Chapter 93: The Price of Power

Su Liyue’s magic staff effortlessly traced a perfect arc, leaving a trail of glistening light motes in the air.

In that instant, the world itself seemed to shift.

The numerous tornadoes that had previously been erased by the magic of nothingness suddenly materialized out of thin air, their power so unnervingly potent, it was as if they had never vanished.

Wooo!

The Phantom Cloud Leopard let out a piteous whimper, its beastly eyes reflecting the overwhelming green storm that bore down upon it.

It struggled desperately to dispel the magic, only to discover that the magic circuits within its body had been frozen by the frigid energy, making the flow of mana incredibly sluggish.

Even more terrifying, the very wind elements that should have obeyed its command were now turning against it with a ferocity it had never witnessed.

The members of Chixiao’s team instinctively took half a step back.

They watched, transfixed, as the tornadoes, each over five meters in diameter, intertwined to form a colossal meat grinder.

At the heart of the tempest, the Phantom Cloud Leopard’s massive fur was torn shred by shred, sharp ice crystals mingling with the wind blades, lacerating its proud hide into a bloody mess.

Roar!!

Its final shriek was brutally ripped apart by the storm.

When the tornadoes finally dissipated, all that remained was the fragmented corpse of the magical beast.

The very wind elements that had once allowed it to dominate its peers ultimately became the lethal instruments of its demise.

Lin Yueyao and two other wind mages quickly erected a magic shield, the splattering blood and flesh of the magical beast striking the light barrier with a viscous thud.

Gazling at the smeared remnants of flesh on the shield, Mu Wanqing’s face turned ashen, while Lin Yueyao beside her bit down hard on her lower lip; both girls displayed expressions of profound unease.

After all, they were still just sixteen-year-old girls; even with prior mental preparation, confronting such a gruesome scene caused their stomachs to churn with sharp pangs.

This brutal spectacle, far more nauseating than any slaughterhouse, was profoundly shaking their as-yet unhardened hearts.

“Qingqing?” Su Liyue quickly stepped forward, gently stroking Mu Wanqing’s slightly trembling back.

The warmth emanating from the girl’s palm caused Mu Wanqing’s taut shoulders to relax slightly.

“Drink some water to calm yourself.”

Her movements as she unscrewed the water bottle were exceptionally gentle.

Mu Wanqing managed to swallow a few mouthfuls of clear water, her Adam’s apple bobbing with difficulty.

“Thank you… it’s just that practical training is more… than I imagined.”

On the other side, Lin Yueyao, supported by Chixiao, spoke softly.

“Looking at the Phantom Cloud Leopard’s last gaze, I can’t help but feel a strange pity for it, as if we were the vicious predators.”

Su Liyue and Ye Xingchen found it difficult to refute their words; in this world where the strong preyed on the weak, if one did not defeat their opponent, they would be the one defeated.

Yet from the magical beast’s perspective, it was merely fighting for survival, while they were fighting for academic credits and training.

This was the inherent cruelty of the world.

Ultimately, magical beasts were just that—magical beasts, a fixed link in the food chain.

If they were unwilling to remain at the bottom, they could only continuously evolve, climbing to the apex of the pyramid.

Yet even beings as formidable as the Xuanxiao Divine Phoenix would eventually discover that the Heavenly Dao invariably imposed limitations on beastkind.

If they could not cultivate a human-shaped Dao body, no matter how powerful they became, they would ultimately be unable to escape the fate of a magical beast.

Ye Xingchen picked up the golden-glowing Gold-tier magic core.

Compared to the spoils left by the Armored Dragon Turtle earlier, this Phantom Cloud Leopard had indeed left nothing else behind.

This was normal, however; Phantom Cloud Leopards were known for their speed but lacked high physical defense, unlike the Armored Dragon Turtle with its tough shell, so the probability of them dropping equipment was naturally low.

After all, this was no game world.

“Brother Chixiao, we’ll take this Gold-tier magic core.”

Ye Xingchen said, retrieving several magic cores from his storage ring.

“As compensation, we’ll give you this Silver-tier magic core along with three Bronze-tier ones, as payment for our joint effort in defeating the Phantom Cloud Leopard.”

Chixiao looked at the four magic cores in Ye Xingchen’s hand and quickly waved his hands in refusal.

“Brother Ye, while it was a joint effort, we barely contributed anything.

The credit primarily belongs to Chief Su and student Mu.

We truly feel undeserving of these magic cores.”

At this moment, Su Liyue spoke, collaborating with Ye Xingchen.

Although her tone remained cool, her words carried a touch more warmth.

“Student Chixiao, as the captain of our team, I believe you should rightfully accept these magic cores.

Had you not helped us scout for other teams in the vicinity and provided support, we would undoubtedly have faced considerable trouble if another team had seized the opportunity to ambush us.”

Seeing Chixiao still intent on declining, Ye Xingchen immediately took over, working in perfect sync with Su Liyue.

“That’s right, Brother Chixiao, even Captain Yueyue has said so, so please don’t refuse.

Besides… I also hope to see you pursuing your dreams in the upcoming ranking competition.”

Chixiao started at these words, the conversation from last night by the campfire seemingly echoing in his ears once more.

His gaze gradually solidified, and he finally accepted the magic cores with solemnity.

“Since that is the case, I, Chixiao, will dispense with further pleasantries.

Thank you, Chief Su and Brother Ye, for your kindness.

I will certainly redouble my efforts and never fail to live up to your expectations.”

Seeing Chixiao finally accept the magic cores, Ye Xingchen nodded with satisfaction.

“Brother Chixiao, all good things must come to an end.

Now that the Gold-tier magical beast has been defeated, it’s time for us to part ways for a while.

I hope that in our future academy life, we can continue to pursue our respective dreams together.”

“We certainly will,” Chixiao replied, his eyes gleaming with resolute light.

“Along this journey, not only have we received Brother Ye, Chief Su, and student Mu’s life-saving grace, but we’ve also gained invaluable practical experience and much assistance from you all.

I wish you all the best in your upcoming training.

Let us each strive hard these next few days to secure a spot in the top three together.”

“Let’s work hard together,” Ye Xingchen responded solemnly.

After a few more brief pleasantries, the two teams prepared to go their separate ways.

Just before parting, Lin Yueyao suddenly leaned close to Su Liyue’s ear and whispered mysteriously in a voice only they could hear.

“Chief Su, don’t forget to call me that day, okay? I’m really looking forward to it~”

These words made both Su Liyue and Ye Xingchen think of something simultaneously, and their cheeks involuntarily flushed.

Chixiao, curious, leaned closer.

“Yueyao, what did you just say to Chief Su?”

Lin Yueyao winked slyly.

“That’s a little secret just between us girls, so don’t ask too much~”

This left Chixiao standing in place, utterly bewildered and completely at a loss.