Chapter 23

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Chapter 23: Saving the Day Again

“Earth Shield Wall!” A low, familiar voice rang out, and suddenly, a solid wall of earth appeared in front of Qiao Zi and Qin Bao Yi, shielding them from harm.

The two Sword and Shield Warriors, a man and a woman, raised their shields in a defensive stance. They recognized them instantly—Yun Jie and Feng Xun, their comrades from the Weapon Forest. The earth wall had to be the work of Riyi, the earth elemental erudite. Once again, Yun Jie had come to the rescue at a critical moment.

The earth wall shattered after absorbing the impact of the wind blade. An arrow shot out from behind Qiao Zi and Qin Bao Yi, striking the heavy sword warrior at the front. He stumbled, his speed dropping drastically. It was undoubtedly Eyrie Shadow’s Demon Retreat Arrow.

Yun Jie and Feng Xun channeled their Yuan Qi into their shields and charged at the remaining enemies. With a loud “rumble,” they were pushed back several steps, but all of the opposing attacks were successfully deflected.

At that moment, a figure cloaked in white muslin, wearing a pure white mask, appeared beside Qiao Zi and Qin Bao Yi. In a gentle voice, he reassured them, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here to help you.”

Though they couldn’t see his face, his voice revealed that he was a man. The masked man released Yuan Qi from his hands, enveloping Mu Xiaofeng and Ximo, healing their wounds at an astonishing rate.

“Amazing, his healing ability is incredible,” Qiao Zi thought in awe. He must be the Holy Healing Sacrifice Priest, she realized, impressed by his power. She didn’t recognize him, and even if she saw him again, she wouldn’t know who he was.

Yun Jie’s timely intervention had shocked the enemy, who were now furious at losing their prey. The Poison Hand Priestess pointed at Yun Jie and screamed in a hoarse voice, “Why? Why did you save them? Why are you ruining everything we’ve worked for?” She collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face. The four enemies suddenly lost their strength and fell to the ground, the effects of the “Death Battle Wound” having worn off.

Yun Jie sheathed her sword and shield, understanding that the four were no longer a threat. She slowly approached them, lowering her head with a look of pity. “You don’t fully grasp the true meaning of this exam. It’s not just about holding on to your moral bottom line and resisting hunger and thirst. It’s also about how you, who uphold your morals, survive against those who have abandoned theirs. How do you, who are simple and pure, survive in a cruel environment?”

Yun Jie turned to leave but then paused, adding, “By the way, the water is laced with powerful hypnotic potions, too strong for us to counter.”

The four Wind Elemental erudites were stunned. They had fought hard in this brutal exam, only to face failure after failure. Despair took hold.

One of them, struggling to stand with the help of his staff, glared at Yun Jie and declared, “We came from a remote hamlet to the big city seeking opportunities. We’ve faced discrimination, and constant failure has crushed all our hopes. I swear, I will take revenge on this country that has caused us so much pain!” With that, he collapsed again, unconscious.

Everyone was shocked by his words, realizing how deeply his experiences had twisted his mind. But Yun Jie paid no attention to it, more concerned about Mu Xiaofeng’s condition.

After a brief rest, Mu Xiaofeng slowly opened his eyes. He recalled a long dream where he had seen three figures—two arguing and one silently watching. He was awakened just as he tried to see their faces more clearly.

Mu Xiaofeng looked around at the people surrounding him, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw Yun Jie. He tried to stand, though his body was still weak and unsteady.

Qiao Zi rushed to support him, scolding, “What’s the rush? You’ve only just recovered. Ximo and Zhang Wenyu are still healing their wounds and haven’t woken up yet. We’re lucky Yun Jie and the others arrived in time, or the consequences would have been unimaginable.”

Mu Xiaofeng glanced at the masked man in white, who was healing Ximo and Zhang Wenyu, and though he didn’t recognize him, he sensed no ill intent.

He then looked at Yun Jie, a trace of shame in his eyes. Lowering his head, he murmured, “Thank you… Thank you for saving us again.”

Yun Jie blushed slightly, scratching her cheek with her fingers. “Ha, it was nothing. We finished delivering the water quickly and didn’t run into any enemies on the way back. We only came because we heard a loud roar and decided to check it out.”

Mu Xiaofeng realized that Zhang Wenyu must have gone berserk again. Yun Jie must have heard his roar and rushed over, but it wasn’t just Yun Jie and her team who had been alerted—others must have heard it too.

After exchanging a few more words, Ximo and Zhang Wenyu also woke up, thanks to the Holy Healing Sacrifice Priest’s powerful recovery abilities.

Feng Xun, who had been quiet until now, approached Yun Jie and reminded her, “The three of them have almost recovered, but they’ve used up a lot of energy. We need to rest a bit, and it’s getting late. If they don’t deliver the water bottles to the teacher before nightfall, Mu Xiaofeng and the others will be disqualified.”

Yun Jie frowned at Feng Xun’s words but nodded, urging Mu Xiaofeng and the others not to drink the water from the bottles. After bidding farewell, they parted ways.

Mu Xiaofeng and his team made some quick adjustments before continuing their journey. As the sky darkened, they knew they had to hurry—failure to reach their destination before nightfall would render all their efforts meaningless.

Fortunately, the rest of their journey was smooth. They encountered no enemies and arrived at a small wooden house on the city’s southern outskirts. A robust man with muscles and a bearded face, clearly a seasoned warrior, stood at the entrance.

As Mu Xiaofeng and his team arrived, the man looked up at the sky, noting that it was still slightly bright, not yet dark. He approached them, took the five water bottles, and inspected them carefully. Satisfied, he smiled.

“You completed the test, but you’re a bit late,” he said. “Several teams have already finished before you, and I expect the other directions will have similar numbers.”

The man paced back and forth, deep in thought, his gaze lingering on Zhang Wenyu for a few extra seconds.

Seeing him hesitate, and with the sky already darkening, Mu Xiaofeng grew anxious. He hurriedly asked, “Uncle, since we’ve completed the test, please give us the instructions for the next one so we can prepare.”

He stepped forward, holding out his shield, which bore a lightning-like dagger pattern resembling the word “Yumo.”

The man’s eyes widened slightly in recognition. This was the unique pattern of the Xi family. Realizing who he was dealing with, the man quickly smiled and said, “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. I didn’t realize you were from the Xi family. I’ll hand over the next task right away.”

He pulled out a letter from behind him and respectfully handed it to Ximo. Ximo took it with one hand, grunted nonchalantly, and walked away. Mu Xiaofeng and the others politely bid the man farewell before hurrying after Ximo.

Once they had left, the man’s smile faded, replaced by a fierce expression. He muttered as if speaking to someone else, “Based on all the available intelligence, that Twin Blade Shadowman should be the one we’re looking for. General, what’s our next move?”

A tall figure slowly emerged from behind the wooden house, covered in gray fur with sharp claws and a wolf’s head. An orc had appeared.

The werewolf, known as the General, grinned wickedly and instructed the man, “Keep a close watch on him. Don’t let him out of your sight. If he doesn’t cooperate, that boy will be a very useful card. We need to be able to capture him whenever we need to.”

With that, the werewolf general backed into the jungle, disappearing into the night.