The Storyteller and Dramatist followed Miss White as they left. Mu Anqi let out a sigh and nestled into Ji Huaichu's embrace to rest and recuperate.
The matches on the stage continued. With fewer and fewer contestants trying to muddle through, more and more serious fights broke out.
Among these, the least entertaining battles were those where one contestant specialized in mental attacks. If their opponent lacked defensive measures or couldn't end the fight quickly, the match would be over prematurely.
Mu Anqi thought that the reason the audience enjoyed her style of "fighting" so much was simply because they loved drama and saw her battles as nothing more than "entertainment segments" inserted between the real matches.
In the next two rounds, she was matched against contestants from two factions she hadn't heard of, and they weren't particularly strong. Perhaps because Ji Huaichu had shown herself in the previous match, they surrendered and conceded defeat immediately this time, without even checking who the Money Tree faction was sending into the arena. They were extremely decisive.
And so, the second day of the competition concluded.
While drinking her nutrient solution, Mu Anqi actually found herself missing Miss Peony. After thinking about it carefully, it seemed that the match against Miss Peony had brought her the most joy.
Ah, in this day and age, it's truly difficult to experience pure happiness.
Tearfully, the Money Tree, who struggled to find joy, gulped down three large mouthfuls of nutrient solution.
…
"When will the Feast of Extreme Bliss end?" Poking General Ji's neck, Mu Anqi lay beside Ji Huaichu and asked.
"There's still some time." After all, the current matches were just a warm-up. The true Feast of Extreme Bliss would begin once the competition ended. Right now… it was just about the various factions comparing their strength and giving the audience something to watch.
"During your past competitions, have you ever fought against Lady Red and the others?"
"Of course," Ji Huaichu said. "But in matches like these, we only compete to determine a winner." Everyone would hold back a few trump cards.
At their level, no one was foolish enough to completely expose the full extent of their abilities or their weaknesses. As for the fights themselves… they wouldn't go for the kill either.
However, there were always exceptions. If you encountered a lunatic, you still had to be prepared to strike lethally.
The Third Day.
Mu Anqi was no longer as enthusiastic about the matches. She felt she simply wouldn't encounter any opponents she could happily bully. She and Ji Huaichu leisurely finished breakfast in the restaurant before heading towards the competition venue.
"Blue: Brocade Land vs. Money Tree!"
Accompanied by dazzling special effects, the host's voice surged with excitement.
They were actually matched up! And so early! According to the schedule, this round shouldn't have pitted the top aces against each other directly, right?
The audience seats erupted in excitement. Many people chattered animatedly with their neighbors. On Mu Anqi's side, her interest was instantly piqued.
However, the moment she stood up, Ji Huaichu pressed her back down.
"Lady Red has items that grant immunity to control. You'll only end up at a disadvantage if you go." Only after restraining Mu Anqi did Ji Huaichu look to He Guxia. "They'll probably send Wan Jin."
"Sword techniques may have flaws, but I have none." He Guxia stood up, glanced at Xia Yun, and said, "Watch closely, learn well." With that, she walked out.
Seeing that it was He Guxia who was stepping out to fight, Mu Anqi, who had initially been a little displeased, instantly let go of her petty grievances. She looked at the screen and saw that, sure enough, Wan Jin from Brocade Land was calmly walking into the arena.
This… finally, there was something worth watching!
…
Seeing the matchup, Wan Jin, although she knew it wasn't the case, couldn't help but suspect whether Lady Red had manipulated something behind the scenes. Otherwise, why did they get matched today, right after Lady Red asked about it yesterday? She silently fixed her gaze on Lady Red, who was leisurely smoking.
"Hmm?" Enveloped in a haze of smoke, Lady Red let out a lazy nasal sound. She looked at Wan Jin. "Aren't you going?"
"Madame, I will not dance," Wan Jin said. "If you insist on seeing it, I can show you in private."
Lady Red laughed. "You… If you want something, just go and take it. When have I ever withheld anything from you?"
"As for the Money Tree… Ji Huaichu won't send her little girlfriend up."
Wan Jin lowered her gaze, then raised her eyes to look at Lady Red. "Then I'll go." As soon as the words left her mouth, she stood up, went to another room in the private box to retrieve her equipment, and headed for the arena.
Standing on the arena, Wan Jin's mood was extremely calm. Before her opponent arrived, she glanced towards the private box. Of course, she couldn't see anything, but at that moment, she suddenly wanted to know what expression Lady Red was wearing.
This wasn't her first Feast of Extreme Bliss, but for Wan Jin, this was the match she was most wary of.
She truly, genuinely, absolutely did not want to dance, let alone transform into a Magical Girl, under the watchful eyes of the entire audience.
The moment He Guxia's figure appeared in the arena, Wan Jin's face remained expressionless, but she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Her long sword left its sheath. Wan Jin watched He Guxia step onto the platform and gave a slight, formal bow.
"I hope you will fight seriously," He Guxia said. "Do not dishonor the sword in your hand."
"Very well. As you wish, I will fight with all my strength." Wan Jin smiled faintly, her demeanor perfectly proper.
The match begins!
In that instant, Mu Anqi even wondered if she was hallucinating. She saw He Guxia raise her hand sharply, her life-bound sword leaving its sheath. In the next moment, after a flash of cold light, she completely lost sight of the sword itself. Over on the other side, Wan Jin's expression turned grave, and the long sword in her hand became a blur of afterimages in that same instant. Wan Jin's movements were much slower than He Guxia's, so Mu Anqi could just barely make out the trajectory of her defensive sword strokes—but that was all.
