Chapter 198: Infant Pill Explosion, Leap Through the Dragon Gate!

After the previous elder left, the Prince glanced as another elder entered his private space.

He rubbed his forehead in mild impatience, “Is that all the old things left in your old world? Can’t they hurry up and die so the young can take over?”

“You know how it is, Prince-sama,” the elder said calmly as she sat down, “young people in the old world hardly grow up anymore.”

Then she looked up.

Ahead was the arena.

The Magical Girl called Ruri was unleashing what looked like endless mana with wanton abandon!

“What is her relationship with Shion?”

The Prince watched the surging waves of mana, manipulated with precision and delicacy, his gaze growing heavier.

He asked casually.

The old woman immediately bowed her head. “Magical Girl Ruri is a newcomer Magical Girl of the Beihai Disaster Control Bureau...”

“Newcomer Magical Girl?”

The Prince echoed, “Are you sure?”

“She should be a newcomer.”

The crone coughed, “But her teacher is Shion.”

The entire mirror space seemed to grow quiet.

“Then it makes sense, it makes sense,” the Prince murmured, glancing again at Ruri.

A student of Magical Girl Shion.

The problem was, most Magical Girls had to study and comprehend magic themselves.

Mana especially needed all kinds of battles to increase; without combat to strengthen personal reality, mana growth would be slow.

No matter how powerful the teacher, at most she could teach basics, tweak magical theory, or run practical drills.

The rest had to come from the Magical Girl herself.

But this Magical Girl Ruri in front of him—aside from being a bit bigger—was almost a carbon copy of Magical Girl Shion!

One Shion was already terrifying.

If she could mass-produce Shions, how could anyone fight back?

Even the Mirror Kingdom’s Alice, with mature production techniques, didn’t generate them as quickly as this!

By the time the side producing Alice to counter Shion was finished, the other side had already made a second Shion...

A thousand Alices versus a thousand Shions? By then—

Even the Prince felt a twitch of agitation in his crimson pupils.

“Are you afraid of Shion?” the elder asked.

The Prince gave her a cold look. “Who in the old world isn’t afraid?”

Ever since the old world’s biggest trump card, the Magical Girl Killer, was shattered in front of Shion,

the entire old world had nearly frozen in place.

The only old world that thought itself capable enough to cooperate with Azure Cloud Sect’s Shion was the Dangerous Curse Realm.

In less than half a day—perhaps not even that—it had been completely wiped from existence.

Only the Prince knew what had happened.

It was her Simo Tu who, in front of Azure Cloud Sect, destroyed the Dangerous Curse Realm that Azure Cloud Sect had been protecting.

But most of the old worlds didn’t know the reason; those with partial intel didn’t dare breathe, feeling as if they were trapped in a dark forest.

They feared that revealing coordinates would draw fire and invite Azure Cloud Sect’s seizure or incursion.

The sudden disappearance of the Dangerous Curse Realm became a muttered legend everyone tacitly understood.

Since then, no old world dared challenge Azure Cloud Sect and Shion’s authority.

Everyone’s actions tried to avoid Beihai, even East China; at the first sign of exposure they gave up.

Calling her “afraid of Shion” was almost laughable.

Who doesn’t fear a natural disaster?

Especially one that acts without restraint.

Previously, many in the old world sought Full Bloom to find ways to save their worlds; it wasn’t urgent.

Now, every old world urgently sought Full Bloom to protect themselves.

Self-preservation beats world-saving every time.

“But you are different.”

The old woman displayed a sincere expression and knelt, “You are not only the Prince of the Mirror Kingdom, you are also a king of the old world. You shouldn’t fear Shion; she will inevitably be an obstacle ahead.”

The Prince knew this well.

If one wanted Full Bloom and wished to save their world, one would have to oppose Shion.

It was an irreconcilable contradiction.

Moreover, the Mirror Kingdom’s capitals had been destroyed by Shion.

The Mirror Kingdom sealed in the Heart Image Remnant was the Mirror Kingdom’s capital.

It contained not only data and resources, but also her mother who should have never perished.

The previous Mirror King.

