Chapter 34: Dispel and Barrier: A New Phase of Training

“While it’s true that Su Qingyao is Fourth-tier, isn’t her magic primarily healing-based?”

Moreover, Xu Yiyi couldn’t shake the feeling that her spotlight had been stolen.

“Hold on, wasn’t this supposed to be an assessment of my proficiency? Why are we suddenly switching tactics!”

Su Qingyao merely exhaled a soft breath.

“Miss Yanqing had actually hinted that you’d passed the assessment quite some time ago.”

“Roughly since yesterday, when you began using crystal magic, we’ve already transitioned into the practical combat training phase.”

Xu Yanqing nodded in silent agreement.

“Then why didn’t anyone tell me!”

Xu Yiyi loudly voiced her dissatisfaction, and this time, it was Xu Yanqing’s turn to offer an explanation.

“Because you’ve been making continuous progress. In my estimation, until just a moment ago, Madam Xu Yiyi, you still possessed significant room for improvement.”

“Thus, I never once interrupted Miss Su Qingyao’s role as ‘consultant’.”

Hearing this, Xu Yiyi found herself momentarily speechless.

“…Hmph—”

Xu Yiyi took a deep, deliberate breath, as if attempting to inflate herself into a giant pufferfish.

Alas, a magical girl was still undeniably a humanoid creature, and this action only made the petite magical girl appear considerably more endearing.

Even Xu Yanqing’s face softened with a hint of a smile.

“Alright,” a resigned Su Qingyao finally interjected, “let’s discuss the first issue, shall we?”

“Miss Yanqing, might I trouble you for a moment?”

The young woman elegantly lifted the hem of her skirt.

From beneath it, she drew forth her personal magic staff.

At first glance, it resembled a slender, snapped branch.

Naturally, Xu Yanqing did not refuse. Raising her own wand, she unreservedly unleashed two direct, ink-black energy blasts.

Xu Yiyi did not chant—yet a clear, melodious incantation still resonated.

It was Su Qingyao’s voice.

This time, she hadn’t opted for the “traditional” chanting method used over the previous two nights, instead adopting a style consistent with Xu Yiyi’s.

However, the young woman’s incantation was convoluted and bizarre, as if two similar syllables had been shattered into fragments and then haphazardly reassembled, ultimately forming an unsettling phrase.

Su Qingyao “swung” her staff, twisting her slender waist to send her long skirt swirling, and from the trajectory traced by her staff’s tip, two similar magic circles materialized.

Subsequently, two magical energy blasts, differing in speed and direction, shot forth. Though their power was incredibly weak and diffused, merely casting a few scattered light patches like a flashlight beam, they still served their purpose.

Yet, these feeble blasts possessed the ability to dispel other energy cannons, which were themselves categorized as “magic attacks.”

“This is… why!?”

Xu Yiyi’s mouth fell open in utter shock.

“Because magical energy blasts aren’t ‘true light’,” Xu Yanqing began, “they are fundamentally high-energy magic, compressed and structured by specific parameters.”

Xu Yanqing explained this to Xu Yiyi, who had never before participated in a magic-versus-magic confrontation.

In truth, this was the fundamental reason why all magical girls could conjure such energy blasts: the free manipulation of magic was a foundational skill for every single one of them.

Given this principle, merely disrupting the small fraction of magic that binds the larger magical force could achieve the effect of ‘four ounces moving a thousand pounds.’

From this understanding, a specialized magic for countering magical attacks was born. “What Miss Su Qingyao just utilized is [Dispel], one of the renowned variations of the magical energy blast.”

“Then isn’t my ‘Barrier’ spell completely superfluous!” Xu Yiyi muttered, a hint of dejection in her voice.

“Not at all.”

Su Qingyao instinctively bent down and gently patted Xu Yiyi’s head. As Xu Yiyi froze in surprise, Su Qingyao softly explained:

“Dispel is effective only against specific, narrow magical attacks. However, when facing other supernatural threats, or purely physical assaults, it remains absolutely essential to cast protective magic.”

“Alright—alright, fine.”

A blushing Xu Yiyi forcefully swatted away Su Qingyao’s hand. She felt a strange flush of inexplicable shyness surge through her—though she couldn’t pinpoint the reason.

For some reason, Xu Yiyi simply couldn’t bring herself to be angry with Su Qingyao.

What was even more baffling was that Xu Yiyi hadn’t felt any resistance to Su Qingyao’s touch at all.

She recalled that ever since she turned sixteen, not even her grandmother was permitted to pat her on the head!

“So, what you’re saying is that my role is actually to intercept threats *other* than magical attacks?”

“You could say that,” Xu Yanqing affirmed. “However, Miss Su Qingyao might not be able to block every single one.”

“Furthermore, Dispel can only target spells based on the principle of energy blasts, and its effective range is significantly smaller than that of Barrier.”

The very existence of [Dispel] precisely highlighted the immense value of Xu Yiyi’s “Barrier” spell for this training exercise.

Assuming there were enemies lurking in the shadows.

It was inconceivable that they wouldn’t account for the common spell, Dispel.

In such a scenario, Xu Yiyi’s [Barrier] would buy invaluable reaction time.

Xu Yanqing and Su Qingyao, speaking in turns, patiently explained the underlying principles to the somewhat naive magical girl.

“So that’s how it is?”

Xu Yiyi still seemed only half-understanding, half-confused.

Nevertheless, she now understood that her own magic held significant importance.

For Xu Yiyi, simply grasping this point was more than enough. Merely knowing her contribution was vital filled her with a surge of confident energy!

“Come on then, let’s hurry up and get in sync, Qingyao!”

A newly invigorated Xu Yiyi rubbed her fists together in anticipation.

Xu Yanqing, still smiling, put away her staff and called out towards the bushes beside the camp:

“Please come out, Mr. Lu.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, yet it was surprisingly clear, piercing through the dense depths of the forest.

A hearty laugh echoed—or rather, it didn’t.

The trio soon heard footsteps slowly pushing aside the undergrowth, the crackle of snapping twigs accompanying each stride.

“Good morning, everyone.”

Finally, a young man with close-cropped hair, appearing to be in his early twenties, emerged before them.

His expression remained unperturbed by the striking presence of the three women, instead maintaining a slightly earnest, gentle demeanor, as if accustomed to serving as a “mediator.”

“Iron Oath Army, Fifth-tier Ranger.”

Though his appearance wasn’t remarkably handsome, his crisp, immaculate military uniform surprisingly accentuated the man’s otherwise subtle features.

“My name is Lu Ping. I was just checking the camp’s perimeter for any unauthorized supernatural traces.”

“Leader Xu called me over. Am I here to help you with your simulated training?”

Lu Ping had inadvertently touched upon matters unknown to both Su Qingyao and Xu Yiyi.

“Precisely. It’s the content found on the fifth page of the materials I sent you yesterday.”

“Ah, yes, that was indeed a very detailed explanation. However, I do hope, Leader Xu, that next time you might place the summary at the forefront.”

“I’ll consider it.”

Xu Yanqing replied slowly.

Then, she turned to Xu Yiyi and Su Qingyao, introducing him: “Mr. Lu Ping is the liaison for the Iron Oath Army during this operation. He will remain at the nearest camp for immediate reinforcement once the main training begins.”

“As for now, this training simulation is officially designated as an ‘encounter with a large-scale pre-set firepower ambush.’ Leader Lu Ping will act as a ‘non-magical attack source,’ whose attacks will be interspersed within my own energy blast offensives.”

“Understood?”

Xu Yanqing politely inquired.