Feng Qi initially thought Qin Shikong's fortune-telling was just a joke.
Growing up, he had never believed that fortune-telling could truly predict a person's future or fate. However, when Qin Shikong mentioned that he would die young, it stirred something within Feng Qi—perhaps this eccentric Daoist really had some ability.
Qin Shikong raised his Bagua disc, looked up at the starry sky, and began a second reading. He occasionally glanced at Feng Qi during the process.
After a series of incomprehensible maneuvers, Qin Shikong's expression became increasingly grave. When he finally stopped, Feng Qi asked immediately,
"What does this reading say?"
"The omens have shifted. I… never mind," Qin Shikong replied, shaking his head.
[This old Daoist is toying with us! Just punch him!] the narrator roared in Feng Qi's mind.
Feng Qi was equally baffled. From Qin Shikong's expression, it seemed as though he had seen something truly significant. With this in mind, Feng Qi asked again,
"No matter what the omen says, just tell me. I can handle it."
Hearing this, Qin Shikong suddenly burst into laughter.
"Kid, I was just messing with you. Did you really think I could predict your future? Who even believes in this stuff anymore?"
Feng Qi: …
At that moment, he truly felt the urge to punch Qin Shikong. However, for some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Qin Shikong's words than met the eye. Still, since the man seemed unwilling to elaborate, Feng Qi chose not to press further.
"Do you believe in fate?" Qin Shikong asked suddenly.
"I don't!" Feng Qi replied without hesitation.
"Why not?"
"The path I walk is beneath my feet. It's up to me to decide how I tread it. If fate dares block my way, I'll defy it!"
"Hahaha! Well said! Don't let a bad reading hold you back. Kid, you've got some guts," Qin Shikong said with a hearty laugh.
He pulled a wine gourd from his waist, uncorked it, and took a swig.
"You're interesting, kid. Share a drink with me."
With that, he tossed the wine gourd to Feng Qi.
Catching it, Feng Qi was about to take a sip when the narrator's voice rang out in his mind:
[That gourd might have his Daoist germs on it. One sip, and you might end up pregnant.]
Hearing this, Feng Qi immediately lost the will to drink. With a slight grimace, he tossed the gourd back.
"I don't drink."
"This isn't ordinary wine. It's my personal spiritual brew, something I only drink when injured."
"Thanks, but no thanks. I don't drink."
[Heh. Funny, coming from the guy who just ordered a batch of brewing materials for Clear Mind Wine a few days ago. Now you're playing innocent? This is as fake as a playboy saying, 'I've never been in love before.' Pfft!]
Ignoring the narrator's snark, Feng Qi looked at Qin Shikong and asked,
"May I know your name?"
"Qin Shikong of the Qingtian Domain Combat Squad."
"Pleasure to meet you," Feng Qi said with a polite smile.
"You probably haven't even heard of me. Don't try that fake politeness. You city folk love to talk in circles, and I don't like it," Qin Shikong said, waving his hand dismissively.
At this time, Qin Shikong's Qingtian Domain Combat Squad clearly hadn't yet ascended to the ranks of the top hundred domain combat squads. Thus, he assumed Feng Qi's courtesy was mere flattery.
"So, what brings you to Victory Academy?" Feng Qi asked.
"Checking out the talent. Our squad suffered significant losses in the Fengling Domain Field recently, so we're looking to recruit."
Qin Shikong made no attempt to hide his intentions. After answering, he grinned and asked,
"Interested in joining my Qingtian Squad?"
"No thanks. If I said yes, my principal would probably charter a plane tonight just to drag me back."
"True enough. You're a research talent; joining my squad would be a waste," Qin Shikong chuckled.
Rolling his eyes, Feng Qi countered with a question of his own,
"Since you claim to read fortunes, have you ever tried reading your own?"
The question caught Qin Shikong off guard. He paused before shaking his head with a smile.
"I've thought about it but never actually tried."
"Why not? Is it like those novels where fortune-tellers lose years off their lives if they reveal heaven's secrets or divine their own fate?"
"It's more fun to walk into the unknown. That way, life still has surprises waiting. Besides, fortune-telling is just a hobby of mine—it's never been accurate."
Hearing this, Feng Qi was reminded of his own experiences in the future timelines. Seeing the future laid bare was a kind of despair.
As they chatted, the rapport between the two grew naturally. After some time, Feng Qi bid farewell and returned to his room, closing the balcony door behind him.
Left alone, Qin Shikong resumed gazing at the stars, as though searching for patterns in the vast sky. A moment later, he glanced at the spot where Feng Qi had stood, his expression tinged with confusion.
