[Wu Sansheng]: Bai Yulai is about to go on stage. She told me to watch carefully.
[Mu Anqi]: Oh? Which color arena?
…
Before going on stage, Bai Yulai, who had boldly told Wu Sansheng to watch her performance, was cool and confident. But now, standing on the stage waiting for the match to begin, she felt uneasy and anxious. No matter what, this was her first time formally participating in a Feast of Extreme Bliss competition!
As for special training?
Ha. Thinking back on that unforgettable and miserable special training period filled Bai Yulai with despair. She had never been particularly hardworking and didn't have grand ambitions for strength, believing that being happy was enough. As for talent… if she were truly some peerless genius, the Fox Clan wouldn't have let her laze around like a salted fish! So, the special training was useful, but its effects weren't that dramatic.
And her current opponent…
…was also carefully considered by the Fox Elders. They all knew Bai Yulai needed to "show off" in front of the player they were trying to recruit, so they had been seriously selecting opponents, striving to let Bai Yulai display her strongest side.
Deep breaths, deep breaths.
Bai Yulai wore a serious expression, adopting a ready stance and preparing for battle.
The rat youth opposite her also looked serious. Originally, when he drew a Fox Clan opponent, he thought he had no chance. But then, a fox demon he had never seen before came on stage—what a pleasant surprise!
The match begins!
Bai Yulai instantly flung out a large handful of fox fur. The strands drifted to the ground, each transforming into a fox the size of an adult dog—no longer the small foxes of before. This large pack of foxes, their fur bristling and teeth bared, surrounded the rat youth.
The rat youth's face showed delight. If it was just this kind of technique, then he really didn't—"Holy crap!"
Not just him, but even the audience erupted in gasps and exclamations. Mu Anqi didn't know what was happening yet, but she saw He Guxia actually stand up—
"Moon Slash?"
"What?" Mu Anqi looked at the pristine white longsword Bai Yulai had drawn. This longsword seemed naturally formed from ancient jade, its entire body gleaming and translucent, looking more like a work of art than a weapon.
"Bai Yulai… is quite doted on within the White Fox Clan," Zhao Qianluo could only sigh in this manner. "To actually entrust her with the clan's ultimate treasure, just for one Feast of Extreme Bliss."
And this wasn't even the final battle, where all the top experts would take the stage. This was just an ordinary match!
Hearing the surrounding exclamations rising one after another, Bai Yulai grew even more confident. Her eyes focused, she held the longsword horizontally. The surrounding foxes instantly pounced to attack the rat youth. She charged forward violently, the longsword swinging down heavily from above. A gleaming white moon-shaped shadow arced out, the resulting blade of energy piercing through the rat youth's body in an instant.
The rat youth didn't dodge. Or rather, he simply couldn't comprehend how a match that seemed like an easy win suddenly involved this white fox pulling out a "nuclear weapon." Being slain by the Fox Clan's ultimate treasure at the Feast of Extreme Bliss… was something he could boast about for a year.
Blood splattered, but the Moon Slash remained unstained. The gleaming white longsword hung lightly in Bai Yulai's hand, still emitting a faint fluorescence.
The battle ended as soon as it began.
"White Fox Clan wins!"
Inside the private box, the White Fox members erupted into cheers. Though it sounded a bit fake, making Wu Sansheng slightly dazed.
It could be said that the White Fox Clan had truly put in great effort to assist Bai Yulai. Not only did they strictly screen her opponents, but they were also afraid Bai Yulai would fail, even lending her the ultimate treasure. The moment Bai Yulai won, they even performed their best acting ever, continuously praising Bai Yulai's hard work and effort during training, finally casting suggestive glances towards Wu Sansheng.
Wu · Mood Swings: "?"
Even Mu Anqi, upon opening the chat intending to ask Wu Sansheng, closed the dialog box again. She originally wanted to ask Wu Sansheng what Bai Yulai had done to actually get the White Fox Clan's ultimate treasure for this display, since even Ji Huaichu was extremely surprised! But then she thought of Bai Yulai's hard work for this, and how the White Fox Clan was cooperating so much… it was better for her to remain silent too. At most, she could let the General ask Bai Yulai herself later.
"So, is Bai Yulai the group's favorite?" This wasn't something you could tell before. Mu Anqi waited expectantly for news from Wu Sansheng, but… there was no further movement from Wu Sansheng's side, no more sharing gossip about Bai Yulai.
Unlike her nervousness when stepping onto the stage, Bai Yulai descending from it was full of pride and vigor. She walked with a haughty stride, controlling her facial expression to maintain composure as she returned to the private box, only to be met with exaggerated applause and praise from everyone—even with Bai Yulai's thick skin, she couldn't help but blush a little: the performance seemed a bit too over-the-top.
"You watched my match, right? Was I impressive?" Suppressing her embarrassment, Bai Yulai walked up to Wu Sansheng, unable to completely hide the pride and anxiety in her tone.
"You were very impressive," Wu Sansheng said.
