Chapter 515: Chapter 126 Yue Ji Joins_1
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Looking at the persistent expression on Ah Dai’s face, Xuan Yue can’t help but feel somewhat infatuated. Ah Dai has changed. Starting from his battle today with The Overlord Mercenary Group, everything he’s shown is different from before. This is all her doing! The current Ah Dai has shed some of his naivety, adding a few degrees of depth and steadiness. What used to be a restrained aura now seems much more expressive. But is this really what she wants to see? Does she like Ah Dai like this? Xuan Yue’s heart is filled with complex emotions - she hopes for Ah Dai to become stronger might and might not want Ah Dai’s simplicity to change, but at this moment Ah Dai has changed, changed enough that she barely recognizes him.
On the second day in the early morning, Ah Dai woke up. The vitality of True Qi itself had a strong healing ability. After a night of cultivation, the injuries in his body had completely recovered. Taking a deep breath, feeling the True Qi surging within his body, Ah Dai felt an exhilarating sensation, and floated down from the bed. His gaze rested on Xuan Yue, who was still cultivating. Xuan Yue was enveloped in a golden glow. Compared to before, there were two wings of light behind her. The light golden glow was gently flapping, and with every beat, Ah Dai could feel the light elements in the air converging towards Xuan Yue. Ah Dai sighed inwardly. It seemed that despite having the True Qi given by the grandmaster, his progress was not faster than this brother Xuan Re. The first time he met Xuan Re, he was only a Light Magus, but now he definitely had abilities equal to Xuan Ye. If compared to Ah Dai, it was uncertain who was the stronger one. Perhaps Ah Dai could be sure of winning only by using the Sheng Xie or Sword of Hades for assistance. If the two brothers Xuan Re and Xuan were of such a high caliber, then what terrifying power does the Pope possess? Activating the True Qi within his body, Ah Dai made a low hum in an attempt to wake Xuan Yue. Meditation could be ended at any time, and was not afraid of interruptions. Now that the sky was beginning to brighten, Ah Dai knew that if they left any later, Moon Scar and the others might detain them, so they could only slip out while everyone was still asleep.
Upon hearing Ah Dai’s voice, Xuan Yue slowly stopped her meditation and opened her eyes, looking at Ah Dai worriedly, "Brother, how are your injuries? Are you okay now?"
Ah Dai smiled, "Rest assured, I’m alright now. Brother, we need to hurry up and leave. Otherwise, given Moon Scar and their enthusiasm last night, it would be difficult to leave once we are found."
Seeing Ah Dai’s injuries recovered, Xuan Yue breathed a sigh of relief, landed from the bed, and began arranging her long blue hair, "Brother, you go call Olivia and Kino."
Seeing Xuan Yue combing her hair, Ah Dai was a little infatuated and mumbled, "Brother, sometimes I really think you’re a woman. You look so pretty when you comb your hair!"
Xuan Yue was shocked, her face blushing, pretending to be angry, "Brother, what are you talking about? Complimenting a man on his beauty is a great insult. Hurry up, or I’ll slit you with my light blade."
Ah Dai laughed, "Brother, you can’t blame me! You look even more like a girl when you’re angry. Okay, okay, I won’t say it again, I’ll go call them." With that, Ah Dai ran out of the room before Xuan Yue’s light blade could strike. Seeing Ah Dai’s retreating figure, Xuan Yue’s heartbeat quickened, her face flushed, she thought to herself, ’What should I do? Has Ah Dai discovered my identity? No, I can’t let him know! It would be too embarrassing if he knew that I was confessing my feelings for him a few days ago.’
Half an hour later, Ah Dai and his group were already strolling on the streets of Varo City. They had quietly left the headquarters of the Moon Scar Mercenary Group without alarming anyone. Before they left, Ah Dai and Xuan Yue left a letter for Moon Scar and the others, explaining that they had to leave due to important matters, asking for their understanding, and that they would visit when they had the chance.
