novelraw Chapter 164: The Third Stage Begins!
Chapter 164: The Third Stage Begins!
"Ahhhh! It won't open!"
Qingying watched Xingxuan, who was scurrying around frantically like an ant on a hot pan next to her, and couldn't help but sigh.
They had rushed here in a desperate hurry, wanting to warn the Azure Cloud Sect to be careful of the gray-white Magical Girl.
The one who could dispel transformations.
However, after arriving in Beihai, they had flown around almost the entire outer perimeter from top to bottom and discovered they simply couldn't get in.
Many vehicles were even parked outside, continuously trying to contact the Disaster Control Bureau.
Fortunately, it was nighttime, so there weren't many people;
otherwise, the outer perimeter would probably be completely jammed.
With the Disaster Control Bureau's efficiency, the nearest Bureau employees would take until at least tomorrow to arrive and handle the situation...
Except for South China, cities in other regions were basically independent of each other, with little actual connection between them.
The relationship between different Disaster Control Bureaus was more competitive. For instance, even without the threat of the Witch Association back then, the Jiangming City Disaster Control Bureau wouldn't have quickly responded to Beihai's request for help.Most of the time, they wouldn't even notify the Magical Girls at their own Bureau.
After all, it was never uncommon for many Magical Girls to go rescue other cities and then not return to their own city's Disaster Control Bureau.
It was only because Qingying was good friends with Iris and received Iris's distress call that she urgently made time to come here.
Most of the time, branch offices would seek help from the Central Bureau, but the Central Bureau's response was even slower.
The two of them had tried every method but couldn't break through. Waiting for support from the Central Bureau would take at least a day or two...
The signal was also cut off;
nothing could be transmitted inside. At a time like this, Qingying truly had no more ideas.
She could only pray that everyone in the Azure Cloud Sect could successfully deal with that dangerous Magical Girl...
"What are you two doing here?"
The sudden inquiry made Qingying freeze for a moment. When she turned to look, a pure white girl with tightly closed eyes was standing not far away, her expression gentle. She wore a simple white dress. If Qingying hadn't seen it many times before, she probably wouldn't have realized it was actually a Magical Outfit.
The Azure Cloud Sect's Chief True-Transmission, Senior Bai Mei.
"Why aren't you going in?"
As soon as the words fell, Xingxuan beside her suddenly pounced, directly hugging the other person. "Teacher Bai! We can't get in! Beihai is completely sealed off by a barrier!"
"A barrier?"
Bai Mei immediately reached out with her own mana to touch the barrier ahead.
The mana instantly vanished.
"Just like that," Qingying said, looking at Bai Mei with wide, pleading eyes. "There's a barrier that can erase mana blocking us..."
"There's someone who can dispel Magical Girl transformations who charged into Beihai!" Xingxuan immediately shouted anxiously. "Everyone in the Azure Cloud Sect is in danger! This is a major crisis, comparable to the Martial Soul Hall's Soul Hunting Operation! What do we do, Teacher Bai!"
Bai Mei nodded, then swung her sword.
Even mana sharpened to this degree still vanished instantly upon touching the barrier.
Qingying let out a soft sigh.
Sure enough, even someone as powerful as Bai Mei was, when it came down to it, still a Magical Girl.
Although she had always been full of curiosity and anticipation towards those True-Transmission disciples and was deeply impressed by Bai Mei's massive Sword Energy back in Beihai, seeing her now, helpless, made those previous filters fade a bit.
No matter what, the so-called mystery and power were ultimately still within the scope of being a Magical Girl.
"If it doesn't work, just forget it..."
"Are you looking down on Lady Bai Family's Third Sister?!" Xingxuan immediately yelled. "Bai Family's Third Sister is the Sea God Incarnation, the strongest Magical Girl among the Slime Seven Monsters!"
Qingying was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.
Bai Family's Third Sister—although she didn't read many novels, she had heard that name.
The most famous genius novelist in recent years, who wrote various hugely popular works and was highly praised by readers.
She had even seen her dad holding a copy of 'Profound Mirror Demonic Sects', reading it with great relish.
Her works appealed to all ages, with audiences ranging from elderly men in their eighties to elementary school students.
To think it was actually Bai Mei...
She looked about the same age as herself, yet she could split her focus between being a Magical Girl and creating works?
She felt a bit awed by the other's talent, but at a time like this, she really wasn't in the mood to ask how she wrote so many works in such different styles.
She wasn't like Xingxuan, still circling around her idol at a time like this. She was a mature... Magical Girl. The top priority now was to figure out how to break through this barrier.