Regardless of Bai Yulai's actual strength or how hard she worked during training. To go to such lengths, to have so many people cooperate for her sake… was truly impressive and demonstrated great effort.
Wu Sansheng sighed softly: "I never looked down on your strength."
"I know, but—"
Wu Sansheng didn't let Bai Yulai continue. "This is a book list. If possible, stock some books in these categories at your bookstore."
"Eh?" Bai Yulai took the list somewhat confusedly. She thought Wu Sansheng was hinting that her emotional intelligence was lacking and wanted her to read more love-related books to learn. However… this list looked suspiciously similar to the "One Hundred Must-Read Classics" list for Shattered Mirror Continent?
Bai Yulai fell silent: Could it be… that Wu Sansheng actually disapproves of her intelligence?
…
"Tomorrow, the matches won't be this boring anymore," Ji Huaichu said, seeing Mu Anqi's lack of interest, offering comfort.
This kind of tournament always needed a few rounds to filter out those just joining for fun. Few factions sent their powerful contestants right from the start—with the exception of Brocade and Splendor.
No one knew why Wan Jin was the first to take the stage from her faction. Lady Red's faction was always rather casual, without much strategic arrangement for who fights when.
"Blue: Money Tree vs. Shadow Panther Clan"
Shadow Panther? Mu Anqi observed the Dramatist's opponent for this round. These demons from the Mingdu all took human form on stage; if not for the announcements, you wouldn't even know what clan they were from.
[Zhao Guogu]: @Mu Anqi Your General's faction is called "Money Tree." How come you haven't gone on stage yet after so many rounds?
[Mu Anqi]: …Why?
[Zhao Guogu]: I've been waiting to see you compete for ages!
[Fang Xunjiu]: +1
[Fang Yunjiu]: +1
[Si Suying]: +1
…
Except for Wu Sansheng, all the friends in the group chat bubbled up to echo a "+1". Clearly, these people enjoyed watching the fun and couldn't wait to see the opponents suffer social death under the control of Mu Anqi's blessings.
[Mu Anqi]: …The Nirvana Space reminded me. Even if I use my blessings for control, the affected target's range of movement is limited to the arena. I can't make them get controlled and directly leave the stage, nor can I control them to shout surrender.
[Zhao Guogu]: You're mistaken. We don't necessarily want to see them lose.
[Xia Yun]: Everyone just wants to see your opponents perform a hot dance on stage.
[Fang Xunjiu]: And sing.
[Fang Yunjiu]: And transform into magical girls.
[Mu Anqi]: …
Mu Anqi felt… everyone had a big misunderstanding about her skills. She didn't respond, instead silently taking out her recently filled booklet of blessing phrases to review four-character idioms.
The Dramatist truly wasn't skilled in combat. The moment she saw her opponent, the Shadow Panther, she quickly conceived a "drama" in her mind. When the match began, she activated her ability and started setting the stage—
Zhang Xiesong was the Shadow Panther contestant for this match. Initially, he had no idea what the "Money Tree" faction was all about. That was, until the first match where this team actually sent out "Xia Fenghua," the versatile handyman under General Ji. It's safe to say that the moment Xia Fenghua stepped onto the stage, the expressions of most demons in the Mingdu turned peculiar: Is it really necessary to change the faction name just because you're in love? Previous Feasts of Extreme Bliss had names like "Ghost Fiend," "Blue Face," and there was even one lazily named "Taiyin." But the style had never shifted to something so… reeking of the sour-sweet smell of love.
Zhang Xiesong was extremely apprehensive. This apprehension lasted until he realized his opponent was an unfamiliar face. Just like the rat youth who encountered Bai Yulai, he suddenly gained confidence! After all… General Ji probably didn't have any inherited "nuclear weapons" to pass down.
The moment the battle began, Zhang Xiesong immediately activated his racial talent, rapidly moving around the arena. As he moved, he observed his opponent. The female ghost sent by the Money Tree faction seemed completely clueless about how to fight. While he transformed into streaks of shadows moving at extreme speeds, this woman actually looked lost and confused? Easy points!
Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Xiesong let out a roar. As he pounced, he manipulated the shadows to coalesce around his body, simultaneously revealing his true form. The natural form of their Shadow Panther clan was generally less than two meters long, trading larger size for unparalleled speed. But when activating their racial ability, the shadow infusion could envelop their bodies, allowing them to swell up to three or four meters tall, while also gaining the ability to tear through ghosts.
His powerful hind legs slammed heavily against the ground. Zhang Xiesong, now a giant black arrow of a panther, lunged forward. His sharp claws tore through the female ghost, and he swallowed her whole in one gulp. Standing triumphantly in the center of the arena, he hadn't expected the match to be won so easily. He couldn't help but raise his head and let out a furious howl towards the sky, while the surrounding audience cheered and exulted for him.
…Huh?
Zhang Xiesong looked somewhat confusedly at the referee below, not quite understanding why the end of the match hadn't been announced yet. Just as he was about to speak up and ask, the scene before him began to twist and dissipate, as if a film covering his eyes had vanished. Zhang Xiesong saw the referee appear beside him, while he himself, still in his giant Shadow Panther form, was standing outside the arena. The audience wasn't cheering; they were booing, and some even suspected him of match-fixing.
