Dong, dong, dong...
Dawn had broken. The morning light shimmered over the distant sea, and the rumbling toll of a bell echoed through Artifact Cloud Valley.
Outside the valley, people turned toward it. Those who sensed what was coming stared at the Light Screen overhead and shouted, "The final contest is about to begin!"
Those who had waited on-site had secured the best viewing spots, Duan Xiangmei among them.
Most only left their inns after hearing the commotion, heading for open spaces to look up at the images in the Mirror Projection.
Xiang Lan'er and Feng Chi, their hearts heavy, were among them. Both kept instinctively scanning their surroundings. Now, everyone they saw seemed like someone the Stargazing Pavilion had sent to watch them.
Mulan Qingqing, her white clothes pristine as snow, was unused to drifting along with a crowd. For now, however, she could only endure her discomfort and head into the ever-thickening throng.
Lan Qiaoyan and her daughter were drinking tea on their inn's terrace. With the information Gong Shaoci had provided, they had learned at once that the contest would not begin until after dawn. Both had slept well the night before and naturally looked refreshed now.
Outside the Tournament Grounds in the Victory Spirit Continent Royal Capital, Bian Weiying and the other two approached the guards and gave Wei Mo's name. The guards asked them to wait while they went to verify it.
They had come after all, and naturally, they had come because of Shi Chun. It was not that they cared about him; they simply wanted to see what he could make of himself after leaving Mount Wukang.
They neither cared about Shi Chun nor wished him well. That included Bian Weiying-none of them wished him well.
Even Bian Weiying hoped Shi Chun would