Back in his room, Feng Qi unpacked, retrieved his pajamas, and went about his nightly routine. After a shower and brushing his teeth, he lay on the bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, he woke early. To ensure no one overslept and missed the tournament, he called all his students one by one.
After freshening up, he waited in front of the dormitory. Before long, Lin Ran and the others arrived, looking well-rested. Only Hui Xu appeared bleary-eyed, his face showing clear signs of exhaustion.
Feng Qi led them to breakfast. Afterward, they strolled through Victory Academy, taking in the sights.
While Victory Academy's total area wasn't as vast as Star City Academy's, its layout was meticulously designed. The area around the library resembled a pre-cataclysm garden, with mountains, water features, and pavilions. In the pond in front of the library building, goldfish swam lazily, and some students could be seen feeding them as they passed by.
The architectural style of the teaching area was notably utilitarian. Everywhere, there were sand pits for combat training and various outdoor training equipment. Additionally, in front of the teaching buildings were military simulation sand tables used for strategy exercises.
After two hours of wandering around, they only managed to explore part of Victory Academy. With the Freshman Championship approaching, they headed toward the academy's combat arena.
Moments later, Feng Qi led the group to a square arena about the size of a soccer field. By this time, the audience seats on both sides of the arena were filled with Victory Academy students and visiting domain combat squad members.
On the stage, the two participating teams from Group A were ready, listening attentively to the referee explain the competition rules.
The rules were in place to ensure the participants' safety—a common issue in competitive combat.
Even in pre-cataclysm times, combat sports required limitations on techniques and protections for participants. Despite these precautions, injuries and disabilities were not uncommon.
In the modern post-cataclysm world, the risks were even higher. While the students competing weren't combat veterans, as cultivators, their attacks could be devastating. A small mistake could result in fatal injuries.
Each match carried a high risk of casualties. For body-focused cultivators, their physical resilience offered some protection. However, for purely spiritual cultivators, being hit by a single lethal spell could cost them their lives, if not leave them severely injured.
Preventing fatalities was a priority, but the reality was that injuries in competitive matches were inevitable. This was one of the core reasons Feng Qi had been so eager to develop Breaking Dawn.
When the referee finished explaining the rules, he stepped off the arena. The two teams then moved to their respective starting positions on either side of the stage.
As the starting pistol fired, both teams sprang into action.
On the left stood the third combat class from Winterfell Academy. Though not their academy's top team, they were formidable, with high evaluations from outsiders. Opposing them was the third combat class from Old Day Academy.
The front-line fighters of both teams immediately advanced, while their rear-line members fell back to form a battle formation.
Leading the charge, Winterfell Academy's team of twenty-three members launched a swift and aggressive attack against their opponents.
Winterfell's battle style had always been notoriously fierce. Their academy's motto, "Survival of the Fittest," encouraged internal competition and honed a combative mentality.
Their front-line fighters braved the oncoming barrage of spells and smashed into Old Day Academy's formation upon contact. The flanking members followed closely, cutting into the enemy's ranks and disrupting their formation.
Old Day Academy's team was momentarily thrown into disarray. Though they quickly regrouped and attempted a counterattack, the tide had already turned against them.
The match quickly devolved into a one-sided battle.
Seeing this, the audience could already predict the outcome. As expected, Winterfell Academy secured an overwhelming victory with their aggressive tactics.
Such was the nature of battles between cultivators.
In reality, combat wasn't turn-based, with each side taking turns. Nor did it resemble exaggerated battles in novels, where fighters exchanged elaborate techniques over drawn-out engagements.
There was no back-and-forth of escalating power, no prolonged exchanges culminating in a protagonist's triumphant transformation. Nor did fights stretch for multiple chapters with drawn-out tension.
In actual combat, battles between cultivators often concluded quickly. True stalemates were rare and typically occurred in body-focused combat.
For purely offense-oriented spiritual cultivators, victory or defeat often came in an instant.
Apart from defensive or auxiliary spells, such encounters resembled Western duels, where both parties hurled lethal techniques. Whoever landed the first blow won. In some cases, both sides might strike simultaneously, resulting in mutual injuries or death.
This reality underscored the importance of balanced squad configurations. A team needed tank-like members to absorb damage and shield the rear-line attackers.
As the first match concluded, medical personnel who had been standing by rushed onto the stage with stretchers. They began tending to the injured and transported those with severe injuries for emergency treatment.
Half an hour later, the arena's loudspeakers crackled to life with an announcement.
"Combat Class Three from Star City Academy, please proceed to the stage for preparation."
"Combat Class One from Future Academy, please proceed to the stage for preparation."
