novelraw Chapter 193: Classic Arena Battle
Chapter 193: Classic Arena Battle
Chapter 193: Classic Arena Battle
"Bro, we have an exchange event to go to the South China Disaster Control Bureau."
Early in the morning, as soon as Jiang Si got up, Keke had already prepared the meal and was earnestly telling him about it. "Over in South China, they've been organizing a lot of Magical Girl combat events recently and have been inviting Magical Girls with free time and strength to go and exchange ideas."
Jiang Si, brushing his teeth, nodded. "Sounds good, doesn't it?"
"Yes, the old director said that since Beihai has the Azure Cloud Sect holding down the fort anyway, and we're just staying put here, and with the Witch Association and Disaster Beasts basically gone lately, going to South China for an exchange to gain some practical combat experience is a good thing."
Keke served her brother his rice, then wiped the table, obediently sat down at the table, and turned on the TV.
She waited for her brother to come over so they could eat together.
Although they used to eat separately, nowadays Keke would only eat after her brother arrived.
She also conveniently poured a glass of water and set the chopsticks in place.
"Didn't Teacher Shion arrange practical combat training for you too?"
Jiang Si remembered he had asked Yumo to spar with Keke before.
Yumo should have sparred with her later too.
"Teacher Shion really tells you everything," Keke muttered softly before continuing, "Yeah, Teacher Shion arranged an opponent for me, that Magical Girl Dandelion."
"I know her, she often captures Silver Lotus."
"You'd better not mention that in front of Yiyi," Keke said seriously. "Otherwise, she really will cry."
After all, Yiyi didn't want to lose face in front of her brother. She had been telling Keke for ages not to tell Jiang Si about this.
Lest Jiang Si think she was weak.
Although Keke felt her brother had probably already learned about it from Teacher Shion.
After all, Teacher Shion really did tell her brother everything.
"Oh."
After finishing his morning routine, Jiang Si came out, wiped his face, and looked at the TV.
The news broadcast today was about the Ice Color Era Group.
This time, the reporter was interviewing Bingtang. It was probably an interview from a day or two ago, and this was a recorded broadcast.
Surrounded by numerous reporters, Bingtang wore an elegant smile as she answered questions.
The gist was that her father had been physically exhausted lately, causing old injuries left from the Witch Association's attack years ago to flare up, the curse to reappear, leaving him seriously ill and with some mental issues as well.
He could only rest in a separate hospital room and was unable to meet with reporters.
Many people asked whether Ice Color Era could maintain its dominant position in the industry in the future, and so on...
It seemed these people didn't know that Bingtang had taken over the cooperative business between the Disaster Control Bureau and the Ice Color Era Group a long time ago.
Jiang Si had heard Bingtang report to him long ago about her level of control within the Ice Color Era Group. Without her father knowing anything, many of the group's important businesses were cooperating with the Disaster Control Bureau and companies related to the Azure Cloud Sect.
No matter how capable Bingtang's father was, he probably never imagined that both the local Disaster Control Bureau and the Azure Cloud Sect actually now had to listen to Bingtang...
She had pretty much achieved her dream from back then.
Back when the two of them first established the Azure Cloud Sect, the petite young girl had said to him with a determined face:
"I must defeat Dad. One day, his career will reach its end, and I will become the most powerful person in the Ice Color Era Group!"
Back then, both of them were still Sprout-tier Magical Girls.
"Bro!"
Jiang Si was reminiscing about the past when Keke's shout pulled him back. Keke slapped the table indignantly. "Why aren't you coming over?"
"If you don't eat soon, the food will get cold!"
Jiang Si tilted his head to look at his sister, said "Oh," walked over, and picked up his bowl and chopsticks.
"Since Teacher Shion already arranged a practical combat opponent for you, why do you still want to go to South China for the exchange?"
"The exchange event in South China has benefits!" Keke took a bite of rice, paused for a moment, then continued, "Those large-scale events, if you win the championship, there are very good rewards. I heard they're related to Magical Girls and can make you very strong!"
"What good rewards could the Disaster Control Bureau have..."
"And, the top three in a single Disaster Control Bureau's quarterly combat event can participate in the Central Bureau's Mental Landscape trial."
"That is important." Jiang Si immediately acknowledged the value of this exchange. "Why doesn't East China have slots?"
