“I started killing on the battlefield at age eight, surviving countless brushes with death. What’s this kind of injury to me now?” Ji Yongning looked down at Wenren Li and said coldly. “Compared to you academy prodigies, I’m someone who lived through blood and fire.”
Wenren Li looked weak and heavily wounded. He wanted to say something, but before he could open his mouth, he fainted.
“That guy’s injuries are obviously worse than my big brother’s, and yet he still stood up like nothing happened,” Wenren Suo muttered from the side.
“In terms of raw combat strength, the two are about equal,” Xu Zimo said with a smile. “But cousin Li grew up in an academy. He hasn’t experienced many true life-and-death battles. His willpower is nowhere near his opponent’s.”
“Take Li down to get treated,” Wenren Jingshi said calmly. “In that case, the match goes to Prince Ji.”
With that decision made, Ji Yongning finally left the stage, clearly exhausted. His movements were slow and careful.
Someone tried to help him, but he waved them off.
Even in this state, he kept his back straight and walked off proudly.
Ji Yunzou nodded at him with a satisfied smile.
Beside him, the second prince, Ji Yongzhou, frowned slightly and immediately stepped forward.
He looked toward the younger generation of the Wenren Clan and asked in a booming voice, “Who dares to fight?”
The juniors of the Wenren Clan looked at each other, their eyes burning with battle intent. They turned to Wenren Jingshi, asking for permission.
“Tianming, just make sure you win,” Wenren Jingshi said with a wave of his hand.
Wenren Tianming nodded silently and stepped onto the stage.
Ji Yongzhou also stepped up, his voice like thunder: “Let’s not waste time, let’s settle this in one move.”
Wenren Tianming nodded slightly in agreement.
As soon as Ji Yongzhou finished speaking, his aura surged. Behind him, golden light burst out and a spirit resembling a ghost appeared.
Unlike Ji Yongning’s evil ghost, Ji Yongzhou’s was more like a benevolent ghost.
It had a Buddha-like smiling face and was laughing loudly. Its body was covered in golden energy, and it held a golden mace.
The ghost laughed eerily while advancing on Wenren Tianming. It looked fat, waddling forward like a roly-poly toy.
Every step it took shook the stage and echoed loudly.
Wenren Tianming remained calm. Misty energy flowed around him, enveloping the entire stage.
With a wave of his right hand, the mist condensed.
In an instant, he had created an identical copy of Ji Yongzhou’s benevolent ghost.
Seeing this, Ji Yongzhou frowned and sent his ghost forward with a punch.
Boom! Both ghosts were knocked back equally, neither gaining the upper hand.
“What’s going on?” Ji Yongzhou asked in shock. “How do you have my True Fate?”
Wenren Tianming didn’t answer. He waved his hand again, and now, along with the benevolent ghost, an evil ghost identical to Ji Yongning’s appeared.
“It’s manifestation,” Xu Zimo said with interest from the sidelines.
Seeing that, he finally understood why his grandfather was nurturing Wenren Tianming, despite him being a branch family member.
Manifestation is an extremely powerful ability.
But it’s not something one can casually obtain or use as their True Fate.
Legend says that among the Ten Forbidden Grounds of the Primordial Heartlands, there’s a place called Illusion City.
It’s a floating city in the sky, said to be a remnant from ancient mythic times.
The city constantly drifts through the air and is extremely difficult to locate.
It’s said that anyone who enters the city gains a mysterious power, the ability to manifest anything they imagine into reality.
But the price of gaining this power is being trapped in Illusion City forever.
No matter how powerful one’s cultivation is, they eventually die of old age inside as a mortal.
Of course, all things have a sliver of hope.
Those who enter the city must face a test. If they pass, they don’t have to stay.
Instead, Illusion City will grant them a Manifestation Crystal.
It sounds simple, but in all of history, very few people have returned.
Ninety-nine percent of those who enter die there, trapped for life.
Xu Zimo guessed that Wenren Tianming had entered Illusion City and returned safely, gaining the power of manifestation.
...
Back on the stage, the battle was in full swing.
Ji Yongzhou’s benevolent ghost was being thoroughly suppressed.
Wenren Tianming controlled his manifested ghosts, the evil and the good, and sandwiched Ji Yongzhou’s True Fate in the middle, striking from both sides.
Before long, a scream rang out as Ji Yongzhou’s True Fate was shattered.
He collapsed and didn’t move.
Wenren Tianming looked down at him coldly, waved his hand, and the two ghosts vanished.
Then he walked off the stage calmly.
Ji Yongning helped Ji Yongzhou off the stage.
Before he left, Ji Yongning gave Wenren Tianming a deep look.
Wenren Tianming usually kept a low profile. The royal court knew little about him.
He always stayed near Wenren Jingshi and rarely appeared or did anything particularly noteworthy.
But after this match, the royal family officially marked him for close observation.
At this point, Ji Yongzhou looked pale from the damage to his True Fate.
He lowered his head in shame before Ji Yunzou.
“Victory and defeat are normal. You lost fair and square,” Ji Yunzou said flatly.
“To return from Illusion City, one of the Ten Forbidden Grounds, means that young man is no ordinary person. And we had no intel on him. He’s hidden himself well!”
“Father, let me fight the next match,” said the last remaining prince, stepping forward.
“Go. I don’t care much about win or loss in a spar, but winning would be best,” Ji Yunzou nodded.
The last prince nodded.
Unlike the other two princes, he wore a light yellow robe embroidered with several six-clawed serpents.
He had fair skin, a high nose bridge, and a very handsome appearance.
As he stepped onto the stage, the crowd fell silent.
“That’s the Seventh Prince, right?” someone whispered.