In a way hearing what was next was going to be group combat, sort of let the tension out of the room and excitement build. For a lot of people, it was a finally moment. For Yin it was a hurdle he had to imagine he would face. Despite his nerves, he was determined to face this trial head on.

  “Now.” Came the sharp voice of Zǐ Xīn he looked around the arena. “There are six thousand of you left. You will be divided into blocks of one hundred and when enough has been eliminated we will stop the fight.”

  Clinching his fists Yin could feel his heart beating even quicker now. Which seemed to make that sensation of energy deep in his core flicker. This was it, what felt like the last hurdle he had to clear for the testing. At least he hoped it was, though he felt like trying to guess what was in store was only going to lead to disappointment.

  Quickly everyone got to their feet as Zǐ Xīn started sorting people into groups of hundred, and Yin couldn’t seem to find a rhyme or reason for it. So, he just waited until he was sorted like all the others. Eye scanning the crowd desperate to assess who would be the biggest threat to be sorted with.

  It turned out to not be so hard to figure out who that would be when he was put in his block and realized with some rising dread that he had been sorted with Wei who was still very much in this. The nobleman looking at him with a long cold stare, the promise of violence behind those eyes was palpable.

  “Now that you are sorted, we will have two blocks running at one time and it is time to understand that this life isn’t safe. All weapons are allowed, any tricks and techniques you have; use them. Kill if you must and die if you are too weak. When you step into this world, you must be willing to accept that you will put your life on the line many times and if you can’t handle that then you should run away right now.”

  Yin could feel his blood run cold in his veins now, as it was no longer about just passing. No, he would have to be able to survive as well. He should have made peace with that coming in, but still it was a cold hard reminder that this wasn’t a safe world.

  From the side of the pavilion weapon racks were brought out and Yin also noticed that the Nobles had their own weapons being handed over to them by their retainers. Now he was really regretting just focusing on hand-to-hand combat in this moment. He really didn’t want to die here.

  “Group one and two grab your weapons and go to each side of the pavilion.” Zǐ Xīn commanded and it happened quickly as the two groups rushed to do exactly what the man said. The Envoy of the Golden Crow Sect seemed to be the judge for one side and Zǐ Xīn would judge the other group. The other Sect Envoys though did seem to be also watching with interest except for the Wisdom Hall Envoy.

  Since he had gotten here, he had remembered both the drunk farmer and the caravan guard Gāng having mentioned Geniuses and prodigies. He wondered at first if they were talking about those who were selected for their aptitude with internal power. He realized it wasn’t that as he watched the first group fight.

  One in the first group stood out, a noble man who used the spear like Gāng, though that seemed to be where that similarity ended. Gāng was good, but Yin could even tell that whoever this man was, was on another level. His spear moved like another part of himself going around other combatants’ weapons, his spear catching them and sending them down. Never slowing down it felt like a rushing wave that couldn’t be touched by the likes of those who tried to take him down. With his long black hair fluttering behind him and sharp features he really looked like some spear hero.

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  It was hard to just admire the spearman as screams of pain and the sickly-sweet smell of blood filled the air along with the crunch and squelch of bones and flesh. By the time Zǐ Xīn called for an end to the first round Yin was sure a little more than half laid there dead or dying.

  The second group ended around the same time with similar results of numbers. The nobleman who stepped off was handed a slip from the Envoy of the Celestial Azure Dominion and moved to stand off to the side with the five chosen from earlier. Yin wasn’t the only one to notice that and he could feel a shift in the air as everyone realized doing good enough here could see you avoid being an outer disciple.

  When the third and fourth rounds started after bodies were quickly moved it seemed like the brutality picked up. Everyone was out to impress and that meant more risks taken and more opportunities for people to get injured or killed. This felt less like a trial and more like a baptism in blood for those who wished to join the major sects.

  Yet, it didn’t stop and the groups kept going up and up as more and more fought and died or fought and succeeded. Those who were injured but had passed were at least seeming to be getting treatment. Though no other applicant yet had received a pass into being an inner disciple.

  That changed with the twenty-ninth and thirtieth group. A woman with a sword and a commoner no less was a graceful blade through her group. Her sword style had to have been taught and where she learned it from, he didn’t know. Those near amber eyes of hers were not bothered by the path she cut through her group. Yin knew she was going to be selected, and she was by the Envoy of the Divine Azure Sword Sect and stood next to Jifeng.

  The other group that had been running had a man built like an ox in it, who even with a few blades in his back and one in his side seemed unbothered as his hands that doubled as bear paws cracked heads open easily. When he finished, the Envoy of The Golden Crow Sect handed him his slip, the bald-headed man looking more than pleased now.

  As those two fights got cleaned up, Yin felt a lump beginning to form in his throat and deep in the pit of his stomach. He was part of the next group to go up; it was about to be do or die and he had chosen to stay. There was no running away now. His eyes cut to Wei, whose icy stare looked right towards him.

  Fuck. He cursed inwardly and if he somehow survived this then he would make sure to never speak to Jifeng again. After she paid him of course.

  “Group thirty-one and thirty-two grab your weapons and head to the pavilion!” Came the command from Zǐ Xīn and Yin steeled himself and went over to the weapon rack. Looking for anything that he could use.

  Either he was in luck or they expected that someone would just use their hands. Some gloves that seemed to have plates over them with spikes coming out of the knuckles. He grabbed them and quickly put them on as he headed towards the ring hoping he could get used to the extra weight.

  Looking to Wei he saw the man pick up a single sided axe and quickly moved to put some distance between himself and the man as the group filtered onto the stage. Flexing his hands in the gloves he decided even if they could block a blade he would try not to as he figured it would probably just shatter his hand.

  Both groups made their way onto their respective Pavilion, Yin having put enough distance to be on one side of the group of a hundred with Wei on the other. Still, it didn’t make him feel that much safer. Everyone around him wanted to win and would kill him to get one of the coveted spots.

  It was a different feeling being here on stage than watching the carnage from below. Standing there with the sticky blood still staining the floor and a hundred other people wanting to kill you, it really put things in perspective. He had to be crazy to be doing this, he could die and yet a small sense of calm came with that perspective. Either he’d live or die and the only one who could tilt it one way or another was him.

  “Fight!”

  Came the command and all that calm and peace he felt melted away as there came screams of rage and determination as the brawl commenced immediately.