Chapter 49: On the Conductivity of Water-Based Spells

Water has many forms and many properties. For example, a water screen can block the enemy’s line of sight, a water wall can be used for defense, and a water blade can be used for attack.

But these are all physical-level uses. However, water has one property she had never used before—its conductivity.

Not using electricity to strike people, but using her own water to attract Xige’s lightning, turning her water into a conductor, taking Xige’s lightning from her hand and sending it out again, like a cyclotron.

“I have an idea,” Xuanxi said.

Hildegrifa’s palm’s lightning light vanished.

“Hmm? Let’s hear it.”

“We can use the conductivity of water. When your lightning strikes, I’ll catch it with a water thread, guide the lightning onto myself, transfer it from me to the other side, and then send it back to your hand. That way, a circuit will form. The lightning will circulate in the circuit, and with each lap, its power will grow stronger.”

Hildegrifa looked at her and was silent for a few seconds. “If you do that, you might get hurt.”

“It’s not like you haven’t electrocuted me many times already.”

“It’s different. Those were just spell aftermaths; I controlled the power.” Hildegrifa’s brow furrowed. “But according to what you just said, it’s like letting me strike lightning directly into your body. Even if you’re a dragon, you might not be able to withstand it.”

“But if my water thread is thin enough, the lightning will only travel along the water thread I release and won’t spread to other parts of my body.”

“When you cast spells, you also let lightning spiritual power flow along your meridians without electrocuting your own internal organs, right?” Xuanxi paused. “In theory, it should be about the same.”

Hildegrifa didn’t speak. She was thinking about the feasibility of this plan, considering how she would handle it if something went wrong.

“Let’s try it once, then,” Hildegrifa said. “But you have to promise me: when I tell you to let go, you must let go.”

Xuanxi nodded. She extended her hand and pulled a water thread in the air between them. The water thread was only as thick as a thin string. It was almost invisible to the naked eye, but Xuanxi could sense its existence.

Hildegrifa’s fingertip flickered, and a bolt of lightning shot out. It traveled along the water thread, not very fast. Like a snake that had just learned to walk, it crawled forward slowly.

When it reached the middle of the water thread, it stopped. The electric arc bounced back and forth in that short segment a few times, hesitant. Clearly, Xige was still worried about Xuanxi’s body.

“Don’t worry, Xige. I can take it,” Xuanxi said.

Hildegrifa shot her a glare. The lightning suddenly surged forward, directly rushing toward Xuanxi’s arm. Her entire right arm, from fingertip to shoulder, felt as if pricked by fine needles.

That numbing sensation crawled up along the bones, spreading throughout her whole body, even making her teeth ache.

Xuanxi gritted her teeth and did not let go. That electric current passed through her shoulder, flowed from her right arm to her left arm, then surged out from her left palm, heading toward Xige along another water thread.

When the silver-white arc jumped out from her left hand, it was twice as bright as before.

Hildegrifa’s eyes lit up. It seemed it really was working.

The lightning ran in the circuit. One lap, two laps, three laps—with each lap, it grew brighter. After a few laps, Xuanxi’s arms had lost all sensation.

She only knew her left hand was outputting and her right hand was inputting. The purification step in between seemed erased. She couldn’t even sense how the current was passing through her body; she only knew it wasn’t electrocuting her to death.

“Release!” Hildegrifa saw that Xuanxi was nearing her limit and shouted.

Both of them let go at the same time. The circuit broke, and the lightning shot out from the end of the water thread. It flew at low altitude for a while before exploding in the air.

The silver-white arcs advanced in a fan-shaped trajectory. Wherever they passed, withered grass burned, the ground turned black, and even the air was ionized with a pungent smell.

The pillar of light lingered over the open ground for several seconds before slowly dissipating, leaving a huge scorch mark.

Xuanxi looked at the scorch mark, her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground. Hildegrifa also sat down. Neither of them spoke; they just leaned back to back, panting heavily.

That single blast had nearly exhausted both of their spiritual energy, but the feeling of the current surging inside their bodies and spiritual energy roaring in their veins was still vivid. Fortunately, it had all been worth it. The power of that strike definitely met the school’s requirements.

After a peal of thunder, the rain finally fell.

Countless raindrops poured down from the sky, pelting the two of them. The rain was so heavy that their vision blurred. Between heaven and earth, there was only the curtain of rain and the two people huddled closely together.

Xuanxi tilted her head back, letting the rain beat against her face and trickle down her cheeks, cool. She opened her mouth to catch a mouthful of rainwater and tasted the flavor of clouds.

“So refreshing,” she said.

Hildegrifa neither agreed nor disagreed, but her body gave the answer. She also let the rain pour over her head and shoulders. Her long hair was soaked through, clinging to her body, much darker than usual.

The two of them sat back to back in the downpour for a long time, until the rain soaked them through like drowned rats.

“Let’s go.” Hildegrifa stood up. By now, she had absorbed enough elemental force to pull Xuanxi up from the ground. But the rain was too heavy, making it hard for them to see the path they had come from.

The two of them groped their way forward. After walking for a long time, they finally found a cave at the edge of the forest. The cave entrance was not large, more than half covered by hanging vines.

The space inside the cave was not very big, but it was enough for the two of them. The ground was dry, and there was even some dry firewood piled in the corner, probably left by a passing traveler or woodcutter.

Hildegrifa crouched down and condensed a small flame on her fingertip. Fire-type spells were much more practical at times like this than any other type. The dry wood was lit, and the firelight illuminated the entire cave.

Xuanxi sat down by the fire. Her clothes were soaked through, and water droplets dripped from her hair. She hunched her shoulders and let out a loud sneeze.

Hildegrifa looked at her, the firelight reflected in her eyes, with a hint of surprise. “Can a Water Dragon Race also catch a cold?”

Xuanxi sniffled and answered with a heavy nasal tone, “My water attribute is very pure. Although the book says rainwater is rootless water that hasn’t touched the ground, it stayed in the clouds for so long and picked up dust and impurities from the air. It’s much dirtier than the water in my body.”

She sneezed again. “Besides, after being in the rain for so long, my immune system has dropped. Catching a cold is completely normal.”

Hildegrifa did not speak. She silently took off her wet jacket and draped it over a stone by the fire, then took off her sweater and placed it next to the jacket. She sat by the campfire wearing only a thin shirt.

The wet shirt clung to her body, faintly revealing Xige’s nice figure. She gathered her hair to one side and wrung it out. Water droplets dripped onto the fire, making sizzling sounds.

Xuanxi watched Xige like that, suddenly entranced.