The procurement of arms and defense systems brought in a considerable number of orders and benefits to the previously neutral 'Starship Faction' group, and they were pleased with this development.
Time flew by, and at the academy, Tilan not only spent time studying but also devoted a considerable amount of time mentoring other students. Although this required some effort, the process of guiding others brought her a wealth of ideas and a deeper understanding of the skills and abilities she had previously mastered.
The annual Winter Festival competition was about to start again. However, compared to the intense struggles of last year, this year seemed to lack suspense. Sevia La and Levito had graduated, Seraphiel and Sweitevi had moved up to the fourth year, and Tilan was in her third year. None of the first-year and second-year newcomers posed a challenge to her position.
Dots of white starlight fell, and the black curtain was lifted, revealing the central field of the venue to all.
On the grass and hills shrouded by night, clusters of petite white flowers bloomed, revealing delicate blue stamens. Then, amidst the ethereal singing, a barefoot girl in a white dress slowly climbed the hill, singing softly. Her tender hair seemed weightless, flowing with the night and tracing the path of the wind.
Supportive signs and glow sticks were raised in the venue, with countless people shouting at that moment. Many of them came to the Winter Festival competition just to witness this songstress.
The lights rotated, and then from six directions of the venue, tendrils of magic power fashioned into cyan-blue vines surged out. They reached toward the center of the sky, gradually obscuring it until only a small patch was left.
In that small patch of night sky, a bright moonlight shone down on the girl sitting in the moonlight on a branch, one hand gently touching the trunk, softly singing. Her slender legs beneath the dress swayed lightly in the air.
As the girl sang, the entire venue became silent, the moonlit figure hazy yet distinct. The haziness was the gentle curvature of her facial features, while the clarity was in her voice's compassion and captivating charm.
As the song concluded, the moon in the night sky was momentarily hidden to allow the Cinderella in the darkness to escape the stage. Afterward, the cyan-blue vines woven in the sky disintegrated into sparkling dust, and birds of different colors flew by in a triangular formation, leaving behind long trails of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
The background music slowly faded, and the lights brightened once again. The girl who had been at the center of the field had vanished, as if everything before had been a beautiful dream.
Next were the grand and innovative entrance ceremonies of various academies. When Edith Academy finally made its appearance, the girl who had captivated the audience returned to the stage. She wore a pristine gauze headdress, a long dress reminiscent of a Black Swan, and gloves covering her slender fingers, holding the exquisite Star Moon Scepter. Surrounded by a throng of Edith students, she slowly entered the stage and then took her place on a seat upholstered in royal purple velvet.
"The Winter Festival competition is now officially open!"
As the host announced, countless fireworks burst forth. Within the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain, the viewership for this year's Winter Festival competition reached a new historical peak, almost double that of last year, an indicator of the level of interest.
The first night traditionally featured warm-up matches for Sequence 4 students. Fresh faces appeared in the arena, wielding their weapons and demonstrating what they had learned in a series of dazzling and brilliant fights.
However, compared to previous years, this year's competition saw many new methods of fighting that had never been seen before.
"Now entering the stage is a student co-trained by the northern Yuanting Academy and Edith Academy, Besimor."
Dressed in Edith Academy's uniform, the girl who was slightly taller than Tilan wore a short skirt and black stockings. She had two academy badges on one side of her chest: one, the blue Rose badge of Edith Academy; the other, the Feathers badge of Yuanting Academy.
"Her opponent is a second-year student from Swarm's Reign Academy, Lian Shan."
On the other side of the platform, a girl dressed in a white and brown-trimmed dress also leaped into the arena. She held a narrow Triangular Black Sword, reminiscent of last year's Xia Kui.
As Besimor entered the battlefield, a black lion with a mighty presence also leaped onto the arena, emitting a subtle but intimidating aura. Even on all fours, the black lion was taller than Besimor, its growls reminiscent of an engine, making some of the faint-hearted audience unsteady.
With its mane spread out and its thick front paws larger than Besimor's head, the lion followed her forward and eventually settled down, allowing Besimor to gently stroke its chin and cheeks.
Primordial Sequence 5 · Wilderness Black Lion (Rare Condensed Bead Level): A transcendental creature known for its might, possessing strength and biting power that match its appearance, capable of easily tearing through steel plates and breaking open Hover Cars.
Although Besimor was only at Sequence 4, the lion she raised was not restricted to Sequence 4. Its arrival at the battlefield prompted a wave of surprised exclamations.
Perhaps the northern academies have been too quiet for too long, with much less exposure than the top six academies. When the students dedicated to raising transcendental creatures from Yuanting Academy appeared, many people realized for the first time that Breed Masters could be this powerful.
"It's a bit intimidating," said Lian Shan, swinging her black Triangular Sword, excitement flickering in her eyes.
Although she was only at Sequence 4, she showed no hint of fear or trepidation in front of the Sequence 5 black lion. With practice methods that had been refined by countless masters, optimized by super AI modeling, and put into practice by exceptionally talented students, ranking by Sequence Level was not a simple measure.