LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 503, 504
503:
“Xiao Wu, are you worried about Senior Ming Xi?” Ai Lin leaned over and whispered her question.
“I miss him.” Feng Wu nodded and answered honestly.
Aren’t you going to be a little coy at least? Ai Lin was speechless at how frank Feng Wu was.
“We’ll go back to campus once the mission is complete and you’ll be able to see him again then.” Though Ai Lin didn’t know how long Ming Xi’s injury would take to heal, they were in a world of swords and magic. As long as there was a possible cure, it would happen.
“Really?” Feng Wu’s eyes lit up.
“Well I’m not 100% certain but I’m pretty sure that’s how it will go.” Ai Lin didn’t dare make any guarantees, so she hedged her answer.
Ten days later, the group finally made it to the spot marked with an “X” on the map. Had they not been delayed by the mansion, they would have reached it before anyone else. But it wasn’t likely to happen now.
Why was this? Well the desert wasteland had no vegetation, so an area with plants would naturally look suspicious and grab attention. The area where the heart was sealed was like a small oasis. Though the plants that grew there were ordinary, they grew in abundance, starkly contrasting with the rest of the desert.
Anyone with brains would be suspicious and investigate the area. And in fact, there was quite a crowd gathered around the area doing just that, waiting to see what kind of treasure would be unearthed.
The Heart of Wood was going to emerge in a few days and there were already so many people waiting. There was no way they could sneakily take the Heart of Wood without being noticed.
“What should we do now?” Huozhuo didn’t know what to do as he looked at the large crowd so he asked Captain Mogefei.
“We wait.” They couldn’t open the seal and take the Heart of Wood away in front of so many people.
Mogefei’s group stood outside on the outskirts of the green and waited for the Heart of Wood to emerge on its own. Once it emerged, they would fight to take it for themselves.
That was five days ago; now five days later, the air shook with wood-type magic. Wood aura appeared and plants sprang up within a radius of several thousand miles. The desert wasteland gave birth to many wildflowers and plants. The vegetation wasn’t anything precious or rare, but the fact that they existed in such a dire landscape was amazing.
As this was happening, a green water-drop shaped creature flew out of the ground. The little thing zoomed out in a single direction the moment it came out.
“The treasure’s out! It wants to run! Stop it!”
People used flying scrolls in an attempt to catch it. Few knew it was the legendary Heart of Wood – the one thing most coveted by wood magicians.
Both in the sky and on the ground, people were trying to catch it. They didn’t know what kind of treasure it was, but that didn’t matter. They needed to get it first; there would be time enough to study it later.
“Go!” Everyone in the team gave chase the moment Mogefei gave the order.
The instant Zi Cheng set eyes on it, she knew it belonged to her. It was the same feeling she had with the Heart of Water.
It was an inexplicable feeling that came deep from her gut. That droplet belonged to her!
Ai Lin noticed Zi Cheng covertly drawing blood. I see! Zi Cheng was trying to force a contract with the Heart of Wood! thought Ai Lin.** c285. Blood contract is worse than a slave contract. The master in a blood contract would get complete and total control over the beast and could even siphon off its life force. The beast would die if the master died. Zi Cheng had tried to use it against the seven-colored phoenix under Demon Wind island as well.**
So that was how Zi Cheng subdued it! It wasn’t that the Heart of Water voluntarily chose to contract with her; it had been forced!
The original text didn’t describe how Zi Cheng got to contract with the Heart of Wood. Ai Lin only now understood how Zi Cheng did it.
Ai Lin snorted disdainfully as she followed behind Zi Cheng, looking as though she was trying to help, but secretly intent on sabotage. She succeeded several times in thwarting Zi Cheng.
Zi Cheng was frustrated beyond belief, but she couldn’t scold Ai Lin. How could she explain herself if she did?
At the same time, Caesar and his team were also preoccupied with capturing the Heart of Wood. They had at least one holy level wood magician in their clan, but obviously having another was always good!
The strength of a clan was directly tied to how many powerful people it had. The more powerhouses a clan had the more rights it could take and the stronger its voice.
Zo didn’t care who got the Heart of Wood as long as it wasn’t Zi Cheng. The world would be destroyed if it fell into her hands.
So, while Ai Lin discretely hobbled Zi Cheng every chance she got, Zo was also doing his best to make sure Caesar couldn’t get a hold of it either.
Caesar had no idea his own little brother was sabotaging him. He was focused on protecting Zi Cheng first and getting the Heart second. His attitude toward Zi Cheng had changed since the mansion.
Zo suspected his brother had reached a 100% favorability rating with Zi Cheng. At this point the only way to release his brother from Zi Cheng’s hold was if she died or if the world was destroyed.
Caesar getting the Heart of Wood was no different from Zi Cheng getting it because he would happily hand Zi Cheng the heart if she wanted it. So, Zo couldn’t risk letting Caesar get a hold of the Heart if Caesar’s rating really was 100%.
With both Ai Lin and Zo working together, Zi Cheng and Caesar didn’t make any progress toward getting the Heart of Wood.
The Heart of Wood was like a naughty child flying all around the sky. It couldn’t return to the ground like it wanted to because Caesar’s people were there. There was no place for it to hide on land.
Feng Wu, following behind Mogefei with her characteristically expressionless face, had to dodge a lot of people.
The crowded sky full of people trying to catch the Heart of Wood made it hard for Feng Wu to move. Feng Wu stood still and blinked blankly. The droplet was really cute. What should she do if she wanted to grab it?
“Stop! Don’t run!”
“Hold it there! I’m about to catch it!”
“Hey! You all, get out of the way!”
