Green Valley Camp, a semi-official safe zone.
Treasure Hunters don’t have spatial equipment, so they have limited supplies and need a safe resupply point.
Over time, each time a Secret Realm opened, the nearby city would establish a safe zone, also helping ordinary people without means of self-defense by providing a trading platform.
Nuobai carried Bai Luxin on her back, slowly walking to the safe zone. Under the gaze of many, she turned into a small cat and jumped into her arms.
The people watching around all let out a sigh. These past few days, they had pursued and intercepted them in every way, even setting aside old grudges to cooperate.
This cat and human duo were as slippery as eels; they could never catch them. Now, this easy target had finally run away.
Somehow, besides the disappointment, there was also a sense of relief. They finally wouldn’t be made fools of by them anymore.
These past few days, the most common thing they heard was being called useless! They couldn’t even keep an eye on a little girl.
Now the pressure was gone. They exchanged glances and tacitly chose to go back and report to their leaders. Everyone’s retreating footsteps became light and cheerful.
“Beast Tamer, twenty Rain Dew.”
Rain Dew is a basic material that can be collected in the Secret Realm. As long as you wake up early, even ordinary people can gather it.
Green Valley Camp’s fee wasn’t high. Bai Luxin readily paid the entrance fee.
She spent another thirty Rain Dew to rent a room. Bai Luxin tidied up the room and finally got a good night’s sleep.
Nuobai quietly studied skills. She had a pile of basic skills to learn.
Unfortunately, there was no more luck like the first day. There was only one intermediate skill book.
Once they left the Secret Realm, they would buy some in a nearby city. She had to be armed to the teeth.
After sleeping soundly for a day, Bai Luxin was awakened by the aroma of delicious food.
“It’s the smell of fried food!”
She swallowed and smacked her lips. She was so hungry!
She felt like it had been ages since she’d eaten such wholesome food. She picked up Nuobai and eagerly went to forage.
Perched on her shoulder, Nuobai watched her buy a bit here and a bit there, her arms full of various fried foods.
Nuobai turned her head away in disdain. The smell was a bit too strong for her; she felt like sneezing.
“Nuonuo, aren’t you going to eat?”
Bai Luxin held up a skewer of grilled meat she had tasted. It was delicious; she had to share it with Nuobai.
Nuobai gave her an adorable eye roll, shrank down, and burrowed into her hair, hiding there while licking her paws.
Hearing her movements, Bai Luxin understood. She wasn’t not eating; she just wasn’t eating now. She continued browsing the market.
There were many ingredients brought in from outside. Almost anything you wanted to eat could be found.
Back in the room, Nuobai turned into a catgirl and devoured the food on the table.
“Nuonuo, is it tasty?”
Nuobai wrinkled her nose. She knew what Bai Luxin wanted to hear, but she wasn’t going to say it.
“Eat slowly, no one’s going to take it from you.”
“There’s a bonfire party at the Central Square tonight. How about we go check it out?”
Seeing Nuobai eat so happily, Bai Luxin’s eyes turned into little stars.
Nuobai’s mouth was stuffed full. She lightly raised her chin and nodded.
She wasn’t being greedy, it’s just…
Sister brought back so much food; if she didn’t eat it, it would go to waste. Wasting food isn’t a good habit.
She was forced to clean up after her sister. Snow Joy Cats can survive on just cold water!
Thinking this, Nuobai took a big bite of the roasted pork knuckle. The outside was crispy, the inside tender, the meat falling off the bone and juicy.
The delicious flavor exploded on her taste buds. The more she ate, the more fragrant it became.
After eating and resting a bit, Nuobai started learning skills.
Bai Luxin flipped through the notes she had traded for, which contained various treasure hunting techniques and adventure stories.
The sun set. In the course of one day, Nuobai had learned the basics of all her basic skills.
She yawned and jumped onto Bai Luxin’s shoulder.
“I want to eat grilled fish at the bonfire party.”
It was too dark to read. Bai Luxin put a bookmark in and walked toward the Central Square along the temporary lights.
As she walked, she kept feeling wind blow past her ear. She looked around strangely, but there was no wind around.
Nuobai pretended not to know anything, simulating the energy flow of [Wind Wings].
The most difficult part—wind element perception and manipulation—was no longer a problem.
But the concept of flight was a bit troublesome; Nuobai had never flown before, so she couldn’t understand it for now.
But with some practice, she could pick it up. That’s how it is when you’re talented.
“Elderly lady, be careful.”
Bai Luxin was looking for the source of the strange wind when she saw an old woman to her right whose cart had lost balance. She reached out and helped steady it.
“Ah, thank you, little girl.”
“Are you also going to the Central Square, Granny? Let me help.”
“Yes, yes. Thank you.”
With Bai Luxin’s help, the cart was easily pushed to the square. The old woman found a good spot.
She had just taken out a prepared cup of juice from the cart to thank Bai Luxin, but when she turned around, she couldn’t find her.
She was at a loss, not knowing what to do.
