Silence returned to the tree hollow, broken only by Zhang Jiang’s low, dying groans and the sound of blood gurgling from Lu Zhen’s chest.
“Luo Shangyu!” Qin Yu rushed to Luo Shangyu’s side, supporting the Elf as she stumbled.
It had taken only ten or so seconds for Luo Shangyu to use her mana to break Lu Zhen’s domain, but she had exhausted all her strength just to remain standing.
“Sit down and rest for a bit.” Qin Yu gently lowered Luo Shangyu to the ground.
She pulled a Life Element Potion from her pendant and pressed it to the other woman’s lips.
“Thank you…” Luo Shangyu swallowed the potion.
“I didn’t expect your talent for Domain Magic to be so strong.”
“It’s nothing!” Qin Yu gave an embarrassed smile, “Actually… I just learned it on the spot.”
“Then you are truly gifted!” Luo Shangyu said, sitting up.
After drinking the potion, she had caught her breath and recovered significantly.
“Really?” Qin Yu was delighted, ‘I was able to do so well on my very first try. This means I’ll definitely achieve great things in the future.’
“Yes. Your Domain spread to a diameter of at least 100 meters, and its activation speed was incredibly fast. Lu Zhen couldn’t possibly compare.”
“But he’s a Seventh-rank Quasi-god!” Qin Yu asked in confusion, “How could I be stronger than him?”
“Well, that’s because Domain Magic and ordinary Element Magic don’t belong to the same system.”
“Not the same system?”
“No,” Luo Shangyu explained slowly, “Domain Magic uses mental power, while Element Magic uses elemental mana.”
“Elemental mana is the foundation of everything. Domain Magic simply uses mental power to make emotions resonate with the environment, gathering the scattered elements within it to form a Domain.”
“Therefore, if your Element Magic is powerful enough, you can break Domain Magic. Additionally, when a Mage performs Domain Magic, it’s difficult for them to resonate with the environment effectively, making it hard to deploy a Domain. Because of this, Domain Magic is hardly worth mentioning to truly powerful Mages.”
“As a result, a Mage’s Evaluation System uses the Element Magic method. But that doesn’t mean your level of Domain Magic is inferior to a Mage of a higher rank than you.”
“Oh…” Qin Yu nodded, her mind becoming much clearer.
As for why she could use Domain Magic so quickly…
Qin Yu believed it was because she understood the true meaning of the incantations, allowing her to resonate better with the environment.
“We should find another place to prepare for rest.” Luo Shangyu stood up and pointed at the open ceiling, where raindrops were continuously dripping through.
“This place is completely ruined.”
“My freshly dried clothes are wet again…” Qin Yu frowned, following Luo Shangyu out of the shattered tree hollow.
“Wait!” Qin Yu suddenly stopped as a thought occurred to her, “Lu Zhen and his man came prepared to hunt us down. They must have equipment. Maybe we can scavenge some supplies from them!”
“Hmm?” Luo Shangyu paused and said, “That makes sense.”
Qin Yu walked over to Zhang Jiang.
Using her staff, she pushed aside his coat to reveal a small leather pouch strapped to his body.
“This is it.” Luo Shangyu leaned down to pick up the pouch.
It was incredibly light in her hand, almost weightless.
“This is…”
“This is also a storage device with the Space Attribute, similar to your pendant.” Luo Shangyu poured the contents of the small bag onto the ground.
A small pot, a few bottles of seasoning, some utensils, several changes of clothes, sleeping bags, a few bottles of mana recovery potions, and various potions for treating minor injuries spilled out.
Qin Yu picked up the small pot and opened the lid.
Inside was a piece of raw meat that had been frozen with magic.
“It looks like we have dinner after all!” Qin Yu was beyond excited.
After starving for most of the day, she was so hungry that her stomach felt like it was touching her spine.
“We don’t need the clothes, but the sleeping bags…” Luo Shangyu crouched down to inspect them closely.
“They’re brand new. Let’s take them.”
Qin Yu packed the items back into the small pouch, and together they left the ruins of the tree hollow.
Finding a new tree hollow wasn’t easy.
It was especially difficult to find one like the last—free of small animals and equipped with a ventilation hole that could act as a chimney so they could light a fire without being smoked out.
Fortunately, Luo Shangyu could use magic.
She spread her mana through the forest, and before long, she found a suitable tree hollow nearby.
The two headed straight for their target, walking quickly through the woods.
Soon, they reached a small river.
It was about ten or so meters wide.
The leaves of the trees overhanging the water were sparse, providing a clear view of the dark, cloudy night sky.
The tree hollow was right on the riverbank, its entrance facing the water.
“I want to take a bath!” Qin Yu said, looking at the clear river.
She had been on the run all day, and her body was covered in sweat and rain.
“Go ahead and wash up first. I’ll get dinner ready.” Luo Shangyu took the small pouch from Qin Yu and headed into the tree hollow.
Qin Yu found a large, flat rock on the riverbank and took off her clothes, folding them neatly.
She first dipped her foot into the river, shivering at the icy touch.
Once she adjusted to the temperature, she stepped slowly into the water.
The small forest river was neither too deep nor too shallow; the water reached just up to Qin Yu’s chest.
The stones at the bottom were somewhat slippery, so she had to stand very carefully to avoid falling.
The surroundings were pitch black, with only a faint light flickering from the tree hollow nearby.
A sense of boundless loneliness washed over Qin Yu.
It wasn’t that she was afraid of the dark when she was alone; rather, it was a fear of being forgotten.
“Luo Shangyu!” Qin Yu called out loudly.
“Yes?” Luo Shangyu answered as she stepped out of the hollow.
Qin Yu could see her silhouette against the firelight from within.
“Come keep me company! I’m afraid of the dark!”
From the distance, it looked like Luo Shangyu shook her head helplessly.
“Fine, I’m coming.” There was a hint of a smile in Luo Shangyu’s voice.
Qin Yu knew the Elf had found another chance to tease her.
While waiting for Luo Shangyu, Qin Yu carefully washed her body.
She didn’t dare wash her hair, terrified that some unspeakable horror might sneak up on her while her eyes were closed.
Behind her, a sudden “splash” in the water startled her.
“Luo Shangyu?” she asked suspiciously, turning around.
But the blonde Elf was nowhere to be seen.
‘Is she hiding underwater to prank me?’ Qin Yu reached out toward the source of the sound, sweeping her hands through the water in hopes of catching Luo Shangyu.
Suddenly, Qin Yu grabbed something cold and hard.
It didn’t feel like human skin.
It felt slimy, as if covered in scales.
“Aaaah!” Qin Yu’s scream pierced the silence of the forest.
She jerked her hand back, flinging a long, heavy object out of the water.
The object hit the shore with a dull “thud”, followed by the sound of something wet slapping against the ground.
“Luo Shangyu!” Qin Yu cried out, her voice trembling.
She backed away, desperate to get away from the unidentifiable thing.
In her panic, her foot slipped, and she fell into the water.
A light flared up on the shore as Luo Shangyu’s staff illuminated the area.
“What happened?”
Qin Yu struggled to stand up, pointing toward the sound on the riverbank.
“There’s… there’s a ghost!”