Normally, Gabriella would have just finished preparing breakfast by this time, but today she had already arranged everything. She was holding the magic core, sitting on her cloak and continuing her meditation.
Seeing the magic core, Qian Jin was slightly dazed, secretly wondering why Gloria didn’t use it last night. Had she already broken the record of the Zence Empire and become the youngest Supreme Mage ever? Had she already condensed her spiritual power into magic power, or was it because she had no intention of touching the magic cores which belonged to her sister? Would she rather rely on her own strength instead of taking away her sister’s property?
Outside the cave, Sophia was still holding a sturdy stick, doing basic warrior training like chopping and cutting. Sometimes, she would do a few lunges.
Looking at the Warrior Weapon in his hand, Qian Jin walked out of the hole and asked,
Can you use a spear?
The girl stopped training and nodded while wiping the sweat off her forehead.
As expected, any warrior who had been trained in the academy was accustomed to using all kinds of weapons like swords, blades and spears. It was a compulsory course.
The goal of the Junior Warrior Academy was not to cultivate a single invincible warrior on the battlefield, but rather to lay a good foundation for them so they would know what kind of weapon was suitable for any given situation. At the same time, they would also be imbued with lots of knowledge on battling.
Some warriors might not be great fighters, but if they possessed tactical talent, they might be admitted to the Advanced Warrior College. A promising future of entering the Military’s Advisory Division was in store for them.
The moment she held the spear, her shoulders sunk down. A trace of surprise flashed through her eyes as the weight of this spear was beyond her imagination.
Qian Jin was also stunned, and a self-depreciating smile appeared on his face. This giant spear might have weighed nothing in his own hands, but he forgot that the girl’s weapon was only a pair of swords, both of which were so much lighter than this heavy weapon.
Go on. I have some errands to do.
Lifting his Zhanmadao, Qian Jin walked to the Burning Fire Lake.
Wait a minute,
Sophia watched Qian Jin timidly.
Where are you going? Is it dangerous?
Qian Jin shook his head mechanically. As long as he didn’t have to confront the Demon Uyeha Spider alone in the mountain, he wouldn’t face any danger.
Joy flashed over the girl’s beautiful eyes, She tightly clenched the spear in her hand and asked in a shy voice,
Can we go with you?
In fact, there was more nervousness in her eyes. Since she had gone to the Four Season Valley, she had lived in this cramped place for more than a month. She wanted to visit this dangerous valley, but she didn’t have the guts to go on her own.
We?
Qian Jin looked over to the cave and asked,
Does Gabriella want to go too?
Sophia nodded. Qian Jin jumped away from the three beasts lingering over his head. They released too much pressure. Even if they didn’t jump down to the ground, they still worried him as they toured around.
It seemed that Master did not specifically tell him not to bring anyone, so he might not be upset with unexpected guests. After some consideration, Qian Jin answered in confirmation.
Okay, let’s go.
Joyfully, Sophia ran into the cave to bring Gabriella out.
Qian Jin picked up a few stones in one hand from the ground and held his Zhanmadao in the other. He walked in front of the team, ready to protect the two females in case of any danger. His mediocre shooting ability still had some utility.
The everlasting white mist enveloped the Burning Fire Lake. The two girls didn’t hide their surprise and joy since it was the first time they had seen such a great lake.
Most of the time, Qian Jin would not be in the cave, so they could shower using a stove to boil some water. But wouldn’t it be more comfortable and cozy if they could shower in this hot spring?
Qian Jin did not have the heart to destroy their fantasy, but he still warned them.
Well, the lake is not a hot spring. The water here is hot enough to boil an egg.
Their cheering immediately stopped, and the two looked at each other suspiciously. Sophia recklessly put her hand into the lake, and the burning water instantly sent a signal from her fingers into her brain.
Ouch…
The bold girl screamed and quickly took out her injured hand from the lake. She blew on her red fingers over and over to cool them down.
Qian Jin painted a fist-sized circle on a boulder with his Zhanmadao. Then, he walked backwards while looking at the girl and shaking his head with a sigh,
I’m almost beginning to admire myself when I see her like this. I have been being boiled in the water for such a long time, yet I’m still alive.
