In the duels that followed, both the first-ranked Xue Renyi and the third-ranked Zhou Ji won with ease.

Surprisingly, Gu Baiyi drew his own brother, Gu Baiyun. The duel between the brothers was naturally spectacular. Lately, there had been talk of Gu Baiyun surpassing Gu Baiyi, but the result proved that Gu Baiyi was still stronger. His title, the White Robe Divine Needle, was well-earned. Although Gu Baiyun performed admirably, he was not yet his brother’s match and was ultimately defeated.

In this round, Yang Qi faced the fourth-ranked Tang Yu, a truly formidable opponent. Everyone from Jingnan Prefecture grew nervous. If Yang Qi could beat Tang Yu, he could very well make it into the top four, which would grant Jingnan Prefecture access to even more resources.

However, Tang Yu’s choice of event was peculiar: Silver Needle Acupuncture. Both competitors were given one hundred silver needles and tasked with inserting them into the acupoints of a training mannequin as fast as possible. Accuracy was paramount, but speed was also crucial.

"Yang Qi won’t agree to that, will he? Tang Yu is from the Tang Sect in Sichuan, and they specialize in Hidden Weapons! In a way, silver needles count as Hidden Weapons."

"Exactly. Tang Yu is being too naive. Yang Qi will surely refuse."

Many people thought so. The smart choice was to never challenge an opponent in their area of expertise; doing so would be utterly foolish. However, Yang Qi’s response left them all in shock.

"Alright then, as you wish. We’ll compete in that," he agreed.

This stunned the crowd, who had no idea what was going through Yang Qi’s mind. Attack an opponent’s strength with one’s own weakness?

But as the competition started, they understood the reason for his confidence. Tang Yu was already incredibly fast, but launching thirty silver needles simultaneously was his absolute limit. Yang Qi, meanwhile, fired all one hundred silver needles in an instant.

"Impossible! That must have been a fluke!" Tang Yu cried out in disbelief.

However, after an inspection, the judges confirmed that every one of Yang Qi’s silver needles had perfectly struck an acupoint without a single error. Tang Yu even went to check for himself and ultimately had to admit defeat. He was completely humbled, as Yang Qi had bested him in his own area of expertise.

"Damn it, Yang Qi won again! At this rate, he’s guaranteed a spot in the top four, unless he drops dead."

"I wonder if he can beat Zhou Ji. If he does, he’ll probably make it into the top three. Jingnan Prefecture really has produced a dark horse this year."

On the Gu Family’s side, everyone, including Gu Baiyi and Gu Lingshan, looked sullen. Gu Baiyun’s expression was slightly more composed, but he, too, did not want to see Yang Qi win. In contrast, the crowd from Jingnan Prefecture erupted in cheers. Yang Qi’s defeat of Tang Yu was a tremendous victory.

The final match of the second round featured Chen Guo, but he lost yet again. This came as no surprise; it was a miracle he had even made it into the top ten. Now, he only hoped to win a single match and held no grander expectations.

The third round began quickly. Yang Qi’s opponent was the eighth-ranked Chen Wei, but there was little suspense, as Chen Wei conceded immediately to save face. Meanwhile, Xue Renyi, Gu Baiyi, and Zhou Ji all maintained their winning streaks.

In the fourth round, Yang Qi’s match against Zhuge Yun was similarly devoid of suspense. This round also saw Xue Renyi face the third-ranked Zhou Ji. He defeated him with ease, proving himself a true all-around talent, incredibly skilled in theory, acupuncture, and decoctions alike. However, Zhou Ji didn’t appear to use his full strength, perhaps feeling he had no chance of winning and thus only putting on a moderate display.

In the fifth round, Yang Qi’s opponent was Lan Xin’er. The young girl chose to compete in concocting poisons, her area of expertise. Unfortunately for her, she was still defeated when faced with Yang Qi. A noteworthy match this round was between Gu Baiyi and Zhou Ji, with Zhou Ji losing yet again—his second consecutive defeat. It is worth mentioning, however, that their contest was in Alchemy. Gu Baiyi only secured a narrow victory; Zhou Ji had clearly been waiting for this opportunity and nearly defeated him.

The fifth round culminated in a match that sent the entire arena into an uproar: Yang Qi versus Zhou Ji. Zhou Ji had only lost to Xue Renyi and Gu Baiyi, remaining victorious against everyone else, while Yang Qi had yet to lose a single match. Would Yang Qi continue his winning streak, or would Zhou Ji maintain his record of only losing to the top two? This match was crucial. Some even believed that if Yang Qi defeated Zhou Ji, he would secure a spot in the top three. This was essentially the battle for third place.

For this duel, Zhou Ji chose Alchemy again. He had nearly defeated Gu Baiyi in this field and believed he could certainly do the same to Yang Qi. But his hopes were dashed by a brutal reality. He was defeated cleanly. In Alchemy, he could not compare to Yang Qi in either speed or the quality of the Elixirs produced.

Of course, Gu Baiyi noticed this as well, and his expression turned ugly. Yang Qi’s skill in Alchemy is also this high? Does the man have no weaknesses? Fortunately, I made preparations beforehand. Otherwise, I truly wouldn’t be able to defeat Yang Qi today.

Following the judges’ announcement, the members of Jingnan Prefecture were overjoyed. Soon after, the fifth round concluded.

The sixth round began, and Yang Qi’s opponent was Gu Baiyun. Though Gu Baiyun was desperate to win and used every trick he knew, he was ultimately defeated.

By the end of the sixth round, only three people remained undefeated: Xue Renyi, Gu Baiyi, and Yang Qi! The subsequent rankings were unclear, though Zhou Ji was the likely candidate for fourth place. His only three losses had been against the three competitors who still held perfect records. Barring any surprises, Chen Guo would likely finish in tenth place, as he hadn’t won a single match, and it couldn’t be helped.

With three rounds left, people were focused on two things.

First was the duel between Xue Renyi and Gu Baiyi. Who would win? Both were doctors from the Su Mansion, but the Gu Family had always wanted to reclaim the top spot, so Gu Baiyi was sure to give it his all.

Second, could Yang Qi defeat one or even both of them?

These two questions made everyone excited and eager for the coming matches.

In the seventh round, Yang Qi once again won with ease. This round, however, also featured a peak duel. Xue Renyi—the top-ranked Divine Doctor on the Southern Territory’s Divine Doctor List—faced off against Gu Baiyi, the second-ranked White Robe Divine Needle. This was a highly anticipated battle. It could even be said that this was the peak duel among the National Medicine practitioners of the Southern Territory.

As the two stood on the high platform, the entire audience surged with excitement. Countless people shouted their names, and even Yang Qi showed some interest.

"Xue Renyi," Gu Baiyi declared, his voice ringing out across the venue. "I have lost to you in too many tournaments, and for me, Gu Baiyi, that is an utter disgrace. However, I have never given up. This time, I will trample you underfoot and prove to everyone that the number one Divine Doctor of the Southern Territory is me—not you!"