"East China uses a recommendation letter system."
Jiang Si was taken aback. "Recommendation letter?"
"Yes, each bureau chief writes a recommendation letter to the Central Bureau, then the Central Bureau selects suitable Magical Girls to participate in the Mental Landscape trial. Each Disaster Control Bureau only gets one slot per year."
Jiang Si quickly finished his rice in two mouthfuls. "That's unfair, right? Why does a single South China bureau get so many? Twelve a year, all for South China? Regional discrimination?"
Also, the recommendation letter system is the worst election system, right?
Pure reliance on connections.
"South China is under a lot of pressure. Witch Association activities are most frequent there. Disaster Beasts, Mirror Beasts, slave beasts, and a bunch of other weird organizations and evil world ghosts, huge nightmare demons, etc., although I don't really understand it all."
"In short, Magical Girls in South China fight a lot, so they get more slots. They also often hold drills over there. I heard that Magical Girls fighting outside there have a minimum rank of Seedling, with lots of Blooming-tier ones. Sprouts aren't even allowed to go on missions..."
The entire new map's player level has increased?
Interesting.
"But I feel East China is like this because of Teacher Shion," Keke said while eating, mumbling through her food. "With Teacher Shion and everyone from the Azure Cloud Sect around, the Witch Association simply can't develop. Magical Girls in East China don't get much practical combat opportunity, so of course they don't progress as fast as those in South China..."
Listening to his sister's words, which sounded somewhere between praise and complaint, Jiang Si shook his head. "When someone provides shelter, one should work even harder. Without a heart that seeks the Dao, one will ultimately remain weak."
"That's easy to say, but the environment still has a big influence."
After finishing his meal and washing his bowl, Jiang Si said, "You can go if you want. I'll watch the house."
"No."
Keke brought her own bowl and chopsticks over and handed them to her brother. "You can't stay at home."
Whoever cooks, the other person washes the dishes.
Jiang Si, of course, didn't mind. He took her bowl and chopsticks and washed them quickly. "What's wrong now?"
"I'm not comfortable leaving you alone at home."
"Do I need you to worry about me?"
"No, I'm just not comfortable."
Keke lowered her head, reached out, grabbed the hem of his clothes, and said softly:
"I'm afraid that when I come back, I won't be able to find you again."
Ever since he left last time and she almost never saw him again, Keke had often felt insecure.
When sleeping at night, she would often have nightmares.
The nightmare was probably from when she was little. Once, when her brother went out to exercise, she threw a tantrum, insisting on going with him.
Finally, Jiang Si couldn't win against her and took her for a run. Keke got tired and started crying loudly.
Then her brother squatted by the roadside, comforted her, took out a few dollars, and told her there was a shop by the road where the ice cream was delicious, and she should go buy ice cream for them to eat together.
Keke happily took the money and went to buy ice cream. But when she came back, her brother was gone.
She looked for her brother everywhere, holding the gradually melting ice cream, crying as she searched.
In reality, when her brother tricked her into buying ice cream as a child, he ran another lap, came back, found the tear-streaked Keke, and took her home.
It was just a matter of minutes. They were very close to home, she wasn't that young, and there were elderly neighbors sitting by the road enjoying the cool air, watching her cry with great interest. There was no way she could get lost.
But in the dream, Keke cried for a long, long time and never waited for her brother. Holding the ice cream, she couldn't bear to eat it, wanting to save it for Jiang Si. She could only hold the melting ice cream, looking everywhere, but couldn't find him anywhere.
When she returned home, there was no one there either. She sat alone at the doorstep, holding the ice cream she wanted to save for her brother, crying her heart out.
Then she would wake up from the dream, see the pillow wet with tears, and immediately run to her brother's room. Only after seeing Jiang Si there could she calm down.
Actually, sometimes, not wanting to sleep on the floor, she would just fall asleep lying on her brother's bed.
Keke was really afraid that when she returned home, she wouldn't be able to find Jiang Si again.
Left alone to endure fear and anxiety.
"Bro, come with me, okay?"
Shaking Jiang Si's sleeve, Keke pleaded softly, "I'll protect you properly. There definitely won't be any danger..."
"Don't want to go."
"How can you be like that..."
