While tens of thousands of students below cheered for the fierce competition of the freshman tournament, the scene inside the circular Spectator Tower at the very top of the Arctic Crown was entirely different.
This was an exclusive space prepared only for the lead instructors from the major Martial Arts High Schools, official dignitaries of the Empire, and specially invited VIPs.
A massive, circular, floor-to-ceiling crystal wall offered a panoramic view of the Arctic Crown’s magnificent spectacle, making it seem as if the entire grand arena was underfoot.
Refreshments and drinks, composed of pure Energy Particles and emitting a faint halo, floated in the air, available for anyone to take at their leisure.
At this moment, the lead instructors from Morning Star’s top "Seven Great Martial Arts High Schools" were gathered in small groups, holding energy drinks and chatting in a seemingly relaxed manner.
Master Gu Yue, dressed in a practical black Combat Suit, stood quietly before the crystal wall, his gaze fixed on the tiny, ant-like arenas below.
"Master Gu Yue, your school is truly on a roll this year."
A smiling voice came from beside him.
The speaker was the lead instructor from Golden Dragon Martial High School, a middle-aged man named Jin Chengwu.
He wore a magnificent gold-and-red instructor’s uniform and was slightly heavyset. His face was fixed in the warm smile of a merchant, yet his eyes occasionally flashed with a glint of shrewdness and cunning.
"I heard that even those long-established, promising seedlings like Feng Ruyun and Li Dao Yi have graduated early. A move like that truly puts the rest of us to shame."
Jin Chengwu’s words seemed complimentary, but they were filled with probing intent.
"The students have their own paths to choose. As their teacher, all I can do is support them."
Master Gu Yue’s tone was as placid as still water, without the slightest ripple. He didn’t even glance back at Jin Chengwu.
"Haha, Master Gu Yue, no need to be so modest."
Jin Chengwu laughed, unbothered. "We heard a kid who skipped up from the first year has turned your entire senior class upside down. I’m quite looking forward to seeing him face off against my own disappointing disciple, Chen Tian, in the arena."
Nearby, the lead instructor from Dubhe Martial High School—an elderly man in a blue and white Daoist Robe, with an ethereal, sage-like bearing—stroked his long beard and spoke slowly. "The younger generation is truly to be feared. To win the admiration of even a child as proud and arrogant as Feng Ruyun... he must have mastered three Perfect Killing Skills?"
The old man’s words were like a stone tossed into a quiet pond.
The breathing of every instructor present hitched.
Mastering three Perfect Killing Skills was indeed the hallmark of a top-tier senior’s Combat Power.
Yet, Master Gu Yue’s expression remained as tranquil as an old well. He slowly turned, his gaze sweeping over the faces of Jin Chengwu and the elder from Dubhe Martial High School, and said impassively, "Whether they can face off in the arena depends on whether your students have the skill to make it to the end. As for his power... we’ll see once the competition starts."
His words were airtight, casually deflecting all their probing questions.
Seeing this, the group of instructors could only curse ’that old fox’ in their hearts and decided not to embarrass themselves further.
They were all sharp individuals; they knew they wouldn’t get any valuable information out of Gu Yue.
After a round of verbal Tai Chi, a brief silence fell over the Spectator Tower.
Just then, Master Gu Yue’s gaze suddenly locked onto Jin Chengwu. His eyes instantly turned piercing.
"Instructor Jin,"
His voice was a few degrees deeper and colder than before. "In last year’s freshman tournament, a student from your Golden Dragon Martial High School still struck a heavy blow after his opponent had already conceded. The attack severely injured one of my students, almost killing him. I hope that won’t be happening again this year."
Though his tone was calm, the warning it carried seemed to make the temperature in the entire Spectator Tower drop by several degrees.
The smile on Jin Chengwu’s face stiffened for a moment but quickly returned to its natural state.
He spread his hands, his expression one of feigned helplessness.
"Master Gu Yue, you and I both know what the title of ’Morning Star’s General Star’ means."
He sighed. "It’s not just about honor. It’s about a massive influx of resources, enough to change a family’s fate. It’s a golden ticket straight into one of the Top 100 Starry Sky Martial Arts Universities in the Canaan Star System. And there’s only one each year."
"Faced with that kind of temptation, I can’t exactly control a pack of little brats who’ve been spoiled since they were children."
"Besides,"
He changed his tune, a sharp light flashing in his eyes. "Even if it costs a life, it’s still within the rules. In the arena, blades have no eyes, and fate decides life and death, does it not? What the Empire needs are wolves that can claw their way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, not delicate flowers coddled in a greenhouse."
His words, though cruel, were the truest reflection of the Empire.
Master Gu Yue gave him a deep look. He didn’t refute the point, merely nodding slowly. "I understand."
He was simply fulfilling his duty as an instructor by giving a preemptive warning.
Whether the other party chose to listen was beyond his control.
But he believed that with Qin Feng’s power, it wouldn’t be his own student who needed to worry about their safety.
Just as the atmosphere in the Spectator Tower grew heavy, space itself suddenly rippled.
In the center of the Spectator Tower, Light Gates materialized out of thin air—some bright, some dim, some blazing hot, some ice-cold.
Immediately following, incorporeal human figures of various forms stepped out from them.