“This method is indeed a bit awkward,” Gu Nian explained earnestly to Bai Zhiqiu, “but it truly is the most effective way to enhance your strength, allowing for significant improvement even in your daily life. Besides, you’re bound to experience these things eventually, so it’s best to be open-minded.”
The more Gu Nian spoke, the deeper the blush on Bai Zhiqiu’s cheeks grew. The power she was meant to gain from ‘cuddling’ with girls felt suspiciously similar to certain pink-haired, heart-tailed creatures…
As for Gu Nian’s suggestion to be open-minded, Bai Zhiqiu knew her mentor had never held back. Gu Nian had ‘cuddled’ with almost every magical girl she knew, though, of course, nothing truly inappropriate had ever transpired.
“Why is your face so red? It’s getting even warmer.” Gu Nian placed her hand on Bai Zhiqiu’s cheek, and the surprising heat made her raise an eyebrow.
“N-nothing… it’s fine…” Bai Zhiqiu stammered, gently patting her own cheeks. “I just… thought of some things.”
“That’s good then! Let’s continue,” Gu Nian said, a hint of excitement in her voice. “Once you reach the Brightmoon-tier, you’ll be able to unlock Higanbana!”
“Higanbana?”
“It’s the realm beyond the Gate of Higanbana. You’ll then be able to step directly into that hidden space!”
Comprehending Gu Nian’s explanation, Bai Zhiqiu realized the profound implications. Reaching the Brightmoon-tier would grant her unrestricted access to the realm of Higanbana, suggesting an immense boost to her overall power.
“That’s roughly the extent of my knowledge for now,” Gu Nian stated, her tone shifting. “I won’t elaborate on the minor details; our time is almost up!”
“Time is almost up?” Bai Zhiqiu asked, a slight frown creasing her brow. “Sister Gu Nian, what exactly do you mean by that cryptic statement?”
“It means I must return to the battlefield immediately. If I delay any longer, it could be too late for everything! Qian Moyu might already be encountering some difficulties!”
“What’s going on, Sister Gu Nian? What happened to Master?” Bai Zhiqiu instantly panicked upon hearing that Qian Moyu was in trouble, knowing her Master had gone to confront the Spirit Controller.
“Don’t worry,” Gu Nian reassured her quickly. “Qian Moyu will be perfectly fine; it’s merely a minor inconvenience. I’m off!”
As she finished speaking, a flurry of purple snowflakes shimmered around Gu Nian, and her form dissolved into thin air.
****
Mere seconds after Gu Nian’s disappearance, a violent tremor shook the very ground. The water glass on the table rattled and then toppled, shattering on the floor.
“Bai Zhiqiu! Hurry! Run!” Yin suddenly materialized, urgently imploring Bai Zhiqiu to flee.
“What’s going on?” Bai Zhiqiu demanded, her blood-red wings unfurling behind her as she launched into the air.
“The Cloud Whale has awakened! I can feel its presence! There’s also another incredibly foul aura… The Cloud Whale is coming specifically for you!”
The moment Yin’s words faded, Bai Zhiqiu’s gaze was drawn to the colossal silhouette.
Its gargantuan body blotted out the sun, its slowly vibrating wings like shifting clouds. Even from a distance, the sheer oppressive force was utterly suffocating!
When its enormous eyes finally opened, Bai Zhiqiu, watching from afar, felt a profound sense of dread surge within her.
“Why are you just standing there, stunned? Go!” Yin’s voice roared violently in Bai Zhiqiu’s mind, yanking her from her stupor. “It’s interfering with your spirit body! Get back to Nandou immediately! Leave this place!”
“I… I can’t leave!” Bai Zhiqiu protested. “Master and Yan Qingzhu haven’t gone yet! I have to help them!”
“How can you possibly help?” Yin retorted, her voice strained. “The opponent is at least a Sunwheel-tier, and there’s likely another Brightmoon-tier among them! Even a stray attack would be enough to overwhelm you!”
