After the second round of eliminations, the top fifty were determined, earning the title of “Earth Spirit,” equivalent to a holy dynasty viscount. The rewards were richer, with even greater benefits to follow.
In the third round, the fifty Earth Spirits were split into two groups, each advancing ten competitors.
These top twenty earned the “Heaven’s Pride” title, equivalent to a holy dynasty earl.
In the fourth round, the twenty Heaven’s Pride competitors used a points system to determine rankings, deciding the holy dynasty’s six prodigies and the Martial Arts Festival’s top honour.
The process sounded simple, but with most competitors closely matched, the first three elimination rounds were brutal.
No one wanted to lose, so everyone fought with all they had.
This tested not just the youths’ strength but also their wisdom.
Sometimes, battles had to be abandoned strategically.
But discerning which battles to forsake and which to fight was no easy task.
“Very well, the rules have been announced. Please proceed to the main platform to draw your group numbers.”
After reading the rules, the chief referee’s voice, infused with Tianyuan force, prompted all contestants to stand.
They lined up to draw their number tags.
“Group ten. I wonder what that means,” Ling Xiao said, looking at his tag, addressing the Moon Flower Sect contestants.
“I’m in group two,” Lan Yuer said, having drawn her tag.
“I’m in group four.”
“I’m in group six.”
Dai Yuling and Leng Hao’s tags differed from Ling Xiao’s.
It was fortunate the four weren’t in the same group.
Long Chen drew group seven, separate from the Moon Flower Sect members.
The five reported to their respective referees, competing on different arenas.
Interestingly, in group ten, Ling Xiao encountered a familiar face from the preliminaries, Yan Liehuo.
There was no bad blood between them.
But Yan Liehuo was somewhat resentful toward Ling Xiao.
In the preliminaries, Yan Liehuo hadn’t taken Ling Xiao seriously, having placed fifty-first last year, just missing the top fifty.
“Fine, since we’re in the same group, let me see what this so-called preliminary champion is capable of!” Yan Liehuo smiled and waited aside.
The group matches began quickly. Ling Xiao didn’t watch other groups, as early fights were likely unexciting. The real spectacle would be the top twenty rankings.
In group ten, the matches started with two warriors at ninety percent half-step Heavenly Venerate level.
Their strengths were equal, making the fight gruelling, lasting over a hundred moves before one won by a single move.
The first few matches followed this pattern, but when Yan Liehuo took the stage, things changed.
One move!
Just one move!
Yan Liehuo didn’t even use his Red Flame Spear.
It wasn’t that his opponent was weak; he was simply too strong.
Ling Xiao noticed Yan Liehuo now wielded his Red Flame Spear with mastery, and his cultivation had improved significantly.
Compared to their time in the True Demon Forbidden Land, his strength had at least doubled.
Even group ten’s referee nodded repeatedly, clearly impressed by Yan Liehuo.
“This lad was fifty-first in last year’s finals. Looks like he could go further this time. Very good.”
Yan Liehuo looked proudly at Ling Xiao.
But Ling Xiao wasn’t paying attention, his gaze elsewhere.
Since his turn in group ten was later, he used the time to observe matches of interest.
Among Moon Flower Sect, Leng Hao went first.
At eighty percent half-step Heavenly Venerate, Leng Hao faced a ninety percent opponent.
By cultivation, Leng Hao was outmatched.
Yet the fight defied expectations.
Leng Hao defeated his opponent in one move, who likely didn’t even see how he struck.
Ling Xiao wasn’t surprised, but group four’s referee was. “I thought Moon Flower Sect only had Ling Xiao. This Leng Hao’s not bad, the first to win a cross-level challenge so easily since the start.”
Nodding with satisfaction, Ling Xiao looked elsewhere.
Dai Yuling also won easily.
Lan Yuer secured a swift victory too.
Ling Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.
He was confident in his own strength, but Dai Yuling and Leng Hao’s lower cultivation made him worry, given the strong competition.
A strong start was promising.
“Look, Linyao Manor’s Dai Yaoling is up. She’s probably the strongest so far.”
“Right, Dai Yaoling was top ten last year, just missing the six prodigies.”
“Her opponent’s no slouch, ranked thirty-first last year. Should last a bit.”
As the words fell, the fight ended.
Dai Yaoling merely blew a breath, and her opponent collapsed unconscious.
“Heavens! Is this top-ten strength? Too powerful, defeating an opponent with a single breath.”
The young disciples watching were stunned.
Last year’s thirty-first-ranked warrior, likely at ninety percent half-step Heavenly Venerate now, was so easily defeated by Dai Yaoling.
More crucially, she clearly hadn’t used full strength.
“Looks like last year’s top ten are terrifying. Facing them is a tragedy for others.”
The crowd shook their heads. To them, not just the six prodigies but even last year’s top ten were leagues above the rest.
“Dai Yaoling? Dai Yuling!” Ling Xiao murmured the names.
He always felt Dai Yuling had a painful past. The two girls’ names were so similar, and they shared six or seven points of resemblance. He didn’t believe they were unconnected.
As for Dai Yaoling’s strength, he wasn’t concerned.
His only opponent was Holy Son Ji Mingkong. The rest didn’t matter to him.
Not arrogance, but facing celestial vein warriors with Celestial Realm cultivation was simply bullying.
If he lost, he might as well smash his head on tofu.
“Ling Xiao, Wang Siru, to the stage!”
Wanting to watch more, Ling Xiao heard his name and gracefully stepped up, facing his opponent.
Wang Siru, a mature-stage celestial vein warrior, was strong, ranked forty-second last year.
Her weapon was a crescent long blade.
