Sunset Warrior Chant - Chapter 52 - Magical Beast Garden (Part 7)

ot battling them. We’re going to move toward the large tree about a dozen meters ahead. Although Tituo Yi is very fast, they won’t expect us to suddenly change our ground. Once we flash to that tree, the Tituo Yi hovering above will undoubtedly pursue us, so after reaching the tree, quickly turn around and counterattack to steady our formation.”

Everyone agreed, and Lu Xiner suddenly cast a mist barrier above them. The mist barrier is a level 2 water magic. As a level 4 mage, Lu Xiner pointed her fingers upward, and with a thought, dense mist rapidly spread around, encompassing dozens of cubic meters in an instant. Lu Xiner shouted, “Go!”

The group swiftly dashed toward the large tree a dozen meters away. The descending Tituo Yi suddenly found themselves engulfed in a vast white mist, unable to discern directions in an instant, surrounded by a coolness that left them disoriented. Over twenty Tituo Yi shot towards the tree like a flurry of strong arrows, embedding themselves into it with a series of thuds. The large tree, big enough for several people to embrace, seemed to turn into a target for the Tituo Yi. Amidst the chaos, Xiao Gang couldn’t help but glance back, and within the faint misty outlines, he saw the Tituo Yi’s necks hanging from the tree, struggling, which made him chuckle.

Fu Qiruo said, “Junior brother, you’re laughing? Worry about your own life! Run quickly!” The group relocated and formed their ranks. The Tituo Yi in the air finally realized their error; the group had already steadied themselves under the tree and caught their breath.

As the mist dissipated, dozens of Tituo Yi failed in their attack, and after a glance in their direction, they begrudgingly retreated when they realized they would be repeating their failed attempts.

The remaining Tituo Yi still relentlessly pursued the group, and seeing how effective the mist barrier was, even more so than expected, Lu Xiner continued using it under the tree. The group spread out, moving nimbly with their backs against the tree, as mages randomly unleashed wind blades and ice blades into the mist.

Tituo Yi stumbled around, unable to spot a single figure, their charging speed significantly reduced. Level 3 swordsmen raised their blades and effortlessly sliced any that approached into two. Whenever a row or two stumbled near, unable to turn quickly, the swordsmen would strike, removing a row or two in one sweep. With its speed greatly reduced, Tituo Yi’s attack power was also considerably weakened, and the mist barrier seemed to be driving them to extreme frustration.

The group had already regained their energy during this time. Yu An listened as the distant screams gradually faded and were replaced by a chorus of curses. Looking afar, it turned out the other candidates noticed the mist barrier here and had learned to cast it as well. In every group, there were one or two water magic mages, and even though their mist barriers weren’t as powerful as Lu Xiner’s, they were more than sufficient to deal with the Tituo Yi.

“Savage Tituo Yi, so easily beaten by a few kids, this is the first time in years!” As the clear voice of a middle-aged man echoed above the dense forest, shortly after, the Tituo Yi began to scatter, leaving none behind.

Seeing the cloud-like swarm of Tituo Yi, no one could have imagined that the seemingly harmless mist barrier could have such an effect. Lu Xiner silently remarked on her good fortune, realizing this was exactly the way her master emphasized the use of magic. The “disgraceful” event Yan Mountain Academy hadn’t anticipated for many years happened thanks to a super genius like Lu Xiner, yet this mist barrier didn’t stem from her magical talent but from her brilliant thinking.

With the Tituo Yi gone, everyone searched for water to drink. Qi Nanshan, drenched in sweat, picked up a severely injured Tituo Yi from the ground and shockingly moved his mouth toward its bleeding wound. Everyone gasped in surprise, having never expected such a bold move from the usually low-key Qi Nanshan.

Xiao Gang, giving a thumbs up, said, “Impressive, impressive! You’re the first brave soul to try!”

Qi Nanshan drank his fill, gave a toothy grin, and replied, “Not at all!” His grin looked terrifying.

Xiao Gang softly asked, “What does Tituo Yi’s blood taste like?”

“It’s not too bad; I’ve tasted worse at home,” Qi Nanshan calmly replied, handing the Tituo Yi to Xiao Gang.

Doubtfully, Xiao Gang took it and tentatively licked the red blood, suddenly spitting it out, exclaiming, “What is this taste? It’s really not good!” He licked his lips, finally closing his eyes, then mimicking Qi Nanshan, he drank with gulp after gulp.

Lu Xiner stared dumbfounded at Qi Nanshan and Xiao Gang, struggling to manage a few words, “Can it really be drunk?” Xiao Gang shrugged and said, “Well, just about okay!”

Fu Qiruo asked, “Really?”

Xiao Gang replied, “Of course it is, why would I lie?”

Suddenly, Lu Xiner grabbed Fu Qiruo’s arm, “Third junior brother, you go taste it and confirm if it’s really drinkable.”