Xuan Yue’s face was still gloomy and she ignored everyone. Ah Dai didn’t dare to provoke her either. He knew that Xuan Yue was angry because of what he had said about her being like a girl. As he walked beside her, he didn’t know how to explain it. Sensing the awkward atmosphere between Ah Dai and Xuan Yue, Olivia and Kino could only remain silent. As they just left the headquarters of the Moon Scar Mercenary Group, Kino looked back every three steps. Even when Olivia teased him, he didn’t care. In this somewhat awkward atmosphere, the four left Varo City and headed towards the northeast, to Red Hurricane City.
Due to Kino’s presence, the pace of the group was not too fast. They could only move slowly. Kino suddenly stopped, turned his head to look at the now distant outline of Varo City, and sighed, thinking, ’Goodbye, Miss Yue Ji, I wonder if we will meet again in this lifetime.’
Although they spent only two days together, Kino’s heart was already firmly tied to Yue Ji and couldn’t be untied. Yue Ji’s every frown and smile were deeply etched in his mind. He didn’t know why, but Kino loved watching Yue Ji the most when she was angry.
Just as Kino was about to turn around and catch up with Ah Dai and the others, he suddenly noticed a red figure swiftly approaching them. The figure was so familiar, and as it got closer, Kino couldn’t help but open his mouth wide because this red figure was none other than Yue Ji, the one he couldn’t forget.
Yue Ji was still wearing her familiar dark red light armor, with a silver longbow on her back. She was wrapped in a thin layer of fighting spirit, moving swiftly. When she saw Kino, a hint of joy flashed in her eyes. A few leaps brought her right next to Kino. She was a little out of breath, "Finally caught up, you guys are really fast! I’m exhausted, but luckily I caught up with you here."
Kino muttered, "Miss Yue Ji, how come you’re here?"
Yue Ji responded grumpily, "What, are you not welcoming me? You guys just left like that, my big brother is a bit angry, you know."
With a pronounced nod, Kino said, "Well, we...we had important things to do. We couldn’t stay for long. Besides, Ah Dai and Xuan Re acted too impressively yesterday, making the people in the Mercenary Corps too enthusiastic. They couldn’t take it. Miss Yue Ji, you can’t blame them!" Facing the woman he loved, Kino looked extremely nervous, his face flushed a deep red, and he anxiously twisted his hands in front of his body. Seeing his shy demeanor, Yue Ji chuckled, saying, "Who would blame you, you look just like a blushing maiden. Why do you turn red every time you see me? Ah! You... You couldn’t possibly have fallen for me, right?" As she spoke, Yue Ji leaned in closer to Kino, staring into his ever-fluctuating eyes.
Watching as Yue Ji’s face loomed closer in his vision, Kino’s heart suddenly sped up, his face turning an even deeper color. The fragrance of Yue Ji filled his nostrils, and a wave of dizziness flooded over him. He was so overwhelmed, he couldn’t utter a single word. Suddenly, he felt a tickling sensation in his nose, and he subconsciously reached up to touch it, only to discover two streaks of liquid dribbling from his nostrils, which startled Yue Ji.
"Whoa, you’ve got a nosebleed! Seriously, you’re not exactly a young boy anymore, why are you acting like an innocent kid? So my attraction is that powerful, eh! Haha, ahahahaha..." Her silver-bell-like laughter rang out, penetrating the sky. It had been a long time since Yue Ji had laughed so heartily. Her laughter attracted the attention of the three people walking ahead. Ah Dai and the others turned around simultaneously to see Yue Ji standing some distance away, their faces displaying surprise. Ah Dai floated over, landing next to Yue Ji and Kino, and said awkwardly, "Sister Yue Ji, why are you here?"
Yue Ji shot him a look, saying, "I chased after you guys because you just slipped away without saying goodbye. That’s not proper, is it? Ah Dai, I’ve found someone who’s even more ’Dai’ than you. I mean, look. I just got a little close to him, and he’s bleeding from his nose. So cute!" As she spoke, she pointed at Kino and kept laughing.
