Chapter 552: Chapter 142: Xuan Yue in Red Clothes_1
My new book "Ice and Fire Magic Chef" has begun to update, I hope you all will give it a lot of support. Thank you.
Link: http://www.cmfu.com/showbook.asp?Bl_id=70705
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mang Siu didn’t initially plan on using this spell. However, while they were both performing the Descent of Divine Light, he felt the strong pressure given off by Xuan Yue, something invisible to the onlookers. Although, at the time, it seemed they were equally matched, the reality was different. Xuan Yue’s Descent of Divine Light technique was much purer than Mang Siu’s and he was already struggling to withstand it. Thus, for the dignity of his red robe priesthood, he was compelled to deploy the Brilliant Light. Under the influence of the rainbow-hued Brilliant Light, the Descent of Divine Light Xuan Yue unleashed was suppressed to within three meters of her body, completely at a disadvantage. But, was Xuan Yue simply defeated like this? Of course not. At this moment, her heart was filled with the spirit of victory, and she wouldn’t admit defeat easily. Xuan Yue suddenly closed her eyes, as if the immense external pressure was inconsequential. Unaffected by the Brilliant Light, her pretty face remained calm without a single ripple. A faint incantation drifted out, "Limitless heavens and earth, all laws return to the origin, Divine Power Exorcises Demons, the absolute resonance of light. Burst forth, pure Holy Power." With the chanting of the spell, the golden pillar of light Xuan Yue emitted suddenly grew brighter, forcefully halting the forward momentum of the Brilliant Light. However, she didn’t use a higher level spell. The song she chanted was the most potent support magic in the Holy Light system, which could instantly enhance the absorption speed of light elements and improve the control of her own magic—the Absolute Resonance of Light. This level seven support spell was the strongest amongst single-target support spells. The way Xuan Yue utilized magic was different from Mang Siu. When he was in danger, Mang Siu would first use a stronger spell, then dissipate the energy from his previous spell, and merge the energy into the subsequently released, more powerful spell. This was a common practice among mages and there was nothing wrong with it. However, when merging the energy of the initial spell into the new one, there would inevitably be a loss of energy. Xuan Yue’s method was different. She didn’t change the state of her existing spell, but rather enhanced it based on its foundation to achieve greater effectiveness. Combining a level seven attack spell with a level seven support spell, the fused power was definitely not weaker than a level eight spell. And because there was no loss of energy, it also reduced the caster’s consumption. On the utilization of magical energy, Xuan Yue already held the upper hand.
Wrapped in an even stronger golden light, Xuan Yue’s delicate body slowly floated into the air. Suddenly, to everyone’s surprise, a golden symbol emerged from Xuan Yue’s forehead. If Xuan Yue could see it herself, she would be shocked to recognize that this golden symbol was identical to the one on the Phoenix’s Blood. With the illumination of the golden symbol, two wings of light rose from Xuan Yue’s back. The visibly immense energy wings gently flapped, and with each flap, the golden pillar of light Xuan Yue emitted grew stronger, pushing back the Brilliant Light a little further each time.
When the Pope saw the two wings of light that appeared on Xuan Yue’s back, he almost exclaimed aloud; he couldn’t be more familiar with their form—they were identical to the wings that appeared during the divine baptism! Such a phenomenon had never occurred before; none of the Church’s scriptures had recorded the appearance of wings of light after a divine baptism. Although there were only two wings, they were still enough to astonish the Pope and further reinforced his belief that Xuan Yue and Ah Dai were the Saviours. He knew, the balance of victory was already beginning to tip in Xuan Yue’s favour.
With her eyes closed, Xuan Yue clearly felt the light elements in the air rushing into her body from her back at a speed several times greater than usual. This massive energy went through her process of condensation, merging, transformation, and recirculation, constantly enhancing her attack power. The purest golden light under her control gradually regained the territory previously invaded by the Brilliant Light. The Brilliant Light was the most powerful magic Mang Siu could use. Seeing the multi-coloured glow he emitted gradually being pushed back, and the unusual phenomena appearing on Xuan Yue’s body, he lost faith in himself. Without resorting to the use of tools, he was indeed out of ways to adapt. The Brilliant Light was gradually pushed back by the golden light column step by step.
