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Sitting in the front row of the stands, Jiang Wang silently observed this scene.

Chongxuan Zun was certainly worthy of his attention.

But his focus was on the True Lord Yu Xi, who presided over the main competition.

He simultaneously watched the battles on the eight martial stages, yet also managed to save Tai Yin in a very timely manner. One could say it was masterfully done, right at the moment the protective starlight shattered.

No wonder it was said that very few people died in the main competition of the Yellow River Meeting. With the protection of a Dao Manifestation realm expert, killing an opponent was truly difficult.

But the phrase “very few people died” indicated that people had, after all, died.

How did those people die?

Jiang Wang thought it must have been due to the timing of the victory.

Even a True Lord expert found it difficult to definitively determine the outcome of a battle.

When one person fell, how could one be certain they wouldn’t rise again?

When one side was beaten to death with just a breath left, how could one be certain they had no chance of turning the tables?

Taking the recent battle as an example, what if Tai Yin’s fist had landed on Chongxuan Zun in the end?

Of course, Tai Yin could never defeat Chongxuan Zun.

But how could the prematurely determined victory convince everyone?

The outcome of the main competition of the Yellow River Meeting determined not just the victory between two prodigies, but also involved far too many things behind it.

The True Lord presiding over the grand assembly inherently had a stance and could not be absolutely fair. Even if he were absolutely fair, others would not trust him to be absolutely fair.

If the judgment of a True Lord expert were effective, then there would be no need for battles. One could just send someone up, let the True Lord take a look, and make a judgment.

Therefore, the timing of a “controversy-free victory result” was very important.

Jiang Wang was seriously thinking about how to kill Lin Zhenren in the main competition of the Yellow River Meeting.

Only the destruction of his body and soul could eliminate this terrifying opponent and deliver a heavy blow to the current Zhuang court. It was also a step in his revenge against Du Ruhui and Zhuang Gaoxian.

They wanted to win honor for the State of Zhuang at the Yellow River Meeting, and he would personally shatter that hope.

But to achieve this…

Perhaps it could only be done during the battle, with an unexpected move, directly using the Unzhou Wind, which incorporated the Life-Taking Nail, to extinguish his soul.

When the victor was determined, so was life and death. Perhaps True Lord Yu Xi would not have enough time to save him.

Of course, this was just a conjecture.

Jiang Wang did not fully understand the power of Dao Manifestation realm experts and could not assert that he would definitely succeed in killing his opponent.

What other methods could increase the chances of success?

While thinking about these issues, from beginning to end, Jiang Wang only looked at the martial stages and never glanced at Lin Zhenren or Du Ruhui.

The matchups for the main competition of the Yellow River Meeting were unknown to the participants until they were about to step onto the stage.

Only the prodigies of the six major powers knew who their opponents would be.

The rest could only make estimations such as Chongxuan Zun of the State of Qi would face a prodigy from the State of Xia, Gan Chang’an of the State of Qin would face a prodigy from the State of Dan, Na Liang of the State of Mu would face a prodigy from the State of Sheng… and so on.

Although the six major powers had a certain understanding, the decorum of the Yellow River Meeting still needed to be maintained. The fig leaf was often just for show, but it was necessary to have it nonetheless.

In other words, Jiang Wang, through Cao Jie, had already confirmed that he would battle Lin Zhenren in the first round of the main competition in the Inner Mansion stage.

Others, including Lin Zhenren, only thought that he would face Chu Min of the State of Xia or Jiang Shaohua of the State of Shen in the first round.

Only at the moment before stepping onto the stage would the matchup list be announced.

What Jiang Wang needed to do was to unleash his full power at the beginning of the battle and kill Lin Zhenren.

Firstly, to eliminate the enemy completely, and secondly, to let the world know that the State of Zhuang’s lucky qualification for the main competition had stained this hard-earned honor with an indelible mark.

Defeating was easy, killing was difficult.

Jiang Wang had to contend not only with Lin Zhenren but also with True Lord Yu Xi.

While others were focused on the exquisite battles between the prodigies on the stage, only he consistently paid more attention to Yu Xi’s actions.

He was, of course, not qualified to judge Yu Xi’s strength, nor could he make any accurate predictions.

He could only analyze under what circumstances Yu Xi would intervene in the matches and determine the outcome. What aspects of this could he utilize?

The first round of the Outer Building stage concluded.

The list of the top eight was: Chongxuan Zun of the State of Qi, Gan Chang’an of the State of Qin, Na Liang of the State of Mu, Dou Zhao of the State of Chu, Zhongshan Wei Sun of the State of Jing, Yan Shaofei of the State of Wei, Ge Fei of the State of Yue, and Fan Wushu of the State of Li.

Except for the State of Jing, which withdrew, all the prodigies of the major powers of the world defeated their opponents, and not a single one was injured…

They were all overwhelming victories.

If not for this being the main competition of the Yellow River Meeting, and if not for True Lord Yu Xi of Mount Yujing presiding, perhaps none of their opponents would have survived.