When the Heart Image Remnant was completely broken, the Prince had clearly heard the last privilege the Mirror King released:

“Kill Shion first, then you may claim kingship.”

When the Mirror Kingdom was unsealed, the Prince found almost all core systems locked by the Mirror King’s privilege.

To the Mirror Kingdom, Shion was an immortal, relentless enemy; to the master, only by killing Shion could she legitimately bypass the Mirror Kingdom’s system lock and obtain all privileges to become the new ruler.

To the Prince, Shion was the foe that had to be faced, an enemy from beginning to end, the final envoy she must surmount.

Whether public or private, only one of them could survive.

Of course she was afraid, even uneasy.

Facing a necessary enemy, no one could truly be fearless.

That person might even transcend the Magical Girl concept itself.

After all, the Magical Girl Killer should have absolute suppression over Magical Girls.

That thing came from the hands of those who created Magical Girls.

But whenever she thought of Simo Tu by her side, the Prince’s heart eased slightly.

Not because she believed Simo Tu could beat Shion.

Just by his presence she somehow felt confidence and calm.

It was as if that young man carried a kind of power that, when nearby, made everything seem solvable.

Still, she couldn’t rely entirely on Simo Tu.

She would wait until Simo Tu seized Iris’s Miracle Seed, and then she would personally defeat Shion!

Face her fear directly, end the feud between the Mirror Kingdom and Azure Cloud Sect with her own hands.

“I will deal with Shion myself, no need for you to worry,” the Prince said, withdrawing her gaze from the mirror, and casually tossed the Miracle Seed in her hand to the elder. “That’s enough. If we continue, the Dream Core will be taken by that Magical Girl Ruri. Jade Fox, go implement your plan.”

The elder’s face stiffened. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“You always think you can hide things from me. No matter. I pardon your foolishness.” The Prince stomped her foot onto the kneeling elder’s face; the black boot twisted the old face. “I invited people from the Saint Hall, planning to give you a hand, but it seems I can’t count on that either.”

“Saint Hall!”

The old woman’s pupils constricted.

To this day many still didn’t understand what the Saint Hall was.

Mysterious to the extreme, they supposedly once caused the Witch Association a devastating loss. Afterwards, their shadow appeared whenever big events happened.

Especially regarding the Heart Image Remnant—between Azure Cloud Sect, the Disaster Control Bureau, and the Witch Association—they had even seized many Mirror Kingdom treasures.

That made many people wary.

The Prince’s madness surprised her: she actually invited the Saint Hall to cooperate!

“You weren’t saying you’d hunt them down?” the elder asked.

“If we can cooperate, why be hostile? Even with grudges, the more allies the better.” The Prince smiled slightly and looked at Jade Fox. “Right? And Saint Hall works for money; they might be more reliable than you.”

The elder dared not speak.

“Don’t worry. I’m interested in your Full Bloom plan as well. Show me what you pursue—this Dream Core—let me see how far it can go.” The Prince propped her head with one hand, white hair cascading like a waterfall, “After all, there’s no shortage of Dream Cores in South China.”

“If it succeeds, our Black Mountain Realm will prioritize granting this Full Bloom technique to the Mirror Kingdom. Rest assured, Prince-sama.”

Jade Fox’s promise brought only a smile from the Prince; she didn’t reply.

Just as Jade Fox prepared to leave, the mirror space suddenly trembled.

She stopped and looked up. In the charred arena, there stood a Magical Girl with eyes tightly shut, motionless amid the flames—her magical outfit still intact!

She simply stood there, and it was clear how terrifyingly strong she was.

Even the Prince’s attention was drawn.

The elder was surprised. “Sprout?”

The Prince smiled. “Yes, Sprout.”

“Sprout?”

From the audience seats to Keke, everyone who watched the unmoving Magical Girl felt shocked.

Although Magical Girl rankings had only recently been refined, and prior divisions had been vague,

the gap between Sprout and Blooming was obvious to everyone without need for nuance.

A Sprout facing a Blooming was like an unarmed ordinary person facing a Magical Girl.

Yet now, with a crowd of Blooming Magical Girls all down, only this Sprout still stood...

“Did they hold back?”