Ah Dai followed Yue Ji’s direction and sure enough, there was Kino, his face flushing bright red and two streaks of nosebleed staining the front of his shirt. He stood there awkwardly, his face somewhat twisted in embarrassment. Ah Dai couldn’t help but recall when he and Xuan Yue had entered the Tian Gang ranges together and his reaction upon seeing Xuan Yue bathing. Wasn’t he just like Kino at that time? A surge of sympathy welled up within him, and he placed his hand on Kino’s shoulder. The hefty True Qi flowed into Kino’s body, instantly stopping the nosebleed. Kino gave Ah Dai a grateful look and quickly wiped the remaining blood from his face.
Meanwhile, Xuan Yue and Olivia hurried over. While Xuan Yue was a bit more restrained, upon seeing Kino’s situation, Olivia burst into boisterous laughter. He wasn’t like Ah Dai, he knew immediately why Kino looked that way. "Hahaha... wow hahahaha... Kino, you’re hopeless! Just one look at a girl and you end up like this, haha... I’m dying of laughter."
Kino’s embarrassment finally found an outlet. Looking at the laughing Olivia, it seemed as though fire would spurt from his eyes. His body released a faint red glow and the surrounding temperature began to rise. Kino said bitterly, "Olivia, if you’ve got the guts, don’t run. Oh great Fire God! Please grant me the power of flames, turn flame into dragon, turn dragon into fire, burn, Flame Dragon."
Olivia was startled and her laughter ceased. Although she often joked with Kino, she had never used magic above level five. Their magic levels were about the same. Olivia, assisted by the Staff of Wind God, was not much weaker than Kino. Seeing Kino invoke a Fire System Level Six spell, Flame Dragon, Olivia was taken aback. After all, any magic exceeding level six is very difficult to counter. Without slighting, Olivia quickly conjured a space barrier, took out her Staff of Wind God, and quickly receded, maintaining a certain distance. She enveloped Kino with nine green clones in a semi-encircling manner.
Ah Dai was already accustomed to the fights between Kino and Olivia. He helplessly smiled and gently released his White Aura. Wrapping Xuan Yue and Yue Ji, they retreated tens of meters away. Protected by White Aura, they wouldn’t be harmed by the residual magic waves of Olivia and Kino. Since it was early morning and there were no pedestrians on the road, Ah Dai let them be.
A huge Red Flame Dragon soared from Kino and hovered above his head, its size constantly increasing. Kino glared at Olivia, waiting for the Flame Dragon to take shape before launching an attack. Olivia hadn’t expected Kino’s anger to go so far. Left with no choice, she chanted the spell for a Wind Shield using the clone stacking ability of the Staff of Wind God. After all, she was in the wrong and didn’t dare to counterattack Kino. "Blowing wind, condensing into a shield, oh great wind elements! Protect me." A faded azure light ball appeared in front of the nine clones. The light ball gradually took shape, condensing into nine wind shields. Under Olivia’s control, the nine wind shields flew from the nine clones and instantly converged before Olivia’s main body. With the help of the Staff of Wind God, the nine wind shields gradually merged into one. The magical energy of the wind elements swirled in the air. As the magic energy stacked up, its size steadily grew. By the time Kino’s Flame Dragon took shape, it had consolidated into a huge Wind Energy Shield two meters high. Small whirlwinds constantly circled on the surface of the shield. With the protection of this strong wind shield, Olivia breathed a sigh of relief.
Yue Ji watched the sudden action of the two, her face changing color. That huge Flame Dragon and the green magic shield were powerful magics she had never seen before. She had always thought that Kino and Olivia were only low-level mages and had not taken them seriously. Now she realized that these two young mages, about the same age as herself, were both very strong.
Ah Dai asked Xuan Yue, "Brother, who do you think will win?"
Xuan Yue smiled, "There won’t be a winner or loser. Based on their abilities, Kino should be slightly stronger. However, he might be afraid of hurting Olivia, so he only used a Level Six attack magic. Olivia, relying on the stacking ability of the Staff of Wind God, is not weaker than Kino. This huge energy shield stacked with Wind Shields should not be broken by the Flame Dragon. But Olivia probably won’t counterattack, so as I said, neither of them can beat each other. Brother, although they fight every day, I can clearly feel from our time together that a deep friendship has grown between them. Let them have some fun, then we can continue our journey."