Even the sound of the clashing blades seemed to arrive a beat late, ringing out in a continuous stream, as if someone had started a symphony of weapons directly on the arena stage.
Down below, Xia Yun's expression was dazed and bewildered. She thought to herself, Is my master really overestimating me? 'Watch closely, learn well'? What am I even supposed to be seeing here? As for learning… Xia Yun felt she couldn't learn this even in her dreams.
Apart from the relentless, rapid-fire clashing of swords, there was no other sound on the stage. Both combatants were clearly intensely focused. If He Guxia slackened even slightly, Wan Jin would likely seize the opening. And if Wan Jin were the one to slacken off—she'd probably be directly sliced into a "ghost story."
"Who will win?" Mu Anqi asked. In just two or three minutes, He Gixia and Wan Jin had likely exchanged thousands of blows. He Guxia, leveraging strength from the air itself, pressed the attack relentlessly, while Wan Jin, standing her ground on the stage, defended against and dismantled each move, her every sword thrust precisely targeting the flaws in He Guxia's techniques to neutralize the threat.
If you only watched Wan Jin… you'd find this match quite aesthetically pleasing. If you only watched He Guxia? Then you'd probably need extreme concentration just to catch a glimpse of the hem of her garment.
"He Guxia," Ji Huaichu said.
"That makes sense… but is [See-Through] Wan Jin's only ability?" Mu Anqi asked curiously. If the fight dragged on like this and Wan Jin couldn't break the stalemate, she would be worn down by He Guxia. After all, even if See-Through was her ability, how long could she maintain it under such a relentless assault? It must be incredibly mentally draining.
The question gave Ji Huaichu pause. She was silent for a moment. "Unless Lady Red gave her an excessively overpowered weapon."
The fierce battle on the stage seemed to be reaching a fever pitch. Suddenly, He Guxia manipulated her sword to rise into the air. With a wave of her hand, her life-bound sword split into two, then four… In mere moments, it formed a suspended rain of swords hovering above the arena. While He Guxia was charging this ultimate move, Wan Jin, in that same instant, shook out a cloak and fastened it. The long sword in her hand vanished, replaced by a mechanical cube the size of a palm. This cube rapidly expanded, segments replicating and assembling swiftly, forming what looked like a large cannon on her shoulder in a matter of seconds. However, this cannon, shouldered by Wan Jin, required no ammunition.
Ji Huaichu fell silent.
Over in the other private box, Lady Red was also taken aback for a moment before she covered her mouth and laughed. Clearly, before entering the arena, Wan Jin had thought she would be facing Mu Anqi. Had she brought this along for that possibility?
Just how much did she not want to dance?
Purplish-black particles floated around the cannon. Wan Jin stared intently at He Guxia in the air. Her eyes were already faintly red, but she still activated "See-Through."
In an instant, the myriad swords formed their formation and locked onto their target! At this critical moment, Wan Jin actually closed her eyes, her face instantly turning deathly pale. Before the sword rain could reach her, a purplish-black beam erupted violently from the cannon's mouth. The sword projections that touched the beam were instantly annihilated. The beam devoured most of the sword rain, and the few remaining sword clones that weren't dissolved were all swept aside by the cloak wrapped around Wan Jin.
The beam didn't disappear. Just as Wan Jin began to adjust the cannon's aim, He Guxia slashed out several sword qi waves. In that moment, He Guxia felt utterly speechless.
Wan Jin had clearly been on the verge of exhaustion. How did she suddenly pull out such a trump card?
Most importantly, why didn't she have one? General Ji… really lacked in the reserves department.
Using sword aura to clear a path, He Guxia—being a sword cultivator—also possessed peerless movement techniques. Seizing this chance, she abruptly closed in on Wan Jin, intending to risk injury to secure a lethal strike. But Wan Jin opened her eyes and said with a faint smile, "I concede."
"…" It was just that little bit short.
He Guxia abruptly dispersed her sword qi and recalled her life-bound sword. The backlash from halting her assault churned her organs, but her face remained a mask of calm composure. "You were too kind."
"Thank you, Senior, for showing mercy." Wan Jin offered her thanks in a low voice. The cannon instantly shrank back into a palm-sized cube. She didn't bow again, but turned and walked off the stage. Her figure seemed somewhat unsteady. She herself had no idea just how many of He Guxia's sword techniques and attacks she had seen through in those short few minutes. Her own eyes felt frighteningly hot to her.
It wasn't until she had left the competition area and was out of the screen's view that Wan Jin pulled out her long sword, thrust it into the ground for support, and began to breathe in ragged gasps.
…That was way too close.
"Can you still walk?"
Wan Jin flinched, looked up, and met Lady Red's slightly teasing gaze. She subtly bit her lip, sheathed her sword, straightened her posture, and controlled her breathing until it was even again. "Of course, Madame."
"You, ah." Lady Red moved closer, removed her glove, and then pulled a handkerchief from her bosom to wipe the fine sweat from Wan Jin's brow. "Let's go. Have a drink at the restaurant before heading back."
"Very well, Madame." Wan Jin agreed. Lady Red supported her, allowing Wan Jin to lean on her, and the two walked towards the restaurant together.
By the time Wan Jin returned to the private box, she was once again the composed, unflappable, and seemingly omnipotent ghost.