Chapter 35: Mumu can actually wield a sword?

The light source is a condensed flame. The only origin is a dead end.

When she opened her eyes, she was surrounded by a lush deep green that blotted out the sun. Under the eerie light, grainy dust could be seen drifting in the air.

Under her feet was soft mud.

Her body gradually sank, and soon, her lower legs were submerged in a swamp.

‘What is this…?’

‘Did my soul… travel?’

‘Is this the spiritual world?’

Su Mumu looked in horror at her legs disappearing into the marsh.

‘Why is the spiritual world like this…?’

‘Anyway, I need to get my legs out first…’

‘It’s so sticky… the more I struggle, the faster I sink.’

‘What should I do…?’

‘Is anyone going to save me?’

‘I don’t want to be submerged…’

‘Help…’

“Endless life shall also end; all manifestations are empty; the true heart is the realm.”

“Who — who’s speaking?”

“Ho? A fox? A half-demon? You can enter the Formless World as well?”

“What on earth… Please, help me, I’m going to drown…”

“Life power originates from death… Since you have spoken, then that is your choice… Go back, little fox. This place is not for you.”

Darkness shrouded everything once again.

‘Where is this…?’

‘Is this the space from before, where I was rejected by the accompanying sword?’

Su Mumu opened her eyes again to find nothingness all around her.

In front of her, only a single, remaining light source existed. It was so piercing and scorching.

Once she touched it, she would be burned.

However, was the previous environment also caused by it?

‘Is the human origin power trying to intimidate me?’

‘Should I continue to try sword guiding?’

Su Mumu was afraid.

She hesitated, her hand not daring to reach out.

Soon, the fire gradually died down. Inch by inch, darkness spread, cloaking and swallowing the light source.

‘Forget it…’

‘I’m a fox demon. I have no way to guide the sword…’

‘Maybe I should just accept it…’

*Whoosh.*

Suddenly, Su Mumu felt as if a warm stream of water was covering her wrist.

It forced her to reach out and touch that nameless fire.

Full of surprise, Su Mumu forced her eyes wide open. She discovered that her wrist was actually covered by a snow-white cat paw.

Moreover, that gentle stream of water was a trace of snow-white, crystalline… steam?

Or perhaps, it was some kind of power?

It gradually enveloped her entire arm.

‘What on earth… is going on… Why is that fire not hot anymore?’

‘Why can I hold it…?’

The nameless fire was enveloped by Su Mumu’s palm. she gripped it tight, and then it extinguished within her hand.

A moment later, the surrounding darkness began to crumble at a visible speed, like a wall collapsing, spreading out like a spiderweb…

This world was collapsing.

“Wake up!”

“Wah!” Su Mumu woke up with a start.

Her heart was beating incredibly fast. She was covered in a cold sweat, and her legs felt weak.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Mengxin’s voice rang out, her face full of confusion.

Su Mumu wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and looked at Jiang Mengxin with an incredibly grave expression.

Her tone was slow as she weighed every word.

“You might not believe me if I say this, but I just traveled through time and space…”

“What the heck.” Jiang Mengxin’s lips twitched. “A three-second journey through time and space? Mumu, you’re so fast; speed is the soul of war.”

“Was it only three seconds? It felt like half an hour had passed…” Realizing what was said, Su Mumu’s cheeks suddenly flushed. “Stinky Xin Xin, take back those last words!”

“Ahahaha!” Jiang Mengxin doubled over laughing.

“Laugh all you want. I’m tired.” Su Mumu ignored the dust on the ground and sat down haphazardly.

In her palm, that silver sword seemed to have become even more brilliant.

It was crystal clear, just like an ice carving.

“I’ll stop laughing, I’ll stop. Mumu, don’t be angry.” Jiang Mengxin sat down beside her and comforted her.

“I’m not angry…” Su Mumu lowered her head.

Soon, Jiang Mengxin’s palm was stroking Su Mumu’s head again.

“I told you… don’t touch my head,” Su Mumu whispered.

“Alright, alright. Your Sister Jiang just dotes on you.”

Jiang Mengxin’s smile was brighter than ever.

Even the warm winter sun could not compare to her in the slightest.

Such an excessive amount of tenderness was truly rare. At least, Su Mumu had never seen it before. It was as if… the two of them had really become lovers.

But wasn’t Jiang Mengxin just joking?

Then why on earth was she…

Su Mumu stole a glance at Jiang Mengxin.