At that moment, Bai Luxin had already arrived at a distant viewing platform, waiting for the bonfire to be lit.
Nuobai mischievously manipulated a wisp of wind, blowing it on Bai Luxin’s other ear.
It was like a friend greeting you by deliberately tapping your other shoulder to trick you into turning around.
“Sigh.”
Bai Luxin sighed. Taking advantage of Nuobai’s inattention, she pulled her onto her lap and started tickling her belly.
‘Did she really think she wouldn’t guess?’
“Hahaha… stop tickling…”
“…Haha, I was wrong, Sister~”
Nuobai wriggled around, from facing outward to facing inward, but she couldn’t escape her evil hand.
Until she was too tired to laugh, she pitifully blinked at Bai Luxin, who finally let her go and started stroking her instead.
While Nuobai and Bai Luxin were interacting, a clear voice like a lark sounded.
“Hello, can I sit here?”
Before Bai Luxin could answer, the girl sat down beside her and offered a cup of juice.
“My name is Yang Zixia. Thank you for helping my grandmother.”
“It’s nothing, just a small favor.”
As Bai Luxin replied, Nuobai returned to her aloof expression, staring at the uninvited guest.
Yang Zixia shook her head. “No, Sister, you were a big help. My grandmother is very grateful, and so am I.”
“Would you like to try it? My grandmother made it herself. It’s very tasty.”
Nuobai snatched it before Bai Luxin and placed her paw on the rim of the cup.
“I’ll drink first.”
She activated her newly learned skill, [Identify Poison].
Mm, it was quite tasty. She licked the corner of her mouth and let go.
Bai Luxin took a small sip from the spot where Nuobai had drunk. The fermented juice had a slight alcoholic taste.
“It’s very good. Oh, by the way, my name is Bai Luxin.”
Hearing her praise, Yang Zixia smiled happily.
“If Sister Bai wants more, there’s plenty.”
“Not to brag, but our family’s fruit wine is famous in the Rain Shell Secret Realm. In the future, I’ll become a winemaker like my grandmother!”
“A winemaker?”
Bai Luxin immediately became interested. She asked a few questions about winemaking, and the two began discussing fruit wine and grain wine…
Nuobai didn’t care about this at all. She curled her little tongue and lapped up the juice into her mouth.
This cup was soon empty. She then set her sights on the box Yang Zixia had brought, which contained quite a bit of juice.
Shrink, slip into the box, all in one smooth motion.
He deliberately dragged out his tone. A mocking grin spread across his face.
“You’re too late. That black-haired kid named Yize has already been taken care of by our Lord Jellal. Tsk tsk, he might not even have a trace left by now. I advise you to just obediently…”
“How could Yize ever die?”
Riya interrupted him calmly, her tone completely flat, as if stating the simplest fact.
However, those familiar with her might have sensed that beneath that calm lay the prelude to a storm.
But No.3 clearly wasn’t familiar enough with her.
He continued his taunts: “I see you won’t shed tears until you see the coffin. A mere outdated ancient…”
His words were permanently stuck in his throat.
Because Riya had moved.
No warning, no starting stance, not even an obvious exertion of force.
Everyone just felt that Riya’s figure blurred for an instant, as if it were an illusion.
However, the next moment—
Bam!!
A muffled crashing sound exploded!
No.3’s face, still wearing a mocking smile, caved inward from the nose!
His entire body, as if struck head-on by an invisible giant hammer, left the ground and shot backward!
In an instant, he became a dark speck in the sky, flown who knows how many kilometers away!
It was only then that Riya’s slowly retracting fist stirred a faint ring of air ripples in the atmosphere.
“Dead?”
She muttered to herself, her vacant eyes looking toward the direction No.3 had flown.
Her figure disappeared from the spot again.
“You’re the one who should die.”
Before her words faded, she had already appeared ahead of No.3’s trajectory before he landed, and with a kick in midair, she struck down fiercely!
Rumble!!!
A violent impact and ground shaking came from afar, dust billowing into the sky.
Next came a continuous series of heavy thuds, each faster than the last!
Bam! Bam! Bam! Thud! Crash!
That was the pure sound of flesh hitting flesh, blows landing on meat, kicks striking bone.
Each impact was accompanied by the trembling of the ground and the wailing of the air.
Riya’s figure flickered in and out of the dust.
Her movements were simple and fierce, with no flashy techniques—only the most straightforward outpouring of power.
Her face still showed little expression, but those vacant eyes were filled with coldness.
The only words that repeatedly murmured from her lips were those two.
“Yize… Yize…”
With each utterance, the attacks grew heavier.
Bart’s mouth hung open.
His Adam’s apple bobbed with difficulty, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
He nudged Chise, who was also watching in stunned amazement, his voice dry: “Hey… Chise, this silver-haired guy… this fighting style, this pure power… Why does it look so familiar? Though the power seems weaker than that Yize kid’s, but… this ferocity, this reckless demeanor… Isn’t it even more terrifying?”
He recalled the fear of being dominated by a certain black-haired youth not long ago.
Chise also felt a chill down her spine and instinctively touched her own neck.
