Chapter 125: Unexpected Battle and an Aerial Arcanist

“What in the world… is going on?” Li Hua stared at the chaotic scene on the radar, momentarily unable to process what was happening.

‘Is this a battle?’ She hadn’t heard of any wars breaking out.

Yet, the radar display indicated something far from simple. The radar showed one side to be the unknown national fleet she had encountered before. The other side was also a fleet, though its equipment and strength appeared inferior to the first.

She had initially expected a clash with the previous fleet, but it seemed her worries were unfounded. While she had no idea what had sparked the conflict between these two forces, it was entirely unrelated to them.

All they needed to do was steer clear and leave, disturbing no one.

That was Li Hua’s plan, at least. As for Bai Yu’s thoughts, Li Hua knew she had none; she was probably back in her room, ‘playing dead’ in bed.

‘Who knew what she and that woman, Stella, were up to?’

‘At this rate, Bai Yu seemed to be on vacation, doing nothing but canoodling or sleeping soundly.’

‘Meanwhile, her old bones were stuck here, sailing day in and day out, fretting over this and that.’

‘Where was the respect for elders and care for the young?’

A wave of irritation washed over Li Hua, and her steering became noticeably more aggressive. Nevertheless, she still actively steered clear of them. After all, their sole purpose on this journey was to deliver Bai Yu to the academy; there was no need to stir up trouble.

****

The distant roar of explosions from massive ships and powerful cannons jolted Bai Yu awake. She rubbed her eyes, a tube of facial cleanser still within her blurry vision.

“What’s going on? It’s so noisy!”

Bai Yu gently peeled Stella’s arms from around her and wriggled out of her embrace.

“Let me see what the fuss is about.”

Bai Yu pressed herself against the window, pulling out a telescope. She had found this wondrous item in the storage room earlier and, sensing it might prove useful, had decided not to sell it.

Through the telescope, Bai Yu watched as speedboats charged one after another towards the four battleships, only to be riddled like sieves by close-range cannons. The people aboard were instantly shredded, a gruesome spectacle.

“Good heavens, that’s horrifying.”

Bai Yu observed the brutal scene, lamenting the tragedy of war, though she couldn’t fathom why such an event was unfolding.

“Wait a minute?! These people are…”

Just as Bai Yu was about to offer a moment of silent mourning, her gaze fell upon a dilapidated, massive warship. Its emblem bore a striking resemblance to the pirate ship Bai Yu had seen a few days prior.

“No way. So you’re pirates too.”

Bai Yu was speechless, her nascent sympathy vanishing instantly. For pirates like these, no matter how dire their fate, she could only conclude they deserved it.

Yet, why would these pirates so foolishly provoke such a formidable fleet?

Bai Yu was puzzled. She could see at least four warships, seemingly protecting a cruise ship in their midst.

‘It looks similar to the formation they used in Dragon Summer Nation waters. Could there be someone incredibly important on that cruise ship, inciting these pirates to act so brazenly?’

In any case, Bai Yu was merely speculating; there was no way she could go investigate herself.

Bai Yu, holding the telescope, peered intently from the window, observing that the warships currently held the upper hand. However, the sheer number of pirates was overwhelming. Their fishing boats and yachts seemed endless, and the massive warship in the center was relentlessly firing cannonballs. One of the opposing vessels was already listing noticeably from the barrage. The pirate flagship was proving to be quite formidable, boasting impressive armaments.

Bai Yu could only wish good luck to those under attack. Without a compelling reason, she certainly wouldn’t ask Captain Li Hua to intervene on their behalf.

“Wait, what’s that?”

Bai Yu, who had been on the verge of giving up and going back to sleep, suddenly witnessed a bizarre sight.

Through the telescope, tiny figures were leaping through the air, darting between speedboats and fishing vessels. Pirates on board collapsed like stalks of wheat.

“An Arcanist?!”

Bai Yu was utterly stunned. She had initially believed this to be a mere skirmish between mortals. But with a transcendent entering the fray, it became an entirely different matter.

Bai Yu quickly adjusted her grip on the telescope. She had to stand to get a better view. She’d encountered so few transcendent beings in battle before. Those she’d met at school were mostly minor figures; apart from Lu Xingyao and Cecilia, hardly any possessed true strength.

Thus, the prospect of witnessing a transcendent in combat piqued Bai Yu’s interest immensely. Moreover, how were they fighting over the sea? She hadn’t seen any wings on the figure; it looked more as if they were continually leaping off invisible footholds in the sky.

Bai Yu zoomed in with her telescope, finally discerning the true appearance of the distant figure. To Bai Yu’s astonishment, the figure was a young girl, strikingly beautiful. She was no less stunning than Lu Xingyao or Cecilia, and even exuded a subtle, unique aura.

This immediately set off Bai Yu’s internal ‘radar’; she always found herself more intrigued by beautiful girls.

‘It wasn’t because she was fickle,’ she mused. ‘She was just looking.’

Bai Yu watched, fascinated by how the figure seemed to fly across the sky. Bai Yu focused intently, her gaze fixed on the figure dancing through the air.

[Shrinking Earth]

[Shrinking Earth]

[Shrinking Earth].

In the sky, Ellie Roth Charlotte wielded the Curse Seal Blade, the runes inscribed upon it glowing beneath her feet. Ellie Roth Charlotte furiously employed the arcanist techniques etched onto the blade. Empowered by the runes, Ellie Roth Charlotte could harness the spiritual power within the atmosphere as a medium for her arcanist techniques. This drastically reduced the spiritual cost of her techniques, allowing for continuous, rapid-fire usage.

The technique she was currently employing was one of those inscribed upon the Curse Seal Blade. It was [Shrinking Earth], a foundational arcanist technique passed down from a former patriarch of the Charlotte Family. It allowed her to expend minimal spiritual power to create temporary air walls capable of supporting her body, enabling her to fight as if airborne with continuous use.

While not as efficient as wings or dedicated flight techniques, its cost was minuscule, and even lower-tier arcanists could utilize it. Especially in low-altitude combat and battles over water, this arcanist technique was incredibly effective, allowing its user to move like a fish in water.

Ellie Roth Charlotte, a dangerous glint in her eyes, wielded her sharp blade, claiming lives one after another. In her estimation, these ordinary individuals were too weak; it was nothing short of a massacre. Had they not dared to insult her family, Ellie Roth Charlotte would have been too lazy to even bother killing them.

There was also another reason: these people were pirates. Ellie Roth Charlotte recognized them as such from their very appearance. They were among the people she most despised, for her family’s pride instilled in her an absolute hatred for bandit-like behavior. Thus, in the midst of this slaughter, she not only felt no hesitation but, in fact, relished the process.