The Duel Begins
The first few rows of the audience were packed, with some there to observe and learn, while others were cheering for their friends and family.
As Yuanjiu had expected, the so-called test was a duel between a swordsman level opponent and the applicant who are seeking to skip levels.
If the applicant won, they could advance.
When it was time to draw lots, the crowd was stunned to see a six-year-old child participating.
Many of them doubted whether he was drawing lots on behalf of someone else.
Yuanjiu's delicate and porcelain-like appearance made her look fragile, as if she might shatter upon contact, evoking a sense of pity in others.
Yuanjiu, who never cared about others' opinions, naturally paid no attention to their stares.
She drew number 23, meaning her turn would come much later.
According to Ouyang Yuanyi, there were 56 applicants vying for advancement this time, so the academy had arranged 56 Swordmaster to meet their challenges.
These challengers were seated in the audience rows behind the podium.
Yuanjiu had yet to see who his opponent, number 23, would be.
Ouyang Yuanwu shuddered as he glanced at the challengers.
"Yuansi, I hope Ninth Royal Sister's number 23 isn't that person."
Ouyang Yuansi followed his gaze and coughed awkwardly. "Probably not."
Curious, Yuanjiu followed their line of sight and spotted the tallest and most robust people among the challengers.
Ouyang Yuansan who happened to know the person noticed Yuanjiu's interest then introduced him. "That's Ji Shenshu, from my class. He's only 11 years old, but he's already 1.9 meters tall. Let's hope you don't end up facing him."
She couldn't shake off a bad premonition.
Yuanjiu was startled by her introduction.
Is this the so-called Gigantism? she wondered.
How could someone be this tall and muscular at just 11?
In truth, she didn't mind who her opponent was and even preferred them to be as strong as possible.
So, she simply sat by the side with xiaoding and occasionally chatting with her magical pet.
It was xiaoding's mention of an ominous aura in the area that caught her attention.
Yuanjiu trusted xiaoding's nose—there was no match for the keen sense of smell possessed by canine species.
"Ziaoding, can you determine the direction?" Yuanjiu asked through her mind link with her beast companion.
Xiaoding shook her head. "I can't tell. It seems like this aura has been here for a long time."
Yuanjiu had no choice but to set the matter aside for now, resolving to investigate further when the opportunity arose.
"Hyeonmu Seohwa versus No. 16 Xu Mi!"
Hearing a familiar name called from the College of Magic's side, Yuanjiu turned her attention to their arena with interest.
Sure enough, it was Hyeonmu Seohwa, the girl she had met previously, who stepped onto the stage.
Hyeonmu Seohwa's magic attribute was Earth-type, which is known for its exceptional offensive and defensive capabilities.
The more Yuanjiu watched, the more intrigued she became.
Hyeonmu Seohwa appeared to be about ten years old, yet her control over magical elements was impressive.
Her moves were sharp and efficient, and in less than two rounds, she threw her opponent off the stage.
To Yuanjiu, Hyeonmu Seohwa's magical power seemed to have already reached the Mage level.
As expected, the referee announced, "Hyeonmu Seohwa wins and passed the test to enter the Mage Class!"
…
The matches continued one after another until Yuanjiu's turn finally came.
The referee called out, "Next match: Long Xiaojiu Vs Ji Shenshu!"
Sometimes, fate seemed to deliver exactly what one hoped to avoid.
Ouyang Yuanwu fainted directly onto Ouyang Yuansi's shoulder.
Ouyang Yuanyi sighed and rubbed his forehead helplessly.
Ouyang Yuansan looked worried, while Ouyang Yuanba's expression was complicated, oscillating between schadenfreude and concern.
Ouyang Yuanwu appeared indifferent, as though she didn't care about the outcome.
Yuanjiu placed Xiaoding on her seat, her expression calm as she walked up to the stage.
Only when she stood before Ji Shenshu did she truly comprehend his immense height—she had to strain her neck just to meet his eyes.
The stark contrast between the tall and burly Ji Shenshu and the petite and delicate Yuanjiu caused an uproar among the crowd.
Some spectators laughed openly, unable to contain themselves.
Even those who are watching from the College of Magic's side burst into loud laughter upon witnessing the absurdly mismatched pairing.
In one corner of the stadium, a tall figure stood quietly, their sharp eyes fixed on the center stage.
A hint of worry flickered across their strikingly handsome face.
"Little Sister, I think you should just give up," Ji Shenshu said, glancing down at the small child before him, looking genuinely troubled.
He couldn't bring himself to strike such a young opponent.
Yuanjiu blinked her eyes.
It was tiring to keep looking up at him.
She took a few steps back to ease the strain.
"Long Xiaojiu, six years old. Please guide me," she said politely.
Ji Shenshu scratched his head awkwardly. "Ji Shenshu, eleven years old. I'll do my best."
The two of them tacitly took a few steps back to their starting positions.
"Let's begin," Yuanjiu said.
Ji Shenshu held his longsword uneasily, struggling to make the first move.
At this rate, they might as well not fight at all.
Without another word, Yuanjiu waved her hand, summoning her personal sword from her spatial ring.
The sword, of course, was a gift from Ouyang Qingcheng.
It had a distinctive sound when clashing with other weapons, so Yuanjiu had named it the Wind Listener Sword.
She rarely used it and reserving it for sparring matches with Ouyang Qingtian.
This was its first appearance in such a formal setting against an other opponent.
Yuanjiu launched the first attack.
Due to her height disadvantage, Ji Shenshu's massive frame allowed him to easily dominate the range of Yuanjiu's strikes.
The audience murmured among themselves, with almost everyone betting against Yuanjiu in what seemed to be an overwhelmingly one-sided match.
Most of them were simply waiting for the next fight.