Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 366
She had not achieved the Advanced Level, so her physical strength was not as impressive. A vertical jump of around five meters was her limit...
Like walking on a tightrope, Mu Ningxue's boot kicked the ice chain in the air heavily while she controlled the wind to lift her up...
The force of the kick and the wind immediately launched Mu Ningxue higher into the sky. She quickly reached a height of over twenty meters!
A second later, the ice chain that she had used as a stepping stone was slashed in half with a clean cut, as if it was a stalk of grass.
The black slash swept across the place with strong gusts of wind blowing in all directions. Luckily, Mu Ningxue was high enough in the air. Otherwise, her fragile body would have been shredded to pieces by the force!
Everyone was dumbfounded when they saw Mu Ningxue dodging the ferocious attack by skipping in the air, disbelief all over their faces!
Chapter 861 - The Mummy's Weakness
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Light as a crane, dodging the deadly attack calmly despite being such a close call!
Some people doubted Mu Ningxue's strength before the duel, even though she used to be on the national team, but they were now convinced!
Everyone knew that an Intermediate Magician's physical attributes were not all that outstanding compared to a normal demon creature. If they failed to maintain a safe distance away from a demon creature, it was relatively easy for the agile, fierce creatures to kill them in an instant. Only Advanced Magicians had quick enough reactions to dodge their attacks, allowing them to take on demon creatures both from range or in close combat...
The Death Saber Mummy's slash with fifty meters of coverage was basically impossible to dodge for any Intermediate Magician. They could only endure it with Shield equipment or Armor.
Considering the undead's outstanding strength, any Magician would suffer serious injuries even with the protection of their armor, just like Yue Tangxin had.
However, no one had expected Mu Ningxue to dodge the slash by skipping so high in the air. Even the instructor Bai Dongwei's face was covered in disbelief.
Casting the Ice Lock as she was rising in the air, and altering the direction of the Wind Track to push her further up... how could an Intermediate Magician possibly have such extraordinary control?
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Mu Ningxue did not land too quickly. She retained control of the wind around her to help her land safely.
As she was falling, she continued to produce ice chains. The Intermediate Spell was rather lively under her control. She was able to cast the spell without standing in one spot...
The deadliest weakness of Magicians was the process of channeling spells. Many Magicians who lacked skills needed around five seconds to cast an Intermediate Spell. During this time, demon creatures had more than enough time to approach them and slap them to death, before they could even finish drawing half the Star Patterns.
Mu Ningxue had mastered the ability to cast her spells just by waving her hands. Apart from her solid foundations, it was also the strength of her Domain.
As long as she was in her Domain, her Stars were able to connect at a faster rate. On top of that, the Ice Domain was also the source of her extraordinary control of the Ice Element.
She was able to utilize the maximum potential of her Domain. Therefore, she was not totally helpless when fighting a Commander-level creature. She rarely had to face one, depending on the terrain.
---
"Go!"
Mu Ningxue summoned four ice chains in an instant. Each section of the chains was able to move freely. They were incredibly flexible under her control!
The four ice chains rapidly approached the Death Saber Mummy and tied its arms down. they also triggered a snowfall. Even Sayed could feel the bone-chilling cold!
Sayed was quite cunning. He remained behind the Death Saber Mummy throughout the duel, not giving Mu Ningxue any chance to attack him directly. Mu Ningxue knew that she had to defeat the Death Saber Mummy if she wanted to take Sayed down.
The freezing finally came into effect. Mu Ningxue had never stopped spreading the ice in her Domain. The Death Saber Mummy already had a thin layer of frost covering its white wrappings.
The wrappings were a layer of defense too. As the ice chains touched the Death Saber Mummy's body, the chill penetrated the wrappings and froze the creature's skin and muscles.
"Just a little longer," Mu Ningxue held her breath and waited patiently for the right time.
