On the second day of the competition, although the number of contestants had been significantly reduced, the audience was even more lively.
After all, with fewer players, it's easier for evenly matched opponents to be drawn together, making the matches more exciting.
Furthermore, starting from the semi-finals, the time limit for each match was removed. The two players no longer need to worry about being eliminated together and can freely engage in a back-and-forth battle.
To their disappointment, Ji Mofan and Fang Xuan, who were the most likely to win the championship, still drew opponents whose strength was far inferior to their own in today's semi-finals.
Fang Xuan's side had at least exchanged a few moves, but the difference in strength between Ji Mo Fan and his side was simply outrageous. He didn't even draw his sword; with a casual wave of his hand while the sword was still in its sheath, a wave of spiritual energy sent his opponent off the stage.
Before the opponent could even react, the referee had already declared the match over.
Ji Mofan spent more time walking between the contestants' seats and the ring than actually participating in the match.
Sitting next to him, Xiao Wangyan nudged him with his elbow, "Aren't you tired of pretending?"
Ji Mofan glanced at him indifferently, "Why don't you try pushing down an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator with the strength of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator?"
He wasn't nearly as nonchalant as he appeared on the stage.
However, he kept in mind the advice the puppet had given him yesterday, and tried to minimize his conspicuousness without affecting his goals.
Even so, Ji Mofan could still feel a faint gaze fixed on him.
Without turning around, you can tell that the source of the view is the viewing platform at the top.
Unlike his previous life, when he remained hidden in the shadows to observe the ceremony, the Venerable Master Qu Jin sat in the open from the very beginning.
Although he seemed to be aimlessly observing everyone on the stage, Ji Mofan always felt that he was paying attention to him alone.
That makes sense, considering that a demon lord was sitting next to him. It's normal to pay extra attention to him to prevent any unforeseen events.
But after so many things happened last night, Ji Mofan felt that the gazes fixed on him carried a hint of ill intent.
Unlike yesterday, the semi-finals did not see a rapid turnover of contestants. Instead, when a ring became empty, a contestant waiting in the ring immediately took their place.
Ji Mofan stared at the game on the field for a while.
"Demon Lord, when you transformed the puppet into a humanoid form," he suddenly asked, "did you do it all by yourself?"
“I thought you’d only think of asking this question in your next life,” Xiao Wangyan said.
Ji Mo Fan silently looked away.
It's already the next life... Ah, is it okay to say that?
"No." Xiao Wangyan's voice sounded somewhat dejected. "Although I have lived for a thousand years, unfortunately, apart from fighting, I have no talent in any other area."
After all, he was a demonic cultivator who broke through to the Mahayana stage before he was a hundred years old. He didn't need to ponder whether to ascend or stay in this world like the righteous path. So, the remaining thousand years were just boring.
In this light, it's really not surprising that he neglected his duties during his tenure and went sightseeing.
Anyone locked up for a long time without anything new to do would go crazy with boredom.
“Throughout the entire refining process, I was only responsible for finding materials and providing demonic energy; the real refiner was someone else,” Xiao Wangyan continued.
Ji Mofan felt that his tone sounded a bit strange.
Perhaps it should be called a sixth sense, or perhaps the demonic energy within him, originating from Xiao Wangyan, was helping Ji Mofan understand a deeper meaning. He felt as if something had flashed through his mind, within reach.
"Have I seen that person before?" He turned his head, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.
"Probably," Xiao Wangyan said. "He is one of the twenty-eight demon generals of the demon realm, and he mainly stays in the border towns near the frontier."
"Wu Qi?" Ji Mo Fan asked.
Xiao Wangyan raised an eyebrow.
“...No wonder.” Ji Mofan couldn’t help but raise his hand to cover his lips, his wide eyes slightly dilating.
Wu Qi's attitude towards him was always strange, clearly different from that of the other demon generals.
Leaving aside Miao Miao and Xi He, they have a close relationship, so it's understandable that their ways of getting along are different.
But Wu Qi's attitude was unusual almost from the very first time he met him.
Their first meeting was in the main hall of the Demon Palace, where none of the demon generals took Ji Mofan, a righteous cultivator with only the Nascent Soul stage strength, seriously.
But Wu Qi was different; he even bowed to him before the duel began.
At the time, Ji Mofan only felt something was strange, but did not pay much attention to it.
After all, he didn't know what kind of person Wu Qi was usually, nor did he know what he had been through before.
Besides, the other demon generals next to him didn't seem to mind, so why was he being so dramatic?
The strange things finally connected in my mind, forming the truth before my eyes.
Wu Qi probably knew who Ji Mofan was the moment he saw him, even more than Xi He, who had always been led by the nose by him.
Ultimately, their ability to break out of the Demon Realm's border city almost unscathed was most likely due to his behind-the-scenes support.
No wonder he pretended not to have seen Ning Weisheng before.
Suddenly, someone reached out and tapped my head.
Ji Mofan raised his head and looked at Xiao Wangyan.
“But he is also the most suspicious person to betray you,” he said.
Xiao Wangyan nodded. "Although I wouldn't say I trust him completely, he does know a lot of things that others don't. For example, your existence, and the extent of my transformation back then."
Ji Mofan turned his head back, tapping his chin with his fingertip and falling silent.
The ability to craft puppets into human-like structures is a rare skill among weapon refiners; at least, Ji Mofan had never seen it before.
The only exception is the puppet in Sheng Xi's hands.
It seems that it was no coincidence that it suddenly disappeared from Shengxi's side.
But why did they kidnap the puppet but not destroy it completely, instead allowing it to enter the market?
No one expected that Sheng Xi would go mad from losing the puppet that had accompanied him through his childhood, and that he would unexpectedly run to the Demon Realm to find him.
The question was abruptly cut off in his mind as a shout reached Ji Mofan's ears.
He snapped out of his daze and turned his gaze back to the arena in front of him.
The sound erupted from the audience seats, where a vacuum had suddenly formed.
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