By the end of the morning, all three preliminary rounds had concluded. The afternoon would decide the rankings of the top thirteen.
The top twenty-five, in no particular order:
Class One: Liu Sidao, Li Goudan'er, Zhao Ling'er.
Class Two: Ma Shou, Zhao Hongbing.
Class Three: Zhou Kun, Han Mei, Shi Tiezhu, Chen Xiaofeng, Li Xinyue.
Class Four: Zheng Tu, Sun Xiaohu.
Class Five: Murong An, Huang Xiaoju.
Class Six: Xu Liang, Zhang Xiaohua.
Class Seven: Murong Xue, Ding Buyang, Ding Buyin.
Class Eight: Lin Pingzhi, Du Sha.
Class Nine: Qin Shuang.
Class Ten: Liu Che, Ma Wuyang, Li Si.
At noon, Zhang Qingyuan took the guests to tour the cafeteria and dormitories.
In most of the guests' eyes, barring accidents, as long as they were not hopelessly dim-witted or suffering from damaged meridians, the top twenty-five would have little trouble reaching the seventh-rank realm within three years.
In the eyes of accomplished martial artists with discerning judgment, such as Zhang Tianlu and Liu Sidao, these twenty-five could reach the seventh-rank realm within a year, barring accidents.
The remaining students were also guaranteed to reach the eighth rank within a year.
The top thirteen students were Liu Sidao, Li Goudan, Ma Shou, Zhao Hongbing, Han Mei, Sun Xiaohu, Murong An, Zhang Xiaohua, Murong Xue, Lin Pingzhi, Qin Shuang, Liu Che, and Ma Wuyang.
This showed that although Class Three had plenty of geniuses, none were top-tier geniuses.
His class alone had claimed five places in the top twenty-five, but only one in the top thirteen.
The thirteen who advanced received specially prepared meals in the cafeteria at noon.
For one thing, they needed to eat and drink well so they could perform at their best that afternoon.
For another, it let the other students see what they could earn and gave them something to strive for.
Soon, once the afternoon sun had shifted a little to the west, students from every class crowded around Training Ground One.
The guests watched from the dais. The two public officials, Zhang Tianlu and Yang Lianhe, had already left, while the other guests remained.
Some of the guests were even parents of the students.
Of them, Liu Sandao and Lin Junfeng were the most nervous.
One was a fifth-rank constable captain, the other the head of the Lin Lineage Sword Fortress. Both moved in martial circles, and both cared about face.
Liu Sandao was not so badly off. He was a constable captain in the fifth-grade realm; although that made him an expert among constable captains, his position was low.
But Lin Junfeng was different. Whatever else one might say, the Lin Lineage Sword Fortress was a lineage with over a century of martial heritage, and the Lin Lineage Sword Technique had quite a reputation in their little patch of Yu Province.
If my son doesn't place well, where am I supposed to put this old face of mine?
Zhang Qingyuan gave the command. "The afternoon session of the martial tournament begins now!"
Only the largest main platform remained in the center of Training Ground One. The top thirteen students drew lots to determine their opponents. Since their number was odd, one would receive a bye in the first round and advance directly to the top seven.
As they drew lots, the students mostly had a good idea of where they stood, who was stronger, who was roughly their equal, and who was weaker.
Liu Che drew first, staring at Liu Sidao. "You'd better hope I don't draw you."
"Bullshit!" Little Brother Dao lifted his young face, drew a number, and walked away.
Liu Che was very unhappy.
Ma Shou stepped forward too and drew a number. "What bullshit."
Liu Che was even unhappier.
Once everyone had a number, Zhao Hongbing from Class Two brightened. "I'm number thirteen! I get the bye!"
Quite happy to take it easy, he folded his arms and watched from the sidelines.
Chen Guying served as referee. After checking all the numbers, he announced the start of the matches!
"First match: Liu Sidao vs Zhang Xiaohua!"
The two stepped onto the platform. Zhang Xiaohua was a thin, frail boy, nimble and skilled at dodging and weaving.
But facing Liu Sidao, he was still very nervous. Even the sect master had called Liu Sidao the chief disciple, so his presence inevitably weakened by several degrees.
"Brother Dao, go easy on me..."
"Sure thing." Liu Sidao smiled.
Once the match began, Zhang Xiaohua's advantage in speed vanished. Brother Dao's footwork was precise. In just three moves, he caught a kick with perfect accuracy and flowed straight into a throw, sending Zhang Xiaohua off the platform.
Clean and decisive, it won applause from everyone!
In the guest seats, Liu Sandao sat ramrod straight as compliments poured in around him.
"Lord Liu, with skills like those, your son's future is boundless!"