She happened to meet those amber eyes.

Scared, she quickly withdrew her gaze.

‘That’s not right. What am I afraid of…?’

‘Relax.’

‘Su Mumu, don’t put too much psychological pressure on yourself. You only ate a bun-sized monster-suppressing pill last night, so nothing will go wrong.’

‘Relax, relax… What happened just now was probably just a nightmare caused by low blood sugar!’

‘That’s what you get for staying up late every day and not eating properly…’

‘Don’t think too much.’

After doing some mental preparation, Su Mumu finally relaxed a lot. She slowly straightened her slender legs and stared blankly at her toes.

Suddenly, restless voices came from not far away.

“Your class is over, right? Hurry up and leave! Leave this place to us.” Hippo’s voice filled the entire backyard.

“First come, first served,” Old Wu said calmly.

“But class is already over! Let your students leave!” Hippo said.

Behind her, a group of students from the elite class stood waiting.

The momentum was grand.

The scene looked like two armies confronting each other in ancient times, with generals trading insults to ignite the military’s spirit.

“My students haven’t finished practicing yet,” Old Wu said.

Hippo scanned the area in surprise. Looking at the group of students from the underachievers class swinging their swords sloppily, she couldn’t help but laugh.

Regarding this, she spat out four words. “A waste of space.”

“You’re being a bit excessive.” Old Wu thought for a moment, his wrinkles lifting as he smiled. “Mrs. Hippo.”

He responded with those words, completely ending the competition.

“…Old Wu, you jerk, are you looking for a beating?” Hippo was furious.

“No, no.” Old Wu waved his hand. “How could I dare to oppose an elder like you?”

“Where is your King of Truancy?” Hippo asked.

As soon as the words left her mouth, the playful expression on Old Wu’s face instantly vanished. “What do you want with her?”

The corners of Hippo’s mouth curled up. “I want to see if your King of Truancy is truly capable or if she’s only good at giving people nicknames.”

“She…” Old Wu frowned. “She took a leave of absence.”

“Leave of absence?” Hippo sneered. “Old Wu, are you kidding me?”

Hippo’s gaze pierced through the crowd of students and finally landed on Su Mumu, who was far off by the edge of the woods.

Old Wu immediately blocked her line of sight, his expression brook no argument. “She took a leave of absence.”

Hippo shook her head. “Old Wu, you look pathetic acting like this.”

Old Wu dismissed her with a look. “You’re not much better yourself.”

In an instant, the atmosphere was thick with the scent of gunpowder.

The students on both sides moved further away. Everyone understood what was happening.

There had always been a serious hierarchy of contempt between the underachievers class and the elite class.

Old Wu was considered a unique existence among the teachers. His grand seriousness and rugged tenderness were deeply respected by the students of the underachievers class.

Therefore, the students of the underachievers class all showed displeased expressions at this time.

“Move aside. I’m going to have a chat with that student of yours.” Hippo took a forceful step forward.

“I said she’s on leave today.” Old Wu refused to budge.

“So what? Is there a problem with me, as a teacher, giving her a few pointers?” Hippo asked.

“Heh.” Old Wu let out a cold laugh.

Jiang Mengxin showed a look of worry. She stood on her tiptoes, watching the commotion from afar.

“Mumu, that Hippo is coming to give you trouble… She really holds a grudge. Why don’t we slip away first?”

“Mumu?”

“You go first, I’ll cover the rear for you. Take the small path over there…” Jiang Mengxin spoke without looking back. Her eyes were fixed on Hippo in the distance.

“Mm.”

“Great, Mumu, hurry up and go.”

“No, Mumu, can you stop just saying ‘mm’?” Jiang Mengxin turned her head back in frustration.

However, Su Mumu’s state was incredibly eerie, causing Jiang Mengxin to freeze.

“…Anyone hostile toward Master is… an enemy,” Su Mumu murmured, her eyes vacant.

“What?” Jiang Mengxin didn’t quite hear her.

Then, she witnessed a scene she could not believe for the rest of her life—

The silver sword in Su Mumu’s palm rapidly expanded.

Flakes of snow fell bleakly, swirling around the blade.

Jiang Mengxin’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.

The next moment, something even more inconceivable happened!

A bursting sound echoed.

*Hum!*

The frost-like longsword vanished from its spot.

Jiang Mengxin’s naked eye was completely unable to capture its trajectory.

The sword had disappeared!?

Where did it go???