The Pharmacist and Jiang Yuan were the only ones in the second group who'd won twice.
Tomorrow would be the last round of the round-robin tournament to determine who would make it to the top four.
With the exception of Lan Jue's stunning victory over the Wolf King, the other three matches had been a clear winner. The results were as predicted.
Of course, the gamblers who'd bet on Qi Mu weren't so lucky.
They'd lost everything.
Gambling was one of the most unpredictable things in the world.
The first two matches were, in many people's opinion, just a warm-up for the next two.
The third group would be filled with four strong contenders.
Today, Yan Ningya would face the Driver. Jun Yongye would face Cao Shuiqin.
As the heir to the Epochrion, Yan Ningya couldn't afford to lose again. But the Driver's performance in the last match had been just as impressive.
There was still a chance.
The Driver walked past Lan Jue. "You're not going to encourage me?"
Lan Jue smirked. "You seem to be in a better mood!
Don't lose too badly. "
"Fuck!" The Driver shot him a dirty look, then turned and walked back to the ring.
Yan Ningya wasn't wearing her veil today. She'd been exposed yesterday, and there was no point in hiding it.
The Driver was tall and strong, with short hair and a stern face. His eyes were like a gangster's. It was easy to make an impression.
Yan Ningya nodded at him, and the Driver nodded back in acknowledgment.
In terms of appearance, Yan Ningya was prettier than Cao Shuiqin, but for some reason.
The Driver, on the other hand, wasn't interested in her.
Cao Shuiqin, on the other hand.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be looking at her like that.
"Three, two, one. Begin!"
The Driver didn't hesitate to face Cao Shuiqin.
He was a bolt of silver lightning, and in the blink of an eye he was right in front of Yan Ningya.
However, just as his attack was about to reach her, he suddenly slowed down. Circles of seven-colored ripples were released from Yan Ningya's body.
The lightning was on the verge of exploding, but it stopped for a moment.
Yan Ningya's body flickered.
He had already moved to the side.
Time sped up, and the Driver's attack struck the ground with a deafening roar.
The Driver had used all of his strength in this attack. Blinding bolts of silver lightning blanketed the ground.
At the same time, it enveloped him.
As a result, Yan Ningya was unable to stab him with her sword.
Clearly, the Driver didn't think he'd be able to hit Yan Ningya from the start. That was why he'd purposely increased the power of his attack.
Yan Ningya's body shone with a golden light. She activated the Six Palaces Colorless Powder Technique, making her look even more dazzling.
Like a fairy, she floated backwards and waved the long sword in her hand. "There is a beauty in the north, peerless and independent.
A smile could topple a city, and another smile could topple a country. One would rather not know whether to topple a city or a country.
Beautiful women are hard to come by. "
Her chanting speed was much faster than when she was fighting Jun Yongye. She swung her sword through the air, and with each swing, the light on the blade grew brighter and brighter.
The seven-colored radiance in her eyes had also risen to the limit.
The Driver knew something was wrong when she began the second line. Yan Ningya's first attack wasn't aimed at him.
Instead, it was focused around him.
He wanted to stop her, but he couldn't.
Due to the sluggish flow of time, his lightning speed was greatly affected.
He couldn't use it.
Besides, he needed time to recover from his previous attack.
When he turned around and charged at Yan Ningya again, lightning flashed and exploded again.
Yan Ningya had finished the last line of her chant.
A beam of white light pierced through the lightning. Like a rainbow, it streaked toward the Driver.
A dark red light suddenly appeared on the stage without warning, and a slender and powerful hand forcibly grabbed the tip of the lightsaber.
The light dissipated a few feet from the Driver. It didn't reach him.
"Mercy!" The Gourmet's voice called out.
Yan Ningya sheathed her sword and bowed in the direction of the VIP platform.
She didn't so much as glance at the Driver. She turned and left the arena.
When she reached the waiting area, her eyes were fixed on the White Blademaster, Jun Yongye. "Thank you for your lesson yesterday."
Jun Yongye smiled faintly, but didn't say anything.
The Driver returned to the arena with a gloomy look on his face. He had a feeling he was about to lose a bottle of whiskey to the Accountant.
They were betting he wouldn't finish last in his group. But he'd already lost two fights. His next opponent was the White Blademaster, Jun Yongye!
"Does that count as a bad loss?" The Driver asked Lan Jue in a gloomy voice.
Lan Jue smirked. "Not really.
