The holy light dissipated.
A pristine, snow-white gown reappeared on Aya Tone, his scattered silver hair now neatly bound.
Unlike the previous black attire, the current Aya Tone was no longer the witch, but an angel descended upon the mortal realm.
Having no prior knowledge of the gown’s capabilities, he decided to simply act!
Driven by an instinct to heal Bai Xiao, Aya Tone raised his staff high with both hands.
A profound sensation stirred within him, and his lips parted to softly utter, ‘Healing Touch!’
Whoosh!
In that instant, brilliant yet gentle light radiated from the rhombic crystal, now transformed into a pure white gem.
It formed a shimmering curtain of light that enveloped the entire training ground, with motes of light slowly descending upon every injured person.
It was nothing short of a miracle.
The moment a single mote of light landed upon Bai Xiao’s ruptured abdomen, the remaining motes seemed to receive a signal, rushing headlong towards her.
In short order, Bai Xiao’s form vanished, replaced by a radiant cocoon that pulsed gently on the ground.
‘What is this?’
Ling Xin and the two other medical ability users sensed a mysterious force severing their connection to Bai Xiao.
—Their healing powers were utterly ineffective against Bai Xiao’s injuries.
With a slight tremor, Ling Xin extended her hand, gently pressing it against the luminous cocoon.
‘So warm…’
The cocoon radiated a warmth that reminded her of a mother’s embrace, comforting and profound.
It made her yearn to lean into it and drift into a deep slumber.
Such scenes unfolded repeatedly across the training ground, as the motes of light, as if guided by an unerring tracker, precisely merged into every injured area.
Not even the most minor, accidental cuts were spared.
‘A miracle!’
The bustling onlookers found their steps halted by the spectacle before them, their gazes unanimously drawn to the saintess holding the staff aloft.
It was she who had bestowed this miracle upon them!
Before long, Aya Tone stumbled, his ceremonial gown dissolving into glittering motes of light, and the staff in his hand reverted to a simple magic wand.
‘Holy hell, is this magic a vampire? Bloody hell, it nearly sucked me dry!’
Uh…
His vulgar exclamation promptly shattered the illusion of the saintess, revealing his true nature.
Aya Tone, feeling his internal magic nearing depletion, found the sensation surprisingly novel.
‘So this is what it feels like to be completely drained,’ he mused. ‘No wonder Li Jia seemed so utterly spent back then, as if she’d indulged for days and nights on end.’
‘Hmm?’ He then noticed the collective gaze of everyone on the training ground fixed upon him.
‘What are you all staring at? Shoo, shoo, shoo!’
And just like that.
The crowd swiftly averted their gazes, extinguishing the nascent, rather inappropriate sense of reverence they had just felt.
Indeed.
There was no saintess; it was clearly a witch in disguise.
As the light faded, only the golden cocoon on the ground remained, a tangible testament that the recent miracle was no mere dream.
‘This should be enough… right?’
Aya Tone shook his somewhat dizzy head, forcing himself to remain alert.
The sensation of being utterly depleted was unbearable, as if a tiny figure were constantly digging a pit inside his skull.
A relentless, pounding throb.
My head aches terribly!!!
‘Are you alright!’
Seeing his state, Ling Xin instantly withdrew her hand from the cocoon’s warmth and, with a swift stride, steadied the teetering Aya Tone.
‘So small… so tiny…’
‘No! What am I thinking!?’
Ling Xin bit her tongue, snapping back to attention, and hastily began to examine Aya Tone’s body.
‘I’m fine; just take me back to the car. A little rest will do…’
After such a long time had passed.
The news of the doppelgangers appearing within the instance would undoubtedly have reached the national leaders by now.
Until a thorough inspection was completed, there was no chance they would be permitted to leave.
Even with Bai Xiao critically injured, the same applied.
Aya Tone, of course, would not burden the young woman.
