The second abnormal area was a seemingly calm lake. The water was so blue it looked black, and it seemed bottomless at a glance.
The lake’s surface was as calm as a mirror, reflecting the blue sky and the shadows of trees.
Xuan Xi’s perception caught movement from the bottom of the lake, but found it wasn’t energy fluctuations, but the heartbeat of a living creature.
Thump. Thump. The sound was very loud and heavy.
“There’s something under the lake,” Xuan Xi said.
“A magical beast?” Elsa asked.
“Yeah, and it’s huge.”
“Perfect.” Reggie cracked his knuckles. “We’ll finish the hunting mission right here.”
“Don’t rush.” Veralis stopped him and opened the map. “Let’s test it out first.”
Xuan Xi closed her eyes and concentrated her perception on the bottom of the lake.
The shape of the magical beast gradually became clear in her mind—serpentine, over twenty meters long, covered in ink-black scales, its body coiled in the deepest depression at the bottom of the lake, curled up into a ball.
Its breathing was heavy; each exhale caused the lake water to tremble slightly, and its heartbeat was slow, but each beat felt like someone hammering the ground with an iron mallet.
“Marsh Dragon Python.” Xuan Xi opened her eyes.
“And it’s half a step into the high rank.”
“How do we fight it?” Elsa asked, a hint of tension in her voice.
Xuan Xi looked at the lake and thought.
“Elsa, you’re responsible for flushing it out. Bombard the lake surface with fire, but don’t be too fierce—steam will obscure our vision.”
“Okay.”
“Reggie, after it comes out, use an Earth Wall to block its escape route. Don’t let it retreat back into the water.”
“Got it.”
“Veralis, after it charges ashore, use Ice Spikes to attack its weak points. Its scales are too thick; hitting elsewhere won’t work.”
“Understood.”
“Sige, you stay in the center and respond. If any of us can’t hold out, you fill in.”
“Mm.”
“I’ll add a status effect on you all.” Xuan Xi raised both hands, palms gathering four balls of water.
The water balls floated above her palms, refracting rainbow-colored light in the sunlight.
She gently pushed, and the four water balls drifted toward the four people, dispersing above their heads into a thin layer of water membrane that covered their skin.
“This is a Water Spirit Shield,” Xuan Xi said.
“It can absorb some damage and speed up your elemental recovery.”
“So cold.” Elsa looked down at the almost invisible water membrane on her arm and poked it.
“Stop poking, let’s go.” Reggie was already at the lake’s edge.
The five of them split up.
Elsa’s flame bombarded the lake surface. Enhanced by the environment, it erupted into a sea of fire: brownish-red flames covered half the lake.
The lake water evaporated, steam rose, and white mist spread.
The Marsh Dragon Python, startled, burst out from the water.
Its entire body was covered in ink-black scales, each scale gleaming with cold light.
It opened its massive mouth, and deep in its throat, a dark red light gathered.
Reggie’s Earth Walls rose behind it—three layers of earth walls stacked, completely sealing the python’s retreat.
Veralis’s Ice Spikes shot toward the python’s eyes, dozens of icy blue spikes drawing thin lines through the air.
The python turned its head to dodge most of them, but one struck the corner of its eye.
The ink-black scales shattered from the ice explosion, and black blood gushed out.
At that moment, SigrdrÃfa’s Thunder Light came from the side, silver-white electric arcs striking the python’s tail, causing its scales to burst and black blood to spurt.
The python’s tail veered off course, crashing to the ground, sending gravel flying.
The python realized it was outmatched.
Its gaze moved away from Veralis, scanning everyone—Elsa’s fire, Reggie’s earth walls, Veralis’s ice spikes, SigrdrÃfa’s thunder light.
Its murky vertical pupils paused on each of the four for a moment, then turned to Xuan Xi.
Xuan Xi had been standing at the very back of the group, never participating in the attacks from start to finish, with no defenses except a thin water membrane.
Unlike the other four, she had no scales covering her body.
She just stood there, watching the battle between the other four and the python.
It seemed she was the weakest.
The python’s judgment couldn’t be said to be wrong. In the Western Dragon race’s combat system, the water attribute was indeed known for healing and support, lacking offensive power.