"Can we first think about how to get in?"
"No need, no need! With Teacher Bai here, we can rest easy." Xingxuan shook her finger. "Bai Family's Third Sister is one of the Slime Seven Monsters!"
Qingying was really feeling a bit exhausted.
Didn't this girl know that the higher you lift someone up at a time like this, the harder it is for them to back down?
So she quickly tugged on Xingxuan's sleeve. "Stop causing trouble for others."
"Senior Qingying!" Xingxuan was a bit unhappy. "Those who dare not stir up trouble are mediocre! As fellow students of Slime Academy, how can you lack such confidence? Your purity is too low!"
"Before you stands Bai Mei, Chief of the Slime Seven Monsters of Slime Academy in Tiandou City, Battle Empire, Battle Demon Continent! The head of the first Twelve Heavenly Kings on Zhongdian website, one of the second Twelve Heavenly Kings, one to six of the third Twelve Heavenly Kings, the fourth Twelve Heavenly Kings... Magical Sword Cultivator, Bai Mei!"
Qingying stared blankly. Why were there so many Heavenly King titles?
Could you get those repeatedly?
Xingxuan clenched her right hand fiercely in front of her. "You shouldn't jump to conclusions just because you don't understand Bai Family's Third Sister!"
"But you only met Senior Bai Mei a few days ago..."
"My soul ring has long been entrusted to Teacher Bai San."
Qingying was starting to feel despair towards this junior.
Then she saw the white girl smile slightly, even with her eyes closed.
Yet Qingying felt she was looking at her.
"You've worked hard, taking care of Xingxuan."
Qingying immediately nodded. "No, no, Xingxuan has been working hard too..."
"I can see that."
With that, Bai Mei took another step forward.
Qingying suddenly felt stifled. The surrounding air seemed compressed into a solid state by the dense mana, making it hard to breathe, even pressing down on her so much she couldn't lift her head!
The white Magical Girl grasped her Magic Wand. The wand was utterly ordinary, yet crafted into the shape of a wooden sword.
The moment she gripped the hilt.
Qingying felt her eyes sting!
Different. Completely different.
Different from that sword in Beihai before. Different from that sword over the Anyang sea.
It was as if a dazzling radiance was shining, and that light was sharp and cold, impossible to look at directly!
Bai Mei opened her eyes.
Eyes as vast as the starry river were calm as water, like stars and the moon!
With a relaxed and casual swing of the wooden sword, she sheathed it.
Like putting away an umbrella in a spring rain, carrying a sense of weary laziness.
Yet the sharp Sword Energy caused the space ahead to shift slightly.
A fierce wind howled. The originally indestructible barrier shook and swayed amidst the sharpness, forcibly opening a path!
Qingying raised her hands to block the wind, staring in shock at the path cut through the barrier, her mouth agape, speechless.
Only Xingxuan beside her snorted proudly. "See?! This is Lady Bai Family's Third Sister's power! Still dare to question it?"
Bai Mei gently tapped Xingxuan's forehead with a hand chop. "Let's go."
Qingying also hurriedly followed behind Bai Mei. After calming down, her heart was suddenly filled with reverence.
"Th-this... what kind of magic is this? It's completely different from what I've seen before..."
"This move?" The girl with closed eyes slightly curled the corner of her mouth, blood slowly trickling down. "One of the Ninety-Three Thousand Revolutions of Sword Technique—"
"One Sword, Limitless."
The previously faded filter thickened again.
C-could I also become a powerful Magical Girl like the Seven True-Transmissions? Even if it costs me blood.
Thinking this in her heart, she looked with some longing at the white Magical Girl who seemed so calm and unruffled.
This was the Azure Cloud Sect's Chief True-Transmission. This was the Azure Cloud Sect's Magical Sword Cultivator.
It seemed like nothing could shake her. She was really amazing...
"Lady Bai Family's Third Sister! Lady Bai Family's Third Sister! When will Battle Demon One and Two be finished?"
"Soon."
"Will there be a Battle Demon Three?"
"When will the kind Purple God Abing be able to use the Underworld King's Third Flash..."
"Lady Bai Family's Third Sister, everyone says Elric will die later. Is it true? Must he really die?"
What is this girl talking about...
Qingying was utterly speechless about this junior.
There were still so many important things to do here!
Then she heard that Teacher Bai San give a slight smile and say seriously, "Of course not. Isn't it almost June 1st? Zhongdian has double monthly votes now."
"During the double monthly vote period, if everyone votes and pushes us into the top eight, Elder Yi can be revived."
...
