"This must be the Contestant Hall, right?"
"There are even fewer people here than I expected."
Lumina ascended the stairs and entered the bustling Contestant Hall, her words carrying a subtle undertone.
"That's perfectly normal," Yunli explained. "The Wardance Ceremony doesn't just last one day. While today is the opening day and the ceremonial start, many participants dislike such pomp and only arrive on the day of their own matches."
"I see," Lumina nodded, offering no further comment.
"Huh? Sister Lumina, do you really consider this few people?" March 7th glanced around, not bothering to count heads, but the sheer number of people present seemed anything but "small."
"Compared to some scenes I've witnessed, this is indeed a smaller gathering," Lumina said with a smile, offering no further explanation.
While the number of "contestants" here was substantial, it paled in comparison to the grand scale implied by the title "Xianzhou Celestial Wardance Ceremony."
"Sister Lumina, our statuses are worlds apart," March 7th said, planting her hands on her hips. "You've definitely attended celebrations far grander than this Wardance Ceremony. There's simply no comparison!"
"Hmm, I understand," Lumina replied, her expression barely changing despite March 7th's scolding, which felt more like a daughter lecturing her mother.
After briefly observing the surrounding "contestants," Lumina patted March 7th on the shoulder and said, "Little March, now is the perfect time to observe your opponents."
"A person's weapon reveals their fighting style."
"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never lose a battle."
"So, use your eyes and carefully observe everything around you."
Lumina's outward words hid her true thoughts:
Oh? Let me see... Hearing this, March 7th's expression instantly turned serious as she began scrutinizing each contestant present.
However, since March 7th had no idea how to properly observe, her efforts yielded absolutely no useful information.
"Let's start by observing Yunli," Lumina suggested. "Think back to her battle against Yanqing at the Alchemy Commission. Remember how she wielded Old Mettle? What did you observe?"
Fulfilling her role as a nurturing mother, Lumina gently guided March 7th toward the right conclusions.
"Umm..." Hearing this, March 7th's eyes rolled noticeably upward, her entire silly demeanor now practically overflowing from her expression.
"Master Yunli has a very violent personality..."
"Hmm?" Yunli's eyes narrowed sharply at this, her gaze locking onto March 7th, radiating a palpable aura of danger.
"Aha ha ha... What I meant was, wielding such a massive weapon..." Sensing Yunli's piercing stare and realizing how offensive her words had been, March 7th quickly snapped back to attention. She offered a sheepish smile, scratched the back of her head, and adopted a silly, blundering expression as her brain raced to find a way to salvage the situation.
"Wielding such a massive weapon, Master Yunli seems to prefer solving problems with overwhelming force and violence rather than strategy."
"Hmm... You're not wrong," Yunli acknowledged, crossing her arms and nodding, satisfied with March 7th's revised answer. Though the deeper implication was that Yunli was a brainless brute who relied solely on brute force, she didn't seem to mind.
"My tactics have always been simple and effective. As long as I can achieve my objective, as long as I can reach my ultimate goal, I just cut things down. I never waste time."
Yunli's words only further cemented her reputation as a "brute."
March 7th silently labeled her Master Yunli as such.
"Just like Lumina said, by observing an opponent's weapon, you can roughly deduce their preferred tactics and identify their weaknesses."
"Take the Great Sword, for example. Its incredible weight and massive size make it exhausting to wield, making it unsuitable for prolonged combat. Therefore, you should avoid its full force and focus on stalling, draining your opponent's stamina until they're exhausted."
"These are shortcuts to victory."
"This is the Wardance Ceremony, not a life-or-death arena. Raw power alone doesn't guarantee victory."
As her master, Yunli naturally felt obliged to educate her disciple thoroughly.
"Hmm... Master, why are you telling me your weaknesses?" Though March 7th could be a bit naive, she still noticed that Yunli seemed to be using herself as an example.
Does this mean Master Yunli is revealing her own weaknesses to me?
"This is the fairest approach, relatively speaking. After all, I taught you everything about swordsmanship, so naturally, I know your weaknesses."
"Ah, I see..." March 7th nodded, not particularly thrilled or excited that Yunli had revealed her weaknesses.
Given Master Yunli's strength, March 7th suspected she'd be knocked off the arena by Yunli's "Old Mettle" the moment she stepped onto the stage, losing the match instantly.
"Let me add something," Lumina interjected, supplementing Yunli's words. "After observing your opponent and drawing conclusions, remember to keep a sharp eye in your heart."
"Um... Sister Lumina, what does that mean?" Despite her experience as a Nameless Trailblazer, March 7th struggled to grasp Lumina's roundabout phrasing.
"It means be careful in all things. Don't be fooled by appearances. Don't take everything at face value. Always keep a sharp eye in your heart."
Lumina's advice could be summarized in just four words: "Beware the Old Sixth."
(Spy-"Watch out for the backstabber")
But such a concise and direct expression would likely be even harder for March 7th to understand.
"Ugh... Sister Lumina, I don't get it," March 7th said, scratching the back of her head. Her "clever" eyes betrayed a hint of confusion.
"Hmm... let me think of a good analogy." After a moment's contemplation, Lumina's eyes lit up with an idea.
With a flourish of her hand, a magnificent staff materialized in her grasp.
Lumina held the staff aloft and gestured toward March 7th. "March, do you remember this staff?"
"Mm-hmm! That's Sister Lumina's staff!" March 7th nodded enthusiastically, like a chick pecking at grain, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at the super-duper-incredibly ornate staff in Lumina's hand.
"Then, when you first saw this staff, what did you think my weakness was?" Lumina asked.
