A fair fight? Mu Anqi hadn't encountered an opponent with such comedic, silly attributes in a long time. She suspected that if the fight continued, this ghost might even start shouting lines like "In the name of justice, I will eliminate you!" or "Fairness, Justice, Peace!"
She loaded three more Ghost-Ammo Cards into her rifle, continuously firing at the moving "nebula." The rifle's rate of fire was extremely high, but this ghost clearly had some skill, managing to dodge most of the bullets.
"Buddy, I haven't broken any tournament rules. How is this unfair?" She was the one who thought it was unfair that her opponent could immunity her blessings! It wasn't like the Nirvana Space had intervened to upgrade her skills and force the opponent to dance.
Ma Xing didn't respond further. This was his fighting style. Even when completely consumed by rage, the angrier he got, the more he desired victory. Thus, even though the bullets caused him immense pain, it only fueled his fighting spirit. Charging through the hail of bullets, he suddenly accelerated, closing in on Mu Anqi rapidly.
Calmly observing Ma Xing's trajectory, Mu Anqi maintained her rifle's output while slowly backing away. The moment Ma Xing got within striking distance, Mu Anqi activated her [Rich Lady Halo], simultaneously took a step back to deactivate it, used a [Substitute Paper Doll], and holstered her rifle. In the instant Ma Xing was blinded by the sudden flash of the halo, Mu Anqi instantly drew her Cursed Blade—[Pay-to-Win Slash]!
The effect of the Rich Lady Halo hadn't yet faded. Empowered by the Pay-to-Win Slash, a golden blade illusion—over ten times larger than the blade itself—materialized around the Cursed Blade! This phantom rose high and slashed down along with the real blade, its dazzling golden light completely engulfing the arena.
"Wh-what happened?"
"Oh my god, what was that?"
"Heavens, I… why… why did I have the sudden urge to kneel before the Money Tree?"
"That golden light… why did I instinctively shout 'Rich Lady, you're glowing!' just now? I'm usually so reserved…"
...
The audience erupted in an uproar. They couldn't comprehend how such a drastic change occurred in that brief moment, likely less than a second. They didn't understand what technique Mu Anqi had just used. They only knew that as the golden light gradually dissipated, Mu Anqi stood calmly and composedly in the center of the arena, her blade in hand, while Ma Xing had been cleaved in two, sent for an early resurrection.
The composed Mu Anqi gave a slight nod to the referee, maintaining her lofty demeanor as she stepped off the platform. It was at that moment a booming, explosive shout erupted from the stands: "RICH BABE, LOOK AT ME—!"* The force of it startled Mu Anqi into stumbling. Her eyes wide with shock, she whipped her head around to look, but the audience seats were in chaos; it was impossible to tell who had shouted. Not daring to make a sound, Mu Anqi lowered her head and quickly left the competition grounds.
[T/N: It's supposed to be Rich Lady, but this MTL threw me in laughing and coughing fit so I am not gonna change it lol XD]
Using [Pay-to-Win Slash] in combination with the [Rich Lady Halo] was perfect. The halo distracted the opponent, while the Pay-to-Win Slash provided absolute offensive power. The one thousand Guansi was money well spent. The only drawback… was probably that it was overly flashy and excessively… "Rich Lady."
Returning to the booth, Mu Anqi cautiously glanced at Ji Huaichu's expression. Relieved to find that the General wasn't jealous or angry, she sat down beside Ji Huaichu, leaning against her as if boneless. "This new skill's damage is really good, and one thousand Guansi is quite cheap. It's just a bit too conspicuous." Not very suitable for ambushes.
Well, thankfully, Mu Anqi was always an upright person who disdained ambushing her opponents! Even her blessings were recited openly right in front of them.
Ji Huaichu used her other hand to gently pat Mu Anqi's head. "After this, you'll definitely be famous throughout the Shattered Mirror Continent."
"Ah, yes." Mu Anqi sighed. "If I had known it would come to this, I shouldn't have kept going to the Black Mirror Vortexes with you. I should have played more Shattered Mirror Games instead."
After this Feast of Extreme Bliss, the moment she entered a Shattered Mirror Game, she would probably receive VIP-level treatment. Having a genuinely enjoyable time would truly be difficult.
The three Vice-Generals kept their eyes downcast, staring at their own noses, not uttering a word. This kind of… utterly shameless statement… was probably something only a player like Mu Anqi could say with such righteous confidence.
...
Blessings? Money Tree? After this battle, Mu Anqi successfully refreshed the audience's perception, overwriting her previous "Performance Choreographer" label! What performance? Could any performance compare to the radiance of a Rich Lady? No!
Rich Babe, YYDS! [1]
As for Mu Anqi… she wished she could apply the [Rich Lady Halo] to her [Substitute Paper Doll] too. That way, the paper man could not only act as a decoy but also serve as a taunt. What a shame. She tried suggesting this next-level enhancement for the Rich Lady Halo to the Nirvana Space, but the system completely ignored her.
After one round of matches, the next round arrived as scheduled. Rubbing her hands in anticipation, Mu Anqi felt her combo was perfectly viable. She looked at Ji Huaichu, who then held back the eager Vice-Generals and He Guxia, letting Mu Anqi continue fighting.
The Three Vice-Generals: We've really been riding the bench for a long time this time…
According to precedent, after Xia Fenghua's match, it should have been their turn to perform. Ah. Reasonable slacking is the deadliest.