Keke's face fell, looking like she was about to cry, then she could only sigh. "Fine, if you don't go, then I won't go either!"
"No, you have to go." Jiang Si said seriously. "This concerns your Mental Landscape!"
"Anyway, anyway, East China will have recommendation letters later."
"That could be dragged out who knows how long. Learning... matters of the Mental Landscape should definitely be done as soon as possible."
"If you don't go, I won't go!"
"Why won't you listen, you kid!"
Just as Jiang Si was about to scold her, Keke grabbed his hand.
Keke's small hand was cold and trembling slightly. Her voice was also somewhat unsteady.
"Bro, I... I'm really scared. I don't dare." Keke's voice sounded like she was about to cry. "I'm afraid when I come back, I'll be the only one left at home. I won't be able to find you..."
Jiang Si, who had been feeling exasperated, fell silent for a moment.
Really knows how to cry...
This girl really never grows up. What's the difference from when she was little?
At the same age of eleven, the Primordial Heavenly Emperor had already finished the battle of the two stones, fighting bloodily to overthrow his invincible elder brother with dual pupils. But when it comes to Keke, she's become a Nascent Soul-level true fool.
Forget about overthrowing me; I even have to be her study companion.
Keke, if you are a persimmon, show the courage and strength brought to you by the divine fire.
Come to think of it, can the reincarnation of the Gold Nature of Yin and Yang cultivate the virtue of fire?
Flipping through the "Profound Mirror" repeatedly, skipping parts, between the lines I only remember eating people...
But thinking about it, since Xilan is also over in South China, I might as well go get the witch potion while I'm there. It's not a problem.
Because of the East China Azure Cloud Sect's influence, within the Witch Association, no one dared to take on the delivery service for Simo Tu anymore. They said the captain's crooked vine and maggot carcass was still hanging from some concrete pillar.
Wiping his hands, Jiang Si sighed. "When?"
Keke, who had been looking down with reddened eyes, immediately broke into a smile through her tears. "Tomorrow! We can leave tomorrow. Yiyi, An Shiyu, and Senior Susan will be going together then!"
Why is it all troublesome people.
"Fine."
Upon hearing this, Keke immediately hugged him. "Brother is the best!"
"Don't celebrate too early. If you don't get into the top three and don't get the Mental Landscape, see how I deal with you when we get back."
"I know, I know. Don't underestimate me. I'm a genius personally trained by Teacher Shion! My goal is the championship!"
"You'd better be."
...
South China, Mingxin City, dock.
Sitting by the ship's side, Ruo Yun held a hamburger and a bottle of mineral water.
Since the success of her last mission, her finances had naturally become more relaxed, plus she had Hyacinth's support.
That woman was always idly trying to spend money on her, making her owe favors.
Ruo Yun hated people who liked to show off their wealth.
But precisely because of Hyacinth's support, she didn't have to suffer through eating pickled vegetables and steamed buns anymore.
However, Ruo Yun herself wasn't very interested in food. On Hyacinth's recommendation, she chose the most convenient hamburger.
Chewing it wasn't much different from a steamed bun.
Amidst the rocking of the sea, after swallowing the last of the hamburger, Ruo Yun gulped down half the bottle of water to avoid choking, clapped her hands, stood up, and looked around.
Ever since arriving in South China, Ruo Yun had split up from Hyacinth and Helen.
The main reason was that Helen's tools were just too troublesome.
Not only did she hold a bunch of tools targeting Magical Girls, but these tools also didn't distinguish between friend and foe.
"Well, I never thought about teaming up with Magical Girls before, so I never considered what to do if Magical Girls were on my side when using these things..."
"However, I can modify them temporarily. When I use them later, they won't affect your coordination." Helen said quietly to Hyacinth. "If you give me some time..."
"There's no time to give you!" Not the solution Ruo Yun wanted, directly rejected.
For Ruo Yun, Helen's presence was simply dead weight, so the three of them simply split up.
It was also mainly because Hyacinth was very interested in Helen's various tools and even wanted to ask Helen how they were made.
The former captain of the Magical Girls in the Beihai Disaster Control Bureau, Beihai's original idol, had also fallen, actually pondering these crooked paths.
Anyway, Ruo Yun wasn't interested.
