The next group was called as soon as the sand of the arena was raked smooth again, and the matches continued for two hours before the Lotus Blossom Sect was called to the ring.
[Lotus Blossom Sect versus the Shadowed Blade in Ring 3]
The announcement brought a round of sighs. The Shadowed Blade was very powerful, and a group of assassins as well. The flowing fighting style of the Lotus Blossom wasn't a good match for the sinister techniques of their opponent, but they had a look of great determination on their faces.
The Forbidden Treasure Sect had emerged victorious, so they still had hope that they wouldn't be crushed.
Those hopes were in vain. Roughly three seconds after the match started they were all pinned to the ground with a blade at their throats, and the Shadowed Blade was declared the winner.
"There is a chance we will face them in an upcoming round, what is your plan?" Cain asked his disciples.
"Bulwark should keep them off me past the initial strike, giving me time to counterattack after their sneak attack fails. So, Sacred Light to do area damage and keep them from hiding in shadows, then Smite and Blade Flurry?" Jen answered.
"I can dodge that. It's an inferior version of [Shadow Step] Luna declared with absolute certainty.
"Flame barrier, then explosion." Sabbat decided after a moment.
"[Hard Counter] prevents me from being pinned for three seconds, so I can avoid the trap, but after that, it will be a stand-up fight." Tena decided, unsure how the match would end.
Penny thought for much longer than the others before answering. "[Binding Roots] should keep them from vanishing, to begin with, and slow them, then transform to deal with their speed and keep the roots active so the others have an easier time."
Cain nodded happily. "Now you're starting to get it. You're not five individuals, you are a group of five. You all have skills that work to help the group as a whole, and the better you can integrate them, the easier it will be for you to fight together."
That had all the cultivators around him thinking deeply as if he had dropped some sort of divine wisdom, and Cain had to resist the urge to facepalm.
The Librarian had warned him that Cultivation Sects were every person for themselves, all competitive all the time, fights for resources, but to think that they hadn't even thought about coordinating for the tournament, and were instead picking one on one targets like this was some sort of duel, was painfully dense.
Cain was starting to understand why the Elders sent them into the wilderness to train. Though they likely did that the same way, only teaming up when there was a challenge too difficult for one member to take care of on their own.
He wasn't sure how well the Lotus Blossom worked together since they hadn't even had the chance to properly fight back before they were eliminated, but they seemed to be a bit more tight-knit than most of the groups around them, not as openly hostile.
[Smile at your face and stab you in the back is more like it. You don't know the fearsome nature of jealous women.] Oath Breaker informed him.
That was possible, but Cain hadn't seen it yet. He would have to watch and see if the Demon's estimation of human nature was right.
The fights continued for another two hours before the Announcer stepped back to the stage with a huge smile.
[That completes the first Elimination round of the Outer Disciple matches. Next up will be the second round of fights, continuing until midnight, or until they are finished. We have been moving right through the fights today, and we are ahead of schedule, but that could all change with a few tight matches in the second round.
Now, we will give everyone an hour to place their wagers for the second round. Casino staff will be coming around to you, and the matches will be up on the board momentarily.]
There was a large chalkboard at one end of the arena that had odds and matchups written on it, which Cain had ignored earlier because he wasn't wagering on anything, but now that his girls had made the second round, there might be a reason.
"I will bet on your behalf if you like. Participating Sect Elders aren't allowed, but we are eliminated already." Elder Ling offered.
"No need, but feel free to bet on your own behalf. I am sure the disciples would appreciate a consolation prize better than leftover rice cakes." Cain replied with a laugh.
"Hey, there are more Rice Cakes? Why are you being stingy, pass them over. I haven't eaten in hours." Luna complained, while clearly snacking on some sort of meat jerky.
"You are a tiny glutton, you know that, right? Here is another Rice cake to split with the others." Cain told her, passing over the cake.
"Score. Thank you, Boss. We will take good care of the cake." Luna replied politely.
The others shook their head at her antics, but all held out their hands for a slice of the chewy treat. It was actually well suited to the tournament. High in protein, with a reasonable amount of sugar and a rice base. A fairly well-rounded snack food.
"Wagers anyone?" The casino worker asked.
"What are the odds of me punching someone so hard they cry?"
The worker laughed at Luna's question and then shook his head. "Participants and their Elders can't wager. It's to keep them from throwing fights for money. But personally, I would say that the odds are pretty good that you could do it. You broke that other guy's tailbone with that pommel strike, and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a tear or two shed."
Once the time wound down, the announcer returned to the arena, which had been rearranged into two much larger rings.
[First up, we will have the Forbidden Treasure Sect against the Jade River Sect, and the Shadowed Blade Sect against the Blade Flame Sect, who surprised everyone with their first advancement in twenty years.
Come on down to the arena, competitors, and let's get this match started.] The announcer called.
"You're pretty good with your movement skill aren't you? I hope that we get to face each other before the tournament ends." One of the Shadowed Blade disciples told Luna.
The cultivators from the Shadowed Blade all covered their faces and used code names, but the voice was definitely female, and Luna smiled at the thought that at least one of the favorite sects to win wasn't all male fighters.
"Thank you. It comes naturally I suppose, but being stealthy is easier for us isn't it? You can smell most of the boys coming your way from across the stadium." Luna whispered back, then gave the Shadowed Blade assassin a wink and jogged off to her arena.
Jade River Sect specialized in water-type attacks, which were a pretty good counter to the Granite Golems that Luna had summoned in the last fight, and the Forbidden Treasures Sect began to suspect that the random matching system was not as random as it seemed, and the organizers were trying to eliminate them without risking another of their top-seeded Sects after they had pulled off the upset against the Crushing Mountain Sect.
"What is the plan this time? The water will bog down and nearly immobilize the Granite Golems." Penny whispered before they entered the arena.
"We could use water elementals, and square up with them again, but I think something different might be fun. You took all the skills of the Druid skill tree, right? The ones that give bonuses to animals?" Luna asked.
"Of course, why?" Penny asked.
"Summon your wolf pack, and I will summon Dragon Carp. They can move through both air and water and have a pretty nasty water attack. We will swarm them with mundane animals while we fight so that all the water in the world won't give them the advantage." Luna suggested.
"They are a hard counter to my flames though, so I might have a hard time." Sabbat sighed.
"That's fine. You have some healing skills as well, so keep your armor up, and stop them from defeating the wolves. That should be enough." Luna suggested.
The others would have to rely on their movement skills to get around after the Jade River inevitably waterlogged the sand. It was the most effective way to start the fight, and none of them could see any reason not to do it.
The Jade River Sect began to look nervous the moment that Forbidden Treasure Sect entered the arena, but they had a hint of determination to them, letting Luna know that they weren't going to just give up.
That was perfect. She needed the best fights that she could get. They got a lot of bonus experience from the last fight, thanks to the quest to make Cain proud of them, and a forfeit or a one-sided massacre wouldn't be nearly as beneficial.
