Before long, the participants of the third and fourth groups took the stage.
Once those two matches concluded, it was Xiao Cen and Bai Chu'an's turn.
The two of them walked onto their respective sparring platforms.
Yun Heng sat up straight, closely observing their battles.
Xiao Cen's sword style was very similar to her usual personality—fierce, decisive, and relentless.
She rarely engaged in meaningless probing; the moment she detected a flaw in her opponent, she would strike immediately, delivering continuous, relentless attacks that carried an incredibly overwhelming pressure.
By contrast, Bai Chu'an's fighting style was entirely different; he remained exceptionally steady from beginning to end. No matter how his opponent attacked, he was never rushed, choosing to meet the attacks head-on most of the time, leaving almost no visible openings between his offense and defense.
Both of them won their matches, successfully advancing to the top eight.
Finally, it was Ye Zezhi's turn in the last match.
As the only other late-stage Soul Transformation Realm cultivator in this Five Domains Prodigy Gathering besides herself, Ye Zezhi was highly likely to be her final opponent.
Ye Zezhi's strikes were incredibly clean and direct. Her moves were simple and straightforward, with very little useless probing, allowing her to firmly control the rhythm of the entire match.
Her opponent tried to stall for time several times, but Ye Zezhi forcefully cut them off each time, giving them almost no opportunity to turn the tables from start to finish.
Ultimately, she shattered her opponent's defense head-on, smoothly securing the final slot in the top eight.
With that, all seven of today's matches had concluded.
Yun Heng had watched everyone's battles, and she now had a general understanding of the remaining competitors' strength and fighting styles.
Just then, Gong Yiding ascended the main stage once more.
The voice-amplifying array lit up.
Her voice rang out clearly across the entire Five Domains Platform.
“The battle for the top eight of this Five Domains Prodigy Gathering has officially concluded!”
“After several rounds of fierce competition, our final eight advancing competitors have been decided!”
Gong Yiding raised her voice, her tone even more passionate than before.
“Now, please welcome the top eight competitors of this Five Domains Prodigy Gathering to the main stage!”
As soon as she finished speaking, deafening cheers erupted across the entire Five Domains Platform.
The eight participating cultivators walked out from different directions and ascended the main stage together.
The eight of them stood in a row on the stage.
The massive light screen above the main stage shifted accordingly.
Their faces, names, and cultivation realms appeared on the screen one by one.
The image-recording array simultaneously broadcast this scene to the Five Domains of the Taiyan Continent.
Countless cultivators stood before their image-recording arrays, witnessing the birth of the top eight of this Five Domains Prodigy Gathering with their own eyes.
Standing in front of the eight, Gong Yiding spoke, “Congratulations to everyone for successfully making it into the top eight of this Five Domains Prodigy Gathering!”
“You have fought your way here from among one hundred and eighteen young prodigies of the Five Domains.”
“No matter the outcome of the upcoming matches, you have already proven your strength.”
“You are the true prodigies of the younger generation of the Taiyan Continent!”
Another massive wave of cheers erupted from the spectator stands.
In the viewing areas of the various sects and clans, many people were also cheering for their respective disciples.
Yun Heng looked up at the light screen above the main stage.
Aside from herself, Ye Zezhi, Bai Chu'an, Xiao Cen, and Xie Wujiu, there were three other qualifiers.
One of them was named Mu Changxiao.
He was the mid-stage Soul Transformation Realm cultivator who had defeated Yan Yi in the previous round, as well as the Eldest Disciple of the Jiming Sect, one of the six top forces in the Central State.
The second was named Wen Ai.
She was the Eldest Disciple of the Fuguang Sect, also possessing a mid-stage Soul Transformation Realm cultivation.
She was also the cultivator who had defeated Xiao Jingheng.
The final person was named Yu Chengge.
She was the Young Lord of the Yu Family, one of the six top forces in the Central State, and her cultivation had also reached the mid stage of the Soul Transformation Realm.
Once the list of the top eight was fully displayed, the familiar drawing box appeared before Gong Yiding once more.
“Next, we will proceed with the official drawing for the quarterfinals.”
The chatter below the stage gradually quieted down.
Everyone stared intently at the eight participating cultivators on the stage.
There were no weaklings left among the top eight.
No matter who drew whom in this round, the match would not be easy.
Gong Yiding looked down at the roster.
“First, Yun Heng.”
Yun Heng stepped out from the line and walked over to the drawing box.
As she reached her hand inside, she silently prayed in her heart.
Please don't let it be Xiao Cen.
If she absolutely had to choose one from the remaining seven, she actually hoped she would draw Xie Wujiu.
Yun Heng casually pulled out a round sphere and handed it to Gong Yiding.
The sphere slowly floated up into the air.
The other seven on the stage stared at the glowing sphere without blinking.
The golden specks of light gradually dissipated before regrouping in midair.
Soon, a name appeared before everyone's eyes.
Xie Wujiu.
Yun Heng's eyes widened slightly.
Did my words just manifest?!
She had literally just been thinking that drawing Xie Wujiu would be best, and she actually drew him.
In the line, the moment Xie Wujiu saw his name, his breath caught in his throat.
Speak of the devil.
He had been worried all along about running into Yun Heng early in the Five Domains Prodigy Gathering, but it seemed he ultimately couldn't avoid it.
Xie Wujiu took a deep breath and looked up at Yun Heng.
Yun Heng was standing by the drawing box, looking back at him with a faint smile.
Their gazes locked in midair.
Xie Wujiu felt a bit self-conscious for some reason. He blinked subconsciously and was the first to look away.
Seeing his reaction, the curve of Yun Heng's lips grew more pronounced.
She turned and walked back to her spot.
Gong Yiding continued to call out the second name.
“Second, Ye Zezhi.”
Ye Zezhi stepped forward and drew a sphere from the box.
After the glowing sphere dispersed, Mu Changxiao's name appeared.
Gong Yiding spoke again, “Third, Bai Chu'an.”
This time, Wen Ai's name appeared in midair.
Once the first three matchups were decided, only two names remained in the drawing box.
“The first three matchups have been determined.”
“The remaining two participants, Xiao Cen and Yu Chengge, will automatically face each other.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the massive light screen above the main stage quickly shifted.
The matchup details for the four groups appeared in order.
Group One: Yun Heng versus Xie Wujiu.
Group Two: Ye Zezhi versus Mu Changxiao.
Group Three: Bai Chu'an versus Wen Ai.
Group Four: Xiao Cen versus Yu Chengge.
A clamor instantly broke out in the spectator stands.
“All four of these matchups are highly anticipated!”
“Aside from Yun Heng's group, which feels like a foregone conclusion, the other three groups are definitely worth watching.”
“Exactly. None of these people are weak.”
“Besides, I always feel like they haven't shown their true strength in the previous matches. They must still be hiding quite a few trump cards.”
“Aside from Yun Heng and Ye Zezhi, the remaining six are all in the mid stage of the Soul Transformation Realm. With very little difference in their cultivation levels, what it really comes down to is their respective cultivation methods, artifacts, and hidden cards.”
The crowd grew more and more excited as they discussed it.
The quarterfinals would truly be a clash of the titans.
Once the discussions in the spectator stands had quieted down slightly, Gong Yiding announced once more:
“The quarterfinals of the Five Domains Prodigy Gathering will officially begin in one month.”
“We ask the eight participating competitors to use this month to adjust their conditions and make complete preparations!”
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