Match after match went on, and the top students quickly stood out.
Iona took first place with three consecutive wins in the shortest time, followed by Baron, who had had great luck with his draw and faced no formidable opponents. Though Mick also won three bouts, his first match against Lei had been grueling and sapped much of his physical stamina.
Although Suolin suffered one defeat, his two victories were enough to squeeze into the second round.
"The champion should emerge from among those four." Viscount Xuefeng stroked his short mustache and had a maid serve cool tea.
Close to mountains, forests, and grasslands, the people of southern Raygas Principality preferred chilled tea to piping-hot brews.
"Setting aside Iona, whose victory seems beyond doubt, who do you think will take second place, Scholar Haide?"
"I never guess in advance," Scholar Haide replied with a smile, shaking his head.
"Still, I favor Mick and Suolin."
"Haha, quite true. The two of them work rather harder than Baron." Viscount Xuefeng nodded in agreement.
"However, that nephew of mine, Baron, came prepared with an extra trump card today." He seemed to know something.
As the two conversed, the new round of bouts began. After the eliminations of the first round, five students in total had advanced to the second: Iona, Baron, Tuosi, Mick, and Suolin.
In the rest area, Xilutaiya helped Kemiya sit beside Kailun, letting the two lean back against their chairs to watch the remaining matches.
"If that guy Suolin hadn't been so difficult to deal with, I'd have made it to the second round too," Kemiya grumbled, unwilling to accept the result.
"All right, just rest quietly for now," Xilutaiya said soothingly, patting Kemiya's head.
Powerful as the Eye of Phantasmal Incantation was, with Kemiya's current strength, being able to use it twice in a day was already good. Moreover, Suolin was no unprepared ordinary person; his guard had been raised high throughout their match. Defeating him had drained Kemiya immensely, leaving her with no strength left to cast the Eye of Phantasmal Incantation against subsequent opponents.
"And Kailun, are you feeling any better?" Xilutaiya brought over fresh water to feed the classmate who could barely move.
"A bit better." Kailun's face had been pale earlier, but her color had recovered considerably.
The three sat on the bench, watching the duel on the platform.
Baron was currently defending the ring, challenged by Mick, and the two fought in an evenly matched deadlock.
After several exchanges, Baron began to flag. His Breathing Method was only at the first tier, whereas Mick relied on a second-order Breathing Method, giving him a noticeable advantage in endurance.
Panting, Baron gripped his sword with both hands, eyes glued to Mick as he circled slowly across the platform to avoid a direct clash.
'How did this fellow get so strong?' he thought to himself, casting a glance at Suolin below the stage, and then at that blonde figure.
He couldn't wait any longer; dragging this out might cost him his chance entirely. Baron rolled his wrist, lifted one hand from the hilt, and touched his collar.
That was...
In the rest area, Xilutaiya saw an invisible light ripple outward from Baron's chest—the very same ripple and feeling she had witnessed back in Linden Village.
Sure enough, the moment the ripple touched him, Mick—who was seizing the opening to surge forward—paled drastically. His rapidly circulating Breathing Method was instantly suppressed, feeling as though an invisible hammer had struck his chest and clamped down on his blood vessels.
His movements hitched. Baron did not hesitate; seizing this rare opening, he knocked Mick's weapon away with one strike, then slashed back down onto Mick's shoulder, cutting into the inner lining of the leather armor. Wracked with pain and thrown off balance, Mick stumbled backward and crashed to the ground. As he scrambled to shift away from the follow-up, Baron gave him no time, pinning his shoulder with a heavy boot and pressing the blade against Mick's neck.
"Yield," Baron panted, his voice laced with smug satisfaction.
"Bah." Mick spat and turned his face aside.
"Baron wins!" the referee soon declared, and bursts of applause echoed from the spectator stands.
The vast majority of the audience noticed nothing unusual about Baron's tactics; only a rare few caught the trick.
"Tedious," Iona muttered, turning her face away in disgust.
With Mick defeated, only three stood between Baron and first place. Tuosi, also a noble, was on good terms with Baron and knew he was a cut below him in skill, so he was in no hurry to step up. Iona remained seated below as well, disdainful of fighting Baron.
"So, is it my turn?" Suolin picked up his sword and strode slowly toward the raised platform.
The two had brawled from the very first day of school, becoming bitter rivals—one leading the noble students, the other leading the commoners. Throughout their time studying under Scholar Haide, they had competed both openly and covertly, measuring themselves against each other.
In secret history classes, Baron's stronger foundation put him far ahead of Suolin. Suolin, having trained with his father from childhood, held an edge in physical conditioning and combat skills. Overall, however, the gap between them was narrow, and Scholar Haide was glad to see such healthy rivalry, choosing not to intervene.
As noon approached, the sunlight grew somewhat harsh. Suolin adjusted his breathing, focusing his mind on the upcoming match.
Having been overwhelmed into unconsciousness by Kemiya's Eye of Phantasmal Incantation earlier had left lingering effects, leaving his head slightly dizzy.
Though he was not in top form, Baron's earlier use of his trump card had alerted Suolin, ensuring he would not be caught unprepared. In that sense, they were even.
"Baron versus Suolin—begin!" the referee shouted.
Neither attacked right away. Instead, they circled the platform cautiously, probing each other and occasionally throwing out feints that provoked useless reactions.
Baron wanted to make an impression before Iona, which required defeating Suolin, so he remained exceptionally cautious. Suolin, meanwhile, hoped to secure a high placement to win Viscount Xuefeng's favor and make a name for himself in Burnt Stone City; his humble origins put him at a disadvantage compared to these noble scions, and failing to seize this rare opportunity might leave him buried in obscurity forever.
After several probes, both their patience and concentration were wearing thin. During another of Suolin's feints, Baron failed to react quickly. At that moment, Suolin shifted his footing, turning the feint into a true blitz. Almost mid-dash, he unleashed his Strength Burst ability, propelling him forward with blinding speed. Baron had no time to trigger his trump card before Suolin closed the distance.
The swift blade carved a wide arc, gathering momentum and power before crashing down in a sweeping cleave. The fierce impact knocked aside Baron's parrying sword and slammed directly into his arm.
With a faint crack, Baron's arm fractured and was forced back into his face. His body buckled involuntarily to his knees, snapping the wooden boards beneath him.
After that single strike, Suolin was nearly spent, while Baron clutched his arm and knee on the stage, groaning in agony with a contorted face.
At this sight, several watching noblewomen let out low gasps, and the referee called the match.
"Suolin wins!"
The subsequent bouts concluded swiftly.
Though he had defeated Baron, Suolin was in even worse shape. Aching all over and unable to channel his Breathing Method, he became an easy target for Tuosi, who capitalized on his exhaustion and defeated him with ease.
Finally, Tuosi faced Iona. He, too, harbored an affection for this blonde noble lady, but with Baron previously ranked above him, Tuosi had felt outmatched and kept his feelings hidden.
Now, Baron had suffered a humiliating defeat, not to mention the lengthy recovery ahead. As the noble student second only to Baron in their class, Tuosi immediately sensed an opportunity. Clenching a fresh red thorn rose between his teeth, he stepped onto the platform.
Facing Iona's blade, he made no move to defend himself, instead presenting the rose to confess his admiration.
Such a romantic gesture drew applause from the noblewomen and ladies in the stands. Unfortunately, Iona was not the least bit moved; she simply turned on her heel and walked off the duel platform.
The final results were Iona in first place, Tuosi in second, and Suolin in third.
Though defeated, Suolin had fought honorably. Many in the audience recognized his strength and potential, and several wealthy young ladies even found their hearts secretly swayed.
Chapter 30