Epice’s vacant gaze brightened instantly upon seeing Gan Jin, a radiant smile curving her lips. “Oh, isn’t this Gan Jin? I thought you wouldn’t dare show up. Why are you alone? No dance partner? Did Biluo stand you up?”

In just a few short days, Gan Jin had become somewhat notorious within the academy: he had fought the students of the Magic Department in their own territory, killed Epice’s attendant at the school gates, and sent all five members of the Five Elites of Talent to the hospital. And! He was that brute who managed to run a hundred laps on the track through sheer brute force!

Several people standing near the entrance to the ball noticed Gan Jin, having heard his name whispered around the academy, and quickly stepped out of the banquet to look down at the composed figure on the steps.

“I did bring a dance partner,” Gan Jin replied with a smile, gesturing behind him. “Biluo is here too.”

“Is that so?” Epice asked, crossing her arms and swirling the red wine in her glass. “What? Afraid to show your face? Is she hideously ugly?”

“Biluo wanted to give everyone a surprise,” Gan Jin said, slowly ascending the steps with a steady gaze fixed on Epice. “If you don’t mind, shall we enter the ball together?”

Epice lifted her chin with pride. Since someone was willing to serve as her foil, she supposed she could allow it. Her attire tonight had been meticulously designed by a specialist specifically to impress the Sixth Prince when she saw him.

The few who had rushed out to see Gan Jin now stared at him with curiosity, somewhat perplexed by the warrior’s intentions. Couldn’t he see how exceptionally beautiful Epice looked tonight? Hadn’t they noticed many female mages deliberately keeping their distance from her, just to avoid acting as her backdrop?

Epice’s four attendants entered the ballroom first, immediately drawing considerable attention. Although this student mage wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, her looks were striking, earning her a spot among the Magic Department’s Top Ten Beauties during the freshman assessment.

What look would she present today? When people saw Epice passing through the doors, their eyes lit up, and nearly everyone’s mind settled on a single, shared word: Dazzling!

Epice was exceptionally beautiful today, clad in a sweeping, low-shouldered, waist-cinching gown of water-blue. It perfectly showcased her figure, while the dress completely concealed her long legs, adding an air of mystery that fueled endless imagination. Gan Jin gently patted Biluo’s back; there was no more hiding now.

As Gan Jin’s hand rested on her back, Biluo felt waves of courage seem to flow from his palm. Slowly, she began to move out from behind him, shifting to the side...

Moving out little by little, she drew more gazes and heightened curiosity—everyone wanted to know what the woman hiding dared not reveal looked like.

Biluo stood shyly beside Gan Jin, gathering her courage, lifting her chin, and smiling repeatedly at the crowd. In those few short seconds, the lively ball fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Those drinking forgot their cups, dancers paused their steps, and even those chatting and laughing froze, staring blankly at Gan Jin and wondering with shocked curiosity: Who was this beauty?

It was the same water-blue, low-shouldered, waist-cinching gown; although the style differed slightly, some elements held a similar flair!

Instantly, people subconsciously began comparing Epice and Biluo. After a brief appraisal, everyone ignored Epice, one of the Magic Department’s Top Ten Freshman Beauties, as all eyes fixed on Biluo.

Epice looked around in confusion at everyone present. In their eyes, she saw a kind of dismissal, as if a radiant pearl had been placed next to an unsightly stone, causing people to automatically treat her as the stone.

What was happening? I am the protagonist tonight! Epice leaned forward to look at Biluo standing beside Gan Jin, feeling as though she had been turned to stone by the most potent truth spell.

How could this be? Epice couldn't believe her eyes. The moment she saw Biluo’s stunning beauty, she felt intense beams of light erupting from Biluo’s body, threatening to blind her. How? How could this be? Is this really Biluo? Epice blinked hard, desperate to confirm she wasn't seeing things. This was the same Biluo who usually wore a black magic hat, terrified of being seen?

If she was this beautiful, why did she hide? Epice’s eyes burned with jealousy so intense she wished she could cast the Grand Fireball spell to completely incinerate Biluo’s face.

Supporting Role! The word flashed through Epice’s mind—a term she hadn't felt familiar with until this moment. She had inadvertently served as the backdrop for Biluo’s grand entrance, using her own appearance to make Biluo shine even brighter.

Gan Jin watched Epice’s ashen face and softly said, “You are not the supporting role.”

Epice looked at Gan Jin curiously, and a trace of color finally returned to her dead-pale complexion. What women valued most was always a man’s opinion; ten thousand women saying a woman was beautiful was never as effective as one man praising her.

“You,” Gan Jin smiled, straightening up, not even glancing at Epice whose face was entering a state of near-berserk rage, “are merely a clown.”

