After noon, the second match began.
The duo coordination battle was less about Essence Power and more about trust and teamwork. Chu He and Fan Yao had been partners since the selection trials in Star Yearn City, understanding each other well and both being straightforward individuals. Thus, their climb over rocks and streams proceeded smoothly.
Mingyi was observing their Essence Power habits when someone suddenly approached and whispered to her, "Lady Yan Pin wishes to see you."
Her heart instinctively skipped a beat, and she frowned, leaning slightly toward Ji Bozhai. He immediately sensed something amiss and looked up, his cold gaze fixed on the newcomer.
It was a maid from Yan Pin's entourage, smiling amiably. "Don't worry, miss. In such a public setting, Her Ladyship can't do anything. She merely has some words to share with you."
"No," Ji Bozhai answered flatly for Mingyi, his arm protectively around her waist.
The maid sighed. "Please, just for a short while. Otherwise, this servant will surely suffer."
Using that old trick again? Ji Bozhai smirked without warmth. "Fine, then I'll go with her."
As the center of attention, even if he wasn't competing, countless eyes were on him. If he made a conspicuous move toward Yan Pin, it would put her in an awkward position.
The maid exhaled deeply, bowed to them, and left dejectedly.
Mingyi was puzzled. "Why does she want to see me now?"
"Hard tactics failed, so she's trying soft ones," Ji Bozhai said dismissively.
"But given her rank as a concubine, she shouldn't even be allowed at the Six Cities Tournament," Mingyi frowned. "Only the Minister Superior could have brought her here."
If the Minister Superior brought her and now wants her to speak with me, what's his intention?
"The Six Cities Tournament is about victory, not favors. You know that better than I do," Ji Bozhai said. "Whatever they're planning, I intend to win every match in the coming days."
He thought this way, and naturally, the other cities did too. The competition had been dirty from the start, and it wouldn't get any cleaner. There was no underhanded tactic others wouldn't employ.
Mingyi steadied herself and refocused on the mirror.
What she saw alarmed her: Fan Yao and Chu He were being targeted. The Newgrass City team, who had been ahead, suddenly turned back to block their path up the mountain.
Fan Yao and Chu He panicked, instinctively dodging, only to be surrounded by the Facing Sun City team.
"This isn't good," Qin Shangwu muttered.
Ji Bozhai's overwhelming performance in the previous match had made Star Yearn City an obvious target. How could anyone withstand such coordinated attacks?
Fan Yao and Chu He began scrambling to evade, at one point even separated by an Essence Power surge before regrouping elsewhere.
Spectators soon noticed the unfairness. "Is it allowed for multiple cities to gang up on one like this?"
"Of course not, but since the other teams haven't directly collided, there's no proof of targeting."
If the other two teams avoided confronting each other, it would be suspicious, and the Minister Superior of Chasing Moon City would intervene. But currently, it merely appeared Star Yearn City was being cornered, with the other teams too spread out to prove collusion.
Mingyi turned to Qin Shangwu. "Are you ready?"To save lives, the leading instructor could surrender on behalf of their team members to preserve the fighters' lives.
Qin Shangwu nodded. Seeing Fan Yao on the verge of collapse, he stood up and addressed the Moonchase fighters controlling the Nether Domain: "Muxing surrenders."
Normally, this would prompt the fighters to lower the elimination barrier and retrieve the person. However, upon hearing this, the Moonchase fighters controlling the Nether Domain appeared strained. One of them wiped sweat and said, "Apologies, Instructor. Please wait a moment. The Nether Domain here has been disrupted by excessive impact, and the fighters need to stabilize it first."
Qin Shangwu sucked in a sharp breath. "What kind of problem? People are about to die in there, and you're telling me there's an issue now?"
"Please remain calm," several others urged, pressing him back into his seat.
Qin Shangwu looked up just as fighters from three cities successfully cornered Chu He. Six streaks of purple Essence Power struck him—even Ji Bozhai couldn’t evade such an attack, let alone Chu He.
His chest and abdomen pierced simultaneously, Chu He spat a mouthful of blood and collapsed.
Furious, Qin Shangwu shot to his feet. "It’s come to this—where’s the elimination barrier?!"
A small bubble slowly formed on the massive Nether Domain, as if struggling to manifest the elimination barrier. But it was too slow. By then, the second wave of attacks had already arrived.
Chu He closed his eyes. Fan Yao suddenly charged forward with a roar, shielding him with his Shield. But alone, he was no match for so many opponents. His Shield shattered, and he was sent flying, landing by the creek.
Mingyi stood up with a cold expression, while Ji Bozhai strode toward the platform where Moonchase City’s Da Si was seated. "What is going on here?"
Moonchase City’s people appeared flustered. Only a minor attendant stepped forward to bow. "The fighter guarding the northern Nether Domain has fallen ill. There’s nothing we can do—we’re urgently seeking a replacement."
"And if lives are lost, who takes responsibility?" Ji Bozhai’s face darkened.
"We deeply apologize for this."
"Where is your Minister Superior?"
"I wouldn’t know. I’m merely a servant."
Ji Bozhai let out a cold laugh, his gaze fixed on the high beacon tower where the battle flags of six cities fluttered. "If this is how you want to play, don’t blame me for not holding back."
Fan Yao and Chu He never saw the elimination barrier appear. Sensing something amiss, Fan Yao desperately shielded Chu He until both were drenched in blood, too injured to move. Yet the fighters from other cities showed no signs of stopping.
The scene was so brutal that many women watching through the mirrors burst into tears. Mingyi quickly located the northern Nether Domain’s guardian position and spotted a fighter clutching his chest, seemingly in genuine distress. She approached with a smile. "I can take over for you for a while."
The older fighter glanced at her and snorted. "Do you even know how much Essence Power a Nether Domain of this scale requires?"
"I do. It takes the combined strength of a hundred superior fighters to sustain this expanse."
"And yet you dare boast so boldly?"
Glancing at the dire situation in the arena, Mingyi smiled but didn’t argue further. Instead, she acted.
The fighter who had appeared moments ago on the brink of death now fought back with full force, as if nothing had been wrong.
"How vile," Mingyi remarked, blocking his strike before flipping her hand to unleash a surge of purple Essence Power, binding the fighter tightly. Then, she channeled her own Essence Power into the Nether Domain.But as soon as she filled in, another Fighter from a different position suddenly "fell ill" and stopped supplying Essence Power.
Since this Nether Domain was formed from the combined Essence Power of a hundred people, even a single missing participant would prevent the elimination Nether Domain from descending.
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