Chapter 43

Chapter 43

At this moment, however, Li Qingzhi found himself in the middle or rear of the group. If the Danatec people caught up, he feared he would easily become the liability slowing everyone down.

With this thought in mind, Li Qingzhi resolved to exert himself tirelessly to hasten his pace, endeavoring to match the rhythm and steps of those ahead of him.

By the time he lifted his head, striving to ponder any possible solutions, he suddenly noticed Ludwig standing not far ahead of him. For some reason, the blond youth was walking slightly slower than usual today, appearing unhurried and relaxed, unlike how Li Qingzhi envisioned him leading the pack at the forefront.

Upon realizing that Ludwig was actually quite close to him, Li Qingzhi was initially taken aback. He then decided to momentarily suppress his complicated feelings and opt to follow the group for now.

Drawing from past experiences, Li Qingzhi pondered for a moment before summoning his two stone lions. Xiaozuo and Xiaoyou promptly emerged, running ahead of him, their massive and sturdy bodies clearing the path for him.

The main reason for the slow pace in the Misty Valley was the poor visibility of the road ahead, coupled with the abundance of trees and undergrowth obstructing the path, making it impossible to sprint with ease.

Now, the two stone lions fully utilized their size advantage, smoothly paving the way while allowing Li Qingzhi to proceed confidently. No longer restrained by fear of danger, Li Qingzhi's speed visibly increased.

Upon seeing this, the others from Elmont, excluding the already composed Ludwig, realized the effectiveness of Li Qingzhi's tactic and followed suit, summoning their own magical beasts to clear their path.

However, it wasn't long before the students of Danatec began summoning their magic beasts as well, energetically pursuing them in the same direction.

The distance between the two groups narrowed incrementally.

They had been in the valley for some time, and the commotion from their magical clashes had roused something that had lain dormant...

Both parties competing soon heard unusual rustling sounds around them. As the ground trembled slightly, everyone realized the same thing:

A massive high-ranking magical beast was approaching!

Alarmed, they all grew cautious. At the forefront, Carl slowed his steps, peering cautiously into the shrouding mist filled with unknowns.

The Danatec students also warily glanced behind them, ready to face the impending danger.

Ludwig's pace slowed even more, gradually drawing closer to Li Qingzhi.

Before long, the mysterious sounds concealed in the fog grew more distinct. The instant Li Qingzhi sensed the danger closing in, she even heard a snake's hiss in her ear.

Simultaneously, the short-haired girl's voice rang out instantly:

"Watch out!!"

Li Qingzhi hurriedly employed his plant magic, seizing a thick vine that reached out and dashing swiftly to the left. It was a close call, but he successfully evaded the attack from the shadow within the dense fog.

In that moment, the magical beast that had been lurking in the darkness was now fully exposed to everyone's sight due to its failed assault, revealing a size and complexity greater than anyone had anticipated.

As Li Qingzhi instinctively turned his head, he found himself staring at an enormous python where he had just stood – one so colossal it defied belief!

This monstrous serpent possessed a cavernous maw, and on its forehead was an unusually prominent crescent moon pattern, shimmering with a faint purple glow that indicated a surfeit of magical energy. It was a wild magical beast, both in terms of size and combat prowess, not to be underestimated!

Just then, Ludwig, after a slight frown, spoke up upon recognizing the creature's appearance:

"It's the Moonrise Serpent."

Upon hearing this, Carl's expression quickly changed. "Be cautious, its venom is potent. Take care not to be poisoned!"

As the young man with the hairband finished speaking, the magical beast named Moon Tide Snake quickly bared its sharp teeth and fiercely lunged at them again. At the same time, it sprayed out a stream of black-purple venom that was clearly extremely dangerous at first glance!

As the venom was about to descend, everyone hastily cast their spells in unison to resist. In that fleeting moment when Mei Li swiftly enclosed the Moon Tide Snake within a Water Prison Cage, Li Qingzhi also hurriedly summoned countless robust vines to shield the group. Simultaneously, Carl invoked a stone barrier as a shield, effectively blocking the venomous assault.

With the weighty stone wall in his grasp and his injured body pushing to its limits, Carl erupted with all his might. Closing in on the temporarily ensnared Moon Tidal Snake, he slammed the shield in his hand fiercely into the monster before him.

In the meantime, their magical beasts joined forces to assault the Moon Tide Snake.

Just as Carl was about to strike the serpent, the luminous Moon Mark above its head suddenly intensified, followed by an immense and terrifying magical energy surging through the air.

With a burst of newfound strength, the Moon Tide Snake broke free from the watery prison that had held it captive and lunged fiercely towards Carl.

Seeing Carl on the brink of a fatal injury, Mei Li hastily intervened, attempting to recapture it. However, the now-powerful serpent could no longer be easily restrained.

At that crucial moment, Li Qingzhi swiftly came to the rescue, using green vines to try binding the snake's movements. The sturdy vines shot up from the ground, coiling around the serpent's entire body in a matter of seconds.

Horace also summoned a magic array, casting a mind control spell on the Moon Tide Snake.

Ludwig reacted promptly, unleashing a potent flame magic. The monster, sensing danger, attempted to dodge, but its agility was diminished under Horace's mental manipulation, leaving it entangled firmly in place by Li Qingzhi's vines.

"Hissshhhh-!"

A sharp and pained hiss echoed as the Moon Tide Snake, which had been about to kill Carl, succumbed completely. Its entire body was charred black by the high-level flame magic.

