The quiet crowd watching the match erupted in cheers. Most couldn't see what happened, but were excited. The battle on stage seven was the first to end. Huang rong returned to his seat amidst the cheers. Lu dou thumped his friend on the back. 

'Miss Bai, what did i tell you? Huang rong is the best.' 

Back in the area reserved for the elders, the first elder nodded in approval watching Huang rong.

'That student is talented.'

'His crane dance illusory footwork is almost flawless. We'll just have to wait and see how he does.' 

Qi rong fei agreed. He was also impressed by the young man. The crane dance illusory footwork was one of the newer movement skills introduced by ancestor chu. Mastering it in the space of a year was a feat in of itself.

The first round of combat for the group of friends went by quickly. Wang do ended the fight by kicking his opponent out of the ring while Fang shi became a bloodthirsty madman when he unsheathed his sabre. He attacked ceaselessly without a care for his own safety, revelling in the combat, until his opponent yielded in fear. His friends shook their heads at his wide grin as he strutted off the stage.

Lu dou's match was the most suspenseful. He met a young thin man by the name Ao wei who proved to be a formidable opponent. They bowed and introduced themselves. 

'Ao wei seeks your advice.'

'Lu dou also seeks your advice.'

Ao wei pounced into action, the second the bell rang. His movement skill was not unlike Huang rong's. While the crane dance illusory footwork relied on misdirection, ao wei's movement skill focused on speed. He reached Lu dou in the blink of an eye.

Clang!

Lu dou's sword came up in time to stop the assault. The match continued in the same fashion. Ao wei flitted around the stage and rushed in from time to time to attack before retreating.

Fang shi had taken the vacated seat beside Bai li yue.

'There's no need to worry about Lu dou, miss bai.'

'I'm not worried.' She denied, her eyes glued to the stage. Lu dou blocked all the attempts made by ao wei. The clang of clashing swords sounded in quick succession as ao wei began to increase his speed and the rate of his attacks.

'Lu dou's style is the strangest among us. Notice that he has barely moved. He relies on using the fewest movement, but once he attacks, he is like a stone in a pond. I hate sparring with him, even more than that monster Huang rong.'

Bai li yue had noticed Lu dou's stance. His feet were rooted on the stage. He was like a tall tree or as fang shi put it, a rock. His sword came up in time to block or parry ao wei. Always. Without fail. He hadn't moved a step since the match began. 

She sighed as the match continued. The crowd were getting used to the routine. Ao wei moved and attacked. Lu dou blocked. 

'Blocking is good, but it isn't attacking. If this continues any longer, Lu dou will lose.'

She commented.

Fang shi chuckled ànd clapped joyously. The other just rolled their eyes.

'Just watch the show, Miss Bai. Lu dou likes to pretend. When it looks like he's lost, that's when he makes his move.'

Ao wei rushed in for another attack. He slashed at Lu dou's arm. He managed to block, only by stepping back. The sleeve of his robe had a long straight tear. Ao wei finally smiled. He had gotten his opponent to move. Even though there was no blood, the torn sleeve meant he'd made some progress. To tell the truth, Lu dou was proving to be a headache. He had been running out of options until he had thought to increase his speed and vary the rhythm of his attacks. 

It is working. I can't give him time to recover. 

He rushed in for another attack. He angled his body to the left and slashed upward. His sword caught Lu dou's shoulder on the upward swing. Blood bloomed on his cut robe as he stepped back again.

Fang shi chuckled again. He was having more fun.

Lu dou successfully parried a few sword attacks but the shoulder wound impacted him heavily. He stumbled backward for every strike he blocked or parried. Ao wei flew around him attacking from every angle. 

The crowd cheered when Ao wei wounded Lu dou again.

'Now.' Fang shi grinned devilishly at the scene on the stage. Lu dou was bloody and injured and on his last leg. Ao wei walked closer to Lu dou this time. He was no longer using his movement skill. 

'Admit defeat!'

'No!' Lu dou replied through clenched jaws

'Then i'll hit you until you admit it yourself.' 

Ao wei was angry. He had won, but his opponent was being too stubborn. This entry exam was too important, so he had to be merciless. He raised his sword and prepared to strike him when he felt a breeze.

Eehh!

Wasn't- wasn't his opponent already down? How was he standing?

His mind caught up to the present when he felt a hand grasp his wrist firmly.

'Got you! Now let's see how far you can escape.'

