The battle quickly concluded, with the number of participants rapidly dwindling, but this had nothing to do with Yi Tianyun. After all, he had already advanced. What he needed to focus on now was who his next opponent would be.
The further he progressed, the more terrifying the opponents became.
The five elders were constantly discussing who they should pit against whom next. As the judges here, they needed to assess who was stronger accurately. They tried to avoid pitting the strongest against each other too early to prevent early eliminations.
For example, if the first match was Yi Tianyun against Earth Monarch Tian Qing, one of them would surely lose. If Yi Tianyun lost, it would be unfair, as he would be eliminated early despite being capable of reaching the top three.
Thus, the elders based their decisions mainly on their judgments. Most of the time, they weren't wrong, but occasionally, they miscalculated.
For instance, they initially thought Yi Tianyun's cultivation level was similar to Earth Monarch Mo Tong's, only to find out he was overwhelmingly powerful. As for Earth Monarch Tian Qing, they always arranged for her to face the weakest opponents.
This wasn't cheating; Earth Monarch Tian Qing was simply too strong. Her Saint Fire ability alone made her stand out from the crowd.
Therefore, they could only send the weakest to her as cannon fodder or let her advance automatically when there weren't enough participants. If Yi Tianyun had displayed extremely violent abilities earlier, he would have received similar treatment. However, he had kept a low profile and hadn't shown too much power.
As his power was revealed, the five elders realized their mistake, but it was too late; the competition was nearing its end. Nevertheless, they hadn't made too many wrong judgments; those who advanced this far were true geniuses.
Most of the top ten from the first round's token leaderboard were no longer in the top ten. It was evident that dueling was the real test of strength.
Now, the remaining contestants were the brightest stars, having fought their way through numerous battles. The Domain Lords with these contestants were beaming with pride and excitement.
This was their most thrilling moment.
The contestants, meanwhile, were quickly recovering, with no time to concern themselves with other matters. After all, they had more battles ahead, against even tougher opponents.
The last eight contestants especially hoped to avoid Earth Monarch Tian Qing, a terrifying woman! If she were a man, it would be fine, but she was a woman, making the men feel even more humiliated.
Even in the later stages, Earth Monarch Tian Qing's opponents were defeated in one or two moves, her power instilling fear.
Three days later, most contestants had recovered. In the Divine Battle Arena, their recovery speed was enhanced with healing pills, allowing them to recover faster. Unless the injuries were too severe, three days were usually enough.
If someone hadn't recovered in three days, they would still be forced to compete. This was the rule, with no exceptions. They wouldn't wait for complete recovery before allowing them to compete.
"Now, we will announce your next opponents!" Elder Gou Huang finally concluded the discussion after three days.
Everyone saw the five elders huddled together, discussing their opponent assignments. This had never happened before, showing the level of caution they exercised.
After all, the participants were outstanding geniuses, and a fair rule had to be established to convince everyone.
Elder Gou Huang then cast out eight beams of light, enveloping the contestants, and each one held a token with a number on it.
"Number seven." Yi Tianyun narrowed his eyes, looking up to see that his opponent was not Earth Monarch Tian Qing or Earth Monarch Te Gu, but Earth Monarch Yu Hua.
"Earth Monarch Yu Hua..."
Yi Tianyun looked at Earth Monarch Yu Hua, whose cultivation was at the seventh refinement level. Earth Monarch Yu Hua was known for being low-key and wasn't among the top ranks.
For instance, he didn't make it to the top ten in the first round, only making it to the top twenty. In the second round, he lasted until the seventh stage before losing, which was a decent performance.
Overall, he was a formidable opponent. However, no one expected such a middle-tier contestant to make it to the top eight!
It felt like he had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, surprising everyone.
Earth Monarch Yu Hua appeared rather ordinary in terms of looks and demeanor, but this didn't mean he was weak. He might have chosen mediocrity, which is unremarkable but the most dangerous.
"His overall strength seems decent. It's interesting how he made it to the top eight."
Yi Tianyun hadn't paid much attention to Earth Monarch Yu Hua before, likely because Earth Monarch Yu Hua's presence was easy to overlook, giving the impression of being inconspicuous.
When he rose to the top, people realized he existed.
As the two of them stepped onto the stage, they faced each other without making a move.
"Earth Monarch Tianyun, please advise me," Earth Monarch Yu Hua said, cupping his hands. His tone was neutral and his voice unremarkable, seemingly very ordinary.
However, treating him as an ordinary opponent could lead to defeat in the next second.
"Please advise me," Yi Tianyun responded politely.
After speaking, Earth Monarch Yu Hua immediately attacked, but it wasn't sudden. His actions were easily predictable. His speed was neither fast nor slow, as if indicating to his opponent that he was about to attack, giving them time to prepare.
Yi Tianyun squinted his eyes. Earth Monarch Yu Hua's move seemed ordinary, but it was flawless! In the next moment, Earth Monarch Yu Hua attacked with just his bare hands, no weapons.
With a flick of his hand, his right hand turned into a blade, striking towards Yi Tianyun.
Yi Tianyun didn't hesitate, throwing a violent punch towards Earth Monarch Yu Hua. No matter the technique, he'd break it with brute force!
As his fist crashed down violently, Earth Monarch Yu Hua's blade hand twisted lightly, like a swimming mermaid, blocking Yi Tianyun's fist.
With a gentle push, Yi Tianyun felt his power being neutralized, as if hitting a soft cushion with no feedback.
"Shock!"
Earth Monarch Yu Hua twisted his palm again, pushing forward gently. With a "boom," an energy burst occurred in the air, a force compressing to the extreme, pressing forward fiercely.
Yi Tianyun felt a jolt in his body, the terrifying force sending him flying. He quickly adjusted his posture in mid-air, landing back on the ground.
"This is Yin-Yang Force..."
Yi Tianyun's eyes narrowed as he saw Yin-Yang energy swirling in Earth Monarch Yu Hua's palms, forming a Taiji symbol. After neutralizing Yi Tianyun's violent force, he stored it in his palms, rebounding it back with a counterforce!
He hadn't expected Earth Monarch Yu Hua to cultivate Yin-Yang Force, an extremely rare power!
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