‘Alright!’ Ling Xin helped Aya Tone back to the car to rest.
The remaining personnel, meanwhile, moved ceaselessly among the golden cocoons, verifying Bai Xiao’s vital signs.
To their astonishment, the data observed through the golden cocoon revealed a startling truth.
The person within was experiencing a resurgence of life force at an incredibly bizarre rate.
It would not be long before the individual inside emerged from the cocoon.
****
Half an hour later.
‘Crack!’
As the first crack appeared on the golden cocoon, an increasing amount of light began to stream through the fissures.
‘Tear!’
Bai Xiao transformed her hand into a claw and, without waiting for the cocoon to rupture naturally, tore it open directly.
The golden cocoon was ripped in two, slowly dissolving into motes of light and vanishing.
‘Guild Leader!’
The healing ability users surrounding Bai Xiao watched her emerge from the cocoon with profound astonishment.
On Bai Xiao’s body, there was not the slightest trace of any wound.
The most severe injury on her abdomen was entirely gone, its skin as smooth as jade.
Had it not been for the large tear in her clothes and the lingering bloodstains.
One would never have guessed that Bai Xiao had been critically wounded and near death just half an hour prior.
‘Such powerful healing ability!’ Bai Xiao murmured, touching the once-ruptured spot on her abdomen, her eyes wide with disbelief.
An estimated coverage of over fifty meters, coupled with such formidable healing power.
This was far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary healing ability user; it had to be at least S-class!
And Aya Tone’s ability…
A strange glint flashed in Bai Xiao’s eyes before she asked the attending physician beside her for her phone.
After dialing, she spoke with an emotionless tone, ‘It’s me, Bai Xiao!’
‘The instance has been successfully cleared. Dispatch several mental ability users from the guild, and then come yourself.’
That healing ability must be kept a secret!
Sigh…
Bai Xiao rubbed her temples. That child truly didn’t know how to hide his strengths.
Even if that power had only covered a mere five meters, he could have passed it off as ordinary healing magic.
Now…?
Bai Xiao looked up at the portal entrance, which was already beginning to close in the distance, and let out a long sigh.
‘Never mind…’
It seems it falls to me, his aunt, to clean up this mess.
****
As for the instigator Bai Xiao had just mentioned, he was currently boasting to his other self in a dream.
Within the dream.
Aya Tone: ‘Damn it! You’re dead, aren’t you? Why are you in my dream?’
‘Aya Tone’: ‘I am dead, but not entirely. I just came to give you a live tutorial, fearing you wouldn’t know how to use your new equipment.’
The Sundering Attire was ‘Aya Tone”s final gift to his other self.
Being ‘Aya Tone’ himself, he naturally knew his own temperament. Let him fumble around to discover the power the attire granted?
Unless absolutely forced, he might not even have worn it.
However.
It seemed reality wasn’t as resistant as he’d imagined. Had he truly been ‘trained’ into the very person he detested? (He clenched his fist!)
Still, this was a good thing; it meant he could skip the psychological guidance entirely.
After all, *he* wasn’t the one being ‘trained.’ (Heh heh).
Aya Tone: ‘…’
‘A live tutorial? In a dream?’
‘Why does this feel like a ‘ring elder’ trope?’
‘Don’t get distracted. I don’t have much time, so absorb as much as you can.’
‘Aya Tone’ knew his own character well; an hour was his limit, beyond which he would inevitably lose focus.
Thus, he didn’t intend to say too much.
He simply outlined the differences between the Sundering Attire and Aya Tone’s own Starry Night Attire, leaving the rest for Aya Tone to discover through practice.
After all, practice was the sole criterion for verifying truth.
Theoretical discussions couldn’t compare to the speed of actual combat.
‘Oh, right, right.’
And so, while the outside world was a hive of frantic activity.
Aya Tone remained hidden in his dream, learning how to operate his new ‘toy’ from his other self.
****
Thanks for translating