Amid countless refracted images, Ji Jue watched one figure after another flicker past. At last, the flickering stopped. 

Beyond the mirror-like shimmer, another gloomy face appeared before him. The man had disheveled hair, rough stubble, and bloodshot eyes. His skin was deathly pale, as though he had not seen sunlight in a very long time.

The instant he realized how young his opponent was, undisguised contempt flashed across his face. But then Ji Jue’s name appeared on the projection, and his expression froze.

Ji Jue saw his opponent’s name as well. Whitesail Workshop: Helmut Neumann. He was ninth in the rankings, with 272 points.

After his initial shock, Helmut’s expression actually gave way to barely restrained delight. He stared at Ji Jue, almost unable to believe his luck. Unfortunately, they had barely enough time to see each other. In less than a second, the projection vanished. 

Helmut could hardly contain his excitement. “Ji Jue…” 

If he could take down the number-one candidate in a single stroke, the points he could earn would be enough to propel him straight into the top three!

Since setting foot on the Ember Path, he had never considered himself inferior to anyone. Even his crushing defeat at the hands of that stone-like monster from Clock Tower had merely been the result of...