The Sword-wielding Elder, Prince Xu, arrived on a flying sword, genuinely paying attention to the Tianqi Academy disciples. This truly filled the other disciples with envy and resentment, leaving them feeling incredibly conflicted.
But so what? There was no point in agonizing further.
Prince Xu arrived at the Tianqi Academy's table without even saying a word. Like Zhao Qi, he pulled up a small chair and sat down.
The presence of the three innate masters was undeniable. For the next moment, the Qionghua Academy disciples, closest to the Tianqi Academy, remained incredibly quiet, not even daring to glance in their direction.
The three of them, on the other hand, would occasionally exchange a few insignificant conversations.
Meng Junyi was completely reassured. The contrast between the two events was so stark that he was momentarily caught off guard and even forgot to salute the Biyou Sect's foremost figure.
Ming Qi estimated it was around nine in the morning. Finally, amidst the eager anticipation of the disciples, the organizer of the Golden Autumn Festival announced the start of the first round.
The first round of the Golden Autumn Festival, naturally, began with the senior disciples and senior sisters representing each academy approaching the judging table to draw their ring numbers and opponents.
Since Tianqi Academy had not participated for the past five years, the twenty-six academies were divided into thirteen groups. But this year was different. With Tianqi Academy joining, the number of matches became odd, so after a brief discussion, one academy would receive a bye in the first round.
The drawing was completed quickly, but when Meng Junyi returned with the nameplates for the ring numbers and opponents, his expression was a little uneasy.
"It's Jiulian Academy,"
Meng Junyi said, holding up the nine-lotus-shaped plaque representing Jiulian Academy.
Within the Jiulian Academy, there was Si Kou Yu, who had been ranked ninth on the previous Talent List. Although Ming Qi and the others had some prior knowledge of Si Kou Yu, they hadn't expected to encounter him in the first round.
They only had a vague idea of Si Kou Yu's true strength, but since they had drawn him, they had to give it their all.
After the draw, there was a half-hour preparation period, during which Tang Qi detailed the rules of the Golden Autumn Festival.
The rules of the Golden Autumn Festival were simple: there was no limit to the number of rounds between the two academies. As long as anyone was willing to try, they could continue the fight. The team with the most wins would win and advance to the next round.
For the selection of the participating disciples, the head of each academy would submit their names a quarter of an hour in advance, and the person in charge of each arena would announce the names at the appointed time. Once the participating disciples were confirmed, they could not be changed.
"Boy, it's your turn for the first match! I'm counting on you!"
Just as Tang Qi nervously explained the rules of the Golden Autumn Festival, Dan Pavilion Elder Zhao Qi reached out his fat hand, patted Ming Qi, and immediately assigned him the position.
As for why Zhao Qi suddenly decided to come to Tianqi Academy, perhaps only he knew the answer.
The old gatekeeper at the Trial Pavilion had recommended Ming Qi to him more than once. The reason was simple: even Crown Prince Xu was very optimistic about Ming Qi; there was no reason he could be a loser.
So, Zhao Qi had indeed come. Naturally, he wanted to first assess the boy's skills and comprehension, and more importantly, to see if he had any talent for cultivation.
In Zhao Qi's view, as long as Ming Qi had talent for cultivation, he would have the necessary qualifications to become a Dan Pavilion disciple. After all, delving into the art of alchemy is a very time-consuming endeavor. If one doesn't even have enough time to practice, how can one find the time to study alchemy?
Seeing Zhao Qi's chubby face, Ming Qi suddenly felt that this fat man's arrival might be tainted with some malicious intent.
"You'll do it."
Prince Xu finally spoke. Needless to say, he wanted to test Ming Qi's abilities. While he knew he had some talent for swordsmanship, it would be useless if his skills were completely useless.
"Okay, then I'll take on that Si Kou Yu, so the others can have some relief."
Ming Qi's seemingly righteous words were met with silent scorn from the others.
Are you sure you'll meet Si Kou Yu in the first round?
Nonsense!
The Tianqi Academy confirmed the candidates for the first round, and Prince Xu even informed the referee at ring number six via voice transmission. Not long after, the Jiulian Academy also confirmed their candidates.
Thirty minutes later, as the Spiritual Qi Bell chimed on time, the referee began announcing the ring positions.
"Jiulian Court Si Kou Yu, Tianqi Court Ming Qi, Arena Number Six."
Yes, Ming Qi had been right. His opponent was indeed Si Kou Yu, ninth on the previous Talent List.
Seeing the others looking a little nervous, Ming Qi gave a mischievous smile and said, "I burned a stick of incense last night, and sure enough, I ran into a girl today."
With that, he strode out of the Tianqi Court seats and headed for Arena Number Six.
As Ming Qi took the stage, a young woman from Jiulian Court also emerged from the seats. Her dress swayed, her steps were ethereal, and her aura was restrained. At first glance, she was a master with profound cultivation.
