An orange flame clung beneath the black cauldron like a blooming red flower.
Steam bubbled up from the pot. The Pearl-colored Mist looked somewhat hazy beneath the night sky, while several thick mushroom slices rolled in the clear broth. Everything appeared so peaceful.
Except for the gloomy faces reflected on the soup's surface.
"The Cleaning Charm doesn't work."
"Mage Hand can't grab that bean either."
"Once the mushroom soup is ladled out, it evaporates completely after a short while... then returns to the pot."
"A remarkably ingenious magical effect... If we touch that pot with the intention of pouring out the mushroom soup, all we can touch is the cauldron's illusion."
"Perhaps only the Illusory Dream Realm could sustain such wonderful magic."
"The tests prove that this soup contains some kind of highly active substance... We can't determine whether it is good or bad for the human body for now, but one thing is certain: this is no ordinary pot of mushroom soup."
The young wizards of the You Zui Hunting Team gathered around the pitch-black cauldron, discussing it animatedly. They had tried every method they could think of, yet none had managed to fish that bean out of the pot.
At last, everyone's eyes began to drift toward Nikita.
The banshee sat against the steps with her head in her arms, looking lazy and amused by their predicament. Perhaps noticing the young wizards' furtive glances, she curled her lips and sneered, "I told you long ago... drinking the mushroom soup is the simplest solution."
"But why?" Zheng Qing frowned, looking first at the cauldron and then at the tightly shut door in the distance. He could not make sense of it. "...What benefit does this bring him?"
"Maybe he wanted to test your courage. Maybe it is merely an