Yue Ji said, "But their magic powers are so great. Won’t there be any accidents? They should be more than just advanced mages."
Xuan Yue smiled faintly, "Sister Yue Ji, rest assured. Although Kino was furious, he is very restrained. Besides, his attack can’t break Olivia’s defense, as for their magic levels, you can ask Kino later, I believe he won’t hide it from you." She moved closer to Yue Ji and whispered, "Big sister, Kino is very innocent. You saw how he reacted when he saw you. If you don’t mind, he would be a good choice for a partner."
Seeing Xuan Yue so close to her, Yue Ji’s pretty face turned red. She giggled and said, "Don’t talk nonsense, I would never fancy that blockhead. If I were to marry someone, it’ll be a mighty magician like you! Haha." Upon hearing Yue Ji’s words, Xuan Yue subconsciously glanced at Ah Dai and thought: What’s wrong with being a little foolish, isn’t Ah Dai quite good?
At this point, Kino’s Flame Dragon was complete. The surrounding air rippled due to the dragon’s presence. With wide-open eyes, Kino pointed with his right hand and commanded, "Go." The huge dragon wound its body in mid-air, then ferociously flew towards Olivia. This magic was slightly less powerful than the Purple Flame Soaring Dragon cast by Gorisong before, but it nonetheless held significant strength. At Kino’s command, the dragon rushed towards Olivia’s nine clones. Olivia was taken aback. He was astonished at Kino’s control over the magic and quickly conjured a spell. In a flash, he retracted his Stacking Wind Shield and made each of his clones flicker rapidly, avoiding the attack of Kino’s dragon.
Kino’s hands swiftly moved in the air, commanding the dragon to twist and turn, pursuing Olivia relentlessly. Regardless of how Olivia tried to block, Kino’s dragon did not make contact with the Wind Shield. Instead, it continuously directed the surging flames towards Olivia’s many clones. The dragon was huge, so even when Olivia managed to dodge, a few of his clones would still be caught in the dragon’s line of fire. Although the clones were intangible, they were still created by the Staff of the Wind God and each time the Fire Energy burnt them, they seemed a bit weaker.
Xuan Yue said in astonishment: "Unexpectedly, Kino still has this trick up his sleeve. He’s keeping Olivia on the back foot with the Flame Dragon. Olivia is at a disadvantage, his Wind Shield is purely defensive, regardless of how many clones it shields, there are still limitations. Over time Olivia will run out of energy. If this continues, Olivia’s clones will disappear due to the expenditure of energy. He doesn’t even have time to use attack magic now."
As Yue Ji watched the two on the field, the splendid fire dragon and the strange clones roused feelings of admiration in her. This was true power! Compared to them, she was still far behind. That boy named Kino, who always had a foolish look on his face, showed a remarkable aura when he made a move. If it weren’t for the residue of blood on his nose, Yue Ji would’ve doubted whether he was the same person who had awkwardly stuttered in front of her. It seems the adage of "never judge a book by its cover" was true.
The battle on the field was heating up. Since Olivia had used a Stacking Wind Shield from the start, he no longer had the magic power required for another stacked attack spell. Dodging repeatedly depleted the divine power contained in the Staff of the Wind God. To be precise, Olivia’s magic power was steadily being whittled away by the Flame Dragon. Of his original nine clones, only six remained. Kino’s Flame Dragon, however, showed no sign of stopping. Under Kino’s control, it carried out waves of attacks, giving Olivia a harder time.
Ah Dai watched their fight and shook his head helplessly. He shouted, "Stop fighting! If you continue like this, you won’t have the energy to continue our journey. Let’s stop."
Kino had been attacking Olivia for a while, which allowed him to overcome his awkwardness. Hearing Ah Dai’s call, he clapped his hands once, and the Flame Dragon suddenly charged at Olivia’s Wind Shield. For the first time, Olivia chose not to dodge. He let out a sigh of relief and hastily arranged the remaining clones behind the Wind Shield. With a loud boom, the dragon vanished, scattering the sky with sparks. Olivia’s Stacking Wind Shield finally demonstrated its true effect, facing the head-on impact of the Level-6 Attack Magic, Flame Dragon, without any sign of breaking.
