Chapter 31

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Chapter 31 – Present

Mu Xiaofeng was in a tough spot. They were outnumbered and exhausted from a recent battle, especially Zhang Wenyu, who had drained much of his vital energy. This time, if they didn’t find the right target to strike, they might not be as lucky as before.

No matter what, their only option was to test the opponent’s defenses. Mu Xiaofeng took the lead, gathering qi into the heavy sword in his hand, and unleashed a powerful Yuan Qi Chop into the crowd. He then charged forward, hoping to launch a continuous attack under the cover of Yuan Qi.

A tall sword and shield warrior rushed up to block the strike, raising his shield with all his might. But Mu Xiaofeng’s Yuan Qi was immense, far surpassing the average fighter. The tall warrior staggered under the impact.

Taking advantage of the opening, Mu Xiaofeng bypassed the tall warrior and moved towards their rear. The tall warrior tried to turn and give chase, but a fiery column of flame erupted, blocking his path. This was Qin Bao Yi’s doing, casting a spell to slow him down and cover Mu Xiaofeng’s advance.

Mu Xiaofeng realized that the “king” they sought likely wasn’t on either of these two warriors. If they were both soldiers, it was a safe bet that neither held the “king” status, making them trustworthy. The short warrior, seeing Mu Xiaofeng coming his way, also stepped forward, but his strength was no match for Mu Xiaofeng’s.

When the short warrior blocked Mu Xiaofeng’s first strike, his hand went numb from the sheer force. Unable to withstand the next blow, he was struck in the abdomen by the heavy sword and knocked back several steps.

But something felt off to Mu Xiaofeng. The sensation of his sword hitting the target wasn’t quite right. He glanced up and saw that the short warrior was protected by two layers of armor—an inner layer of earth armor and an outer layer of ice, both cast by erudite mages. Despite the protection, a long crack had formed in the warrior’s abdominal armor.

“Another water elemental erudite? What bad luck today,” Qin Bao Yi muttered, feeling frustrated. Facing two opponents who could counter her abilities was draining her Yuan Qi much faster.

Zhang Wenyu noticed her frustration and, understanding her thoughts, clenched his fists and charged at the water elemental erudite. But just then, an arrow shot out from the woods, landing right in front of Zhang Wenyu. If he hadn’t stopped in time, it would have struck him in the face.

“This guy’s been watching us, waiting for the perfect moment to strike,” Zhang Wenyu thought. But his sudden charge had drawn everyone’s attention, giving Mu Xiaofeng a chance. Seeing an opening, Mu Xiaofeng suddenly accelerated, leaving the short warrior behind and heading straight for the earth elemental erudite.

Normally, the short warrior might have been able to keep up, but burdened by two layers of heavy armor, he couldn’t touch Mu Xiaofeng. As Mu Xiaofeng approached, he found his feet frozen to the ground—a familiar tactic that had trapped him before. A massive earth wall then appeared in front of him, shielding the earth elemental erudite.

Mu Xiaofeng was now a sitting duck, an easy target for the archers. Sharp arrows flew from behind, and Zhang Wenyu shouted in alarm. Mu Xiaofeng quickly channeled Yuan Qi into his legs, shattering the ice binding him and dodging the arrows. One arrow pierced through the earth wall in front of him.

“What terrifying penetration! Aren’t you afraid of hitting your teammates?” Mu Xiaofeng remarked, impressed by the mysterious archer’s powerful Yuan Qi. But his attempt to sow doubt among the enemy fell flat. The archer remained hidden, avoiding Mu Xiaofeng’s trap. Realizing the danger, Mu Xiaofeng quickly retreated to rejoin his team.

Despite his swift reaction, Mu Xiaofeng was a bit too slow. The two warriors had already closed in from both sides. Gritting his teeth, Mu Xiaofeng struck the tall warrior with a powerful blow, then sped away. But a sword slashed his left shoulder as he fled.

To make matters worse, an ice wall appeared in front of him, blocking his escape. The water elemental erudite’s powers were proving to be a major hindrance.

