As Chen Wentian, Lin Qingcheng, Zhou Ziyun, and the other disciples were flying toward the Temple of the Clouds abord the Skyward General, the preliminaries of the end-of-year examinations at the Virtuous Order wrapped up. Now, it was time for the next stage of the competition to determine the champion of each classic.
Long Yifei was a student of song and dance. Therefore, this was the only classic that mattered to her. Even if she could not become the champion, she wanted to be among the top at least.
The method to determine the champion of song and dance was a simple one. They would hold a one versus one duel involving singing and dancing. When there was only one singer and one dancer left, the two would have a final duel to determine the champion.
The Virtuous Order raised cultivators but they valued womanly virtues above all else. Thus, these duels were not about raw power, fighting ability, or defeating the opponent through strength. Instead, they were about showcasing which side had better singing or dancing ability. Thus, they would be scored by a trio of abbotesses.
"How do you feel? Nervous?" Chen Wentian asked.
Long Yifei stood beside him, wearing a white battle dress. Although it was a duel of singing and dancing, there would still be times when the dueling sacred daughters would trade blows. One of the best ways to win such a duel was to interfere with the opponent's singing and dancing while still maintaining their own performance.
She shook her head, "Not nervous. Just worried about what kind of tricks they will pull this time."
"Mmm. We'll just have to face them one at a time. Don't worry."
She looked at him and nodded.
The two strolled to the middle of campus which had been transformed for the dueling tournament. Small circular areas now dotted the wide lawn. Each one was about twenty meters meters wide. Each one held a table and three chairs for the judges. Spectators could stand outside of the ring and observe whichever duel they chose. There were four rings so four duels could be held simultaneously.
Long Yifei saw a signboard with the schedule and went over to take a look. Chen Wentian followed.
After the preliminaries, there were now over a hundred students competing in singing and a little less than one hundred and fifty competing in dancing. These one-on-one tournaments were somewhat awkward in the first round. For singing, the number was less than one hundred and twenty-eight so a few lucky ones would get to go directly to the second round without competing. For dancing, the number was slightly over one hundred and twenty-eight so a few unlucky ones would have to fight an extra round compared to the others.
Once the first round was over, the singing competition would take six more rounds while the dancing competition would take seven more rounds. Since Long Yifei was participating in both, she could potentially have to fight thirteen rounds today.
"Ah, looks like I was unlucky." Long Yifei said, pointing to the top of the sign board.
Her name showed up as one of the unlucky ones who had to fight an extra round of dancing.
"Unlucky." Chen Wentian agreed.
It was not a good omen for things to come but he also wasn't a superstitious person. He could only offer her a few more words of encouragement.
Soon, it was her turn and Long Yifei entered the first arena and faced a sacred daughter named Zhang Nuo. Long Yifei wasn't familiar with her opponent. At least, Zhang Nuo wasn't considered among the best dancers of the year, a person who simply blended into the crowd.
Long Yifei gave her opponent a perfunctory bow and moved into a dancing stance.
Zhang Nuo bowed as well.
A crystal bell rang and the duel began.
Zhang Nuo began first. Her slender figure spun round and round as her hands formed elegant patterns above her head. A cool breeze formed around her body as her speed increased, creating a refreshing aura that quickly spread across the dueling area.
Long Yifei recognized this dance. It was called Spring Breeze and was a useful dance for clearing one's thoughts and creating a calm and rested state of mind. It was excellent dance albeit a little simple. It was a dance that all the students knew about.
Long Yifei made a decision and also started to move. Soon, she started to spin and move her arms in the same way as Zhang Nuo. This was also a rendition of Spring Breeze.
Soon, the two sacred daughters were dancing to the same tune. Their movements were the same. They were in perfect synchrony. The only difference, the refreshing breeze around Long Yifei was much stronger. They were on completely different levels. The aura that her dance gave off was clearly better. Even someone who had never cultivated a day in their life could tell the difference.
Zhang Nuo shot Long Yifei a dirty look and changed her movements abruptly. Instead of the smooth, elegant Spring Breeze, she now moved with force and purpose. Her legs swept out in the form of kicks while her hands formed palm strikes and punches.
This was a physical dance based on martial arts. Known as the Thirty-three Movements, its purpose was to strengthen one's body and train their power. It was another dance that was taught to all of the students and could be considered a foundational dance of the Virtuous Order.
Long Yifei quickly reacted. Her dance swiftly and smoothly transitioned to that of the Thirty-three Movements. Her legs kicked out, making her battledress flutter in the air. Her palm strikes and punches struck forcefully against an invisible foe.
Comparing the two sacred daughters, one was an expert, a cultivator with a lifetime of practice. The other was like a greenhorn, who had barely learned to dance for a year or less. Many in the audience sighed in admiration. Others muttered amongst themselves. They had all seen Long Yifei's performance during the group dance on the first day. Although the group dance ended strangely, they could not deny her talent.
The bell rang and it was over. The judges and everyone had seen enough.
"Winner, Long Yifei!"
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