The Martial Unity

"It is time for the second round to commence," The new Master announced once everybody had been rejuvenated. "I am Bishop Uma, and I am the organizer of the second round."

She snapped her fingers and a ring table appeared around her on the podium.

Rui noticed a bunch of paper slips on the table that she was the center of when he studied it.

"As you can see, there are about forty passes on this table," She explained mundanely. "Each pass guarantees a contestant a spot in the third round. The forty of you who manage to get your hands on a pass, one way or another, will pass through to the next round, the rest will all be eliminated."

The Martial Squires frowned when they heard such a strange contest, the passes were right there in front of them, were they not?

Didn't that mean the fastest of them would get the passes first? Was she trying to filter away the slowest Martial Squires out of the competition?

Many of the heavier power or defense-oriented Martial Squires looked upset at this possibility, the contest was supposed to judge who was the strongest, not who was the fastest.

The part about the objective of getting a pass or item to select the winner was not unheard of. It was not an uncommon way to have a more open-ended competition where contestants had much greater freedom and choice on how they wanted to complete the objective of the contest.

"I haven't finished," She sternly remarked. "I have no interest in wasting time overlooking this round, thus I have decided to resume my training even while the round is underway. The contest will begin once I have begun my training technique. Note that there is no strict need for there to be forty winners."

This was another thing that stumped them. Were the rounds supposed to filter away only eighty percent of the contestants?

"I have already corresponded with the organizer of the next round and have obtained an agreement for reducing the number of victors to any degree if need be," She informed them with a stern expression. "If none of you pass through, then that's that. The Martial Contest will end right here."

surprise from the various

the rounds however they wish to please with no checks or balances. That makes sense, I guess, considering they are below only the Cardinal Sages

and overcome the tribulations to obtain the passes, you will pass through, if not, you won't. Regardless, I shall engage in my training

thing to say. Why was she the organizer if

the need to explain any

her feet off the ground, sitting midair as her cane settled on

going to train in the middle of a contest round after organizing such a silly contest?') Rui

guarantee that he would reach the table before anybody

thinking about it

undo. Something was off, and he did intend to at least gain a greater understanding before making any choice in regards to how

that

She activated

Immediately, everybody rushed in.

of people

as was Squire Meera, and the grandma

he fixed his eyes on the Martial Master. ('…of the

WHOOOOOOOSH!!!

of the tornado blew away all of the Martial Squires who were caught off-guard by it, not having had their defenses propped

"Waaah!"