Splitting up was fine. Over here, with the cooperation of the armed teams, Ruo Yun's information gathering was actually more efficient.
She also understood why the Saint Hall Envoy Tianren had said they wanted to inspect the Tianwu World, and why the Saint Hall wanted to destroy some worlds.
Because these old worlds wanted to occupy this place, seize their world, and transform it into their own home!
Her heart held even greater reverence and unwavering belief in the decisions of the Saint Hall's master.
If she had doubted before why they needed to destroy other worlds, thinking it might be too extreme, Ruo Yun would never doubt the Saint Hall master's decisions again now.
After all, standing atop the legendary far shore, standing high allows one to see far!
Naturally, one could see things she didn't know, with broad vision and deep foresight, far beyond what a small person like her could understand.
No matter the reason, listening to the Saint Hall master is definitely right!
Ruo Yun, who had been observing the surroundings, stood up.
"Suspicious personnel moving south, repeat, suspicious personnel moving south. Calling southern team members."
"Southern Third Squad just followed another batch of suspicious personnel. Currently vacant."
"Requesting support..."
The conversation from the combat squad came through the earpiece. Ruo Yun pressed the communicator. "Other squads maintain operational deployment unchanged. Southern suspicious personnel will be monitored by me."
"Received."
Ever since arriving in South China, she had discovered traces of quite a few suspicious personnel.
Although well hidden, the demonic sense enhancement she had exchanged from the Main God earlier had given Ruo Yun considerable help.
That purple Saint Hall Envoy personally held her palm, infused mana, not only enhancing her demonic sense but also imparting knowledge and experience of demonic sense control directly into her.
Now her demonic sense could cover one-third of Mingxin City!
Through the sweep of her demonic sense, it was actually easy to detect the differences in those personnel from the old world.
After all, coming from the world of Dregs, their emotions couldn't transform. Unlike people in this world who unconsciously emit emotions, causing these emotions to gather into Disaster Beasts or be absorbed by Magical Girls.
These old world people had very complete emotions that didn't leak out, but they would gradually turn into Dregs.
Rowing the oar in the direction mentioned by the Infinite Demon Kill Squad, she soon saw the two suspicious personnel the squad had mentioned from a distance.
Both were young people. Precisely because they were young, they were easy to expose.
Those who escaped from the old world weren't necessarily experienced. Some even looked like they hadn't experienced much combat.
Before coming, the Main God said the version had updated, entering the great thousand worlds, where danger lurked everywhere.
But it actually felt like the old world wasn't that impressive...
Jumping down from the boat, mingling with the crowd, she slowly approached.
Compressing mana, even completely erasing the aura of the Miracle Seed, was basic content in the Azure Cloud Sect, taught right after joining.
So Ruo Yun didn't need to specifically exchange for it in the Saint Hall.
However, during her days in the Saint Hall, under immense pressure, her progress in this aspect was far beyond what it had been under Teacher Bai Mei's guidance.
People are ultimately pushed forward by their environment. In the end, those who can truly overcome their own laziness are a minority within a minority. A comfortable environment will corrode one's determination.
That's why Ruo Yun loved her days in the Saint Hall so much.
Only here could she feel that she wasn't slacking off, wasn't standing still, but was always running forward with anxiety and tension.
The feeling of genuine progress and truly being alive couldn't be found anywhere else.
Passing through the crowd, she arrived behind those two people—a pair of sisters.
The younger sister looked somewhat sickly, even having one eye that was gray-white.
It seemed she had turned into Dregs.
The elder sister looked much healthier, her face always wearing a bright, gentle smile as she spoke to her sister.
It reminded her a bit of Teacher Bai Mei.
Right after losing her parents, Teacher Bai Mei had taken care of her like that too...
She immediately shook her head, telling herself not to miss Teacher Bai Mei.
Her mission now was to become stronger, stronger, not to disappoint Teacher Bai Mei, until finally, surpassing Teacher Bai Mei...
She saw the two sisters turn into a small alley.
The alley was a garbage dump, with a discarded glass panel placed beside the pile.
The two sisters who had appeared from the old world had completely disappeared.
Ruo Yun reached out and touched the glass panel.
As she thought, this glass panel led to an independent space.
It was almost the same technology as the Main God Space, or rather, the Mirror Kingdom.
