Before Ming Yi could react in anger, guards nearby spotted her and charged over, shouting, “You there, stop!”
Taking a deep breath, Ming Yi released the nearby fighter and sprinted towards the other side of the forest.
Ahead was another fighter forming a Mingyu. Unlike the pretenders, he was still properly channeling Yuan Power into the Mingyu.
Ming Yi silently apologized before striking like lightning from ten paces away. She shattered his barrier and struck the back of his neck.
The fighter collapsed instantly. Ming Yi leaped over, enveloping both of them within the Mingyu.
The pursuers ran past, failing to notice them.
Exhaling in relief, she placed her hand on the Mingyu, concentrating on disguising her Yuan Power as an earthy yellow hue before sending it through.
Normally, penetrating a hundred-person Mingyu would be extremely difficult, instantly detected and expelled by the other fighters. But with two pretenders, the hundred were incomplete. Their uncoordinated power gave Ming Yi an opening.
She condensed her Yuan Power into a Mingyu, swiftly searching for Fan Yao and Chu He. However, when she found them, both lay motionless in pools of blood.
Fighters typically sustained internal injuries, but these severe external wounds were inflicted intentionally by the other cities. One gash was merely half an inch from the heart, the gaping wound a horrifying sight.
Her throat tightened as Ming Yi’s eyes reddened. She quickly enveloped them in the Mingyu and pulled them out.
The two lay in the Mingyu without detectable breath.
Her wrist trembled slightly. Steadying herself, Ming Yi took a deep breath and abruptly extracted them.
“Mustar City has violated the rules. Two match results are invalidated. Mustar City has violated the rules. Two match results are invalidated—”
The eunuch’s voice, amplified by Yuan Power, resounded throughout the arena. Guards rushed towards their location, surrounding them.
The Mustar City crowd erupted in outrage: “How is this a violation? Should we not save people on the brink of death?”
“This is clearly due to Yueyue City’s poor management. Why didn’t the elimination Mingyu descend?”
“Those two had already lost their combat ability. Why were New Grass City’s people still attacking with Yuan Power?!”
“Yueyue City has no shame! No shame!”
Countless handkerchiefs and teacups flew towards the main platform. The Chief Minister of Yueyue City hastily departed from another side, while the other cities, having gained an advantage, remained silent.
Ji Bozai flew over on his sword to Ming Yi’s side, breaking through the encircling guards. He found Ming Yi blankly checking Fan Yao’s breathing, her face ashen.
He immediately enveloped the two in his own Mingyu, channeling Yuan Power into them.
Ming Yi looked up, her eyelashes quivering as she gazed at him. “Their injuries are severe. I… I was too slow.”
“It’s not your fault. There will be a price to pay for this,” Ji Bozai calmly guided the Mingyu to his side and turned to face the Yueyue City guards.
The guards had intended to cause trouble, as breaking a hundred-person Mingyu was brazen and embarrassing for Yueyue City. But one look at Ji Bozai’s expression made each of them instinctively shudder as if gripped by the throat.
The lead guard stiffly cleared a path. Ji Bozai supported Ming Yi with one hand while guiding the Mingyu containing the two injured fighters with the other as they descended the mountain.
When Yan Xiao and the others rushed into the room, Fan Yao’s breathing was barely perceptible, maintained only by Ji Bozai’s massive infusion of Yuan Power.
He inhaled sharply, immediately suturing the wounds and instructing the others to warm the two with their Yuan Power.
“This is outrageous, absolutely outrageous!” Qin Shangwu trembled with fury outside. “If Zheng Tiao hadn’t shown some conscience and blocked a few blows for them, would I be here collecting my students’ corpses?!”
“Master Qin, please calm yourself. No one wanted this to happen,” Bao Yuankai said awkwardly. “I also don’t know what came over them…”
“You don’t know? Your Yueyue City will stop at nothing to keep first place! You may not have known, but you saw they wanted my Mustar City people dead!”
“The Six-City Conference is fair competition. People die every year, and everyone comes prepared for that. Master, why must you—”
“I hope when Yueyue City’s people, unfortunately, perish in future trials, you can repeat those same words,” Ji Bozai approached from behind, his voice cool.
Bao Yuankai started, then frowned. “It wasn’t only Yueyue City’s people who attacked. How can you blame everything on our city? Besides, everyone on the field is fighting for victory. How can there be personal grudges?”
“I too am fighting for victory,” he steadied the shaking Qin Shangwu and smiled faintly at Bao Yuankai. “I’ve never held personal grudges.”
As Bao Yuankai tried to speak further, black Yuan Power politely escorted him out of Mustar City’s rest area.
He felt an inexplicable panic but, knowing he was in the wrong, could say nothing more.
Heaven knows what the Chief Minister was thinking, tampering with the Mingyu. Even if they could fool outsiders, what benefit was there in offending Ji Bozai so gravely?
“Master, don’t worry,” Ji Bozai said softly, gazing at the distant clouds. “I won’t lose another match from now on.”
They had won the first match but lost their lead. Losing one more would cost them any chance in the first place.
Qin Shangwu, red-eyed, said, “Participating in all matches will exhaust you.”
“Didn’t Ming Xian go through the same?” He chuckled lightly. “I can’t bear to lose to her. How else would she look upon me favorably?”
Qin Shangwu choked slightly, both distressed and annoyed. “At a time like this, you’re still thinking of that?”
He laughed, dodging Qin Shangwu’s palm, then paused to glance towards the side room.
Fan Yao and Chu He remained unconscious. They might need to substitute Meng Yangqiu for the upcoming matches. But besides Meng Yangqiu, he hadn’t met the other substitutes and couldn’t trust them. The remaining vacancy posed a problem.
Fortunately, the five-person Divine Artifact Hall trial was on the last day. They still had four or five days to find someone.
“How are they doing?” Zheng Tiao came over to inquire.
Seeing him, Qin Shangwu’s expression softened considerably. “Thank you. They’re out of immediate danger but will need extended recovery.”
Zheng Tiao nodded. A small head peeked out from behind him, asking shyly yet urgently, “Is Ming Yi alright?”
Qin Shangwu recognized the girl and raised an eyebrow. “Xiu Yun?”
“I… I wanted to see Ming Yi, so I snuck onto a beast cart coming here. I just arrived not long ago,” she blinked, curtsying to Qin Shangwu before asking again, “Where is Ming Yi?”