That was battle platform number two.
Yan Huashu was fighting a powerful veteran Spirit Controller. She was struck until she spat blood and was pushed back to the edge of the platform.
However, at the critical moment, Yan Huashu broke through. She advanced from seventh-grade initial-level Spirit Controller to seventh-grade mid-level spiritual power realm. She summoned her main spirit and repelled the veteran opponent.
After that, she launched consecutive attacks and finally defeated the veteran, barely securing victory.
At this point, the other battle platforms had also reached the final few challenges. Even the strongest figures in each group, such as Murong Dian, began to reveal their true strength.
In group three, Lu Mo Han had already displayed terrifying poison pill combat power in the previous round. In this round, no one challenged him at first. They all conceded directly.
When someone finally clashed with him, he did not immediately use poison pills. Instead, he erupted with seventh-grade high-level spiritual power and easily defeated the opponent, shocking everyone present.
Being skilled with poison pills and possessing seventh-grade high-level spiritual power made others extremely wary of him.
Another standout in group three was an elderly seventh-grade mid-level Spirit Controller from Xuan Province named Lei Dechang. He possessed formidable cross-rank combat ability. He almost always defeated other seventh-grade mid-level Spirit Controllers in one move. Even the one Lu Mo Han had left unchallenged was Lei Dechang.
In group four, similarly powerful figures emerged. One was Su Dongfeng from Yang Province, a Spirit Controller. Rumours spread among the crowd that he was the Ji family’s personal Spirit Controller. His cultivation had already reached seventh-grade high-level spiritual power realm.
Another remarkable figure in group four was a seventh-grade mid-level Spirit Controller who easily defeated others of the same level and almost possessed cross-rank combat strength.
However, when chosen by Su Dongfeng, he was injured in just three moves.
That seventh-grade mid-level Spirit Controller also had defensive pills. He managed to block several of Su Dongfeng’s attacks in succession.
In the end, he still lost to Su Dongfeng.
After that, an even more formidable figure appeared in group four: Duanmu Changming, a rather eerie elder from Spirit Pool Island.
Duanmu Changming also revealed seventh-grade high-level spiritual power cultivation. When he selected that seventh-grade mid-level Spirit Controller who almost had cross-rank ability, even though the opponent crushed two defensive pills at once and defended with full power, he was still crushed in one strike by Duanmu Changming and suffered a miserable defeat.
Duanmu Changming had already been hailed by many as a top candidate for champion.
The most eye-catching was battle platform number five.
On battle platform number five, three seventh-grade high-level Spirit Controllers appeared.
They were Tantai Wenjun from the Tantai family in Zhu Province, an elegant elder from Spirit Pool Island in Sheng Province named Situ Kongchen, and an elder from Hao Province named Hou Zixiao.
With three seventh-grade high-level Spirit Controllers, one of them was bound to clash with the other two. The first clash was between Situ Kongchen and Hou Zixiao. After an intense battle, Situ Kongchen from Spirit Pool Island was defeated by Hou Zixiao.
Then, Tantai Wenjun chose Situ Kongchen and defeated him in one move, causing the entire venue to boil with excitement once again.
Tantai Wenjun was also pushed forward as one of the top candidates for champion.
Tantai Wenjun and Duanmu Changming were the two hottest favourites for the championship. As for Lu Mo Han, who had not shown much yet, some people still nominated him because of his poison pills.
As for the others, they had not displayed anything particularly outstanding, so they had not received much support yet.
However, the sudden emergence of so many seventh-grade high-level Spirit Controllers made everyone’s blood surge with excitement.
One had to know that in the previous edition, the highest cultivation among the Spirit Controllers was only seventh-grade mid-level.
Yet this edition had produced so many seventh-grade high-level Spirit Controllers. The overall level had been raised by a significant margin.
Even Lin Xiao was astonished. He had thought that two or three seventh-grade high-level Spirit Controllers would be about the limit. He never expected so many to appear.
Even if he squeezed into the top ten, he would not get a very high ranking.
After all, the gap in realm between him and seventh-grade high-level Spirit Controllers was far too great.
Moreover, some of them were among the very top in combat power even within seventh-grade high-level Spirit Controllers.
With his current spiritual power cultivation, he simply did not yet have the strength to fight them.
“There is still hope to squeeze into the top ten, but squeezing into the top five will be quite difficult!” After the fifth group battle platform ended, Lin Xiao could not help but sigh.