“Or was it a mana control slip that spared this Sprout?”

“Little Ruri must have underestimated her.”

“That doesn’t seem right. This Sprout feels off, I can sense it.”

“You’re not a Magical Girl; what could you sense? How off could she be? You don’t seriously think a Sprout can beat a Blooming, do you?”

“You don’t understand. I can tell she’s not human at a glance...”

An Shiyu heard the murmurs beside her and stole another glance at Jiang Si.

Jiang Si, who had been smiling, went expressionless the moment he saw Miss Bai Mei.

Only he and An Shiyu knew how absurd this Sprout Magical Girl was...

“Do you think she’s actually serious about my sister?” Mu Jin asked, worried.

Jiang Si snorted coldly, saying nothing.

He wasn’t very familiar with this senior disciple either, and of course didn’t know what Bai Mei was thinking.

She’d essentially bombed Keke’s match.

Skipping higher-level training to play with lower-tier opponents would require a good reprimand later.

Keke, naturally unfamiliar with this sister, kept her eyes shut, her aura still that of a Sprout.

If it were before, Keke might have carelessly assumed the other was just an ordinary Sprout.

But Keke was no longer that naive girl.

Even a Sprout could not be underestimated.

She glanced at the two unconscious Magical Girls beside the Sprout.

When Keke had unleashed her mana earlier, she clearly felt those two Blooming Magical Girls weren’t defeated by her.

Those two were different from the others—one very strong, the other with unusual mana nature.

Handling them wasn’t easy.

Yet both had de-transformed and fainted.

Keke inhaled deeply, eyes stern as she looked at the white-clad Magical Girl.

If her guess was right, this Sprout had taken advantage of Keke’s moment of clearing surrounding Magical Girls to defeat those two Blooming girls.

Just as Keke was about to speak, the white-clad Magical Girl put a finger to her lips and softly “shushed.”

Then she tilted her head back, as if preparing something.

After a long moment she nodded slightly; her simple magical outfit swayed without wind as she took a slow step forward.

The whole audience held its breath.

Even Jiang Si suddenly clenched his fist; An Shiyu reached out, took his hand, and wiped his sweat with her palm.

“Bai Mei has a sword,” she whispered, the huge screen showing the pale, closed-eyed girl softly saying, “Divine Opening, please watch, Miss Ruri.”

“Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger!”

Keke wasn’t that stupid!

As Shion had taught, strike first, ask questions later!

However, since entering South China, the once-unfailing Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger experienced its first setback.

The pale white Magical Girl lightly floated up like a dandelion and drifted above the Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger,

even stepping onto the crimson flame cloud of the finger and matching Keke’s height.

Sprouts don’t fly—although there are exceptions like An Shiyu—this Sprout clearly wasn’t one of them; she couldn’t fly.

But that motion—how was it different from flying?

“Excuse me.”

On that word, Bai Mei opened one eye.

It was a stunning pupil, like a star-filled cosmos, tiny lights scattering in her iris.

She gripped her cane, and in an instant radiance sharpened!

The Great Barren Imprisoning Heaven Finger beneath her shattered in the sword energy’s edge, yet Bai Mei the Sprout still hovered in the air without falling.

A brilliant hundredfold radiance burst from her hand!

Clear, proud!

Exactly like Bai Mei herself!

Facing that sword energy, Keke felt suffocated for a moment.

The world shrank under that sword.

She felt boxed into a tiny container, not standing in an open sky—no escape, nowhere to hide—only to wait at a distance for the sword light to strike!

Although the audience couldn’t fully read the scene, the Magical Girls protecting the stands were awestruck.

Any Magical Girl could sense how terrifying that blade’s power was.

Even feeling the dissipating mana nearby made hearts tremble—let alone facing the sword itself, Ruri!

There was no time to chant; in front of Keke, petal-like shields unfurled one after another.

But under the sword light, those mana shields were fragile as glass, only slightly slowing the blade.

Keke did not hold back; polluted magic, her own mana, and the mana borrowed from Yiyi instantly fused and condensed!

Bai Mei slightly acknowledged and watched the magnificent Buddha’s Fury Lotus bloom from Keke’s hands.

