arms folded in front of his chest, and his eyes were fixed on Merlin Avery and the apprentice squad behind him.

Homer was a strong barbarian warrior, but the Celestian knew how strong he was, and knew that he would not be able to lead his team to victory in the Tribal League, and might be able to get a high ranking, but that was not the end goal.

There is only one ultimate goal, and that is to capture the Beast King Banner.

"Little Avery told me a few days ago that the alchemist's first combat power, let me see if this is a joke or a truth that can work miracles!" )