This time, in the top rankings competition, a staggering fifteen new disciples from Shengyuan Academy made it into the top hundred, an unprecedented feat that left many in shock.
The disciples from the outer courts were bursting with pride. Previously, some veteran disciples had boasted that hardly any new disciples would make it, and their confidence had made it seem like only a few could break into the top hundred.
Yet, in the end, fifteen advanced, far exceeding their expectations, filling the new disciples with pride in front of the veterans.
The eliminated veteran disciples, meanwhile, were left looking dejected, as if slapped in the face by these newcomers.
In this round of group matches, ten groups selected two each, with a maximum of forty-five matches per group, all concluding before the sun set.
At this point, Baili He nodded with satisfaction from the stage and spoke again, “The third round of matches has ended. Tomorrow, the fourth round, a round-robin competition, will take place, with the hundred advancing disciples drawing lots for grouping.”
“Naturally, to avoid the strongest disciples being drawn into the same group, we will select ten seeded contestants with the potential to rank high from the previous round, assigning them to groups one through ten. The rest will then draw lots.”
Hearing this, the crowd was momentarily stunned, and some murmurs arose. But upon reflection, it made sense. The top rankings competition held so many rounds precisely to establish a ranking as close to true strength as possible.
If two powerhouses clashed, or multiple strong contenders were grouped together and eliminated, the top ranks would be diluted, causing dissatisfaction among stronger disciples ranked lower.
This would also affect rewards and the allocation of resources from the higher-ups, so there was no opposition.
In the group stage, they had witnessed two disciples with potential to reach the top ten clash: Wei Yanjie, who faced Lai Shufeng.
Wei Yanjie was defeated by Lai Shufeng, but fortunately, he still had a chance to advance through the selection of twenty from the forty groups.
If three or four top-ten-calibre disciples were grouped together, it was possible that some with top-ten strength wouldn’t even make the top hundred.
To avoid this, the elders’ proposal to separate seeded contestants was understandable. No one wanted a scenario where powerhouses knocked each other out, rendering their own high ranking meaningless.
“After recommendations from the elders and representatives on the stage, the following ten have been selected as seeded disciples!” Baili He’s voice rang out, causing everyone to perk up their ears.
Who were the ten seeded contestants?
“Gu Xuanyuan, Xiahou Jing, Lei Kuang, Luo Zhong, Ji Chen, Mo Fei, Zhao Jing, Li Yuantuo, Lai Shufeng, Xia Jianren.”
As Baili He’s words fell, a wave of lively chatter erupted. These names were largely within their expectations.
However, Wei Yanjie, previously predicted to be among the top ten, had been defeated by Lai Shufeng and was excluded from the seeded contestants.
This left the second core elder, Wei Sheng, sitting beside Baili He, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Still, Elder Wei was upright and didn’t forcibly push his family’s disciple into the seeded list, nor did he raise any objections.
After all, these were just seeded contestants, not the final top ten. If Wei Yanjie had the strength, he could still make the top ten or even higher.
That would be the time to regain face.
But Wei Yanjie himself was unconvinced. He had always been hailed as a top-ten disciple, and now, being excluded from the seeded list felt like a humiliation.
“Hmph, just one moment of carelessness! I haven’t even unleashed my strongest attack. When the time comes, I’ll show you who the real seeded disciple is!” Clenching his fists tightly, Wei Yanjie resolved firmly in his heart.
On the stage, Baili He scanned the hundred advancing disciples and continued, “The next round is a round-robin competition, also ten groups selecting two each, with every person fighting eight matches.”
“However, the results will be based on points from victories, dividing each group into three tiers: the first tier with three people, the second tier with three, and the third tier with four.”
“The first tier from each group, totalling thirty disciples, will advance to the finals, where each will fight twenty-nine matches for a points-based ranking.”
“The second tier, thirty people, will compete for ranks up to sixty. The third tier will determine ranks up to one hundred.”
“Finally, the top ten of the third tier will have one chance to challenge the bottom ten of the second tier. The top ten of the second tier can challenge the bottom ten of the first tier, determining the final top hundred disciples.”
Baili He announced the rules first, earning nods of approval from everyone.
This way, the top hundred rankings would more accurately reflect true combat strength, leaving little room for oversight.
The number of matches was also significant, underscoring the importance Shengyuan Academy and the Holy City placed on this ranking and their genius disciples.
Otherwise, such prominent figures wouldn’t sit through four days watching thousands of matches…
“The seeded contestants I just named will be assigned to groups one through ten in order. The other disciples will now draw lots, and the matches will begin tomorrow.”
Baili He spoke again, and as his words fell, many disciples eagerly rubbed their hands, wanting to know their opponents in advance to strategize.
Lin Xiao, Hu Yue, and others stepped forward, each drawing a bamboo stick and comparing them.
With only ten groups, the chance of them facing each other wasn’t small.
“Damn, I drew the first group, fighting Gu Xuanyuan!” Ma Bi was the first to speak, cursing.
“Who said you have to fight Xuanyuan? The first tier has three spots. Losing one or two matches still gives you a chance to advance,” Lin Xiao teased, also reminding Ma Bi. Facing a seeded figure like Gu Xuanyuan, unless absolutely confident, it was better to avoid fighting. As long as they secured a top-three spot in the group, they could smoothly enter the finals.
Fighting a seeded contestant could not only prevent reaching the first tier but, if severely injured, might even bar entry to the second tier.
While reminding Ma Bi, he was also cautioning the others. m.dushuge.org
“I’m a man who pursues perfection. If I draw Gu Xuanyuan, I’ll think it over…” Ma Bi said indignantly.
Lin Xiao was speechless.
This guy never took a loss. If he faced Gu Xuanyuan, he’d probably concede faster than anyone.
“I’m in the second group, fighting Xiahou Jing, heh…” Niu Bi laughed, seemingly unconcerned.
Lin Xiao was at a loss for words. Xiahou Jing always struck him as profoundly formidable, perhaps not far behind Gu Xuanyuan, and was touted as a top contender for the championship.
Yet Niu Bi was laughing so carelessly…
Still, this wasn’t his concern. Everything would depend on the battle results.
