This time, the content of the competition was no longer focused on basic talismans, as it had already transitioned to the creation of advanced talismans in the previous rounds. The 500 participants in each group were required to simultaneously craft the specified talismans, and then the talismans were tested one by one on the Talisman Testing Platform.
The talismans to be crafted were general high-level talismans, including five types of offensive talismans based on the five elements and five types of defensive talismans.
Seeing this, Lin Xiao couldn't help but think that it was likely because the people in this cultivation world heavily relied on their innate five-element spiritual roots. As a result, their spells, talismans, and formations were largely derived from the five elements.
From over 50,000 participants, the competition had now narrowed down to 2,500.
Those who remained had earned their spots through their own hard-earned skills. Even if a few had relied on great luck, today would likely be their last chance before being eliminated.
The final list of 500 would undoubtedly consist of truly outstanding talisman masters.
Liu Chun was placed in the fourth group today.
Most of those eliminated in the first three groups did not leave the venue. Instead, they stood on the sidelines with the other spectators, eager to see who would make it into the final 500.
Even among the crowd of spectators, there were many familiar faces—those who had been eliminated in previous rounds.
Everyone was eagerly waiting to see who would be among the 500 newly recognized talisman masters at this once-in-a-century Talisman Master Tournament.
Some were speculating that, given the current elimination system, one of the five groups might turn out to be a "Group of Death," with an unusually high concentration of strong contenders. After all, the number of particularly strong talisman masters seen so far wouldn't evenly fill all five groups.
After the fourth group of talisman masters took the stage, they began crafting their talismans in earnest.
The atmosphere was tense—not so much due to nerves but because the time allotted for crafting was just as limited as it had been for the lower-level talismans, despite the fact that the talismans required this time were much more advanced.
Time was tight, and even a moment's distraction could mean the end of their journey in the competition.
As a result, each participant was incredibly focused.
The initially noisy venue gradually quieted down, influenced by the intense concentration of the talisman masters.
Watching these masters treat their craft with such seriousness, Lin Xiao felt a warm surge of admiration in his chest.
He truly respected people who were dedicated and hardworking.
Once the talismans were crafted, the most nerve-wracking and anticipated part of the competition began: testing the talismans.
First, 100 talisman pouches were randomly drawn from the 500 participants, and the talismans inside were placed into the Talisman Testing Platform for evaluation. The results were then ranked from highest to lowest, with the 101st talisman being compared to the lowest-ranked talisman among the top 100. The better-performing talisman would stay in the top 100, and the other would be eliminated.
At this stage, the talisman masters who remained were all highly skilled, but because the groups were formed with a balanced mix of skill levels, there were still noticeable differences in quality.
The first 100 talisman pouches drawn from the fourth group were interesting—none of the talismans in these pouches had particularly outstanding scores.
This result made the spectators think that the fourth group might not have many exceptional talents, unlike the first three groups, which had each produced a few top-notch scores among the first 100 talismans tested.
However, the next moment, the result of the 101st talisman from the fourth group caused an uproar.
"The first talisman, Earth Grade Level Nine!"
As the tester announced the result, the previously quiet venue erupted in excitement.
The very first talisman was of Earth Grade Level Nine!
This was an advanced general talisman, much more difficult to craft than basic talismans. While producing an Earth Grade talisman was already impressive, doing so with a high-level talisman was extraordinary.
In the realm of talismans, aside from their general classification from low to high level, each talisman also had its own quality grading.
It could be said that among the remaining 2,500 talisman masters, the average skill level was high enough to produce talismans of at least the Mystic Grade Level Five or above.
Most of them ranged between Mystic Grade Level Five and Level Nine.
Producing even a single Earth Grade talisman, whether it was Level One or Two, marked the creator as an exceptional talisman master, someone who would leave a lasting impression on the audience.
In the first three groups, the highest score had only reached Earth Grade Level Five.
No one expected that the seemingly less remarkable fourth group would produce such an impressive result!
Despite the excitement, the testers remained diligent in their work, immediately moving on to the next talisman. The tester calmly announced the result of the second talisman:
"The second talisman, Earth Grade Level Nine!"
The crowd exploded once again.
Two consecutive Earth Grade Level Nine talismans!
Even Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu couldn't help but lean in close to discuss it.
"Brother Xiao, do you think this could be our Elder Liu?" Jiang Youfu asked excitedly.
But Lin Xiao shook his head, bursting his friend's bubble. "Probably not. Elder Liu can reach Earth Grade, but not Level Nine, and certainly not twice in a row."
Lin Xiao was confident because he had a system that could appraise skills. He knew Elder Liu's level well. Even if Liu Chun put in extra effort in this tournament and performed slightly above his usual level, it was unlikely he could reach Earth Grade Level Nine.
Moreover, Lin Xiao noticed how calm the tester was.
These testers knew whose talismans they were handling.
It was clear that the tester was familiar with this talisman master's capabilities, which explained why he wasn't surprised by the high scores.
It seemed likely that...
Thinking this, Lin Xiao transmitted to Jiang Youfu, "I bet the next talisman will also be Earth Grade Level Nine."
Sure enough, as soon as Lin Xiao finished speaking, the tester placed the third talisman on the platform and, seeing the result, announced calmly:
"Third talisman, Earth Grade Level Nine!"
The spectators were now buzzing with excitement, trying to figure out who this talisman master could be.
Some began listing the top contenders in this tournament and then eliminated those who had already competed in the first three groups.
After going through the list, someone gave up and said, "Whoever it is, they haven't shown up in the earlier rounds!"