Apollo put the paper in his pocket and looked around the room. Some people openly announced their numbers, while others, like him, kept quiet and observed.
But someone shouted, catching his attention.
"I'm number seven! Who's number seven?" a man in the fiery red uniform of the Fire Shrine Cultivation School shouted. After calling out a few times, a frown appeared on his face. "Whoever my opponent is, you're a coward!"
Apollo, who had been observing the man, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Shaking his head, he decided to wait for their numbers to be called before teaching the man a lesson. He wasn't fond of being insulted, and if he could, he would indulge in his pettiness. With his identity hidden behind his mask and oversized outfit, he definitely wouldn't hold back.
After all the participants had taken their numbers, Master Popo cleared his throat. "Good luck to all the students!" And with that, he flew towards the joined platform in the distance. As he passed over the audience, they caught sight of the Instructor's hidden agenda as the wind caused his Hanfu to expose everything.
That section of the audience went quiet while the rest of the stadium burst with excitement.
Another person took the stage, apparently the host for the Battle Exam. Wearing a black butler-like suit, the Host smiled at the audience before his eyes glazed over the rooms. "Due to the number of participants, we've split the stage into five sections, allowing ten participants to compete at a time. But before we begin, let me remind you: killing another participant is strictly prohibited.
However, there may be cases where a student makes a mistake or fails to hold back their technique, resulting in a grave situation, like accidentally killing an opponent. In such cases, an investigation will be conducted, and it's up to the Officials to decide whether the student is disqualified. Now, let's begin the first rounds!"
Five men in white robes stepped onto the five stages, acting as referees.
The Martial Students in the rooms waited for their numbers to be called. Apollo watched with a curious expression.
"Room 1, 1." A voice echoed in the room, and before Apollo could locate its source, the voice continued.
"Oh? The test is in order?" Apollo muttered, raising an eyebrow. From what he knew, he was currently in Room 9. "It seems like it will take some time before our turn comes."
Still, he decided to watch the matches first. They were a few feet above the audience, and of course, there were people even higher, on the floating platforms in the distance.
Apollo stared at them for a moment before his eyes returned to the stages below. Ten students were already on them, two on each, staring at each other with fighting spirit radiating from them.
Although this wasn't the first time he had seen Cultivators fight among themselves, the excitement of wanting to see them in action still remained. Furthermore, there was a high chance he would be fighting them later, so it was better to observe their abilities beforehand.
The referees raised their hands and brought them down as soon as the students were ready. The fight officially began, and the Cultivators on stage unleashed their respective techniques.
Colorful abilities lit up the stage, and the sound of fists clashing echoed through the arena.
Apollo watched with wide eyes, not wanting to miss a second. He noticed that there were weapon racks filled with wooden swords, sabers, axes, spears, and even bows and arrows for the students to choose from. So, using real weapons is prohibited, he thought.
The Host and even the Instructor hadn't mentioned this rule, but considering it, ever since the first test, only a handful of students had brought their own swords, and their cultivation stages were only at the 1st or 2nd-Step Foundation Building stage. They probably didn't know about it either.
The rules of the fight were to make the opponent fall off the stage, knock them out, or force them to surrender. Killing was not allowed—unless… Considering what the Host had said earlier, if it was an accident, there was a chance that the student could remain in the exam and not get disqualified at all. This made Apollo look for his target, but Arke was nowhere to be found.
Shaking his head, he decided to just finish his mission and make it look like an accident. If he did it intentionally, he would definitely be imprisoned.
Around this time, a whistle sounded, indicating that one of the fights had ended. If there was a big disparity in strength, fights usually ended quickly. However, if two people of nearly equal strength fought, with the endurance and stamina of Cultivators, it could last for hours, even days. And their fights often ended destructively.
"Room 1, 6." Another voice announced as new participants stepped onto the free stage.
Apollo watched for a while before deciding to go back inside the room. He picked up a chair and table, then returned to the viewing platform, setting up his leisure spot. He also didn't forget to grab some fruits and beverages along the way.
"Ah, this is it," Apollo muttered, a smile on his face as he ate the fruit. Watching a fight made it even more relaxing.
The other students beside him couldn't help but turn to him in surprise. Why didn't we think of that? they wondered. But looking around, they knew better than to act so casually. They also wanted to maintain an image—un easygoing approach, where they could eat while others might stare from time to time. And look at that!
He even had his feet up on the railings!
It's so d*mn… relaxing!
Some couldn't help but be envious, though they remained true to their ideals.
As the fight went on, the excitement of the crowd reached a peak, echoing inside the mountain. One after another, Martial students took the stage, displaying their might. Some faced off against their rivals, while others dominated their opponents without even taking a step.