Sunset Warrior Chant - Chapter 51 - Magical Beast Garden (Part 6)

“The trees are bare, cleaned so thoroughly. Are we planning to live on them forever?” Everyone heard a familiar and clear voice from afar. Fu Qiruo recognized it immediately; it was his senior sister. In this vast Magical Beast Garden, they had found only about twenty people in a day and night. How did his senior sister manage to find them?

He took a closer look at Lu Xiner. Her clothes were stained with blood, but her expression was calm, and she wore a kind smile. It seemed she wasn’t injured. He asked, “Senior sister, where have you been all day?”

“This Magical Beast Garden is full of magical beasts, indeed dangerous everywhere. I’ve been looking for you all day and night; finding you here is quite a coincidence.” She glanced at everyone, seemingly satisfied, and continued, “I just encountered a flock of large birds. If I’m not mistaken, they’ll soon sweep over this area. Your unique treehouse won’t do; we need to relocate together… Oh, do we have any purified water left?”

Xiao Gang replied, “We drank all of it last night. What should we do, drink wolf blood?”

“If we can’t find purified water, it seems that’s our only choice.” Lu Xiner noticed Xiao Gang was limping and asked, “Little Junior Brother, are you okay?”

Xiao Gang laughed, “Just a scratch. That sneaky monocular wolf dared to launch a sneak attack!”

Lu Xiner said, “As long as you’re alright. Everyone, prepare to leave here quickly.”

Apart from their swords, there wasn’t much for everyone to prepare. One by one, they gently descended the tree trunk. Fu Qiruo said, “Let’s go!”

“Wait! Let me leave a mark.” Xiao Gang suddenly drew his Berserk Sword and carved a line on the tree: “Xiao Gang was here!”

The wolf pack had attacked under the tree last night, so the bark was stripped bare. The words Xiao Gang carved were engraved more than an inch deep into the tree, not easily erased. Seeing this, everyone followed suit.

Lu Xiner noticed the nearby ground was in disarray, littered with bones bitten by the monocular wolves. Occasionally, she spotted some torn clothing, suspecting the owners had fallen victim to the wolves. She sighed softly and picked up a canteen tossed aside.

She walked around near the clothing and canteen, bent down to examine closely, and picked up a metal tag from the ground. It was the tag once worn around the deceased’s neck. Fu Qiruo moved closer to look at the tag beside Lu Xiner; the owner had been a mage level 2 named Xu Qiang.

Lu Xiner held the tag, praying softly, “Xu Qiang, may God bring you blessings. I will avenge you by killing more magical beasts. If you know, please forgive me… May God forgive my sins!” With that, she removed the tag from her neck and replaced it with Xu Qiang’s.

Everyone was puzzled and inquired. Lu Xiner smiled and whispered, “The secret of heaven cannot be revealed!”

Lu Xiner and her group moved through the dense forest, picking up water bags left by others along the way. After walking for a while, they suddenly heard a sharp cry. It started a hundred meters away, and in an instant, it was overhead. Everyone was startled by the powerful sound. What kind of magical beast could arrive so quickly?

This speed rivaled that of a level 4 wind magic user, and certainly surpassed a mage level 3. Recalling Lu Xiner’s mention of large birds, the group thought, “If these large birds come in droves, where in the entire Magical Beast Garden would anyone survive?”

The forest was dense with branches and leaves overhead. The level 4 swordsman swiftly drew his longsword, looking up with full alertness. Suddenly, a patch of foliage shifted, and a bright yellow figure emerged, landing in the clearing in front of them. The level 4 swordsman reacted instantly; with a flash of golden light, he executed a Wind Chasing Slash at the yellow figure.

The yellow figure settled, revealing itself as a large goose over two meters tall. Fu Qiruo recognized it immediately from books-it was the “Divine Goose.”

As the swordsman’s Wind Chasing Slash approached, the Divine Goose merely spread its wing slightly to deflect the attack, standing firm with its talons anchored as if nailed to the ground. The residual force of the Wind Chasing Slash struck a large tree, causing it to shake violently and leaving a deep hole in its trunk.

Xiao Gang stuck out his tongue and said, “What a powerful level 4 Wind Chasing Slash!” Seeing how effortlessly the Divine Goose blocked it, everyone was even more astonished by the goose’s strength.

However, the Divine Goose didn’t attack. It took a couple of steps forward, moving closer, its black eyes scanning the group with a superior air.

