The final match was naturally in their hands. In the past, except for Ming Xian, they could control the rankings of others, giving or taking a few points as they pleased. Among high-level fighters, the differences were minimal, and a few points could change the outcome.
Because of this, they were always respected and feared by various cities, receiving lavish gifts each year and living more comfortably than even the Grand Judiciary. How could they bow to a young upstart like Ji Bozai?
But now, this young man openly challenged them in front of everyone, smiling as he said, “Let me show you who controls the outcome of the final match.”
The elders were furious, determined not to flip the scorecards for him.
However, Ji Bozai was unreasonable. The next contestant was Wei Changsheng. Before he could speak, Ji Bozai was struck with a palm attack. Black Yuan Power wrapped in a whirlwind shattered Wei’s shield instantly. Then, powerful Yuan Power pressed down on him, striking his chest repeatedly, just as before.
Wei Changsheng had no chance to resist, coughing blood after just two hits.
The audience before the mirror gasped in shock.
In the past, when Ming Xian fought, his techniques were diverse, creating a dazzling back-and-forth that impressed viewers. But Ji Bozai’s style was pure, one-sided suppression and brutality. He used no strategy or technique, simply beating his opponent until their meridians were destroyed and they lost consciousness, unable even to crawl.
It didn’t matter if the elders didn’t flip the scorecards. The opponent wouldn’t get a single point anyway. At worst, they’d all sit there until the end of time, as long as Chaoyang City was willing to let their fighter die on the stage before their eyes.
Chaoyang City’s people were willing, but they couldn’t withstand the audience’s discussions. They already had a bad reputation for abusing fighters. If they allowed Ji Bozai to beat someone to death on stage now, their reputation would be even worse.
So, reluctantly, Chaoyang City’s people had to concede defeat and have Wei Changsheng carried off the stage.
The elders were furious, cursing Ji Bozai for not following the rules. But that’s all they could do. There was no rule against killing an opponent during a match. As long as Ji Bozai rendered his opponent unable to fight, their scores were useless.
In the city-versus-city battles, Chaoyang City was unexpectedly eliminated in the second round. Although they were still among the top three cities, looking at the entire Six Cities Conference, they weren’t just out of the top three—they were near the bottom of the lower three.
Chaoyang City’s people couldn’t accept this. They all stood up and left, not even waiting for the final results, leaving without looking back.
Ji Bozai won two rounds, leaving only Zheng Tiao as his final opponent.
Zheng Tiao was seriously injured, but he showed no intention of surrendering. He just smiled at Ji Bozai: “Today is truly a good day. I can finally face you again.”
Ji Bozai also changed his previous brutality, formally taking a fighting stance: “I won’t take advantage of you. Your hand is badly injured, so I’ll only use one hand too. I’ll fight until you’re satisfied.”
“Good!”
The audience, stunned by the previous one-sided beatings, finally got to see a proper match.
Zheng Tiao had also suffered from the scorecard system before. Given this rare chance to fight without worrying about scorecards, he engaged Ji Bozai wholeheartedly.
Ming Yi watched him, nodding slightly.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Zheng Tiao was the most hardworking fighter among the six cities. In just a year, he had improved greatly. His purple Yuan Power was increasingly mixed with black, his attacks were faster and more powerful, and his techniques were more skilled and experienced.
Ji Bozai wasn’t as experienced, but he had abundant Yuan Power and extremely quick reactions. The two exchanged blows back and forth, lasting a full fifty moves.
The elders on the stage narrowed their eyes, flipping one point for Zheng Tiao while Ji Bozai still had zero.
“I’ve lost,” Zheng Tiao stepped back, his face showing satisfaction. “You hit me fifty-six times, I only hit you twenty-seven times.”
He glanced at the scorecards, sneered, and jumped off the stage on his own.
Ji Bozai rubbed his aching chest and arms, then turned to look at the pale-faced elders on the stage, snickering, “What now? I still won.”
“Winning with zero points? Ridiculous!” The elders angrily pounded the table. “Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at?”
However, the audience below had already erupted in cheers. Mu Xingcheng’s people began tossing handfuls of coins, and Mu Xing’s flags were raised high, fluttering in the wind.
“They will indeed laugh, but certainly not at me,” Ji Bozai raised an eyebrow. “If you’re not convinced, you can come down and compete with me yourselves.”
The elders were thoroughly silenced by his words. They all stood up to protest to the officials on Yuyue City’s main stage.
However, the outcome was already decided. What use was protesting? Ji Bozai’s strength was evident to all. Even if they held a rematch, it would only result in more injured people.
Shan Er watched the setting sun on the horizon, his face cold as he listened to the cheers of Mu Xingcheng’s people. He quietly gathered his sleeves and left the venue.
“Congratulations to Mu Xingcheng for winning this Six Cities Conference. Feihua City follows closely behind, with Yuyue City taking third place.”
The announcement, accompanied by the sound of firecrackers, spread throughout Yuyue City and even the entire Qingyun Realm.
Everyone from Mu Xingcheng was so excited they were jumping up and down. They had no desire to linger in Yuyue City and hurriedly packed their things to rush back to Mu Xingcheng with the good news.
Ming Yi was also happy, but someone passing behind her said, “You will pay for your actions.”
She was startled and turned to look, only to see the backs of several Chaoyang envoys.
The unease in her heart grew stronger. She thought for a moment, then shook her head. Having won the Six Cities Conference, what was there to fear?
Qin Shangwu, breaking tradition, loaded many bottles of wine onto the flying beast carriage. Everyone began celebrating boisterously on the way back to the city. Ji Bozai tilted his head back to drink some wine, his eyes bright as he asked her, “Is it okay now?”
Ming Yi knew what he was asking and rolled her eyes. “My lord, people outside are praising your bravery and grace. Can’t you put these matters aside for now?”
“I can’t,” he rested his chin on her shoulder, looking slightly aggrieved. “I can’t hold back anymore.”
Her ears reddened, and Ming Yi turned her face away.
When this man was aroused, he was like a demon. His thin lips were slightly pursed, the bridge of his nose faintly red, and his eyes as alluring as possible. One more look and she would be dragged down into the abyss with him.
This was not a place for intimacy. Across from them, Luo Jiaoyang was still trying to toast him with slurred speech.
“Lord Ji, Bozai! Stop looking at Miss Ming, look at me!” He was quite drunk and called out loudly and carelessly.
Ji Bozai glanced at him, his eyes completely lacking the tenderness he showed Ming Yi, and replied perfunctorily, “Mm.”