Mu Nujiao had already reached the intermediate level in dual elements when she entered university, a clear sign of her extraordinary talent.
At the same time, she wasn't one of those privileged children who coasted on their family's wealth. She worked hard, constantly striving to improve.
Almost the instant the tree roots lunged toward her, a round shield magic tool flashed into her hand!
With a sharp bang, the shield flared to life, blocking the piercing roots. Mu Nujiao took the chance to leap aside, narrowly escaping danger.
Song Jie saw this and instinctively thought he'd get the chance to play the hero and save the beauty—
but he quickly realized that Mu Nujiao wasn't some delicate girl who needed rescuing.
"Be careful!" Mu Nujiao shouted to him.
Song Jie frowned. He'd been on guard the whole time, but that brief moment of distraction was all it took—several tree roots suddenly targeted him.
"Seriously? Sixth Brother, can't you give me a break?" Song Jie muttered to himself, quickly completing his Light Element star track.
Glorious Light: Big Explosion!
A ball of dazzling golden light burst from his palm, shooting forward before exploding violently among the tree roots ahead.
A flash of golden brilliance illuminated the forest, and the roots were instantly blasted apart, shredded into fragments of ash and bark.
When Mu Nujiao witnessed this, she finally confirmed that what Mu Lei had said about Song Jie's strength was true.
The others around them didn't notice—everyone was too busy fighting for their lives.
Song Jie saw more roots spreading again and, without hesitation, fired off several more golden explosions.
They couldn't be allowed to get close, or the whole group would be in serious trouble.
Seeing that the situation was turning desperate, Mu Nujiao turned toward the middle-aged man at the front.
"Uncle Jin, if this keeps up, they won't hold out much longer. We'll be surrounded!"
Uncle Jin glanced back. They had started with more than thirty hunters—now fewer than twenty remained.
He hesitated for only a second before shouting, "Everyone, listen up! I'll clear the path! Follow me, and don't stop for anything!"
The terrified hunters immediately perked up at his command.
Most of them were beginner mages, with little real combat strength. If they stayed here, they'd be overwhelmed.
Song Jie, recognizing the high-level mage was about to act, restrained his impulse to step in.
Let's see how a real powerhouse handles this.
Uncle Jin's expression hardened. In an instant, a constellation flared around him—
the unmistakable mark of a High-Level Mage!
Mu Nujiao and Mu Lei watched in awe, their eyes full of longing for such strength.
"Sky Flame Funeral! Rain of Fire!"
A massive fireball rose into the air, growing larger and hotter by the second. Then—
BOOM!
It exploded with deafening force.
Flames cascaded down from the sky like a meteor shower, scorching everything below.
The ground ahead became a blazing inferno. The roots disintegrated to ash the moment they touched the flames.
A searing heatwave blasted through the area, and sweat poured from everyone's bodies.
"Wind Mage, lead the way!" Uncle Jin commanded.
A wind-element mage completed his star track. "Wind Track: Gale Step!"
He charged forward, conjuring powerful winds that pushed the flames aside, clearing a narrow path through the inferno.
"Everyone, move!" Uncle Jin roared, sprinting after him.
The others followed close behind, running desperately through the sea of fire. The air was thick with smoke—they coughed, but no one dared to slow down.
"Fire Mage, clear the front!"
As soon as the words left Uncle Jin's mouth, the fire mage unleashed another spell, burning through the roots blocking their path.
Behind them, the pursuing roots were consumed by flames. Ahead, the way forward was the only chance for survival.
"Wind Disk! Tornado!"
The mid-level wind mage summoned a raging tornado that swept through the path ahead, fanning the flames and tearing apart the remaining roots.
They were almost through. Faces blackened with soot, their eyes filled with hope.
"It's right there! We're almost out!"
But even in this moment of hope, the danger didn't let up.
"Damn it! There are more tree roots! This thing doesn't want to let us leave!" someone cried out in despair.
Uncle Jin had already released two rounds of high-level fire magic, but the enemy seemed endless.
Even he couldn't keep this up much longer.
"Uncle Jin!" Mu Lei called, looking at the man who had become the group's final pillar of strength.
Uncle Jin didn't hesitate. His constellation flared again—
and the sky turned crimson as another round of Fiery magic engulfed the forest.
The ground became a roaring ocean of fire. The burning roots screamed as they writhed and fell apart, but more surged forward like suicidal soldiers.
"Now! Rush out with me!" Uncle Jin bellowed, glancing at Mu Nujiao and Mu Lei.
Everyone charged forward, desperation fueling their legs.
But the roots continued their onslaught, stabbing wildly through the sea of flames.
A scream cut through the air—
A hunter was impaled mid-run and dragged into the inferno.
Everyone froze for a heartbeat, then fear gripped their hearts, driving them to run faster.
"The exit's right ahead!" someone shouted, voice hoarse with exhaustion.
They had barely covered a few kilometers, yet more than a dozen people were already dead.
Song Jie grimaced. How long has it been? So many gone already...
Most of them had joined this bounty mission expecting fortune and glory—
now they were just praying to survive.
He fired off more Glorious Explosions, clearing both flanks to give the others a fighting chance.
But the demonic force controlling the roots seemed to go berserk, launching an all-out assault.
The ground erupted as countless roots surged forward, thick and sharp.
Another man was skewered and dragged into the blazing forest.
"Just a little farther! Hurry!" Mu Lei urged.
Mu Nujiao nodded, teeth clenched.
Suddenly, a massive root—made up of dozens of intertwined, trunk-thick tendrils—rose before them like a wall, cutting off their escape.
"Damn it!" someone shouted.
"Fiery Fist: Nine Palaces!" Uncle Jin roared.
He leapt forward, his constellation glowing as nine blazing pillars of fire erupted skyward.
The flames collided with the monstrous root, and in an instant—it was obliterated.
A gap opened in front of them.
"Go! Move!" Uncle Jin shouted.
The survivors surged toward the opening.
In the chaos, someone shoved past Mu Nujiao, knocking her to the ground.
"Jiao!" Mu Lei tried to reach her, but the panicked crowd swept him away.
Two massive roots whipped down again, trying to close the exit.
Without hesitation, Song Jie sprinted toward Mu Nujiao, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to her feet.
"Come on! Don't stop now!"
Together, they dashed toward the blazing exit as the battlefield behind them roared with fire and death.