Ice Magicians were not afraid of prolonged fights. Their ice would become stronger as the fight dragged on. It did not matter how strong the Death Saber Mummy was, as it could no longer raise its saber once the frost penetrated its bones and joints. Even the sturdiest defense would shatter after a single hit when it was frozen!
Mu Ningxue did not attack. Her job was to let the fight drag on by kiting the enemy. In just another minute, even the movements of a Commander-level creature would be restrained!
Freezing the bones and joints was crucial to her plan. Mu Ningxue could see a hint of panic in her opponent's eyes.
---
Mu Ningxue's speculation was on point. Sayed was indeed starting to panic.
Sayed had not expected the woman to dodge two of the Death Saber Mummy's attacks. The air was turning cold. He was well aware that if the Death Saber Mummy did not get rid of her soon, once the ice penetrated t's bones, it would become useless, just like the Gray-Cloth Iron Mummy!
The Death Saber Mummy was able to slash other forces in half, but how would it be able to cut away the frost?
-Damn it, how is someone as strong as her a defender of the National Training Hall? Looks like I'll have to use my other Element!- , Sayed cursed in his heart.
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"Calm down, calm down, the Egyptian's Death Saber Mummy isn't as scary as it seems. It's just a simple-minded machine. Its attacks are powerful, yet it only has a few moves. Don't be intimidated now...," breathed Bai Dongwei.
After a few rounds between Mu Ningxue and the Death Saber Mummy, Bai Dongwei finally understood the undead's weakness.
He was quite shocked when he first saw the Death Saber Mummy. If a random person on the Egyptian team was able to summon a killing machine like the Death Saber Mummy, didn't that mean their national team had no chance of winning against the Egyptian team?
As a matter of fact, the Death Saber Mummy had a critical weakness. It was unable to move as freely as the Gray-Cloth Iron Mummy. Due to its fleshy body, every step it took required effort. All its strength was concentrated in its hands, and the death saber was its only attack!
The creature was unable to pose any threat as long as one could dodge its cuts.
It was a relief that Mu Ningxue had managed to remain calm throughout the entire fight. It was something that most of the students in the National Training Hall failed to do in a fight. They all assumed the Death Saber Mummy was unbeatable after witnessing Yue Tangxin's injuries.
That being said, Mu Ningxue's had Ice Element played an important role in the fight. She was able to maximize its potential while being patient with her approach, despite the risks involved. She was determined to win the duel by waiting for the freeze to come into effect!
---
"Attack!' Sayed pointed at Mu Ningxue. His voice was hinting at how impatient he was feeling.
The Death Saber Mummy raised its hand. Its movements were clearly not as fluent as they used to be. It seemed to be struggling.
The saber was raised over the creature's head. The Death Saber Mummy used both its hands to spin its saber above its head.
As the saber started spinning, a huge wind started blowing. The snow disturbed by its motion highlighted its path.
The Death Saber Mummy leaned forward and whipped out its hands. It was hurling the spinning saber at Mu Ningxue, together with the strong wind!
The saber howled through the air. It was fearsomely fast!
Chapter 862 - The Unstoppable Ice Magician
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
The saber was flying around five meters above the ground. Mu Ningxue was now fully aware of her opponent's tricks after seizing the initiative of the duel.
When the presence of frost reached a certain level, Mu Ningxue could even produce ice and snow with her thoughts alone.
The whole place was covered in ice. The Ice Spread had stacked up lots of layers of ice. When Mu Ningxue saw the black saber approaching, she quickly summoned the ice particles and rapidly built hills of ice in front of her!
Mounds of ice emerged from the ground. Each of them was over seven meters tall. The three hills of ice served as Mu Ningxue's best defense!
The black saber was spinning with an incredible force. The first hill was broken into pieces with brute force. However, as the saber collided with the second hill, its speed dramatically decreased. It was no longer producing strong gusts of wind...
However, it was still flying through the air. Its sharp edge stuck heavily into the third hill, which was around eight meters thick. The saber only managed to penetrate a third of the hill before coming to a stop.