Just as the three of them entered Beihai and were about to fly towards the Azure Cloud Sect's headquarters.
A pitch-black Dragon Breath shrieked, piercing through the barrier above.
Soaring straight into the sky!
...
The Magical Girl Hunter watched the gray-white girl who had knocked away the mana breath with one hand, licking her dry lips.
"Magical Girl Killer..."
Then Helen sneered coldly, glancing at the pink Magical Girl Silver Lotus beside her. "Just wait to die. The Magical Girl Killer is a master on par with me. Now that the two of us have come to Beihai, you have no way out!"
All along, Helen believed they were equals.
The Northern Hunter, the Southern Killer, evenly matched, on par with each other.
But seeing the other's strength, casually batting away the breath...
The gap seemed just a tiny bit bigger.
Helen thought it should be changed to Northern Killer, Southern Hunter;
she could be the lesser one.
Remembering the bustling North Sea Demon Lair challenge within the Witch Association recently, and the Witch Association's rising star Simo Tu who gained fame through this opportunity, called a living legend of the Witch Association alongside Twins.
The Azure Cloud Sect's five-star challenge, six-star pursuit... She just wanted to laugh seeing how seriously these people took it.
Idiot Beihai walking on the road would turn around on the spot.
Only a fool would come here to be super assembly material.
But now it was different.
Thinking carefully, wasn't the reason Jialan had her accompany her because she thought their strengths were similar?
With the two of them joining forces, this North Sea Demon Lair was nothing but an amusement park!
Thinking this, Helen gained a bit more confidence and waved towards the Killer. "Hi—"
Before her greeting was even finished, the gray-white girl was smashed away like a meteor!
The Calamity Dragon had somehow appeared above. Its thick, long tail swung—it was this tail that had just sent the Magical Girl Killer flying.
However, the gray-white girl smashed into the ground but stood firmly.
Her legs bent slightly, then she jumped up again like a cannonball!
The Calamity Dragon's claw swatted down. The gray-white girl punched upwards. Her fist was instantly smashed by the dragon claw, and then the claw pressed down on the gray-white girl's head.
Rapid descent!
After slamming the gray-white girl's head into the ground with a crash, the Calamity Dragon continued flapping its wings, dragging the girl's head along the ground like that.
Sparks and dirt churned. Power poles toppled around with loud cracks. Vehicles and buildings along the way were sent flying. The Calamity Dragon pressed the gray-white girl's head against the ground, dragging out a long, pitch-black trench!
It dragged her all the way to the central square ahead before suddenly soaring up, using the momentum to hurl the gray-white girl out!
This time, it was the gray-white girl's turn to crash into a building. But the Calamity Dragon gave her no chance to catch her breath.
With a flap of its wings, the massive, steel-like dragon body charged forward at an even faster speed!
The sharp, ferocious dragon horns directly pierced through the gray-white girl, lifting her up.
Under the moonlight, fragments kept falling from the gray-white girl's body.
As if she would shatter completely the next second.
Silver Lotus frowned. From the looks of the scene, it was really hard to tell that the so-called Magical Girl Killer and this Witch Association's Magical Girl Hunter were on the same level.
It looked like an ordinary Magical Girl being beaten by a Disaster Beast with no ability to fight back...
But Silver Lotus also knew that what the eyes saw might not be true. She couldn't let emotions interfere and lead to misjudgment.
If the existence of the Magical Girl Killer was real, then the current situation was good for them.
However, the commotion from these two's fight was so huge that she and the Hunter had lost their will to fight.
If this continued, accidentally getting caught in the crossfire could kill both of them...
"Hah, truly useless. In the end, I still have to step in."
The Magical Girl Hunter beside her immediately issued a cutting statement. "I, the dignified Magical Girl Hunter, being ranked alongside such a fame-seeking fraud is utterly humiliating!"
Before she could finish.
On the dragon horn, the gray-white girl moved.
She took out a seed.
Under the moonlight, the seed's color was very clear.
Colorless gray-white. Just a glance seemed to evoke a sense of fatigue and lethargy, unable to generate any emotion.
"Equip."
The moment the girl spoke, the scales on the Calamity Dragon's body turned pale.
Gray-white mana actually began constructing a Magical Outfit on her body!
The Calamity Dragon immediately opened its huge maw towards the girl on its horn. A terrifying Dragon Breath gathered in its mouth.
The moment the other took out the seed, the dreadful breath was already spewed right at her!
Gray-white wind and sand began to blow.
The jagged, pitch-black scales rubbed against the gray-white wind, sparking. The ear-piercing, teeth-grating sound made the black scales shake continuously, seeping out black mana like blood.
