Chapter 59: Devouring the Miasma Fog – A Little Dragon Hatchling Stands Guard Beside Xuzhi

The vines tightened relentlessly around Elder Qiu, rendering him almost immobile.

Beneath his feet lay a thunder array, its tiny currents seeping into his body and inflicting unbearable pain.

The light magic ensured he wouldn’t die outright, yet it fully restrained his actions. Under the relentless suffocation, a primal fear of death flickered involuntarily in his eyes.

The figure of Xuzhi standing before him seemed to overlap with the man from the magic stone’s projection.

Amid that fear, however, burned intense resentment—not toward Xuzhi the individual, but toward his very existence.

Elder Qiu forced out a few words through gritted teeth. “You really are…”

In the next instant, he crushed the magic stone concealed in his sleeve. A powerful burst of air erupted forth, laced with various magic elements—including even dark magic—which swiftly devoured most of the surrounding light magic.

This caught Xuzhi off guard. The earth array beneath his feet shifted backward, evading the assault.

Xiang Lun’s view was blocked by the light magic as well, leaving him unaware of the situation. Anxious that something might have gone wrong, he called out tentatively, “Xuzhi?”

Xuzhi heard him and pondered for a moment before temporarily withdrawing the light magic.

While Xuzhi remained unscathed, Elder Qiu cut a sorry figure. He leaned against the flying magic beast, his hand touching the deep welts left by the vines on his neck, his face pale with lingering terror.

Worthy of the God Clan… But he wasn’t entirely unprepared. He refused to believe that so many beast tamers couldn’t contain one Xuzhi.

If they couldn’t take him alive, then killing him would suffice.

Several more teams were rushing over and might arrive any moment now.

Just as Elder Qiu prepared to order a full assault from the others, an unexpected turn occurred.

A canine magic beast in the distance let out a savage roar and lunged at its own master. Its eyes were entirely black, black qi wafting from its fur—the unmistakable sign of miasma fog possession.

Someone shouted in alarm, “Miasma fog! It’s possessed a contracted beast!”

“Spread out!”

“Contain it! Don’t let it get away!”

This canine magic beast was 8th tier: compact, agile, and ferocious. Caught off guard while fending off attacks from the fluffy plushies, several beast tamers were bitten in the blink of an eye.

The fluffy plushies themselves froze for a moment before silently retreating.

Elder Qiu stared in disbelief, then whipped his gaze toward Xuzhi. “It was you… you!”

Contracted beasts were seldom targeted by the miasma fog, let alone with the Miasma-Clearing Team distributing miasma resistance potions to beast tamers annually to bolster their defenses to the utmost.

Yet now… this abrupt incident forced Elder Qiu to connect it to Xuzhi.

Xuzhi met his gaze coldly, a trace of killing intent lingering in his eyes.

Elder Qiu recalled the suffocating helplessness of moments before, and his body shuddered uncontrollably.

For the time being, both sides ceased their attacks, their focus shifting entirely to the miasma-possessed beast.

Xiang Lun hurried to Xuzhi’s side and asked in a low voice, “Need any help?”

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect… If Xuzhi agreed, dispelling the miasma fog and healing the beast right here in front of everyone might earn him some trust.

Xiang Lun had intended to inform the Miasma-Clearing Team about this very point, but Elder Qiu had been far too aggressive—attacking on sight and nearly injuring Ming Shuang.

Xuzhi remained silent, his eyes dropping to the slight bulge in Xiang Lun’s sleeve. After a moment, he said, “Very well.”

Xiang Lun let out a quiet breath of relief and raised his voice. “No need to panic! The miasma fog can be dispelled, and possessed beasts can be healed…”

Elder Qiu cut him off sharply. “What nonsense is that? Even if the miasma fog dissipates, how could a beast possibly be healed?”

The canine magic beast’s master teetered on the edge of despair, unwilling to sever the contract. At Xiang Lun’s words, a spark of hope lit in their eyes, only to fade once more.

No beast that had been possessed by miasma fog had ever survived. It was merely a question of how swiftly they perished.

“You don’t know a damn thing!” Xiang Lun bellowed louder. “I guarantee it—let Xuzhi handle this. His light magic can heal the beast!”

The declaration left even Elder Qiu momentarily speechless.

Skeptical yet mindful that reinforcements hadn’t arrived, he considered briefly. “Fine… let’s see you try.”

If Xuzhi truly possessed such an ability… so much the better.

It would give the Miasma-Clearing Team even greater justification to seize him.

From their earlier brief clash, Elder Qiu had gauged Xuzhi’s power but also sensed a gap compared to the figure in the magic stone projection.

He appeared a few years younger… Was it an unhealed injury, or some other reason…?

At his peak strength, he’d be far more formidable—and impossible to capture.

Elder Qiu’s thoughts churned as he fixed his stare on Xuzhi.

The rampaging canine magic beast had been restrained by several beast tamers. With Xiang Lun at his side, Xuzhi drew near.

The surrounding beast tamers watched his every move, their expressions a mix of doubt, curiosity, and wariness.

Most disbelieved. Light affinity was exceedingly rare. Apart from Bai Telie, few knew that the God Clan’s light-based healing techniques could cure miasma-possessed beasts.

