Rewinding time to thirty minutes ago, Zijing, dagger in hand, was pulling Xiao Lin—who had nearly lost her magic wand—as they stumbled through the snow. They looked around in panic, their faces etched with anxiety.
They had already collected nearly eighty points in the Rainstorm Swamp and had survived several battles in Frost Valley. They were now on the verge of total exhaustion. The environment was agonizing; from the almost viscid humidity of the Rainstorm Swamp to the biting cold of Frost Valley that made even breathing painful, the harsh conditions were wearing down their spirits.
“Defeating a trainee is worth one hundred points, but the risk of being eliminated is also high. So, why are they so obsessed with chasing after us?” Xiao Lin asked, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she followed Zijing through the snow. Occasionally, the sound of fire crashing into the ground echoed behind them.
“I'm sorry... it's all my fault. They're coming for me... I'm the one dragging you down this time.” Zijing’s expression was one of despair. She gripped Xiao Lin's hand, her face filled with self-reproach and sorrow.
“It's okay. I usually barely passed before. This year, my score is higher because I'm with you, and the process hasn't been as miserable as it used to be.”
“Thank you...”
A wall of pale fire blocked their path. Several black-robed students appeared at their sides, each radiating a different aura. Upon closer inspection, their magic encompassed “Death,” “Destruction,” and “Soul.”
“Zijing, was Jero's death really your fault? You were the last person he went to see before he died.” A male student in black robes pulled back his hood, his face filled with anger and grief.
“How many times do I have to say it... I didn't kill him.” Zijing took a few steps back. “He wanted to rescue his sister from the Church, so he came to find me...”
“You have to understand... no matter what we do, as long as we study this magic, the Church will never let go of their prejudice against us...” A white-haired woman removed her hood, her face devoid of expression.
“What did you say to him?” the man leading them asked indignantly.
“I said that unless he earned the Church's trust by doing their dirty work, he wouldn't be able to save her.” Zijing lowered her head, her hands hanging limply at her sides.
“Just like what you did to us back then? Hmph!” A blue-haired man with a scar on his face lowered his gaze and snorted coldly.
“No, he told me the Church wanted him to use an ‘accident’ to kill a lower-year student.” Zijing shrank back, taking another step away.
“That Church again... I don't understand... what did we do wrong? There are clearly so many other types of magic that are far more dangerous...” a younger student muttered angrily.
“Zijing, I haven't seen your soul magic in a long time,” the leader in black robes said calmly.
“Carter, I won't use it again... I've already learned other magic.” Zijing drew her staff, seemingly prepared for a desperate struggle.
“Is that so? But the brand the Church seared onto my neck hasn't faded yet.” Carter took a step forward. He didn't raise his sword, but his voice held a trace of complex emotion. “I've never settled the score for your betrayal.”
“I haven't been home in so long... I didn't want to be under the Church's control anymore. After I betrayed you, I barely managed to get back in time to see my mother for the last time.” Zijing grit her teeth, her composure crumbling. She channeled her magic while watching Carter, who didn't seem to have the heart to strike just yet.
“Sister Zijing...” Xiao Lin looked around. Creatures with faint blue lights shimmering in their eyes had slowly surrounded them across the white expanse of the mountain. They were frost wolves—a massive pack of them.
“When did these things surround us?” the blue-haired student with the scar shouted in alarm. He drew his giant sword and held it before him.
“Their ‘King’ is here too...” Carter turned around, pointing his sword at the wolf pack. White flames burned along the blade. “I know you had your reasons, so I never came looking for you. I just always felt there was something unsettled between us...”
Zijing's grip on her staff loosened slightly as tears welled in her eyes.
“Big brother Carter...”
The wolf pack howled and surged forward. Various types of magic flashed among the group: the flames of “Destruction,” the haze of “Death,” and summoned souls clashed with the leaping wolves.
“How are there so many? I'm so scared...” Xiao Lin cried out. She had fended off several frost wolves, but bite marks now marred her arms and waist. The intense pain brought tears to her eyes.
Gradually, black-robed students began to be teleported back to the Ritual Hall due to their severe injuries. Carter swept his sword, and a circle of pale flames ignited around them to stall the frost wolves' advance.
“Don't just stand there! Those who are injured, heal yourselves quickly.” Carter looked around, his mana dropping rapidly. “We need to find a weak point and break through the encirclement.”
Zijing treated Xiao Lin's bite wounds. Xiao Lin's body trembled as she tightly gripped a blood crystal in her hand.
“If you encounter danger during the exam, crush this. I'll know where you are, and just like last time, I'll come to save you.” The memory of that pale, beautiful figure flashed before her eyes. After a moment of thought, she squeezed her hand, and the blood crystal shattered.
“Did you call for backup? It's useless. In an encirclement like this, it doesn't matter who comes. Let's just try to get as many points as we can.” The white-haired woman summoned the souls of several dead frost wolves, which began to tear into the wolves at the front.
Just as she finished speaking, a violent surge of magical energy seemed to roll across the horizon. Accompanied by a heavy tremor, a pillar of blood-red light rose from the far distance, carving a long, scarlet line across the sky as it plunged straight toward their position.
“My god... what kind of backup did you call?” the blue-haired man stammered, his mouth hanging open.
“It's... a sister I work with at the coffee shop.” Xiao Lin swallowed hard, watching the blood shadow—which was creating a sonic boom—get closer and closer until it crashed directly into their center.
BOOM!!! With a thunderous roar, a figure slammed into the ground, causing the earth to crack in layers. The resulting magical shockwave violently pushed away those nearby. A blood-red magical aura rippled outward. Through the thick mist of blood, the others could just barely make out a human silhouette.
AWOOO!!! Following a howl from the alpha, the frost wolves in the snow scattered and fled. They ran with everything they had, as if Death itself were chasing them. Absolute terror made them forget their fatigue; they fled wildly, not even following the alpha, but scattering instinctively in every direction.
“I'm here... Who did this to you?” In the snow, Li Yue slowly stood up. The aura of death radiating from her hadn't yet been retracted. She stood before the wounded Xiao Lin, her blood-red vertical pupils sweeping over the crowd and the fleeing wolves. Paralyzed by fear, everyone momentarily lost the ability to think and simply stood frozen in place.
Li Yue scanned the group, a hint of confusion appearing on her exquisite face.
Even though it was her first time meeting these people, why did they feel so familiar?
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