“Teacher and Mistress are not familiar with the Magistrate Court and we do not know what they have, but your fellow classmate was justified in saying that it would be too derogatory to ask for money as a form of reward. Disciple, you should not fall into the trap of money. Don’t you have a sand puppet that is an expert in making elemental food? You could request for ingredients to make elemental food. You have already made a breakthrough to your fourth palace, so you need to prepare for the fifth palace. The earth palace, sea palace, gate palace, and sky palace have a much higher difficulty level than the left hand palace, right hand palace, left leg palace, and the right leg palace. You need to start preparation early. This is a good sword, so you are not lacking weapons. In terms of defensive equipment, you have the Blood Bandage. With that, it would be hard to harm you with just blades and swords. Though it is on the ugly side, the Blood Bandage does not have any negative traits. Oh yes, your senior prepared a pair of shoes for you. This pair of shoes will enable you to run faster. Disciple, the ways of the world are evil. If you are caught in any dire situations, remember to run quickly without hesitation. Run as far as you can. Do not worry about us, just look after yourself first…”
Teacher’s endless chatter was reverberating in Ai Hui’s mind. He was touched and felt that he had the best teacher, mistress, and senior in the world.
He had just exited from the embroidery workshop. His speed was exceptionally fast, like he was flying.
He wore a pair of white shoes on his feet. The workmanship was extremely delicate and was made by his Senior Mingxiu. As Ai Hui’s base level was still low and he could not use top-quality materials, Senior Mingxiu’s skills were exquisite. Under her perfect workmanship, she was able to produce a pair of remarkable shoes using just normal materials.
Ai Hui felt that his body was as light and lithe as a bird.
Drifting Cloud Boots. The main body of the boots were made using the Thousand Drift Cloud from Palatte Cloud Village. The Thousand Drift Cloud was a commonly seen water elementalist material and had a vast usage. This pair of shoes brought out the lithe characteristic of the Thousand Drift Cloud brilliantly. Ai Hui’s speed and agility were tremendously increased.
Regardless of whether it was in a battle or to escape, these shoes would be able to perform many functions.
Ai Hui did not think that running away was a disgraceful thing to do. As long as the situation did not seem right, he would run without a second thought. His life was his and was more important than anything.
The elders were indeed more experienced. Teacher’s suggestions were very much on point. His previous thoughts were too simple.
The only regret he had was that his hopes of having money were dashed.
Oh money. Oh money…
Ai Hui sighed while running madly. The Drifting Cloud Boots were very comfortable, but he needed to adjust and familiarize himself with them before increasing the speed and flexibility. After this acclimation period, he would be able to perform outstandingly during battle.
When he walked passed the noodle store, he thought about the thrilling encounter when battling with the bat. He had been really lucky during that battle. Even now, he was still unable to understand how he managed to block the blood bat.
He had not expected to be able to benefit from the battle. While muddled, he had managed to survive and advance to four palaces. Even the elemental energy ball in his natal residence disappeared without a trace. In the confusion, he even obtained a reward.
What a pity they did not offer cash rewards directly!
While Ai Hui was feeling resentful, he suddenly noticed a young lady in a red skirt squatting at the scene of the previous battle.
The collapsed fence was already repaired and looked as good as new. The blood stains on the ground were also swept and cleaned.
The young lady seemed to sense Ai Hui’s gaze and looked up, casting her gaze toward him.
The sword embryo between his eyebrows trembled as Ai Hui became distracted.
The young lady’s red clothes were fiery and alluring. Ai Hui did not know how to describe her beauty. She squatted in the middle of the street and gave off a pitiful vibe. Even the shadow beneath her legs seemed to be darker than usual and more dull.
Despite being under the warm sunlight, no warmth was added to her figure. Even though her clothes were as red as fire and she was as pretty as a fairy, it seemed that she was enveloped by a faint layer of black fog. This was a darkness that could not be penetrated by sunlight.
However, there was nothing when Ai Hui looked at her closely.
The young lady suddenly laughed sweetly, like a bright flower blooming in the darkness. “Am I pretty?”
Ai Hui regained his senses and looked around. He pointed to himself uncertainly. “Are you asking me?”
“Yes.” The young lady in red walked toward Ai Hui while smiling.
Ai Hui, who previously still thinking about money, replied straightforwardly, “My standard is different from others’. Give me one hundred yuan, I will say you’re pretty. Give me five hundred yuan, then I will say you’re very pretty. Give me one thousand yuan, I will say you’re as pretty as a fairy!”
The young lady who walked in front of Ai Hui paused and suddenly laughed sweetly. “Looks like I am as pretty as a fairy.”
Ai Hui went cross-eyed while a sweet fragrance was blown along with the wind. He was suddenly holding on to something.
Ai Hui was startled and did not manage to clearly see her actions.
“Although it might be difficult, I hope to meet you again. All the best!”
Her enticing voice floated along with the wind.
When he regained his senses, there was no trace of the young girl. He looked downward and saw that he was holding on to more than a thousand yuan. He could not help but laugh. However, his expression quickly dulled.
When the young lady in red rushed toward him, his sword embryo had not managed to react in time.
What a scary woman!