Sayed was stunned!
How did the woman cast magic without drawing a Star Pattern? And… ice hills?
The Ice Element had never had such a spell in the Basic, Intermediate or Advanced Level. It did not look like a different form of the usual Ice Spells, either. It was a completely new ability!
The Death Saber Mummy's spinning saber was its strongest attack, yet it had failed to overwhelm the opponent's three defending ice hills...
Little did Sayed know, Mu Ningxue had once used the ice hills to defend against a real Commander-level creature's attack. The Blue Valley Ferocious Beast's vicious slash was a lot stronger than the Death Saber Mummy, but Mu Ningxue had still managed to stop its attack with the ice hills!
The stronger the presence of frost, the stronger her ability was. The ice hills were another form of her magic under the effects of her Ice Domain!
"You...you're not an Intermediate Magician!" Sayed pointed at Mu Ningxue and snapped furiously. An Intermediate Magician could not possibly have done that! The woman must have hidden her real cultivation!
The truth was, Sayed had never even seen any Advanced Ice Magician possess such a remarkable control over the Ice Element!
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"What's going on? Mu Ningxue's Ice Element is completely different than ours!" a defender who also possessed the Ice Element yelled out in surprise.
She was a peak Intermediate Ice Magician too, yet Mu Ningxue's Ice Element felt alive. Why was Mu Ningxue's Ice Element so much stronger, while her Ice Spells were forever limited in the form of Ice Spread and Ice Lock?
"Yeah, it's unbelievable. The Death Saber Mummy is almost as strong as a Commander-level creature. How did she manage to stop the attack?" said Li Yijun.
"She's really remarkable. She had full control of the duel. The Ice Spread has stacked up to a terrifying level. The Death Saber Mummy will soon be frozen!"
The crowd was more confused than they were astounded. Mu Ningxue's abilities were obviously beyond the Intermediate Level!
"It's the Ice Domain, her innate talent," said Mu Nujiao.
Mu Nujiao had already seen Mu Ningxue's talent when she was an exchange student. Mo Fan was her opponent, and he had also displayed his Double Innate Elements in the duel. Back then, their cultivation was on par with one another, and both of them had outstanding innate talents. Mu Nujiao could easily tell both of them would grow a lot stronger, and as she thought, they had both joined the national team!
"Do...domain?" The students almost dropped their jaws to the ground.
Most people had only heard about Domains, but not many had actually seen one. Even their teachers who were Advanced Magicians did not necessarily have the ability to construct a Domain!
Having capabilities beyond the Advanced Level when her cultivation was only in the Intermediate Level, this was the true standard of the national team!
"I heard some inside information. Apparently, Mu Ningxue was only disqualified from the national team because her family was involved with the Black Vatican. The truth is, it's likely that she's one of the strongest members on the national team. It's such a relief that she has come to the National Training Hall today! That Egyptian is surely going to suffer, we must teach him a lesson!"
"That's right, he didn't even apologize when he almost killed someone. He even argued that duels are always cruel! Cruel my ass!"
"Mu Ningxue, since he's a guest in our country. Let's go easy on him. Just crippling him is fine!" someone among the crowd shouted.
Power was the ultimate truth. The students of the National Training Hall were very relieved when they saw Mu Ningxue securing the edge of the duel. No one really cared about the negative news that her family was involved in. Someone had come to their territory to challenge them, and even humiliate them after he almost killed their representative. However, Mu Ningxue had stepped forward to serve justice. How could such a righteous person have anything to do with the Black Vatican?
"Let that asshole know the consequences of provoking us, we can't let him go so easily!"
"Keep it up, Mu Ningxue!"
Bullying was the most detestable act, while being forced to swallow insults and run away was extremely humiliating. Luckily, Mu Ningxue had intervened. Otherwise, the defenders of the National Training Hall and the students from other institutes would forever live in shame.
