By the time the preparations were complete, all of the participants entering the competition have arrived at the place, and one of the instructors there gathered all of the participants there.
"The competition will start earlier than scheduled since everyone is here and the preparations are already complete. Take 10 minutes to prepare yourselves."
After speaking with the contestants, the instructor went to lead the spectators to the bleachers nearby.
"Good luck," Yuan said to Meixiu before going to the bleachers with Wang Ming and the others.
Once the spectators were seated, one of the instructors there began talking about the competition.
"For this competition, you will need to earn points from 4 different events, and at the end of the competition, the one with the highest score wins. As for the reward, Elder Hong from the Hong Family will personally craft you a bow."
As the instructor started explaining, six figures wearing exquisite robes could be seen approaching the area, instantly attracting the peoples' attention.
"Look over there! It's the grand elders! And they're all here!"
"Wow, it's rare to see them all together besides grand celebrations or during important events. I don't think they were even here during the last competition."
"It must be because of that person…"
The people there turned to look at the only individual that was wearing a mask sitting in the bleachers.
And just as the spectators had expected, after the grand elders spoke with the instructors, they began approaching them at the bleachers.
"Greetings, Grand Elders!"
Everybody there but Yuan suddenly stood up and bowed to the grand elders in a respectful voice.
"Don't mind us." Senior Wang said to them.
"We're just here to spectate the competition just like the rest of you."
The grand elders then turned to look at Yuan and clasped their hands towards him.
"It's been a while, Daoist Yuan. How has the Jaded Garden been treating you the past few days?" Senior Xi said to him.
"It's been great. I have gained a lot of experience here, yet there is still so much for me to do, so I'm thinking about extending my stay here if you don't mind."
The grand elders were ecstatic to hear that Yuan was planning on staying longer than a week. At this rate, he might even decide to join them!
"That's great to hear! If you need anything, just let any of us know!" Senior Wang said to him before they went to take a seat in the bleachers.
Of course, they sat around Yuan and Wang Ming.
Meanwhile, the instructors began explaining the first part of the event.
"For the first event, you will be shooting still targets. There will be three difficulties. 150 meters, 300 meters, and lastly, 500 meters. You can choose to shoot whichever distance you want, but if you're looking for the most points, you'll obviously need to hit the furthest target."
"You get 1 point if you hit the 150-meter target, 2 points for the 300-meter, and 4 points for the 500-meter target. Furthermore, if you hit the red on the target, you will get double the points."
"You each will get 5 minutes to practice your shots before you officially begin, and once you start, you will get 3 shots with 1 minute between each shot."
'500 meters… That's really far…' Meixiu thought to herself as she stared at the small target in the distance.
The longest shot she has taken thus far was only about 200 meters, so this competition will definitely test her skills.
Fortunately for her, she had 5 minutes to practice, and she wasn't unfamiliar with shooting targets at 500 meters since she used to do it with guns.
After the explanation, the instructors told the participants to stand in their lane.
A few minutes later, all 20 participants stood in their lane with an identical bow in their grasp alongside a quiver that was filled with arrows, both provided to them, as personal items weren't allowed.
Once everyone was prepared, the instructor shouted, "Your 5 minutes of practice starts now!"
The timer started the moment a whistle was blown.
The participants immediately began practicing their shots and getting familiarized with the bow.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Arrows rained down from the sky as all 20 participants shot their targets.
The majority of the participants went for the 150-meter target at first with a few going for the 300-meter target. As for the 500-meter target, nobody went for it just yet.
After spending a minute on the 150-meter target, Meixiu was already used to her new bow, and she immediately began shooting at the 300-meter target.
Her first shot landed on the target, but it didn't hit the red, so Meixiu tried again.
Three shots later, she managed to hit the red.
After shooting another 3 shots, all landing in the red, Meixiu tried to go for the 500-meter target, but she would miss a dozen of them before finally hitting the target.
Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye, and the instructor blew on the whistle again, signaling them to stop.
The spectator looked at the results. Even though it was only a practice round, they could see who had the best results.
Although everyone had managed to hit the 500-meter target, not everybody had been able to hit the red, and Meixiu was one of the few participants that didn't manage to hit the red in the 500-meter target.
However, she wasn't discouraged. Even if she loses the first event, it was not the end for her, as there were 3 more events after this one.
Once the practice ended, a couple of people went to clean the arrows off the field and replace the targets.
When that was done, the instructor gave the participants a moment to prepare themselves before she blew the whistle, officially starting the competition.
Meixiu took a deep breath, focusing on the 500-meter target. Even if she doesn't hit the red, she was confident in hitting the target, and a single 500-meter target was worth as much as a 300-meter target in the red, so it made sense to go for the 500-meter target.
Once she was ready, Meixiu released her fingers, sending the arrow in the bow flying forward.