All the eyes turned around to face the man Dawn was gesturing at, who was equally surprised as the rest.
"Sister Dawn, are you not a Second Foundation Cultivator? Senior Eagle is a Third Foundation Cultivator!"
Dawn's tone was firm as she replied.
"Yes, I am sure. I am not too far from the Third Foundation of Cultivation myself. I would like to experience a fight against a genuine Third Foundation Cultivator."
Golden Eagle felt this declaration poke at his pride, but didn't show anything on the surface.
"Junior Dawn, are you sure you want to battle against a higher Foundation Cultivator?"
"Not only can I immerse myself in the world for an entire three days, but I have cultivated long enough to practice five Dao Arts."
"You should know of my offensive capabilities. In this spar, I will not be going easy on you."
Dawn was unwavering as she plainly replied.
"I am not afraid of getting injured, it will all be a good experience for me."
'Experience, huh...'
Golden Eagle thought about her words and felt another poke at his pride.
This sparring proposed by Dawn was introduced as a way for everyone to 'connect' with one another, merely to familiarise themselves with each other's skills and Dao Arts.
Golden Eagle praised the idea, but to think that she would target him first.
She was showing too much confidence, daring enough to spar against a senior Cultivator, a Third Foundation Cultivator, nonetheless.
He could not decline 'helping' a junior, nor could he refuse battling this junior either; otherwise, he would be risking his reputation, and he did not want to lose face.
Silver Extreme decided to step in; he, too, was pleased with the idea of sparring.
"Friends, before we start planning matches, let us not get too far ahead of ourselves. With our departure nigh, we must ensure that we are ready for combat at peak condition."
"I suggest we implement a number of rules to restrict injuries and promote the practice of skills and physical prospects over mystical prospects."
"There is no doubt that this expedition will be physically demanding, so refining one's body to be capable of meeting such demands is most beneficial."
The Cultivators around quietly agreed. It wasn't like they were planning to seriously injure one another, but having rules and regulations set up was consoling.
It meant that people would have to risk losing face if they stepped over the line.
Silver Extreme continued.
"The first rule implemented should prevent all Cultivators from using all their available Dao Arts, only permitting one physical Dao Art. If one of the sparring Cultivators does not have any physical Dao Art, then neither Cultivators are permitted to use any Dao Arts."
"A substitute for physical Dao Arts is the mundane applications of Qi. Simply reinforcing your body and amplifying your strength is still a valuable technique; a variable that could sustain your life in resisting the tides of beasts and Spirits."
"This allows us to promote fairness and restrict the possible risk of severe injuries. It also allows us to bridge the gap between our differing experiences and capabilities, and focus on refining physical aptitude."
The Cultivators present approved of these rules.
Golden Eagle also approved of these rules but felt a little stifled.
The Cultivators continued to discuss relevant rules for these sparring matches.
They established numerous rules, including the first aforementioned rule.
Killing and inflicting lethal harm were not allowed. Both parties must have a third party present to watch over their battle, capable of stepping in to prevent serious harm.
Ranged attacks are not permitted; Cultivators must focus solely on close-quarters combat and physical aptitude.
Another rule states that both parties must declare the Dao Art they are utilising, ensuring that neither party is trying to bypass the rules.
...
All the Cultivators gathered in a large, spacious courtyard outside the Army Hall, a dedicated sparring ground for the ordinary soldiers of Union Settlement.
Consequently, this means that Cultivators can not unleash too much power, lest they ruin the courtyard.
Standing on opposing sides, Golden Eagle and Dawn face each other for the first sparring match.
Every other Cultivator watched, eager to see a battle between a Third Foundation Cultivator and a Second Foundation Cultivator.
Golden Eagle was relatively popular amongst Union Settlement's Cultivator world, mostly due to his rank and strength.
Sun was one of the few who actually knew her. He cheered her on from the side.
Dawn was rather unknown. The majority of the Cultivators present only know of Dawn's origin, hailing from the fallen Star Gazing Settlement, but were unaware of her status.
Silver Extreme paid close attention to her, he was also the one overseeing this match.
"Golden Eagle, please, step forward and state your Dao Art."
