Chapter 126: Doura’s Lower Stance—Trust Me, It’s Rock-Solid.

"Incredible!"

Ximei gasped in amazement. Even though Moyuna was using the exact same magic as him, he had no idea the Bottomless Swamp could be utilized in such a way. The other students watched the silver-haired girl on the field with adoration, eager to see what she would do next, as the battle mages had already closed the distance.

"Don't be afraid just because you've been cornered."

Moyuna did not panic as the opponents drew near. Instead, she raised both hands to prepare her spells—a fire sphere the size of a human torso in her left hand, and a water sphere of equal size in her right. She then brought her hands together. Due to the physical reaction, the magic transformed into steam, and the entire arena was instantly enveloped in a thick white mist. The battle mages were suddenly blinded.

"Damn it, where is she?"

Unable to see, the battle mages had to rely on their mana to locate their opponent, but Moyuna’s mana was saturated throughout the steam, making it impossible to single her out. Suddenly, one felt his back collide with something. He immediately spun around, swinging his weapon, and his opponent—clearly thinking the same—swung theirs as well. Only when their staves clashed did they realize their mistake.

"Don't strike! It's an ally!"

"Whoa! Something’s got me!"

"I think I’ve stepped into a swamp, help!"

"I’m wrapped in something... it’s soft and actually quite comfortable..."

Outside the steam, the students in the stands looked at one another. They couldn't see what was happening inside, but the occasional screams made it sound terrifying.

Just as Moyuna was wreaking havoc within her domain, the students outside suddenly saw a flash of golden light cut through the steam. Two golden fissures formed an 'X' shape, visible against the cloud-like vapor, before the force instantly blasted the steam apart, finally revealing the state of the arena.

There were three victims: one was tightly cocooned in vines and lying on the ground, another had half his body submerged in the swamp, frozen in place, and the funniest of all was suspended in the air, wrapped in cloud magic from the neck down like a sheep; every time he moved, he would simply roll around.

The battle mages had not expected to lose the majority of their force to just two spells. Now, they dared not act rashly and looked toward Qianye, awaiting her command.

"She’s strong."

Qianye shook her head at her companions. Moyuna was far too troublesome. She refused to believe that someone who could do this only possessed the strength of a Great Mage. If Qianye didn't unleash her true power, she might actually lose here.

"The warm-up is over. Plant Magic: Vine Treant."

Moyuna’s words sent a chill through the onlookers. To have wiped out most of the opposing team during just a "warm-up" was excessive, but her next move proved she wasn't exaggerating. At her command, vines erupted from the ground, intertwining and growing until they formed a green monster nearly ten meters tall.

"Wait, isn't Vine Treant a fifth-tier spell? I remember it being an advanced version of Vine Bind, but the treant is usually only the size of a person, used for scouting, right?"

A student in the stands called out. Almost no one learned this spell because its utility was mediocre—neither strong nor weak. But Moyuna’s version was clearly overdeveloped.

"What’s there to be surprised about? In this academy, Instructor Rubi is good at everything except magic, and Moyuna is good at nothing except magic. It’s perfectly normal for either of them to do something like this."

A fellow student retorted, eyes fixed on the field. How wonderful it would be if they all possessed Moyuna's talent; these battle mages were reduced to trembling beneath her magic.

The Vine Treant extended its arms, and countless vines spread out in an overwhelming wave. Though the battle mages resisted with all their might, they were no match for the endless vines and were eventually hoisted into the air like cured meat.

"Is that all the strength you have?"

Moyuna had no interest in the men. At her signal, the Vine Treant moved the bound Qianye in front of her. The reason the young Mage God was using such high-spec magic was entirely because of Qianye; while others didn't know, Moyuna knew perfectly well—the skill that had shattered her steam domain had been used by her.

"Heh."

Though hanging upside down, Qianye showed no sign of embarrassment. She maintained that faint, gentle smile in the face of Moyuna’s question. Just as Moyuna pondered the meaning of that smile, the Qianye before her suddenly transformed into a scarecrow making a silly face.

"Space magic?"

This time, it was Xudor who jumped up, knocking his chair over. As an experienced mage, he naturally knew what had allowed for that instant escape.

"Our students from the God of War Academy aren't to be looked down upon. That's the Substitute Scarecrow, the only space magic left behind by the God of War. Fewer than ten people have mastered it to this day. Mages know how complex space-related magic is—it's a high-level spell that swaps the caster with a scarecrow stored in a pocket dimension, allowing one to escape from any situation."

Haru proudly introduced the spell Qianye had just used, thinking to himself that bringing the princess along was the right choice; otherwise, the entire group would have been wiped out.

"Why a scarecrow?"

"Probably the God of War’s hobby. You know girls love cute things."

"Cute?"

Xudor’s mouth twitched as he looked at the abstract, goofy-faced scarecrow, and he sat back down to watch the battle.

Shifting the perspective back to the arena, the moment Qianye disappeared, she reappeared right in front of Moyuna, swinging her staff toward her side. She was certain this surprise attack would land, but she swung at empty air—Moyuna’s body had vanished just like Qianye’s had moments before.

"Space magic! It’s space magic! Our classmate Mo Aotian can do it too!"

The students in the stands erupted once more. Seeing Moyuna effortlessly use such a spell elevated her status in their hearts even further; she was almost becoming a deity—though, in truth, she already was.

"Mo Aotian is invincible!"

"Moyuna Flying Kick!"

Moyuna, having reappeared behind Qianye, shouted out the name of a very cliché move. It just went to show that every mage had a heart that longed for melee combat; despite being able to use magic, she insisted on kicking Qianye’s back in a bizarre pose. The petite girl hadn't expected Moyuna to use space magic, and since her Substitute Scarecrow was still on cooldown, she could only tense her body to take the hit.

However, reality was cruel. Moyuna hadn't considered how little physical strength she actually possessed. She felt as though she had kicked a steel plate, and gravity pulled her straight to the ground.

*Thud.*

The Mage God hit the ground, producing a comedic sound effect. Qianye, who had braced herself for impact, was stunned for a moment. She felt as if she had been bitten by a mosquito; it didn't hurt at all—if not for the footprint on her shirt, she wouldn't even have realized she’d been kicked.

"Well, your stance is certainly solid."

Moyuna climbed up from the floor, dusted off her white dress, and gave Qianye a thumbs-up, her face completely calm despite the thousand eyes watching from the stands.

"Pfft, hahahaha!"

It took a while for Qianye to react, but her faint smile finally broke, and she clutched her stomach, laughing heartily.