Zhou Feng held his Fiery Red sword, a magical artifact of the fifth rank solemnly, his usual frivolous look were nowhere to be seen and his handsome face only showed focus and seriousness.
With a calm disposition, he activated his sword heard whose realm had reached the peak and his condition also achieved the same state ready for the battle! He only looked at the way ahead without caring about his surrounding. Waiting for the moment the competition begin.
The young lady Sima Jiang her showed an icy cold look, with the Icy blue sword a magical weapon of the Third rank held before her chest, she didn't show any nervousness or timidity but only calmness and steady bearing despite being only a second year student.
The other senior students also showed a somewhat carefree attitude as if everything was within their palm, they didn't show any reaction hearing the comment of the Sword Saint and didn't even look around for the so called favourite expert or what not.
The young Wu Lin her wasn't as relaxed as the Seniors, being the only first year student participants made her feel quite nervous actually.
She wanted to curse at Li Yun and Wen Bao a thousand times. Those bastards that made them do this stupid bet to participate in a random tournament if they lose, but she was even angrier at herself for falling for such a stupid scheme.
'As expected I shouldn't have been riled up so easily, what small courage mean small chest?! I will make you see whose is really small!!'
She thought murderously before readying herself, her sword was a Snow White sword a magical treasure of the first rank, she wouldn't be able to use one of a higher level as it was her limit.
The participants were all ready this time, the tension was at its peak!
As the spectators felt nervousness and anticipation, the count down almost reached the end.
Three,
Two,
One,
Go!
*Whoosh!*
The participant all rushed forward on their sword flying speeding in the distance.
The crowd cheered , seeing the colorful sword lights looking so captivating.
After only a breath, a certain competitor managed to pull out of he pool.
"In the lead is unsurprisingly the second year student Sima Jiang on her Icy blue sword, the limitless sword scripture does live up to its name..."
Elder Zheng began giving commentary on the situation on the field doing his work.
Sima Jiang did mange to pull ahead of everyone surprising the spectators a bit, but it only lasted for a moment, the other competitors behind begun to catch up with her steadily one after the other on their flying swords as the obstacles began to increase.
"The limitless sword scripture is indeed a top cultivation methods but it have a huge weakness in these circumstances.
While flying on a straight path, it is uncontestably the fastest methods in the whole continent but it show a huge drawback when there is a need to make adjustments, the cultivator can't control his or her own speed needing to slow down.
This flaw can be made up somewhat when the cultivator reach a higher realm in the peak of Body spiritualisation. They can use their spiritual sense and spiritual body to overcome the limitation in flexibility, but for a Mortal Transcendent cultivator it is simply impossible."
Sword Saint Meng Qian gave his insight on the situation, earning the praise and awe of the public.
As he said Sima Jiang looked fierce when she was on a straight line but went soft when something blocked her way, she couldn't control her speed that exceeded her realm and could only slow down in order to safely pass through.
The other participants caught up with her one after the other showing their deep foundation dealing deftly with the first traps like the invisible sword cliff in a zigzag pattern their sword managed to overcome it in a smooth way.
Well, cloud quagmire and jade green vine which were a speciality of this secret realm are mostly here to make thing look good... If not for the peculiarity of her cultivation methods Sima Jiang wouldn't be so troubled either on this first part.
But, she didn't show any fluster seeing the Seniors competitor going past her and continued the same method: speed up on a straight line and slowing down on a curve or an obstacles.
The commentators and experienced cultivators discussed about the fact that she could bid her time and wait for the Array formation area to come, with her speed she should manage to overcome this deadly path with an easier time getting a substantial advantage over the other competitors .
Look like she had this plan in mind. She was left in the middle of the pack but didn't bother changing strategy.
As the competition continued, the first fancy part of the route was about to end and the one in the lead was the handsome young man in his third year Zhou Feng. His Fiery sword was fast and swift showing his great grasp on the Sword Flight skill.
But as the spectators looked at the excitement ahead of the pack, the experts were looking at the far back.
There, the young man wearing a black Daoist robe was flying leisurely in the last place and just ahead of him was Wu Lin who struggled a bit with the jade green vines, look like thing wasn't going too well for this first year rookie...
....
In the spectators' seat amidst the cheering crowd was a conspicuous group of young people, they were led by a fasto who was holding magical amplifier screaming till his voice became hoarse bothering the other spectators beside them who showed pircing look that would have killed him a thousand times if they could.
With him was several young men and women also showing the same supportive enthusiasm even though they weren't screaming as loudly as him.
Above their head was a large banner with the words:
<We love Wu Lin! Fly like the wind!>
written in very large characters, the other spectators behind them already went away from there, it's not like they didn't want to make a fuss and get in fight, but with the Dark blue clothed youth and the red haired one with black horn there, they could only swallow their bitterness and find another place.
