Yang Qing couldn't help but smile when he saw this while Instructor Pan remained indifferent to the whole thing as he went on to explain the rules of the duel.
"The fight will be a simple format with not that many rules in it. First and foremost the fight will be a one-on-one, and it is a life and death duel..."
Instructor Pan ignored the startled looks of the students as he went on with his explanation.
"The inmates will be fighting with their lives on the line. As per the rules, we have asked them to throw everything they have at you. They will be fighting to kill you, because if they don't, if I detect them holding back even a little, I will execute them on the spot.
As for you, I would advise you to fight with all you have, if you want to live.." said Instructor Pan as his gaze narrowed on the students who all flinched.
"While I will not execute you, poor results will breed grave consequences which will be no different than experiencing death. Don't hold back for your sake.
In the fight the inmates' death and survival hinge on your choice, as long as the inmates go all out, I will not interfere in whether you allow them to live or kill them in the fight.
I will only intervene when you're about to die and lucky for us we have someone in our midst a former student, who is now a palace court judge whose skills in healing stand out even among the greats of our Medical Valley despite it not being his primary focus.
With him here as long as you have a single breath in you, he can instantly restore you. Judge Yang Qing, could I leave this matter to you?"
The students all looked up in surprise at the revelation that Yang Qing was a judge. From his clothing, they had all assumed he was a farmer in the herb gardens of the Order, but hearing he was a palace court judge and one skilled at healing, changed the way they saw him.
"Since Instructor Pan has asked, I will happily oblige, and do my best.." said Yang Qing with a polite smile.
"Good with him here, you can forget dying, so don't worry about killing them, and if by some unlucky event one dies, you will not be sentenced for it, and we will just count it as our loss and negligence.
Hold nothing back, eliminate all qualms, and fight to kill, though based on the reputations you have, I doubt any of you have any misgivings about it.." said Instructor Pan as he addressed the inmates.
"Since you put it so nicely, I would be considered a reprobate if I didn't commit myself.."
"I can't wait to repay back all the torture I endured.."
"Instructor don't go welching on the promise, I need to soak my back in the twilight yin pond like you promised. These aching joints need them.."
"How long has it been since I have seen blood that wasn't my own? Don't worry young ones, this kind senior will ensure you will have pleasant memories of me, kekekekekek.."
The inmates all clamored as they let out their natures. Only a few remained silent.
The students all had strange looks on their faces as they looked at Instructor Pan. They all seemed to be asking,
"Why does it seem you're on their side more than ours.."
Instructor Pan noticing their gazes offered a smile as he said,
"You get rewards too. For every victory you will receive 100 merit points, by now you should be keenly aware of how valuable they are.."
Greedy gazes instantly appeared in all the students.
"In addition, your performance here will influence your grade reviews. Now as to the last rule well it concerns victory and defeat.
When it comes to the inmates, it will be considered their victory if they knock you unconscious or if I am forced to intervene when you're close to death as for them is if they die, or end up unconscious in the fight.
To all who survive, they will be healed the instance the fight ends, and there will be no time limit on the fight.
I will give you all a minute to prepare yourselves before I announce the first contestants.." said Instructor Pan.
A few of the students and the inmates sat down in meditation while others talked, and others threw each other combative glances.
During that short break, Instructor Pan gave Yang Qing a jade containing the names of the students and the criminals and their accompanying crimes.
A minute quickly flew by and the first contestants were called to the center of the arena.
"First to fight is Ren Jie from the Insitute and your opponent is Zou Hong.."
When Instructor Pan made the announcement two people walked in from the opposite sides of the arena.
From the student's side came out a heroic-looking youth with silver hair and black eyes. He had a long sword in his hand and a cultivation base that was at the second stage of the foundation establishment realm.
"Instructor Pan is insidious as ever.." muttered Yang Qing when he realized why Ren Jie was the first to be called up.
His opponent on the other side was a thin, pale-skinned man who looked to be in his early thirties. He was nothing but skin and bones, and his robes hung loosely on his body exposing his ribbed chest that had thousands of blade scars.
He walked languidly to the center of the arena looking like he could collapse and fall over any minute. He had black hair and his head was hung low as he let out crazy chuckles. He held two hook swords in his hands.
From the jade handed to him, the inmate by the name of Zou Hong was infamous for his brutal nature. He had once slaughtered all the workers and customers within a restaurant because the restaurant served him meat that wasn't bloody enough.
He killed the one who served him, then moved to the chef, which incited rage from the customers who intervened, however, all of them were slaughtered, brutally at that. Their bodies were thinly sliced like ingredients in the attack, leaving the restaurant covered in pools of blood.
Thinly sliced corpses became his trademark in his road of infamy. By the time he fell on the Order's radar, he had slaughtered thousands.
He had the lowest cultivation base of the bunch of inmates, with the sixth level of the foundation establishment realm cultivation base.
When he reached the center of the platform he raised his head with a manic snicker escaping his lips as he eyed the silver-haired youth like a prey readied for slaughter.
"It's been some time since I have prepared ingredients kekeke... I hope I haven't gotten rusty.." Zou Hong said as he licked his hook swords.
All equipment used, whether it was the student's side or the inmates' side, were of similar quality and rank which was middle tier earth grade weapons.
The silver-haired youth by the name of Ren Jie ignored the provocation as he unsheathed his sword awaiting the instructions from Instructor Pan to begin the fight.
"Begin.."
The moment the announcement was made, the thin Zou Hong who looked too weak to even stand, burst with a speed that created galing winds.
There was a hundred-meter gap between him and Ren Jie, however, he crossed half that within an instant as his body turned darker like it was rusting.
Ren Jie wasn't far behind as he used what looked to be a top-tier orange-grade art to charge in.
The art made his body seem as light as a feather and as nimble as a swallow, however, the instant he caught up with Zou Rong, his body changed and a lightning tempest was released from his body down his blade which clashed with Zou Rong's hook swords creating a thunderous explosion.
Both opponents adhered to Instructor Pan's words and went all out from the start. One was an overbearing force of lightning, and the other was a metallic wind tempest that aimed to shred everything in its path.
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