Xuan Yue had no idea she had firmly suppressed Mang Siu and was still continuously infusing Divine Energy into her attack. A gentle voice rang at the bottom of Xuan Yue’s heart, "Child, don’t continue to attack, Mang Siu can’t handle it anymore. You should pull back your energy and hold it within your body, then guide the energy heavenward."
Xuan Yue was taken aback, waking from her sea of golden energy. She recognized the voice belonged to her grandfather, the Pope. When she opened her eyes, she realized the situation had entirely reversed. The Brilliant Light emitted by Mang Siu was suppressed by her golden light column to a distance of two meters in front of them. His brow was drenched in sweat, and he was on the verge of failing. Seeing this, Xuan Yue hurriedly retracted her attack energy, holding it within herself. The pressure on Mang Siu greatly diminished, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief and flash a grateful look. Since Xuan Yue had the absolute upper hand, she could control the energy. When she had both her golden light column and Mang Siu’s multi-coloured Brilliant Light returned to their central positions, the energy within her suddenly surged. Changing their forward momentum to an upward thrust, she guided the two different coloured energies towards the sky. The light flashed and the holy aura that had filled the front of the Grand Hall of Light vanished, and everything returned to normal.
Seeing the changes on the field, the Church’s clergy were left speechless. Only those with a profound level of cultivation could discern the final victor. But, Xuan Yue and Mang Siu’s performance was certainly eye-opening to them. Indeed, the power of the magic guide was formidable! Mang Siu’s priestly robe was utterly soaked with sweat, his heavy panting was clearly audible.
The Pope looked at Xuan Yue and Mang Siu respectively, with a smile: "The most faithful believers of God, we’ve all seen what just transpired. Goddess Xuan Yue and Priest Mang Siu drew in battle. I have decided to confer the honor of acting as a Red Robe Priest upon Goddess Xuan Yue. Based on her future performance, there may be changes." His expression suddenly became stern, "Almost a thousand years have passed, and dark forces are rising again. They are threatening the survival of all races of the continent. As believers of God, I ask each of you to make your due contributions for the peace of the continent at all costs. In three days, it will be time for us to travel to the Tian Yuan Clan to find the dark alien races. For the Church, this will be the most critical battle in a millennium. As faithful followers of the Sky God, we must sacrifice much, even our lives, for the peace of the continent. The calamity of a millennium will fall upon us to resolve, are you willing to follow me and fight against these dark forces to the end?"
All the clergy who were able to enter the Divine Mountain of the Church were the most faithful followers of the Sky God. They not only possessed profound cultivation but also had fanatical faith in the Sky God. Upon hearing the Pope’s words, a single voice echoed in front of the Hall of Light, all the clergy exclaimed determinedly, "We are willing" "We will always follow you, your Holiness". Their hearts were filled with reverence for the Sky God and abhorrence towards the dark forces.
The Pope, satisfied with the reactions of the clergy, loudly declared: "Excellent! You are truly children of God. As such, let us confront the evil forces to the end. I will lead you, under the protection of the Sky God, to achieve final victory! Now, return to your respective posts and prepare for battle."
As the clergy gradually dispersed, the Pope ordered Mang Siu, Yu Jian and the Xuan Ye family to accompany him inside the Hall of Light.
A golden flame appeared in the Pope’s hand. With a flash, it rushed into Mang Siu’s body. Under the influence of the Pope’s divine power, Mang Siu’s exhausted spirit instantly recovered somewhat. Bowing respectfully to the Pope, he said, "Thank you for saving my face." He then turned to Xuan Yue with a smile, "I must say, a young hero indeed! It appears that I am truly old now."
Respectfully, Xuan Yue saluted Mang Siu saying: "I’m sorry, Grandfather Mang Siu, I was too forceful earlier. Are you alright?"
