Under the eyes of the crowd, the first match began, its outcome almost beyond doubt.
The Meijiang Team's lineup was even worse off than the River City Team's. Their captain, Zhang Xiaofan, was still their only Appearance Realm cultivator. They had made it into the top sixteen entirely because Zhang Xiaofan had fought with his life on the line, and because the situation in this year's secret realm had been exceptionally chaotic, allowing them to scrape their way into a spot.
The Ascendant Dragon Assembly had placed the arena matches last precisely to eliminate teams that had qualified through such luck. Direct entry to the Dragon Hall could not go to weaklings who merely rode the circumstances. Especially in the subsequent full-team arena matches, having just one outstanding member would not suffice. The other three could not coast their way through.
The Meijiang Team's strategy was simple. Their three Astral Realm teammates would go first and try to wear down their opponents, ideally forcing them to reveal some of their abilities to ease the pressure on Zhang Xiaofan, who would anchor the lineup.
Then the three sat in a row below the arena, praying that Zhang Xiaofan would descend like a god and defeat all four opponents.
Shen Yaoguang went first for the Azurefall Profound Gate. Through their recent interactions, Yue Wen had learned that he specialized in formations and possessed the remarkable ability to draw formations in midair and write talismans with his bare hands. His talent in this field was extraordinary.
However, these supernatural powers could not reach their full potential in an arena duel. After all, the arena afforded him little time to lay formations. Looking back now, Meng Yuheng had most likely deliberately put on an act and let Shen Yaoguang beat him during their contest