She was now absolutely certain that last time outside the Raymond Territory, Riya had definitely held back, and not just a little!
“He… really cares about that black-haired guy,” she said quietly, her tone complex.
Last time, it was because she herself had teased Yize that Riya had attacked her.
Bart silently updated his “Battlefield Survival Rules” in his mind: Rule one, learned from Yize: Even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit. Rule two, learned from Riya: Absolutely, absolutely never badmouth an opponent of unknown strength.
“My God… Lord Rhea… was this strong all along?!”
Luke watched with burning excitement and nearly jumped up.
Then he thought of Yize’s “misfortune” and his mood dropped.
“As expected of Senior Ize’s old… good friend!”
‘Close call, close call. Good thing I corrected myself in time. I almost blurted out “old flame” again. If Senior Ize comes back and finds out I misspoke, he’ll probably give me a physical version of amnesia spell.’
Sara, Dio, Laura, Swan, and Emma all fell silent, their faces filled with shock.
Sara and Dio exchanged glances, both seeing the disbelief in each other’s eyes.
They knew Riya was strong—after all, she was the heir to the Arseid family—but their perception was still at the level of Liyue Academy geniuses…
To be this strong completely exceeded their understanding.
Laura, in particular, felt a pang of bitterness and confusion in her heart.
Watching that silver-white figure in the distance nearly crushing No.3, feeling the terrifying commotion caused by pure physical strength, she—the Empire’s Sword Saint, the Azure Sword Maiden—suddenly felt her title was a bit heavy.
Perhaps… the title of the Empire’s strongest martial artist should be passed on?
Should she consider early retirement?
Swan’s feelings were even more complicated and indescribable.
Every time she steeled herself to use Iguneel’s power recklessly to help her companions, someone would step up to solve the problem.
Before, it was the unfathomable Senior Ize. Now it’s this suddenly erupting heir of the Arseid family…
Is this luck, or another form of helplessness?
She clenched her fist, her nails digging into her palm.
Just then, from the dust cloud where Riya was unilaterally wreaking havoc, came No.3’s frantic, pain-filled roar: “Bart! Chise! What the hell are you two idiots still watching?! Come help me!!!”
Bart heard this, curled his lips into a malicious grin, and replied in a sarcastic tone: “Oh my, if it isn’t our esteemed Lord No.3? Why would you need us low-ranked trash for help? Weren’t you pretty impressive just now?”
However, despite the taunts, Bart and Chise exchanged a glance and still moved.
They clearly understood that if No.3 was beaten to death here, not to mention how furious Lord Jellal would be, they themselves would probably be in trouble facing this silver-haired ancient vampire whose state was clearly off.
Joining forces was the only choice.
Their figures transformed into bloody streaks of light, charging toward the battle group.
The human side saw this and immediately became tense.
“Not good! They’re going to gang up on Riya!”
Sara forced herself to regain focus and raised her staff.
Dio also gripped his sword hilt: “We’ll help!”
Laura gritted her teeth and tried to stand, but was held back by intense pain, letting out a muffled groan.
“Wait!”
Luke suddenly widened his eyes, pointing at the battlefield.
“Look!”
They saw that just as Bart and Chise charged into the battle circle, before they could even execute any decent attack, the situation took a sharp turn—
The terrifying pressure that had been concentrated on No.3 seemed to spread slightly, enveloping the two newcomers.
In that instant, Bart and Chise’s faces changed drastically!
They felt that part of the bloodline within them belonging to the Blood Race suddenly stagnate, as if encountering a supreme monarch, and were clearly suppressed!
Riya, however, seemed indifferent to the intrusion of these two—or rather, her anger needed more outlets.
“Scram.”
She spat out a single cold word.
Immediately after, everyone witnessed a scene they would never forget—the two Blood Pillars, who had charged in ferociously, were sent flying back even faster by Riya’s seemingly casual punches and kicks!
Bart’s massive body plowed a deep furrow in the ground, while Chise crashed into a remaining low wall, collapsing it.
Then, before they could adjust, Riya’s figure had already pursued them like a shadow.
What followed was a trio of dull thuds that set teeth on edge with a bizarre rhythm.
Bam! No.3 was punched into the ground.
Thud! Bart was kicked into the air.
Smack! Chise was sent flying by an elbow strike.
Riya’s figure flickered between the three, so fast it left afterimages.
Her attacks were like a storm, relentless.
She remained expressionless, only with that cold gaze and the two words she repeated from start to finish.
“Yize!”
“Yize!”
Still “Yize!”
The three Blood Pillars, who had just recently driven the human side into despair with their arrogance, were now like punching bags, being beaten by Riya from the south end of the battlefield to the north, from the ground to the low air, then slammed back down hard.
The scene presented an absurd and shocking one-sided massacre.
Luke’s mouth hung open, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground.
Sara and the others fell into deeper stupefaction.
This… this was really the Rhea Alside they knew?
And also, she seemed to really care about Yize…
There seems to be another fused story here, two stories in one. That is an error right?