Twenty-four people and twenty-four giant images appeared in the air at the same time.
The Pharmacist didn't stand with the rest of the Skyfire Avenue crowd. Instead, she stood by Lan Jue's side.
The two of them stood side by side, attracting the attention of countless people.
Many speculated about the relationship between the Pharmacist and Lan Jue, but few knew the truth.
Even the Major League and the two major castles only knew that Zeus was a member of Skyfire Avenue. Even they didn't understand why Zeus didn't represent Skyfire Avenue this time. In the overall competition, Zeus's performance was relatively low-key, and he didn't display his powerful explosive power. Every match seemed average, and sometimes he even seemed to be deliberately hiding his strength. This misconception confused the other competitors.
The Pharmacist's strength also made almost all the contestants believe that Zeus was strong. Therefore, in the lot-drawing that was about to begin, no one wanted to be paired with this pair.
"The drawing of lots begins!"
The Terminator's deep voice boomed across the arena. Even without the use of amplification equipment, everyone could hear him clearly.
Now that the tournament had entered the double elimination stage, the importance of the match had increased. The Terminator personally announced today's draw.
Twenty-four people, twenty-four pairs of eyes, all stared at the image floating in the air.
The twenty-four giant heads began to rotate in a clockwise direction at a speed that was more than three times that of all the previous lot-drawing ceremonies. Even an ability user with excellent vision would not be able to see the changes in the image in the air.
The Pharmacist was as calm as ever.
She always gave people a feeling that none of this had anything to do with her.
Lan Jue appeared to be very calm as well. The two of them stood side by side. Their calmness seemed to exude a strong sense of confidence.
The light and shadow stopped. The drawing of lots was complete!
Everyone's eyes widened as they stared at the final result that appeared in the sky.
Almost in the next instant, in the audience seats.
Cries of surprise rang out.
Those who were able to enter the top 24 were all experts, and the drawing of lots would inevitably result in a battle between the strong.
However, when the results of the lots were announced, many people were still shocked, and some even heaved a sigh of relief.
Twenty-four contestants.
Twenty-two pairs of eyes turned to the Pharmacist and Lan Jue.
Both the Pharmacist and Lan Jue had a strange expression on their faces.
The two of them looked at each other. Lan Jue's lips, hidden beneath his mask, twitched. The Pharmacist's face, however, revealed an enigmatic smile.
Yes!
On the first day of the double-elimination tournament.
The Pharmacist and Lan Jue were a pair.
Lan Jue let out a long breath and chuckled, "It seems that my luck is really going to change!"
The Pharmacist shot him a sidelong glance, a smile on her face.
Lan Jue had drawn the Pharmacist, and she could still smile?
If it was before yesterday's incident, many people would have thought that he was out of his mind.
But now.
However, they didn't think so. Even the other contestants knew this very well.
To them, this was the worst possible outcome.
The facts had proven this point.
The Pharmacist and Lan Jue hadn't even stepped onto the stage before the Pharmacist announced her withdrawal from the next round. Lan Jue was guaranteed a spot in the next round.
They entered the round-robin tournament.
Of course the Pharmacist had forfeited. According to the rules of the double-elimination tournament, all she had to do was defeat her opponent in the next round.
Then she'd pass the vote and advance.
Of course it was the round-robin tournament.
She'd be in a different group, and her opponents would be stronger.
But was that important to the Pharmacist?
For Lan Jue, it was a wonderful thing. She'd be spared a tough fight, and she'd be in the top sixteen. She'd be the first one to make it to the round-robin tournament.
At the very least, she'd have an a-ranked power gem.
If some of the weaker ability users still had a sliver of hope, then they had no choice but to go all out in this round of the competition.
Who could say for sure that the Pharmacist wouldn't pick them in the losers' bracket?
Being picked by the Pharmacist meant the odds of being eliminated were high.
Lan Jue and the Pharmacist were in the same group. They were guaranteed two spots in the top sixteen.
The Seamstress' luck had run out this round. She'd been matched against Constantine. She'd easily conceded, and he'd advanced.
What she did was undoubtedly very wise. Rather than pointlessly resisting, it was better to preserve her strength and do her best in the face of defeat.
She'd fight for a spot in the next round.
Constantine and the Pharmacist were, without a doubt, the strongest of the twenty-four. They'd both ended their matches in the first round.
