Mu Anqi didn't know what Ji Huaichu was planning. While this was her first time being in a relationship, and she had occasionally considered things Ji Huaichu mentioned like "engagement" or "marriage," whenever she thought about the immensely long, almost eternal future ahead, she felt no urgency at all.
Secondly, Ji Huaichu gave her an overwhelming sense of security. Mu Anqi was perfectly content with the current situation, so she didn't feel any pressing need to rush the relationship to the next stage. After all, Mu Anqi's life now basically followed a two-point routine, moving between the General's Manor, Nirvana Space, and the Black Mirror Vortex. Except for the time spent improving herself in Nirvana Space, she was practically inseparable from Ji Huaichu. Whenever she teleported back from Nirvana Space, Ji Huaichu would always be waiting at the city gate to walk back to the manor hand-in-hand with her. Mu Anqi had completely grown accustomed to this life.
The third point was… she had died at the age of twenty, and it had only been about a year since she arrived here after death. In her previous life, marriage had been a distant concept for Mu Anqi. And after death… Ji Huaichu was from ancient times when she was alive. Mu Anqi felt that marriage was an exceedingly solemn matter. Even now, she didn't feel she was strong enough to stand as an equal beside Ji Huaichu. Even though she spent almost all her rest days training instead of relaxing, growth always comes step by step.
Alright, to be honest, she just hadn't really thought about it much.
So, even if Ji Huaichu seemed busy with something else besides the competition during this period, Mu Anqi assumed General Ji was preparing for the matches. In her view, the prideful Ji Huaichu would definitely not want to lose to any creature on the arena stage.
As for the three deputy generals also being busy? Wasn't that normal? Looking at poor Xia Fenghua, who was being worked so hard she had no days off, Mu Anqi had always believed that squeezing every last bit of potential out of her subordinates was part of the culture in Ji Huaichu's faction. Could pushing someone to their limits really be called exploitation? Wasn't it just about helping them see their boundaries, break through them, and thus make greater contributions?
One could say that the current Mu Anqi was becoming less and less of a decent person.
During the subsequent competition days, if they faced opponents from the Mingdu or some unknown minor faction that Luck had left in the running, Mu Anqi would also step up to show her skills. As the tournament became increasingly intense and spectacular, there was a need for someone to perform some singing and dancing to help everyone relax. Even if she encountered someone unaffected by her blessings, Mu Anqi could always use "Pay-to-Win Slash" to teach them a lesson.
Fight! Fight!
Watching the increasingly blood-boiling matches, Mu Anqi's mind was filled entirely with fighting and "winning the championship." Of course, maybe the Feast of Extreme Bliss didn't have an official "champion," but that wasn't a big issue.
The Twelfth Day of the Feast of Extreme Bliss.
The tournament was finally nearing its end!
This Feast of Extreme Bliss had been a disaster for many Mingdu factions. For some reason, they often ended up fighting amongst themselves in the later stages. On the rare occasions they encountered teams from Taiyin, it was always Taiyin's strong teams, and they got eliminated. The most heartbreaking for them was the elimination of the current White Fox Clan leader. They had the misfortune of facing the Shadow Wolf Clan. Both sides brought out their hereditary clan weapons, engaging in an evenly matched battle of cheats. In the end, it was mutually assured destruction; the White Fox Clan was eliminated, while the Shadow Wolves were severely injured and were subsequently picked off in the next round by Illusionary Dreamland. No one truly won.
On Taiyin's side, eight factions had entered the competition. The five previously mentioned popular factions were all still in. As for the Mingdu… only four factions remained.
One was the special demon tribe, the "Nightmare Demons," who fed on nightmares and illusions, capable of launching mental attacks or putting people into a deep sleep. Their abilities countered Illusionary Dreamland.
Another was the Vampire Bats. They had luckily avoided Taiyin factions all the way to the finals. This Feast of Extreme Bliss seemed to be their best result in recent attempts, and they even had hope of breaking their record. It could be said that luck is indeed part of strength.
Also making the cut was the Green Vine Demon faction. This had excited the Green Vine sisters for quite a while—even though they didn't participate themselves, it didn't diminish their pride. The reason was that a mutant genius among the Green Vine Demons had finally matured. Her vines possessed inherent toxins and could even release a "poison mist" with special effects. According to Mu Anqi's inquiries, this genius "maiden" who led the Green Vine Demons to the finals was already confirmed as the next clan leader and had been secretly trained for many years.
The last one was the Thunder Roc[1] tribe. Although their name contained the character "Roc" (Peng), it wasn't exactly the same as the legendary Roc that "soars ninety thousand miles." However, the Thunder Roc tribe of the Shattered Mirror Continent was indeed the largest avian species on this continent. They wielded the power of lightning and thunder, and among the demon tribes participating in the Feast, they relied on pure, hard strength to win.
At this stage, the four separate arena stages in the competition grounds were combined into one, forming a super-large stage for the final performances!
On Mu Anqi's side, besides herself, only He Guxia, Ji Huaichu, and Zhao Qianluo remained undefeated. However, at this level of combat, Mu Anqi felt it was better not to embarrass herself by participating. After all, most of those remaining at this point were aiming for the top three or first place, fully equipped. Mu Anqi's blessings might not be of much use. As for Pay-to-Win Slash… its damage was indeed limited. After all, Mu Anqi had privately used it on General Ji to test its true damage and found that… well, although the special effects were impressive and it looked like an ultimate move, it wasn't some sure-kill technique. Ji Huaichu blocked Mu Anqi's slash with a summoned specter. Although the specter dissipated, Ji Huaichu not only took no damage but also used the opportunity to press her long blade against Mu Anqi's neck, accidentally triggering the passive barrier of the Golden Thread Soft Armor.
