Chapter 50: Beginning
When the announcement ended, Xingluo joined the fifteen contestants assigned to the first eight matches and followed them out of the waiting room.
The passage gradually widened before opening into another section of the arena. Eight large rings had risen across the field, each separated by transparent barriers, while the spectator seats above were already crowded.
Many eliminated contestants had remained to watch. Although they could no longer compete for the rewards, observing the strongest participants fight under equal restrictions was still a valuable opportunity.
Xingluo walked onto the field with the others while Wuxia floated behind her, studying the rings and everyone around them.
A military officer hovered above the centre of the arena and waited until all sixteen contestants had entered.
"Participants, proceed to your assigned rings."
Eight holographic numbers appeared above the platforms, followed by the names of the two contestants assigned to each match.
The group immediately separated, XXingluo followed the number seven projection toward the far side of the arena, but as she approached, she noticed another contestant walking toward the same ring.
Lin Xiaotian was difficult to miss, he stood close to six feet eight, with a broad frame and thick muscles pressing against his sleeveless combat uniform.
Even with his level suppressed, every step carried enough weight to make him look more like a heavy warrior than a student.
Xingluo looked up at him and silently clicked her tongue.
Damn this might not be as easy as I thought.
Wuxia noticed her expression and laughed. "Did you believe this competition was arranged for you to casually display your strength?"
Xingluo ignored the mockery and continued examining Lin Xiaotian. "At least he looks slow."
"Do not be fooled by his body," Wuxia replied. "Lin Xiaotian is a combat mage."
Xingluo almost stopped walking, she looked at the massive young man again, wondering whether she had heard correctly.
Combat mages usually depended on speed, flexible movement, and rapid spellcasting at close range. She had never seen one built like a siege beast.
Her surprise was strong enough that she did not even think to ask how Wuxia knew about his fighting style.
Wuxia chuckled after seeing her expression. "You will understand soon enough."
Xingluo pouted but had already reached the equipment station beside the ring.
Several military personnel stood behind a long counter containing standardised competition weapons.
Since every contestant’s personal equipment had been restricted, they were required to use weapons supplied and approved by the organisers.
One of the attendants looked at Xingluo’s registration card. "Weapon preference?"
"A longsword."
The attendant selected a plain sword from the rack and handed it to her.
Xingluo drew the blade slightly and examined its edge. It was a sharpened Common-grade longsword without runes, skills, or attribute enhancements.
The weapon was balanced well enough, but compared to the equipment she had recently obtained, it felt almost painfully ordinary.
The attendant then turned toward Lin Xiaotian. "Your fighting style requires specialised equipment. The approved weapon has already been prepared."
Two soldiers brought forward a long case and placed it across the counter, when the locks opened, a strange polearm was revealed inside.
It had the length and thick shaft of a heavy halberd, but instead of a normal spearhead, a dark metal frame surrounded a small blue crystal floating near the top.
Several short blades extended from the sides beneath the crystal, allowing the weapon to stab, cut, or strike depending on how Lin Xiaotian held it.
He wrapped one hand around the shaft and lifted it from the case without difficulty.
The moment its base touched the ground, a spark of lightning travelled across the metal before gathering around the floating crystal.
Xingluo stared at the weapon before glancing at Wuxia. "That is supposed to be a mage’s weapon?"
"It is both a casting focus and a polearm," Wuxia replied. "He can release spells through the crystal while using the rest of it in close combat."
Her grip around the longsword tightened slightly, a combat mage with the body of a heavy warrior was already unusual.
Giving him a weapon designed for both spellcasting and direct combat made the match even harder to predict.
Lin Xiaotian noticed her examining the weapon but showed no arrogance. He simply rested it against his shoulder and walked toward the ring.
Xingluo followed him up the opposite staircase, when they stepped onto the platform, the transparent barrier around Ring Seven activated, separating them from the surrounding matches.
The noise from the audience weakened slightly, though the cheers could still be heard through it.
Lin Xiaotian walked toward the centre and stopped several metres away before placing one fist against his chest. "Lin Xiaotian"
His voice was calm and unexpectedly polite for someone with such an intimidating appearance.
