The crowd was finally settling after the excitement of the first round. The students who were left groaning on the field were unceremoniously removed. It was unlikely that anyone had life-threatening injuries, but a few of the losers were unconscious and others were bleeding into the dirt.

When the field was cleared, an older student hustled forward to paint the ground with red chalk, dividing it into four quadrants. The one-on-one duels would start immediately. It was already far into the night, closer to sunrise than sunset.

Xin was still clapping uproariously, pumping his fists in support. Shang just shrugged away the nasty looks thrown their way. Even though it was Xin being loud, the distaste seemed to land solely on him. Xin was the pride of the villagers, he could do no wrong in their eyes.

YiHua was watching them from the edge of the field with a poorly suppressed smile on her face. Finally, even Xin lost steam. He sat back down with a sheepish smile. “I remember last year when I was up there. You two screamed so hard you both lost your voices,” Xin said.

Shang smiled fondly at the memory. Xin’s exhibition trials were a joke. He was leagues above his classmates so it was almost comical seeing them compete. Unlike Shang who wilted like a dying flower after his ride on the Jade Rabbit, Xin and YiHua both thrived beyond even their own expectations. Xin was now training with the Fifth and Sixth years despite being only in his second year. Shang glanced across the field towards the seating reserved for the Headmaster’s family.

XiaoXi, the Headmaster’s oldest son was glaring at Xin with hate-filled eyes. They had been enemies since childhood, but the hatred between them had only grown and festered in the past year. With Xin training among the older students, Xiao was no longer the top student, and this he could not abide by. Xin did not seem aware of XiaoXi’s glare, instead, he chatted with Shang amiably about the upcoming bracket.

“HuaHua can beat Cui easily. He’s just physically big, but even at this stage, pure physical size doesn’t help much. The body when infused with qi is far stronger than even the strongest man. Right now, her cycling speed and retention is the best in her class,” Xin said excitedly. Shang nodded along. While he was interested in discussions on cultivation theory, he felt separated from it. He had yet to successfully cycle any qi since his accident, and each time he tried had been met with immense pain and sometimes, unconsciousness.

The Master Elder stepped into the grounds to give his encouragement to the finalists. He was the oldest man Shang had ever seen. Despite his frequent appearances at village events, Shang was still shocked to see his face each time. His wrinkles were so deep that his skin appeared to be melting off his bones. Despite his apparent age, he still walked with the vigor of a much younger man.

The Master Elder turned to address the crowd. “I stand here tonight to congratulate the stars of the new generation. These eight young cultivators have shown an aptitude for qi sensing that we should all admire. To be so young and have so much talent.” He shook his head in wonder. “It is truly an old Master’s dream to sit in awe of his students and know all that he has toiled for was not in vain. “But now is the real show. This is what these young souls have trained for all year and we, the villagers of FuJia, should feel honored to see them struggle for supremacy.”

Shang nodded his head in appreciation of the Master Elder’s flair for the dramatic. He sure knew how to work a crowd.

The first round would be fought simultaneously with one pair in each quadrant of the field. YiHua was paired up with the other large male student, Cui. He had suffered a strike to the face from the previous round and his nose bled heavily, accenting his already rugged looks. This time, the fighters’ ears were also covered with spiritual bindings, ensuring no sound could get through. The fighters prepared in their respective fields. After a few heartbeats, the Master Elder motioned for the match to start.

YiHua hung back this time, waiting for her opponent to strike first. Her hands were raised in preparation, one hand open, one hand closed into a fist. She did not have to wait long. The larger boy rushed towards her with frightening speed. YiHua waited until the last possible second before dodging to the right. Her open hand followed the charge of her attacker, gliding along his robes as he passed.

At just the right moment, she closed her open hand, grasping a fistful of his robes, and hauled herself toward his back with her legs poised for a kick. The boy dropped like a rock, and she landed gracefully on top of him. Xin and Shang shared a mutual look of admiration. The crowd went nuts. Her match lasted only seconds making her skill and technique undeniable. Some in the crowd were calling her the golden flower of FuJia.

Since she finished so early, YiHua walked up to join Shang and Xin in the stands. They all offered their congratulations, chatting excitedly about her fight. The crowd picked up the golden flower chant.

“Golden flower,” she scoffed. “What does that say about my fighting ability? I’ve never seen a flower bring down a charging hog.” Xin turned to Shang mouthing the words, she’s a bit sensitive about being called a flower.

“I think it’s fitting HuaHua. I’ve never thought fighting could be so beautiful before I saw you fight,” Shang offered appreciatively. Xin rolled his eyes so hard that his pupils almost disappeared altogether. YiHua let out a choking sound that may have been a thanks.

When YiHua left, face red. Xin whispered to Shang. “You’re asking for a world of trouble.”

Shang gave him a look of confusion. “What do you mean?”

Xin only shook his head in response.

The next match ended much the same way. YiHua and Fang both won their semi-final matches. Fang walked out of her match on trembling legs. Her short hair was matted with blood and she was breathing heavily. YiHua, on the other hand, didn’t have a visible scratch on her. Other than the dirt on her robes, she looked like she had just been out for a leisurely stroll.

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Fang and YiHua were two of only six girls in their year. Their achievements today spoke to their prodigious talent and work ethic. In Fang’s case, it also spoke of her unbridled privilege. The Headmaster of JaLong was the richest, if not the most powerful, man in the valley. Headmaster Fu trained his son, XiaoXi, and daughter equally, cutting no corners in their martial education. This meant procuring rare tonics and training scripts from distant cities along with hiring the masters in the village for private instruction.