"That grappling move truly captured the essence of your teachings!"
"Oh, you flatter me."
Second match: Ma Shou vs Li Goudan.
Li Goudan knew full well how formidable Ma Shou was. He attacked with everything he had right from the start, his fists whistling through the air.
Ma Shou fought steadily, blocking and redirecting the force. Finding an opening, he delivered a solid Iron Mountain Lean, knocking Li Goudan back seven or eight steps and off the platform. They exchanged fist-and-palm salutes and smiled at each other, showing the friendship between classmates.
Third match: Sun Xiaohu vs Murong An.
Murong An's moves were exquisite, his footwork flowing as he tried to overcome strength with finesse. Unfortunately, Sun Xiaohu possessed prodigious natural strength and ignored feints entirely. He seemed not to feel Murong An's punches and kicks at all. Lunging like a charging bull, he grabbed Murong An around the waist and hurled him off the platform. It was an overwhelming victory of strength, without a shred of suspense.
Fourth match: Liu Che vs Qin Shuang.
Arrogant as ever, Liu Che declared the moment he stepped up, "Qin Shuang, surrender. Save yourself the embarrassment!"
Calm by nature, Qin Shuang remained unmoved.
"Enough big talk. If you're going to fight, fight!"
"Heh, you're the only one from your class who made the top twenty-five. You used to belong to my Heavenly Dragon Association too, until Liu Sidao said a few words..."
"Hey, hey, hey. You're in a match. Stop fucking yapping," interrupted Lu Guying, serving as referee.
Liu Che was mortified, his face flushing bright red.
Isn't this how all the storybooks do it? Before a fight, they spend half a chapter talking and another half on their thoughts. Why can't I do it?
Lu Guying snorted softly. We're watching a match. Who the fuck cares about your shitty little mess?
"Come on!"
They exchanged blows. Liu Che's attacks surged like a tide, vicious moves aimed exclusively at vital points. Qin Shuang responded calmly, maintaining a watertight defense while awaiting a chance to counterattack.
They fought for nearly twenty moves. In the end, Liu Che's superior explosive power let him break through Qin Shuang's defense with a tricky elbow strike, forcing Qin Shuang to the edge of the platform in defeat.
After winning, Liu Che swept an arrogant gaze around, lingering especially on Liu Sidao and Ma Shou.
Below the platform, both rolled their eyes at once and mouthed, "Fucking idiot."
Liu Che lost his composure again.
Fifth match: Murong Xue vs Ma Wuyang.
Murong Xue moved nimbly, wielding an unsharpened wooden sword with fierce, incisive moves. Though Ma Wuyang fought valiantly, he could not keep pace with her. After a dozen or so exchanges, she struck an acupoint, leaving him stumbling in defeat.
Sixth match: Lin Pingzhi vs Han Mei.
Lin Pingzhi also used a wooden sword. Unfortunately for Han Mei, she could not withstand even a single exchange against him.
After all, it was bare hands against a weapon, a boy against a girl.
After his match, Lin Pingzhi shot his father a smug look, and Lin Junfeng gave his son an approving glance.
The first round ended. Those advancing to the top seven were Liu Sidao, Ma Shou, Sun Xiaohu, Liu Che, Murong Xue, Zhao Hongbing, and Lin Pingzhi.
They immediately drew lots for the top-seven ranking matches, with one person receiving a bye.
Once again, the bye went to Zhao Hongbing.
First match: Liu Sidao vs Lin Pingzhi.
Lin Pingzhi had a solid foundation in swordsmanship, but Liu Sidao was better at adapting in actual combat. Brother Dao used his hand as a saber, his moves broad and sweeping yet incomparably precise, targeting the transitions between Lin Pingzhi's sword moves. Fifteen exchanges later, a knife-hand strike landed on Lin Pingzhi's wrist. His weapon flew from his grasp, and he lost.
In the guest seats, Lin Zhennan, head of the Lin Lineage Sword Fortress, looked displeased and snorted coldly, clearly extremely unhappy that his son had failed to make the top five.
Liu Sandao hurriedly smiled at Lin Junfeng. "Oh, your son just got careless for a moment. I know my boy. He simply got lucky."
"Hmph!"
After hearing that, Lin Junfeng's gaze toward his son grew even more menacing.
Ma Shou vs Murong Xue.
Ma Shou fought steadily, while Murong Xue was nimble and swift. They traded moves in a dazzling exchange. Ma Shou was clearly holding back, afraid of hurting this Sister-in-law Yan.
In the end, Murong Xue could not break through despite her sustained attacks, and her stamina fell slightly short. Ma Shou caught an opening and sent her off the platform with a gentle palm push. Murong Xue landed steadily. Knowing he had gone easy on her, she cupped her hands. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Ma."
