Xu Qingtong looked slightly surprised to hear this. Reaching the sixth layer of Qi Refining in four years would probably have earned someone focused nurturing even within the Sect!
"How strong are the high-ranking disciples above the fifth layer?" Xu Qingtong asked.
"Hehe, Peak Master, our Cloudsky Peak's high-ranking disciples are more than just a little stronger than the Sect's disciples at the same level! They've fought demon beasts every day these past few years. How could those disciples in the Sect compare to them in either combat experience or adaptability?" Lei Wei said, his face full of pride.
Xu Qingtong turned to Du Siwen and said, "Senior Sister, how are preparations for the competition grounds, grouping, and refereeing coming along?"
Du Siwen said, "Everything is ready. There will be two arenas, one for the high-ranking disciples and one for the low-ranking disciples. Senior Brother Zhuang will oversee the high-ranking disciples' matches, and Junior Brother Lei will oversee the low-ranking disciples' matches. I'll handle drawing lots for the groups and recording the rankings."
Xu Qingtong froze for a moment. Recording the rankings? What did that mean?
Seeming to see his confusion, Du Siwen explained further, "To give the disciples more practical combat experience, Senior Brother Zhuang, Junior Brother Lei, and I discussed using a point system. Each disciple can participate in ten matches. Their rankings will be determined by their points, and that will decide the final list for the Autumn Sword-Tournament!"
Xu Qingtong nodded and smiled slightly. "That's a good approach. It will give the disciples more experience fighting opponents and prevent them from being eliminated because of a momentary mistake."
They discussed things a while longer, then each went back.
Five days later, the day of Cloudsky Peak's Minor Competition arrived. Early that morning, the Combat Arena was