The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 621: Volume 16: Mists and Illusions, - 14: Slaying the Jiao

Chapter 621: Volume 16: Mists and Illusions, Chapter 14: Slaying the Jiao

The faint scent of decaying leaves was quite pleasant, and the covering coniferous forest provided Komer and his party with an extremely concealed environment. The thick layers of leaves, about half a meter deep, could easily make noise when stepped on, but shielding spells could effectively eliminate the sound, allowing Komer and his group to approach their prey stealthily, using disguise magic, to an ideal distance for observation.

Komer lay prone on the muddy ground, carefully observing a group of people who were busily at work in the distance. It seemed they were capturing the Mountain-swallowing Blue Jiao by the Ice Lake shore—a not so easy task to handle. Judging by the focused expressions of the magicians, they didn’t seem to have much confidence either. Mountain-swallowing Blue Jiao usually appeared in pairs, and these Magical Beasts, with sparse blood relations to the Dragon Clan, were quite formidable. Not only did they possess water-type magic powers, but their attack power was extremely fierce, and they were known for their strong vengeful nature. Generally occurring as pairs, it was virtually impossible for one or two magicians to handle them alone. However, it now seemed there was only one jiao by the lake, and these fellows probably dared to entertain the idea because they outnumbered their prey and had the backing of several knights.

Komer meticulously searched the surroundings of the lakeshore but found nothing else. He was puzzled as to why only one jiao appeared when the Mountain-swallowing Blue Jiao were known to come in pairs. If he miscalculated this aspect, the price they would pay would not be small. The opposition could afford such miscalculations, but he needed to be careful; the jiao didn’t care who was attacking—they only recognized them as humans.

"Shatima, there is only a male Blue Flood Dragon here. There should be a female as well. You should be more sensitive to these matters. Can you search again to see if there’s any sign of it?" Komer said to the impatiently waiting beauty of the Dragon Clan at his side.

"Ah, are you really that worried about these little crawling things?" Shatima flicked up her bright red lips and spoke with some displeasure, "They say these creatures have blood ties to our Dragon Clan, but as far as I know, they don’t even come close, because..."

"Alright, alright, I didn’t mean to insult the noble lineage of your Dragon Clan, but at least you’d have a more acute detection ability than us for this kind of ’little crawler,’ right?" Komer said with a half-smile, glancing at her.

Angry, she puffed up her chest where her sparse breastplate seemed barely able to contain her proudly protruding twin peaks. The undulating mounds revealed a deep cleavage, and one could even vaguely see the upper half of those creamy white jade globes trembling slightly.

"Komer, please watch your words. The dignity of the Dragon Clan is not to be challenged, you..." Shatima felt increasingly self-conscious in front of the Lord, realizing that this man could dominate her, both in verbal sparring and in the aura he exuded. It humiliated and enraged her. How many times she had wanted to challenge him in a fit of rage, but for some reason, once she saw him, the urge to explode would dissipate significantly. Although the anger persisted, she no longer managed to muster the passion to kill him.

"I know, I understand, okay? Now, would you please do some actual work? Being this rotten Lord is tough enough; I have to worry about everything. Just consider it helping me out, can you?" Reno’s tone, half teasing and half commanding, finally gave Shatima a sense of satisfaction. She shot Komer a coquettish glance, then lifted her plump rear and started crawling silently forward.

Seeing her knight’s tight pants outline her shapely buttocks in perfect detail, even the delicate area where her legs met was visible, Komer felt an inexplicable surge rush through him, an odd sensation engulfing his entire body. This little vixen really did have some enticing powers, exciting him at such a moment. It seemed he had indeed underestimated the seductive power of this beautiful female dragon.

Rebry stayed tightly hidden on Komer’s left flank, carefully observing the actions of the opposing magicians. These folks were likely also wondering why there was only one jiao. To be cautious, they were scouting for any other Bixiao that might be lurking nearby. The Seven Knights had already drawn their Knight Spears and Knight’s Swords; the Magicians were casting blessings to reinforce their armor’s Protective Ability. The upcoming fight promised to be a tough battle, not to be underestimated. Success could bring significant gains, while defeat could imperil their lives.

Deravade silently recited spells, with waves of misty halos continuously rising in front of the knights, gradually seeping into their armors. Between his fingers, a streak of sky-blue tint flickered and vanished along the edges of the knights’ weapons as they passed him, enhancing their Protective Ability as well as their Attack power. The Bixiao’s bodies were incredibly resilient, and even with Fighting Qi activated, they might not be penetrated. Only superior weapons or Divine Artifacts could be effective. It appeared that amongst the knights present, only one had such a weapon, leaving them reliant on Magic to boost the Attack power of their weapons.

