Another day came. On the eastern arena platform, two figures darted back and forth, fists and feet flying as sharp cracks continually burst through the air.
They were Mu Longfan and Fan Yong, in the midst of a match.
Suddenly, Mu Longfan deliberately exposed an opening, luring Fan Yong into closing in. Instead, a set of razor-sharp wolf claws shot out from the side.
"Secret move, Cloud Dragon Claw Probe!"
Caught by the shoulder, Fan Yong gave a muffled grunt of pain. Then a large strip of his clothing was torn away, blood spraying with it.
"Senior Brother Fan, thank you for the match."
Mu Longfan quit while he was ahead, retreating with heavy breaths as he cupped his hands in salute.
After all, this was an internal selection at the Training Institute, and the disciples kept their exchanges within reasonable bounds.
Fan Yong also knew when to concede. With a wry smile, he said, "I couldn't mobilize my spirit essence in time just now. If that claw had struck home, I wouldn't have been able to use this arm for at least half a month. I lost this match."
"Mu Longfan wins!" The officiating disciple beside them agreed and immediately announced the result.
"Mu Longfan just barely held on to his chance of qualifying!"
"Senior Brother Fan is in danger, though. He's lost three matches now, and he's injured..."
The disciples discussed the outcome.
But none of this would interrupt the selection.
Soon, Wu Longjie, Kong Chongshan, Lan Mei, Li Qingqing, and the others took the stage in succession, each fighting their own matches.
As the selection neared its end, the most brutal struggle to avoid elimination finally arrived.
Everyone strained every sinew to eliminate others and keep themselves in the running.
Luck played a certain part here. Some were injured and lost fighting strength; even though they could have achieved a better placing, they still fell in defeat. Others won through good fortune.
Regardless, the stronger contestants still had a better chance of winning.
Before long, Kong Chongshan faced Fan Yong and won, eliminating Fan Yong on the spot.
Then Wu Longjie faced Lan Mei, and Wu Longjie won.
Ye Tianming faced Lan Mei, and Ye Tianming won.
Lan Mei was eliminated as well.
Fang Qianyuan also defeated Mu Longfan and Li Qingqing in succession, eliminating them both.
The final four turned out to be Fang Qianyuan, Ye Tianming, Kong Chongshan, and Wu Longjie-the very disciples who had distinguished themselves in the Demon Suppression Cavern.
Ding Long was beside himself with delight. When Fang Qianyuan returned, he said, "Junior Brother Fang, this really came out of nowhere! You've certainly stolen the limelight now!"
Wei Wen also said with feeling, "Yes. Almost all the disciples in this selection have fought one another, with only a handful of pairings left untested. You haven't lost a single match so far. That's more than enough to prove your extraordinary strength."
"If you ask me, you might even have a chance of competing for a place in the finals at Headquarters."
Ning Yuerong, however, said, "Rather than that, you should focus on the upcoming matches. The institute's qualifying spots may already be settled, but the four of you haven't fought one another yet. You still have to determine who stands above whom."
Hearing this, Wei Wen said, "That's right. It affects the rewards the institute will distribute. You should know that winning earns you rewards worth four hundred spirit jade! That's enough to add another high-grade spirit creature or an entire set of Inscribed Talismans!"
"Even second, third, and fourth place receive three hundred, two hundred, and one hundred spirit jade, respectively..."
"I've heard the institute will also give you winners a chance to choose a secret art. That'll be another boost to your strength!"
Generous rewards and focused cultivation... these were the Training Institute's returns to its winning disciples.
Hearing this, Fang Qianyuan could not help feeling some anticipation himself.
The feeling of seizing opportunities through his own efforts and climbing higher step by step was incomparably wonderful.
Thinking about it, the Training Institute actually attached great importance to this selection. After all, it was a way to select elites and deepen its reserves, and was no less significant than the great service of saving everyone.
"He actually made it all the way to the end, and he still hasn't lost a single match!"
While Fang Qianyuan and the others were talking, Institute Master Wei Ru and the others at the Heaven and Earth Institute were also discussing the internal selection with the elders.
Hearing this, Gong Yuan nodded with a smile. "That boy really has given me a tremendous surprise."
Several elders looked at Gong Yuan with envy in their eyes. "Elder Gong, you really are far too lucky!"
"He's only just become your disciple, yet he's already this formidable. Won't he be even more remarkable in the future?"
"Perhaps he truly has the talent to advance to Earth Rank and become a renowned expert!"
"Whatever happens this year, making it to Headquarters to compete is already a fine achievement. With more tempering, he'll surely have a chance at becoming Tournament Champion!"
"How many years has it been since our Training Institute last produced a Tournament Champion? The last time was sixteen years ago, wasn't it?"
"Yes. Thirty-two Training Institutes compete for eight places in the finals, and in the end there's only one Tournament Champion. How could an ordinary disciple manage that? They're geniuses among geniuses, elites among elites!"
"We must put everything into cultivating this Fang Qianyuan!"
If Fang Qianyuan's dissatisfaction with the Training Institute's decision and his reasoned objections had left these elders with a poor impression of him before, his achievements now made that seem utterly inconsequential.
Displeasing them was a minor matter. If he could bring glory to the Training Institute and win honors, then they, as elders, would have demonstrated their skill as educators and could receive promotions and rewards from the sect.
If he eventually became an Earth Rank expert, they would even share a teacher-student bond with him.
But if that day truly came, even if they could bask in his reflected glory, it would only be a one-off benefit. Once the Training Institute's promotions and rewards were handed out, that would be the end of it. Gong Yuan would be the greatest winner.
Why had Elder Yuan, the special envoy who came to the Training Institute that day, commanded such respect? It was not necessarily because of his lofty virtue and prestige, but because he had a renowned expert as his disciple backing him!
Perhaps Gong Yuan would become just such a person in the future.
Now quite a few of them were secretly filled with regret and frustration. How had Gong Yuan acted so swiftly and snatched up such a talent in one stroke?
After a long silence, Ye Li spoke. "For now, let's discuss how to arrange the upcoming matches. At this point, all the winners who will go to Headquarters have been decided, but their rankings have yet to be settled."
The Institute Master said, "Elder Ye has a point. Then let's see how best to arrange things."
There was actually little to discuss. The best way to produce convincing rankings was to have them fight one another, then decide based on their wins, losses, and previous records.
As it happened, two new disciples and two established disciples had won through this time. The elders therefore agreed that Fang Qianyuan and Ye Tianming, the two newcomers, would each face the other two senior brothers.
Then Fang Qianyuan would face Ye Tianming to determine the final rankings.
The Institute Master said, "No objections, then? We'll arrange it that way."
The next day, those involved came to the eastern arena platform. When they saw the posted announcement, everything became clear.
The first match was Ye Tianming against Kong Chongshan.
With so few disciples remaining, there was no longer any need to hold matches on multiple platforms at once. All the matches were therefore scheduled at the same location, and the Training Institute's senior figures all came to watch.
Fang Qianyuan's match came later, so he too could watch from below the platform.
He had long heard of Ye Tianming's reputation as a genius and was rather curious about just how strong he was.
I didn't get a clear look back in the Demon Suppression Cavern or during the arena matches these past few days. Now I finally have a chance to take a good look.
That was what Fang Qianyuan thought to himself.
Clang!
Just then, a gong rang out on the platform, and the match officially began.