Kino dismissed his magical power, and the burning air in the arena vanished. Olivia also combined his clones and sat heavily on the ground panting. Raising both hands, he said, "I surrender, enough fighting."
Kino huffed angrily and said, "The next time you mock me, I’ll roast you with the Purple Flame Soaring Dragon." After finishing his sentence, he strode over to Olivia and helped him up.
Olivia mumbled, "Hmph, had it not been for my immediate use of the Stacking Wind Shield, you wouldn’t have had the chance to press me like this. We don’t know who would have won."
Kino responded, "Not convinced? If you’re not happy, we can start all over. Go ahead and use your attack magic, and we’ll see if you can handle me."
Olivia quickly waved his hands and said, "Who would want to fight you again? Can’t you see that I used up too much magical power? We still have to travel later on. Or are you planning on carrying me all the way? Actually, you don’t have to feel awkward. After all, your Fire Mage Robe is red. A bit of blood won’t be too noticeable..." Seeing Kino about to lose his temper again, Olivia quickly shut his mouth, but the amusement in his eyes could not be hidden.
Ah Dai gave a helpless smile and said, "You both have had a hearty fight and must be worn-out. Let’s rest by the roadside for a while, then we can continue on our journey." After saying this, the group of five walked to a big tree by the road and took a rest. Fortunately, when Kino had used the Flame Dragon, he had been careful not to damage the vegetation on either side of the road. By now, the morning sun was slowly rising, and its blinding rays brought sweltering heat to the earth.
Xuan Yue said to Yue Ji, "Sister, is there something else you need? Actually, we didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye. But there are many things waiting for us to do, we couldn’t delay."
It took a while for Yue Ji to come back from the thrilling magical duel. She glanced at Kino who was sitting quietly with his head down. Her face revealed a cunning smile and she said, "I don’t oppose you leaving, but it won’t be that easy. I have a condition you must agree to. Otherwise, I will drag you back to see my elder brother."
Ah Dai looked puzzled at Yue Ji and asked, "What condition? Hasn’t Moon Scar Mercenary Group resolved its problems?"
Yue Ji smiled faintly, saying: "Didn’t you mention last night that our destination is the Death Mountain Range? Remember when we first met? Back then, we all had a mission in the Death Mountain Range. Isn’t this the perfect opportunity to fulfill that old wish? My terms are simple: if you take me with you to the Death Mountain Range, I won’t drag you back."
Ah Dai and his companions exchanged glances. Kino’s eyes shone with unconcealed joy, clearly indicating his agreement. Olivia seemed nonchalant while Xuan Yue had a look of worry. Ah Dai laughed bitterly, "Big sister Yue Ji, did you forget what happened in the Elf City? Mr. Audi of the Elf Envoy said that the Death Mountain Range is a very dangerous place. We are not entirely sure of what’s ahead and the risks are significant. If anything happens to you, how am I going to explain it to Mr. Moon Scar? You really should head back."
Yue Ji snorted, her eyes flickering with anger, "What now? You think you’re better than me just because you’ve improved? I won’t hold you back. Everyone has their own fate. I will deal with my affairs, and my brother can’t object either. My martial arts skills haven’t improved for a while, maybe traveling with you could be beneficial. Regardless, you must take me with you or else you can follow me back. Ah Dai, are you ignoring old friends just because you’ve improved a bit more than before?"
Hearing Yue Ji’s words, Ah Dai looked awkward. How could he, a dull man, answer back to Yue Ji? Xuan Yue quickly jumped in to defend Ah Dai, "Sister Yue Ji, please don’t be angry. Ah Dai didn’t mean that. You are the backbone of the Moon Scar Mercenary Corps. How could your strength be weak? Ah Dai is worried that if you leave, the Corps may struggle, affecting its growth."
Yue Ji’s face softened a bit, and she smiled softly, "You don’t need to worry about that anymore. Now that Overlord and the others have joined the Mercenary Corps, I am not needed there. The Corps will only grow faster, not slow down due to my departure. I decided yesterday that no matter what, I would go with you this time. Don’t say any more, just let me know if you’ll take me."
