Chapter 5

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Chapter 5: The First Battle

Mu Xiaofeng’s first battle began just like that, with the enemy vanishing from his sight in an instant. He appeared somewhat nervous. Little did he know that the opposing side consisted of children as well, who were also nervously approaching Mu Xiaofeng and his group.

Zhang Wenyu calmly led Mu Xiaofeng and Qin Baoyi to a cluster of trees and then said to them, “Don’t be nervous. As a Shadow Agent, I’m skilled at reconnaissance. I can use my ability to turn invisible for a while to search for their whereabouts.”

Qin Baoyi nodded and then cautioned Zhang Wenyu, “Be careful, and try to find out what their abilities are.” Zhang Wenyu nodded again before quickly leaving, while Mu Xiaofeng stayed by Qin Baoyi’s side, vigilantly watching their surroundings.

On the other side, Zhang Wenyu moved stealthily, carefully observing everything, hoping to find some clue about the enemy. Suddenly, he heard a faint sound in the grass ahead, so he cautiously approached and saw a girl in armor, holding a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. It was clear that she was a warrior. Upon closer inspection, the girl had long black hair draped over her shoulders, slender eyebrows, large eyes, and a smile that revealed a noticeable dimple, with a small mole beside it. Zhang Wenyu noticed that she was alone, but fearing others might be ambushed nearby, he dared not make a move.

Just as Zhang Wenyu was about to quietly retreat, he suddenly heard a shout from the sky: “There!” Instinctively, he turned his head as an arrow grazed his shoulder, embedding itself in the ground at his feet. Startled, Zhang Wenyu immediately got up and sped away, realizing that there were two opponents, and another hiding in the shadows had yet to appear. The odds were not in his favor.

The girl, seeing Zhang Wenyu flee, signaled to her companions and chased after him.

As Zhang Wenyu ran, he thought to himself: If I can’t shake them off, leading them back to Mu Xiaofeng could be dangerous if they’re unprepared. So, Zhang Wenyu made a bold decision—to lead the enemy on a detour, shake them off, and then return to Mu Xiaofeng.

As the first half of the water in the hourglass was nearly gone, Mu Xiaofeng still hadn’t seen any sign of Zhang Wenyu returning. Qin Baoyi was getting anxious. She leaned close to Mu Xiaofeng and whispered, “Mu Xiaofeng, do you think Zhang Wenyu has encountered the enemy? He’s been gone so long; he might be trapped.”

Mu Xiaofeng thought carefully. Zhang Wenyu had indeed been gone a long time, possibly trapped by the enemy as Qin Baoyi suggested. Worse still, he might have already been outnumbered and defeated. The more Mu Xiaofeng thought about it, the more afraid he became. Shaking his head, he said to Qin Baoyi, “We can’t wait any longer; we need to go find him.” With that, Mu Xiaofeng and Qin Baoyi set off in the direction Zhang Wenyu had gone.

Meanwhile, Zhang Wenyu still hadn’t shaken off his pursuers, as the other side also had a Shadow Agent with considerable tracking and reconnaissance abilities. Zhang Wenyu glanced back just as another arrow flew toward his right eye. It seemed the Shadow Agent had already grasped Zhang Wenyu’s movements. Zhang Wenyu dodged the arrow with a swift roll, but the warrior girl was already closing in on him.

“You’re not getting away this time!” the girl shouted with a slight smile, as if victory was assured. Zhang Wenyu sneered, charging at the girl as if to make a final stand. The girl’s expression grew serious as she tightened her grip on her shield, raising it to protect her chest. Behind her, a smaller boy with short hair drew his bow and aimed at Zhang Wenyu. Just as Zhang Wenyu was about to reach the girl, she prepared to ram him with her shield. But Zhang Wenyu smiled slightly and suddenly vanished from the girl’s sight. His training over the past few days hadn’t been in vain, as speed was crucial for a close-combat Shadow Agent.

Zhang Wenyu reappeared behind the girl, catching her off guard. He aimed a short dagger at her neck, but the girl instinctively ducked, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow. Suddenly, another arrow flew toward Zhang Wenyu, who had anticipated it and dodged easily. Facing two opponents, he couldn’t afford to forget about the skilled archer behind him.

Zhang Wenyu suddenly accelerated, charging directly at the archer and quickly closing the distance between them. The girl was too far away to protect her teammate, but she smiled slightly, indicating that things weren’t as simple as they seemed.

The archer, a Shadow Agent, remained expressionless and unfazed. Seeing this, Zhang Wenyu sensed something was wrong, but it was too late to stop. The boy drew his bow, gathering energy into the arrow, and softly said, “If you’re coming straight at me, it’s easy to predict your path. Take this, Gale Strike.”

An arrow shot out like a meteor, traveling at incredible speed and creating a gust of wind as it flew.