Fu Qiruo cried out, “I…I… I’m not thirsty yet, maybe later!”

Yu An burst out laughing as everyone looked on in confusion, shifting their gaze to him. Yu An chuckled, “If you want purified water, follow me!”

The group listened to Yu An incredulously. Could there actually be purified water available in the Magical Beast Garden? Everyone who entered the garden brought only a meager amount of purified water.

Fu Qiruo remarked, “Hey! Yu An, you’re not planning to find some grass roots and tree bark, are you?”

Yu An smiled, “I’m not that dumb! Watch me; follow this way.” The group followed Yu An along the path, growing increasingly impatient, until they suddenly found themselves standing beneath the wall of the Magical Beast Garden.

Yu An called up to the wall, “Is the master on the wall still there?” There was no response. Yu An continued, “Greetings to the master of Yan Mountain Academy, I’d like to apply to withdraw from the third round of the examination!”

“What? You’re pretty smart. Today’s Magical Beast Garden is much more dangerous than yesterday’s. Are you sure you want to quit? Once you leave, you won’t have another chance to return,” someone from the wall replied.

Yu An smiled, “I’m sorry, but to get you to come out, I had to use this trick. I have an urgent matter to discuss.”

“What matter? I can’t be bothered with matters of life and death.”

“It’s nothing major, but our meals have been quite poor. I wonder if there’s any way to improve them?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be self-sufficient?”

“Look at this young lady beside me,” Yu An pointed to Lu Xiner, “She’s used to a life of luxury and can’t stomach the dirty magical beast meat. And then,” he gestured to Fu Qiruo, “This kid is quite delicate too. He looks at the beast meat and wants to vomit. I can’t exactly call him a proper boy.”

“This examination is a compulsory course for your enrollment. In legend, this kind of activity was called military training a millennium ago.”

“But there are always exceptions. I think we can make a deal.”

“What kind of deal? Let’s hear it.”

“I’m offering 100 gold coins for a jin of purified water. That’s a hundred times the market rate, and I want enough for ten people, with each needing five jin, totaling fifty jin.”

“You have no respect for the rules, conducting private deals and corruption within the examination hall! Get lost!”

“Master, let’s not put it that way. This is merely a small improvement to our meals, a convenience for both you and us.”

“…”

“How about 200 gold coins per jin of purified water?”

“…”

“300 gold coins per jin?” When Yu An heard silence from above the wall, he turned and sighed dramatically, “Forget it, this person is unreasonable. Let’s find someone else.”

“Deal! When will you provide the payment?”

“Catch carefully!” Yu An exclaimed as he pulled something shiny from his belongings and tossed it up toward the high wall. The group watched as the sparkling object soared dozens of meters into the air. Yu An’s aim seemed a bit off, making them concerned it might drift away. Suddenly, a rope flicked over the wall, and someone atop the wall caught the object.

“Hmm, this is quite a nice thing. Please wait a moment, I’ll be right back,” the person on the wall called out as they moved away.

“Hey, hurry up, waiter!” someone joked softly, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

Qi Nanshan remarked, “Young Master Yu is certainly wealthy.”

Fu Qiruo punched Yu An playfully in the stomach, causing him to double over in mock pain, “When did you start seeing me as a girl?” The group sat down under the wall, cheering and laughing as they took a break. It wasn’t long before bags of water were tossed down from the wall, and Yu An called out his thanks, “Thank you, master on the wall!”

“Don’t thank me just yet. I’ve also got delicious cooked meat, fresh fruits, and pastries. Do you want them?”

“Of course we do!”

“For everything up here, with a discount and rounding down, the total comes to 10,000 gold coins.”

“Ah, so you’re a businessman at heart. I must have underestimated you. Go ahead and toss it all down; I’ll give you another nice item in exchange.”

The food was thrown down carefully from the wall, the person mindful not to damage the fruits and pastries. The group caught each item with ease. Yu An suddenly smiled and said, “Let’s move out, everyone!”

The person on the wall called out, “Hey, young man, what about my payment?”

“Sorry, but I didn’t bring that much with me. You’ll have to wait until after the test tomorrow.”

“Wait until tomorrow? How can I be sure you’ll survive until then? Are you trying to take the goods without paying?”

“I’ve already given you gold coins at three hundred times the market rate. What more do you want?”

“…”

The group found a secluded spot to enjoy their feast. Xiao Gang asked, “Senior Sister, you’re a water magic mage. Can’t the water from water magic be drinkable?”

Lu Xiner explained, “Water from water magic is sourced from nature, just like ordinary well or river water. Otherwise, nearly every mage can use simple level 1 water magic, and there wouldn’t be any need for water shops.”

Fu Qiruo interjected, “That makes sense. But is there a type of magic that can transform water into purified water?…”