A few days later.
In Lu Ling's spiritual world.
The Divine Soul, surrounded by the Blessing Element, Psychic Element, and Healing Element, shimmered with a soft glow.
Was this the Divine Soul's true body? Lu Ling was a little doubtful.
He had already tested it. There was no longer any trace of the Divine Soul's aura on Ye Xin Xia, while the Divine Soul's phantom here with him had become incredibly solid.
"It should be her true body. You just haven't fully mastered her yet. Or rather, you haven't gained her recognition." Netherworld suddenly appeared, her expression calm.
"...You can enter my spiritual world whenever you want too?" Lu Ling was a little speechless. Why did they all like startling him? He was almost getting used to it.
"We are together, after all." Netherworld pointed to the thread over her heart.
"..."
"Recognition... That's certainly possible."
If he remembered correctly, the Divine Soul had previously descended upon Wen Tai of her own accord, and only afterward had she been sealed inside Xin Xia.
Then what about before Wen Tai?
"Forget it. It doesn't matter if she stays here and refuses to leave. I can't use her, but she doesn't affect me either."
Besides, Xin Xia could stand again. Nothing could be better than that.
Sooner or later, the Divine Soul would acknowledge either him or Xin Xia. Perhaps before then, Lu Ling would already possess enough power to master the Divine Soul, and he could subdue her without needing her recognition.
In the real world.
Lu Ling opened his eyes, and a dense mountain forest came into view.
From his vantage point on high ground, he could clearly observe everything and intervene immediately to rescue anyone.
He was currently on the outskirts of Magic City, serving as a guard for some students-the commission Leng Qing had thrown in his face a few days earlier.
The final field training session Magic City Magic High School had arranged for its third-year students.
"You're heavy. Could you get off me?"
"Oh." Netherworld abandoned the idea of continuing to ride on Lu Ling and floated gently down.
Only a little red ribbon wound around her delicate feet. Blood-red spider lilies formed of energy supported her body, as though this sea of flowers would bear her wherever she went.
Lu Ling had only one thought about this...
Damn it, why was she such a show-off!?
Not only could she fly and walk on air.
Every movement she made was incomparably elegant.
Except when she was eating.
"How strong are you now?"
"I haven't recovered yet. I'm very weak right now."
"How weak?" Lu Ling asked casually.
So what if she was a little weak? She was so beautiful, after all-a feast for the eyes.
"A Super Level mage?" Netherworld gave a rough estimate.
Super Level?!
"...That's not weak at all for the current me. Seriously!"
"As long as I can help you."
"You absolutely can!"
"I should be able to do what you did with that girl who gets angry so easily a few days ago, though I don't understand why."
The girl who got angry easily...? Xin Xia, probably.
As for what they had done...
"Watch what you say..." Lu Ling said awkwardly.
"Sister Mu, did you see that?"
"There's someone on that cliff!" Ai Tutu pointed into the distance and whispered.
"Don't make such a fuss. Maybe it's a bodyguard the school hired for us." Mu Nujiao patted her hand and said solemnly:
"Concentrate. Stop looking around. This isn't the Safe Zone. Demon Beasts could attack at any moment. That mage won't readily step in to help us..."
"Ah! A Demon Beast!" Before she could finish, something happened at the front of the group.
"Don't panic! It's only a Servant Level one. We can handle it!" Mu Nujiao immediately stepped forward and took command of the battlefield.
"Kun's Forest, prison!"
"An Intermediate Mage? The Plant Element?" Lu Ling couldn't help marveling.
With such strong combat instincts, she was probably another descendant of some prominent clan.
With nothing else to do, Lu Ling took out the roster for this field training session. He had to ensure the safety of everyone on it.
"Hmm... Mu Nujiao?"
Unexpectedly, he had encountered these two here: Mu Nujiao and Ai Tutu.
There was another name that surprised Lu Ling even more.
Ye Xin Xia!
"Xin Xia is actually in their class?"
Lu Ling almost began to suspect that Leng Qing had investigated him and deliberately arranged this commission.
But Xin Xia was still publicly using a wheelchair, so on second thought, that seemed unlikely.
The third-year students coordinated quite well and easily killed the Servant Level Demon Beast from earlier.
With graduation approaching, even the weakest among them had reached the second stage of the Basic Level, though Mu Nujiao was the only one at the Intermediate Level.
"Oh no! It's Warrior Level!"
"I'll hold it off! Everyone, run!"
"Kun's Forest..."
"Roooaaar!!!"
The Warrior Level demon wolf suddenly let out a frenzied howl, shattering the Star Map Mu Nujiao had almost finished connecting.
The demon wolf bared its vicious fangs and lunged to tear into her.
"What!?"
"Sister Mu! Use your Shield Magic Tool!"
It was too late! The demon wolf had already raised its claws high. At this distance, there was no way to block it!
Everyone closed their eyes, unable to bear watching, as though their school's most dazzling rising star would perish like a fading flower in the very next second.
Huh?
Why was it so quiet?
Ai Tutu opened her eyes and discovered that, at some point, a white-haired person had appeared.
It was him?
The person who had been standing on the cliff!
Meanwhile, the Warrior Level demon wolf remained motionless with its claws raised high. It was incredibly eerie.
No, it was unable to move!
A blood-red greatsword stood planted in the demon wolf's shadow.
It was the Intermediate Level Shadow Element spell, Giant Shadow Nail.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, as though they had narrowly escaped death.
"Sister Mu!" Ai Tutu cried as she ran forward and hugged Mu Nujiao, who was sitting on the ground, tears and snot streaming down her face.
"Stop crying. I'm fine." Mu Nujiao didn't know whether to laugh or cry as she gently wiped away Ai Tutu's tears.
She really couldn't tell which of them had been in danger just now, with Ai Tutu crying so dramatically.
"Thank you for saving me," Mu Nujiao said.
"Mm. The field training is over. Head back the way you came," Lu Ling told everyone.
He raised his hand and clumsily connected the stars like an apprentice who had only just discovered magic. Fortunately, he didn't fail.
Healing Light.
A milky-white glow scattered like fireflies toward Mu Nujiao on the ground.
Mu Nujiao discovered that the injuries she had sustained fighting the Demon Beast earlier were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye. While Mu Nujiao ate the meat, Ai Tutu got a sip of the broth as well. The latter's scrapes, large and small, all vanished too.
Healing Magic?
"Wow... It doesn't hurt at all anymore! That's amazing!" Ai Tutu's wide eyes shone with astonishment, as though she had never seen the world before.
"Thank you. May I ask your name?" Mu Nujiao bowed slightly.
"Lu Ling. Maybe we'll meet again. For now, leave this place," Lu Ling said.
"All right. Goodbye, Senior!" With that, Mu Nujiao pulled Ai Tutu along and caught up with the main group evacuating.
"Sister Mu, did you notice... the guy who saved you was so handsome?" Ai Tutu was extremely excited. Handsome men with powerful abilities were exactly her type!
"He's so young and so strong, and that's all you care about?" Mu Nujiao couldn't help laughing at Ai Tutu's hopeless expression.
But...?
Mu Nujiao couldn't resist looking back and discovered that Lu Ling was still standing beside the Warrior Level demon wolf.
He really was... handsome.
Just then, the demon wolf's head separated cleanly from its body.
So strong...
Hmm?
Why was there a floating girl too?
Mu Nujiao wanted a clearer look, but Lu Ling vanished the instant the demon wolf died.
The girl was nowhere to be seen either.