Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Meanwhile, as Asura and Verana bonded under the silver moonlight, Mu Xue and the other south-bound students faced their first battle since leaving.

In the darkness, the forest to the east was filled with vicious monsters, while to the west, a small mining village and mountain range, which would make their journey much slower, were two of the choices for the student-led army.

However, the academy and knights moved south through the enemy's first checkpoint.

"Go, Mu Xue. You're the strongest, so we can handle the enemy here. You must fight the invaders."

Liz and the others stayed in the forest in case there was a need to ambush.

"Wait, I can't abandon you guys."

Liz and Brenda were two of the girls who became Mu Xue's friends in the academy during class.

At first, she just treated them like air and spoke to them because of Asura's order, but after getting to know all of them, she made a small group of friends, which now numbered eight.

Some were with other teams, though, and only Liza and Brenda, who barely reached Stage Two, fell into Mu Xue's group.

"That's right, you must go," Brenda agreed. "I've seen you fight against Asura during our training class; you are far stronger than us, and I think you are probably the best option out of all the students to challenge the invaders."

"I would love to do that, but the wolves and monsters leaving the forest are too dangerous."

Because of an issue with the teleportation runes, the students now faced a dilemma with an ambush from countless monsters from the darkness.

Now, hundreds of monsters approached while the invaders had already overtaken the southern fort before their army could arrive, leading to a break in communication with the commanders and generals, who were at least four hours behind.

"Ack, Liza, what do we do?"

Liz's face twisted in a grimace as she stared at the giant, hulking wolves approaching from the forest. Mu Xue didn't have time to stop her as she leapt from their tree, a blast of flames shooting into its chest.

Brenda wasn't much better. She fired a few ice arrows, hitting one beast's side, but a second was already in her face.

Mu Xue acted swiftly, leaping forward and stabbing her sword into the wolf's neck, causing its body to fall before she formed an ice wall to protect Liz, yet because she left her position, another wolf bit a girl named Nami and tore her apart.

"No!?"

Mu Xue rushed forward, her sword in hand, killing the wolf and saving the three remaining girls.

"Run now. If I take care of the wolves, you can head for the western mines and checkpoints. If the knights complain, I will take responsibility!"

However, the world didn't work as she might have desired. Xavida was helping another group like her, which made Mu Xue feel frustrated.

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No one would help them, not just because she had no relationship with her commander. However, she knew the army would not waste its strength on protecting students.

The mages constantly cast long-ranged spells at the wolves, but when the creatures entered the woods, their magic crashed against the earth and trees.

"Brenda, Liza, listen to me. Nami's death is on my head, and I want to help others. So, if you can, I want you to bring others to the western mining pass and prepare to hold that position. Soon the commanders will arrive, I believe someone messed with the teleportation circle and made this happen on purpose."

"!!!"

"Mu Xue... you cannot fight alone!"

"Fufufu, Mumu is not alone tonight! Toh!"

Bang!

A loud crash sounded as half the forest suddenly burned under a brilliant white flame, with purple lightning flickering across it.

Then, a great roar sounded, causing the air to tremble; a massive white dragon landed beside Mu Xue, spitting a beautiful flame from her mouth.

The girls realised whose voice it was; nobody spoke with such a cute voice, even if her dragon form distorted it slightly.

Mu Xue frowned. "Go now."

Xavida's body flashed with lightning and thunder, rushing forward before her body almost destroyed the forest. The cry of wolves and other monsters followed before her mighty dragon form flew back towards the border.

"What is that?!"

"How are we going to fight a dragon?"

Mu Xue shook her head. "I'm sure she isn't the enemy. Don't worry." Her voice tried to calm the students who didn't know her and panicked. "Brenda, Liz, go now."

The two girls nodded quickly, gathering their courage and shouting at the others. "You heard her. Follow me! Let's get out of here and hold position before the commanders get here."

"Phew... I'm all sweaty now, I hope Asura will bathe with me soon." Xavida's voice sounded as she flicked the ass of Mu Xue with her tail as if to get revenge for her treating her like a pet on the carriage.

"Mu Xue, this is strange. Why are there only a few hundred students when thousands left with us?" Xavida asked while sniffing the air.

"What?" Mu Xue frowned. "Where are the other students?"

"Maybe they split up! We should get ready, Mumu. The enemy is coming, and I am a little tired from protecting everyone, so let's get to the invaders before I get tired and smelly," Xavida snorted.

However, when Mu Xue doubted her words, she watched Xavida return to her human form and noticed hundreds of wounds and damaged scales on her body, as if she endured a massacre.

"What happened to you?"

"Kya, look! I killed about fifty wolves, no, maybe more! I can't count! Hehe~" Xavida stuck her tongue out and grinned at her. "But keeping those people safe was harder than Asura makes it look; the monsters just bite and gnaw while the students scream and complain. At least your friends tried to fight."