"Go Senior Sister Yu!"
"Go Senior Sister Yu!"
As Si Kou Yu emerged from her seats, the Jiulian Court disciples behind her cheered enthusiastically.
Compared to this side, Ming Qi was a bit of a standoff. Tianqi Academy only had a handful of people, so few could be counted on one hand. Even if he screamed at the top of his lungs, he couldn't create this kind of momentum.
Watching Si Kou Yu across from him walk to the front of the ring, tap his toes on the ground, and lightly leap onto it, Ming Qi, on the other hand, was quite unassuming. He walked step by step to the front of the ring, and then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he slowly climbed up, holding onto the railing.
…
"Hey, this kid is such a loser."
Zhao Qi shamelessly expressed his dissatisfaction with words.
After climbing onto the high stage, Ming Qi shamelessly clapped his hands to dust off his clothes, then raised his head to look at Si Kou Yu across from him.
"This guy is so weak! How could he possibly be a match for Senior Sister Yu?"
"That's right, he's such a loser! He can't even make it onto the stage."
...
Ming Qi's actions were witnessed by all. The disciples of Jiulian Academy erupted in shouts of dissatisfaction, calling him "the ultimate loser," "the ultimate weaker," "the ultimate fool," and so on. Suddenly, the Jiulian Academy's literary talent had unknowingly risen to a new level.
The referee for stage six was a middle-aged man with a stubbled face. He was probably not at the Xiantian realm, but from his seat, he exuded a formidable intimidation.
The referee hadn't announced the start of the competition yet, so Ming Qi had plenty of time to observe Si Kou Yu up close.
While the girl wasn't breathtakingly beautiful, her round face, bright eyes, and delicate nose and mouth all combined to create a truly pleasing look.
To be fair, in terms of temperament, Si Kou Yu seemed even more refined than Xiao Lingyun.
"Who did you lose to last year?"
Ming Qi opened his mouth with this question, a bit of an upset.
"Qunseiin Higashijo Takeshi, are you new here?"
Si Kouyu remained calm. Despite Ming Qi's untimely question, she answered it seriously.
"Senior Sister Yu is smart. I'm a complete newbie."
Ming Qi said with a smile, then added, "So, Senior Sister Yu, please show some mercy."
"Of course. I won't kill him. The referee is watching."
Si Kouyu was, after all, a master who had participated in the Golden Autumn Festival and made the Talent List. Naturally, she was calm and composed, and she didn't take Ming Qi's teasing remarks seriously.
"So, what is Senior Sister Yu's goal for this Golden Autumn Festival?"
Ming Qi simply changed the subject. Since the referee hadn't announced the start yet, it would be a good opportunity to exchange some thoughts.
"I just want the Tianyuan Pill."
Si Kou Yu was direct, and there was no need to lie to Ming Qi. She had been stuck in the ninth level of the Acquired Realm for over a year, having tried countless times to succeed. Therefore, at this Golden Autumn Festival, she didn't care about any particular ranking. As long as she could get the Tianyuan Pill as a reward, she would have a good chance of reaching the Xiantian realm.
And once she reached the Xiantian realm, the Acquired Talent Ranking would be nothing to her.
Hearing this, Ming Qi immediately revealed a look of relief. "That's good, that's good. You didn't try to compete with me for first place."
Si Kou Yu's expression froze. Just as she was about to say something, she heard the referee say, "Both parties, get ready. The ring begins!"
As soon as the referee said that, Si Kou Yu was the first to step back, putting distance between them and Ming Qi.
"Three!"
The referee began counting down.
Ming Qi, of course, knew that after the referee counted down to three, both sides could begin the exchange of blows.
Seeing Si Kou Yu skillfully distance himself, Ming Qi remained calm. Since his opponent had distanced himself, there was no need for him to rush. This, in turn, gave him a slight advantage.
"Two!"
"One!"
The acquired duel featured no flashy displays of magical powers, nor the thrilling clash of powerful magical weapons. It primarily relied on physical strength and weaponry. Before the referee's final word had fully fallen, Si Kou Yu's right hand had already swiped from his sleeve, and a clear, aqua-blue blade shone.
The longsword Shui Yue, like Ming Qi's Ni Feng, was a mid-grade spiritual weapon. Furthermore, this Shui Yue had been imbued with an innate magical power by a master of innate power through a magic array. This showed that, as mid-grade spiritual weapons, Ming Qi's Ni Feng seemed slightly inferior to Shui Yue.
After all, in an acquired duel, the sudden appearance of an innate magical power could completely overturn the outcome of the battle.
"Are you ready to unleash Broken Curtain Water Moon Slash?"
Ming Qi, sword in hand, braced for defense, even as he directly inquired about the other party's innate magical power.
Swish!
Si Kou Yu clearly had no intention of answering this question. He thrust his Water Moon longsword, his figure swirling, and launched the first attack.
The sword light chased, dazzling and cold.