Sun Xiaohu vs Liu Che.
This was a showdown between strength and arrogance. Liu Che tried to use speed against slowness, searching for an opening in Sun Xiaohu's defenses. But Sun Xiaohu was too strong and too tough; Liu Che's attacks had little effect. Instead, Sun Xiaohu seized an opportunity, grabbed his collar, and swung him through a half circle like a sack before smashing him onto the platform.
The throw left Liu Che seeing stars. Unwilling though he was, he could only concede.
Sun Xiaohu scratched his head guilelessly. "Thanks for going easy on me."
With that, the final four were decided: Liu Sidao, Ma Shou, Sun Xiaohu, and Zhao Hongbing.
Semifinal: Liu Sidao vs Sun Xiaohu.
This match was the ultimate clash of technique and strength. Liu Sidao refused to meet Sun Xiaohu head-on, relying on exceptional footwork and anticipation to keep moving, wear down his stamina, and look for chances to attack his lower body and joints. Sun Xiaohu had tremendous strength but kept missing by a hair, like a giant elephant being toyed with by an agile monkey.
Finally, when Sun Xiaohu missed a fierce lunge and lost his balance, Liu Sidao tripped him with a precise leg sweep, then closed in and locked him in a chokehold. Helpless, Sun Xiaohu tapped the ground in surrender. Thunderous applause erupted below the platform, cheering Liu Sidao's intelligence and technique.
Ma Shou vs Zhao Hongbing.
The two knew each other inside out, and the fight was exceptionally fierce. Ma Shou had a firmer foundation, while Zhao Hongbing had an extra streak of ferocity. They fought for over thirty exchanges before Ma Shou won by a narrow margin, striking Zhao Hongbing's shoulder blade with a sudden turning counterattack and driving him back.
Final: Liu Sidao vs Ma Shou.
Every eye focused on them. The two friends exchanged smiles and attacked at the same time.
There was no probing. Both went all out from the start. Fists and feet clashed, figures darted and spun, and exquisite moves drew repeated gasps from the spectators.
Their strength was evenly matched, and neither could gain the upper hand. After fifty exchanges, Liu Sidao deliberately exposed an opening. Sure enough, Ma Shou took the bait and attacked with a full-force punch.
Liu Sidao twisted strangely, narrowly avoiding the blow. At the same time, his knife-hand flashed like lightning toward the opening beneath Ma Shou's ribs. Ma Shou reacted extremely quickly, forcibly twisting to block, only for Liu Sidao's other hand to seize his wrist, pull him along, and trip him.
Thud!
They hit the ground almost simultaneously, but Liu Sidao was on top, his knife-hand poised lightly over Ma Shou's throat.
"Thanks for going easy on me, Brother Shou."
Ma Shou laughed and patted the ground. "All right, Brother Dao. You're still the sneaky one!"
They helped each other up and patted each other's shoulders, displaying the mutual appreciation between heroes.
Once the top three had been decided, the other places still had to be ranked.
During the matches for fifth through seventh place, Murong Xue successfully came up against Murong An.
The two siblings stood together and exchanged fist-and-palm salutes.
Their fathers were also in the audience. The two brothers exchanged a glance.
Murong Xue's father looked at his own elder brother, his gaze enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.
Murong An's old father swallowed.
On the platform, Murong An looked at his younger sister.
"Sis, how about you..."
Murong Xue paid no attention to what he was saying and declared, "You surrender!"
"No way. Your brother's a boy."
"Is there any difference between fifth, sixth, and seventh?"
"Your brother..."
Without waiting for him to speak, Murong Xue turned tear-filled eyes toward her eldest uncle. Murong Yunfei immediately shot his son a look.
Helpless, Murong An suddenly strode forward and punched his sister in the shoulder.
Before Murong Xue could react, however, he clutched his own arm and collapsed.
"Such powerful internal strength! The backlash hit me... ugh..."
Murong Xue: "..."
Lu Guying: "..."
The final rankings were settled.
First place, Liu Sidao. Second place, Ma Shou. Third place, Sun Xiaohu. Fourth place, Zhao Hongbing.
Fifth place, Murong Xue. Sixth place, Murong An. Seventh place, Liu Che.
Eighth through thirteenth, in order: Lin Pingzhi, Qin Shuang, Li Goudan, Han Mei, Zhang Xiaohua, and Ma Wuyang.
Zhang Qingyuan personally awarded scholarships to the twenty-five students and delivered his closing remarks, encouraging all the students to keep working hard.
The top ten each received a Minor Rejuvenation Pill, with instructions not to take it until they reached the sixth rank.