----
Mu Ningxue was a lot calmer and more patient than everyone thought.
Even when her frost had covered the whole dueling ground and secured her the advantage, she was willing to wait longer.
Sayed formerly smiling face was now expressionless. His confident dimples had disappeared. The disdain and pride in his eyes had vanished, too.
He had no choice but to reevaluate his opponent. The strength that the woman had displayed was above the average level of a national team. As a matter of fact, she could even be considered an elite!
He had no intention of losing the duel, as it would cost his team the challenge stamp that was already within his reach.
Sayed was in deep thought. He knew he could no longer rely on the Death Saber Mummy. He had to defeat the woman by attacking at the right time!
"Freeze!" Mu Ningxue did not give Sayed any time to think as she strengthened the Ice Spread. The freezing energy penetrated the Death Saber Mummy's body fiercely.
The Death Saber Mummy's movements became very clumsy. Its fleshy body had entirely stiffened, as it was freezing at an even faster rate.
She gradually approached the Death Saber Mummy to utilize the maximum potential of her Domain.
Not long after, the Death Saber Mummy could no longer move. At this point in the duel, an Ice Magician was basically unbeatable. Even the most agile opponent would be turned into an ice statue. The whole dueling ground was covered in ice, including where Sayed was standing.
Finally, the Death Saber Mummy was turned into a small hill of frozen meat. It could not even move its finger.
Mu Ningxue stepped on the snow and slowly walked past the Death Saber Mummy. She was staring coldly at the Undead Magician, Sayed.
Sayed did not cast an Undead Spell again, implying that he only had two reliable undead creatures.
Sayed did have quite a lot of undead he could call on, but they were weak creatures who would be turned into ice instantly after they were summoned. They would not make any difference!
Chapter 863 - Reaping What Was Sown
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
As Mu Ningxue moved closer, she pointed her finger. The frost scattered on the ground gradually climbed onto Sayed's legs as if it had come alive.
Sayed was given a scare. He tried to break free, yet his legs were no longer under his control.
"Freeze!" Mu Ningxue's eyes glittered. The spot her eyes were set on was freezing multiple times faster.
Sayed's left leg seemed to be protected by something. The frost did not cover it. However, his right leg was obviously covered in ice. It soon looked like a frozen stick.
His eyes were panicking as he dragged his right leg back.
"I won't lose, there's no way I'm losing!" screamed Sayed furiously.
Mu Ningxue remained silent. She slowly closed her eyes to gather the ice particles onto Sayed's body. It was time to teach this arrogant Egyptian a lesson.
Sayed's blue eyes flickered cunningly when he saw Mu Ningxue focusing on controlling the ice particles. He immediately grinned.
"Detonate!" Sayed mumbled as he delivered the command to the Death Saber Mummy.
The Death Saber Mummy was mostly frozen, yet its brain was still active. When Sayed gave out the command, the Death Saber Mummy's head suddenly bloated and exploded after reaching its limit!
As the fleshy head exploded, the blood, flesh, and pieces of bones scattered across the place with great force.
Mu Ningxue was caught by surprise. She immediately summoned a wall of ice to cover her back, preventing the bone shards from hitting her.
As her attention was diverted, Sayed's grin widened!
The reason his left leg was not covered in ice was because it was protected by a faint light. It was able to stop his body from freezing temporarily. Meanwhile, he had allowed his right leg to freeze to trick Mu Ningxue into believing that he no longer posed any threat to her!
The truth was, he still had another Element that he had not used. It was the Shadow Element!
He was trying to move back further, to the spot covered in the shadow...
"Damn it, my leg is stuck to the ground!" Sayed was about to make his move, yet he realized something annoying.
He had taken the act too seriously, and now it prevented him from moving!
However, he was desperate to win the duel. He was representing the Egyptian team! If he lost the duel, he would lose the chance to acquire the challeng stamp too. He would be too ashamed to report back to the team!