Possessing artifact-forging magic, Ruo Yun covered the glass panel with her mana, then gradually refined it into her own weapon.
The Saint Hall had a lot of content about mana usage and magic expansion.
The Saint Hall Envoy had even personally instructed her on how to use this ability.
After refining the glass panel that served as the medium for the independent space, her mana could extend along the space opened from here.
All the way to where the two sisters were in the independent space.
Controlling the vibration of her mana, constantly resonating, she transmitted the sounds from over there.
"You..."
"Mirror Kingdom... unsealed."
"Have you met the Prince?"
After slightly adjusting the resonance frequency of her mana, the voices from over there finally came through clearly.
"Met." The speaker was probably the elder sister of the two. "Prince-sama said she needs money and is willing to give us a spot."
"That fox's words may not be trustworthy." The person speaking on the other side was probably an elderly person, their voice hoarse and raspy. "To rebuild the Mirror Kingdom, she'll do anything. She probably just wants to use us as cannon fodder."
"Besides, there's no other way, is there?"
The elderly person on the other side fell silent for a while before saying, "It's not that there's no way. So far, there have been quite a few who wanted to seize the origin, create a Full Bloom, and recast the world. It's just that the risk is too great, and not many truly dare to try..."
Ruo Yun's heart jumped.
Seize the origin, create a Full Bloom, recast the world.
That Magical Girl hunter Helen had also said that most old worlds weren't actually interested in seizing new worlds. They didn't want to leave their homeland, and didn't even want their homeland destroyed.
So their goal was actually to seize the origin here, create a Full Bloom, have a Full Bloom Magical Girl recast their old world, and resurrect their homeland.
After all, the domain of a Full Bloom Magical Girl could practically be considered a world.
It's just that no one had succeeded yet.
"So, the Prince's proposal is so attractive. Even though we turned against her before, now everyone has no choice but to listen to her..."
"The master is not trustworthy. The Dangerous Curse Realm was destroyed because of her... No need to agree to her so hastily."
"Then what do you want to do? My sister can't hold on much longer. I can't wait anymore!"
"Don't be impatient. I have indeed found a method to obtain a Full Bloom, but it's somewhat complicated, and requires you to win all the major competitions in South China..."
"Competitions?"
"Correct. The power that definitely won't let the Incubator discover, the Full Bloom mana that can save your sister, is right at..."
Just as Ruo Yun desperately tried to hear the words that followed, a sharp shout suddenly came from over there: "Who is it?!"
Ruo Yun immediately retracted her mana and turned to run without hesitation!
She simultaneously took out her phone, immediately wanting to send the message to Hyacinth and Helen.
However, the phone had just been taken out when it exploded with a bang!
Looking up, the elder sister from the pair of sisters earlier was blocking her path ahead.
Her upper body wore a slightly loose, finely textured linen-cotton shirt with a small round collar accentuating her beautiful neckline. The lower half wore high-waisted straight-leg cropped pants. That face, which looked both tired and delicate, was now filled with dangerous sharpness and killing intent.
Staring intently at Ruo Yun, "Who are you?"
Standing behind the girl was an elderly woman. Her younger sister probably hadn't come out of the independent space yet.
"Witch Association member Hua Hu." Ruo Yun casually gave the name of the member she had sold to the Disaster Control Bureau. "Jiangming City Witch Association."
The old world had many connections with the Witch Association. Hearing the Witch Association's name, they probably wouldn't dare act rashly.
And Hua Hu really was a Witch Association member. Even if they investigated, they wouldn't find a problem...
Unexpectedly, the old woman's originally indifferent expression suddenly changed, and she immediately shouted, "Kill her! Ailin!"
"We absolutely cannot let the Witch Association know!"
Alright, overestimated the Witch Association's reputation...
Ruo Yun instantly transformed, holding her pistol-shaped magic wand. She wasn't particularly afraid, observing her opponent while trying to contact Hyacinth and the others.
Then Ruo Yun saw the girl take out a gray-white seed.
Although the color was gray-white, it gave her a clear feeling.
That had once been a Miracle Seed.
She could vaguely see the former pale blue color within.
It had already become Dregs.
An old world Magical Girl?
"Transformation!"
Ruo Yun's pupils contracted.
In an instant, terrifying gray-white mana swallowed her!