Chapter 818: Chapter 20 Special Task_4
At such a close distance, a contest between a Magician and an archer was inherently unfair, as Magicians needed time to chant their spells, but that sudden arrow gave Xuan Yue no time at all.
Xuan Yue pushed Ah Dai away, who was about to take action, and swung her Magic Wand lightly. Just as the Silver Arrow was about to strike her, a blinding flash of light appeared. When everyone’s vision returned, they discovered that Yue Ji was completely encased in a protective glow, and no one but Ah Dai could clearly see what had happened.
Even Ah Dai, who saw it, couldn’t understand. Right when the Silver Arrow was about to reach Xuan Yue, she seemed to murmur a single word, and her body was suddenly enveloped in brilliance. That Silver Arrow, which was purported to have anti-magic properties, was instantly blocked by the light and couldn’t penetrate an inch further. It was then that Xuan Yue took the opportunity to cast a low-level spell to shield Yue Ji. What shocked Ah Dai the most was that he didn’t see Xuan Yue chant any spell for either defense or attack.
Xuan Yue spoke with pride, "Who says an archer must be a Magician’s bane? How about it? Want to keep going?" The faint glow swirling in front of her complemented her stunning beauty, making her look like a fairy descending to Earth. Every member of the Moon Scar Mercenary Corps was dumbstruck.
It took a while, but Moon Scar was the first to come to his senses. He walked over to his sister’s side, glanced at the bewildered Yue Ji, and addressed Xuan Yue: "Miss Magician, your strength is far beyond our expectations. For this trip to the Death Mountain Range, I’ve decided the Moon Scar Mercenary Corps will follow your commands without question."
Xuan Yue nodded in satisfaction and said, "That’s settled, then. You all go back first. We’ll meet at the West City Gate tomorrow morning, and don’t be late. I won’t wait past the appointed time. Ah Dai, let’s go."
On the way back to the Steamed Bun shop, Ah Dai couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked, "Miss Xuan Yue, what did you do to block that arrow?" He confessed to himself that to counter such a ghostly arrow, he could only rely on instinct to block it with the Tian Gang Sword, and whether he could actually deflect it was in question. As for using magic, he didn’t even dare to think about it.
Xuan Yue pouted and said, "You’re finally willing to talk to me on your own now? That’s my secret, I can’t tell you."
Meeting with rejection, Ah Dai fell silent, feeling awkward.
When the two returned to the Steamed Bun shop, they were startled by the scene before them. The table was piled high with steamed buns, and the sweaty shop owner was busy taking out several steamer baskets. Ah Dai hurried over to help.
After setting down the baskets, the shop owner panted, "That should be a thousand steamed buns, give or take. That’s with help from the neighbors, and it took all afternoon! What I want to know now is how you plan on taking them away. They must weigh nearly three hundred pounds."
Xuan Yue giggled and said, "You just wait and see, this will be an eye-opener." She closed the shop door, extended her delicate hand, and reached into her collar, pulling out a necklace. The silver-white necklace was unremarkable, lacking any sparkle, but at the end of the chain was a red gemstone that flickered with a faint red light. By then, evening had fallen and nearly all the civilians had gone home for dinner. The shop owner had closed for the day specifically to make the one thousand steamed buns.
Xuan Yue’s eyes closed and she murmured, "With the Phoenix’s Blood as my guide, open the gates of time and space." As she chanted, the red gemstone suddenly shone brightly, enveloping her in a crimson light. She abruptly opened her eyes and softly commanded, "Gather."
The steamed buns on the table seemed to heed her call, soaring into the air one after the other and heading toward Xuan Yue. What amazed Ah Dai and the shop owner was that as soon as the steamed buns touched the red light around Xuan Yue, they vanished without a trace. Xuan Yue seemed like a bottomless pit, quickly clearing all the buns from the table.
The shop owner’s mouth hung open as he dazedly said, "Is this the power of magic? Incredible, truly incredible."
After collecting all the steamed buns, Xuan Yue didn’t stop there. She also gathered up everything she had purchased during the day. When she tried to take Ah Dai’s bundle, he gripped it tightly, refusing to let go. Inside it was Owen’s ashes!
The red glow around Xuan Yue receded as she complained, "I don’t want your stuff, why are you holding on so tight? It’s cumbersome to carry. Just let me store it in the Phoenix’s Blood, it would be much easier."
Ah Dai, at a loss, said, "No, this bundle is very important to me; I need to keep it close to feel secure. Miss Xuan Yue, I had no idea your magic was so powerful!"
Xuan Yue pouted and replied, "How stingy. You think my magic is powerful? My father is the truly powerful one. When I reach the level of a great Magician, I can open my own Spatial Bag and won’t need to bother with the Phoenix’s Blood. All those steamed buns are in this necklace now. Remember to ask me for them when you want to eat."
Although Ah Dai had learned some Alchemy from Goris, what was happening before his eyes exceeded his comprehension. Little did he know, the most precious item on Xuan Yue was the Phoenix’s Blood necklace. Using it to store steamed buns was way below its dignity. After all, it was a treasure given to Xuan Yue by the Pope, one of the few Divine Artifacts within the Holy Church. If it weren’t for the Phoenix’s Blood serving as Xuan Yue’s amulet, how could Cardinal Xuanye in Red be so reassured to let his daughter venture out?