Mu Anqi had no movement skills, and her own stamina was limited. So she knew how to fully utilize her advantages. Opening with a Blessing, followed by suppressive fire from her rifle! If the opponent never closed in on her, she still had a series of items like Shock Grenades at her disposal. If the opponent got close to her—hehe, activate the Halo, block with the Substitute, [Pay-to-Win Slash]! Instant victory.
What if the opponent was affected by the Blessing? Then securing victory was even simpler, without needing to expend extra skills.
The more she fought, the more Mu Anqi felt that as long as she didn't encounter a spirit or demon that perfectly countered her, or an opponent like He Guxia who could instantly kill her, she could probably strut sideways across the Shattered Mirror Continent.
An inflated Mu Anqi even couldn't resist, after yet another victory, returning to the booth, lifting Ji Huaichu's chin, and planting a loud kiss on her cheek.
Ji Huaichu: "…"
"If you'd like to have a private match with Wan Jin, I can propose it to Lady Red," Ji Huaichu said mildly. "Or, if you wish to spar with Lady Red herself, that is also feasible."
"…I have no such desire. I just couldn't restrain my feelings for you," Mu Anqi said pitifully. "Is your little girlfriend not allowed to give you a kiss?"
"…She is." Ji Huaichu smiled helplessly and pressed Mu Anqi down beside her to make her sit properly. "How many items and Guansi do you have left?"
"Hmm, enough." Mu Anqi glanced at her storage ring. She only had 5 Ghost-Ammo Cards left, but she still had three Substitute Paper Doll. She had quite a few Monster-Ammo Cards left—probably because those monsters couldn't really resist her blessings? As for the Mental Protection Shields… she still had 9 left.
She certainly wasn't short on Guansi. Mu Anqi looked proudly at her balance of 17,800—enough for seventeen more Pay-to-Win Slashes. It was just a pity that her opponents rarely gave her the chance to use them.
With the night's matches concluded, most participating forces in the Feast of Extreme Bliss had been eliminated. It was now possible to discuss the frontrunners for the championship.
On the Taiyin side, from what Mu Anqi knew, the consistently high-profile Brocade Land and the General's "Money Tree" faction. As for the others… she really wasn't familiar.
There was "Blood Feather," a faction formed by a Ghost King who could manipulate blood, with many brave warriors under its banner. Then there was "Illusionary Dreamland," formed by a Ghost King proficient in illusions and mental attacks. Watching their fights was extremely boring because the outcome was decided the moment the match started. If the opponent succumbed to the illusion, they lost; if they were immune, they won.
The final top contender from Taiyin was a Ghost King's faction accustomed to using shadowy darkness to directly cover the arena and forcibly crush their opponents. If this were a game, one could simply understand them as a group of berserkers, maxed out in either attack or defense, relying on brute force to push through matches, resulting in the most thrilling fights. It was just unclear what this Ghost King was thinking, naming their faction "Don't Know What Name To Choose."
The first time Mu Anqi saw this name appear, she thought it was some unknown faction just muddling through for a single round, never expecting them to forcefully charge into the group of championship frontrunners.
As for the Mingdu side, the various factions were a bit more perplexing.
The White Fox tribe was a frontrunner, the Feathered Serpent tribe was a frontrunner, the Green Bamboo tribe was also a frontrunner, and even that rip-off Bear tribe had entered the frontrunner list. Looking at that long, endless list of frontrunners made Mu Anqi's head spin.
"Is the Mingdu… really that powerful?" Mu Anqi couldn't help but voice this soul-searching question.
"Precisely because their strength is uneven, each one becomes a championship frontrunner," Vice-General Zhao Jianluo explained helplessly. "Of course, among them, races with hereditary weapons, like the White Fox tribe, have a slightly higher chance of winning."
Mu Anqi never expected that to be the explanation.
"Do you know why Illusionary Dreamland is a frontrunner? Because they can counter eighty percent of the monsters from Mingdu," Wu Zhouzi added.
'Ah this…' The monsters of Mingdu… really aren't just a little unlucky.
Mu Anqi quickly realized that she seemed to perfectly counter most of the monsters from Mingdu as well.
This kind of battle… it's just unreasonable! No matter how strong you are, if you are weak in mental defense and lack the ability to instantly kill your opponent at the start, once you encounter a hard counter, you can only suffer a miserable defeat at the opening, rage impotently, and choke on your despair.
As the battles heated up, Mu Anqi no longer dominated the field. The three Vice-Generals, who had been spectators for several days, could finally display their prowess and prove their worth.
It's worth mentioning that the abilities of these three Vice-Generals were distinct and unique.
"Match: Giant Bear Tribe vs. Money Tree"
The Giant Bear Tribe, again!
However, this time, it wasn't Mu Anqi taking the stage.
Wu Zhouzi fastened his cloak and stepped onto the arena with calm composure. With a mere wave of his hand, a halberd with a crescent-moon blade, appeared in his grasp.
"ROAR—!" The Giant Bear tribesman's method of making a serious entrance was extremely simple. The moment he entered the competition grounds, a heaven-shaking roar arrived. The 2.2-meter-tall, imposing, muscular man strode heavily onto the platform, each step so weighty it seemed to make the arena tremble.
"I look forward to learning from you." Wu Zhouzi smiled elegantly. Facing the intensely imposing Giant Bear tribesman, he remained completely unaffected, simply cupping his hands and smiling.
Notes—
1.Chinese internet slang that stands for 永远的神 (yǒngyuǎn de shén), which translates to "eternal god" or "GOAT".