She used her full strength, you just didn't expect her to be like this.
Plus, her time control was too much for us to handle.
That's why we lost so quickly. But losing quickly doesn't mean it was a bad loss. "
The Driver chuckled. "I feel much better now."
Lan Jue shot him a look. "Failure is the mother of success!"
The corner of the Driver's mouth twitched. "Can't you go back on your bet with the Accountant?"
Lan Jue's voice was placid. "I think he told me he'd give the Keeper his wine if he won. Do as you see fit."
The Driver quietly retreated, but his eyes followed Cao Shuiqin back to the arena.
Jun Yongye was still clad in his white robes, untainted by a speck of dust. It was as though he had always been that way, and would never change.
The two of them faced each other on the arena. Suddenly, Jun Yongye spoke to Cao Shuiqin. "I'd like to hear you play."
Cao Shuiqin looked at him, and then nodded. "Alright."
The electronic countdown seemed to have lost its meaning for both of them.
As the audience watched, the White Blademaster Jun Yongye sat cross-legged in the air. He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.
Cao Shuiqin did the same. She placed her zither across her knees, her hands lightly touching the strings.
The sound of the zither was slightly deep, but it had a lingering charm. The faint melody gently flowed out. Looking from the audience, the two seemed to be sitting opposite each other, one playing and the other listening.
But from time to time, there was a ripple of light. It was clear that the two of them were not at peace.
It took Cao Shuiqin more than ten minutes to finish the song. She gently stroked the strings and hid the lingering sound. Cao Shuiqin's eyes were slightly indifferent. "I lost."
Not only had her music failed to disturb her opponent's state of mind, she hadn't been able to draw him into her rhythm. Not even the essence of her music could approach him. Jun Yongye sat there like an ordinary man, but he was like a sword of justice. Any interference would be cut down. He had no desires.
Jun Yongye opened his eyes, and a look of regret flashed across his face. He sighed. "Your heart is in chaos." With those few words, he rose to his feet and left.
Two wins!
No one in the third group could stand shoulder to shoulder with him. Only two wins.
Unless he lost to the Driver, he would advance to the next round.
Even if they were to lose, they would still be able to advance to the next round based on their relationship with each other.
The outcome of the third group was decided.
The first to advance was not Titan, nor was it Yan Ningya, nor was it the Pharmacist. It was the White Blademaster, Jun Yongye!
Cao Shuiqin listened to Jun Yongye's words for a long moment. Then, hugging her zither to her chest, she left the stage. Her face was flushed.
Her heart was in chaos. Just as he had said to the Driver yesterday, she had beaten him with her heartstrings, but he hadn't lost.
She hadn't been able to retract her heartstrings in time.
The third group's matches were over, and the outcome was clear.
What followed next was the most anticipated match of the day. Even the Terminator had said that he would pay close attention to this one.
Constantine, High Inquisitor of the Pontiff's Citadel, versus Xuanyuan Shishi of the Ten Thousand Swords.
Constantine rose to his feet. The light in his eyes danced, as though he were a holy light. Anyone who looked at him could feel his confidence.
As the Pontiff's Citadel's foremost genius, it was only natural that he had such confidence. Behind his success, many had fallen.
He was the Inquisitor, and a strong contender to be the next Pontiff. He would not allow himself to be defeated.
He had seen Xuanyuan Shishi's strength yesterday, but it had only served to fuel his desire for victory. He wanted to train against such a strong opponent, to help him find his own path.
Unlike Lan Qing, Lan Jue, Chu Cheng, and others who had long since found their way to protogenia, Constantine's path was much more difficult.
To be able to reach level nine at such a young age, he had to rely on a large amount of genetic medicine to stimulate his body. In this way, although his speed of improvement was very fast and his talent was fully stimulated, it also caused hidden dangers, making it extremely difficult for him to take the final step.
Archangel Metatron, for example, had been famous for many years. He had long since been hailed as the strongest beneath the Paragon level, but he had never been able to take that final step.
If Constantine didn't find the right path before he was fifty, he would follow in the Archangel King's footsteps.
The Pontiff was getting on in years. As a Paragon, no one knew how long he would live. However, he had made it clear that if someone broke through to Paragon, he would pass on his position.
Metatron's chances were dwindling, while Constantine's was like the sun at high noon. There was no longer any competition between the two of them.
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It's the weekend, I'm looking for monthly votes and recommendations.
(To be continued)