"Umm... Sister Lumina doesn't have any weaknesses... Ouch!"
Thump!
Before March 7th could finish voicing her thoughts, Lumina's knuckles swiftly rapped against her forehead.
"Answer properly, without any personal bias," Lumina instructed. "Just treat me as an ordinary opponent wielding a staff."
"Ugh... fine." March 7th grumbled, rubbing her throbbing forehead. After a moment's consideration, she ventured, "If you're wielding a staff, wouldn't close combat be the best approach?"
"That's what the novels always say—warriors are naturally strong against mages."
"Once a mage is forced into close combat, unless they're vastly more powerful than the warrior, they'll be easily defeated."
"Mm-hmm, that's right. Under normal circumstances, that's how it would go," Lumina nodded in agreement with March 7th's answer.
"Hehehehe." Being praised and agreed with by her beloved Sister Lumina, March 7th immediately beamed with a blissful grin.
"But..."
Before March 7th could bask in her moment of triumph, Lumina's tone shifted, instantly wiping the smile from March 7th's face.
"What if I told you that all my power, all my combat abilities, have nothing to do with this staff?" Lumina stowed the staff away and smiled at March 7th.
"Huh?" March 7th stared in stunned silence.
"I only use this staff in battle because I think it's pretty and it matches my style."
"In reality, my power has absolutely nothing to do with it."
The staff was indeed of little practical use to Lumina.
She simply liked its aesthetic and used it because she found it pleasing.
"Otherwise, why do you think this Staff is so ornate and ostentatious?"
"Oh, I get it," Yunli said. "You mean some people use other weapons to disguise themselves, right?"
Unlike March 7th, who was still utterly bewildered, Yunli was much sharper. After a moment of reflection, she quickly grasped the point.
"Exactly. That's precisely what I meant," Lumina nodded, continuing. "Observing others means they're observing you in return. And they know you're watching them."
"That's why some people deliberately display weapons in plain sight, specifically to mislead their opponents. By luring them into adopting flawed tactics, they seize the initiative and ambush them."
"Ah... those people are so mean!" Hearing the explanation, March 7th immediately concluded they must be villains.
"March 7th, it's not about being mean," Yunli corrected, observing March 7th's reaction. "It's the path to victory."
"The path to victory?" March 7th couldn't grasp the meaning.
"On the path to victory, something must always be sacrificed."
"But if you can achieve your goals, what does it matter if you lose something along the way?" Yunli asked, waving her hand dismissively.
"Besides, this act isn't truly sinister or cunning. It's just a consequence of your own lack of attentiveness, causing you to fall for their trick."
"Hmm... Maybe I should hang something from my waist too?" After a moment's thought, March 7th realized Master Yunli was right.
"There's no need," Yunli replied. "As the Defending Swordsman, no one needs to scrutinize your weapon."
While March 7th could theoretically carry hidden weapons or decoys to confuse opponents, Yunli knew better. Such tactics wouldn't faze her opponents and might even backfire, injuring March 7th herself...
"Heh heh heh, anyway, that's all."
"I just wanted to remind you not to judge people by appearances."
Lumina had finished conveying her warning.
"Mm-hmm, I understand, Sister Lumina," March 7th nodded solemnly, engraving her elder sister's words into her heart. "I'll definitely never judge someone by appearances again."
Having overlooked it before, March 7th now recalled something else.
Take Stelle, for example.
To those unfamiliar with her, Stelle might seem like a super-cool, aloof onee-san.
But anyone who's actually interacted with her knows she's a Trash Can maniac with a particularly irreverent streak.
Or consider Little Swarm.
At first glance, she might appear to be an innocent, sheltered princess... well, that part's actually kind of true.
As the "daughter" of Sister Lumina and Miss Ruan Mei, how could she not be a sheltered princess?
Let's put it another way.
To those unfamiliar with her, she might seem like a princess who escaped from a castle and needs constant protection.
But anyone who's actually interacted with her knows...
After Little Swarm transforms into "Big Swarm," she can devour an entire planet with a single bite!
So, judging someone solely by their appearance is absolutely foolish!
"It's good you understand now, March," Lumina said with a smile, glancing at a reporter nearby.
Pointing her finger, she instructed, "March, go and observe the people here carefully. Start with that reporter."
"Huh? A reporter? Why start with a reporter instead of the contestants?" March 7th's small face creased with confusion.
"Because we're going to give an interview first!" Lumina pointed to the large camera, gesturing for March 7th to step forward.
"Uh... what does doing an interview have to do with observing the contestants?" March 7th scratched her head, looking utterly perplexed.
"Connection? Hmm... there's a slight connection," Lumina mused after a moment's thought.
"Uh... what exactly is that connection?" March 7th's eyelids drooped, immediately recognizing that Sister Lumina was having another "Stelle Syndrome" episode.
In simpler terms, she was going mad...
"Alright, March 7th, observing anyone first is fine."
"But for a beginner like you, it's best to start with someone simpler."
"The reporters fit the bill perfectly. They won't deliberately hide any equipment during interviews."
Yunli stepped in to support Lumina, adding, "That's right."
"Ugh... fine, then."
Even though Sister Lumina was acting a bit crazy, March 7th still intended to follow her lead.
She just couldn't help feeling a pang of resentment whenever Sister Lumina leaned towards Stelle...
Why can't she lean towards me instead?! March 7th thought fiercely.
If Lumina could hear March 7th's thoughts, a giant question mark would surely pop up above her head.
Lumina: "I'm so good to you! Why are you cursing me to become an idiot?!"
"March 7th, answer me!"