“These four, combined with the six geniuses who bypassed the preliminary rounds, will form the final top ten list.
“Today's schedule consists only of the elimination rounds to determine the final four spots in the top ten.
“Tomorrow, the top ten ranking tournament will begin. It will be a head-to-head, stage-by-stage competition to ultimately determine the first-place winner of this year's new disciple tournament.”
The rules were simple and clear.
Everyone present instantly understood the sect's arrangement.
They were saving the most exciting and highly anticipated showdown of Ye Ling against the five Xiantian Realm geniuses entirely for tomorrow's top ten ranking tournament.
Today, all the newcomers fought with all their might, only to compete for four runner-up spots to fill out the top ten.
Meanwhile, Ye Ling and the five geniuses did not need to fight a single battle to secure their places in the top ten.
Some of the new disciples in the waiting area were surprised, while others sighed, but no one dared to raise any objections.
After all, strength was respected above all else.
Those six possessed the capital to crush all the other newcomers, so it was only natural for them to receive special treatment in the tournament.
The schedule passed in a flash, and the intense, brutal first day of the new disciple elimination matches came to a complete close.
Countless new disciples took turns fighting on the stage, deciding wins and losses, and separating the strong from the weak.
Some luckily advanced, while others left with regrets. The noisy, chaotic first day of the tournament thus came to an end.
Su Qinghe and Su Qinghan had both fought yesterday.
Su Qinghe's foundation was still shallow, and her cultivation realm was low. In the fierce battles, she only managed to secure two victories.
She was defeated in her subsequent match, stopping before the top ten with regret.
Su Qinghan had outstanding talent, but she was still young, and her cultivation was limited to the Houtian Eleventh Layer.
Yesterday, she fought steadily all the way, winning five matches in a row and achieving a brilliant record.
Only in the next round did she encounter an established Houtian Twelfth Layer newcomer. With a slightly inferior depth of cultivation, she suffered a narrow defeat after a long, bitter struggle.
Although the two failed to make it to the top ten, they honed their skills and accumulated real combat experience, meaning they did not return empty-handed.
However, according to the rules of the sect tournament, eliminated disciples had to retreat to the outer spectator area and could no longer stay in the waiting area.
Thus, as the top ten main tournament began today, the two could only stand obediently in the crowd outside the martial arts grounds.
Watching the matches across layers of crowds, they could no longer accompany Ye Ling like they had yesterday.
The outer crowd was dense, and the chatter boiled to a peak once more.
Today, there was no more chaotic melee. The remaining ten contestants were all the strongest fighters among the new disciples.
Four of them were top Houtian Realm newcomers who had fought their way out of the elimination rounds, while the remaining six were Ye Ling and the five Xiantian Realm geniuses who had bypassed the preliminaries.
Everyone knew very well that the sole focus of today's tournament had been, from beginning to end, only one.
Namely, how Ye Ling would face the five Xiantian Realm geniuses.
In the waiting area, Ye Ling sat alone in a corner, her expression as cold, calm, and unhurried as ever.
Meanwhile, on the seats of the top ten contestants, the four top newcomers who had fought their way through the bloody elimination rounds were huddled together, whispering.
Their heads were together, their expressions solemn and conflicted. After a moment, they seemed to make a final decision.
They rose together and quickly walked up to Elder Leng Yue at the edge of the high stage.
Bowing and lowering their voices, they respectfully reported something. After speaking, they cupped their hands and retreated to the contestant seats, their expressions calm, showing no lingering attachment.
This scene immediately aroused the curiosity of the entire audience. Whispers rose again across the martial arts grounds as everyone looked on in confusion, trying to guess the four's actions.
No one knew what these four geniuses, who had fought so hard to break through and enter the top ten, were discussing.
Under the curious gaze of the crowd, Elder Leng Yue's cool voice rang out once more, revealing the answer.
“In this top ten ranking tournament, Lu Zhiyuan, Lin Fu, Xu Tang, and Fang Yu have voluntarily given up all subsequent matches and actively withdrawn from the competition.
“Consequently, there are only six remaining contestants in this year's new disciple tournament. The six of them will engage in head-to-head duels to compete for the final rankings.”
The announcement sent the crowd into an instant uproar. Everyone was stunned for a moment.
“My god! Voluntarily withdrawing? These four are too smart!”
“I would withdraw too! Who among the remaining six is normal?”
“Five Xiantian Realm geniuses plus a Ye Ling who can defeat opponents of higher realms. They're all monsters!”
“This is too real! Fighting to the death to get into the top ten, only to find it's full of big shots, completely unplayable.”
“Instead of going up to get crushed and making a fool of oneself in public, it's better to withdraw with dignity!”
The spectators sighed in admiration, all agreeing with the choice of the four.
On one side of the high stage, the five Xiantian Realm geniuses—Leng Xuerou, Zhou Ming, Zhou Ruoyao, Su Wanqing, and Wang Jingyuan—showed no surprise upon hearing this result, their expressions completely flat.
In their eyes, this was only natural.
Houtian Realm cultivators faced absolute suppression from the Xiantian Realm, and on top of that, there was the unfathomable Ye Ling.
Ordinary newcomers simply had no chance of winning. Feeling intimidated and actively withdrawing was completely normal.
But no one knew that from the moment the four had huddled to discuss, Ye Ling, with her Divine Sense fully active, had already discerned all their thoughts and conversations.
She remained completely unfazed by their withdrawal, her heart completely tranquil.
The weak avoiding the strong was only human nature.
The clamor gradually subsided. Elder Leng Yue on the high stage raised her hand to quiet the crowd and officially announced the first-round matchups.
“First match of the first round of the top ten.
“Ye Ling versus Wang Jingyuan!”
The atmosphere instantly reached its peak.
The highly anticipated opening match was directly between the Xiantian Realm genius Wang Jingyuan and the Houtian Realm Ye Ling.
In the waiting area, Wang Jingyuan's brows furrowed, his heart sinking slightly.
He never expected that in the very first match of the first round, he would have to face Ye Ling, whom everyone was wary of.
Even as a Xiantian Realm genius, he had no absolute confidence in winning.
Others only knew of Ye Ling's peerless talent and thunderous fame.
Only the five of them knew that this Houtian Realm girl hid an unfathomably terrifying strength, far beyond any of her peers.
He turned his head to look at Leng Xueling and Zhou Ming beside him, speaking in a solemn tone.
“I have no absolute confidence in winning this match.
“I will do my best to force out Ye Ling's true trump cards and strength. If I lose, the rest will be up to you guys.”
His words carried caution and anxiety, devoid of his usual arrogance as a genius.
Hearing this, Leng Xueling gently comforted him.
“Jingyuan, don't be too discouraged. You are a genuine Xiantian Realm genius. You must not lose courage before the battle even starts.
“Just fight with everything you have and show your momentum. Even if you might not win, you must never admit defeat beforehand and ruin our morale.”
Zhou Ming also chimed in at the right time.
“Brother Jingyuan, we all believe in you. Just give it your all.
“Even if you accidentally lose, the four of us will back you up. No need to worry.”
Beside them, Zhou Ruoyao and Su Wanqing also nodded, softly cheering him on.
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