The Imperial Capital was ablaze with anticipation.
For days, the Dragon and Phoenix Competition had dominated every conversation, from the lofty halls of aristocrats to the noisy stalls of commoners.
But now, as the finals drew near, the city's very air seemed to hum with restless energy.
Crimson banners embroidered with dragons and phoenixes fluttered proudly along the main avenues.
Lanterns of gold and jade lined the streets, their light shimmering against the towering jade walls of the arena.
Merchants shouted about limited talismans and keepsakes—miniature effigies of phoenixes, jade carvings of dragons, even painted scrolls depicting the competitors' likenesses.
Everywhere, one question lingered on lips and in hearts:
Nie Fengzhuo Vs Bai Xueqing!
The former fiancées—once bound, now severed.
He, once mocked as a cripple, scorned as a waste, only to rise again from ashes, seizing glory with unyielding brilliance.
