The arena was still quivering from the echo of Shi Feng’s last scream when the Divine Deva Overseer finally cleared his throat and raised his hand.
Imdiately, the formation lines on the arena floor rotated, wiping away the remaining dust. New lines erged that surged outward, rearranging themselves into eight glowing rings around the central stage.
"The round of thirty-two has concluded, and the top sixteen contestants have been decided! From this point onward, every defeat will an losing your chance to beco a Core Disciple!" the Divine Deva Overseer announced, his voice firm despite the lingering tension.
The crowd leaned forward as glowing characters rose into the air.
"First match: Shi Gaolin versus i Lin.
Second match: Shen Jian versus Luo Luo.
Third match: Hu Lili versus Lang Jue.
Fourth match: Wang Feng versus Song Man.
Fifth match: Bai Yegui versus Nong Rong.
Sixth match: Bei Dongshi versus Yun ng.
Seventh match: Cao Xian versus ng Hao.
Eighth match: Li Ling versus Lin Yan."
Each pairing was read out slowly, and each na detonated its own pocket of noise.
"Shi Gaolin and i Lin, huh? Hungry Ghost butcher versus Divine Deva judge!"
"That’s a nasty matchup. Malevolent yin against righteous light..."
"Shen Jian vs Luo Luo? Isn’t she that formation freak from the True Human Hall?"
"Hu Lili and Lang Jue! Tiger and wolf in the sa cage... nice!"
"Wang Feng finally got a turn. Hope he doesn’t start another massacre..."
"Bai Yegui versus Nong Rong... that poor girl, she drew one of the Twin Monsters."
"Bei Dongshi and Yun ng... the Karma Killer versus that Asura with the mist bloodline. That’ll be weird."
"Cao Xian against ng Hao, a beauty versus a certified weirdo!"
"...And Li Ling vs Lin Yan. Who’s Lin Yan again?"
Down among the competitors, Li Ling glanced lazily at the list, then yawned, completely unconcerned. Beside him, several of the top sixteen subconsciously took a step away from this cruel Asura War Demon.
On the lower Hall Masters’ platform, Tang Huo stroked his chin, eyes flicking from na to na.
"Mm. Shi Gaolin against i Lin will be a fine warm-up. Hungry Ghost brutality versus Divine Deva precision," he comnted idly.
Gu Mugui snorted. "That girl i Lin is said to have an almost pathological sense of balance. She’ll probably try to ’correct’ Gaolin’s yin qi with yang. I hope he doesn’t embarrass my Hall too much if he loses."
Cao Tian chuckled softly. "On the contrary, I’m interested to see whether my junior sister can cut through that tricky fellow’s ability."
Hu Wulei’s golden eyes glead as he jabbed a thumb toward the third pairing. "Li’er versus Lang Jue! That’s the one to watch! My little tigress against that wolf-blood brat who learned pack-style beast arts!"
Yan Moqing folded her arms beneath her modest chest, her silver veil fluttering faintly. "Bei Dongshi and Yun ng... the Desolate Hell Path couldn’t have asked for better advertising. A karma-less seed versus an Asura whose Blood Mist Body can slip between tangible and intangible."
Zhang Luo of the Divine Deva Hall rely frowned slightly. "Wang Feng versus Song Man... I hope that boy doesn’t tarnish the Asura reputation further. Song Man might be a True Human scher, but at least he kills cleanly."
Wang Kuangnu barked a laugh. "Clean, dirty, as long as they kill, what’s the problem? I’m more curious about this Lin Yan. Divine Deva’s shadow dagger, right? Silent light, no aura, no warning? He might actually force Li Ling to show sothing new."
"That boy has already turned one of our tests into a slaughterhouse. Giving him opponents is basically feeding at into a grinder," Zhen Mingshen added mildly from the upper platform, their bandaged head tilting as their voice drifted down.
The Path Saints as a group looked over the list with varying degrees of interest.
Sha Ren’s blood-colored eyes brightened. "Good! We have blood, beasts, ghosts, and malevolent karma in this round. There’s plenty of material to see how our little gu worms stack up against each other."
Hei An’s empty sockets seed to glitter. "I am particularly interested in Hungry Ghost versus Divine Deva. Yin Power is best refined when caught between light and darkness."
Pang Po stroked her rotund belly, sighing. "These children... when did every generation start producing chosen ones and calamities? Back in my day, a good Blue-grade Soul talent was enough to write ho about..."
