C431 He Was Confident!

In just a few breaths, five young fighters faced off against more than thirty opponents and emerged victorious without a scratch, even taking down a few in the process. Could these really be just a few martial artists?

Even a master at the Inner Stage couldn't achieve such a feat in such a short time!

"Did they just use... a joint attack formation?" someone above whispered, voicing their suspicion.

Indeed, as they speculated, Liu Dahu and his companions employed a joint attack formation. Back in No Life City, Woo Zhengyang, though only a Martial Disciple, could leverage the power of formations to contend with martial artists. Now, Woo Zhengyang had become a master of formations.

Woo Zhengyang convinced the village elders with his expertise in formations. He modified this joint attack formation to be simpler and quicker to master, even if it was slightly less powerful than the original complex formations.

Liu Dahu and his group rose to the challenge. With only one night of practice and Woo Zhengyang's constant corrections, they managed to execute the formation with precision.

Under this formation, the five fighters' strengths complemented each other, significantly boosting their combat power. While they might not match an Inner Stage master, they far surpassed the peak of martial artists, making those thirty opponents no match for them.

Before the actual fight, and even at the start, Liu Dahu and his friends were uncertain. But once the first opponent, one of the strongest among the thirty, was easily knocked back, their confidence soared. If he couldn't withstand a single move, the others would be even easier to defeat.

With newfound confidence, their fighting spirit soared, and the group's teamwork became even more seamless, quickly bringing the battle to an end.

Unlike Liu Dahu and his companions, Woo Zhengyang was confident in his strategy from the start. He didn't plan to get involved directly, instead leading the people of Great Leaf Village at a leisurely pace from the back.

By this point, everyone above had figured it out. This wasn't a desperate last stand; it was a calculated move. From the beginning, they believed they wouldn't be eliminated, so they weren't aiming to win with speed.

However, some had their doubts. Liu Dahu and his team were indeed strong with their joint attack strategy, but could they really make it to the end? In the deepest parts of the forest, besides the vines, there were many demonic beasts of varying levels. If their coordination faltered, they'd be vulnerable. Whether ensnared by vines or attacked by beasts, their strategy would be compromised.

Before long, the doubts faded away. Liu Dahu's team's strategy was more ingenious than anyone had imagined. Whether it was five, four, or even three of them, they could still form a formation. Even with just two, they coordinated perfectly against obstacles. Their adaptable tactics made them unstoppable.

Most importantly, Woo Zhengyang was right there behind them.

Usually, Woo Zhengyang would walk behind the group of five, carrying Rice on his back, chatting and laughing as if he were taking a child on a stroll through the city. However, whenever Liu Dahu and his group encountered a situation they couldn't handle, Woo Zhengyang would appear just in time to resolve the crisis.

After repeatedly turning danger into safety, many observers were puzzled. How did this village manage to get such a remarkable person?

Meanwhile, Ye Fengchun and the people from Blue Jewel Village were also watching Woo Zhengyang, their expressions growing increasingly grim.

Finally, the first person emerged from the forest, followed by the second and third, each coming out one after the other. Blue Jewel Village had some good luck this time, securing the fourth spot, earning seven points. With a total of 27 people making it through, they had two more than the village that came in third, temporarily placing them in third with a score of 34.

This was an unprecedented achievement, and although it was just the first stage, it was a promising sign. After the excitement of the initial success, the group from Blue Jewel Village went to share the good news, only to find Ye Fengchun and the others looking increasingly displeased.

Upon inquiry, the young people finally understood the reason. The young man who had played a trick on Ye Fengchun hadn't been eliminated, and in fact, not a single person from Great Leaf Village had been eliminated.

As expected, trailing behind all the other villages, Woo Zhengyang and his group of seven appeared leisurely.

Seven people, seven points. Even though Rice is ridiculously young, the Thousand-village Martial Competition only has an upper age limit, not a lower one, so she counts as a participant. For many large villages, this score isn’t considered high. But don't forget, some small villages don’t even have a single point. They’re ranked based on their progress and speed, and there are over a hundred such small villages.

Moreover, even some medium-sized villages, with ten to twenty participants in the competition, have very few who make it to the end. Great Leaf Village is a small village with only seven participants, yet they achieved what even large villages couldn’t: all seven made it through safely, and they even brought along a little girl, about five or six years old, to make up the numbers.

Because of yesterday’s events, everyone present knows the name of Great Leaf Village. People are aware that in this year’s Thousand-village Martial Competition, Great Leaf Village is likely to end up at the bottom, if not close to it. Offending the top ten ranked villages is like asking for trouble.

Unexpectedly, after the first round, the name of Great Leaf Village didn’t fade away. Instead, it reappeared with a bang, catching many off guard and leaving them puzzled. Villages that hadn’t been paying attention to Woo Zhengyang and his group started to investigate the reasons.

Before long, word spread about the five members of Great Leaf Village mastering a joint attack array, making many villages nervous. In the first round, there was only competition without direct conflict, but in the following rounds, they would have to face each other head-on. The strong rise of Great Leaf Village undoubtedly added a formidable rival to their list.

As soon as noon passed, the rankings for the first round of the Thousand-village Martial Competition were released. Great Leaf Village scored seven points, placing them at 928th. Seven points isn't a small achievement, but since Woo Zhengyang and his team were among the last to finish, they ended up at the bottom of those with the same score.

Even so, the Old Village Chief and Sun Li were thrilled. Their initial goal was to break into the top thousand, and they had already achieved that. According to Woo Zhengyang's words yesterday, passing the first round wasn't even their main goal. Their first real target was to get everyone, including Rice, into the top hundred!

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