With the first stage of the competition concluded, the Yellow Sand Saint Lord reappeared on the high platform.
Gazing at the twenty individuals below, he spoke slowly.
"Congratulations to all of you for successfully standing out from the five hundred participants. Next, you will contend for those five coveted spots."
"The top twenty can all ascend the stage to compete. Whoever can hold their ground on the arena longest, or if no one dares to challenge further, they will secure a place among the top five!"
"During the battles, no one shall interfere. Otherwise, you will face pursuit from all the forces attending this Dao Discussion Assembly!"
"Furthermore, any means are permitted during the competition. Life and death are your own responsibility!"
A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd.
As his words concluded, both the surrounding martial artists and the eliminated prodigies erupted in an uproar.
Life and death were their own responsibility!
While previous bouts had also involved fatalities, that had merely been an implicit rule.
Now, the Yellow Sand Saint Lord had openly declared it.
The implications of this were vastly different!
And the permission of any means meant that many previously forbidden techniques could now be employed. As long as they could win, they could use any method, even things long proscribed!
Such a rule instilled a solemn expression on everyone present.
However, the prodigies who had made it to the top twenty were not easily intimidated.
As prodigies, having triumphed over so many, they naturally possessed their own pride.
The struggle in martial arts was not just an empty phrase.
Therefore, the top twenty prodigies were eager to compete, waiting for the second stage to commence before immediately taking to the stage.
Even Xu Chuan was no exception!
As the Yellow Sand Saint Lord's voice faded, the second stage of the competition officially began!
"Make way, let this Saint Son go first!"
A young man pushed through the crowd and soared onto the arena.
At this point, the arena was no longer divided into ten smaller stages but had merged into one colossal platform.
This allowed martial artists to freely unleash their ultimate skills!
The young man stood on the arena, his moon-white robe fluttering in the wind, looking down upon the prodigies below.
His cultivation at the fourth level of the Samsara Realm was unleashed without restraint, his aura rising to its peak, exuding an unparalleled might!
"Who dares to fight me?"
He first swept his gaze across the prodigies below, then spoke arrogantly.
"Who is that? He looks very powerful!"
"You don't even recognize him? That's Lin Shaoyu, the Saint Son of Canghai Holy Land!"
"He's a peerless prodigy at the fourth level of the Samsara Realm at such a young age!"
"I heard he was in secluded cultivation in the Endless Sea before, I didn't expect him to be here today!"
"I didn't even notice him in the first stage of the competition. He must have won too easily!"
Below the stage, someone recognized the prodigy's identity and spoke.
"Let me, Gu Qingge, fight you!"
From the top twenty, a disciple from a prominent family leaped onto the stage, his fighting spirit soaring.
The two were evenly matched, both at the fourth level of the Samsara Realm, their strength nearly indistinguishable.
Therefore, it would come down to who had better combat experience and whose techniques were superior!
"Enough talk, let's fight!"
Having said that.
Lin Shaoyu attacked first, his long sword cleaving through the air, aiming for Gu Qingge's weak points at a tricky angle.
But Gu Qingge was not easily defeated!
With a flash, he directly dodged the sword strike.
Failing to land a hit, Lin Shaoyu unleashed three consecutive strikes, all aimed at Gu Qingge's vulnerabilities.
But unfortunately, Gu Qingge blocked them all.
Even worse, in the process of attacking, Lin Shaoyu revealed a small opening, which Gu Qingge immediately seized, retaliating with a sword strike of his own.
Lin Shaoyu failed to react quickly and was hit, his shoulder pierced by the sword.
Blood trickled down his shoulder.
Seeing that he was injured, Lin Shaoyu's expression stabilized, and his eyes gradually deepened.
"Very good, you are qualified to fight me!"
Lin Shaoyu nodded in praise.
"Next, be prepared, I am about to unleash my true strength!"
Lin Shaoyu said as if it were a serious matter.
Indeed, after he spoke those words, a bloodthirsty aura emanated from him, and a red glow filled his eyes.
His ability to survive in the harsh environment of the deep Endless Sea clearly indicated he was no ordinary individual.
What preceded was merely his probing.
He was testing if his opponent was worthy of him unleashing his true power!
On the stage, Gu Qingge felt this aura and looked at Lin Shaoyu, who seemed like a completely different person. His expression turned solemn, and he became fully alert.
The two entered a fierce battle that was as swift as lightning!
For a time, they fought intensely, the arena echoing with explosions and the clash of weapons, creating a grand and terrifying spectacle.
Below the stage, the surrounding martial artists watched with rapt attention.
The battles between the top twenty prodigies were in no way comparable to those of the previously eliminated ones.
Time flew by.
The two had been fighting for half an incense stick's time.
The arena bore the marks of their intense struggle.
Yet, both continued to fight back and forth, their strength still evenly matched.
Furthermore, neither showed any signs of faltering.
Just as the spectators believed the match would continue in this manner.
Suddenly.
Gu Qingge made a slight misstep, his sword wavering. Someone without extensive combat experience would not have noticed.
But his opponent happened to be the Saint Son of Canghai, Lin Shaoyu.
Having trained in the Endless Sea for years and battling sea beasts daily, his combat experience was exceptionally rich.
Seeing this opening, his long sword suddenly accelerated, emitting a brilliant divine light.
His Yuan force erupted to its limit, aimed at Gu Qingge's opening.
Gu Qingge's face changed drastically. Faced with the incoming sword, he could no longer dodge.
Gritting his teeth, he extended both arms, covering them with Yuan force, intending to block the sword strike head-on.
However.
He had underestimated the power of Lin Shaoyu's strike.
This sword seemed to carry the rolling might of infinite waves. The sky, inexplicably, began to drizzle.
This seemingly insignificant rain contained extremely potent sword energy.
As Lin Shaoyu swung his sword towards Gu Qingge.
With a deafening roar.
The sword struck Gu Qingge. The young master of this top Eastern Region family was sent flying backward, crashing against the arena's protective formation, his aura utterly depleted.
If not for his defensive robe absorbing part of the impact, he would likely have been severely wounded and unconscious by now!
"I concede!"
Gu Qingge slowly got up, adjusted his breathing, and shook his head in surrender before flying off the stage.
The key to his defeat in this battle was his lack of combat experience.
It was completely incomparable to a prodigy like Lin Shaoyu, who constantly mingled with hordes of beasts.
After this defeat, he secretly vowed.
Upon returning, he would definitely enhance his combat experience and defeat Lin Shaoyu in the future.
"Who else? Hurry up and come on, don't waste my time!"
On the stage, the Saint Son of Canghai, Lin Shaoyu, became even more arrogant, looking down on all sides.
Having secured victory in the first match, and against a peerless prodigy like Gu Qingge, his fighting spirit grew even stronger.
"I'll go!"
Another prodigy from a major force stepped onto the stage, though this one was only at the third level of the Samsara Realm.
Before stepping onto the stage, he still wore an expression of absolute confidence in victory.
But the moment they exchanged blows, the difference became apparent.
Within three moves, this individual was defeated.
Spitting blood, he was heavily wounded as he left the stage.
He had not inflicted any damage on Lin Shaoyu whatsoever.
In fact, Lin Shaoyu had barely expended any energy.
At this moment, Lin Shaoyu's fighting spirit burned even brighter, his aura growing more powerful, like a sword immortal!