What happened?
He looked at the seemingly harmless female ghost on the stage. That female ghost also gave him an understanding smile: "The drama I improvised for you, wasn't it bad?" It was a pity she hadn't paid much attention to how the referee treated losers, so the ending wasn't perfect. But it didn't matter; she could improve it next time. She could even script the opponent walking out of the arena as the "victor."
Mental illusions, blending falsehood with truth. The Dramatist truly wasn't skilled in combat. But as long as her opponents lacked mental resistance, victory was almost certain. Unless the opponent's attacks were all Area-of-Effect or homing damage that could kill her within the illusion.
The Storyteller watched this match, her eyes full of envy. The ability to simply weave a story and trick someone off the arena was incredibly useful; she really wanted it too. Unfortunately, even if she improvised a weird tale, it required enough people to have experienced or believed in it for it to take effect. After all, this wasn't the Black Mirror Vortex; there were no special enhancements here.
Compared to Dramatist's battle, the Storyteller's fights seemed much more "straightforward."
Learning from experience, this opponent was extremely vigilant, not daring to relax their guard in the slightest. The moment the match started, they even swiftly cut a gash on their own arm to confirm they weren't under an illusion, leaving the Storyteller stunned.
The moment the opponent self-harmed, the Storyteller unhurriedly took out a red umbrella and opened it.
Opponent: ?
The next instant, a harmless-looking shop assistant guy appeared out of thin air. He looked at the bamboo demon opposite him with a grave expression, amiably pulling a one-meter-long knife from his pocket and asking, "Would you like an umbrella? How about I make one for you on the spot!"
Just as the opponent, startled and suspicious, began wondering if this was all an illusion and started summoning a bamboo forest, a bun shop owner wielding two meat cleavers also walked out of nothing. Without a word, he swung his cleavers and charged at the bamboo demon. One wonders if the resulting filling would be considered vegetarian or meat.
"What kind of mess is this!?" The bamboo youth stopped being distracted. Raising his hand, he condensed a verdant green bamboo staff and immediately struck out. This specially condensed staff was extremely sturdy, solidly blocking the attacks from the meat cleavers and the long knife without breaking. The arena was covered in a layer of greenery, with bamboo shoots sprouting from the ground one after another. Just as the bamboo youth was about to complete the terrain change, an old man wearing a straw hat and a white sweat towel walked out. He gave a simple, honest smile, raised his hoe, and directly dug up the bamboo shoots, obliterating them.
The bamboo youth was incredulous. What kind of ability did this ghost even have!? However, the Storyteller gave him no time to think. An eerie "giggle" sounded behind the bamboo youth. He shivered all over and saw a man holding an umbrella standing quietly behind him, staring at him with a strange smile on his face. And, whether it was an illusion or not, he felt this man was constantly getting closer to him—even though the arena was so big!
Just as he was being besieged and trying to break through to directly take out the Storyteller, the entire arena suddenly trembled. A public restroom actually descended out of thin air, landing directly on the arena. The Storyteller threw the red umbrella aside, then stepped into the women's restroom and closed the door.
Bamboo Youth: "???"
This match ended with the bamboo demon's surrender.
Watching the match, Mu Anqi suddenly realized the Storyteller had great potential as a "Summoner." As long as she wrote enough weird tales, had sufficient imagination, and her ability could support it—an army of thousands wasn't just a dream.
A single ghost like this could match the labor of a hundred ghosts. No wonder Xia Fenghua didn't want to give her time off.
"After this is over, let's have the Storyteller write a weird tale about 'corporate drudgery'," Mu Anqi said. "Then open it up for players to experience, making the tale real. Wouldn't that give us another labor force!?"
Write a weird tale for whatever labor you lack; it's practically targeted talent output!
The Dramatist, who was on alternate rest, looked at Mu Anqi with considerable shock, then silently shifted away, not daring to make a sound.
"Next round, I'll go!" Mu Anqi rubbed her hands together, looking at Dramatist. "Is that okay? After the Storyteller finishes writing the tale and players test it once, I'll give you all time off. No need to force the five consecutive wins either."
"…As you wish." The Dramatist had no objections. She glanced at the screen where the Storyteller, coming off stage, looked somewhat drained, and felt that fellow probably had no objections either. Just one match… look how weak it made the kid.
"No pressure. If you encounter a special opponent, it's fine to concede," Ji Huaichu advised. Of course, she believed in Mu Anqi's ability, but when Mu Anqi encountered opponents who countered her… it could be really tough. "Don't feel pressured." Not to mention that neither He Guxia nor she herself had fought yet, and her three vice-generals weren't pushovers either.
"Don't worry, I'm prepared." Mu Anqi touched her storage ring, fully stocked with supplies, feeling extremely confident.
"Red: Money Tree vs. Failed Stroke"
[Mu Anqi]: It's my turn to perform!