The arena had been changed to two large arenas. Only two matches could be held at once.
The twelve matches today would be divided into six batches.
Unexpectedly, the first round ended without any real battles.
The second round began immediately.
The Bartender, Yu Honghu, the man with the Dragon of Ice and Fire, was matched against a werewolf from the Dark Coalition.
The other pair was a modified Adept from the Major League. He was matched against the dark sorcerer from the Dark Citadel.
The two Adepts representing the Dark Citadel would both enter the next round.
The two matches began at the same time!
The Pharmacist's voice drifted into Lan Jue's ear. "The Bartender will have a hard time winning this round."
"Oh?
Is that werewolf really that strong? "
Lan Jue asked, surprised. He wasn't representing Skyfire Avenue, and his main goal was to hone his skills. He didn't know much about Skyfire Avenue's investigation.
The Pharmacist answered. "According to our investigation, this werewolf is called Qi Mu. He's an outstanding acquired Adept. His genes are highly receptive to genetica, and he's developed a positive mutation. He's called the Wolf King. He's the next generation of the Dark Citadel.
Although he's not as talented as the Vampire Princess, and it'll be difficult for him to become a Paragon in the future, he's still very strong. Ninth level, eighth rank.
Once he transforms, he'll be able to take on a peak ninth rank Talent.
His greatest strength is that he's almost flawless in close combat.
Whether it's attack, defense, speed, or strength, he's strong. "
Lan Jue's brows furrowed. If the Pharmacist was complimenting the Adept's strength, that meant he was stronger than she could handle.
If he were still ninth level seventh rank, he wouldn't be afraid.
But at his current level, he'd be in trouble if he ran into the Wolf King.
The Pharmacist continued. "The Bartender's potential isn't bad. He's a dual Adept, and a rare one with opposing elements. Ice and fire. He's particularly strong in the early stages.
However, he's reached a bottleneck. He's stuck at third rank ninth rank. Because of his dual Adepts, he's as strong as a ninth level fifth rank Adept or higher.
But now, he had to find his own path ahead of time. Only by breaking through through his own comprehension could he continue to improve.
If he can't overcome this bottleneck, it's likely he'll never be able to break through.
At his current level, it'll be difficult for him to face the Wolf King. "
"As for the other match, there's no suspense. The dark sorcerer is called Jiang Yuan. He's also a Genetica mutation, ninth level seventh rank.
He's a master of all sorts of curses. According to our sources, he's mastered protogenia. When the time comes, he can transform into a lich and unleash the power of ancient curses.
He hasn't even used his full strength yet.
Don't underestimate him just because he's weaker than Qi Mu, but he's even stronger.
Of the Dark Citadel's Adepts, he's the real deal.
His opponent in the Major League isn't bad, but not as strong as Chu Cheng. He'll have no chance against him. He'll have to fight in the Losers Bracket. "
Lan Jue had a better understanding of the two Adepts from the Dark Citadel after the Pharmacist's introduction.
The competition had already begun.
The Bartender versus the Wolf King!
What the Pharmacist knew, the Bartender knew as well. However, he didn't admit defeat.
Lan Jue wasn't the only one who wanted to use the tournament to stimulate her own potential.
Wasn't he the same?
After reaching Level Nine, Rank Three, the conflict between his Dual Elemental Abilities, Ice and Fire, began to intensify, making it difficult for him to convert them into one another. Although he was able to complement each other to a certain extent, he had relied on this to complete his breakthrough.
But it wasn't enough.
He needed more power, more power. Only then could he continue to improve.
This wasn't just pure energy, it was insight. Insight into fire and ice.
The Wine Master had once told him that if he wanted to break through to the next level, then he needed to experience the power of fire and ice through battle. The stronger the opponent, the more pressure he'd be able to endure.
Qi Mu glared at the Bartender. When the countdown came to an end, his eyes turned a crystalline yellow.
It was a cold, indifferent look. His already muscular body swelled, and in the space of a breath he was a two-meter tall werewolf.
Qi Mu had transformed into a werewolf. His limbs were especially thick and strong, and his lips were protruding. A layer of dark red fur covered his entire body, and a faint smell of blood emanated from his body. Vaguely, one could see a layer of dark red air circulating around his body.
He pounced forward, leaving a trail of afterimages in his wake. In a flash he was in front of the Bartender.
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Asking for monthly votes, recommendation votes.
(To be continued)