selection matches

Jiang Yun was placed in the second group, which means he would compete in the second round. However, there were acquaintances of Jiang Yun in the first round as well. Li Da Dan was in the first round, and Yang Jin Yan was also in the same round as Li Da Dan. Additionally, there were three or four disciples from the Tianjian Sect in the first round. However, they were all separated by others. The three factions wouldn't make such a mistake; they generally kept disciples of the same sect apart.

In the first round, fifty people were led to a high platform. The platform was circular with a circumference of about twenty meters. With fifty people standing on it, there was limited space left. Only the top ten would advance, so the competition was fierce.

Li Da Dan and Yang Jin Yan had relatively good positions, not at the edge of the platform. At least, they wouldn't be attacked right from the start.

Dong!

With the sound of a bell, the first round of selection officially began. Those standing on the outer edge were in a tough spot. As they tried to squeeze into the center, people around them began attacking them.

The cruelty of the selection lay in the fact that if more than half of the participants weren't eliminated on the field, even if they were fellow sect members, if the relationship wasn't too strong, they might attack each other. After all, only the final ten would advance. Whether you were from the same sect or not, they would take you down first before anything else.

Li Da Dan and Yang Jin Yan didn't encounter particularly strong opponents in this round. Of course, it was also possible that others didn't want to reveal too much during the selection. So, after a few minutes, when there were only about twenty people left on the field, they hadn't faced any significant attacks.

Li Da Dan had a robust build, coupled with a heavy sword specially chosen for him by Jiang Yun. Standing in the field, he seemed like an impenetrable fortress. He didn't appear easy to provoke.

In this kind of selection with fifty entering and ten advancing, it was natural to target the weaker ones. Li Da Dan's imposing appearance gave him an impactful presence. His explosive muscles, along with the massive sword that required both hands to wield, meant he wouldn't face many attacks at the beginning.

Yang Jin Yan did face attacks from all sides at the start, but he had exceptional strength. He swung his long sword vigorously, fending off attacks from all directions. After this display, others recognized his strength and were less likely to provoke him.

In the first ten minutes, as long as you showed formidable strength, not many daredevils would target you. They focused more on weaker opponents, nurturing a hopeful mindset that by eliminating all the weaker competitors, they might avoid encountering exceptionally strong opponents and secure advancement.

After ten minutes, the weaker contestants were mostly eliminated. Those remaining were stronger, and they would target opponents weaker than themselves.

Li Da Dan didn't have many thoughts; he was straightforward in his thinking. He believed that as long as there were only ten people left on the field, he would advance. Everyone outside of those ten was his adversary.

Gripping his heavy sword, Li Da Dan approached a nearby opponent. The sword in his hand was no different from an ordinary long sword, but his sword strikes were forceful and aggressive. The disciple from the Shendao Sect struggled to parry his attacks.

Originally, the disciple from the Shendao Sect was already finding it challenging to match Li Da Dan's strength. Moreover, Shendao Sect disciples were skilled with weapons like daggers, which didn't compare well to Li Da Dan's heavy sword.

However, the Shendao Sect disciple had his strengths. For example, his agility far surpassed Li Da Dan's. While he didn't dare engage Li Da Dan directly, it was also challenging for Li Da Dan to attack him. They engaged in a slow-paced struggle.

As Li Da Dan and the Shendao Sect disciple grappled with each other, unable to overcome the other, the situation on the field changed. Before Li Da Dan intervened, there were still around twenty people on the field. But after several exchanges between Li Da Dan and the Shendao Sect disciple, the number had sharply dropped to twelve.

The disciple from the Shendao Sect was agile in his movements. While engaging with Li Da Dan, he also paid attention to the battles of others. He maneuvered around the heavy sword of Li Da Dan, observing the situation around him. After a moment, a slight smile appeared on his face.

Because just as Li Da Dan was focused on pursuing him, there was a commotion behind Li Da Dan. A disciple from the Yan Yue Sect was stealthily approaching him. At this moment, Yang Jin Yan was the only one who recognized Li Da Dan on the field, but Yang Jin Yan was occupied in his own battle and had no time to warn Li Da Dan.

This Yan Yue Sect disciple was one of the individuals who had provoked the Tianjian Sect together with Chen Si three months ago. Now, seeing Li Da Dan fully engrossed in dealing with the Shendao Sect disciple, he intended to take advantage of Li Da Dan's inattention to avenge the humiliation he suffered at the Tianjian Sect.

The Shendao Sect disciple was also quite astute. Seeing someone seemingly trying to attack Li Da Dan from behind, he immediately slowed his pace, allowing Li Da Dan to catch up quickly. Several times, he narrowly escaped from under the threat of Li Da Dan's heavy sword, intentionally using these moments to lower Li Da Dan's guard against his rear.

Perhaps the acting skills of this Shendao Sect disciple were extremely convincing. Li Da Dan indeed shifted more of his focus to deal with him, completely unaware of the Yan Yue Sect disciple sneaking up behind him.

Just as Li Da Dan was about to catch up with the Shendao Sect disciple, he heard the sound of a strong wind behind him. He sensed danger and realized someone was planning to ambush him.

However, the strike he had just executed had exhausted him, leaving him unable to change his stance to defend against the person approaching from behind. He could only judge the direction of the attack based on the sound of the wind behind him.

At this critical moment, Li Da Dan decisively abandoned his attack on the Shendao Sect disciple. He released his grip on the heavy sword, allowing it to fall to the ground, while his hands swiftly moved to his back just as the person struck him. He managed to bear the brunt of the blow and twisted his body, catching sight of the familiar face of the assailant from the Yan Yue Sect. Recognizing him, he knew the opponent was a disciple of the Yan Yue Sect.

With his internal energy surging due to the strike, blood rising to his throat, Li Da Dan forcibly suppressed the urge to cough and gathered true energy onto his right palm. He retaliated against the Yan Yue Sect disciple by striking him in the chest, giving him a taste of his own medicine.

Caught off guard by Li Da Dan's rapid response and not having prepared for a counterattack, the Yan Yue Sect disciple was struck by Li Da Dan's palm and was sent flying out of the field like a broken kite.