Feng Ling was also with the crew, but she wasn't screaming like them and looked at the competition calmly. As she gave her heartfelt condolences to Wu Lin who was struggling to get through the green vines, she looked at the young man flying beside her, with her experience she could immediately feel that he was already in the Sword unity realm making him a genius among genius in the Academy; on paper alone, it would look like this tournament already have a winer.
But, if his avantage was just in cultivation of the way of the sword, if it were a true struggle where any mean to win was usable the one to emerge victorious wasn't decided yet…
"Did you also remark him?"
Li Yun who was seated beside her while holding a yellow paper with the words 1000 on number 7, suddenly said in seriousness while looking at the young man.
How could he not see through this small matter! With how sneaky and deceitful he looked; this guy was obviously bidding his time to shock and awe the whole people later playing the pig to eat the tiger. Tsk, tsk, this was obviously the basic of showing off...
"He does have some foresight to keep to himself and remain cautious up until now. But, I don't think the other participants are that gullible and would let him do as he please. If I am not wrong Senior brother Zhou must have a trick or two and he will show one of them soon…"
His words weren't finished yet when-
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Several explosions came consecutively one after the other! Shocking the spectators and the participants alike.
It came from the middle of the pack when they were about to enter the Five elements obstacles of the tournaments.
Everyone was abit too concentrated on the new Challenge ahead and didn't think that someone would stir trouble at this time, throwing the competitors in chaos.
Soon, several figures appeared floating there when the explosion receded, they were holding their swords before their chests and chanting some mnemonic harmoniously together; the others participants who managed to avoid the shockwave of the explosion got back their footing and rushed forward to get past them, but a transparent barrier appeared around those seven brothers, they were obviously there holding the fort...
"What a move from the third years students! They actually played the numbers game, as the saying goes the many bully the few. With this sword formation that block the other participants they managed to create enough windows for the leading participants to get a great lead. Look like Student Zhou Feng didn't count on luck alone to get through this deadlock and used and one of the thirty six stratagem to get ahead of everyone!"
Elder Zheng's voice resounded in the air explaining what was going on to the clueless spectators.
They were still shocked by the deafening explosions when they heard such a news and looked at the head of the pack which was spared of the commotion and went in the Five elements obstacles.
Iin the lead was… Zhou Feng! What a rascal, that's what everyone had in their mind.
Those that bet on him and heard the existence of some unknown expert from the big shot sword cultivators were looking down hearted and hopeless as if the world ended up until now, but right now they were like soldiers injected with chicken blood screaming alongside like madmen:
"ZHOU FENG! ZHOU FENG!"
Indeed, Zhou Feng conspi- united his strength with other third year students to hold the other participants behind.
He knew from the begin that there was a senior whom he wouldn't be able to beat in a frontal fight so he devised several plans with his comrades to deal with any circumstances, he waited for him to show his tail patiently until now but since he didn't want to come out…
"I will force you to come out!"
Zhou Feng rushed forward on his sword leaving the small fries following him behind, he was sure that if he get a good enough lead in this five elements obstacles, no one would be able to reach him anymore!
Supreme Five elements Sword scripture!
His cultivation methods that only a prodigy with the uniquely balanced top tier Five elements attributes made him invincible in this kind of circumstances.
' If you don't come out now, Victory is mine!'
Seeing this lonely hero pass through the Earth spike traps, the fire explosion the water blades..etc.. with ease twisting gracefully like he was in his own backyard made every people admit that he was really handsome…
Looking at Sima Jiang who was in the second position struggling to get through the obstaces made a sad comparison…
...….
At the same time, the young man with black robe who looked at the competition with lofty and even disdainful attitude until now, suddenly changed the air around him. He was still held entangled by with numerous jade green vines but his great bearing made it obvious that he could get rid of this small matter anytime he wanted.
He then gave a cold snort and the vines snapped on their own despite not using his sword, what a great sword unity!
His figures then blurred before shooting with his plain looking sword leaving several hundreds metre around the place where he stood before completely empty without any soul behind?
He then phased through the barriers leaving the seven brothers and the the cursing mob of losers that couldn't get past the Sword formation behind, not drawing the attention of anyone.
He passed by the small fries in the Five elements obstacles and began to close in fiercely on Zhou Feng.
Sect master Zhang who saw this in the commentator booth showed a different light in his eyes, this kid managed to impress the old man.
What he didn't know was that, he was too concerned about the young man to remark that there was obviously something wrong about the situation.
The Sword Saint him just shook his head and gave a wry smile, how will this completion end? Even he couldn't be sure anymore.