She pursed her lips.

Better than what Ruo Yun might use.

But it wouldn’t matter.

The Fury Lotus wasn’t a defensive magic but an offensive one—its destructive power indisputable.

Because of that dreadful destructive force, this moment was a poor time to use the Lotus.

The sword light was already close; as Keke unleashed the Lotus, the blade would shatter it.

A near-range explosion would harm only Keke herself; forget defeating Bai Mei—she would eliminate herself first.

One sword, death.

Bai Mei’s opened eye showed a hint of disappointment.

Yet in the next second, the Fury Lotus began to change form.

The entire Lotus petal by petal opened, then reformed.

In a single breath it transformed into an identical shape to the petal shield Keke had first deployed!

But this Lotus now held greater power; at the moment the sword struck, a violent explosion erupted!

Three layers of petals instantly shattered under the blade!

Yet that terrifying blast also forcibly destroyed the unstoppable sword; the fourth layer of petals only spun slightly, and the already spent sword energy dissipated...

Bai Mei watched, astonished, as Keke’s modified Fury Lotus converted an offensive spell into a defensive one and stopped nearly sixty percent of her blade’s power.

Most importantly, the three-layered petal explosion did not trigger a chain reaction among the remaining petals.

The Lotus’ biggest problem is instability—once a violent explosion starts, it usually detonates entirely.

But Keke had successfully stabilized the subsequent petals, preventing a chain detonation, and used the Fury Lotus’ power to blast apart the sword’s edge...

Bai Mei tilted her head and glanced at her teacher on the platform.

She then remembered and covered her mouth, breaking into a violent cough.

Keke had actually broken into a cold sweat.

That sword had been terrifying; at contact she knew none of her defenses could fully stop it.

But this was the first time she’d shown her Magical Girl power in front of her brother—she absolutely could not lose!

Keke wanted to be her brother’s pride.

So she gambled, using the Fury Lotus as a chrysanthemum shield.

A Fury Lotus is still a flower! Naturally, it could be used as a chrysanthemum shield!

It proved she hadn’t been wrong.

Still, any slip and the Lotus’ terrifying force would devour her, forcing her out of transformation and costing her the match.

After defending against that sword, Keke felt half-cold inside.

Even with the Fury Lotus used with such difficulty, if there were more strikes, she couldn’t guarantee she would hold.

The Lotus itself might lose control and explode.

She was going to lose...

She bit her lip, full of unwillingness and frustration.

If only she were stronger, if only she had tried harder, she wouldn’t have embarrassed herself in front of her brother...

It reminded her of being a child, calling her parents to watch sports day, only to stagger in second-to-last.

Last place was someone who’d slacked off and walked through.

“Keke, you’re useless, you do everything wrong, always failing, disappointing everyone and blaming others...”

As self-reproach stung her heart, the opposing Magical Girl suddenly began to cough violently.

She spat a mouthful of fresh blood, startling Keke. The Fury Lotus in her hands vanished at once.

But why did the blood smell sweet?

“I lost.”

The Magical Girl called Bai Mei smiled calmly, blood spraying across her body. Then her magical outfit deactivated; she collapsed to the ground and fainted.

The arena fell into dead silence.

Keke descended and knelt briefly, then looked around.

There wasn’t a single Magical Girl still standing.

Every Magical Girl in the arena had de-transformed.

She scanned carefully two or three times to confirm, then muttered in disbelief.

“I—I won?”

Her dirty face broke into a silly grin. “I won, I won!”

She then flew up; the huge screen filled with her pretty little face laughing idiotically.

The Magical Girl waved her hand wildly toward Jiang Si’s side.

Only then did Jiang Si relax his grip and wipe the sweat on his palm on An Shiyu’s sleeve.

“Brother, I won! Brother, did you see? I’m the champion! Brother, brother!”

The audience’s gaze shifted from the screen to the previously twitchy, laughing young man.

Jiang Si remained expressionless, only lifting his head to look at his sister waving over there.

“Hmph, getting cocky over a small victory.”

An Shiyu raised an eyebrow; Jiang Si, finally releasing his hold, couldn’t help but smirk.