Zhang Wenyu’s eyes widened. Dodging this arrow seemed impossible. The girl behind him gently brushed her hair and waved goodbye, saying, “Bye-bye.”

“Not so fast!” A thunderous shout echoed through the air as Mu Xiaofeng descended from above, wielding a heavy sword. With all his might, he slashed the arrow, intercepting it right in front of Zhang Wenyu. The three combatants were stunned by Mu Xiaofeng’s sudden appearance, especially the archer, whose energy-charged shot had been blocked by sheer force.

Mu Xiaofeng didn’t stop; he immediately charged toward the archer. The boy, having expended a lot of energy, hadn’t fully recovered and hastily fired another arrow, which Mu Xiaofeng easily deflected. The girl, seeing the situation deteriorating, rushed toward Zhang Wenyu, who was still shaken and didn’t react in time, watching helplessly as she approached.

Just then, fireballs suddenly appeared in front of Zhang Wenyu, flying straight at the girl, forcing her to slow down and block with her shield. Qin Baoyi appeared in the distance, shouting to Zhang Wenyu, “I’m here too, finally made it!”

Meanwhile, Mu Xiaofeng had reached the archer and slashed at him with his sword. But let’s not forget, there was still one more opponent who hadn’t shown themselves. Suddenly, a wall of earth rose before Mu Xiaofeng, blocking his heavy sword and saving the archer.

Realizing he hadn’t inflicted any damage, Mu Xiaofeng cursed his bad luck and quickly retreated to rejoin Zhang Wenyu and Qin Baoyi. The girl also regrouped with her team, as a boy in a black robe, holding a black book, emerged from the forest. It was clear that this boy was the Scholar controlling the earth element. Now they understood their opponents’ abilities: the girl was a Sword and Shield Warrior, one boy was an Archer Shadow Agent, and the other was an Earth Element Scholar.

Still recovering from the earlier events, Zhang Wenyu asked Mu Xiaofeng, “How did you find me?”

Before Mu Xiaofeng could answer, Qin Baoyi quickly replied, “We heard a girl shouting in this direction, so we hurried over.” Mu Xiaofeng nodded in agreement, gripping his heavy sword tightly, and without looking back, told Zhang Wenyu and Qin Baoyi, “I’ll go first. Baoyi, keep the Scholar busy. Wenyu, disrupt the Shadow Agent.”

With that, Mu Xiaofeng swiftly charged at the enemy. By the time Zhang Wenyu and Qin Baoyi realized what was happening, Mu Xiaofeng was already halfway there. He leaped, sword raised, and struck at the girl. The Earth Element Scholar tried to cast a spell to protect her, but a fireball forced him to defend himself instead. The archer also tried to shoot, but Zhang Wenyu had already closed in, preventing him from taking action.

The girl remained calm, bracing her shield to block Mu Xiaofeng’s strike. But Mu Xiaofeng’s strength was overwhelming, and as his sword struck the shield, the girl’s legs buckled, forcing her to one knee. Mu Xiaofeng followed up with another blow, causing the girl’s hands to go numb, nearly losing her grip on the shield. Mu Xiaofeng raised his sword for a third strike, and with no other option, the girl channeled her energy into the shield, deflecting Mu Xiaofeng’s attack and forcing him back a few steps.

This is how warriors are: the first to use their energy often shows weakness. But if the girl hadn’t used her energy, the third strike would have likely defeated her.

Seeing his teammate struggling against Mu Xiaofeng, the Earth Element Scholar realized they stood no chance if things continued this way. He used Illusion Technique, splitting himself into three copies, confusing Qin Baoyi and preventing her from holding him in check. Then, he channeled his energy into his book and shouted, “Armor of Stone!”

The girl’s body became encased in stone, significantly increasing her defense, making it difficult for Mu Xiaofeng to defeat her. But Mu Xiaofeng only smiled slightly, then gripped his heavy sword and sprinted at full speed—not toward the girl, but toward the Earth Element Scholar behind her.

The girl realized the danger, shouting in alarm. Although the Armor of Stone had greatly enhanced her defense, it had also reduced her speed, making it impossible for her to intercept Mu Xiaofeng.

Mu Xiaofeng quickly closed in on the Earth Element Scholar, while Qin Baoyi used fireballs to destroy the remaining illusions. With no one able to come to his aid, the boy seemed doomed. Mu Xiaofeng raised his sword, infusing it with energy, causing the blade to glow brightly, ready to bet everything on defeating the Earth Element Scholar. Qin Baoyi also channeled energy into her book, launching several fireballs at the boy.

In a last-ditch effort, the boy poured all his energy into his book, raising a thick wall of earth in front of him. Would his desperate defense be enough to withstand the combined attacks of Mu Xiaofeng and Qin Baoyi?