While the winner would be awarded a spiritual elixir, to Fang and YiHua, the true prize was winning. The two had been fierce rivals since the beginning. Despite Fang’s advantages, YiHua out bested her at every turn. Her natural inclination for cultivation fueled a simmering dislike in Fang. Even from Shang’s vantage, he could see the stern expression on Fang’s face. Maybe he was imagining it, but he couldn't help feeling like the older girl looked dejected rather than determined or even angry.

Both contestants were allowed a short break before the finale. Shang joined YiHua but kept his eyes on Fang as she made her way to the other side of the circle. Her father and brother were waiting there for her. Shang could see that Headmaster Fu was in a heated argument with his son, Xiao. His usually impassive expression was dark and roiling with emotion. Shang took an involuntary step back at the look. The man was intimidating.

“Looks like Fang’s father’s not too happy,” Shang said, gesturing to the confrontation in front of him. Xin glanced in the direction briefly, looking sheepish.

“Yeah, I don’t think he’s mad at her,” Xin muttered. It seemed like he was trying his best not to look directly at the feuding family. Shang observed them more closely. The grimace on Xiao’s face spoke of more than emotional pain. That and the way he was leaning his weight on his left leg made it apparent that he was in a recent fight. A fight that he lost. It seemed unlikely that mere training would have caused such injuries. After all, they would be detrimental to his progress in the long run. Shang eyed Xin suspiciously.

“I’m guessing that’s where you won the gem from?” Shang whispered. Xin nodded in response.

“It looks like the Headmaster was saving it for Fang,” YiHua mused, wiping at her sweat with a towel. “Must have cost a fortune, even for them. I guess he must really want her to win.” It didn’t surprise Shang that the headmaster was so invested in Fang’s success. It was widely known that the Headmaster had been at the top of his class at the temple school. Xiao followed closely in his footsteps, always placing first in the yearly assessments, that is until Xin join.

Xin groaned in response. “Are they looking over here?”

Shang and YiHua both nodded in unison. “Oh yeah, definitely. Headmaster is staring right at us. Or more specifically, at you,” Shang provided helpfully. Xin’s whole body tensed in response.

YiHua returned to the field, and the next round started shortly after. Fang looked a bit better than she had moments prior. Even without the blood gem, her family had plenty of lesser healing elixirs. Fang’s small features were scrunched in concentration as the arbiter called the start of the match.

The pair circled each other blindfolded and deaf. Both fighters were cautious. They both recognized that this would be their hardest fight yet. The distance between the two gradually lessened as they circled. As soon as they were within striking range, Fang pushed off with her left foot, twisting her body in the air for a high kick. The kick landed on YiHua’s upraised arms, but the force of the blow sent her back a few paces.

Shang winced inwardly at the blow. YiHua and Fang were at the cusp of opening their second meridians. They were both able to hold and maintain qi in their body for extended periods of time. This basic technique greatly improved physical strength and spiritual senses. Shang did not doubt that if he had been on the receiving end of that blow, he would have lost immediately. His hands balled up into fists at the thought. Despite the gem’s effects, he couldn’t help feeling his own body’s feebleness in comparison.

The girls traded a few more blows, neither giving too much ground. Each blow was faster than the one before. Soon, they were moving so fast that their strikes blurred to Shang’s vision. He looked at the fight completely awestruck. Xin gave a whistle in appreciation. This fight was more spectacular than those of traditional First Years. During Xin's fight last year, there was no one of real challenge to him so every fight ended quickly.

The crowd held its collective breath as the girls leaped from one side of the field to the other. As YiHua approached the side closest to his seat, Shang could see her expression more clearly. YiHua’s face was covered in sweat and her brows were pressed together in frustration. Shang had rarely seen that expression on his normally laid-back friend. It soon became clear, to even his untrained eyes, that YiHua was losing.

YiHua was having trouble dodging the blows completely. The heel of Fang’s last kick clipped YiHua in the mouth, sending a small burst of blood from her lips. Sharp intakes of breaths washed through the crowd.

Fang took advantage of the injury to grab hold of YiHua’s robes. After finding purchase, she thrust her knee forward with all her strength. The sound of impact was sickening. Fang continued to repeat these strikes. Once. Twice. YiHua’s head was lowered so that her face was hidden. Shang feared that she had been knocked unconscious even though her body refused to fall. Shang got out of his seat, hoping to put a stop to this torture.

As Fang raised her knee for the third strike, YiHua’s head snapped up. There was no more pain in her expression. Even though her cheeks were spotted with her own blood, she seemed completely at peace. Her left hand lifted purposefully. Fang continued her assault. Before her knee could make contact with YiHua’s stomach, Fang flew back. Her feet were knocked from under her, but her momentum did not cease. She flew past the border of the field before finally hitting the side of the seating platforms. She crumpled under the impact, unconscious even before she hit the ground.

There was silence for a moment. YiHua had not even touched Fang. Shang was sure of it. He replayed the last moments of the fight in his head. YiHua’s hands were inches away from Fang’s face. There was no strike, yet Fang flew back thirty paces. The crowd soon erupted in cheers. Xin was the loudest of them all. His large frame was jumping up and down, jostling the platform they were seated on.

“What was that?!” Shang screamed. He thought he knew, but that shouldn’t have been possible at YiHua’s level of cultivation. His voice was barely audible above the roar of the crowd. Xin was grinning wildly, his usual reserve forgotten.

“That, little brother, is what you call a prodigy,” Xin screamed. Shang looked back at YiHua. She seemed as lost as he was. Her jaws were slack as she stared dumbly down at her hands in wonder.

Master Elder quickly descended from his perch. His steps were graceful and quick despite his appearance. With a flourish, his wrinkled hand grasped YiHua’s slightly trembling wrist and thrust her arm in the air. An even louder wave of cheers erupted from the crowd. Shang joined in, lost in the joy and triumph of his friend.