Towering mountain peaks encircled the sprawling training grounds, providing an unobstructed view of the dirt rings below. Dozens of cultivators observed the first-year students from various elevations.
A strict hierarchy dictated their placements along the carved stone balconies. Down on the dirt rings, instructors-in-training and trial instructors managed the initial sparring evaluations.
Higher up on the mountain ridges stood the elder instructors and senior instructors. They supervised the curriculum alongside the pavilion instructor leaders who managed specific weapon disciplines like the sword, spear, and halberd.
At the very summit sat the highest pavilion masters. These veteran leaders occupied carved stone thrones and remained mute. They ignored the casual conversations happening below them.
They simply watched the thousands of teenagers, analyzing their footwork and evaluating their movements to find anyone possessing genuine martial skill.