And this black mana was also rapidly turned into debris by the gray-white wind, scattering on the ground.
The terrifying breath continuously impacted the halo around the gray-white girl.
Until a pale hand reached out from the halo, pressed against the breath, and in the Calamity Dragon's crimson pupils, slowly, pushed the breath back!
Just as it was about to push the breath back into the dragon's mouth, the Calamity Dragon instantly stopped the breath and opened its huge maw to bite down!
The gray-white hand suddenly clenched, then opened again. Gray-white mana compressed, released.
The Calamity Dragon's jaw was instantly blasted away!
The dragon body turned, using the same trick. The thick dragon tail smashed towards the gray-white Magical Girl ahead with lightning speed.
But this time, the gray-white Magical Girl reached out and grabbed its tail.
Before it could react, a tremendous force slammed the dragon's head into a nearby building, then yanked it back out.
Curling its tail, the Calamity Dragon released a large amount of lightning. However, all the lightning turned to ashes upon touching the gray-white Magical Outfit.
The Calamity Dragon's crimson pupils contracted slightly.
Immediately after, the gray-white Magical Girl grabbed its tail and slammed it into the ground!
Dozens of gray-white beams of light unfolded, turning into blades and axes, falling like dense raindrops, severing the Calamity Dragon's wings and even nailing its body to the ground.
Helen stared dumbfounded at the Disaster Beast covered in gray-white weapons, barely able to move, then looked up at the silent gray-white Magical Girl. "Uh... truly worthy of being ranked alongside me, the Magical Girl Killer..."
What kind of monster...
That Calamity Dragon's strength just now was almost close to the legendary S-class Disaster Beasts, right?
The terrifying power displayed in those few attacks—forget about herself, even if the captain were alive again, it would be hard to handle!
More importantly, this person could actually hold her own against the Calamity Dragon without transforming earlier.
After transforming, she crushed the Calamity Dragon.
What kind of monster...
Who put her together with this non-human?!
Oh, it was me...
Meanwhile, Silver Lotus was also deeply shaken.
Compared to Helen, she, who was very familiar with Magical Girl power classifications, had of course discovered a serious problem.
The other's strength had clearly far exceeded Blooming, even far beyond what Peak Blooming Great Perfection could compare to.
Not just in power, but also in various rule-based powers.
This was... the power of a Full Bloom Magical Girl?
But why would a Full Bloom Magical Girl appear here? Why was she fighting this Calamity Dragon? What did she want...
Her mind was full of questions, but Silver Lotus also knew she couldn't act rashly.
Because the other's gaze had already locked onto her!
The Calamity Dragon's strength was far above her own. Facing this gray-white Magical Girl, it seemed hard to resist. She was even less likely to be a match...
But Keke was behind her. She couldn't let the other get close to Keke. She had to find a way to lure her away!
Flowers petals filled the sky again, trying to block the other's vision.
But in just an instant, all the petals withered into a gray-white color!
What kind of rule was this?! There was no such rule in the Full Bloom records!
Seeing the other walk over, Silver Lotus found she couldn't even move...
"Hey now, give me some face." The Magical Girl Hunter stood in front of her. "This one is my prey. Leave her to me to deal wi—"
Before she could finish, the gray-white Magical Girl slapped her into the nearby wall, embedded so deeply she couldn't be pried out.
Bad bad bad bad bad bad...
Alarm bells rang loudly in her heart. Yet her Magical Outfit itself seemed out of control, even becoming a prison that trapped her, making her unable to move!
In her anxiety, she even thought about dispelling her transformation first to figure out how to deal with this.
A pitch-black dragon claw abruptly grabbed the Magical Girl Killer's ankle.
A fierce yank made the Magical Girl Killer stumble.
The gray-white Magical Girl immediately turned around. This time, hundreds of gray-white weapons unfolded behind her, aimed at the Calamity Dragon.
Then she saw the Calamity Dragon's other dragon claw open.
A small necklace hung from the tip of the thick claw. A purple Miracle Seed swayed in the wind.
In that instant, the entire world returned to silence.
Even the gray-white Magical Girl stopped moving. Those eyes that had always shown little emotion now held a trace of astonishment for the first time.
Silver Lotus's pupils trembled even more, her face full of disbelief as she looked at the huge, ferocious Calamity Dragon.
A low dragon's hum made Silver Lotus and Helen cover their ears.
'Heaven and Earth are not humane.'
Space fell into a silent vibration, then—
A massive bell toll began echoing throughout Beihai.
Tearing through the silence.
'Treating all things as straw dogs.'