Mang Siu shook his head and responded: "During a competition, who wouldn’t exert their best effort? Your strength has surpassed us old men, probably even Xuan Ye. Who would have imagined, that the always mischievous Little Witch has achieved such cultivation." Hearing Mang Siu’s words, Xuan Yue’s face blushed, and she lowered her head. Her frozen heart fluttered slightly but it was momentary.
The Pope was not surprised by Xuan Yue gaining the position of deputy Red Robe Priest. His concern now was about the Savior. His deep gaze fell on Xuan Ye as he said: "There are no strangers here, Yè-er, tell me, where’s Ah Dai? Since you brought Yue Yue back, why didn’t you bring him too? What happened? I know you have prejudices against Ah Dai, but you cannot let these prejudices affect the fate of the entire Church. Do you understand? The Savior is sent by the Sky God. Only by following the footsteps of the Savior can the right choices be made."
Cold sweat trickled down Xuan Ye’s face. Although he knew that the Pope held Ah Dai in high regard, he didn’t expect this level of importance. He murmured: "Your Holiness, are you really certain that he is the Savior?"
The Pope nodded and said: "God Feather left a note in the Church’s secret files about the appearance of the Savior. The descent of the holy light rain is a harbinger of the Savior’s arrival. Although you were in the Tian Yuan Clan at the time, you must have seen the light rain that fell not long ago. Yue Yue has already told me that the light rain was caused by her and Ah Dai. Coupled with the prophecy of the Pu Lin from Pu Yan Clan, Ah Dai and Yue Yue are the Saviors of the continent. Moreover, the Savior should primarily be Ah Dai. We must find him and follow his footsteps to face the arrival of the millennium calamity. Now, tell me, where is Ah Dai?"
Xuan Yue suddenly stepped forward and said, "Your Holiness, I am tired and wish to rest. If there are any questions, please ask Priest Xuan Ye. I no longer wish to hear the name Ah Dai."
The Pope frowned as he felt the icy aura radiating from his granddaughter, and said, "Alright, go rest." Xuan Yue’s cold face masked her inner thoughts. After saluting the crowd, she left the Hall of Light alone.
The Pope shifted his gaze from Xuan Yue’s retreating figure to Xuan Ye and asked, "Tell me, what exactly happened between Yue Yue and Ah Dai? This affects the safety of the whole church. You must not hide anything."
Xuan Ye was shocked; he indeed wanted to cover up for Ballon, but the seriousness of the Pope’s tone left him no room to do so. "I am sorry, Brother Ballon; I must tell the truth." With this thought, he no longer hesitated and said: "On the thirteenth day we were surrounded in the Elf Forest, the Dark alien races silently retreated. As for where or why they retreated, we do not know. It was at this moment that Xuan Yue and Ah Dai, along with several of their friends, arrived in the Elf Forest. At that time, Yue Yue and Ah Dai appeared very close. But you know that I have never liked Ah Dai. So, I asked Yue Yue to return to the church with me. However, it seemed as if Yue Yue’s feelings for Ah Dai ran very deep, so she insisted that Ah Dai return with us. She even threatened to die, leaving me no choice but to agree. Afterward..." Xuan Ye narrated in detail all that happened that day. The Pope’s face grew darker and darker with his words. After hearing the full narration, the Pope shook slightly, his divine power fluctuating unstably. He sighed deeply and exclaimed, "Ungrateful creature, wicked creature, how could Ballon have committed such a dishonorable act?"
Seeing his father so infuriated, Xuan Ye was shocked and quickly said, "Your Holiness, it was indeed Ballon who was wrong this time, but he was just consumed by his emotions. Considering the contributions of the Ba family to the church over generations, please forgive him." Aware that the Pope would not change his orders once given, Xuan Ye pleaded in advance.