“Even if I can’t endure it, I must go! I won’t abandon them!” Bai Zhiqiu declared, then accelerated her flight towards the front lines.
****
The sudden arrival of the Cloud Whale instantly plunged the front lines into extreme tension. Its immense magical fluctuations disrupted the charging of numerous city defense cannons, and some soldiers were even stunned unconscious by its thunderous roars.
“Construct—Isolate!” With Motong’s sharp cry, a vibrant azure light barrier shimmered into existence directly before her. The Cloud Whale’s immense power was instantly contained, isolated beyond its shimmering surface.
“Hurry, Qian Moyu!” Motong urged, her voice strained. “I can’t hold this much longer! The Cloud Whale’s power feels incredibly erratic today!”
“Hold on, Motong!” Qian Moyu responded, her eyes narrowing. “I can sense her aura now!”
With that, Qian Moyu’s eyes snapped open. The longbow in her hands was instantly drawn taut, and a cyan arrow, imbued with the crushing pressure of a Sunwheel-tier, exploded forward.
The entire sky fell utterly silent. Even the raging storm conjured by the Cloud Whale quieted, the vast expanse becoming as still as a tranquil pond. Only the arrow, a streak of cyan light, streaked directly towards the palace nestled on the Cloud Whale’s back.
Instantly, an array of colorful magic formations erupted from the palace, attempting to intercept the arrow that held Qian Moyu’s full might. Though the arrow pierced through each one, their cumulative weakening effect proved remarkably significant.
After the arrow, carrying the Spirit Controller with it, tore through the palace, the Spirit Controller miraculously remained alive.
“Is it over?” Motong questioned, her gaze fixed on the half-dead Spirit Controller. “If it is, then hurry and help me! I’m almost at my breaking point! It’s hardly fair for a support to constantly contend with such a formidable offensive opponent.”
“Not yet,” Qian Moyu replied. “Wait a little longer. This next arrow will send her straight to hell.”
As she spoke, a new arrow materialized on Qian Moyu’s bowstring, which she then loosed towards the Spirit Controller.
Having been violently ejected, the Spirit Controller plummeted hundreds of meters, unprotected, to the ground. Their impact created a massive crater, and it was clear she had suffered multiple broken bones.
“This is chaotic magic! Damn those despicable witches!” the Man in Black snarled. “One recklessly assaults me, while the other openly aids those accursed magical girls!”
The Man in Black was consumed by an incandescent rage, though his fury only intensified the agony in his already fractured ribs.
“You all forced my hand!”
With a guttural roar, he violently tore off his pendant, then plunged it directly towards his own eye!
The arrow, true to its trajectory, slammed into that very spot. It pulverized every magical beast within a one-kilometer radius into dust, leaving only a handful at the explosion’s periphery to miraculously escape death.
“Is he dead?” Motong cried out anxiously. Just moments before, the Cloud Whale had initiated a fresh assault, unleashing lightning interwoven with fierce winds that hammered against her protective barrier.
The relentless gales whipped at her robes, starkly revealing the young woman’s precarious situation.
“Motong, how late were you up last night?” Qian Moyu quipped, even as she drew her bow and nocked an arrow, aiming for the Cloud Whale’s eye. “You didn’t even have time to put on your panties, again!”
“Enough with your banter!” Motong snapped back. “Quickly, find a way to disrupt the Cloud Whale. If necessary, use the key! We absolutely must bring this Cloud Whale down today!”
Qian Moyu’s arrow flew with incredible speed, yet the Cloud Whale’s reaction was equally swift. It rapidly summoned thunderclouds, weaving them into a dense, sealed defensive barrier directly before it, repelling Qian Moyu’s projectile.
The cyan arrow and the purple lightning clashed violently, culminating in a blinding flash of white light…
“It actually blocked it!” Qian Moyu murmured, her eyes narrowing as she gazed at the Cloud Whale’s position, already preparing to loose another arrow.
Just then, Bai Zhiqiu’s voice suddenly rang out from behind her.
“Master! Look out!”