Before Mingyi could even feel anger, guards nearby spotted her and charged in her direction. "You there, stop!"
Taking a deep breath, Mingyi released the Fighter beside her and darted toward the opposite side of the forest.
Ahead, another Fighter was channeling Essence Power into the Nether Domain. Unlike the others, he wasn’t feigning illness and was still diligently maintaining the barrier.
Mingyi silently apologized before striking from three zhang away, shattering his Shield and landing a precise blow to the back of his neck.
The Fighter collapsed instantly. She dashed over, enveloping both herself and him within the Nether Domain.
The pursuers arrived but failed to notice them, rushing past without hesitation.
Exhaling softly, she placed her hand on the Nether Domain, focusing as she disguised her Essence Power as an earthy yellow hue and seeped it through the barrier.
Normally, penetrating a hundred-man Nether Domain would be extremely difficult—any irregularity would be detected immediately by the other Fighters, who would expel the intruding force. But with two among them feigning illness, the cohesion of the barrier was weakened, giving Mingyi an opening.
She condensed her Essence Power into the Nether Domain and swiftly searched for Fan Yao and Chu He. However, when she found them, the two were already motionless, their blood pooling beneath them.
Fighters usually suffered internal injuries, but these severe external wounds were clearly inflicted deliberately by members of the other cities. One wound, in particular, was only half an inch from the heart—a gaping, gruesome hole.
Her throat tightened, and her eyes reddened. She quickly encased them in the Nether Domain, pulling them out.
Neither showed signs of breathing.
Her wrist trembled slightly. Steadying herself, she took a deep breath and yanked them free.
"Star Yearn City violates the rules—two match results forfeited. Star Yearn City violates the rules—two match results forfeited—"
The herald’s voice, amplified by Essence Power, echoed across the arena. Guards immediately swarmed their location, surrounding them.
The crowd from Star Yearn City erupted in fury. "How is this a violation? Were we supposed to let them die?"
"This is Moonchase City’s fault for mismanagement! Why wasn’t the elimination Nether Domain lowered?"
"Those two had already lost the ability to fight—why were Newgrass City’s fighters still attacking with Essence Power?"
"Moonchase City has no shame! No shame at all!"
Handkerchiefs and teacups rained onto the main platform. The Da Si of Moonchase City hastily retreated from the side, while representatives from the other cities, having benefited from the situation, remained silent.
Ji Bozhai arrived on a Flying Sword, cutting through the encircling guards. He found Mingyi kneeling beside Fan Yao, checking for breath, her face deathly pale.
Without hesitation, he encased both injured men in his own Nether Domain, immediately channeling Essence Power into them.
Mingyi looked up at him, her lashes trembling. "The wounds are severe… I—I wasn’t fast enough."
"Not your fault. Those responsible will pay," Ji Bozhai said calmly, drawing the Nether Domain closer. His gaze shifted to the Moonchase City guards.
The guards had intended to make trouble—breaking through a hundred-man Nether Domain was an audacious act, a direct insult to Moonchase City. But under Ji Bozhai’s stare, every one of them froze, as if an invisible hand had seized their throats.
The lead guard stiffly stepped aside. Ji Bozhai supported Mingyi with one hand and guided the Nether Domain containing the two injured men with the other, leading them all down the mountain.When Yan Xiao and the others rushed into the room in a panic, Fan Yao's breathing was already so faint it was nearly imperceptible. Even that feeble breath was only maintained by Ji Bozhai's desperate infusion of massive amounts of Essence Power.
He gasped sharply and immediately began stitching the wounds, then instructed them to use Essence Power to keep the two warm.
"This is outrageous, utterly outrageous!" Qin Shangwu trembled with rage outside. "If Zheng Tiao hadn't had some conscience left and blocked a few strikes for them, would I be collecting the corpses of my own students right now?!"
"Headmaster Qin, please calm down. No one wanted this to happen," Bo Yuankui said awkwardly. "I truly don't know how they—"
"You don't know? Moonchase City will stop at nothing to keep the championship! You may claim ignorance, but you saw it clearly—they wanted our Star Yearn City's people dead!"
"The Six Cities Tournament is a fair competition. There have always been casualties in past years. Everyone who comes to compete is prepared for this. Why must you—"
"I hope you'll say the same when Moonchase City's people meet misfortune in future matches," Ji Bozhai stepped forward, his voice calm.
Bo Yuankui started, then frowned. "It wasn't just Moonchase City's people who acted. How can you pin all the blame on our city? Besides, everyone on the field fights for victory. How can there be personal grudges?"
"I, too, fight for victory," he said, steadying the trembling Qin Shangwu before smiling faintly at Bo Yuankui. "I never hold personal grudges."
Bo Yuankui opened his mouth to retort, but dark Essence Power abruptly expelled him from Star Yearn City's exclusive resting courtyard.
A strange unease gripped him, but with his own side in the wrong, there was little he could say.
What in the world was Da Si thinking, tampering with the Nether Domain? Even if outsiders could be fooled, what good would it do to provoke Ji Bozhai's full wrath?
"Don't worry, Master," Ji Bozhai murmured, gazing at the clouds. "I won't lose a single match from now on."
They'd won the first round but had their championship revoked. If they lost even once more, the title would be beyond reach.
Qin Shangwu's eyes reddened. "Participating in every match will exhaust you."
"Didn't Ming Xian endure the same?" He chuckled. "I can't afford to lose to her—how else would she ever look my way?"
Qin Shangwu choked between grief and exasperation. "Is this really the time for such thoughts?"
Dodging Qin Shangwu's swat, he paused to glance toward the side chamber.
Fan Yao and Chu He remained unconscious. Meng Yangqiu might have to replace them in upcoming matches. But beyond him, the substitutes were complete strangers—untrustworthy. Filling the last slot would be difficult.
Fortunately, the five-person Hall of Divine Artifacts Trial was scheduled for the final day. They still had four or five days to find someone.
"How are they?" Zheng Tiao approached to ask.
At the sight of him, Qin Shangwu's expression softened considerably. "Thanks to you, they're out of immediate danger, but recovery will take time."
Zheng Tiao nodded, and a small figure peeked out from behind him, asking shyly yet anxiously, "Is Mingyi alright?"
Qin Shangwu recognized the girl and raised an eyebrow. "Xiuyun?""I, I really wanted to see Mingyi, so today I hitched a ride on a Beast-drawn carriage coming here. I just arrived not long ago." She blinked her eyes and bowed to Qin Shangwu, then asked, "Where is Mingyi?"
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