At around a hundred paces, Qian Jin fished out [Divine Shot] to read. He had been here a little bit earlier today. Why not practice shooting while waiting for Master to come?
There were a lot of stones on the edge of the lake that he could use as shooting materials. The flying stones drew a straight line in the air and accurately hit the center of the circle on the boulder. Some hard stones broke into smaller pieces after the collision, which splashed everywhere.
Bored from the practice, Gabriella carefully pulled out the Magic Core hidden in her mage robe. Holding it, she sunk into the meditation again. As for Sophia, after her previous curiosity waned, she also began to wave the giant spear.
Occasionally, a fish would jump out of the water and fall back in again. The only thing that could be heard were the sounds of stones being broken. Just as most of the stones were used up, the old man appeared at the lake as usual.
Oh, are there two dolls today?
The old man stroked his white beard while displaying a strange expression. He winked at Qian Jin and said in a joking tone,
You little weasel! No wonder why you go back every day. I would choose the same if there were such two fair ladies waiting for me.
Qian Jin pretended to ignore the old man’s strange eyes. Putting away the book, he said calmly,
Am I still taking the bath today?
Who’s older and who’s younger? Who do you like more? Be careful; there isn’t a single midwife in Four Season Valley that can help deliver a baby.
For the first time, Qian Jin had found that his master who talked nonsense all day turned out to be such a gossiper.
Master, I have not reached eighteen yet …
How does that matter?
The old man bent his arm around Qian Jin’s shoulder and said,
When I was eighteen, my son could run from here to there…
Oh?
Qian Jin changed the subject very quickly.
Then where is he now? What does he do?
All of sudden, the old man’s enthusiasm was extinguished. His shiny eyes became dull. He said in an unspeakable lonely tone,
He is dead; not on the Human-Demon battlefront, but on the… Never mind … Never mind… Go, we shall find another place to have fun today.
The old man turned and waved his hand. Suddenly, he looked much older. A mist flashed in his dim eyes before he quietly wiped them away.
It was a bright teardrop. Qian Jin was 100% sure that it was a teardrop the old man wanted to hide.
A wooden car, dragged by a sturdy one-horned bull, quickly left the thick white fog. The wooden wheel collided with the rocks, making clattering sounds.
The girls jumped back as they saw the creature. Frightened, they became fully alert of the strong blue-eyed creature.
Qian Jin had already become hardened to the weird old man. He waved at the two girls and mounted the carriage first.
Having a Demon Beast pulling the carriage is a luxury even for the royal family of the Zence Empire.
The bull dragged the wooden vehicle along the lake at a high speed, as if its sturdy body was like a feather. After two hours or so, they left the foggy lake. There was no longer a puff of warm air on the blue water.
Daylight shined on the blue lake, and wind blew through the lake, setting off waves like reflected a myriad of colors of light. Piles of snow surrounded the lake since it was winter here at Four Season Valley. The wheels cycled over, issuing a succession of creaking sounds.
The old man sat still on the wooden carriage. Clearly, he didn’t want to get off. Raising his hand, he pointed to the lake and said,
Son, today you will take a bath here.
Qian Jin didn’t want to get off either. His mouth twitched as he asked,
Master, the water seems so cold that I can feel the chillness even from here. Isn’t this the Burning Fire Lake?
You bet it is,
said the old man as he leaned against the bull’s big bottom. He said,
The full name of this lake is Extreme Ice Fire Dual Lake; I only said half of the name before.
Oh, I see.
Qian Jin warmed up his body while taking off his coat. His delicate muscles were immediately exposed under the sun.
As a loving master, isn’t it an obligation to remind your apprentice that the lake is cold?
Oh, haven’t I?
The old man didn’t feel any awkwardness and nodded again and again.
You are so damn right. Haven’t I reminded you? Oh, I’m too old and amnesia kicked in.
Qian Jin put away his book and started his Warrior Power in the 108 energy reservoirs. He extended his feet to test the temperature. It was so cold! As soon as his toes touched the surface, he instantly pulled them back in. The temperature here was much lower than the icy shore, but there weren’t any indications of freezing. It was just like the other half of the lake, where the lake was hotter than boiled water.
Coldness and heat were opposites; Qian Jin found it was hard to adapt to the coldness since he had already been used to the
boiling
spring.
