Blood academy chief instructor Lingtian slowly walked towards the center and announced the details of this year end's combat training tournament. "Students will be divided into five groups within each academy and the five students with maximum wins from each academy will partic.i.p.ate in the final tournament. The twenty-five students partic.i.p.ating in the final tournament will receive hundred magic crystals each to aid in their energy core stabilisation. Each student will be sparring with the rest of the twenty-four students and will exchange pointers."

"Though this is a tournament, the main purpose is to exchange pointers and improve each other's combat training. The royal empire's healers are waiting outside the arena and will be able to heal all the wounds from the previous combat. Students are encouraged to display their full potential and obtain the maximum possible wins. The first five students from the final tournament will be receiving xenon bracelets and will personally be escorted for a live field training. Good luck to all the partic.i.p.ants and the tournament will commence now!"

After instructor Lingtian finished his announcement, there was a complete silence in the whole a.s.sembly. Jian Tan, "s.h.i.+ Meng! Did I hear this wrong or they are actually taking us out in the field with all sorts of monsters for live field training? This is insane. I am throwing my matches. I don't want to be eaten alive by those stupid crocodiles. We haven't even learnt the basic s.h.i.+eld spell! You better not rat me out." s.h.i.+ Meng just ignored him and went to mediate and focus his mind for the upcoming matches.

All the other students were also equally surprised. The winners of the previous year tournaments did not get this opportunity to attend field training with powerful combat experts. This would be greatly beneficial to build their experience and would definitely improve their fighting skills by leaps and bounds.

All the students were seated next to the big arena and the instructors and royal healers were a.s.sembled near the front. The tournament fights are usually held one by one, so that all the students could learn and benefit from it. And the whole tournament usually extends anywhere between five days and two weeks.

"Hey Max, do you think any of the Violet peak or Ashenville students will be in the final five this year? h.e.l.lo? Max?", Lingtian was trying to ask the main instructor of the Ashenville academy. Though he didn't teach the students until much later, he was the chief instructor of the Ashenville academy and would definitely know all the student reports. "Max would you just stop staring at Arisa and talk to me! You never change! What is the total number of rejections now?"

Max just laughed gently, "Please don't ask me about it. That Arisa is lately so brutal with the rejections too. But what to do. My heart belongs to that beauty!" and he continued whistling a tune and ogling at her. Lingtian was smiling, this rogue was a total cold-hearted guy at all times but when it comes to Arisa, he acts like a small child.

"In all seriousness Max, what do you think about the students this year? I don't want the fights to end up completely one-sided to the blood academy students. This is also why I spoke to the emperor and added the field training activity. They need to understand the difference in their levels and the dangers lurking outside."

"Ho ho! That is a very good idea indeed. Though I do think we might be in for a surprise this year. We have a very good egg from Ashenville. Well, let us see what happens." Max and Lingtian focused their attention back to the arena. The Violet peak academy students started their fights first. They were allowed to select weapons of their choice and proficiency, from the blood academy common training supplies.

The first few fights of the violet peak academy went uneventfully. Students who had been more rigorous with their training and had higher mastery of the weapon won easily. The most notable student was a girl, Claudia, who used single handed long sword. Her sword movements were extremely sharp and pristine. She also managed to skilfully dodge all the blows from her opponents and obtained all her victories without letting any attack land on her.

Jian Tan nudged s.h.i.+ Meng "Look at that girl. She has such killer moves. She will definitely be in the top of five of the violet peak students. I have decided. I am throwing my match against her. He he he. She will thank me later for it."

Reina sitting near these two was slightly annoyed and retorted, "What is so impressive about her? She has mastered sword skills a bit. But at the end she can still be defeated by any of us without even much effort. Jian Tan you should not joke around about throwing games. You do realize that high lord Lingtian is watching the matches! Don't cry later when your training schedule comes back completely insane." s.h.i.+ Meng added more insult to his injury "You seem to care a lot about girls for a seven-year-old. Such a weirdo!". Jian Tan sulked "I am just too wise for my age idiots". All the other blood academy students started laughing.

As expected, Claudia had won all her remaining matches for the day. After eight hours of sparring matches, the instructors closed the arena for the day and the students retired to their individual dormitories.