With the immediate crisis averted, everyone exhaled in relief. Even the usually hot-headed and straightforward Carl seemed momentarily stunned by the near-death experience.

"Goodness... When it lunged at me, I was convinced I was already in its jaws!"

Despite his own contribution, Horace coldly taunted the still-shaken Carl, "Useless."

Carl's anger flared instantly, "Say that again!"

Mei Li, on the other hand, was still reflecting on the battle, "I'm sorry."

The short-haired girl looked somewhat remorseful, "If I hadn't failed to trap it earlier, you wouldn't have been in danger."

Hearing this, Carl paused, apparently not expecting such words. After a moment, he scratched his head rather sheepishly, "Ah, it's okay. It's not your fault."

Mei Li, instinctively glanced towards Ludwig, as a member of the student council, she felt she had failed in her duty:

"I'm sorry, Chief Ludwig. I'm not strong enough yet."

Ludwig, who was usually aloof and stern, merely shook his head. Though he didn't comment, he changed the subject, seemingly not intending to criticize, "Let's go, we don't have much time."

Observing Ludwig's reaction, Mei Li felt somewhat relieved, but still carried a tinge of guilt.

However, as they resumed their journey, they soon noticed that Danatec's group was also engaged in a battle against a colossal and terrifying magical beast.

Given that it was a competition and Danatec's team seemed close to defeating the creature, Mei Li and her companions eventually decided to leave.

Halfway through their departure, Mei Li couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Why haven't we seen any Horned Tiger Beasts this time?"

As the apex predators in the Misty Valley's food chain, the Horned Tiger Beasts should have detected them earlier than other monsters and appeared sooner. Yet, neither their group nor Danatec's had encountered the valley's most perilous inhabitant.

Upon hearing Mei Li's question, Li Qingzhi, who had previously faced the Horned Tiger Beast, also grew curious as to why the beast that nullified magic hadn't resurfaced. Ernest, his teacher, had mentioned later that there were more than one Horned Tiger Beast in the Misty Valley.

Horace quickly added, "I too expected to encounter it and even brought some potions for replenishing magic."

But Carl sneered in response, "Hmph, those worthless potions would be useless against the Anti-Magic Stone. Has your brain shrunk, not to know that?"

Horace's expression shifted, and he fell into a sullen mood after being insulted, "If you can't say anything constructive, keep quiet."

"Having something is better than having nothing, you brute! What do you know?"

As the two resumed their squabble, the rest of the group had grown accustomed to such conflicts between them.

Ludwig, in particular, seemed indifferent, having disciplined Carl and Horace before for serious breaches of school rules. Now, he saw no point in intervening in their meaningless bickering, unwilling to expend his energy on their childish dispute.

Only Li Qingzhi showed concern. A proponent of harmonious coexistence, he was taken aback by their mutual insults and attempted to mediate. "Actually, both of your perspectives have merit. Whether or not to bring potions is simply a matter of personal preference..."

The hot-headed Carl, however, didn't cease his tirade, instinctively reacting with irritation toward Li Qingzhi's attempt at reconciliation. "Horace is a damn fool, can't you see that? Why are you defending him?"

Horace, fuming, shot back, "Huh? You call me a fool? Maybe you should look in the mirror!"

Their argument escalated, with Li Qingzhi, originally trying to play peacemaker, now caught in the crossfire.

Seeing the conflict about to spill over onto the innocent, Mei Li, who had always held a favorable opinion of the dark-haired Eastern exchange student, reached out to intervene, hoping to prevent anyone else from getting caught in the fray.

Yet, before she could speak, Ludwig, who had been standing nearby with a cold expression, clearly uninterested in the conflict between Horace and Carl, suddenly furrowed his brows and spoke.

"Enough, how long do you intend to continue this argument?"

"No teamwork at all. If you can't work together, leave and don't bother me with your bickering."

Not once during the recent battle, when mistakes almost happened, did Ludwig berate anyone. Yet now, his anger was palpable, an overwhelming presence that could not be overlooked.

Amidst their heated argument, which had even dragged Li Qingzhi into the mix, both Carl and Horace eventually fell silent under Ludwig's stern reprimand.

They had long since learned how terrifying Ludwig could be when angry.

Though the argument had ceased, Carl and Horace continued to regard each other with distaste, soon turning their heads in opposite directions, unwilling even to catch sight of one another as they traveled side by side.

The team finally fell into a temporary lull. Li Qingzhi, who had almost been engulfed by the flames of conflict, couldn't help but genuinely sigh in relief as the disputes subsided. Despite feeling Ludwig's displeasure, which made him somewhat nervous, he ultimately felt a sense of relief.

All right, all right.

While the team wasn't exactly harmonious, at least they wouldn't be bickering now!

In the meantime, the Danatec students in the rear had managed to shake off the magic beasts' assault and were gradually closing in.

Realizing this, the group rallied their spirits, momentarily setting aside all other concerns as they focused on the race at hand, exerting themselves to increase their speed. The exit of the Misty Valley was within sight, and beyond it lay an uncharted, mystical domain – the Wetland Marshes, a place none of them had ever ventured before.

On the other side of the scene, an immense pile of Long-horned Tiger Beast corpses littered a hidden canyon within the valley. The once-gleaming eyes of the deceased beasts now held a dull, lifeless sheen. Their black, magic-suppressing horns had been severed, leaving behind mere lifeless husks that sank into an eternal silence deep within the canyon...