The Seven Sins inheritors began voicing their own thoughts as the round-of-sixteen list hovered overhead.
Rong Aotian sniffed. "Aside from that Second Lifer and the Karma Killer, the rest are acceptable at best. If they had been born in my sect, half of them would still be scrubbing toilets."
Yan Liehu leaned forward, eyes burning. "Who cares about raw talent? I just want to see who bleeds the most! That wolf and tiger match featuring Hu Lili and Lang Jue looks fun!"
Qin Taishou clinked his rings together, smiling. "I’m more interested in future investnts, for Bai Yegui and Bei Dongshi are must-have shares. As for Li Ling... his price will be outrageous, but if I can buy even thirty percent of his value..."
Liu Qingying’s fingers dug into her armrest, hissing under her breath. "Hmph, they’re all mine if I want them! Especially that Li Ling. No one else is allowed to have such a shiny toy but !"
Zhou Lanxue lazily rolled onto her other side. "Wake up when soone brings so food. Watching these minor rounds is exhausting."
Guo Manman swallowed another mouthful, nodding. "That last death looked crunchy. I wonder if the Six Paths fellows will allow to bottle that sensation. It would sell very well as seasoning, in my opinion!"
Su iluo’s crimson eyes squinted slightly as she studied the bracket. "Bai Yegui, Bei Dongshi, Li Ling... this round will decide whether the Six Paths has three future calamities or just one."
Her gaze lingered on Li Ling a few seconds longer. "Let’s see if he will live up to his own words or not."
In the central arena, the Divine Deva Overseer lifted his hand, energy flowing out to adjust the stage yet again. The eight rings shrank into four larger sectors, leaving the central disk pristine for the first match.
"The round of sixteen will proceed in the order listed," the Divine Deva Overseer declared majestically.
He nodded to the two youngsters ready to go up. "First, Shi Gaolin versus i Lin. Competitors, please prepare. The rest may observe from the edge of the arena."
Shi Gaolin cracked his neck, his expression serious as he stepped forward. On the opposite side, a young woman in white-and-gold robes walked out with asured steps.
She was not stunning in the flashy sense—no overwhelming curves or gaudy ornants—but there was a crystalline clarity to her presence. i Lin’s black hair was tied into a high ponytail with a strip of white silk, her brows straight and her eyes cold and focused. A thin, rectangular jade tablet hung at her waist beside a sheathed sword, both shining faintly with Divine Deva Light.
"That’s i Lin, right? Divine Deva Hall’s ’Jade Verdict’?"
"Yeah, rumor says she can condense her light into gavel-like projections that directly strike your weakest point."
"I heard she refused to join any faction because she thinks ’personal debts weaken judgnt’. So annoying..."
In the Divine Deva stands, Zhang Luo nodded slightly. "i Lin is a proper Divine Deva judge. Her light doesn’t dazzle like Shen Jian’s, but her accuracy is... sharp."
Cao Tian’s lips curled. "Shi Gaolin’s yin and i Lin’s light... regardless of who wins, the clash will be generational."
Hungry Ghost disciples shouted encouragent while i Lin simply cupped her fists to Shi Gaolin in a formal salute. He grinned back, baring his teeth and flourishing his halberd.
Among the competitors waiting at the edge, Hu Lili bounced on her heels, her ponytail swishing. "Gaolin, don’t lose too quickly! I bet three spirit stones on you!"
Shen Jian sniffed. "Hmph, I put my money on i Lin. Shi Gaolin’s yin power is strong, but he’s straightforward, whereas i Lin is more thodical."
Bei Dongshi tilted his head, his blindfolded gaze on the two figures. "Both carry troubled karma. This should be noisy."
Li Ling casually leaned against a pillar of condensed light for one of the unoccupied arenas, one hand in his sleeve, the other lazily tapping his Asura Reaper spear on the ground.
He glanced over the bracket one more ti, his eyes lingering on Bai Yegui, Bei Dongshi, and finally the last pairing—his own.
"Lin Yan, hmm..." He smirked faintly.
"Let’s see what kind of fellow the Divine Deva Hall is offering up this ti."
The crowd’s roar swelled once more as the Divine Deva Overseer raised his arm.
"Shi Gaolin and i Lin, step into the ring and comnce your fight!"
Both parties jumped up and into the ring with various movent techniques, their auras imdiately flaring outward and encapsulating part of the stage.
The round of sixteen had begun!
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