Ah Dai and Xuan Yue fell silent. They were very aware of Yue Ji’s strength; compared to theirs, hers was significantly weaker. If they went to the Death Mountain Range, she would undoubtedly be a burden to everyone. Most importantly, they were worried about not being able to take care of her once they reached the dangerous Death Mountain Range. Considering Yue Ji was one of their earliest friends, how could they bear to see her get hurt?
Yue Ji looked at their hesitant faces and her expression darkened, "You think without your help, I can’t go on my own? I don’t believe that I can’t outrun the three of you mages."
Unexpectedly, Kino spoke up. After pondering for a moment, he mustered up his courage and said to Ah Dai, "Leader Ah Dai, let’s bring Miss Yue Ji. We only have one warrior among us. You won’t be able to take care of everyone if we encounter significant danger. Miss Yue Ji’s martial arts skills aren’t weak either. Having her along could also be beneficial for us. If something happens, I will do my best to protect her."
Yue Ji gave Kino a sideways glance but surprisingly didn’t refute his words. After seeing his powerful magical strength earlier, she knew that Kino indeed had the ability to protect her. Kino’s defense of her generated a touch of warmth in her heart and she smiled at him. Her smile almost swept Kino off his feet.
Ah Dai and Xuan Yue exchanged glances. They knew Yue Ji well, she always followed through with what she said. Instead of having her follow them secretly, it would be better to bring her along. Thinking of this, Xuan Yue said, "Alright, sister Yue Ji, you can come with us. Just remember, you can’t act bravely when we face dangers."
Yue Ji rejoiced, saying, "Don’t worry, I won’t. With so many skilled people like you, I won’t even have a chance to show off! Let’s go, we’ve rested enough. Now where are we going?"
Five of them got up. Ah Dai said, "We’ll stop by Red Hurricane City first. Then we’ll go to the Pu Yan tribe. It’s been a long time since we saw Brother Yan Shi and the others. I wonder how they’re doing."
As Ah Dai mentioned Yan Shi, Yue Ji instantly pouted. She could still vividly remember the slap Yan Shi had given her. "What are we waiting for? I’ve been to Red Hurricane City several times. I can guide you. Let’s go." With that, she rose into the air and took the lead, sprinting ahead. Seeing Yue Ji moving swiftly away, Ah Dai, out of options, grabbed Kino and dashed forwards. Olivia and Xuan Yue hustled after them. The team of five set off for Red Hurricane City.
On the grasslands of the Ya Lin tribe within the Federation of Suo Du, many civilian-dressed people were moving southeast. Many of them wore bamboo hats, so it was hard to discern anything unusual at a glance. However, most of these groups of three or five civilians had tall and burly figures. With a little attention, one could see that they were not ordinary people.
Xuan Ye was wearing a gray robe. He was so accustomed to the ritual robe that he felt a bit uncomfortable with this change. In order to hide his priestly identity, he had no choice but to wear it. He had been traveling from the church for more than ten days, and as he approached the territory of the Tian Yuan Clan, he became steadily more tense. Turning to Xuan Yuan, the Chief Judge, he said, "Chief Judge, after crossing this prairie, we will reach the territory of the Tian Yuan Clan. I have visited this place before. The easternmost part is the Elf Forest, which is home to a large number of elves. They are a peace-loving race. From our current route, we seem to be heading directly into the heart of the Tian Yuan Clan’s territory which is home to the Winged Tribe and the Dwarf Clan. These two tribes have always kept a low profile. When we get there, we can try to find the Beast Man’s territory. I believe the Dark Witcher is hiding nearby." He deliberately planned his journey this way. He had once promised the Elf Queen that he would help the Elf Clan find the missing elves captured by the dark forces. However, due to the lack of cooperation from the official Empire of Sunset City, he was unable to fulfill his promise. With Xuan Ye’s pride, how could he face the elves again? Therefore, he had no choice but to avoid the Elf Clan’s territory.
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