"Here, infuse Essence Power, press here, boom!"
She gestured earnestly with a serious expression, but for some reason, Ji Bozhai was amused, the corners of his eyes crinkling.
Mingyi turned stern, glaring at him as she drew a finger across her neck.
He always looked down on the Divine Tools aspect, daring to lose focus even on the battlefield—he wouldn’t even know how he died.
Seeing her like this for the first time, Ji Bozhai paused, then composed himself and continued forward with her.
He had never witnessed Ming Xian on the battlefield, so he’d never been able to connect Mingyi to Ming Xian. But in that moment, it felt real.
This little girl had once been a hero who dominated the battlefield.
A strange sensation gripped his chest. Ji Bozhai pressed his lips together, watching her slender back.
How had someone so slight carried the weight of an entire city?
As they entered another thick fog zone, Ji Bozhai suddenly reached out and grabbed Mingyi, who was ahead.
"Someone’s here," he murmured.
Luo Jiaoyang and the others tensed, while Mingyi reacted instantly, stepping back behind Ji Bozhai.
The area ahead, where the high-grade Divine Tools were buried, was already ambushed. The fog obscured everything, but the killing intent was palpable.
Ji Bozhai summoned a Shield, enveloping himself and Mingyi, then raised the Fire Tree Silver Flower and aimed it at where he sensed the strongest hostility before pressing down.
Boom—
An Essence Meteor, massive as fireworks, tore through the fog and crashed onto the battlefield. Someone moved in the mist, stirring the air.
Fan Yao locked onto the direction of the wind and activated Thundering Force. A surge of Essence Power, heavy as a mountain, flattened a dune ahead.
"Brute strength," someone sneered in the fog before triggering their Divine Tool. Several ghostly shadows darted swiftly from the sand toward them.
Ji Bozhai swung his blade, swiftly cutting down the shadows on the ground, while Chu He and Luo Jiaoyang charged into the fog to engage the enemy.
Mingyi couldn’t stop them in time, watching helplessly as the five scattered.
In Moonchase City’s terrain, splitting up was the worst mistake—these people clearly lacked experience.
Fortunately, Ji Bozhai didn’t run off. Sensing the others’ breaths vanish, he frowned and hoisted her onto his back. "Hold on tight."
Their Shields merged instantly, and Mingyi could even feel his aura flowing against her spine.
Her ears burned as she muttered, "Head for the thickest fog. We’re outnumbered—we’ll have to wait for other teams to thin each other out before moving toward the brightest moonlight to finish."
Ji Bozhai acknowledged with a hum, dodging attacks as he carried her into the fog.
The surroundings gradually shifted from tense hostility to eerie calm. Mingyi exhaled in relief, awkwardly sliding off his back. "Let me explain the Fire Tree Silver Flower’s proper usage."
Setting her down, Ji Bozhai kept one hand protectively behind her while holding out the Divine Tool with the other.
Mingyi pulled out her tools and began adjusting its components on the spot. "This was Master She’s design three years ago. It helped Sunspire City win the Divine Artifact Hall round, but newer high-grade tools have outpaced it since."
"Remember these modifications—they’re for close combat."The fog was too thick, forcing the two to stay close to see each other clearly. Ji Bozhai watched her nimble fingers at work and suddenly murmured, "Even without your formidable Essence Power, you'd still be an excellent Artifact Smith. Sunspire City truly doesn’t recognize talent."
Her hands paused mid-motion. Mingyi lowered her eyes, flustered. "Sunspire City isn’t lacking in excellent Artifact Smiths."
Though She Tianlin had taken only her as his disciple, he was also a teacher at the Academicians' Court. Sunspire City’s Academicians' Court had over a dozen young Artifact Smiths—it didn’t need her.
Besides...
"It’s not Sunspire City that fails to recognize talent, just a few individuals." She sighed. "What fault does a city have?"
Ji Bozhai disagreed. "If what you’ve always protected can’t protect you when you need it, then that is its fault."
"You—with no sense of honor for your city—won’t go far in the Six Cities Tournament." After adjusting the Divine Tool and handing it to him, Mingyi met his gaze evenly. "The tournament may start by testing the strength of one’s Essence Power, but in the end, it’s all about conviction. Those who fight for themselves never last as long as those who fight for their cities."
Absurd.
Ji Bozhai thought she’d been conditioned by servitude to harbor such strange notions.
The most important person in this world was himself. His conviction to fight for himself—why should it lose to her hypocritical "fight for the city"?
Stowing the Divine Tool, they continued moving to find another hiding spot.
Mingyi wore shallow embroidered shoes, and sand kept pouring into them. In the past, she would’ve whined coquettishly, pouting and demanding he carry her so she wouldn’t have to walk. But now, she didn’t even glance down. When walking became unbearable, she simply took off her shoes and carried them.
Ji Bozhai waited the entire way, but she never asked for help.
With a resigned sigh, he pulled her to a stop and crouched. "Get on."
Mingyi shook her head. "If I can’t make it through this desert, then I’m just too weak—it’s my own fault. What’s the point of you carrying me?"
He clicked his tongue impatiently. "Didn’t you say this trial evaluates teamwork as much as individual skill? If I walk out alone, Lao Qin will nag me for ages. Get on already."
Frowning, Mingyi hesitated for a long moment before climbing onto his back.
In the past, she had always been the one rescuing her teammates. This was the first time someone had rescued her, and she felt an inexplicable shame.
But as the shame faded, she realized how convenient this was. Ji Bozhai’s Essence Power Shield was so thick and sturdy that she didn’t even need to watch her back.
Old She had always said relying on others was shameless—not something she should do. There was no one more reliable than herself, so Mingyi had grown accustomed to enduring everything alone to the very end. Suddenly having someone to lean on felt... surprisingly nice.
The two smoothly avoided the most intense battle zones in the thick fog. When the time was right, Mingyi directed Ji Bozhai toward the brightest patch of moonlight.
All survivors would gather here. As long as they remained under the moonlight when it reached its zenith, the Upper Three Cities for this round would be determined by the order of arrival.
By the time they arrived, over a dozen people were still fighting under the moonlight. A few students wielded exceptionally powerful Divine Tools, dominating the battlefield.
Mingyi scanned the area but didn’t spot Luo Jiaoyang or the others. She was about to suggest Ji Bozhai hide again when a sharp-eyed student suddenly shouted, "Ji Bozhai is over there!"A dozen people instantly halted their movements, swiftly turning the attack ports of their Divine Tools toward them. A dazzling array of Essence Power erupted, all surging in their direction.
When there was someone on the battlefield far stronger than the rest, the others would naturally unite to eliminate that person first—Mingyi understood this.
But attacking Ji Bozhai was one thing—why were several waves of powerful Essence Power charging straight at her?!
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