"Huh... I never thought we'd wrap up the trouble at the Artisanship Commission so quickly. I was sure it'd take us a lot longer."
"We have that Master Gongshu from the Artisanship Commission to thank for that."
Welt's voice was steady as he replied, "By the time we arrived, he'd already cleared out a large portion of the Ambrosial Arbor's roots. In gaming terms, it was like skipping all the tedious mobs and going straight to challenge the final boss."
"That Abundant Ebon Deer, was truly a tough opponent, though... Even though it was the only enemy, it still cost us a significant amount of time."
"I just hope Master Diviner Fu Xuan hasn't run into any trouble over at the Alchemy Commission because of the delay."
"Don't worry, she'll be fine."
It was Stelle who spoke up this time.
"Look, the ground is littered with corpses, but they're almost all those Abundance abominations or Mara-struck. You hardly see any of the Cloud Knight's bodies. At the very least, it suggests the battle is going fairly well."
"Precisely, precisely."
Tingyun chimed in from the side, "Honored guests, please don't underestimate the recovery capabilities of us Xianzhou natives."
"In large-scale battles like this, as long as one isn't killed outright immediately, there's a very high chance they can be saved."
"However, it's highly unusual that we've been inside the Alchemy Commission's cavern for so long now without seeing any Cloud Knights left behind to garrison the area by the Master Diviner. Furthermore, this faint mist..."
"Uncle Yang, look! Someone's hiding over there!"
Just then, the sharp-eyed March 7th abruptly spotted a man in green hiding beneath an intricate rockery.
"Wait, those clothes..."
Stelle's cheek twitched. "He looks like he's from the Alchemy Commission..."
"Uncle Yang, based on my personal experiences so far, the number of Disciples of the Sanctus Medicus hiding in the Alchemy Commission is probably several times that of regular people."
"It's to the point where if you randomly grabbed someone and said 'The Sanctus Medicus is merciful,' there's a high chance you'd get a response."
"Th-that's terrifying?"
March hugged herself. "Looking at it that way, this guy hiding down there does seem pretty suspicious... You don't think he's setting up some kind of trap for us, do you?"
"Don't rush. There's no need for you to go over."
Uncle Yang raised his cane and brought it down firmly on the ground.
Instantly, a terrifying, utterly irresistible gravitational force erupted from the cane, violently yanking the green-clad man—who had been dozens of meters away—directly out into the open.
"No, stop!"
Bafflingly, before anyone could even say a word, the man, now suspended in mid-air, panicked, his face paling dramatically as he flailed his limbs, trying to break free.
However, they quickly understood why he was so terrified.
The moment he was exposed in the open area, a faint hum resonated from the distant sky.
Immediately after, a crystalline, translucent pink arrow descended from the heavens in an instant, pinning the suspected Disciple of Sanctus Medicus to the ground.
If it weren't for Welt Yang's quick reflexes, who retracted the gravitational pull in time... tsk... the group would have likely witnessed this now very, very dead individual demonstrate how to attack all by his lonesome, in two separate pieces.
"That ability... is that Lynelle?"
Stelle tilted her head. "Lynelle's arrows are indeed this crystalline style... and she can shape the crystals in various ways. It should definitely be her power."
"But what's with this 'instant death upon spotting' playstyle? Did Lynelle go and cosplay as Lan?"
"Yikes—!"
March sharply inhaled a cold breath and hurriedly covered Stelle's mouth from behind.
"Don't say such reckless things! This is the Xianzhou's territory... I'd be afraid of your blood splattering all over me in a second!"
Unfortunately, before Tingyun, the bona fide Foxian native of the Luofu, could offer her perspective, the group immediately heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
Two Cloud Knights ran over with practiced efficiency; one lifted the recently pinned Disciple of Sanctus Medicus by the arms, the other by the legs, and carried him straight away.
Another Cloud Knight jogged over towards Stelle and the others.
"Oh no, Stelle, the Cloud Knights are coming to arrest you..."
"Uh..."
Stelle rubbed her head, then decisively clung to March beside her. "March, didn't you teach me to say that? Quick, save me!"
"Since when did this become about dragging others down with you!"
"Honored guests."
The Cloud Knight who had run over gave the two squabbling girls a puzzled look, then addressed Welt Yang, who stood by with a resigned expression.
"The garrison post arranged by the Master Diviner is just ahead. Additionally, Miss Lynelle arrived at the camp early this morning. Please return to the camp promptly and avoid lingering outside, lest you experience any physical discomfort."
"Physical discomfort?"
Welt Yang frowned. "Is it... this faint, almost imperceptible mist?"
"Correct. I cannot explain further. The current situation is somewhat complex. Please, let us discuss more upon returning to camp."
The Cloud Knight pressed a map into Welt's hand and, without further delay, immediately began leading the way.
--+--
It wasn't until they followed the Cloud Knight all the way into the camp that the group understood what he meant by 'the situation is somewhat complex.'
"My god, why are Disciples of Sanctus Medicus lying around everywhere...?"
Looking at the captured Disciples of the Sanctus Medicus stationed every few steps, March couldn't help but complain, "There are as many of them here as stray dogs on the roadside..."
"This is all thanks to Miss Lynelle's efforts."
Perhaps because they were now back in the safety of the camp, the previously taciturn Cloud Knight seemed to shed some restriction and immediately became talkative.
"Miss Lynelle... she's practically a war goddess incarnate! Before she arrived, we had to fight inside the poisonous mist, risking the onset of Mara. But after Miss Lynelle came, the situation changed completely."
"First, she used some method to alter her appearance, donning a set of cyan attire. Then, she paid a price—the temporary inability to walk—in exchange for immense power... My heavens, right now she's like the Hunt themself incarnate!"
"She just sits there in the camp, continuously drawing her bow, firing arrows, and then gives us coordinates to go retrieve the corpses of the Disciples…"
"She can even choose whether to take them alive or kill them outright based on their importance."
"If the Master Diviner herself didn't look utterly shocked, her jaw nearly hitting the floor, I'd suspect she'd moved the Matrix of Prescience here to calculate enemy positions for Miss Lynelle!"
'She paid a price of being unable to walk?'
Welt Yang's brow furrowed, his voice turning serious. "What exactly is going on?"
"Don't worry, Uncle Yang."
A voice sounded from not far away. They saw Fu Xuan pushing a wheelchair, emerging from a tent.
"The inability to walk is merely a side effect of this form... I'll return to normal once the transformation ends."
Her hair now streaked with cyan highlights, her bare feet and slender legs alluringly wrapped in bandages, Lynelle—having adopted a completely new appearance—smiled as she spoke.
"And so... everyone, it's been a while. Did you miss me?"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.