"Who is she?"
After hearing Lu Ling's explanation, Mu Ningxue pinched his arm and asked quietly.
"Xin Xia's classmate. She takes very good care of Xin Xia," Lu Ling said.
Mu Ningxue's lips parted slightly, and she looked very surprised.
"Hello, my name is Mu Ningxue."
"Uh... hello, my name is Mu Nujiao." Mu Ningxue's change in attitude left Mu Nujiao somewhat at a loss.
After that little interlude, the two women soon grew familiar with each other. Poor Lu Ling sat between them, seemingly obstructing their lovely conversation.
No matter. There would be plenty of opportunities to bring them closer.
The plane landed in Kangning City, the city nearest to Jinlin City. They would have to cover the rest of the journey on foot.
Although they encountered Cave Demon Slaves along the way, everyone coordinated in an orderly fashion, and they made it through with more fright than danger.
It was also after the Cave Demon Slave incident that the people from Imperial Capital Academy became thoroughly convinced of Lu Ling's abilities-or rather, a layer of fear settled over them.
It had taken more than a dozen of them working together to carve a bloody path out of the encirclement of countless Cave Demon Slaves.
Yet Lu Ling, who had fallen behind the group, actually strolled out of the cave as though walking through a quiet courtyard, without even getting out of breath!
They were not arrogant enough to believe that Lu Ling had had such an easy time because they had killed most of the Cave Demon Slaves. No one knew exactly how many Demon Beasts were inside that cave.
Lu Ling's strength was therefore unfathomable!
After a day's trek, everyone found a stream along their route and set up camp for the night.
Throughout the journey, Lu Ling had remained an observer, offering them neither guidance nor help.
Even when the students were pitching their tents, Lu Ling stayed dozens of meters away from them.
Together with Netherworld.
Gray-green hair and bright red eyes. Netherworld really loved red dresses, and her red skirts made her look as beautiful as a flower.
She danced lightly over the grass. The red ribbons on her hands seemed to lengthen under the influence of some power. Her aura seeped into the earth, and great swaths of red began to appear.
It was a sea of red spider lilies that belonged to her alone.
Like a happy bird, she spun, dancing with her hands.
Lu Ling could not understand this dance, but every movement made her look incomparably graceful and holy.
"Ling, is it pretty?" Netherworld looked at Lu Ling and tilted her head.
"Very pretty." Lu Ling smiled.
"..."
Not far away, a group sat around a campfire, their gazes all settling on the dancing Netherworld without any prompting.
A beauty who could topple cities and kingdoms, blessed with peerless looks.
"He really knows how to enjoy himself. Are they here on vacation?" Luo Song muttered.
"With his strength, how is a little place like this any different from his backyard?"
"..."
The boys were all somewhat envious of Lu Ling. They had only been traveling for a day, yet it already seemed that many of the girls had taken a liking to him.
Not only had he captured the hearts of almost all the girls, but he even brought a top-tier beauty along with him. How was anyone else supposed to compete?!
The girls did not like gathering with the smelly boys, so they had built another campfire.
They were also a little sour with envy, but unlike the boys, the person they envied was Netherworld.
"That girl is so beautiful. Has anyone found out her name?" Jingjing from Imperial Capital Academy was very interested in Netherworld.
"She's always glued to Lu Ling's side and hasn't even spoken to us. How are we supposed to find out?" Song Xia said.
"Mu Nujiao seems to know her."
For a moment, everyone turned to look at Mu Nujiao.
"What...?" Their stares made Mu Nujiao feel a little embarrassed.
"So you two know each other. She's so aloof. I never would have thought she'd know you." Zhao Mingyue had a fairly good impression of Mu Nujiao. She was a warmhearted person, utterly worlds apart from Netherworld.
"She's always been a woman of few words. She's actually very nice, as long as you don't show any hostility toward Lu Ling." Mu Nujiao had spent quite a long time with Netherworld and knew her habits inside out. They could be summed up in three points.
She loved eating, loved playing, and loved Lu Ling.
"Hostility..." The girls could not help feeling sheepish at that word.
"It really does make you a little envious." Mu Ningxue's gaze had never left Lu Ling. Hearing their conversation, she could not help speaking.
After her words fell, everyone was silent for a moment. In the end, Zhao Mingyue broke the silence.
"So even the ice goddess is interested in these things?"
"I'm still human." Mu Ningxue's voice was very soft. "If there were someone you could trust, who trusted you in return, someone you could even entrust your lives to, who wouldn't be envious?"
Mu Ningxue's words sent many of them drifting into reverie. They also reminded everyone that Mu Ningxue seemed to be acquainted with Lu Ling too.
Some time ago, Mu Ningxue had spent more than half a day out with Lu Ling, setting all the students at Imperial Capital Academy abuzz.
Looking at the unusual expression in Mu Ningxue's eyes, Mu Nujiao grew thoughtful.
So... Netherworld and Lu Ling's bond actually ran that deep. No wonder they were always together, wherever they went...
It really was something to envy...
After several days of travel.
The group finally entered Jinlin City's territory.
"How about we settle down in that building?" Mo Fan asked, pointing at the most conspicuous high-rise in sight.
"You certainly know how to pick a spot. A broad view, right in the city center." Jingjing smiled.
The others also thought it was an excellent place to serve as a temporary base, and no one objected.
Before long, everyone arrived in front of the municipal building.
At a glance, devastation filled their eyes, yet this high-rise remained so perfectly intact.
Lu Ling swept his mental power over it and sensed the aura of the very well-disguised Pseudo-Fear Demon.
"Holy Light." Lu Ling casually tossed out a Holy Light spell of the lowest tier.
Hearing him, everyone turned to Lu Ling in surprise. After all, they had never seen him make a move throughout the journey, yet now he was acting so unusually.
The next moment, however, they learned the answer.
With the enhancement of Holy Radiance, even the lowest-tier Holy Light was as terrifying as a lethal poison to the Pseudo-Fear Demon, which depended on darkness to survive.
Holy Light illuminated a wide area, almost completely corroding the Pseudo-Fear Demon's roots hidden inside the building.
The entire building suddenly began to shake, and countless vines began to writhe. Inside the municipal building, an enormous head resembling a wooden stump looked utterly horrifying!
"A Pseudo-Fear Demon!" Bai Tingting sucked in a cold breath.
In most cases, plant-type Demon Beasts were the strongest among Demon Beasts of the same level, followed by the undead, with flesh-and-blood Demon Beasts coming last.
Now, however, a seemingly Warrior Level Pseudo-Fear Demon stood before them. Seeing the entire building start operating like a meat grinder, everyone shuddered with belated fear.
Suddenly, fierce winds howled.
A terrifying creature with enormous fleshy wings and a lizard's head was flying toward them.
Like a king on patrol, it surveyed its territory. The tremendous commotion from the Pseudo-Fear Demon seemed to have drawn its attention, and now it was flying straight toward them!
Before everyone could escape their terror of the Pseudo-Fear Demon, an even more terrifying nightmare engulfed them.
"Commander Level! It's definitely Commander Level! Run!"