Chapter 75 - One Step Higher (1/2)
He was a gentle looking old man with long white hair draped over his shoulder. Not as profound as Patriarch Sen's, his eyes still radiated a deep knowledge that only an expert could have.
”The first series of fights will take place shortly. Each of you will fight once. The winner advances to the next round which will take place in three days time.
We Elders will judge you based on your magical ability during the fight. Killing will be severely sanctioned. The winner is decided once the other fighter loses consciousness, is forcefully pushed off the arena limits, or is incapable of fighting in any way. As proud disciples of the Cloud-Formation Pavilion, surrendering is not an option unless we decide it is best for you.”
The rules were clear. They also implied that the Elders would make sure nobody was in too much danger and at risk of death. Of course if an Elder had to intervene, the fight would be stopped and decided immediately.
Finally, it was made clear that the results of the fight would depend on the disciple's magical ability. For most it would be pretty obvious, but for some like Fu Xue it meant that some physical based techniques would not be regarded as fair.
”All twelve Cloud Elders will be watching... This is more than a simple ranking tournament, isn't it?”
Nobody had dared talk out loud and yet this rhetorical question was on everybody's mind.
In order to judge the fighting of a few juniors, only one Elder, or even Inner Sect disciples were enough. And yet all twelve experts and the Cloud Master himself had mobilized.
The hidden reason behind the format of the tournament was becoming more and more evident.
Shin Sumi too was thinking about it, ”The Elders are looking for disciples to enroll as their own students. Surely the most promising will find a master, basically having a place in the Inner Sect for as soon as they reach the third step of the Liquid Realm.”
Even if the prospect didn't matter to Shin Sumi at all due to her secret position as the seventh Ghost from the Ghost Pavilion, it was a lot to think about. It was also an evident motivation to fight at full power and prove their worth to the Elders.
Sadly, something else bothered Shin Sumi even more.
”No surrenders. But in the face of the Elders, faking a loss would be way too obvious. Just from standing there, I almost feel their gaze directly on my soul.”
Despite her true power, in terms of magical abilities and fighting prowess, Shin Sumi wasn't certain she could end up in the top six practitioners anyway, but she wasn't willing to risk it. She had already promised Xiao Yue that she would fight for the Star-Sword Pavilion as Bai Fulong.
”To make this a bit more fun for you youngsters, we have also decided on a certain ... training opportunity.”
More than half the disciples present were already having cold sweats. Somehow in Elder Azure Cloud's mouth, a training opportunity sounded scarier than anything they had ever experienced.
”For those of you who will fail in the first two rounds, you will get to train for an entire week in the Dark Fortress, which is equivalent to a month out here. Exciting, isn't it? This way you are rewarded even if you don't make it to the top sixteen.”
Every single pair of eyes were bulging as soon as the words 'Dark Fortress' fell. A dozen jaws dropped an deven a few thuds could be heard from disciples whose knees had given out.
”The Dark Fortress?!” Shin Sumi was frankly scared. She had already planned on losing in the first round but now it was entirely out of the question.
The Dark Fortress was a place known even by Honorary Disciples below the Liquid Realm as one of the scariest places in the sect.
Much like the Rising Star Tournament's floating continent, it was one of the Dark Sky Starry Sect's pocket dimensions used for training.
But unlike the floating continent who was overflowing with Shinsoo of different types and a great place for training, the Dark Fortress had different laws of physics applying.
Shin Sumi remembered Lan Hui's explanation he had given while shivering in fear just by recalling what he knew, ”It is a small world in which light doesn't exist. Even fire can burn without giving off the slightest light, in there.”
And it wasn't all. More than just a physical feat, training in the Dark Fortress was also a mental challenge.
”According to what I've been told, the only type of Shinsoo in the Dark Fortress is of darkness type. Unless the cultivation technique you have chosen uses darkness type Shinsoo, you will feel like your entire being is submerged in the darkest of waters, almost unable to move and breath.”
Spending time in the Dark Fortress was said to be one of the most efficient ways to train, though. Time passed quicker on the inside than the outside, but the suffocating presence of darkness Shinsoo was really stimulating for the cultivation.
As Shin Sumi understood it, it had to do with honing a cultivator's affinity with Shinsoo. After all, once a blindfold is removed, even the dimmest light turns very bright.
And she knew that even the mysterious Copper Bell wouldn't be able to help her in this situation. As powerful as it was, the bell could only alter one's perception to fit their need but it could not change the laws of physics. If the Dark Fortress was completely devoid of any light, the Copper Bell was of no use at all.
”I have to win the first two fights, preferably only by luck or with the smallest advantage. I absolutely can't crush my opponents or else the Cloud Elders will know I'm not using my full potential in the rest of the rounds.”
Such a strange feat that only Shin Sumi was capable of achieving, under the traits of Yan Yan. Only one question remained, though.
”Who will I be fighting first? Has the pairing up already been made?” she looked around at the grimacing disciples still in the process of digesting the idea that the Dark Fortress was just around the corner.
Only a select few were like her, scanning around for worthy opponents while not too bothered themselves.
Fu Xue was one of them, Chu Erlong and Jun Qian also calm, naturally.
”If I have to go up against one of them, I am screwed” Shin Sumi realized, ”Either I manage to squeeze in a win but then I won't be able to fool the Elders and lose my other fights, or I might as well accept the Dark Fortress and also give up on the Star-Sword Pavilion rankings.”
Patiently waiting for the assembly to regain their composure after his last announcement, it was at that moment Elder Azure Cloud chose to clear his throat once more.
”Now that you all understand the rules and what is at stake, it is time to compose the brackets according to your potential. Brother Orange Cloud, please.”
Punctuating Elder Azure Cloud's sentence with a slight nod of his head, the orange wearing Elder stepped forward as well.
His eyes never leaving the ground in front of his feet like a shy boy in front of a pretty girl, the Elder's lips moved ever so slightly but no words escaped them.
”...” A few disciples perked their ears, trying to decipher if the Elder was saying something or simply being unnaturally shy.
Half a breath later, a rumble once more shook the ground. Following the silent incantation, a grey cube the size of an adult had dropped out of thin air, landing loudly on the tiles of the grand hall.
”A testing stele, just like the entrance to the sect. Are they going to measure our talents?” the disciples instantly recognized the monolithic testing stone.
”...” Elder Orange Cloud once more failed to produce a sound as all eyes were set on him. At his side, Elder Azure Cloud sighed while shaking his head ever so slightly from side to side. He, of course, knew of his fellow cultivator's habit with public speaking. Why did it turn out to be him having to summon the testing stone?
”Erm... What fellow Elder Orange Cloud is saying is that each of you will take turns here, put your hand on the stele and release a sliver of Shinsoo. The stele will then take it all into account to form the most appropriate order for the fights to come.”
Then, pointing at the disciple standing the closest to where the stele had dropped, ”You, go first.”
The disciple instantly joined hands and bowed, before making his way to the testing stone with a resolute face.
Shin Sumi smiled internally as the silhouette of the man walked, trying to hide the clenching of his fists.
”Oh, what an interesting first pick.”
A few meters away, Chu Erlong too looked at the man who had just been picked, alternating from the corner of her eye between Yan Yan and him, her teeth slowly grinding together.
In front of the testing stone, the young man inhaled deeply, contacting his palm on the cold smooth surface. Without letting any more anxiousness arise, he quickly injected his Shinsoo.
To his and everybody's dismay, the stone let out no reaction at all. Has it worked?