On this day, the weather was noticeably better than the past few days. The sky was clear with not a cloud in sight, creating a sunny and warm atmosphere throughout Asterisk City.
Perhaps due to the weather, the mood of the people in Asterisk City was unusually high. One by one, they opened their Space Screen to watch the live broadcast from Sirius Dome.
Restaurants, cafes, game arcades, and even various schools were filled with people, and everywhere you looked, you could see people with their Space Screen activated.
Those who didn't have their Space Screen open rushed towards Sirius Dome. These fortunate individuals had managed to acquire entrance tickets, allowing them to watch the matches live at the venue. With the influx of people, the seats at Sirius Dome's spectator stands once again became completely occupied.
Even though the matches had not officially begun yet, the cheers of the audience were already echoing in succession, elevating the atmosphere to a higher level.
At this moment, the start of the matches was still about twenty minutes away.
Today's match featured Fang Li and Cecily.
However, Fang Li and Cecily were not in the contestant lounge at Sirius Dome. Instead, they were in the audience room of the Yellow Dragon Temple.
"Puppets, huh?" Fan Xinglou sat in a comfortable chair, watching the grouping information displayed on the floating space window in front of her. A slightly childish smile had adorned her face since the beginning.
"Those girls from Arlequint Academy are truly amazing. They've managed to create something like that. This era is indeed full of talents," Fan Xinglou commented.
Upon hearing Fan Xinglou's words, everyone present exchanged glances and displayed helpless expressions on their faces.
Among those present were Fang Li and Cecily, who were standing side by side in the central hall, and Zhao Hufeng, who was accompanying them.
All three of them knew that Fan Xinglou's comment was somewhat inappropriate. Even Fang Li didn't know how often he had faced the Immortal Tools personally crafted by Fan Xinglou.
While those Immortal Tools might not possess human qualities like Ardi and Rimsy, in terms of combat power, they were much stronger than ordinary Genestellar.
Moreover, it wasn't certain that Fan Xinglou didn't have even more powerful Immortal Tools, possibly surpassing Ardi and Rimsy in strength. In that case, it wouldn't be surprising if the entire group of Immortal Tools were stronger.
"However, our opponents this time are undoubtedly very formidable," Zhao Hufeng offered his opinion. "Especially that puppet named Ardi, it seems to possess a powerful defensive ability. With Junior Brother Fang and Cecily's attack power, it's estimated that breaking through that defensive barrier would be impossible."
Indeed, Ardi's defensive barrier was incredibly sturdy and had remained unbroken until now. Sirius Dome's stage also had a similar type of defensive barrier, placed around the battlefield primarily to protect the audience from any collateral damage. Ardi's defensive barrier was of the same type.
"Breaking through that defensive barrier seems nearly impossible," Zhao Hufeng continued. "Unless Master allows Junior Brother Fang to use 'that.'"
"That?" Cecily became curious and quickly asked, "What's that? Could it be the technique Master forbade Junior Brother from using?"
"It's more of an ability than a technique," Zhao Hufeng glanced at Fang Li, who remained silent, and said earnestly to Fan Xinglou, "Master, will you allow Junior Brother to use that ability?"
"While that might be interesting, it feels like there won't be any suspense in the match, and it won't be enjoyable anymore. After all, this is a competition, and the main point is to enjoy it," Fan Xinglou replied somewhat mischievously.
She then looked meaningfully at Fang Li and added, "Moreover, even if you don't use that pair of eyes, you should still have a way to deal with that defensive barrier, right?"
Upon hearing this, Fang Li raised his eyebrows slightly but responded with a question of his own, saying, "Since Master doesn't allow her disciple to use my eyes, would it be acceptable for her disciple to use Bo Xie?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Zhao Hufeng, frowning, quickly responded, "Junior Brother, even though our opponents are puppets, they haven't used Ogre Lux either. If you use Ogre Lux, even if you win, wouldn't that be taking an advantage?"
Clearly, Zhao Hufeng still adhered to his belief that one should not rely solely on the power of weapons but should instead strive for personal improvement.
"Being able to use a good weapon is also a form of strength," Fang Li retorted with a wry smile on his face. "The most important thing is not to forget self-improvement because of the powerfulness of a weapon itself, rather than whether or not to use the weapon."
"You're not wrong," Zhao Hufeng maintained his stance, saying, "But continually relying on powerful weapons can create dependency. Leaving Lux aside, Ogre Lux itself possesses formidable power, so it's better to use it sparingly."
"But, Senior Brother, I've already concealed my abilities to a great extent. Should I not even use Ogre Lux?" Fang Li spread his hands and continued, "This way, it would be unfair to the opponent, wouldn't it?"
Before Zhao Hufeng could respond, Fan Xinglou spoke up.
"Alright, neither of your opinions is wrong, there's no need to argue like this," Fan Xinglou waved her hand and then said to Fang Li, "I gave you Bo Xie so you could use it. Since you don't intend to use that pair of eyes, then use Bo Xie."
Zhao Hufeng was left speechless while Fang Li smiled faintly and didn't say anything more.
"Alright, the match is about to begin," Fan Xinglou clapped her hands and said cheerfully, "I hope you two won't disappoint me."
She wasn't referring to the outcome, but rather the process.
Fang Li and Cecily immediately nodded in response.
At that moment, Fan Xinglou waved her hand, and the space where Fang Li and Cecily were located suddenly distorted, like a vortex, swallowing them up.
Fang Li and Cecily felt a momentary disorientation, and when they regained their senses, they found themselves in the contestant lounge at Sirius Dome.
They exchanged a glance, both smiling simultaneously. They left the lounge, entered the contestant's passage, and made their way toward the stage.
"OoohOoohOoohOoohOooh————!"
Cheers erupted throughout Sirius Dome, sounding like screams of excitement that seemed never-ending.
...
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