Chapter 66: The Art of Observation and the Turning Tide

Su Qingyao watched as the beast sustained injury after injury.

Gradually, it grew more agitated.

Beside Su Muxue, whose gaze remained fixed on the scene, Su Qingyao’s index finger slowly tapped the magic wand she had unconsciously summoned.

“Something feels off,” Su Qingyao murmured.

Though her whisper was faint, it still reached her daughter’s ears.

“What’s wrong?” Su Muxue, clinging to the window ledge, turned her head curiously.

Earlier, Su Qingyao had even cushioned the ledge with her magic ribbon.

From Su Muxue’s perspective, while the battle held a subtle undercurrent of unease, it appeared to be progressing favorably overall.

“That beast hasn’t used any magic yet.”

Su Qingyao lowered her gaze, meeting Su Muxue’s vacant eyes. “I recall Teacher Xu Yanqing mentioning this before, didn’t she…?”

Su Muxue let out a small “Oh,” then replied, “But isn’t this the ‘suppression formation’ that Teacher Xu Yanqing introduced?”

Lin Xiaoxiao, Su Ling, three second-tier magic girls, and Liu Huayun in the outermost ring had formed a three-tiered structure.

This was, in fact, the “suppression formation” Xu Yanqing had previously explained.

However, the original three-tiered formation, designed for a trio, had been expanded by them to include six individuals.

The primary attackers engaged in close combat.

The secondary attackers exploited openings, providing the main force with moments to breathe while simultaneously escalating pressure on the beast.

The final member, the commander, was responsible for observing and directing the entire situation, guarding against unforeseen changes and acting as the ultimate emergency responder.

In Su Muxue’s eyes, this expansion of the formation was perfectly logical.

Su Ling’s and Lin Xiaoxiao’s magic complemented each other.

The three second-tier reserves merely needed to provide support and seize opportunities, while Liu Huayun’s plant magic could offer crucial reinforcement when needed.

It seemed entirely normal for the beast, being suppressed, to be unable to unleash its magic.

Indeed, the very purpose of this formation was to achieve precisely that.

Yet, Su Qingyao simply shook her head.

“Because the beast, throughout the entire close combat, has not once *attempted* to cast its magic — has it?”

Her voice was remarkably calm, carrying a light, melodic quality.

Following Su Qingyao’s subtle hint, Su Muxue replayed the skirmish in her mind.

Only then did she realize that, from beginning to end, the creature known as the Bat Serpent had relied solely on its physical prowess to launch its counterattacks.

Aside from the occasional burst of eerie charges and razor-sharp claws, the only instance of magical fluctuation came from its standard barrage of projectiles.

“There haven’t been any special magical fluctuations,” Su Muxue observed.

Su Muxue turned her head towards the battlefield beyond the barrier, her gaze fixed on the vibrant streams of magical light.

A sudden sense of crisis welled up within her.

‘It’s observing them!?’

Her face etched with surprise, Su Muxue quickly voiced the truth.

As she mentally shifted to the beast’s perspective and re-examined the battle, she realized that ever since those few vines had appeared, the beast had ceased attempting to charge.

Furthermore, it hadn’t spared Liu Huayun another glance.

This remained true even when Liu Huayun repeatedly used her magic to adjust her companions’ positions.

Su Ling and Lin Xiaoxiao had experienced something similar.

Ever since it had attempted to evade the invisible flames, its attention had almost entirely shifted to the remaining “second ring.”

A disconcerting and absurd thought began to form in Su Muxue’s mind:

‘It’s gathering information!’

The one truly being drawn into a war of attrition was not the colossal Bat Serpent itself, but rather the “information” of the participating magic girls.

“Mom… is it really, truly newly born?” Su Muxue’s words held an undeniable trace of doubt.

In contrast, Su Qingyao’s ethereal reply was far more relaxed, devoid of any discernible tension. “Hm, who can say?”

“At least, the body of this beast was born naturally, you see.”

One hand rested on the window ledge, propping up her chin, while the other gently stroked the head of a small white cat.

“So, don’t mistake a beast for a mere wild animal.”

Su Qingyao was unsurprised by both Su Muxue’s reaction and the performance of these “participating” magic girls.

‘Hmph, hmph, hmph, isn’t this precisely the purpose of the training?’

“Just watch closely now,” Su Qingyao said in a low voice to Su Muxue.

It seemed Su Qingyao had sensed something.

Her words resonated with the roar that followed.

From a distance, the furious roar of the Bat Serpent echoed through the sky.

****

When Liu Huayun locked onto the two with her magic, they, as the primary “targets,” naturally wouldn’t remain unresponsive.

“Su Ling, another round!”

The magic girl, usually soft and gentle before Su Muxue, called out to her companion with a solemn expression.

“Received,” the short-haired girl with black hair replied indifferently.

Mid-air, Su Ling tightened her grip on her “magic wand,” her eyes flashing with a deep crimson hue.

Lin Xiaoxiao’s “Hidden Flame” allowed her to control the precise intensity of magical flames by adjusting her magical input.

Yet, even with an unreserved expenditure of magic, the flames only erupted on the Bat Serpent for a fleeting instant.

More importantly, this cursed beast, by an unfortunate coincidence, possessed significant resistance to magical fire.

Otherwise, based on their usual training, they should have been able to sever an entire wing.

Lin Xiaoxiao focused intently.

After a seemingly ordinary slash, she covertly concealed a magic circle within the magic sword she held.

“Hmph!” Lin Xiaoxiao roared, bringing her sword down once more.

The Bat Serpent, with its wings spread, deftly dodged the attack with its hind legs.

However, Lin Xiaoxiao’s objective had already been achieved.

As she swung her sword, she unleashed a full-power “Hidden Flame” that surpassed its previous intensity.

The Bat Serpent, completely oblivious to this, merely focused on defending against Su Ling, who was circling behind it, diverting its attention as it had before.

“Boom—”

“Clang!”

Two distinct yet similar magical fluctuations exploded across the Bat Serpent’s chest.

Su Ling emerged from the momentary blaze.

Fierce flames licked at her spiritual attire, yet simultaneously curled and spread docilely, surging into the magic wand in her hand like a living entity, absorbed within imperceptible gaps.

Infused with magic, the lava-like blade extended to more than a meter in length.

“Magic Sword!”

Su Ling roared, thrusting her magic wand upwards from below, aiming for the Bat Serpent, which hadn’t yet managed to turn its head.

Within this blind spot, she intended to pierce the Bat Serpent’s neck!

This strike utterly surpassed the previous attempt to cleave off a wing.

It was the combined, full-power effort of both of them.

Su Ling calmly lunged with the magic sword, which now resembled a spear, anticipating its blade would pierce the soft neck so close at hand.

Yet, at that very moment, Liu Huayun’s cry, like a belated summons, reached Su Ling’s ears:

“Don’t go near it!”

Doubt. Astonishment.

A torrent of emotions threatened to engulf Su Ling’s mind, yet time was not on the magic girl’s side.

The second hand coldly clicked to the next moment, the instant belonging to the Bat Serpent’s magic.

“Hiss—”

A low hiss, entirely unlike its previous sounds, poured forth from the beast’s already prepared mouth, forming an invisible “ring.”

The beast, which had seemed to turn away, was in fact deploying its magic!

****

“It’s too late,” Xu Yanqing sighed.

Then, standing mid-air, she coldly watched the magic girl who was now dangerously close to the Bat Serpent.

From her ears, two jets of blood burst outwards with a wet *thwip*.

The closest one bore the brunt of the injury.

Su Qingyao silently gazed at the blooming mist of blood.

Now, the tide of battle had turned.