A water-attribute dragon was basically logistics in a team battle. The python’s body turned toward Xuan Xi. It stared at her, like a beast eyeing its prey.
It charged, its over-twenty-meter-long python body like an out-of-control train, rolling over toward Xuan Xi. The ground trembled, and stones jumped.
“Xuan Xi!” Elsa’s shout came from afar.
“Dodge!” Reggie’s voice.
Veralis didn’t shout; her Ice Spikes shot straight at the python’s eyes, but the python didn’t dodge. Occasionally some spikes inserted through the gaps in its scales, but it no longer cared. SigrdrÃfa’s Thunder Light struck the python’s side, scales burst, but the python didn’t stop. Its eyes were only on Xuan Xi: kill the support, and it might live.
Xuan Xi didn’t dodge. She stood there, watching the over-twenty-meter-long giant python charge at her, the ink-black scales gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
In its murky yellow vertical pupils, her reflection was visible—ink-green long hair, amber-golden eyes, and the four Destiny Marks beneath her right eye.
Then she moved, charging forward. Ink-green scales surfaced from her fingertips in an instant as she dragonified her entire right arm.
Water surged out from between the scales, condensing above her fist into a sharp Water Blade.
She also raised her left hand, condensing a second Water Blade. At this moment, she was no longer in the support position, but the main force of the team.
The python’s vertical pupils contracted sharply. In Xuan Xi’s amber-golden eyes, there was no fear, no panic, only one feeling—pure killing intent.
It finally realized it had judged wrong: it hadn’t charged at the weakest one, but at the strongest.
Xuan Xi’s Water Blades pierced into the python’s throat, both blades stabbing in simultaneously.
Scales shattered under the blades, black blood gushed out, splashing onto her face, her body, her hair.
Countless tiny water blades cut from the inside, peeling the python’s scales off one by one from the inside.
The python’s body stiffened. The light in its murky vertical pupils extinguished bit by bit. Its body crashed heavily to the ground, dust flying, gravel scattering.
Xuan Xi withdrew the Water Blades from the python’s throat and dispersed the scales.
Her face was covered in black blood, her right arm still trembling slightly, but her back was straight as a rod.
She turned around and looked at the four.
Elsa’s mouth hung open, forgotten to close. Reggie’s amber eyes held an expression she had never seen before, and so did Veralis.
SigrdrÃfa stood farthest away, her silver-white hair flowing in the wind, her amethyst eyes fixed on Xuan Xi.
There was no surprise, no shock, only an expression of ‘as expected of the person I chose.’
Xuan Xi curved her lips. “What are you standing around for? Collect the samples.”
“The hunting mission is done just like that?” Elsa’s voice was full of disbelief.
“The second node is also done.” Veralis checked off a box in her notebook.
“Both assessment missions are complete.”
“Then should we still go to the later nodes?” Elsa finally found her voice.
Xuan Xi touched the jade pendant under her collar. “Yes, because I still have some things I need to do.”
The end of the canyon was another open area.
Sunlight leaked through the gaps in the clouds, shining on the five of them.
Xuan Xi walked in front, her ink-green hair still stained with the python’s black blood, the bloodstains on her face not yet wiped clean, but her steps were steady, her back straight.
SigrdrÃfa walked on her right, silver-white hair flowing in the wind.
“Why didn’t you use Water Blades from the start?” SigrdrÃfa’s voice was very soft.
“I was baiting it, making it charge at me.” Xuan Xi didn’t look at her.
“Its scales were too thick; we couldn’t break through head-on. I had to wait for it to charge itself, using its speed to collide with my Water Blade. The faster it charged, the deeper the blade would pierce.”
“Then how did you know it would charge at you?”
Xuan Xi was silent for a moment. “Because I showed weakness. In its eyes, I was the weakest.”
SigrdrÃfa didn’t say anything. She reached out and wiped away the dried bloodstain on Xuan Xi’s face.
Her fingertips were cool, tracing from Xuan Xi’s cheekbone to her jaw, then she withdrew.
“A brilliant tactic,” she said.
Xuan Xi curved her lips. “Of course.”
The five continued walking toward the depths of the canyon, sunlight shining on them and casting long shadows.
Five shadows intertwined on the gravel path.
Before they realized it, they had already reached the end of the canyon.