A cold glint in the Pope’s eyes, he asked, "Forgive him? Do you not realize the magnitude of his mistake? Not only did he make the Savior leave us, but he also greatly damaged the Church’s reputation. The five influences represented by Ah Dai’s friends may not be powerful, but combined, they threaten the church’s existence. Moreover, the strongest on the continent, Sword Saint of the Tian Gang, stands with Ah Dai, and even I dare not offend him lightly. Xuan Ye, think carefully, why would these influences gather around Ah Dai if he was not the reincarnation of the Savior? The prophet Pu Lin of the Pu Yan Clan is foresighted, and he was the first to win Ah Dai over. I can foresee that the Pu Yan Clan will prosper if we are able to overcome the dark forces. Alas—an unfortunate fate! Is heaven truly punishing our Church?"
Only then did Xuan Ye grasp the severity of the situation. Anxiously, he said, "Your Holiness, what should we do now? Let me go find Ah Dai and clear up the misunderstanding. I will bring him back to see you."
The Pope looked downcast, aged ten years in an instant, sighed and said, "Seek him out? How? And given your relationship with Ah Dai, do you think he will trust you? I can see Yue Yue has sealed her heart away because of Ah Dai. Only they can resolve their feelings; no outside force can intervene. If heaven is destined for the church to fall, how can human efforts intervene? The Savior has his own destiny. Whatever will happen, let him decide. Now go rest. As for Ballon, let it be for now, considering the enormous contributions his family has made to the Church. However, you must warn Ballon to control his son."
Seeing his father’s condition, Xuan Ye felt awful. Like Na Yan, the Pope had devoted his life to the Holy Church. Understanding the Pope’s feelings about the Church’s current crisis, he was not sure how to comfort him. The Pope turned to look at Natcha, his voice much softer, "Natcha, I feel guilty about what happened to Na Yan. It was my lack of consideration when sending them on a mission that led to this outcome. Please mourn and let me know if you need anything."
Natcha’s eyes welled up with tears and she choked out, "Father, it’s not your fault. No one could have predicted such a turn of events. Father—he died for what he believed in..." Unable to continue speaking, Natcha fell into Xuan Ye’s arms, crying her heart out. The Pope sighed, turned to Yu Jian, the Red Robe Priest, and said, "You take care of the families of the deceased. Meet their needs and console them. Xuan Ye, you can go rest. Take good care of Natcha. Also, Yue Yue is emotionally unstable now; you must take good care of her."
The crowd obeyed and left, leaving the Hall of Light empty. The Pope turned to face the tall angel statue behind him and devoutly recited a prayer charm. Under the effect of his spell, the angel statue began to emit streaks of golden halo. The Pope murmured, "Dear Sky God, please bless the Holy Church and your people. Let the fallen warriors rest in peace in heaven."
In the wilderness, Ah Dai raced on, uncertain of his location. He relied on the sun’s ray to determine his direction. He had been living like a wild man the past few days. When hungry, he would find some wild fruits in the forest to eat. When he was tired, he would randomly find a spot to sit and cultivate. Perhaps because he had driven all his thoughts out of his body, his mental power was extraordinarily focused, and the cultivation rate of his True Qi improved significantly. His physical condition had also completely recovered.
During his rapid flight, Ah Dai suddenly noticed a thin stream of smoke not far ahead. Without a second thought, he quickly flew towards the source. As the smoke grew closer, he clearly heard the trickling sound of running water. How he longed for this sound! This was his first encounter with a river since his physical recovery. Under the prompt of his subconscious, he went through a forest and finally saw the shimmering waves he had been yearning for - a wide river with exceptionally clear blue water flowing towards the northwest. Ah Dai was covered with dirt and, seeing the river before him, he leaped over a two-meter high riverbank without hesitation and plunged into it. With a splash, water flew all around as the cold river water instantly refreshed him. He was buoyed by the strong flow of the river, his body emitting white life energy. Now, the flow of the river was nothing compared to when he first practiced against the relentless sea waves with his lower level of skills. Ah Dai concentrated his energy, controlling his body to descend to the bottom of the river. In the clean river, he was able to see the fish swimming past him. The flow of the water continuously washed away the dirt on his body. The river was very deep, and it took quite a while for him to reach the bottom, which he estimated to be at least ten meters deep. The river bed was very clean, surprisingly devoid of the mud he expected to find, instead, it was filled with smooth round stones. The True Qi inside Ah Dai’s body endlessly circulated, forming an internal cycle, which allowed him to stay underwater for a few hours without having to surface for air. He had not bathed for many days and his body was filthy. Ah Dai constantly adjusted his position, letting the turbulent flow of water clean the dirt off the Gigantic Spirit Snake Armor.