'Xavida, thank you.' Mu Xue felt too much rivalry towards her to say it out loud, but she really grew to respect this kind dragoness who seemed to be just like Asura.

"Maybe that's why I can't hate you, even though I want to beat you. Haha." Mu Xue laughed as she readied her sword. "We need to attack the invaders and clear our path through the south. Do you think you can fly us there?"

"Yup, but my body hurts, so you better take care of me later!"

However, a voice sounded from behind them before they could act on their plans.

"Tsk, tsk, two scary ladies standing in the road in the middle of the night. How could you speak about dangerous things like attacking my people?"

"Who?"

"Some idiot."

Mu Xue and Xavida glanced at each other before realising a voice was talking to them from behind.

"Hehe, excuse me for not announcing myself sooner, but you won't even be able to remember my name by the time this is over."

The handsome male with blonde hair held his sword tight.

His golden sword glowed with an eerie glow while his piercing grey eyes watched the pair with a menacing grin on his face. "Oh? One of you seems to have been deemed evil by the holy sword of my family."

'Holy sword, blonde and piercing grey eyes!?'

"Xavida, be careful, he's the enemy lord! Aldric—"

"Too slow."

Aldric appeared behind Xavida faster than Mu Xue could finish her warning. His blade had already stabbed into her chest.

The holy blade tore through her scales and flesh with ease, blood bursting from her wound as Xavida's eyes widened, her pupils dilating before she could react.

His left palm touched her back before exploding in a golden light, sending her flying across the ground, rolling, and smashing into a rock wall.

"Sorry, but your pretty skin and wings are no match for the holy sword's judgement. A mere lizard with wings has no place in this world."

"YOU!" Mu Xue's face distorted. Her eyes became black with blue pupils, and her skin dark blue with iced blades growing from her body, causing the entire area to become colder.

"There you are, filthy devil. How dare you stand on this land and breathe the same air as me!" Aldric's voice became perpetually filled with a strange sense of zeal while the glowing sword pointed towards the berserk Mu Xue, whose body erupted with frost and ice.

"Die now, abomination."

"I'll crush your bones, tear your flesh and destroy your soul!" Mu Xue roared as she exploded in a storm of ice and cold wind.

"Hahaha, how exciting. Let's dance."

However, Mu Xue's body suddenly paused, and Aldric's eyes widened as a flicker of lightning filled the area, his senses sharpening as if the danger wasn't in front of him but behind.

"What is this?" Aldric's eyes narrowed as Xavida suddenly appeared in front of him.

"How did you get behind me?!"

Xavida's wounds seemed unable to heal, yet a surprising amount of magic flowed from the wounds as she slammed down with her hand and transformed into a dragon's claw.

"Die, human."

The ground shook as her claws were inches from his face, yet at that moment, Aldric's sword turned into a shield, blocking the attack as he disappeared into a golden light and reappeared in front of Mu Xue with his sword rushing towards her skull.

"Hah!" Mu Xue unleashed a fist that met his blade before an explosion occurred. The magic within her body flooded into her arm and shoulder, cracking her bones and tearing her muscles under the force of the collision. "Argh!?" She screamed, the holy blade cutting through her body and ice like tofu, creating an unbearable anguish.

"Tsk, tsk, you're slower than I imagined. Did that damn lizard increase your power, or were you really hiding this disappointing level of strength?"

Aldric pulled back his sword before striking dozens of times while Mu Xue's head recovered from her anger while using her eastern sword to fight back. Her ice armour tore apart as the holy sword cut through it with ease, her power seeming to become weaker before his eyes.

"Have you had enough yet?"

"Humans are annoying."

Clang!

The sound of two blades clashing, one made of ice and the other of golden light. Mu Xue's skill might have been higher, but because Aldric's sword seemed to surpass hers and caused more damage to non-humans, it ripped into her cheek and sent her stumbling.

"Killing you would be a waste. However, I must make an example."

Mu Xue's bones had already recovered and fixed themselves, but the process became slower because of the golden light limiting it.

"Don't forget me!"

Xavida lunged forward, her body a mess, while wielding two daggers crackling with lightning and attacking Aldric, who frowned, his brows wrinkling.

"Two women. Fine."

"No... since you are a lizard and devil, neither of you are women. But abominations."

Mu Xue grits her teeth, holding in her anger while Aldric's golden sword dances through the air, deflecting Xavida's blitz of attacks while flicking his arm back to stop Mu Xue's delayed strikes.

"You both are terrible." Aldric clicked his tongue before sighing, "The holy sword of my family will end you both, and then I can kill the so-called divine son and take my rightful place as the true successor of the fallen sun!"

'Divine son? You mean Asura!?'

"Heh, my husband would crush you face in both looks and skill!" Xavida mocked with a laugh.

"Hahaha, what? This is perfect. You two insects are related to him, then the more reason to kill you both and leave your heads upon my wall for him to see!"