Ai Hui took a long time before snapping out of his daze. He laughed bitterly. He was just randomly walking along the street when he met a woman with unfathomable capabilities. Was he considered lucky or unlucky?
Ai Hui pondered and decided that he was unlucky. Whenever he met women with unfathomable capabilities, they were not kind souls. The young lady from the noodle store was a good example.
Thinking of the young lady from the noodle store, then looking back at the one thousand yuan in his hand that was given by the young lady in red, Ai Hui had an ominous prediction.
The loneliness and darkness from the young lady in red led Ai Hui to think back to the three years he spent in the Wilderness. He somewhat understood why he was moved by her temperament. It was the despair and fear of the weak and puny in times of distress.
He shook his head. He kept the money and hoped that he would not see her again.
He had already stepped out of his dire straits and bid goodbye to darkness.
One thousand yuan was also an unexpected fortune!
In the past, few frequented the magistrate court. These days, traffic was heavy because there were countless streams of people entering and leaving, causing it to be very crowded. When Wang Zhen took over the city, his rich experience allowed him to rapidly gain the trust of everyone. Then, the magistrate court became the heart of Central Pine City.
Wang Zhen, who was always composed, looked ashen at the moment. Next to him, the dean’s face was as white as paper. His hand, which was holding on to the report, was trembling uncontrollably.
“Failed? How did it fail? Didn’t Qiao Hua say he could become a wood elementalist for Dai Gang?”
The dean’s murmurs had a slight tremor. His gaze was blank and filled with despair.
Wang Zhen’s lips were trembling. He wanted to have a sip of tea to calm himself, but his hand was trembling too badly and the tea spilt over. He was someone who had experienced battle. He knew the failure of Qiao Hua’s plan would bring about a catastrophic disaster and was also a fatal turning point.
The incident of blood poisoning had become a blood catastrophe.
It was the epitome of catastrophe!
Due to the failure of Qiao Hua’s plan, there were zero survivors among the entourage. The blood catastrophe worsened, and the new blood poisoning was more dangerous and violent. The rate at which it spread was even scarier...
The Garden of Life, which had been reduced to scorched earth, was once again covered by blood grass that grew at an insane pace. The Garden of Life had become a sea of red, like a blood ocean without any boundaries.
Those elementalists in the air could clearly see how the blood ripple spread. It had now become a crazy red wave and was sweeping across the Induction Ground at an astonishing speed.
The Induction Ground, no, the whole Avalon of Five Elements was facing a catastrophe like never before. How many of them would be swallowed up by the scary blood wave? He had no idea, but he knew that the amount would be high. Perhaps the number would be greater than those who died at the front line.
Wang Zhen’s unfocused gaze started to regain some focus. His tenacious spirit from being a veteran started to emerge.
He had never encountered such a difficult and desperate moment. Even when he had broken his leg, he had not been in so much despair. Yet, he knew that he needed to take action or else they would be like sitting ducks.
“When will the blood wave arrive at Central Pine City?” he asked suddenly.
The dean replied with a pained expression, “The day after tomorrow.”
“Okay, buck up. It is not the time for despair yet,” Wang Zhen said gravely. He did not dare to imagine the cities that the blood wave had swept across. He steadied himself and continued, “The blood wave will arrive the day after tomorrow. Given the pattern of how the blood fiends changed previously, they would still need an average of five to seven days to transform again. In that case, we have seven to nine days of preparation time. By now, the higher-ups must have already received the news. They will make arrangements and rush to our rescue. The fastest we can expect to receive some support should be in fifteen days’ time.”
After hearing Wang Zhen’s analysis, the dean’s eyes regained some liveliness. He continued, “This means we just need to hang on for around a week and we will be able to get support. Furthermore, Shi Xueman and Duanmu Huanghun are in Central Pine City. The higher-ups would definitely think of a way to send support immediately. ”
“Yes!” Wang Zhen waved his fist around vigorously. “We only need to endure for one week. We have so many teachers and students here. There are many training halls in the city and guards in each training hall. These are all sources of strength. However mighty the new blood fiends might be, I believe there’s a possibility that we can endure for a week.”
The dean sighed deeply in relief. “Yes, yes, yes. There’s hope. There’s hope.”
A glimmer of light flickered in Wang Zhen’s eyes. “It is possible that people have already received news of Qiao Hua’s failure. We have to control the situation immediately and make use of all the manpower we have. Since nobody will be able to escape, it might be a good thing if they are aware of this danger early on.”
The dean clenched his teeth and said, “I will gather some teachers to impart some practical, but impactful, moves. While we do not have much time, any gain in strength, no matter big or small, would be beneficial.”
Wang Zhen was surprised by the dean’s courage. This course of action might result in consequences that he would be held responsible for. The Induction Ground had strict control over the imparting of moves at institutions. Apparently, the dean no longer cared about regulations at this juncture.
Wang Zhen nodded his head. “This would be for the best! We need to control all the elemental food. We need to prepare for the worst.”
“All right!” The dean nodded his head fiercely. “I will gather the students.”
At that moment, a mournful alarm was heard. An elementalist rushed in with a panicked expression. “Superior, there are blood fiends! There are many blood fiends!”
Their expressions changed drastically.