Ming Yi had learned to disguise her Yuan Power because pure white energy was easily targeted in the Six Cities Tournament. She had mastered seven different color forms and techniques to handle various situations. As for Ji Bozai…
Ming Yi doubted he learned this skill specifically for the tournament, but it was proving very useful now. His purple Yuan Power swirled chaotically, forming a miasma. Other cities’ contestants tried to sense Ji Bozai’s location through Yuan Power, but purple energy was everywhere with no trace of black.
In a moment of confusion, someone from Chaoyang City was struck through the abdomen by purple energy, severely wounded, and eliminated.
As the Void Realm descended to retrieve the injured, the other cities’ contestants had their ideas. They had tacitly agreed to eliminate Ji Bozai first, but some couldn’t resist the opportunity to eliminate others in the chaos.
Those amid battle couldn’t imagine Ji Bozai would disguise himself. They assumed the purple energy came from one of their own who had turned traitor, and their encirclement loosened.
Feihua City’s people watched the mirror. Their fighter was furious when suddenly swept into the air with purple energy and slammed down, immediately covered by the eliminating Void Realm.
Xincao City faced a similar fate. The purple energy moved extremely fast, and their fighter couldn’t withstand twenty moves before being severely injured.
Spectators before the sixth mirror gradually realized what was happening. They heard constant groans and fighting sounds from changing directions, while Ji Bozai’s silhouette remained standing. But those inside didn’t realize who was left standing until the last city’s fighter was eliminated.
“In the first round, the top three cities are Mu Xing, Cang Xue, and Feihua.”
As the gong sounded, the audience erupted in commotion.
How many years had it been since Mu Xing City’s name was heard among the top three? And now they were first in the opening round. Ji Bozai was truly extraordinary.
The nobles from Mu Xing City who came to watch cheered exuberantly, while silence fell over the mirrors of Chaoyang and Zhuyue Cities.
They stared at Ji Bozai in the mirror, their expressions dark and thoughtful.
“My god, we finally won one!” Luo Jiaoyang went to receive Ji Bozai, holding his arm with both hands, wanting to lift and toss him. “Well done! Now we finally have some confidence and morale!”
“Not bad,” Qin Shangwu also praised him, though with restraint.
Ji Bozai smiled at Ming Yi: “What about you?”
Ming Yi extended her hand, obligingly applauding: “Wow, amazing.”
Her insincerity was too obvious. He snorted lightly, reaching out to pinch her cheek but pulling back. He pursed his lips and said, “Let’s go eat. This afternoon we’ll see Chu He and Fan Yao’s performance.”
The afternoon featured duo battles. Chu He and Fan Yao usually worked well together, but they had the typical problem of newcomers: a lack of absolute self-confidence.
Qin Shangwu patted their shoulders, saying seriously, “No other city has stronger fighters than you two. Go with confidence.”
Chu He and Fan Yao nodded, but coming from humble backgrounds with limited exposure, they still felt somewhat timid when facing fighters from other cities, even if they all had purple Yuan Power.
During the meal, Meng Yangqiu and others who came as substitutes joined them. The morning’s victory put Meng Yangqiu in high spirits. Upon seeing Ji Bozai, he said, “Usually, the Six Cities Tournament is the toughest time for Mu Xing City. Among so many cities, none respected us. Today is different; many are inquiring about you.”
Ji Bozai was unfazed: “Last year at this time, many were also inquiring about me.”
“That was different. Last year, I didn’t think Mu Xing City could win with that arrangement. But this year, I see hope.” Meng Yangqiu’s eyes blazed as he looked at Ji Bozai, then slowly shifted his gaze to Ming Yi.
He hesitated, fearing to offend, but his eyes revealed he understood who she was.
Ming Yi smiled slightly without saying much, but Meng Yangqiu’s heart surged. Ming Xian had always been his goal; he had always wanted to defeat her. Who could have imagined fate’s twist – she turned out to be a woman, right under his nose?
Meng Yangqiu should have recognized her Yuan Power when they first met, but it seemed too absurd to believe. He didn’t expect reality to be so bizarre.
He was glad she could still participate in the Six Cities Tournament and wanted to say a few words to her.
However, before he could find the right words, Ji Bozai suddenly smiled and asked Ming Yi, “Isn’t this stir-fried peppers with peppers your favorite?”
Ming Yi sighed, “Sir, this is diced chicken with peppers.”
“Well, eat up quickly. Later, we’ll go to the spectator stands together to discuss this afternoon’s opponents.”
Ming Yi nodded, finishing her meal elegantly yet swiftly. She then wiped her mouth, stood up, and nodded to everyone.
Meng Yangqiu watched her eat eagerly, unable to utter a word. As he stood up when she put down her chopsticks, Ji Bozai blocked her from view and led her away.
Meng Yangqiu stood dumbfounded.
Luo Jiaoyang chuckled and patted his shoulder: “Brother, that one in our team isn’t someone to covet.”
Meng Yangqiu sighed, “How did he become so domineering? I just wanted to say a couple of words.”
“People new to love tend to be domineering,” Qin Shangwu watched the retreating figures with the eyes of an experienced man. “As expected of my disciple, he’s just like me when I was young.”
Everyone: “…”
Setting aside whether Ji Bozai had any innocence left in matters of love, his handsome and graceful appearance couldn’t be more different from Master Qin’s robust and muscular physique.
Luo Jiaoyang and others lowered their heads to eat without responding, while Meng Yangqiu laughed awkwardly and turned away.
The afternoon competition began after noon. Fan Yao and Chu He nervously approached Ming Yi to hear what she was saying to Ji Bozai, fearing she might set an unattainable goal for them.
However, as they approached, they heard Ming Yi say, “Just assume they’ve already lost. We still need to win nine more matches in the following rounds.”
Feeling relieved, Fan Yao then felt a bit indignant: “What do you mean ‘assume we’ve already lost’? We haven’t lost yet.”
Ming Yi turned her head, her almond eyes slightly raised: “Often, spirit determines victory or defeat. With your current spirit, you’re destined for the bottom three cities. But it’s alright, we can still win back later.”
It sounded reasonable, but why did it feel so irritating? Fan Yao and Chu He both snorted, their gazes falling on the other groups participating in the competition.
Those people looked older than them, but as Ming Yi had said before when they met Li Qing, older people only had more experience, not necessarily more strength.
So, why not give it their all and try?
The two exchanged a glance and took a deep breath.