Sensing the unfamiliar presence approaching, the canine magic beast thrashed wildly within the magic formation, slamming against its confines in a frenzy to tear and bite.

Xuzhi didn’t hesitate. He crushed the magic stone in his hand, which held stored ice magic.

Frost surged forth in an instant, blanketing the canine magic beast from head to tail.

The onlookers’ shock deepened.

“Ice magic… He wields ice magic too?”

“I’ve heard he’s…”

Beneath the veil of ice magic, the canine magic beast soon calmed. The black qi enveloping it vanished entirely, its eyes clearing to a bright lucidity.

Then came the healing light magic.

Gentle white light bathed the beast, its recovery visible to the naked eye. Its master, feeling the connection, trembled as they whispered, “It’s… it’s really healed…”

Beneath the collective gaze, the beast made a full recovery and rose to its feet on its own, as if nothing had transpired.

A profound silence blanketed the area. Xiang Lun regarded the scene with satisfaction, then snorted derisively. “Saw that, did you? This is no ordinary matter. I meant to tell you at the first opportunity, but you charged into the Academy without a word and launched an attack…”

“Why didn’t you speak up sooner?” Elder Qiu retorted, unyielding. “How was I supposed to know it wasn’t deliberate? That this man wasn’t manipulating the miasma fog himself just to dispel it? Regardless, he’s coming with us!”

Xiang Lun swore under his breath. “He saves your beast, and you can’t muster a single word of thanks? Even a dog knows to wag its tail!”

The healed canine magic beast had returned to its master’s side, tail wagging submissively.

Elder Qiu’s mouth twitched. Familiar with Xiang Lun’s fiery temper, he swallowed his ire and feigned deafness. “If Dean Xiang is concerned, feel free to accompany us back to Miasma-Clearing Team Headquarters.”

Xiang Lun opened his mouth for another barb, but Xuzhi frowned faintly.

He turned toward the ground. “There’s…”

Before he could finish, a faint tremor rippled through the earth.

With a soft “pat,” a fissure cracked open in the grayish-blue stone tiles.

Strands of elemental particles burst forth violently, followed by further quakes that widened the split.

The concealed Element River surged upward from below, laden with vast quantities of adsorbed miasma fog that billowed outward in moments.

Xiang Lun’s face twisted in shock. He retreated swiftly, attempting to encase the elemental particles with space magic.

But in nearly the same instant, the miasma fog within the particles detonated.

The Element River shuddered, thick black qi leaking from the confines of the space magic.

While space magic could contain the elemental particles, it proved powerless against the miasma fog.

The upheaval struck too abruptly, reminiscent of the earlier possessed canine magic beast.

Xiang Lun had no further bandwidth, intending to urge Xuzhi to deploy his remaining ice magic stone—only to witness the erupting miasma fog veering solely toward Xuzhi, drawn into his body.

Xuzhi stood motionless, gaze lowered in apparent indifference, wreathed in black qi, his state unclear.

Yet the subterranean Element River held untold reserves; more miasma fog continued to emerge. Beyond what Xuzhi absorbed, swathes spread toward the surroundings.

“Xuzhi!” Xiang Lun called without reply, weighing whether to knock him unconscious and evacuate to safety.

In such a state, though… he feared the miasma fog might trail them.

Elder Qiu refrained from rash action, simply ordering a general retreat.

Deprived of further sustenance, the miasma fog amid the elemental particles expanded more sluggishly—especially with Xuzhi absorbing a portion.

Or rather… devouring it.

Elder Qiu eyed the black-qi-shrouded silhouette intently, his expression flickering between shock and uncertainty.

They had tarried too long in this zone, however… and another anomaly erupted without warning.

Two beast tamers’ beasts descended into madness, their pupils blackening as they lashed out indiscriminately at any living thing in sight.

Instinctively, the tamers sought Xiang Lun’s aid, but Xuzhi—swathed in black qi—appeared insensate. He alone could dispel the miasma and heal beasts.

Chaos reigned. Yan Si sidled close to Xiang Lun and murmured, “Force him out of here, or do we withdraw first?”

At this dire juncture, those words proved the final straw for the long-concealed Ming Shuang.

The Little Dragon hatchling slashed its claws through the fabric of Xiang Lun’s sleeve and leaped from his embrace.

Xiang Lun reacted too late. “Little Shuang!”

In that instant, frost descended anew.

The air chilled sharply. An even vaster, purer cascade of ice magic swept across the scene than before.

The berserk beasts shut their eyes and toppled. The miasma fog seeping from the fissures quivered and recoiled in frantic retreat.

Ming Shuang had endured far too long; his magic nearly slipped from control, and he inadvertently loosed a trace of dragon breath. The frost bore down on everyone present, beasts included.

Xiang Lun, standing nearby, found himself barred from advancing.

Once the miasma fog withdrew, the black qi cloaking Xuzhi dissipated entirely.

All eyes turned blankly toward them, falling upon a little dragon hatchling with striking blue-gold heterochromia eyes. The creature stood guard at Xuzhi’s side.

Xiang Lun inwardly sensed trouble, but Yan Si moved a step faster. He activated an alchemy array that enveloped Ming Shuang, simultaneously blocking the view from outsiders.

Xing Huai, who had been spectating from the rear, hurried over next. With the two dragons and Xiang Lun, they formed a protective ring around the group.

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