The gap between the prodigies of the six major powers and those of other countries became stark only after the main competition began.

In this list of the top eight, the States of Wei and Yue were both regional major powers, their national strength only slightly weaker than regional strong powers like the State of Xia. It was not uncommon for one or two of their prodigies to reach the top eight.

Only the State of Li was a small country, not even considered a regional major power.

The achievements of Fan Wushu were particularly outstanding.

According to temporary intelligence from the State of Qi, this Fan Wushu was a person with a remarkable story.

The State of Li was located south of the State of Wei and west of the State of Xia.

The Fan clan was a very prestigious family in the State of Li.

Fan Wushu was not originally called by this name.

Born into a prominent family, he was spoiled and raised in luxury since childhood, developing a dissolute nature. His days were spent teasing cats and dogs, and idling about.

Because he was afraid of hardship, he did not practice martial arts properly until he was fifteen, and his body was not conditioned, preventing him from utilizing the effects of the Meridian Opening Pill and becoming transcendent.

His father was a great general of the State of Li, leading troops outside year-round, fighting for both country and family, and had little time to discipline him.

Originally, he would have lived a life of wealth and leisure, passing by peacefully.

But a clay pot is bound to break by the well, and a general is bound to die in battle.

When Fan Wushu’s father returned from the battlefield, severely injured and dying… he was still drunk in a brothel and had not returned.

His father held on to his last breath, waiting for him to return. Looking at him before he died, he only said four words–

“Unlearned and without skill.”

He died with his eyes unclosed.

From then on, he changed his name to Wushu (without skill), observed mourning for ten years, and diligently cultivated.

Ten years later, he soared into the sky, becoming the most dazzling prodigy of the State of Li.

This was a widely circulated story in the State of Li, regarded as a model of a prodigal son’s return.

And his participation in the Yellow River Meeting this time, representing the State of Li, and actually reaching the top eight of the Outer Building stage, added a touch of legendary color to it.

A rectangular light curtain appeared above the martial stage, and the names of the top eight continuously changed within the light curtain.

When they stopped, it would be the time the matchups for the top eight of the Outer Building stage were determined.

This was a random chaotic spell restriction, ensuring the final list was absolutely fair.

Under the gaze of the six emperors, no tricks could be played.

Undoubtedly, the prodigies of the six major powers of the world did not want to clash with the prodigies of the other major powers in advance.

But in the matchups for the top eight to top four, prodigies from the six major powers were bound to be eliminated early.

This was the cruelty of the Gathering of Nations’ Prodigies, and also its brilliance.

The names on the light curtain stopped changing.

Finally, it was–

Chongxuan Zun of the State of Qi, against Na Liang of the State of Mu.

Gan Chang’an of the State of Qin, against Dou Zhao of the State of Chu.

Zhongshan Wei Sun of the State of Jing, against Fan Wushu of the State of Li.

Yan Shaofei of the State of Wei, against Ge Fei of the State of Yue.

For the prodigies of the six major powers of the world, this was probably the worst possible pairing.

Because they had the strength to occupy all four spots in the top four, they could only secure three spots.

And in this unfortunate situation, Zhongshan Wei Sun of the State of Jing was clearly luckier. He was the only one in the second round who avoided a clash between prodigies of the major powers.

“Good luck!” Huang Sheli said loudly.

The less energy consumed in the early stages, the greater the chance of victory in the later stages. This was, of course, a very favorable draw.

Zhongshan Wei Sun grinned: “I hope we all have better luck.”

“I don’t need it.” Huang Sheli quickly held up her palm, as if afraid Zhongshan Wei Sun’s blessing would take effect: “True strong individuals must face strong individuals. Only a toad bullies little insects!”

If this were in the illusory realm, Zhao Tie Zhu would definitely question her about who the toad was, and would not stop cursing until she was jumping up and down.

But this was the River Observation Terrace.

Anything that happened here, General Huang Fu would hear about.

As the young master of the prestigious Zhongshan clan, Zhongshan Wei Sun could only remain elegant and amiable, smiling as he left the stands and walked towards the martial stage.

“Then I bless you!” he said.

While speaking, he controlled his cheek muscles with effort. It hadn’t been this difficult even when he crippled the Outer Building realm prodigies from the Zhen Country in the Northwest Five Nations Alliance.

Such a beautiful, well-connected, and talented woman, how could she have such a mouth?

If she were mute… how perfect she would be!

The list was set.

The eight martial stages on the field suddenly began to move.

When the ancient stone platforms collided, they were actually “flowing”. Right before everyone’s eyes, they merged two by two.

This immediately reminded Jiang Wang of the Sword Discussion Stage in the illusory realm, used for matching battles, which also combined in this manner. Cultivators relied on it to debate swords in the starry river.

The Sword Discussion Stage in the illusory realm perhaps drew inspiration from the Yellow River Meeting…

Every two martial stages on the field combined into one, leaving only four martial stages in the end.

The battles for the top eight to top four began simultaneously.