Clarence took a deep breath; tackling a Mountain-swallowing Blue Jiao had never been the goal of their venture, for the risks involved in facing such a fearsome Magical Beast were considerable. But now, presented with the sight of an isolated Blue Jiao, it seemed a waste to let it go. The encouragement of his companions and the Knights’ cheers finally convinced Clarence to take the risk, although he seemed to have forgotten the fundamental truth that with risk comes the possibility of paying a price.

The Seven Knights were all in position, with their Knight Spears and Knight’s Swords starting to emit a faint glow. Even Komer, watching from a distance, couldn’t help but feel tempted. It seemed that old Philip truly intended to deal with him once and for all. Knights capable of projecting their Fighting Qi in this way were rare in the Cyprus Knights regiment; even his own good-for-nothing brother lacked such power. Now, no less than seven of them had emerged by the banks of the Ice Lake. Philip was really going all out. Komer wondered how Philip would face the families of these Knights if they were to lose their lives here. Although the creed of a Knight was to be brave and unafraid of sacrifice, the members of their families might not share the same sentiment.

Seeing Shatima return with a serious expression, Komer realized that trouble was likely brewing, but he maintained an air of detached composure on his face.

"Komer, I’m afraid the situation isn’t good. These guys have really hit the jackpot. That Mountain-swallowing Blue Jiao isn’t alone; it’s part of a brood. I discovered the other four at a series of interconnected ice caves three kilometers to our right. It appears that this Blue Jiao is a member of that family and is not yet mature. Its parents, two full-grown Blue Jiaos, are currently sleeping soundly in the ice caves. What’s more, this one seems to have two siblings," Shatima whispered.

Shatima was aware of the gravity of the situation, and Komer was no less informed about the dangers it presented. Five Blue Jiaos—wasn’t this a path to certain death? Particularly with the presence of two fully matured adults; if their offspring were threatened, wouldn’t they fight back desperately? Komer could already visualize the looming specter of Death brandishing its scythe over the heads of the Mages and Knights, grinning with malice.

"Let’s get out of here quickly, and don’t let these idiots bring disaster down upon us," Komer made a decisive call. "These guys must have come from the northeast, so we’ll set up an ambush to the northeast. If any survivors slip through, we might catch one or two of them. Blue Jiaos generally don’t stray far from the Ice Lake region, so as long as we are a kilometer away from the lake, we should be relatively safe."

As Komer’s group hastily gathered their things to retreat stealthily, Clarence had already issued the command to launch a comprehensive attack on the Blue Jiao, which was blissfully unaware of the impending danger.

Seven streaks of light, like rainbows sweeping across the sky, drew a magic circle that absorbed all the surrounding Fierce Wind Qi, forming a dazzling ring that shot towards the unsuspecting Mountain-swallowing Blue Jiao at the lakeside. At the moment the icy blades approached, the Blue Jiao let out a shrill scream. Two Knight Spears broke through the Blue Jiao’s razor-sharp claws and tore through the scales on its chest, while a slippery Knight’s Sword silently sliced through the Jiao’s tail, causing it to realize only after excruciating pain that it had lost half of its tail fin, as blue blood spurted into the sky.

The success of their attack took both Magicians and Knights by surprise. Could it be that the legendary Blue Jiao was only this strong? If so, they had made too much of a fuss. However, they quickly realized their mistake.

In pain, the Blue Jiao leaped up frantically. The thin dragon bloodline gave it the ability to take to the air, although it couldn’t fly very high. Three to five meters were manageable for it. Its thick tail struck like thunder, and a Knight caught off guard had to use his Knight Spear horizontally to fend off this unavoidable ferocious blow.

The raw power of the strike immediately made the Knight taste his own blood. The impact sent him flying dozens of meters, a straightforward clash of strength with no room for finesse. To go head-to-head in a battle of strength with an enraged Magical Beast—wasn’t that asking for death? Seeing the Knight’s body crash into the bushes by the lakeside, coughing up chunks of blood, Vladimir Koff and Solonberg perched in a fir tree eight hundred meters away, shook their heads in dismay. The Knight was strong, but his thinking was overly simplistic; he could have utilized the force of the blow to dissipate most of its power but chose instead to bravely resist. Had the Knights’ creed of facing danger without retreat rusted their brains to such an extent?

(To be continued. For more Chapters, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM. Support the author by reading the authorized version!)