People set traps all over the sky in hopes of catching it, but alas it as no use. The Heart of Wood flew around all of them. Even if someone was blocking it, preventing it from flying far away, within the area it was bound to, it could still evade easily.
The scene was a chaotic mess. No one was able to catch the small and nimble Heart of Wood. This was only natural, after all the elementals would have all been caught long ago if they were that easy to trap.
504: Ai Lin Messes with Zi Cheng
People were busy chasing after the Heart of Wood for more than an hour with nothing to show for it. Caesar signaled his people below to form a trap formation.
People were zooming around in the sky trying to catch the Heart of Water for more than an hour with nothing to show for it. Caesar signaled to his people below to create a trap formation, while he created another trap formation in the sky.
The Heart of Water, sensing the danger, flew over the crowd and directly toward Feng Wu.
Feng Wu suddenly felt something in her arms. She looked down to find a small, green droplet shaped little guy staring shyly at her. It was strange because Feng Wu couldn’t see any eyes on it.
But she was never one to think too deeply on what she didn’t understand. She held the round, slightly cold little guy more tightly.
Feng Wu was just hugging it when someone yelled out, “Hand over the treasure!”
People immediately pivoted to surround her. Their goal was the Heart of Water.
“Protect Feng Wu!” Mogefei shouted.
Huozhuo immediately covered her and protected her from some of the people rushing to give her a hard time.
The entire scene made Zi Cheng’s heart tremble. The Heart of Wood belonged to her! She never expected it to actually fly into Feng Wu’s arms. But the Heart of Wood had not formed a contract with Feng Wu yet, so she still had a chance!
Would Ai Lin let Zi Cheng get her way? Of course not! Ai Lin also went over as fast as she could to Feng Wu. It wasn’t that she wanted to snatch the Heart of Wood away from Feng Wu, it was that she wanted to keep Zi Cheng from doing anything bad.
Her guess about Zi Cheng was spot on too.
Ai Lin rolled her eyes before handing Feng Wu a teleportation scroll that she purchased at auction some time ago. The scroll could position and teleport long distances.
Earlier, before she entered the wasteland, Ai Lin had marked the position destination in a small town just outside the desert.
The moment the Feng Wu activated the scroll, she would teleport there and escape from everyone.
Feng Wu looked suspiciously at the scroll Ai Lin held out to her. Her eyes clearly said something to the effect of - why are you giving this to me.
“Go!” Ai Lin shoved the scroll into Feng Wu’s hand. Then, because she was afraid Feng Wu would remain in town and wait for the group. she added, “Leave here and don’t wait for us. Go back to campus immediately.”
Feng Wu signaled she understood by nodding her head and activating the spell. A formation one meter in circumference immediately encircled her and she was teleported away.
“What the heck!?”
“Where, where did she go?!”
No one could believe Feng Wu got away so easily. Those in Caesar’s camp had set up formations to prevent this exact scenario. It should have been impossible for anyone to use a teleportation scroll to leave.
They were puzzled but kept moving and searching. They had no idea where she went, so they could only try their luck and send people out in every direction.
Zi Cheng’s heart was practically bursting with resentment. She had to watch as Ai Lin helped Feng Wu right in front of her face. She tried to stop it, but by the time she reached Feng Wu, Feng Wu had already activated the scroll and disappeared.
How was she going to find Feng Wu in a desert as big as this?! If it weren’t for the fact that she couldn’t discretely attack Feng Wu in front of the others, she would have hit Feng Wu with a spell and anchored her in place, but Zi Cheng couldn’t turn against the school yet – she wasn’t strong enough and still needed their support, so she couldn’t risk becoming an enemy.
Mogefei gave Ai Lin a look of approval.
“Well done.”
None of the people who entered the desert were weaklings, so they wouldn’t have been able to cover Feng Wu against so many people. Ai Lin’s teleportation scroll really helped them out of a tight spot.
“It was what I should do in order to complete the task.” Ai Lin said modestly as she nodded in satisfaction while internally she was laughing gleefully at Zi Cheng’s loss.
Without the Heart of Wood to speed up her cultivation, the heroine wouldn’t be able to rise up meteorically and become a myth like Longze. Haha!
Mogefei nodded at Ai Lin’s modest display.
Half the task was done. Once they confirmed Feng Wu had made it back to school with the treasure, their mission would be complete.
Zi Cheng’s acting was topnotch and she truly was worthy of being called the heroine, for though her heart was gloomy, none of it showed on her face, and instead, her expression radiated joy.
The only one who knew better was Ai Lin.
The group was pleased with the performance of the two second-year students. Since Feng Wu was gone, there was no reason for the group to remain in the desert. Zi Cheng proposed they leave and meet up with Feng Wu.
Ai Lin knew Zi Cheng hadn’t given up on getting the Heart of Wood; there was no way she was going to let Zi Cheng get her way. Ai Lin suggested they take their time and meander around the desert in order to lose any tails following them. After all, it would be a waste of their efforts if they led the other groups straight to Feng Wu.
Mogefei agreed. The group took their time meandering around the desert leading the people following them on a wild goose chase.
The ones tailing them hated them for it. What was this walking around all over the place? Those guys were just teasing them! They were nearly in tears. It wasn’t easy walking around so much in such a hot desert!
Zi Cheng was not happy, but for obvious reasons, she couldn’t leave everyone and walk ahead on her own. Her group would most certainly be suspicious if she dared do it, which meant she would need to kill everyone on the team.
Zi Cheng felt so much regret at this point. If she’d known these people would get in her way, she wouldn’t have taken them out of the mansion with her. The extra points weren’t worth it. She so regretted it!
Yaoyue had stopped bothering the second-year girls ever since they left the mansion. She didn’t want to admit it, but the only reason she survived was because of Zi Cheng and Ming Xi.