The round of twenty concluded that day. Kyoto University and Qingbei University each claimed three places in the top ten, taking six spots between them.
Given the strength of Kyoto University and Qingbei University, Zhang Cheng was not surprised that they had secured six places. What did surprise him was Modu University's performance this time.
Besides him, Liao Wu, who had a Dragon-type pseudo-legendary, had also fought his way into the top ten. With his formidable Dragonite, Liao Wu had narrowly defeated a Trainer from Qingbei University.
In previous National Tournaments, Modu University had barely managed to secure even one spot in the top ten.
Besides those eight advancing Trainers, the other two came from Yuenan University and Jiangzhe University, both among the eight prestigious universities.
The day passed quickly, and the day of the top ten advancement round arrived.
The format differed from previous years. The ten Trainers would first face off in pairs, with the five winners advancing directly. The five losers would then draw lots for another set of matches. Whoever drew the bye would advance directly, while the remaining four would battle, with the losers eliminated and the winners advancing.
In other words, the first round of the top ten competition would eliminate only two Trainers, leaving eight to compete in the quarterfinals.
Zhang Cheng had entered plenty of competitions over the years and knew the rules inside out. In truth, the format did not matter much. As long as he was strong enough, he had no need to worry about such things.
Once again, the referee used a transparent box to ensure a fair and impartial draw. Once the draw was complete, the match schedule soon appeared on the big screen.
In the first round of head-to-head matches, Zhang Cheng's opponent was Lu Luan from