With a stern look, Golden Eagle walked forward and announced in a strong, loud voice.
"My Dao Art, Tuft Feather Dance, is my core offensive Dao art. I hope Junior Dawn can experience and appraise its profundity!"
He raised a long sword that was provided in the Army Hall's storage. It had a curved blade. Its dark, shiny lustre shone under the starlight.
Silver Extreme gestured to Dawn, who walked up confidently and replied with equal vigour.
"Senior, my Dao Art, True Human Physique, is my core offensive method. Please, witness its absolute strength."
Dawn wielded a spear of flawless steel, similar to the weapons provided in the Spirit Spring's cabin.
She boldly aimed it towards Golden Eagle, who similarly raised his sword.
Silver Extreme glanced at them both before declaring.
"Commence!"
Immediately at the call, Golden Eagle lunged forward with a powerful step. Dawn closely followed after a breath's time.
Golden Eagle raised his blade before casting it down in a powerful strike. Dawn stomped the ground to step out of the way, dodging the sword before positioning herself to counterattack.
The blade was pulled back in a clean and elegant motion, transitioning into a defensive stance. He received Dawn's strike with a parry before retaliating with a devastating sweep.
Dawn channelled Qi into the shaft of the spear, reinforcing it to catch Golden Eagle's blade. She took a step forward and kicked.
Tightening his core and focusing his Qi, Golden Eagle took the brunt of Dawn's kick, using the momentum to leap backwards.
Golden Eagle breathed out turbid air as he steadied himself, gripping the handle of his sword tightly as the blade shone a dull gold.
A translucent image of a brown wing with golden tufts formed around the blade. The wing measured one and a half meters long, an extra fifty centimetres of length to the original blade.
He raised it high and charged forward. Dawn prepared to accept the attack and lowered her core.
Golden Eagle swung down, and the winged blade carved through the air. Its speed seemed to be enhanced, catching Dawn off guard.
She barely managed to defend against the attack when Golden Eagle transitioned into a diagonal cut.
She managed to barely hold off his rapid succession of attacks. Each arc he drew left ripples and scattered feathers.
This was the Tuft Feather Dance's application; the winged blades are supposed to shoot out tufts of feathers as projectiles. The winged blade itself is
Due to the rule against ranged attacks, Golden Eagle used this ability defensively by obstructing open areas with feathers; the remnant feathers act as a fleeting but effective shield.
As Dawn was pushed back, she diverted so focus to immersing in the world.
She felt the air being carved by the warm blade, as it shed feathers in the air.
She could feel the gentle weight of the feathers as they faded, the faint tremors in the ground with each step she took.
She could hear the resounding clashing of metal, deafening in her ears.
Dawn pushed out most of those noises and tuned in to the area five steps around her.
Effortlessly, she began to retaliate against Golden Eagle.
Sparks flew as they continued to clash.
She managed to improve her situation, but made no progress on stealing the upper hand.
Subtly, her blade began to glow, releasing a pale gold aura.
In one clean sweeping motion, she cut across a section of the scattered feather shield, rupturing the protective veil and shocking Golden Eagle.
Her blade was hot and defiant, sizzling the air as she drew a brilliant arc.
Immediately, she started to tilt the field in her favour.
Those scattered feathers no longer obstructed her, as if she were still cutting through the air.
Golden Eagle's winged blade could still match Dawn's spear, but he was instead pressured.
He thought to himself, worriedly.
'This Dao Art! Its might is too much, how did this girl get her hands on this Dao Art?'
'Its heat is startling, capable of turning my feather tufts into ash!'
'Her strength as a Second Foundation Cultivator is not too startling, but this Dao Art is truly profound!'
Golden Eagle analysed and praised Dawn's primary Dao Art--True Human Physique.
He was lamenting over the rule preventing ranged attacks, this situation was not to his benefit.
Dawn stomped on the ground and swung her blade upwards in a flawless arc, shredding Golden Eagle's barrier of scattered feathers and parrying his blade upward.
She stepped forward and kicked again.
However, the force behind her kick was significantly amplified. Even with Golden Eagle reinforcing himself with Qi, he was sent flying back twenty steps.
This incredible display of power astonished the crowd.