Ao wei tried to squirm out of the iron grip, but his sword hand was immobilised. He could only wait patiently until Lu dou let go. 

Lu dou's sword was merciless. The flat side of the sword hit Ao wei numerous times as the crowd watched on in awe.

He sank to the ground 'unconscious'. The healers' hall assistants rushed to his side and carried him away.

Lu dou stepped off the stage amidst cheers. Fang shi met him halfway and thumped him on the back. 

'Good show! Good show! If you don't succeed in the cultivation world, you could always have a brilliant career on the stage.'

Lu dou winced at his friend's ungentle manhandling and teasing and popped a pill into his mouth. The match with ao wei had been difficult. Luckily, he had found a way to to deal with him, otherwise he would have been the one being carried away to the healers' hall.

Bai li yue applauded Lu dou's triumph when he returned to the stand.

'I enjoyed your show.'

Lu dou smiled shyly at her teasing.

'Miss Bai, it's not like that. I really had a hard time.'

'You don't have to explain. Fang shi already told me everything.'

Lu dou glared at Fang shi who jumped to his feet and quickly ran off. If looks could kill, he would have already expired on the spot.

Half way through the competition, Bai li yue realised that she was having a good time. She joined the students in cheering and laughing at the antics of some of the competitors. It mostly happened when Zhengqing went on stage. His matches tended to end quickly. It sometimes didn't even start. His current opponent chose to admit when he saw the two sabres that were slashing at his direction.

The next few rounds passed peacefully. The group won through a combination of forfeits or knock out. As for Zhengqing, his situation was both a blessing and a curse. 

'I yield!!!'

'I admit defeat'

'I won't fight. Overseer, quickly ring the bell. Are you deaf? I said i didn't want to fight. Do you want me to die? Mummy!'

Zhengqing's face grew darker with each forfeit. He had won three matches without fighting. The last one had even ended without him leaving his seat. His opponent had screamed at the overseer from his seat to ring the bell. He had promptly been fined 2 spirit stones for disrespecting an elder which he paid without raising any arguments. He looked relieved to have gotten away safe and alive. 

He had resorted to bringing out only one of his two sabres hoping to put an end to the series of forfeits, but it wasn't working. His fourth opponent arrived on the battle stage much to Zhengqing's joy. He celebrated too quickly because, second later his opponent stepped back carelessly and fell off the stage.

'Oh! Look at that. I fell off the stage. I really wanted to fight! Oh well! I suppose it is my fate to miss the match because of my carelessness.'

When the overseer opened his mouth to tell him that the fight could go on since he hadn't even rang the bell, he quickly cut him off.

'No. No. Don't bend the rules for me. The heavens have spoken. I can only accept my fate.'

Bai li yue stifled the laughter bubbling up inside her. Zheng qing's misery only made the situation more entertaining.

She watched a few matches with a petite young lady wearing a bright pink robe. She fought with a flexible sword that slithered and hissed like a vicious snake moving in the wind. She dispatched her opponents with ease and returned indifferently to her seat. Her eyes met Bai li yue's when she noticed the latter's interest in her. She looked Bai li yue up and down and then turned away.

'Who is that?'

She asked, pointing at the young lady in pink.

'Oh her? That is first place, Wen shan shan. Her two sisters are the queens of the inner sect, so everyone knows that she's just passing through the outer sect to go to the inner sect.'

Fang shi was knowledgeable about things and people. She only needed to point and he would have information ready for her.

Wang do kicked another opponent out of the ring. He went tumbling down and crashed into some of the students who weren't fast enough getting out of the way. He jumped off the stage after the overseer announced his win and helped his opponent back to his feet. 

The elder announced the final results. The betting stalls had already figured out the final ranking, their results were still unofficial. The elder would make it official.

'In first place, Wen shan shan. Second Huang rong, third place Li long, fourth place Lu dou, fifth place Fang shi, sixth Zhengqing, seventh Wang do, eighth Kong tian, nineth Du meng and Ao wei in tenth position.'

The top ten ranking hadn't changed much except the eighth place sheng mu losing to Huang rong and suffering a couple of defeats afterwards. Ao wei returned in excellent condition to claw his way into the last spot of the top ten. The official ranking showed Wen shan shan in first position, Huang rong, Li long, Lu dou, Fang shi, Zheng qing, Wang do, Kong tian, Du meng and Ao wei in last position.'

'Congratulations! You all made it.'