Xingluo returned the greeting and lowered the tip of her sword toward the ground. "Luo Xingluo."
Lin Xiaotian nodded once. "You performed great during Commander Han’s test, I hope we can have a proper match."
Xingluo looked at the lightning moving faintly around his weapon and smiled. "I was about to say the same thing."
Neither of them spoke again as they moved toward their starting positions. Across the arena, the other fourteen contestants had also entered their rings.
Some exchanged brief greetings, while others immediately began taking their stances and examining their opponents.
The audience grew louder as the screens above displayed all eight matchups.
Several people pointed toward Ring Seven after recognising Lin Xiaotian. "The City Guards Captain’s son is fighting in the first set."
"Who is that girl against him?"
"The one from South River University, she was among the final four during the endurance test."
More attention gathered around their ring, while several soldiers in the audience leaned forward to observe Lin Xiaotian’s performance.
The officer floating above the arena looked across all eight platforms and confirmed that every contestant was prepared.
Xingluo raised her longsword and shifted one foot back, across from her, Lin Xiaotian held the polearm with both hands.
Lightning gathered around the floating crystal, but instead of remaining still like a normal mage, he lowered his large body into a stance meant for an immediate charge.
Seeing this, Xingluo’s eyes narrowed, Wuxia floated near the edge of the ring. "Now you understand why I warned you."
Before she could answer, the officer raised one hand. "All contestants ready."
The barriers around the eight rings brightened as the audience gradually fell silent.
The officer brought his hand down. "Begin!"
All sixteen contestants moved at once.
Lin Xiaotian struck the ground with the base of his weapon, and lightning exploded beneath his feet as his massive body shot toward Xingluo with speed that did not match his size.
Xingluo pushed forward at the same moment, her longsword cutting directly toward the approaching weapon as the first clash erupted across Ring Seven.
The longsword struck the side of Lin Xiaotian’s polearm, and the impact pushed Xingluo several steps across the ring.
Before she could recover, lightning surged through the floating crystal and covered Lin’s massive body.
He disappeared from her sight for an instant, then appeared directly in front of her with the lower blade sweeping toward her waist.
Xingluo leaned back as the edge passed over her clothes, then stepped inside the weapon’s range and cut toward his shoulder.
Lin shifted the shaft and blocked, but Xingluo changed direction halfway through, bringing the sword toward his exposed side.
The blade struck his reinforced forearm and left a shallow cut, yet his other hand had already released the polearm.
A lightning-covered fist crashed toward her face, Xingluo raised her sword horizontally, but the strike still threw her backward, her boots scraping across the ring before she regained balance.
The audience grew louder as Lin caught the falling polearm and spun it once around his body.
Lightning gathered around the crystal before spreading into several arcs along the ring.
Xingluo moved between them, lowering her body beneath one bolt before deflecting another with the flat of her blade.
Lin charged through his own lightning, using the flashes to hide his approach as the polearm descended from above.
Xingluo stepped aside at the last moment and the weapon struck the platform and cracked the stone beneath them, but Lin twisted the shaft immediately and drove the base toward her chest.
She caught it with one hand and used the force to turn around him, her sword cutting toward his neck from behind.
Lin ducked, then released a burst of mana from his body.
Lightning exploded outward and forced Xingluo away, but she landed steadily and rushed back before the light had completely faded.
Their weapons collided again, sword light and lightning crossed the centre of the ring as both attacked without giving the other time to breathe.
Lin’s strength forced Xingluo back with every clash, but her blade continued slipping through the changing angles of his polearm and leaving thin cuts across his arms and shoulders.
The calm expression on his face slowly disappeared as he stepped back for the first time and planted the weapon vertically beside him.
The floating crystal rose higher inside its frame, while dense blue lightning gathered around his body and formed the outline of a roaring beast behind him.
The pressure spreading across Ring Seven made the audience fall silent, Lin Xiaotian gripped the polearm with both hands and lowered his body.
"Miss Luo, you should prepare yourself."
Xingluo raised her sword as the wind pushed her hair behind her, her eyes fixed on the growing lightning, Across the ring, Lin vanished inside a deafening burst.