Hearing the broadcast, Feng Qi turned to look at Lü Yue and the others behind him and smiled, "Perform well out there. Don't embarrass Star City Academy!"
"Good luck!" Mu Qing cheered with a fist pump.
"If you win, I'll treat you all to a feast back at Star City Academy. Time to show off!" Lin Ran grinned broadly.
Lü Yue and the others nodded firmly. They took a short detour around the seating area and ascended the steps to the arena. Once they reached the center of the stage, the combat class from Future Academy also stepped up.
Seeing that Star City Academy's Combat Class Three had only ten members, the Future Academy students froze for a moment.
When reviewing the match roster earlier, they had noticed the discrepancy. All the other classes had a full roster of 60 participants, but this class had only ten. At the time, many assumed it was a mistake in the data upload.
Now, seeing it for themselves, they realized Star City Academy's Combat Class Three genuinely had just ten people.
They were bewildered and slightly exasperated. It was obvious they thought Combat Class Three was here as cannon fodder or to put on a token appearance.
At this point, the referee stepped forward, standing between the two teams, and began reiterating the rules.
Ten minutes later, the referee stepped off the stage, and both teams retreated to their respective sides.
The signal gun fired, and the match officially began.
Lü Yue confidently stepped forward, while Xia Long and Xia Hu advanced from the left, and Xia Bao and Yan Yue charged in from the right.
Seeing the ten-member team initiate an attack, the Future Academy combat class was momentarily stunned.
Lü Yue was surrounded by a swirling, sharp white sword aura. The air shimmered with piercing edges, and a whirlwind of sword qi surged forward, pressing down with an overwhelming force.
Even just brushing against the wind caused stinging pain to the Future Academy students' skin, as if an invisible blade had grazed them. Some of the weaker students even began to bleed slightly from the pressure.
Without even launching an actual attack, Lü Yue had already placed immense pressure on his opponents.
"Stay alert! Form up and defend!" the Future Academy team captain commanded.
At the captain's order, the support members quickly began drawing defensive spells. A glimmering, protective layer of flowing light enveloped the Future Academy students, shielding them from the invasive sword qi.
Meanwhile, the flanking assault pressed forward.
On the left, Xia Long and Xia Hu, and on the right, Xia Bao and Yan Yue, crashed into the formation, engaging the frontline fighters of the opposing team in intense combat.
Fists and kicks flew in a brutal melee, but the pressure was immense—each of them faced off against more than ten opponents. Fortunately, Cai Guo worked tirelessly from the rear, rapidly casting healing spells to treat injuries and restore stamina.
At this moment, Lü Yue stepped forward again.
Each step left deep sword marks on the arena floor, which was constructed from special spirit-mined materials. With every movement, it was as if countless sharp swords circled him.
He swung his arm forward, and an invisible wave of sword qi surged toward the opposing team.
The sword qi easily pierced the protective barriers of the Future Academy students, leaving bloody cuts on their bodies.
"Give up. Even all of you together are no match for me. If I truly attacked, none of you would leave this arena alive," Lü Yue declared coldly.
Hearing this, the Future Academy students' faces paled in shock. They realized Lü Yue wasn't bluffing—he genuinely had the ability to back up his words.
Offstage, Lin Ran facepalmed as he watched Lü Yue stand there, exuding an air of nonchalance. "Qi-ge, Lü Yue's showing off again."
"Let him. He's representing Star City Academy. Any display of power only adds to our academy's reputation," Feng Qi said with a grin.
Lin Ran paused, then burst out laughing.
Back on stage, Lü Yue stood motionless, radiating a suffocating aura that kept the Future Academy combatants frozen in place.
"You should surrender. There's no point in continuing," Lü Yue said again.
"No!" the Future Academy captain stubbornly shouted.
At that moment, Lü Yue's sword qi intensified, glowing with razor-sharp brilliance. The edges cut into the opponents' skin, causing blood to stream down their bodies.
"Surrender!" shouted the Future Academy instructor from the sidelines.
Hearing this, Lü Yue withdrew his sword qi with a wave of his hand.
"Combat Class One from Future Academy has conceded. The match is over," the referee declared loudly.
As the result was announced, the audience erupted into a cacophony of exclamations and murmurs.
Feng Qi gave Lü Yue a thumbs-up as he turned to look back. Seeing this, Lü Yue allowed a rare smile to cross his usually stoic face.
[Not bad for our top candidate for the graveyard slot. Strong, skilled, and a master show-off. Should we bring him along to join the Dawn Rebellion in the next timeline?]
"That's worth considering. Let's decide after we get back."