Chapter 106 | The System Said I'd Die, So I Pulled a Ten-Draw Instead

The shouts came from different directions of the spectator stands, eventually merging into a single wave of sound.

Yun Heng listened to the voices around her, feeling a bit surprised.

Since when did she have so many supporters?

In the spectator stands, a female cultivator cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted loudly toward the main platform, “Yun Heng! The number one prodigy of the Taiyan Continent!”

A male cultivator sitting next to her could not bear to listen any longer. He turned and glared at her.

“What number one prodigy of the Taiyan Continent? The number one prodigy is clearly Ye Zezhi!”

The female cultivator did not even look at him, only replying sarcastically, “Oh, the nearly hundred-year-old number one prodigy of the Taiyan Continent.”

“You!”

The male cultivator was so angry his beard almost went crooked.

He whipped his head around and shouted at the top of his lungs toward the main platform, “Goddess Ye Zezhi!”

The female cultivator curled her lips and muttered in a low voice, “If you dare call her the number one prodigy, see if I don't smash your head in.”

After Yun Heng, the remaining one hundred and seventeen participating cultivators also stepped out one by one from behind the main platform.

Once everyone had entered, they stood in order on the main platform.

Gong Yiding walked to the very front once again.

“Today is the first round of matches for this session's Five Domains Prodigy Gathering.”

“The matches will be conducted in a one-on-one format. Any means are permitted, and life and death are up to fate.”

“Participating cultivators may use contracted spirit beasts, talismans, pills, arrays, and magic treasures. As long as it is something you own, it may be used in the matches.”

Having said that, Gong Yiding looked up at the massive light screen above the main platform.

“Next, we invite the contestants of groups one through fourteen to take the stage!”

The light screen immediately changed.

The names, cultivation realms, and matchups of the first fourteen groups of contestants appeared before everyone's eyes at the same time.

The fourteen groups of cultivators walked off the main platform in order, each heading toward one of the fourteen ordinary sparring platforms nearby.

Outside each sparring platform, there was an individual protective array, as well as a deacon waiting in advance to determine the winner.

The remaining contestants left the main platform and headed to the waiting area below, which was specifically prepared for the participating cultivators.

Yun Heng and Jin Yushan were assigned to group fifty-nine, which was also the final match of the first round.

She walked into the waiting area and sat down directly in a spot in the back row.

Yan Yi and Xiao Cen also walked over, sitting on her left and right.

Xiao Cen glanced at the matchup information on the light screen.

“These fourteen groups are all Nascent Soul cultivators. Their cultivation realms aren't too far apart, so the battles might last for a long time.”

Yun Heng nodded.

“There are fifty-nine groups in total. I wonder if we can finish them all today.”

As they spoke, the battles on the fourteen sparring platforms commenced one after another.

Some cultivators summoned their contracted spirit beasts as soon as they took the stage, the person and the beast launching attacks at their opponent simultaneously.

There were also talisman cultivators who kept throwing out talismans from the very beginning of the match, one sheet after another.

Those disciples from prestigious sects and clans had even deeper foundations; almost every single one of them had protective magic treasures on their bodies.

With fourteen sparring platforms conducting matches simultaneously, the various spells, sword glows, talismans, and magic treasures were a dazzling sight.

The cheers from the spectator stands barely ceased.

Sitting in the waiting area, Yun Heng shifted her gaze between several sparring platforms.

It had to be said that the cultivators who could participate in the Five Domains Prodigy Gathering were indeed no ordinary people.

Even though these fourteen groups were all in the Nascent Soul Realm, the strength they displayed far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators in the same realm.

Six hours passed, and thirteen of the fourteen sparring platforms had already concluded their battles.

Some of the victorious cultivators had already returned to the waiting area, while others were taken away by their sect elders to heal. Among those who lost, several were severely injured and carried directly off the sparring platforms.

At this moment, only the last sparring platform had yet to determine a winner.

The two cultivators on the platform were a talisman cultivator and a sword cultivator.

The talisman cultivator had been throwing talismans since the start of the match, almost completely blanketing the entire sparring platform.

The sword cultivator had quite a few protective magic treasures.

A thick barrier of spiritual energy shielded his body, keeping most of the talisman attacks at bay.

At first, the sword cultivator wanted to brave the talisman attacks to get close to his opponent, but the talisman cultivator gave him no opportunity whatsoever.

Whenever he took a few steps forward, several talismans would fly in front of him simultaneously, forcing him to retreat once more.

However, as time went on, the speed at which the talisman cultivator drew her talismans grew slower and slower.

The protective magic treasures around the sword cultivator were also on the verge of failing.

The once-intact spiritual energy barrier was covered in cracks. With every talisman explosion, those cracks would spread in all directions.

Finally, another wave of talismans rained down.

Crack—

A crisp sound echoed from the sparring platform.

The spiritual energy barrier in front of the sword cultivator shattered completely, and the protective magic treasures shielding his body cracked along with it.

The talisman cultivator's eyes lit up, and she immediately reached for her storage bag.

But this time, her talismans were nearly depleted.

The sword cultivator noticed this as well.

He poured spiritual energy into his longsword, transforming into a streak of sword light as he charged forward.

Several attacks exploded in midair, but the sword cultivator did not stop. He forced his way through the residual shockwaves of the talismans, reaching the front of the talisman cultivator, and slashed down with his sword.

The protective magic treasure on the talisman cultivator had just lit up when it was instantly shattered by the sword light.

She was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the sparring platform and spitting out a large mouthful of blood.

“Group fourteen, the match is decided!”

This match, which had lasted for a full six hours, finally came to an end.

A burst of cheers erupted from the spectator stands.

Gong Yiding walked back onto the main platform.

As she raised her hand, the noise on the Five Domains Platform gradually quieted down.

“The matches for groups one through fourteen have all concluded, and the winners have emerged.”

As her voice fell, the massive light screen above the main platform changed accordingly.

The names of the victorious cultivators from the first fourteen groups appeared on the light screen in order.

“Next, we invite the participating cultivators of groups fifteen through twenty-eight to take the stage!”

“It's my turn.”

Jiang Qian immediately stood up from her seat.

Yan Yi looked up at her, her eyes filled with encouragement.

“Junior Sister, don't be nervous. Just perform as you normally do.”

Yun Heng and the others also nodded to her.

“Good luck.”

Jiang Qian's opponent was a female cultivator in the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm from a second-rate sect in the Central State.

Judging solely by their cultivation, Jiang Qian held the advantage.

Once all fourteen groups of contestants had stood on their respective sparring platforms, the elders in charge of officiating simultaneously announced the start of the matches.

The gazes of Yun Heng, Yan Yi, and the others all landed on sparring platform twenty-one, where Jiang Qian was.

The instant the match began, Jiang Qian's opponent made the first move.

The female cultivator was a formation master.

Her hands rapidly formed hand seals, and several formation pegs flew out, landing around the sparring platform.

Cyan formation patterns lit up beneath her feet, rapidly spreading across the ground in all directions. In the blink of an eye, a complete formation was established.