Perplexed, everyone noticed it glanced at the level 4 swordsman’s metal tag on his chest and called out four times. The swordsman realized the Divine Goose was acknowledging his rank as a level 4 swordsman. Understanding it wasn’t there to harm them, but rather seemingly to “challenge,” the group relaxed.

The Divine Goose looked at Qi Nanshan and Xiao Gang, calling out three times each. Everyone understood it was identifying them as level 3 swordsmen. Xiao Gang removed his metal tag and signaled to the Divine Goose. The yellow eagle nodded at Xiao Gang, then turned to Yu An, who also removed his tag. Understanding that the Divine Goose only intended to check their tags, everyone complied by handing their metal tags to the Divine Goose.

Lu Xiner also removed the metal tag from around her neck, which belonged to mage level 2, Xu Qiang. The yellow eagle glanced at the tag and then focused on Lu Xiner, making “gugu” sounds as if questioning her status as a mage level 2. But seeing Lu Xiner’s sweet dimples and cheerful smile, the Divine Goose seemed relaxed, as if it cared more about her smile than the tag she wore.

After inspecting the eight people before it, the Divine Goose seemed satisfied with the presence of two level 4 mages (or swordsmen) and five level 3 mages (or swordsmen), as group composition rules allowed for any number of mage level 2. Without further doubt, it let out a harmonious cry and, with a powerful flap of its wings, darted into the treetops like an arrow.

Once the yellow eagle was gone, Lu Xiner laughed, “Beasts are beasts, how could it know I’m a fake?”

“Even people wouldn’t guess that our senior sister is actually a level 4 mage. It’s like pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger! But senior sister, when did your name start sounding so manly, huh?” Fu Qiruo finally realized that by using Xu Qiang’s mage level 2 tag, Lu Xiner had cleverly disguised herself as an inconspicuous subordinate. Otherwise, she would have had to go solo or join another group.

Everyone was delighted to have an additional level 4 mage in their team, as it provided a significant strength boost.

Despite Lu Xiner leading everyone to avoid the “big bird” sweeps, they couldn’t escape for long. After a short while, they heard screams behind them and saw a group of candidates fleeing chaotically. From the sky came a low “woo woo” sound. Fu Qiruo used wind magic to scale a tree and, through the branches, saw a dark mass overhead, prompting him to quickly climb back down.

Lu Xiner explained, “Those big birds are called ‘Tituo Yi,’ and they’re level 3 junior magical beasts. They’re conducting a thorough search in the Magical Beast Garden, launching group attacks on everyone. It seems we can’t avoid them anymore. There are many Tituo Yi, but they only linger briefly in one spot, and each one only attacks once. If their attack fails, they fly elsewhere.”

“Doesn’t that make them easier to deal with?” Yu An asked.

Lu Xiner replied, “The Tituo Yi’s method of attack is different from ordinary birds. They use organized, concentrated strikes. This morning, I saw them attack in groups of five; their collective power is overwhelming and can’t be resisted head-on. We must be cautious and use trees for cover when necessary.”

Just as the group prepared their stance, they heard the sound of something slicing through the air above them. Small branches and leaves began to fall, as the Tituo Yi darted through the foliage, gathering in increasing numbers before their eyes.

The Tituo Yi had beak-like needles and spear-like heads, with slender bodies that stretched straight back as they flew, resembling more than a meter-long arrow. The piercing sound of them cutting through the air was particularly sharp.

Several Tituo Yi dove straight down toward the group, precisely as Lu Xiner had described: five in a row, no more, no less, aligned in a slanted line as they charged.

In the center of the formation, a level 4 fire mage sent out five Fire Swords, aiming directly at the Tituo Yi. Three of the Tituo Yi deftly tilted their bodies to dodge, narrowly avoiding the attack. One was hit directly in the head by a Fire Sword and crashed at their feet, while another nearly fell but managed to escape into the nearby underbrush with a sudden flap of its wings. The remaining three continued their charge.

Lu Xiner unleashed dozens of ice blades at the three advancing Tituo Yi. Though the blades were small, they covered a several-meter radius, enveloping the Tituo Yi. As they flew through the ice blades, they sustained numerous injuries, considerably slowing them down.

Standing at the forefront, Qi Nanshan swung a large blade at two of the weakened Tituo Yi. The Tituo Yi, however, were incredibly agile, skirting around the blade on either side. One Tituo Yi shot arrow-like at Qi Nanshan’s head, prompting Fu Qiruo to fling his Spirit Sword in defense. The Spirit Sword grazed the Tituo Yi, which let out a shrill cry as it narrowly missed Qi Nanshan’s shoulder, leaving a trail of blood and flesh before darting back into the dense forest, clearly incapacitated.