“Wow! Truly breathtaking!” The words of sincere admiration from the usually stoic Mu Ne Tian Ce suddenly shattered the quiet atmosphere of the ball. Dressed in a snow-white long robe, holding a black folding fan, and exuding a touch of refined elegance, Mu Ne Tian Ce instantly became the most dazzling figure among the young men tonight.

Gan Jin watched Mu Ne Tian Ce’s dramatic entrance with a faint smile. In this academy, perhaps only the appearance of Chek Foorit could make this dandy feel inferior.

“Beautiful lady, you are the star of the evening, the very center of this ball,” Mu Ne Tian Ce said, and just when everyone expected him to ask for a dance, he abruptly changed his tune. “Might you introduce your dance partner to me? Someone who has a partner as stunning as you must be an exceptionally outstanding man, wouldn't you agree?”

Gan Jin had to admire Mu Ne Tian Ce’s eloquence—he was exceptionally skilled with words! He not only displayed that he wasn't overwhelmed by beauty in the face of such splendor but also managed to compliment others.

“Mu Ne classmate, what a coincidence,” Gan Jin said, gently drawing Biluo closer to his waist. This small gesture announced to every man present one simple truth: he was Biluo’s partner, and anyone harboring ulterior motives should stand down.

“Oh, Gan Jin classmate, you look quite manly today too.”

Mu Ne Tian Ce closed his fan and made a gesture inviting them forward, causing many people to look at Gan Jin with renewed interest.

Even though Mu Ne Tian Ce was only ranked last on the Hundred Battles List, his insight was perhaps even better than Tian Lian Ling Guan, who was ranked first. His predictions about a person's abilities and ranking had never been wrong.

Many individuals who started with no reputation at all later gained Mu Ne Tian Ce’s acquaintance and became his attendants. Over the subsequent months, these people would gradually unleash astonishing potential and strength, fighting their way up the Hundred Battles List.

At least twenty people currently on the Hundred Battles List were once Mu Ne Tian Ce’s attendants. In just three months, the number of attendants he had on the list rivaled the number Tian Lian Ling Guan had accumulated over five years.

These twenty newcomers now dominating the Hundred Battles List were the most active members. While others’ rankings rarely shifted, one among this group would always manage to improve their position, sometimes with difficulty, sometimes easily.

In just three months, Mu Ne Tian Ce had earned a nickname at the Conquest Academy: Golden Eye.

This wasn't just due to his ability to judge character; it also referred to his ability to mentor. All twenty of his attendants on the Hundred Battles List admitted that they owed their current rankings to the intensive training provided by Mu Ne Tian Ce.

Now, many people wished to become Mu Ne Tian Ce’s attendants, but this Golden Eye had a significant quirk: he didn't recruit arbitrarily like others. Every person he took on was someone he approached personally. Currently, five people still on the Talent Ranks were rapidly ascending, moving with the speed of a Griffin.

Could it be? Had Mu Ne Tian Ce discovered a new potential attendant?

Many warriors and mages who had also recruited attendants shifted their gazes toward Gan Jin, already considering how they might approach and converse with him later, perhaps sizing up this new prodigy Mu Ne Tian Ce favored. If he proved worthy, they planned to swoop in and poach him with significant rewards.

The ball, brought to a sudden halt by Biluo’s appearance, resumed its music as Mu Ne Tian Ce gracefully moved through the crowd.

Yet, many had lost the interest to dance, occupied instead with figuring out how to greet Gan Jin or secretly stealing glances at Biluo.

Biluo was simply too stunning tonight! It was hard for any normal man not to be moved. This was the result of careful coordination by Gu Yue Jia Ying, Luo Qing Qing, and Liang Xi Fa Liu Shui!

Even someone of ordinary looks, styled by the combined efforts of these three, could be transformed into a great beauty. For someone as exquisitely beautiful as Biluo, the image would flash before their eyes the moment they closed them.

Epice stood in a corner of the ballroom, glaring venomously at Gan Jin and Biluo. She was supposed to be the star tonight, yet these two wild warrior and wild mage had stolen the entire show! Unwilling! So unwilling! Why hadn't Wei Buhuan appeared yet? Wei Buhuan, ranked forty on the Hundred Battles List, should certainly be here!

Epice frantically searched the crowd. The warrior Lu Wang from Mukin Flower Battle Fortress had been killed by Gan Jin, and the Five Elites of Talent were all in the hospital. Why hadn't Wei Buhuan shown up? He should know Gan Jin would be here tonight!

The Five Elites of Talent were Wei Buhuan’s attendants. Although Lu Wang wasn't his attendant, he came from the same Warrior Guild as Wei Buhuan. Wasn't Han Lizhou the most overbearing prefecture? Even if one made a mistake, a mistake as vast as a star, they would still stand up for their own people.

“Which one is Gan Meng!”

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