Chapter 1022: The Semifinals Begin

Tang San didn't return to the rest area. He had no way of finding out who he would face in the upcoming semifinals, and he had no intention of observing for now. After all, the match list would be announced tonight anyway.

So, after Big Cat's match ended, he quietly left with the elders of the Blue Gold Tree clan and returned to the White Tiger Hotel to rest.

By evening, Tang San had already received word that with today's matches concluded, all five remaining seeded contestants had been lucky. They hadn't drawn each other, and there had been no dramatic turns of the tables either, so they had all advanced smoothly. Together with Ning Chen'en, Tang San, and another non-seeded contestant, they accounted for the top eight. These eight contestants would now compete in a round-robin format in the semifinals.

There were nine female contestants and eight male contestants participating in the semifinals. During this stage, both male and female contestants would compete on the same day, since there would only be a total of eight matches per day. Furthermore, there would be no rest days during the semifinals. After one day's matches concluded, the next day's matches would begin immediately. So, it would be a grave mistake to think that luck didn't matter anymore in the round-robin. If one encountered powerful opponents too early, tough choices would have to be made. Otherwise, once injured, the subsequent matches would become extremely difficult.

The format of the round-robin was also announced. A victory would earn two points, and a loss earned none. There would be no draws; if a match ended in a tie, the referee would decide which contestant had the advantage, and that would be counted as a win. Of course, if both sides ended up too injured to continue, they would be eliminated directly from the semifinals.

Therefore, unlike the elimination stage, in the semifinals, the first priority for everyone was to protect themselves. Only by maintaining their condition could they endure through all the matches and earn the points they deserved.

Among the eight male contestants, Tang San saw several familiar faces. Ning Chen'en needed no mention, and Radiant Dragon King Xu An'yu was also among them. From Crystal City, besides Xu An'yu, another contestant had entered the top eight. In addition, there were also Jin Anguo, the Lord of Sky-Splitting City; the Lord of Black Dragon City and successor of the Tenebrous Demon Emperor; and a top Great Demon King from the Immortal Flame Phoenix clan. Dragons alone had three representatives! This showed the formidable foundation of this major race.

On the nymph side, only Scorching King Nan Kemeng had made it into the semifinals. Ning Chen'en could be considered half demon and half nymph. In short, the Solstice Empire's male contestants had suffered a major defeat.

There were five and a half demon contestants and only two and a half nymph contestants remaining on the male side. And that was with Big Cat voluntarily withdrawing; otherwise, the Empyrean Dominion would have ended up with six and a half contestants.

It seemed that the nymph side was in a bit of a pinch.

The situation was entirely different on the female side. The nymphs had six contestants advance to the semifinals, including a Great Demon King of the Nethermoon Flower clan. On the demon side, there were only three, including Mei Gongzi and Lan Moqian of the Behemoth clan. The nymphs held the advantage here.

Comparing both sides, things appeared more or less evenly matched for now.

After the elimination stage, there was a day of rest. Then, the semifinals would begin.

For Tang San, the elimination stage hadn't been much of a worry. For the matches he took part in, he had his plans and arrangements. But the semifinals were different, because Mei Gongzi would now be competing. Although the round-robin was relatively less dangerous than the elimination stage, as the saying goes, concern breeds confusion. Of course, Mei Gongzi's foundation was extremely deep, and he believed that with her strength, there shouldn't be any major problems. But even so, how could he not feel anxious?

Still, he didn't seek her out, nor did he try to contact her. At such a time, he absolutely couldn't risk exposing himself.

Now, these seventeen contestants in the semifinals were the focus of attention for all the Emperors. A single slip could give him away, and since he could not afford to reveal his true strength, he had to be extremely careful.

The day of rest passed quickly. When Tang San saw Mei Gongzi again, it was already time for the semifinals to begin.

When Tang San arrived at the arena, he happened to see Mei Gongzi and her party entering the rest area ahead of him. All he saw was her back.

His gaze lingered on her unconsciously for a moment longer. But just then, a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Looks like Clan Leader Jin really is here for the matchmaking tournament! Haha, how truly charming."

Without even looking, Tang San knew who was speaking. "Brother Ning, in today's draw, who are you hoping to face?"

Ning Chen'en shrugged. "Who do you think? I've been telling you for days, I've always hoped to draw you!"

For those who had advanced to the semifinals, drawing Tang San was certainly seen as a favorable lot. He appeared to be the weakest by far, so defeating him would cost the least energy, leaving more strength for the subsequent matches. At the start of the round-robin, preserving one's strength was crucial, since this would be a grueling seven-day marathon. Apart from Jin Miaolin, everyone here was no slouch, and in the later matches, they might well have to fight with everything they had for points. To make it through to the end, tactical planning was a must.

Ning Chen'en and the powerhouses of his clan had run through multiple permutations and laid out all kinds of tactical arrangements. Actually, in spite of his declarations, it was

not

true that the earlier he encountered Tang San, the better. In fact, it would not be good to meet Tang San in the first match. Fighting him in the third or fourth round would mean an extra day's rest, which was ideal.

Tang San smiled slightly. "Then let's hope you get your wish fulfilled. I wonder who'll get to squeeze this soft persimmon today."

Ning Chen'en shrugged again. "You can't call yourself a soft persimmon anymore. You've already made it to the semifinals. If you're a soft persimmon, what would the other eliminated contestants think?"

Tang San still smiled. "Pure luck. I've just been blessed by fortune."

Indeed, Ning Chen'en's clan had analyzed Tang San's matches, and they found that luck had played a significant role. In fact, he had even consulted with the Adamant Nymph clan's powerhouses about the fall of the Adamant Nymph Emperor.

Jin Miaolin had indeed challenged the Adamant Nymph Emperor and they had indeed fought to the death; that much was clear. But as to how the fight had proceeded? That was anybody's guess. The Adamant Nymph powerhouses could sense the manifestation of the Ancestral Tree, so they were certain that it was the Ancestral Tree's power that had defeated and killed the Adamant Nymph Emperor.

Even if someone now told Ning Chen'en that it was Tang San himself who had slain an Emperor, he probably wouldn't believe it.

With the draw time approaching, Tang San simply stayed outside rather than going back to his pavilion. The waiting area for the contestants was quite empty at the moment; most other city lords were resting in their own pavilions.

The Behemoth clan had also had excellent results here, with both Lan Moqian and Jin Anguo advancing. In fact, apart from the dragon race, they were the only ones with more than one contestant. By contrast, the phoenix race had fared rather poorly, with only one male contestant making it through.

In the eyes of the spectators, the most perilous stage, the elimination stage, was over.

But all the semifinalists knew that the true competition was only just beginning.