“You’ll naturally have nothing to fear after surviving the most precarious of environments.”

Everybody rolled their eyes silently.

“That’s why everybody should carry medicine and the like on yourself just in case they really do implement new rules for the finals to catch you off guard.”

“Got it, Mentor.”

“We understand.”

“Alright, since everybody has eaten, let’s head out.”

Everybody got up and walked outside, heading toward the Shenghua Battle Arena in pairs.

“There should be no issue with drawing lots from now on. I reckon the capabilities of the remaining teams to be pretty much the same.” Zhou Danjin continued, “Xuanxuan, you go draw lots today and tomorrow.”

Qiao Mu cast Mentor Zhou a look: She didn’t expect this mentor to be so considerate. He actually realized that drawing lots was annoying her to no end!

Qi Xuanxuan naturally nodded without objections.

The majority of teams that got eliminated did not leave the arena.

Even though they could not continue competing, they still chose to stay and observe the remaining matches. After all, they could learn a lot from observing actual battles.

This opportunity was hard to come by, so no one was willing to let go of this chance to study and improve. Furthermore, the students that got eliminated from the competition were also indignant and wanted to know which academies would make it on the podium this year.

Qiao Mu sat down and watched Qi Xuanxuan walk up onto stage.

There were 170 teams competing in this round. Upon stepping on stage, the head referee Elder Hong announced, “The Six Prefectures’ top 10 academies have decided at the last minute that the top 30 teams that will advance to the finals must be determined today. It must happen even if the fighting has to last until dawn! Does everybody have the confidence to continue competing?”

“Yes!” The representatives of the 170 academies responded loudly.

Qi Xuanxuan griped in her heart: Mentor Zhou and them guessed right. Look, wasn’t this ploy about to unfold?

Qi Xuanxuan drew a bamboo stick with the number 18, and she met the gaze of the representative who had also pulled the same number. She didn’t say anything and directly hopped off the stage, making her way back to her seat.

—-My Qiao’s section break—-

The Ultramarine Province.

Our dear Duan Yue headed out before the sky even brightened. He kept yawning drowsily as he sat inside the imperial carriage that swayed side to side.

The junior eunuch accompanying him sat in a kneeling position beside him. He would intermittently have to support his master’s head to prevent the latter from knocking on the window.

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the heavy carriage curtain and onto his exquisite face that was as translucent as jade.

Even the Qing Vassal Prince, who was known as the prettiest man in Phoenix Imperial City, was wholly inferior to His Fourth Highness when comparing facial features.

The junior eunuch was musing this over when he heard a low voice come from outside the carriage. “Your Highness, we have arrived at Taiyuan Mountain.”

“Your Highness, Your Highness.” The junior eunuch was supporting his master’s drooping head, and he couldn’t resist twitching his mouth. “Your Highness, we will be ascending the mountain.”

Duan Yue opened his misty peach-blossom eyes, which were in a daze.

He heard a rather shrill voice announce, “The Qing Vassal King and the Qing Vassal Prince request an audience with His Majesty.”

Duan Yue was instantly wide awake. When he thought of that Qing Vassal Prince rumored to have eight heads, his eyes flickered. “Let’s go take a look.”

“Uh, Your Highness, please slow down.”

Before waiting for the junior eunuch to pull open the curtain, Duan Yue had already jumped off the carriage.

Looking up ahead, he saw the crown prince of the Ultramarine Province, Rong Li, slowly descend from his carriage with assistance from two attendants.