After the spectacular duel between Yang Qi and Xue Huai ended, the remaining matches felt somewhat dull and concluded quickly. Yang Qi had achieved the best result ever for a doctor from Jingnan Prefecture, and Chen Guo had also advanced further. Originally ranked nineteenth, he had now entered the top thirteen. With his increased points, Chen Guo’s ranking on the Southern Territory Divine Doctor List was certain to rise significantly, though his exact new position remained unknown.

"Next, this competition will determine the top ten! This means that three people will be eliminated!"

The judging panel issued a comprehensive challenge requiring the doctors to diagnose a patient from a case study and propose a treatment plan as quickly as possible. Accuracy was the first priority, and speed was the second. The top ten would advance while three would be eliminated.

This stage of the competition was swift, with all thirteen doctors taking the stage at once. It was the crucial round for determining the top ten.

Soon, the case study was released. Everyone began to write furiously, jotting down their answers. They had only ten minutes. All participants submitted their answers, though at varying speeds. In the end, both Chen Guo and Yang Qi remained. For the first time ever, two doctors from Jingnan Prefecture were among the top ten.

This group of ten constituted the finalists of this year’s Southern Territory National Medicine Conference.

They were:

Xue Renyi (Su Mansion)

Gu Baiyi (Su Mansion)

Zhou Ji (Guang Prefecture)

Tang Yu (Qingcheng Prefecture)

Lan Xin’er (Nanhuang Prefecture)

Zhuge Yun (Sanxing Prefecture)

Gu Baiyun (Su Mansion)

Chen Wei (Lianghu Prefecture)

Yang Qi (Jingnan Prefecture)

Chen Guo (Jingnan Prefecture)

Aside from Yang Qi and Chen Guo, the other eight were already ranked in the top ten on the Southern Territory Divine Doctor List and had now reclaimed their positions. Su Mansion was indeed formidable, but with only three members in the top ten, its performance was a significant drop from previous years. Nevertheless, they still had the most representatives. Previously, Jingnan Prefecture had never had anyone in the top ten. This time, they secured two spots, becoming the second-most represented. Each of the other prefectures had one person, meaning all eight prefectures of the Southern Territory were now represented in the top ten.

To determine the final rankings, the top ten would now compete against one another. Each doctor would face nine matches, and the final ranks would be decided by their win-loss records. This was a crucial stage, as the results would determine the amount of medical resources each prefecture would receive in the future.

Considering everyone was exhausted, the organizers gave them all a two-hour break. They were free to eat or rest as they pleased. After two hours, the competition would resume.

"Mr. Yang, for Jingnan Prefecture to have achieved such a result is already our best-ever performance. Please don’t feel any pressure going forward. It doesn’t matter whether you continue to win or not. The most important thing is to protect yourself," Chen Guo said. "After all, you are the crown jewel of our Jingnan Prefecture."

"You too," Yang Qi smiled. Since he had come here, he was aiming for first place. How could he possibly hold back?

「Meanwhile, at the Su Mansion’s resting area.」

Gu Lingshan’s expression was grim. "Damn it! I never expected Yang Qi’s Medical Skills to be so formidable that even Xue Huai was no match for him. Second Grand-uncle, Seventh Grand-uncle, you two must be careful when you face him. Don’t make any careless mistakes."

"Don’t worry. I’ve already devised a way to kill him. Two hours from now, when I face him, I will make him disappear from this world for good," Gu Baiyi sneered.

"Second Grand-uncle, do you have a plan?" Gu Lingshan asked.

"Of course," Gu Baiyi said. "In this final stage, we get to choose the type of competition. I’ve already prepared a contest that Yang Qi, with his arrogant personality, will surely accept. For now, however, I’ll keep it a secret. You’ll see when the matches start this afternoon."

"I don’t have any specific ideas, but I’m definitely going to beat that Yang Qi," Gu Baiyun said indifferently. "But Second Brother, your task isn’t to kill that Yang Qi, but to defeat Xue Renyi, isn’t it? We need to restore the Gu Family’s position as the number one Divine Doctor clan in the Southern Territory. If you can’t do it, I will."

「Two hours passed by quickly.」

Everyone returned to the competition venue and noticed that the crowd was even larger. It seemed the Prefecture Masters from all eight prefectures of the Southern Territory had arrived.

"Alright, that’s enough talk. Let the competition begin! First round, first match: Gu Baiyun versus Lan Xin’er!"

The announcement sent a ripple of excitement through the crowd. Although Gu Baiyun was not considered as skilled as Gu Baiyi, recent rumors suggested his Medical Skills had already surpassed his older brother’s. Everyone was eager to see who would emerge victorious. On the Southern Territory Divine Doctor List, Lan Xin’er was ranked fifth, while Gu Baiyun was ranked seventh. Every match between top-ten contenders was bound to be spectacular.

On the competition stage, the two chose their contest: a theoretical duel. It was the simplest method, one that conserved the most stamina and energy. With eight more matches ahead, this was a very clever approach, and it was common for competitors to choose such a duel for their first match.

The first match brought an upset: the seventh-ranked Gu Baiyun defeated the fifth-ranked Lan Xin’er.

"Looks like the rumors might actually be true."

"That’s right. Gu Baiyun might just become a real challenger to Xue Renyi and Gu Baiyi this time."

In the second match of the first round, the top-ranked Xue Renyi faced the eighth-ranked Chen Wei. There was little suspense. Chen Wei also chose a theoretical duel and lost to Xue Renyi. The skill of the number one-ranked doctor was truly the real deal.

The third match left the people of Jingnan Prefecture speechless, as Yang Qi was pitted against Chen Guo. Chen Guo conceded immediately. There was no need to waste time, since they were allies.

In the fourth match, Gu Baiyi easily defeated the sixth-ranked Zhuge Yun, who also opted for a contest of theoretical knowledge and didn’t put up much of a struggle.

The fifth and final match of the first round was between the third-ranked Zhou Ji and the fourth-ranked Tang Yu. The two were so evenly matched that they opted against a theoretical duel, instead choosing an acupuncture contest on simulated patients with identical symptoms. In the end, Zhou Ji had the edge, winning the match by a mere three seconds.

With that, the first round came to an end.

The second round began immediately.

The first match was between Zhuge Yun and Lan Xin’er, another duel that held little suspense. However, their choice of contest was interesting, if not a little frightening: they competed to concoct poisons. They then used simulated human bodies to test the potency of their creations, with the creator of the stronger poison declared the winner.

Lan Xin’er ultimately claimed victory. There was a notable gap in their original rankings, after all. While upsets could happen, they were not a frequent occurrence, so the outcome was considered relatively predictable.

After just a few duels, a dazzling variety of contests had already been showcased, leaving everyone to wonder what other challenges were yet to come.