Chapter 25: 25. Top Ten High Schools Competition pt 1
Long Yin woke up startled when she felt the bus stop. Apparently the combined fatigue from months of cultivation was enough to let her sleep until their arrival. After getting out of the bus they saw nine other school delegations, all standing at the entrance of gigantic sports hall that would host the competition. Aside from the schools there were almost two thousand spectators that came just to watch the competition. The seats were filled until none were left. After the audience entered, it was time for the schools. Starting with #10 High, each school was announced one by one, the students entering while being led by their Headmasters. As the last of introductions was finished the organizers produced a gigantic matchmaking table, where all students from different schools were already randomly matched.
As the Headmasters took their seats next to the Jury panel the Headmaster of #2 High laughed:
- Ha ha, Tang San, this year there's no Ouyang Bo, while we have a peerless genius. The position of #1 High School will be ours.
- Don't laugh yet Zhao Chi. This year we have a monster that even I am afraid of.
- Intresting, I really want to see what type of talent it is that you praise it so much.
You could see an ugly grimace on Zhao Chi's face.
Without further delay the tournament started and contestants were called on stage in pairs. Truthfully, this stage didn't really matter as the matches were carefully selected using ranking lists, so that two geniuses capable of fighting in finals don't eliminate each other in their first match. The tournament was a double elimination bracket. Soon the 300 participants thinned in half, then 75 got eliminated turning the total participant numbers into 225, then another 75 got eliminated turning that into 150. At this point most contestants below Core Formation Sixth Stage got eliminated. Long Yin's fights so far were nothing special, with each opponent getting flicked out of the arena perimeter, disqualifying them due to being out of bounds.While the organisation seemed somewhat messy, with uneven amount of competitors in both losers and winners brackets, it turned out alright, as two leftover Fifth Stage contestants dropped out due to inuries, leaving an even number of 148 students Core Formation Sixth Level or above. Ten minutes later the matches concluded for the day, with another 74 students getting eliminated, leaving top 32 of each bracket for the day after, as another 10 students had to give up due to injuries, despite winning their fights.
As they entered the hotel, Headmaster Tang ordered a quick war assembly:
- Everyone, good job today. You brought honour to our school, as there is still eight of you competing. Be careful tomorrow. Perform well and you'll be rewarded.
Everyone went to sleep early, tired after a day of travel and fighting. Next morning they were all woken up by two powerful fluctuations. Apparently the fighting experience was enough to allow Fatty Hao and Rou You to break through to Core Formation Eighth Stage. Headmaster Tang was close to crying with joy.
- Good, good, what good #2 High, let's see you deal with this.
The fighters from all schools once again grouped below the combat arena, with eliminated students sitting on stands next to the commentary box eith two caster that would do a live commentary of the rest of tournament, since from now on there would be no more simultaneous matches.
As always the matches started with lowest cultivation levels getting eliminated. Bored out of her mind Yin decided to watch an eliminated students that was playing the newest edition of reworked "DMC: Devil May Crap: Rebirth of Devil May Crap:DMC Reborn " on his portable PTSD console. Yes, apparently no one caught the faux pax of the console's name. Yin was baffled too.
Anyways apart from short breaks to watch her classmates get eliminated, Yin spent the next four hours warching a guy die to trash mobs with an F- combo rating. Finally, just as she was considering taking the console away from the guy and beating all his high scores, she heard an announcment that made her perk up:
- Next match: Rou You of #1 High versus Lin Lang of #6 High.
Long Yin looked at the arena, eager to finally see her friend in action, though it would be just a showmatch as Rou You was Core Formation Stage Eight while her opponent was Core Formation Stage Six. Rou You entered the arena with a training saber in her hand.
'Huh? She's a saber user? I haven't seen her using saber even once during class spars, I thought she was a fist fighter.'
Lin Lang was a red haired girl, that looked plain and had a bunch of freckles on her nose. She looked enviously at Rou You, taking a moment to compare their looks, then smiled viciously. She pressed her hands together, activating metal plates on her palms that immidiately expanded into Iron Claws.
'Huh, a claw user? She looks so envious, is she going to try to maim Rou You's face? '
Yin's thoughts were immidiately answered as Lin Lang lunged aiming with a scratch to Rou You's face. She was met with a saber thrust that she had to dodge, abandoning her attack. Annoyed, she tsk'd, then spat agrily:
- This time you got lucky, but let's see how you'll take this! Flaming Iron Claw!
Rou You only smiled, before responding calmly:
- Cherry Blossoming in Fall.
Her saber seemed to disappear, an illusion of falling Cherry Blossom leaves appearing around her. A second later Lin Lang dropped to the floor, her body filled with bruises and cuts, completely unconscious.
'Are you serious? What saber art is that? Are you going to start screaming "Bankai: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi" next? '
Meanwhile the audience exploded in noise:
- Did you see that? She took her out in one move!
- Screw that, did you see her attack? I swear I saw a cherry blossoms apear!
- Me too!
- Me three...
A teacher quietly said:
- This... Peach Blossom Saber Art's Peach Blossom Saber Intent?
- It seems so. #1 High really deserves its fame.
'Hold up, Hold up! What the hell is Saber Intent? I swear when I checked if Intents existed the books said it was just a rumour based on fantasy books?'
She didn't have time to ponder, having to fill it under "Ask Headmaster Later" folder in her memory, as the next fight was announced and it turned out to be someone familiar:
- Next! Chen Hao of #1 High versus Zhang Shi of #2 High!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone