Mingyi instinctively hunched her shoulders at the sight of his hair, as if transported back to her days at the Academicians' Court in Sunspire City.
She Tianlin was the nightmare of every Fighter in Sunspire City. No matter how skilled or noble you were, upon entering the Academicians' Court, you had to address him respectfully as "Master" and endure his unpredictable "care."
He specialized in crafting magical machinery, and his proudest creation was a Gates of Hell the size of a mansion, designed to train a Fighter's reflexes, control, and endurance.
When Mingyi first arrived, she was naive and breezed through the Gates of Hell without a second thought, even remarking, "This isn't so hard. Why call it the Gates of Hell?"
No sooner had the words left her mouth than She Tianlin tossed her back inside and activated a mechanism.
"I forgot you're Ming Xian," he said with a kindly smile. "You're different from the others."
What had been a simple trial instantly turned into a living hell. Everything moved at least five times faster, and Mingyi shrieked as rotten eggs pelted her head. Barely making it past two gates, she dropped to her knees in surrender. "I spoke out of turn. Please, Master, show mercy."
She Tianlin didn't relent. Only after she was battered and bruised did he deactivate the mechanism and pull her out.
From then on, no matter what Mingyi was doing, she could be ambushed at any moment—sometimes by hidden arrows, other times by poison pouches. Worse still were the bags of spoiled leftovers and yellow mud from flower beds.
Once or twice was manageable, but even someone as skilled as her couldn't endure it indefinitely.
Eventually, she prepared gifts and kowtowed three times outside She Tianlin's door. "You've made your point."
She Tianlin snorted. "Ungrateful brat. I see great potential in you."
Great potential? Was that why she got pelted with spoiled food while walking down the street? Mingyi grimaced.
"Ordinary Fighters can muddle through life, but you're Ming Xian," She Tianlin said, his dark, slightly violet eyes brimming with expectation. "Ming Xian is someone who can redraw the boundaries of the Azure Cloud Realm."
Sunspire City was the most powerful, yet also the smallest and most perilous, with scorching sun for three hundred days a year, leaving its people in misery.
To redraw the territories, they had to keep winning, to remain the strongest city.
To keep winning, Ming Xian could never lose.
"Your reflexes and control are decent, but they still lag behind your Combat Skill," She Tianlin said. "Become my disciple, and I'll rid you of weaknesses."
"People can't be without weaknesses."
"My disciples are."
Was he just being stubborn? Why should she, a Fighter renowned for her Combat Skill, join the Divine Artifact Hall?
Mingyi turned and walked away.
But She Tianlin was dead serious. Day and night, rain or shine, whether she was eating or sleeping, the attacks came without warning.
Thus, during her years at the Academicians' Court, Mingyi was either fleeing for her life or fighting for it.
Yet, thanks to She Tianlin's "care," her reflexes and control improved dramatically, making her victories in sparring effortless. Year after year, as long as she was present, the other five cities could only compete for second place.
Back then, Mingyi was truly in her prime—dashing across rooftops in a sunrise-hued robe, sleeves slicing through the wind, her face alight with confidence.She was the rising sun of the east, the hope of countless people.
Yet now...
Her silk skirt was stained, her golden hairpin askew. Mingyi swiftly tore off a piece of gauze, covered her face, and tied it tightly at the back of her head. Turning sideways to avoid the main seats, she whispered somewhat awkwardly to Xiuyun, "I need to change."
Xiuyun, still in high spirits, gave her a sympathetic glance. "Once you enter the Song and Dance Stage, it's hard to leave. Why change now? Just bear with it."
Her back stiffened slightly. Mingyi lowered her gaze and pretended to search for something, pressing herself flat against the cushion.
She Tianlin's gaze swept over, as if searching for someone.
"What seats are those over there?" he asked Da Si of Star Yearn City.
Da Si glanced over and replied politely, "Those are the refined seats, reserved for Fighters without official positions in Star Yearn City, or for wealthy merchants and dignitaries to observe quietly."
In other words, the lowest seats.
"Oh?" She Tianlin chuckled, his deep gaze settling on one particular seat in the back. "Is that person also from Star Yearn City?"
Everyone followed his line of sight.
Mingyi, lying flat on the cushion, just managed to avoid their scrutiny. Relieved, she lifted her head slightly to see who She Tianlin was referring to.
It would have been better if she hadn’t looked. Just two steps behind her, seated in another spot, was Zheng Tiao—and his pitch-black eyes had been fixed on her for who knew how long.
Startled, she hiccuped and quickly covered her mouth.
Noticing the surrounding attention, Zheng Tiao raised his head and gave a faint salute in She Tianlin's direction.
"Why is he sitting there?!" Xiuyun gasped, tugging at Mingyi's sleeve in shock. "Zheng Tiao! The Zheng Tiao from Newgrass City!"
Yes, yes, I know—and the person you're tugging is Ming Xian from Sunspire City.
Mingyi struggled to pin Xiuyun's hand down and muttered, "My stomach hurts. Stop shaking me."
"Oh, sorry." Xiuyun quickly let go, then wrinkled her nose. "Why do you always miss the excitement? Don’t you want to see what’s happening?"
Mingyi waved her off and kept her head down.
If she stood up now, that would be the real spectacle.
"Lord Zheng, what brings you here?" Bo Yuankui exclaimed in surprise, rising to his feet. "I couldn’t even find you when I visited Flying Blossom City before."
Zuo Ping also glanced at him, standing up with reluctant respect. "Perhaps he’s here to spar with Lord Ji."
Zheng Tiao was a martial fanatic, as everyone knew. Nothing in this world could stir his heart—except for Fighters with formidable Essence Power.
Taking Zuo Ping’s words as a cue, Zheng Tiao replied smoothly, "I came to see Lord Ji, and thought I’d join the gathering. I didn’t expect Master She to have such sharp eyes, recognizing me from so far away. I must seem rather presumptuous."
With that, he saluted Da Si at the head seat.
Da Si’s eyes lit up, and he beamed. "Not at all, not at all! Bozhai mentioned this to me, but given your status, the attendants couldn’t rashly invite you to the main seats. Now that Master She has recognized you, please, join us at the head table."
Star Yearn City had languished in obscurity for so many years. It was a rare stroke of fortune to produce someone like Ji Bozhai. Today was supposed to be a day of humiliation, yet not only did Ji Bozhai command awe, but Zheng Tiao of Flying Blossom City had also appeared as a guest. Da Si couldn’t have been prouder—he nearly ordered firecrackers to be set off on the spot.However, Zheng Tiao bowed apologetically and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Da Si, but I find the scenery here quite unique. There's no need to trouble the attendants to move my seat."
What scenery could there be in such a remote seat, with splashing water in front and rustling grass, insects, and birds behind? The crowd was puzzled.
Hearing this, Ji Bozhai paused slightly before casting a glance his way.
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