Chapter Fifty-One: Avril

Qi Xiao bid farewell to the two of them and boarded the Azure Silk. In this week’s auction, he had acquired two first-level spells: Dissolution and Fire Serpent. It was a curious coincidence—he had just defeated a fire serpent in his last match, and now he had mastered the spell himself.

Arriving at the Battle Tower, he was informed by the staff that he could continue his winning streak without starting from the beginning, so he chose to proceed directly to the next match.

He didn’t have to wait long. The spatial node near him loosened slightly, and in the blink of an eye, he found himself transported to a field shrouded in sand and dust. The spectator stands surrounding the arena were packed, the crowd’s loud cheers still resounding, celebrating the previous victory of his upcoming opponent.

Looking ahead, his opponent’s figure was obscured by the swirling sand—he could only make out the outline of a woman, petite in build, much like Senior Sister Eve. She seemed to be using her real name as her alias; the screen beside the field displayed the names Qi Xiao and Avril.

Since participants could choose their own aliases, and most contestants at the intermediate apprentice level were young and prone to adolescent flamboyance, the names they picked were often laughable to Qi Xiao. In his last match, aside from the bald-headed contestant who used his real name, the other two called themselves “Dragon Slayer” and “Queen of the Gale,” but Qi Xiao could barely recall anything about them now.

As the referee’s countdown ended, Avril’s figure flickered and vanished into the whirling sands. Waves of psychic detection rippled out from Qi Xiao. The instant he sensed a living presence, he drew his elemental pistol and fired a shot at the detected location.

The bullet, trailing fire, cut through the yellow sand, seemingly grazing his opponent’s left shoulder. But Qi Xiao did not press the attack—instead, he quickly fired behind him.

A bullet crackling with electricity brushed past Avril’s shoulder. Her expression shifted, a mix of shock and suspicion as she looked at Qi Xiao.

But Qi Xiao had no intention of explaining himself. He quickly fired several more shots at Avril, until the pistol grew hot in his grip.

With nowhere left to dodge, Avril could only gather the surrounding sand, forming a thick shield to block the bullets.

A chorus of angry shouts rose from the stands, accusing Qi Xiao of relying solely on alchemical weapons.

When the third bullet struck her shield, the sand-formed barrier suddenly exploded. The air, which had just cleared, was again smothered in dust. Using the cover, Avril lunged swiftly at Qi Xiao.

The arena was very much to Avril’s advantage—and it seemed that these elemental mages all practiced a few close-combat spells. Earth elements gathered in her hand, forming a trident-shaped spike. She was now less than three meters from Qi Xiao, thrusting the weapon straight at him.

The corner of Qi Xiao’s lips curled up. A dimensional slash, already prepared, appeared instantly before Avril. Feeling the intense sensation of being torn apart, Avril’s face changed dramatically. She had only enough time to pull back her striking arm and raise it in front of her.

Her face turned deathly pale, disbelief flashing in her eyes. The sharpness of the dimensional slash far exceeded her expectations. In that instant, she felt a surge of excruciating pain, followed by a cold numbness.

The trident of earth elements shattered instantly under the power of the dimensional slash, scattering into dust. Avril’s arm hung limply, blood spurting from the severed stump and staining the ground.

Clutching her wounded limb, she collapsed, her face twisted in pain and shock.

The crowd went silent for a heartbeat, then erupted into even more frenzied cries. Seeking immediate treatment, Avril surrendered at once. Healing mages rushed into the arena to administer emergency care.

As spells were cast, Avril’s arm was reattached; with rest, it would soon recover as good as new.

Qi Xiao breathed a sigh of relief and walked over, apologizing, “I’m sorry. I just learned this spell and didn’t expect it to be so powerful.”

Avril, though still pale, managed a calm demeanor. Her voice was hoarse: “It’s nothing. In the Battle Tower, one must go all out. Even if I were to die here, it would be no fault of my opponent—it was my own carelessness.”

Qi Xiao now clearly saw her face: Avril’s features were a blend of determination and delicate beauty. Her skin was pale as snow, and with her identity as an earth mage, she seemed like the very essence of the earth made flesh. Her eyebrows were long and slightly arched, her eyes deep and bright with an unwavering light—even in pain, their luster did not fade. Her nose was straight, her lips dry and pressed tightly together in pain. Though her cheeks were smudged with dust, they could not hide her elegance. Avril’s hair was a deep chestnut, reaching to her waist—disheveled from battle, yet still lovely in its natural state. Her figure was petite, yet there was an undeniable sense of strength about her—steady and full of latent power, just like the earth she wielded.

Such a striking contrast of beauty and resilience explained her many fans in the Battle Tower—but that was not the point. The point was—

In the film, she appeared as a full-fledged official mage.

A first-level earth mage of true knowledge, “Earthwalker” Jocelyn.

“I’m just glad you’re all right. Take care and rest well. If you need any potions, come to my shop or ask me to make them—just mention my name, Qi Xiao. My alchemy store is right at the entrance of the South Gate on Commercial Street, you can’t miss it. And if you ever need alchemical items, I can custom-make them for you—affordable and tailored to your needs. Consider it my apology.”

Qi Xiao made his tone as gentle as possible and smiled. He hadn’t planned to get involved—after all, weapons know no mercy. Though he felt a touch of guilt, that was all. But if she might become an official mage in the future, that changed everything. He didn’t mind making a small investment ahead of time—after all, it was just a verbal promise, and even if he had to deliver, it wouldn’t cost him much. It was hardly different from getting something for nothing.

Avril, upon learning that Qi Xiao was an alchemist, became much more sincere. She had been a little unconvinced, since apart from the final strike, Qi Xiao had fought almost entirely with alchemical weapons. But if he’d forged the weapon himself, that was a different matter.

Avril nodded and said hoarsely, “Avril Jocelyn.”

Because her arm had just been reattached and she wasn’t fit for spatial transfer, she was helped out by the “medical staff.”

Watching Avril leave, the crowd in the stands, done with their shouting, quickly dispersed. Most of those who remained were only there in hopes of seeing Qi Xiao brought down a peg.

Qi Xiao didn’t care about any of that. Following the referee’s instructions, he returned to the starting area to await his next opponent.

According to the rules, the difference in wins between opponents must be at least one, so his next challengers would be in the three-to-five-win range, meaning the wait would be longer.

Once he reached ten consecutive wins, he would no longer fight in the regular arenas, but would only be matched with others who had achieved the same. At that point, even a loss wouldn’t break his winning streak or cause him to drop in rank.