Once the armor was clean, Ah Dai took off the light armor underwater, carefully holding it with his hand, continuously washing away the remaining dirt, and then thoroughly cleaned his body. When all these were done, Ah Dai took back the life force that had been resisting buoyancy, and with a push from his feet, he shot up to the surface like an arrow.
With a whoosh, Ah Dai burst out of the water, wrapped in a white life energy, checked his direction, and headed for the shore. As it was not convenient to wear the Gigantic Spirit Snake Armor in water, he was now completely naked. The refreshing feeling greatly relaxed Ah Dai’s previously tense body.
Just as he was about to reach the shore, an anomaly occurred. A piercing gust of wind, thoroughly imbued with killing intent, shot towards him. It was a shadowy figure, a glacial blue light gleaming at the forefront, aimed directly at the vital region around Ah Dai’s waist. At this moment, Ah Dai, having just cleansed his body, was relishing in the refreshing sensation and was quite off guard. The assailant’s cold light stealthily sheathed its aura, until within a meter of Ah Dai’s body, its murderous fury erupted unexpectedly, shocking Ah Dai greatly. The surging killing intent, coupled with a concentrated fighting spirit, was not something his raw fighting power could fend off in this unprepared state. By the time he realized the danger, the piercing cold light was already within half a meter from his waist. With no means to dodge or resist, Ah Dai could only shift the Gigantic Spirit Snake Armor in his hand to cover his waist. The shadowy figure, with its blue light, precisely battered Ah Dai’s waist. The piercing fighting spirit burst forth abruptly. Even after being mitigated by the Gigantic Spirit Snake Armor, it remained potent, barbarically infiltrating via Ah Dai’s waist meridian route.
The acuity of that fighting spirit was all too familiar. Although Ah Dai was caught off guard and struck by the opponent, his formidable cultivation was already top-tier on the continent. A radiant white light suddenly emerged, and the liquefied True Qi within his body abruptly intercepted the attacking fighting spirit. With a deft rotation of his right hand, the Gigantic Spirit Snake Armour entwined the opponent’s short blade. His protective white combat Qi rapidly morphed into a light blue color. He didn’t need to use his hand to manifest it - a massive blue energy net had already enveloped the attacker. Under the impressively powerful and gentle energy of the net, and at such a close distance, the attacker didn’t stand a chance of resistance. His body was completely constrained by the energy net, halting his forward momentum, and placing him right in front of Ah Dai, their bodies practically touching.
Even without looking, Ah Dai knew who the attacker was. The method of a sneak attack was all too familiar to him. However, he was somewhat puzzled. Why would the Thief Guild’s maiden reappear before him after over a year? Ever since he left the Illusive Forest, he rarely stayed in one place for long. Yet, she was still able to find him.
