In the early morning hours before sunrise, the Sage's Valley was silent. The normal hustle and bustle that fills the sect grounds with noise hadn't started yet. After all, most people in the sect were still asleep. The only people awake this early were the catering staff, who were preparing meals for all the sect members as well as the guests who stayed the night. And a few people who liked to train early in the morning.
One such person was Lucas, one of the three rising stars in this new batch of disciples. Right now, he was meditating in his shared courtyard. His breathing was slow and steady, almost sleep like. The aura around him was rushing towards his body at a pace that would place his squarely as a gold level talent.
Today he chose to forsake his daily regimen in favor of getting himself in peak condition.
"Today's the day" said Lucas to himself as he woke up from meditation.
Checking his bodies condition, he smiled to himself.
"Perfect"
His body was in a good a condition as possible, and his mental state wasn't far behind. With this he was assured to preform to the best of his ability in the tournament.
"Tap, tap, tap"
Lucas looked up as he heard footsteps approaching. Seeing that it was Jesse he exclaimed dramatically.
"Oh, wow Jesse! You're up this early, did the sun rise from the west or something?" Joked Lucas.
"Well Today's a special day. I have to make sure my conditions good enough to show off my awesomeness to the elders and sect masters" Laughed Jesse.
"Are you sure about that? I haven't seen you training at all these two weeks, aren't you worried that someone will embarrass you instead?" Replied Lucas.
"You don't have to worry about that, my genius will prevail over any obstacle." Declared Jesse.
Hearing this declaration on the part of Jesse, left Lucas unsure of whether to laugh or cry.
"Well whatever you say Jesse, if you fail watch me say I told you so." Said Lucas as he returned to meditating.
Hearing this Jesse simply shrugged his shoulders before joining Lucas.
***
In the center of the Sage's Valley there was a massive complex that dwarfed everything in its surroundings. It resembled the roman Coliseum but was a few folds larger. Why was it so big? The answer was simple, it had to be. After all it was the valley's arena. All combat related activities were hosted here. From personal duels, to large form tournaments all types of combat were allowed to happen here.
The arena held a special place in the valley, it was even given a nickname by the disciples; The Highest Stage. It was said anyone able to distinguish themselves on the stage would become famous, not only within the Valley but throughout the entire continent. It was the dream of many a young disciple to compete on the stage.
And today they were finally given the chance.
***
The seats within the arena were full of people, which resulted in a bustling atmosphere. The crowd was made up of mid and high-level disciples of the Sage's Valley as well as the valley's deacons, service staff and finally, members of the foreign delegations. Basically, everyone not currently on the job was seated within the arena.
The atmosphere was electric, and the people's excitement was evident. This was the first major showcase for the new generation of disciples, and many were keen to seen what they had to offer.
While red robe disciples were the weakest disciples the people the valley had to offer. The battles between them tended to be most intense. At that level cultivators couldn't release aura past their skin, so all battles were close quarters hand to hand combat which placed them all on a level playing field. It was unusual for fights of this level to end in one move, but such an event was common place within the higher levels of cultivation.
Because of this many people liked to spectate the desperate intensity that came along with lower level battles.
***
Below the arena were many differing rooms, from medical bays to weapon storages and waiting rooms.
Below the arena were eight waiting rooms labeled A-H. Right now, within waiting room E, Lucas was sitting down trying hard to calm his nerves. At the start of the day he thought himself prepared, but as the event drew closer, he started to panic. However, when he entered the waiting room and saw that the others in his group were also panicking, he felt a bit better. In the end they all managed to calm their nerves with each other's help.
At that moment the room's door was opened through it walked Victor (the elder in charge of new disciples). The disciples all stopped what they were doing and greeted him politely.
"Greetings elder Vultus!" They said in unison.
"Ahem! It's good to see you all looking so... spirited" Said Victor.
"I know that you're all excited and eager to get on stage. However, before that I need to explain to you all the rules of this tournament." Started Victor.
"The tournament will be divided into five rounds. The first round is a battle royal, your opponents in that round will be all who are within this room." Victor paused to let the news sink in watching as the expression of those within the room turned from supportive to weary.
Victor could only sigh when seeing this, "The sect master has a terrible sense of humor" he said to himself.
"Ok, moving on the rules of the battle royal are simple; the last two remaining on top the stage are the winners of that round. After the first round is complete the tournament will transition to a one vs. one format. However, each match will have a special rule which will be explained at the start of the battle." Continued Victor.
"I don't know what you were expecting but the tournament this time won't be a simple test of power rather it will be a comprehensive test of your; strength, intellect, mental fortitude and adaptability. This is all in an effort to find the best potential candidates for the bodyguard positions." Finished Victor.
Hearing this set off a stir in the room, this tournament was going to be much more complicated than originally anticipated.