Heart pounding and chilled to the core, Qi Nanshan realized that if not for Fu Qiruo’s timely intervention with the Spirit Sword, he could have lost both eyes to the Tituo Yi.

The remaining two Tituo Yi were soon dealt with-one was struck down by Yu An’s Light Feather Arrow, while the other was frightened off by a sharp swing of Xiao Gang’s sword. As they glanced to the other side, they saw another five Tituo Yi flapping their wings, gradually forming a line.

Everyone’s hearts raced; the previous attack had brought them perilously close to danger. If line after line continued to assault them, how much longer could they hold out? The thought of the growing number of Tituo Yi in the forest was daunting, knowing that failing to fend off even one more assault could lead to their downfall, leaving them as nothing more than a feast for the Tituo Yi.

The group was intensely focused, barely breathing, as both swordsmen and mages summoned their energy, ready for the imminent battle like arrows poised on a bowstring.

Yu An shouted, “Right side!” The second row of Tituo Yi swooped down from the right, again in a line of five. This time, the fire mage launched five fireballs. After the last attempt, they realized that although the Fire Sword had strong attack power, its narrow range allowed the Tituo Yi to easily maneuver around it if they were prepared. This time, five one-foot-wide fireballs were released, and the swiftly charging Tituo Yi couldn’t avoid their fiery fate. As they pierced through the fireballs, Lu Xiner followed up with a barrage of ice blades. The Tituo Yi made hissing sounds as steam rose from their bodies, and they struggled before ultimately falling to the ground.

Fu Qiruo was pleased and laughed, “This tactic is brilliant! Despite being level 3 magical beasts, the Tituo Yi are roasted by the fireballs, and then senior sister’s icy ice blades finish them off. It’s like going from fire to water.”

Having dealt with two rows of Tituo Yi, everyone felt reassured, as if a weight had been lifted. Lu Xiner smiled and said, “Don’t interfere with the two rows coming from the left; let me show you what I can do. But don’t get too excited-there’s more to come!”

Xiao Gang shouted, “Show us your power, senior sister!”

Everyone, curious about how Lu Xiner would handle the situation, watched intently. Lu Xiner began to move her hands gracefully, her expression serious as she chanted. An icy breeze swirled around them, charged with water magic energy.

Lu Xiner’s slender figure seemed to dance in the wind. Fu Qiruo watched her calm demeanor, the bloodstains on her doing nothing to mar her beauty, and thought to himself, “Senior sister is truly beautiful.”

The two rows of Tituo Yi on the left dove down in unison, yet everyone remained still. Suddenly, Lu Xiner shouted and pointed her hands at the incoming Tituo Yi. They heard a strange “sizzle” above, and then the ten Tituo Yi slowed instantly, transforming into shining ice spikes that crashed down towards them.

Qi Nanshan and Xiao Gang rushed towards the rows of “ice spikes,” slicing them into powder with a flurry of sword and blade movements in a matter of moments.

The mage level 3 candidates were each secretly amazed. Lu Xiner’s powerful water magic had effortlessly subdued ten formidable level 3 magical beasts. Both the level 4 fire mage and level 4 swordsman inwardly praised her abilities, knowing that even handling just five Tituo Yi would not have been so easy for them, let alone accomplishing it so swiftly.

What Lu Xiner had used was a level 4 water magic spell called the “Ice Spell,” a formidable upgrade from the Freezing Spell, capable of instantly turning living magical beasts into blocks of ice.

After dispatching four rows of Tituo Yi, more Tituo Yi surged forward rapidly. The mages demonstrated their formidable power, while the swordsmen, aside from the level 4 swordsman who could unleash the Wind Chasing Slash, could only confront one or two at a time due to their level 3 status.

With Tituo Yi attacking from all directions, the group had to gather their strength by huddling against a large tree. After a time as short as a tea break, everyone was breathing heavily, arms weary and nearly exhausted. The attacks from the Tituo Yi became more ferocious and frequent, with five or six rows diving at once.

High above in the dense forest, countless Tituo Yi hovered with their wings flapping, seemingly queuing for their turn to dive. Fu Qiruo thought to himself, “Yan Mountain Academy certainly gives candidates a breather in between. Otherwise, if all these Tituo Yi charged down at once, wouldn’t we be crushed flat?”