The remaining two were thrown away to the edge of the stage by Shen Tianyu . She raised her eyebrows at the referee who was staring at her in a daze . "Referee, wasn't the round supposed to end when only three contestants remained?" She asked in a clear voice .

The referee snapped out of his daze just long enough to sound the gon, announcing the end of the first round for Stage 2 . Gong!

The other two contestants had just gotten back up on the stage when the announcement ended . They could only grit their teeth . Attacks after the results were finalized weren't allowed or else they'd be kicked out of the compet.i.tion entirely for foul play . They glared at Shen Tianyu, who was yawning with a hand covering her mouth and her wooden sword in her other hand . The then looked at each other, and seeing the hostility towards the other person in each other's eyes, nodded . They needed to get rid of her, otherwise, their chances of standing out would diminish exponentially . Do,petting against each other can be worried about later . However, how should they go about it?

Shen Tianyu's eyes flashed with an undiscernable light as she looked at the other two semi finalists on her stage . She narrowed her eyes and her lips curved into a mocking smile behind her hand . She then regained her previous indifferent and slightly bored expression and walked off the stage . She handed the wooden sword back to the referee and walked towards the stands . She looked back at the stages from right in front of the stands and walked along it until she reached Stage 9, Rong Jian's stage . She had finished hers so fast and with such domineerance that the other stages had barely begun actually fighting . She stood there on the edge of the field and watched Rong Jian's stage with her arms folded in front of her .

"Hey beauty, who are you looking for?" A male voice sounded behind her .

She swiveled her eyes and saw a richly dressed young n.o.bleman with a servant anxiously standing behind him . She surmised that this n.o.bleman was most likely a waste . They seemed the same age yet he wasn't partic.i.p.ating in the compet.i.tion at all . His clothes were too grand for a fight and not a single hair was out of place . She knew she was the first to finish her stage because she didn't hear any gong sounds prior . Every other n.o.ble child would either be watching the compet.i.tion or partic.i.p.ating in the tournament, if not for the family, then for their own future prospects . Yet, this one came over here chasing after a beauty . He also wasn't particularly good-looking, though he could be considered fit .

Shen Tianyu returned her eyes to the stage, ignoring him . Rong Jian was trying to win as inconspicuously as possible . He was also copying her method of going around and taking people out . Unlike her stage, however, no one called him out . His movements were also akin to that of a trained soldier, completely unlike Shen Tianyu's dance-like martial arts . She smiled with a somewhat proud look on her eyes . She had already prepared herself for a certain level of discrimination when she first came to this world so such a thing would not bother her much anymore . Besides, she had been in a social ladder made up mostly of men in her past life so she could be said to have experience .

"Hey, beauty! I'm talking to you over there!" The aristocrats voice rang again . This time, though he called her beauty, irritation could clearly be heard .

Shen Tianyu signed and uncrossed her arms . 'There's always such a bother around . Useless yet spoiled brats . Really hateful . I wish parents wouldn't produce these kinds of societal defects . ' She thought as she walked away from that part of the stand . She stopped at another part where she could still see the stage .

Gong!

The gong for Stage 9 finally sounded . It was not even a quarter of an incense time after Stage 2, yet Stage 9 had already finished . Everyone was eyeing the semi finalists on the stage . However, one of them jumped off the stage as soon as the gong sounded . He thre the wooden sword at the referee and sped walked towards a side of the stage . As people followed the winner of Stage 9 with their eyes, they saw a simple yet indifferent and elegant beauty standing with her arms crossed and a slight smile on her lips . Just that smile alone made many hearts pound in the audience, unknowingly .

"Tian'er, I'm finished . " Rong Jian reported to her .

Shen Tianyu quirked an eyebrow and just this small movement made Rong Jina's heart pound . "I know . I saw, did you think I couldn't see? I finished earlier than you . "

Rong Jian just smiled at her . "I know . I just wanted to report . "

"You, ah . " Shen Tianyu held back her tongue and sighed . 'I should not disclose our strength here . '

She then turned around and looked back at him . "Let's go back then . "

"Are we allowed to?"

"They never announced a rule that we needed to stay after our round . They'll announce the contents of the semifinals when we next convene . "

Rong Jian nodded and followed her out of the makes.h.i.+ft stadium . They ignored the gazes of astonishment from the crowd . Usually, a contestant would stay until the end to make sure of who their opponents were and what strengths they were at . Yet these two are leaving just like that? They would be at a disadvantage! Some signed at the boldness and arrogance of youth, some merely smiled in amus.e.m.e.nt . But they all turned back to the stages as soon as the couple wasn't out of sight .

The Junzhu Wen Ya who was still battling on Stage 1 glared at the leaving couple hatefully . Everyone on her stage knew her ident.i.ty as she flaunted it on a daily basis . So, afraid of upsetting the emperor and killing heir chances of a good future, all the other contestants avoided her like a deadly plague, even more so than Shen Tianyu . In such a situation, the Junzhu became more and more frustrated . First, she couldn't display her talents . Second, she couldn't quickly end the round like the other two did , as every time she got close to someone they would increase the distance again .