The preceding nineteen champions had been decided, belonging to nineteen formidable experts. Now came the bracket for the top nineteen to narrow down to the top ten; this round was destined to feature one competitor receiving a bye.

Undoubtedly, receiving a bye in this stage was an incredibly fortunate outcome. So, who would be the one to receive the bye?

The one to receive the bye was Shi Feixian. This exquisitely beautiful, celestial swordswoman from the Eastern Realm had held her ground until the final nineteen.

With this automatic advancement, she was assured a spot among the top ten, likely being the sole woman in that elite group. As these nineteen converged for the matches to determine the top ten, Lu Yuan finally faced an opponent from the Lost Lands.

This individual was named Nie Choufeng, whose leg techniques were unparalleled—incredibly swift and deadly. He was the last remaining representative from the Lost Lands.

Originally, Huo Yibu from the Lost Lands possessed greater strength, but he encountered Xiao Fengxiong. Their clash—Dragon-Subduing Twenty-Eight Palms against Cloud-Dispersing Palm—resulted in the formidable Huo Yibu being decisively defeated, leaving Nie Choufeng as the final standard-bearer for the Lost Lands.

Normally, those from the Lost Lands were immensely powerful. However, this time, the emergence of so many masters from the Four Realms had created an anomaly—a supremely bizarre and uncanny era that defied prediction.

Under these circumstances, even the experts from the Lost Lands could only falter, resulting in Nie Choufeng being the sole survivor to reach the top nineteen. In the battle between Lu Yuan and Nie Choufeng, Lu Yuan noted the incredible speed of Nie Choufeng’s kicks and the quality of his blade work.

His Gale God Leg Technique and the Six Forms of Arrogant Cold held some interest, but his ultimate strength lay in a single move: "On Par With My Senior Brother." The name was peculiar, but the technique itself was potent, capable of multiplying one’s combat power manifold in an instant. Lu Yuan’s confrontation with Nie Choufeng required only slightly more effort than his fight against Han Qingbai.

You have swift legs; I possess the White Emperor Sword Dao. Your blade skills are refined, but my swordsmanship is superior; the Sword Emperor realm vastly outstrips the peak of the Blade Marquis level.

Only that move, "On Par With My Senior Brother," offered any real threat, but once confronted by Lu Yuan's power of Samsara, it amounted to very little. "On Par With My Senior Brother!" Nie Choufeng unleashed the technique once more.

"That’s the seventh time," Lu Yuan roared, simultaneously channeling the power of Samsara, which instantly swept Nie Choufeng away. A sword intent followed; although the strike was precise, Nie Choufeng could theoretically break its underlying logic, but the overwhelming force of Samsara rendered him immobile.

"Southern Realm's Lu Yuan wins." Having secured this victory, he advanced into the top ten! Following the conclusion of these nine matches, the final top ten competitors were finally determined.

Xiao Fengxiong from the Southern Realm, Fu Ying from the Eastern Realm, Li Qiuhuan from the Northern Realm, and Gu Qiushui from the Western Realm—these four powerhouses were never in doubt, as their strength consistently overshadowed the others. Shi Feixian of the Eastern Realm received byes from the 75-to-38 round and the 19-to-top-ten round, smoothly securing her place in the top ten.

Lu Yuan of the Southern Realm was initially considered a lucky contender who had advanced by mere chance. However, his late-stage explosive power in the brilliant victories against Mo Zihe and the Blood-Robed Man propelled him forward like a dark horse into the top ten.

Fu Chong, also from the Southern Realm, was another dark horse. Originally ranking at the very bottom among the top ten experts of Dayong City, he suddenly erupted in strength during the later stages, defeating established figures like Murong Huangfu and Feng Heli from the top experts of various realms to break into the top ten.

The Flying Sword Master from the Northern Realm was an established swordsman who had been learning the Sword Intent of Death. After meeting Li Qiuhuan, he followed his path, integrating the Intents of Life and Death to become a pinnacle figure in the Northern Realm.

In the fight to enter the top ten, he defeated his sworn nemesis, Jing Wuqiu of the Northern Realm, to claim a spot in the final bracket. Wang Shitou from the Western Realm, this perpetually smiling youth, used stones as his weapon, giving an impression of harmlessness.

Yet, his true strength had reached an astonishing level. Moreover, carrying both a saber and a sword on his back, he was proficient in both disciplines, his power deep and boundless as an abyss, carrying him into the top ten.

The last position was taken by Guo Kan of the Southern Realm. This honest, steadfast man managed to fight his way through relying solely on his simple, almost unchanging palm techniques.

Although his final few matches were grueling struggles, he ultimately clawed his way into the top ten. This represented the top ten, excluding those from the Central Heavenly Dynasty.

Xiao Fengxiong, Fu Ying, Li Qiuhuan, Gu Qiushui, Shi Feixian, Lu Yuan, Fu Chong, Flying Sword Master, Wang Shitou, Guo Kan. The Top Ten!

At this juncture, every eye was fixed upon them. The biographical details of every participant, dating back to their births, had been unearthed.

Billions of spectators were engaged in intense debate, speculating on who would claim the ultimate first place and the precise rankings among these ten. To survive the crucible of forty thousand geniuses and break into the top ten—what unparalleled honor this was.

Forty thousand geniuses! All possessing cultivation levels above the third stage of the Great Dao realm!