On the fifth group battle platform, Situ Kongchen from Spirit Pool Island had entered the second wave of screening. Without surprise, he was bound to be one of the two who ultimately advanced from it.
If Situ Kongchen chose to challenge him, Lin Xiao was not even sure whether he could hold onto this tentative top-ten spot.
However, if he went all out, there should still be hope.
But waiting until the next round of battles, squeezing into the top five would be much harder.
After all, Situ Kongchen was considered among the weaker ones even within seventh-grade high-level Spirit Controllers. There were quite a few others with much stronger combat power.
The trump card pills he had on hand would not last for many uses.
“The first wave of the fifth round has ended. The candidates pending promotion to the top ten are: Group one, Mu Haoran from Sheng Province, Murong Dian from You Province.”
At this moment, Ximen Haoyue’s voice rang out. “Group two, Yan Huashu from Cang Province, Zhu Dingshan from Min Province.”
“Group three, Lu Mo Han from Yang Province, Lei Dechang from Xuan Province.”
“Group four, Duanmu Changming from Sheng Province, Su Dongfeng from Yang Province.”
“Group five, Tantai Wenjun from Zhu Province, Hou Zixiao from Hao Province.”
“Now, the second wave of the fifth round screening begins.”
As soon as Ximen Haoyue finished speaking, the second wave started with grouping, screening, and battles that were still quite exciting.
However, they were clearly not as thrilling as the first wave, so they did not provoke too intense a reaction from the crowd.
In the end, Situ Kongchen and a seventh-grade mid-level Spirit Controller from Yan Province named Jin Hongwei both defeated their opponents in succession and won the two challenge slots.
“Each of the two has one challenge slot. The ten selected can only be challenged once. If defeated, they are eliminated directly. If they win, they advance directly. Now, the two will draw lots. The one who draws the priority slot challenges first.” At this point, as soon as Ximen Haoyue spoke, the referee overseeing the second wave screening took out two bamboo sticks and let the two choose.
Whoever went first could, based on their judgement, pick the weakest among the ten. This was a significant advantage.
In the end, Jin Hongwei from Yan Province drew the priority challenge bamboo stick.
“Jin Hongwei, who do you wish to challenge?” At this moment, the referee on the field began to preside and asked aloud.
Everyone’s gazes turned towards Jin Hongwei and the ten pending candidates. With only one chance, choosing whom to challenge was crucial.
“Among the ten, only Mu Haoran, Yan Huashu, and Lei Dechang are not seventh-grade high-level Spirit Controllers. He will definitely choose from these three.”
“Mu Haoran possesses spiritual energy. Although Yan Huashu did not seem particularly outstanding in all her battles, she defeated opponents in almost one move each time. When she finally met a strong enemy, she broke through and defeated them in a few strikes. Her combat power is not weak. As for Lei Dechang, even Lu Mo Han left him unchallenged. His strength is obviously very formidable. Jin Hongwei will have a hard time choosing.”
“Jin Hongwei fought his way out from the five in the second wave. His strength is not weak either. If he chooses correctly, he still has a good chance.”
“In my opinion, among the three who are not seventh-grade high-level Spirit Controllers, Lei Dechang has the strongest combat power. The weakest are probably Yan Huashu and Mu Haoran. Yan Huashu conceded to Mu Haoran before, but after her breakthrough, it is hard to say who is stronger. Still, I think Mu Haoran might be weaker, even with spiritual energy.”
“Exactly. In the previous wave, although Mu Haoran showed decent combat power, he never faced opponents as strong as those Lei Dechang and Yan Huashu encountered. Mu Haoran is ultimately only a sixth-grade high-level Spirit Controller. Even with spiritual energy, the energy he can unleash is limited. He should be the weakest of the three. Jin Hongwei will probably choose Mu Haoran.”
“That is not necessarily true. Jin Hongwei is from Yan Province. Although Mu Haoran now represents Sheng Province, in vital energy, he won glory for Yan Province. Perhaps he has a favourable impression of Mu Haoran and will not choose him.”
“This is the Spirit Controller Grand Competition. Who cares about that? He will definitely choose the weakest. He will choose Mu Haoran.”
…
The crowd argued endlessly.
Jin Hongwei also turned his gaze towards Lin Xiao, Yan Huashu, and Lei Dechang. He even glanced at Murong Dian and a few other seventh-grade high-level Spirit Controllers who had not stood out much. He pondered for a long time.
Finally, Jin Hongwei raised his head and made a difficult decision.