The one who ambushed Ah Dai was none other than Mie Feng, who had been held captive for a year in the Thieves’ Guild. After she was imprisoned by the Thieves’ Guild’s president, she had been intensely practicing her skills. She could not bring herself to believe that Ah Dai, who was not any older than she was, could have surpassed her so much in such a short time. Ah Dai’s rapid martial arts progress was something she deeply resented. Ah Dai became her goal to surpass. To attain this goal, Mie Feng put herself through torturesque training. In a year’s time, her abilities had greatly increased. Throughout this year, she could not remove Ah Dai’s image from her mind. She continually reminded herself that this was due to the hatred brought about by the death of her Fourth Uncle. A year later, when her imprisonment was lifted, she chose to leave the Thieves’ Guild that was now hidden in the shadows, and went off on her own to get revenge on Ah Dai. Even though the Thieves’ Guild had gone underground, their intelligence network still existed. Mie Feng got word from her subordinates that Ah Dai had appeared in Andis City and had participated in the duels between two Mage Guilds, so she promptly set off for Andis City. But by the time she got there, Ah Dai and his team had already left. Not long after, she received news of Ah Dai participating in the decisive group battle between the Moon Scar Mercenary Group and the Overlord Mercenary Group, where he showed off his prowess and brought the Overlord Mercenary Group to its knees. She immediately rushed off to Varo City where the Moon Scar Mercenary Group was located, but yet again, she was a step too late. With the support of the vast and dense intelligence network of the Thieves’ Guild, Mie Feng finally caught up with Ah Dai and his group’s whereabouts in Red Hurricane City. Just as she was finding an opportunity to strike, Ah Dai and Xuan Yue noticed the task left behind by Yan Li and quickly departed. Even though Mie Feng wanted to catch them, she couldn’t catch up with their speed despite trying her best. So, she followed Yue Ji and the rest at a slower pace to the Pu Yan Tribe. She knew that Ah Dai would not part from his friends. In the Pu Yan Tribe, she was shocked to find that the Light Mage who had always followed Ah Dai was a woman, and such a stunningly beautiful one at that, which left a sour feeling in her heart. Originally, she had planned to attack while Ah Dai was in the Pu Yan Tribe to recuperate, but Xuan Yue had always been by Ah Dai’s side, which did not give her a chance. Mie Feng clearly understood that although she had significantly improved her own abilities, she was still somewhat behind the likes of Ah Dai and Xuan Yue. As a result, she did not act rashly, instead, she waited patiently for an opportunity. When Ah Dai and the rest left the Pu Yan Tribe and headed towards the Elves, drawing from her past experience, Mie Feng didn’t make her move rashly. She relied on her extreme endurance to wait for the perfect opportunity. Mie Feng’s ability to hide had reached an uncanny level that even Ah Dai had not found out about her presence. When they reached the Elf Forest, Ah Dai and his group used the Elf Bracelet to enter the ancient barrier of the Elf Forest, leaving Mie Feng without a way to follow. However, to avoid losing track of Ah Dai again, she used a special item from the Thieves’ Guild, the Thousand Mile Tracking Incense, to mark him when he opened the barrier with his Elf Bracelet. As long as nothing excessively cleaned it, the smell of the Thousand Mile Tracking Incense would not disappear. As it turned out, doing this was completely correct. Early on the second day, she felt from her body that the Thousand Mile Tracking Incense had detected that Ah Dai had already left the Elf Forest. She immediately sprinted after him. But, how could she catch up with the speed that Ah Dai had exhibited in his grief? Ah Dai’s two days and two nights of remaining on the move by overexerting his life energy had caused Mie Feng to run for over ten days to catch up. Finally, she began to close the gap once Ah Dai had regained his abilities. Since Ah Dai had just regained his abilities, he did not travel very fast for the past few days, focusing on healing his body. As a result, Mie Feng was able to tail him closely, albeit with difficulty. Gradually, she began to exhaust her stamina. Today, when Ah Dai jumped into the river to bathe, Mie Feng knew that if she did not strike now, she might not have another chance. Under the strong onslaught of the river, the scent of the Thousand Mile Tracking Incense would not persist. The moment Ah Dai, naked, descended from the river onto the shore, Mie Feng knew – this was the perfect opportunity for her to strike. Even though Ah Dai’s nakedness made her blush, she resolutely chose to attack with all her strength. The poisoned dagger, carrying all her might, lunged towards Ah Dai. However, even in such a timely opportunity, she still could not successfully kill Ah Dai. The energy contained within the blue light web was so great that Mie Feng did not have a chance to break out of it. She could only watch in disbelief as Ah Dai, completely naked, stood in front of her. Only then did she realize how perfect Ah Dai’s physical appearance was, causing two blushes to paint her cheeks.
Qidian Chinese Network www.cmfu.com welcomes all book friends to read. The latest, fastest, and most popular serialized works are all on Qidian Original!