The Eastern, Southern, Western, and Northern Realms, the nine hundred and ninety-nine nations—no, not to mention the geniuses of the Lost Lands. To cut through such a massive field and secure a top-ten spot was monumentally difficult.

It could be argued that if these ten were forced to compete again, only the four most powerful—Xiao Fengxiong and the three others—would be guaranteed to advance; the remaining six might easily be replaced. The difficulty was too immense!

Many who entered owed their success to fortunate circumstances; in reality, many others whose strength was no less than that of Lu Yuan or Guo Kan had been eliminated. A quick tally revealed many from the Southern Realm who didn't make the cut: Yin Wuji, Liu Guo, Void Master, Murong Huangfu, and others.

The Northern Realm had Jing Wuqiu, Ye Kai, the Blood-Robed Man, Yuan Suiyun, Lu Simei, Chu Taxing, and an entire roster of powerful individuals. The Eastern Realm boasted Feng Heli, Wei Changzheng, Wanwan, Guan Zhong, Feng Han—each a peerless master.

The Western Realm included Su Xiangmeng, Bai Feijing, Qiu Feijing, Fang Yingkan, Fang Zhenyi, Fang Gezhi, the crippled young master, the broad-shouldered middle-aged man, and a host of figures from the Lost Lands, such as Huo Yibu, who used the Cloud-Dispersing Palm, all possessing supreme strength. Which one of these was weak?

Sometimes, the difference in competition was merely a hairline margin, or perhaps they were unlucky enough to clash early with one of the four strongest. If the competition were run again, it would be entirely normal if the six spots were completely replaced.

This was the Genius War! An intensely fierce Genius War!

Yet, looking at it another way, luck was also an inseparable component of strength. At this stage, no one could truly harbor resentment.

They had simply been unfortunate enough to belong to a generation packed with unprecedented strength. Setting aside the digression, the immediate challenge upon entering the top ten was determining the rankings.

Everyone dreaded drawing one of the four powerhouses at the Great Dao Eighth Stage; victory against them was unlikely. However, the probability of facing them was inherently high.

Finally, the pairings for the last five elimination rounds were announced. Xiao Fengxiong versus Guo Kan.

One utilizes the Dragon-Subduing Twenty-Eight Palms, the other the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms; it remained to be seen who was superior between these two masters of the Dragon Palm style. Li Qiuhuan against the Flying Sword Master—these two had always maintained an excellent relationship.

Fu Ying versus Wang Shitou. Gu Qiushui versus Shi Feixian.

Lu Yuan versus Fu Chong. This promised a chaotic series of massive battles.

The first bout was Xiao Fengxiong against Guo Kan. Both employed variations of the same palm technique, though one practiced twenty-eight variations and the other eighteen.

Their designated dueling ground was the vast desert, terrain that allowed for virtually no subterfuge, and neither man was inclined toward trickery. They began trading blows the moment they entered the arena.

One moved with "Arrogant Dragon Has Regrets," met by "Soaring Dragon Heaven," followed by "Dragon Seeing Field," countered by "Crouching Dragon Do Not Act." Hmm, using the latter ten palms, such as "Two Dragons Snatch Water," would clearly be more advantageous here, yet Xiao Fengxiong refrained. With his insight, he should have recognized the better option.

There could only be one explanation: he wished to settle the matter using only the initial eighteen palms against Guo Kan. Indeed, they hammered away at each other incessantly in a ferocious exchange.

What a savage battle! A rare, direct physical confrontation among the forty thousand geniuses; the entire small arena was nearly pulverized.

Finally, Xiao Fengxiong emerged victorious. "Southern Realm's Lu Yuan versus Southern Realm's Fu Chong." Oh, was it his turn already?

Lu Yuan stood up and entered the designated arena. In truth, Lu Yuan’s draw was among the very best; he avoided any of the four experts at the Great Dao Eighth Stage, instead facing Fu Chong, also from the Southern Realm, who was at the Great Dao Seventh Stage.

Candidly speaking, Shi Feixian, Wang Shitou, Flying Sword Master, and Guo Kan were essentially just supporting players. Entering the arena, Lu Yuan noted that this stage was a small, dilapidated county town.

The arenas were gradually increasing in size for the later rounds, likely to allow participants greater scope for their techniques. Within this modest town, amidst crumbling city walls, a waning sun hung overhead.

Lu Yuan was instantly assailed by an attack. Instinctively, he raised the Red Emperor Sword Dao, and the incoming projectile instantly dissolved into nothingness.

"Consider it a welcoming gift." A languid voice drifted out. Lu Yuan looked up to see his opponent, Fu Chong, seated atop the town wall.

Fu Chong was tall, rather handsome, with a noticeable scar across his face. Wait, he hadn't noticed the scar before, but focusing on it now, it seemed strangely familiar—it bore a striking resemblance to the scar on Nalan De's face.

Fu Chong looked down at Lu Yuan from his perch on the wall: "Oh, you're looking at the scar on my face? You aren't mistaken.

I am a disciple of Lord Nalan De, specifically his senior disciple. Did you know that ever since I was very young, I was instilled with the singular ambition to surpass the successor of Yan Cangtian?" "Originally, Yan Cangtian had no successor, but unexpectedly, a successor from a different generation suddenly appeared later.

It’s impossible for me not to triumph over you," Fu Chong said, a smile playing on his lips, though the smile suddenly took on an intensely eerie quality: "By the way, Murong Huangfu’s strength should surpass mine. Do you know how he ended up losing to me?"