Qin Bao Yi couldn’t hold back any longer. She unleashed a barrage of fireballs from above, causing some damage to Mu Xiaofeng but also melting away most of the ice wall. Though injured by the flames, Mu Xiaofeng was able to move again.

At that critical moment, another sharp arrow shot out from the woods, aimed straight at Mu Xiaofeng. With no way to dodge, Ximo rushed forward, raising his shield to block the arrow. This one was different from the previous ones—it paralyzed Ximo, leaving him unable to move.

“This arrow has a paralyzing agent attached to it. It doesn’t do much damage, but its control effect is strong,” Zhang Wenyu realized. With Ximo immobilized, even for a short time, it could be deadly. Mu Xiaofeng was quickly running out of options.

In a flash of inspiration, Mu Xiaofeng turned to Qiao Zi and urgently said, “Qiao Zi, give me herbs!” Qiao Zi hesitated for a moment but then pulled out a herbal remedy from her bag, infused it with Yuan Qi, and tossed it to Mu Xiaofeng.

Mu Xiaofeng caught the herb and immediately applied it to Ximo’s forehead. “Just give me a minute,” he said with a faint smile. “I’ll hold them off until then.” With that, he charged forward and unleashed another Yuan Qi Chop.

This move surprised the archer hidden in the woods. She hadn’t expected Qiao Zi to have a herb that could lift the paralysis. These herbs were rare and difficult to make, and the archer doubted that a group of young fighters could have mastered such a skill.

But the archer was too cautious and missed an opportunity. In truth, Mu Xiaofeng was bluffing. The herb was just a regular healing potion, which Qiao Zi assumed was for Mu Xiaofeng’s own injuries. She hadn’t expected it to become a prop in his ruse. “If I’d known, I would’ve given him two,” Qiao Zi muttered in regret.

“Mu Xiaofeng wouldn’t want two,” Qin Bao Yi whispered, trying to comfort Qiao Zi. “If he used one and gave Ximo the other, the enemy would see through the trick.” Qin Bao Yi’s words eased some of Qiao Zi’s guilt, but she still worried for Mu Xiaofeng. His actions were incredibly risky.

Mu Xiaofeng gathered more Yuan Qi, using his sword to fend off the tall warrior. The short warrior then charged at Mu Xiaofeng, condensing qi into his shield and slamming it against Mu Xiaofeng’s sword. The two wrestled for control, but Mu Xiaofeng didn’t want to waste energy on this opponent. He had already spotted the enemy’s “king” and knew that they hadn’t realized he had seen through their disguise.

In a swift move, Mu Xiaofeng swept his leg under the short warrior, causing him to stumble.

The archer realized something was wrong as Mu Xiaofeng got closer to her allies. In a panic, she shouted, “Stop him and fall back to defend!” She then fired five arrows in rapid succession, aiming directly at Mu Xiaofeng. At the same time, ice once again formed under Mu Xiaofeng’s feet, turning him into a stationary target.

“Impressive, shooting five arrows at once with ‘Multiple Shots.’ You’re quite strong for your age,” Mu Xiaofeng admired, but he had underestimated the hidden archer. The arrows multiplied in front of his eyes, turning into more than thirty identical sharp arrows. Meanwhile, the two warriors behind him had recovered and were closing in.

“‘Multiple Shots’ combined with ‘Shadow Shot’? What a powerful opponent. But if you think this will make me back off, you’re wrong. Qin Bao Yi, attack over there!” Mu Xiaofeng directed her towards the woods on his left, where the arrows had come from. The arrows had revealed the enemy’s position, and the power of Qin Bao Yi’s flames doubled as they targeted the woods.

Qin Bao Yi didn’t hesitate, summoning a rain of fire to rain down on the forest. The archer was forced to leap out of her hiding spot, revealing herself to everyone.

Finally, they saw her face—a beautiful woman with fair skin, large watery eyes, and a delicate, heart-shaped face. She looked at Mu Xiaofeng with a smug smile, like a queen who had ensnared her prey.

But Mu Xiaofeng also smiled. Once again, he shattered the ice under his feet and, instead of retreating, charged straight towards the archer.