"The Second Round of eliminations are over and fifteen people remain. For the third round of eliminations, each of the fifteen competitors will once again draw a number. However, this time three people will have the same number. There will be five groups of three and each group will only have one person who will be able to enter the bronze qi circulation pool. The style of battle chosen is free for all and each ranking corresponds to a range of overall rankings within the 15 remaining competitors. If you rank 1st in your group, you will have a spot in the first five rankings overall. If you rank 2nd in your group, you will have a ranking from the sixth to tenth spot. If you rank 3rd in your group, you will have a ranking from the eleventh to fifteenth spot. The top ten ranks will be able to enter the Zhou sect library and pick out any technique on the first floor, while the top 5 ranks will be able to pick out any technique from the first or second floor." Zhou Feng meticulously explained every detail to ensure everyone understood the penultimate elimination round.
He continued "However! There is an exception. If you are at a boundary rank such as 6th or 11th after the securing match, you will be given the chance to challenge someone who is in the next boundary and if you win, you may challenge again. If you do not win, you do not. This is to ensure that if the top two cultivators enter the same group, the second one does not get pushed down to the 6th rank." Everyone nodded their heads and listened carefully. "Now please draw your numbers"
"2nd" Yu Qingsu called out
"Im in the 4th group" Zhou Xinqiu walked to the designated area for the fourth group.
"1st group" Yu Ling smiled at the other girls before heading to the designated location.
"Hahaha, Im in the first group as well" Liu Yan laughed and walked beside Yu Ling, while Yu Qingsu's face turned ashen.
"Don't worry sis, I won't try to take the first place" Yu Ling mouthed out to her sister.
"4th group" Hei Fengjue turned his head to face Zhou Xinqiu as he levitated to the place she was standing.
Huo Mingling and Lan Du were in the third group, Hua Li was in the fifth group and The mysterious katana man was also in the fourth group with Hei Fengjue and Zhou Xinqiu.
"The first and fourth battles should be the most exciting, with the fourth battle being the most interesting out of the five." The spectators who had already been eliminated were talking amongst themselves discussing the groups and who they thought would win.
"Zhou Ye, Zhou Xinqiu will have to go up against Hei Fengjue, there isn't much of a chance that she will get into the top 5 this year.." Zhou He worriedly told Zhou Ye.
"Brother, although you are correct in the sense that it will be hard for Xinqiu to win the group battle, there is still the challenges at the end right? Have faith in her, brother." Zhou Ye tried comforting Zhou He even though he himself was a little concerned.
"Maybe, but I also wonder.. Who is that mysterious katana wielding cultivator? Can you check which faction he is from, I don't think I've seen this person before."
"This person seems to be at the eighth level of body tempering, and seems to have been invited by the black jade faction." Zhou Ye opened a scroll and read out the information that he had about that cultivator. "He is said to be very proficient in the way of the katana and his teacher is someone not from the Yan empire...?"
"What?"
"From a neighboring empire, the Xie Empire, his teacher is known to be called as the 'Hellish Sword Master'" Zhou Ye continued on reading the scroll.
"WHAT!? These black jade bastards really have some screws loose" Zhou He stood up and got ready to confront Hei Xie.
"Brother! It doesn't say anywhere in the rules that one cannot invite someone from out of the sect to participate, it only says that they cannot enter the bronze qi circulation pool or get a technique from the Zhou Sect library. If you go now, there will be more reasons for the elders to revolt against us!" Zhou Ye grabbed his wrist and tried to explain to his brother.
Zhou He sat back down annoyed and flicked off Zhou Ye's hand from his wrist. "If that Katana boy does something over the top to hurt Qiu'er I will go kill him my self and that Hellish Sword master can come here himself and bring back his dead corpse. As for the other matter, Im afraid its inevitable. The Zhou sect will face a tribulation after the end of this ceremony and the time to prevent it has already gone passed us. All we can do is prepare ourselves and our allies. One more thing, after the ceremony ends, send the Young mistresses, Young Masters, of our allies and and Qiu'er to Yang Shan city. I have an acquaintance there who will take them to the royal capital to join the academies there. This way, those kids won't be implicated in these matters of us old men. "
"Yes brother, I will remember to do so, but may I ask, is there any way we can come out on top of this rebellion?" Zhou Ye stared into Zhou He's eyes in worry.
"The chances of this are very slim, but we will try our best to bring those ungrateful rebels down and make them submit to our feet." Zhou He tried to put out a smile to comfort Zhou Ye before they both sat down and looked at the battle stage hoping that the heavens might help them come out of this tribulation in one piece.
The Sky was a shade of light blue, and the sun brought down its rays of gold which illuminated the entire valley bringing a sense of peace into the Zhou sect, but in reality, this was just the calm before the storm.