…This passive barrier had one major flaw: it was completely uncontrollable. Mu Anqi stared at the barrier, now on a 72-hour cooldown, feeling like crying but having no tears. Well, that thoroughly killed any desire she had to participate in the finals.
The draw for the final rounds was broadcast live on the big screen.
The moment Xia Fenghua luckily drew those three unknown Taiyin factions, Zhao Qianluo very consciously stood up and left the private box. As a qualified deputy general for General Ji, she knew exactly which matches she should participate in and which ones she should just watch as a spectator, without Ji Huaichu even having to speak.
In this round, Brocade Land was matched against the Blood Feather faction, while Illusionary Dreamland was paired with the Nightmare tribe. The two unknown Taiyin factions, however, ended up facing each other.
Looking at this draw result, Mu Anqi didn't know whether the "Money Tree" faction's luck was just that good, or their opponents' factions were simply too unlucky.
Zhao Qianluo's match was as crisp and efficient as ever. After all, her abilities leaned towards assassination, aiming for a one-hit kill. If the first strike failed and she was exposed, that was her most vulnerable moment. Fortunately, her opponent wasn't particularly strong. Once the match started, the opponent's vision was obscured by black mist, and Zhao Qianluo ultimately garroted them from behind.
What surprised Mu Anqi was that the representative from Brocade Land was actually Lady Red, and the Ghost King from the Blood Feather faction, who hadn't made an appearance until now, also stepped onto the arena.
…
The Blood Feather Ghost King's human form was unexpectedly handsome, though his handsomeness leaned towards a delicate, almost feminine beauty. On the big screen broadcast, he looked "as white as paper," giving his entire ghostly presence an unreal quality.
"My, what a pity I couldn't spar with you last time, Madam," the Ghost King said the moment he opened his mouth.
Mu Anqi was stunned because his voice was unexpectedly mild and ordinary, lacking the sinister, shrill quality she had imagined.
Lady Red glanced at him, her eyebrow arching slightly, but she didn't respond.
"I hope Madam will go all out, and let me experience the feeling of death," the Blood Feather Ghost King laughed, his blood-red lips stretching wide open. His entire face looked morbid and deranged. Combined with his deathly pale complexion, it gave Mu Anqi an indescribable horror movie vibe.
Mu Anqi swiped the screen to change the camera angle; she really didn't want to look directly at this Ghost King's face.
Lady Red still didn't speak, but it was clear from her expression that she was growing somewhat impatient. She looked at the referee below the stage, signaling for the match to start quickly. However, the Blood Feather Ghost King suddenly spread his arms wide and let out a loud cry: "Blood, agony, death—what exquisite experiences! Hahaha—"
A series of typical villainous laughs echoed throughout the arena. Even though it was the Blood Feather Ghost King making a fool of himself, Mu Anqi couldn't help but feel her scalp go numb and her toes curl with secondhand embarrassment. She felt this scene could rival Fang Yunjiu's Evil God Descent. Over in the Blood Feather faction's area, the various ghosts and monsters had nothing but fervent admiration in their eyes, cheering for their boss from their private box. Regardless, they had come together through shared beliefs or abilities; they did have some common ground.
"Ahem! Ahem!" The referee cleared his throat tactfully under Lady Red's expressionless stare. Once the Blood Feather Ghost King finally stopped his mad laughter, the referee finished clearing his throat and officially announced, "The match begins!"
As soon as the words fell, a bloody mist instantly rose within the arena.
The Blood Feather Ghost King waved his hand, condensing a long serpent made of blood. This blood "serpent" coiled and twisted around his arm; at a glance, Mu Anqi was reminded of Nezha's Red Armillary Sash. And in the very next instant, a pair of bloody wings sprouted from the Ghost King's back. The moment they stretched out as he soared into the air, countless blood feathers were instantly unleashed, shooting out in all directions.
The "feathers" that landed on the arena floor even corroded and dented the platform!
In the face of this instantaneous assault, how did Lady Red respond?
The answer was, she didn't. Because the moment the match started and the red bloody mist filled the arena, Lady Red's figure had vanished.
It was at this moment that Mu Anqi's mind involuntarily recalled the enormous red eye that had appeared when she crushed the Plastic Man back then.
As the Blood Feather Ghost King soared into the air, and amidst the red mist, the outline of an eye gradually became distinct. This eye seemed both illusory and real. No matter which camera angle or direction you looked from, it always appeared "behind" the Blood Feather Ghost King from your current viewpoint. The moment the red eye opened, the red mist covering the entire arena instantly "solidified." What a colossal red beast it was! The camera had to constantly zoom out to barely display its entirety. And at this moment, the Blood Feather Ghost King in the camera frame seemed so "insignificant."
BOOM—
An absolutely terrifying, overwhelming force. The Blood Feather Ghost King was violently pounced on and crushed down by this giant beast, slammed straight from the air into the arena floor! In the camera shot, you could no longer even see the Ghost King's figure!
"Was that… an instant kill?" Mu Anqi couldn't help but swallow hard. It couldn't be, right? Was Lady Red really this powerful? Wasn't our General supposed to be on par with her? How… how could the Blood Feather Ghost King be this weak?