Among the four battles that determined the top four, the most eye-catching was undoubtedly Dou Zhao of the State of Chu, against Gan Chang’an of the State of Qin.

Even though Chongxuan Zun was peerlessly brilliant, and Na Liang, his opponent, was a top prodigy from the hegemonic state of Mu, their battle could not overshadow the spectacle of Dou Zhao vs. Gan Chang’an.

Dou Zhao was hailed as invincible among his peers, his fame directly rivaling Zuo Guanglie, who won the Yellow River Meeting at the age of fifteen.

Gan Chang’an was also only nineteen years old this year, younger than many prodigies in the Inner Mansion stage, a true young genius.

Their battle, in a sense, was an extension of the conflict between Qin and Chu.

Both sides were certainly aiming to kill each other, and even Yu Xi, who presided over the main competition, had to pay extra attention.

From the stands, Jiang Wang had already focused his gaze on the Martial Stage B where Dou Zhao and Gan Chang’an confronted each other.

Compared to watching Chongxuan Zun smash people with the sun wheel, he was more interested in seeing the Dou Zhan Seven Forms, which were said to be the number one killing technique since the current era. At Chiyun Mountain, Dou Mian didn’t have time to fully display it and was suppressed by him using the power of Chiyun Mountain. But later, upon hearing Ye Qingyu’s description, Dou Mian had executed a few slashes, which were certainly strong, but seemed not as formidable as claimed, not quite living up to the title of “number one killing technique since the current era.”

Perhaps Dou Zhao could provide the answer.

In contrast, the battle between Zhongshan Wei Sun of the State of Jing and Fan Wushu of the State of Li had almost no suspense, and few people paid attention.

As for the match between Yan Shaofei of the State of Wei and Ge Fei of the State of Yue.

The former was said to be a wandering swordsman from the State of Wei, not from a prestigious family. The latter was a direct disciple of Gao Zheng, the former famous prime minister of the State of Yue.

Both had brilliant lives to tell of.

But including Jiang Wang, very few people paid attention to this battle.

They undoubtedly had the best luck in the draw. Having a 50% chance of entering the top four was excellent news for both the State of Wei and the State of Yue.

Correspondingly, the reason this was considered “excellent luck in the draw” was precisely because in the eyes of most people, their group was the weakest among the top four battles.

Jiang Wang watched the two people confronting each other on Martial Stage B carefully, not even noticing when Chongxuan Zun left the spectator seats.

Dou Zhao versus Gan Chang’an.

This battle was too worth watching.

Compared to Dou Mian’s lean and sharp facial lines, Dou Zhao’s facial contours looked somewhat gentler.

With a full forehead and bright eyes, he gave off a very radiant feeling.

It was easy to feel a sense of closeness to him.

The saber he held in his hand was very special.

The back of the blade was extremely thick, and the edge was extremely sharp. The back and the edge formed a triangular shape. There was no tip, or rather, the tip was a triangular cross-section. At first glance, it looked like a broken blade, only capable of hacking.

This was a brave and resolute saber.

The moment he saw it, Jiang Wang immediately thought of Dou Mian’s Tianye Saber.

As spoils of war, he had held it in his hand and felt it.

The Tianye Saber had a large and exaggerated head, extremely fierce, and was known as “a single slash falling, dividing heaven and earth and separating life and death.”

Dou Mian cherished it greatly.

From the appearance, the Tianye Saber and the saber in Dou Zhao’s hand were absolutely different.

But Jiang Wang could completely sense the shared vibration of their bloodline connection, concluding that these should be two famous sabers from the same forge.

Long-term nurturing of Chang Xiangsi had given him some understanding of famous artifacts.

Dou Zhao’s saber was extraordinary.

Standing opposite Dou Zhao, Gan Chang’an was a very young-faced boy.

Just by looking at his face, one would believe he was only thirteen or fourteen.

However, nineteen was indeed not old, the same age as Jiang Wang in the stands.

Compared to Jiang Wang, this “poor child” who only opened his meridians with difficulty at sixteen.

Gan Chang’an was born into a prestigious family, extraordinarily talented since childhood. At the age of eight, he was expected by Wang Xizhen, the strategist most trusted by the Qin Emperor, to be “able to bring long peace.”

Meaning this child’s life would be smooth, and he possessed unique talent. At the age of eight, he had the talent of a city lord, capable of “bringing long peace to a place.”

The phrase “eight years old, able to bring long peace” was also widely circulated.

Many people praised child prodigies with this phrase.

Jiang Qingyang only became famous in Linzi at the age of eighteen, leaving his name. But Gan Chang’an was famous in Xianyang City at the age of eight, a true prodigy who had been dazzling since childhood.

Gan Chang’an, with his youthful face, wore a black scholar’s robe and had a thin figure, with empty hands. Rather than a transcendent expert, he looked more like a child who had sneaked out of a private school, always feeling like he was about to take out a book and recite with a shaking head.

But Jiang Wang could feel the restrained sharpness within him.

He was carrying a saber.

It was just that the time for him to draw his saber had not yet come.