Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 6] Chapter 131

[Vol. 6] Chapter 131: The General of the Black Scaled Army

The ground-shaking punch from Shangguan Hong created a small tremor, shaking the earth like a dragon turning over. Although the blow didn’t cause the tea wall to collapse, the violent tremor turned most of the people present, including the entire [Black Scaled Army], into tumbling gourds on the ground.

The battle formation disintegrated in an instant. Even these well-trained soldiers couldn’t maintain their ranks in the face of such upheaval, let alone launch an organized charge or seize their targets.

Taking advantage of this moment, the experienced old general leading the charge decisively waved his sleeve, summoning a gust of wind that blew away the [Black Scaled Army] blocking the entrance. He charged forward, clearing a path with remarkable ease.

“Go!”

The members of the [Shocking God Sect] naturally followed closely behind him. With individual combat strength far surpassing the [Black Scaled Army], they broke through the encirclement and swiftly escaped.

“Damn it! Don’t let them get away! After them! Mount up and chase them!”

“Wait…!”

The black-armored cavalry general, who was still struggling to steady himself after the tremor, roared out commands but suddenly froze as a thought struck him.

He recalled that a few others, suspected of colluding with these “rebels,” had been largely quiet until now. Whirling around, he saw that the soldiers tasked with capturing those individuals were sprawled on the ground, seemingly enjoying an unplanned deep slumber.

The spot where three young women and a middle-aged man had been standing was now empty, leaving some faint traces of a silvery glow that was quickly fading.

The shimmering light flickered, fading away as if mocking his futile efforts and his foolishness.

“Damn it!!!”

………………………………

Somewhere on a hillside, about ten miles from the tea wall.

“Pop.”

A flash of silver light signaled the sudden and stable reappearance of four figures who landed securely on the ground.

Surveying the surrounding scenery to confirm their location, a certain priestess couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

“I have to admit, having spatial abilities is just so convenient! Coming and going without a trace. It’s way faster than flying around!”

“Hehe… Well, it’s not as all-powerful as it seems. Truly skilled spatial practitioners can block or trace teleportation. It’s just that the ones we encountered this time didn’t have a clue about that, so we got lucky. It’s no big deal, Violet~”

Although the cat-eared girl said this, the silver ears on her head perked up, delighted at the praise. Even the small white cat in her arms gave her a strange look before burying its head back down in apparent resignation.

“Alright, alright, whatever you say~”

The priestess smiled and nodded, then shifted her gaze to the silver-haired girl nearby.

“Hen, can you share where those tools you used earlier came from?”

Seemingly unsurprised by the question, the Spirit Maiden nodded slightly and answered straightforwardly.

“Seven years ago, the silver star that brought me to this world didn’t disappear. Instead, it transformed into the shape of this ring and remained.”

Hen raised her right hand, revealing a modest-looking silver ring on her middle finger. Despite its plain appearance, it seemed to reflect a brilliant, starlike radiance. Her tone remained matter-of-fact.

“Once I was strong enough to move freely, I returned to the valley where I had landed and retrieved this object, which had been hidden there. It contains many things, all seemingly tailored for me, designed for protection and convenience.”

“But I don’t know where these things came from.”

“I see…”

It sounded truly incredible.

But it was precisely this extraordinary explanation that made sense of how these items, unique to [Illusory World], had appeared in the Ancient Spirit Realm.

Violet glanced once more at the silver-haired girl, her expression as calm as still water. She suppressed the thoughts swirling in her mind for the time being.

While she didn’t fully grasp the situation, this was enough to confirm that the Spirit Maiden and the “Miss Aloof” Violet once knew or perhaps the game [Illusory World] itself  was deeply connected in some way.

A traveler between worlds… If Hen was also transported from the game, her circumstances were likely vastly different from those of the priestess, Minchen, and others.

To be honest, Violet was tempted to examine that ring closely to see exactly what was inside.

But it was a personal item, much like the priestess’s bag, which held all sorts of secrets. Even with the camaraderie Violet and Hen once shared in the game, she couldn’t casually say something like, “Hey, bestie, let me rummage through your bag!”

So, it remained just a passing thought.

Finally sensing a pause in the conversation, Mr. Murong, who had been mostly excluded from the girls’ private discussion, cautiously raised a question again.

“Miss Violet, what’s our next move? Do we stick to the original plan and continue toward the [Endless Wasteland Sea] to search for the gateway to the [Heaven-Opening Sect] ruin there?”

“Hmm, let me think…”

Standing on the hillside, the black-haired girl lifted her gaze toward the distance. From this elevated vantage point, the faint outline of the spatial rift connecting to the tea wall was just visible, along with the vague movements of countless dark shapes shifting within it.

“I originally intended to do that,” she said with a faint smile. “But now, there are a few questions I’m a bit more eager to figure out.”

She chuckled softly. “If I pass up on such an intriguing spectacle right in front of me, I probably won’t be able to sleep tonight~”

………………………………

Meanwhile, in a forest clearing off a distant roadside.

The [Shocking God Sect] group, having just escaped pursuit by the [Black Scaled Army], had gathered here to rest and regroup. They were also roughly discussing their next steps.

“Is everyone alright?”

“Yeah, just minor issues.”

“It’s fine. Those were just regular soldiers.”

As the six or seven members formed small groups and checked on each other’s condition, Shangguan Hong leaned back against a tree trunk, his body finally relaxing slightly. However, his expression soon grew puzzled.

“Strange… The [Black Scaled Army] is known for their strict discipline. Why would they suddenly resort to such unreasonable, barbaric behavior? What are they up to?”

The speaker, a plain-looking girl named Yanzi with long black hair tied into two braids, replied in a low voice, “Rather than questioning the [Black Scaled Army], I’d say the problem lies with that officer.”

Sitting next to her was another girl with sky-blue hair, youthful and somewhat inexperienced but already stunningly beautiful. Her curiosity was immediately piqued.

“Oh? Has our clever little Yanzi noticed something interesting? Come on, tell us!”

“Clever little Yanzi? Stop giving me weird nicknames…”

Noticing that everyone’s attention had naturally shifted to her, Yanzi sighed and shook her head, seemingly unwilling to bother arguing over the odd nickname. Instead, she calmly analyzed the situation.

“First of all, there’s the issue of rank, just as Senior Brother mentioned earlier. That officer was just a mere [Black Scaled Army] cavalry captain, a position no higher than sixth rank. Yet he commanded the elite Black Scaled Cavalry, which would normally require an officer of at least third or fourth rank. That alone is highly irregular.”

“Did you all notice this as well? Based on the conversation we had with them, it seems this [Black Scaled Army] unit was alerted by the sound from Little Yao’s earlier battle, which made them rush over immediately to check the situation.”

“At first glance, that seems reasonable enough, but it also indirectly reveals a few things.”

“For instance, this army was already nearby at the time, and they didn’t have anything particularly urgent to deal with. That’s why they were able to drop everything and rush to the teahouse where we were.”

The pure-looking girl from before tilted her head, looking confused.

“Uh… that makes sense, I guess, but what does it mean?”

Yanzi sighed helplessly.

“Ah Xue, use your brain a little…”

“Hehe, as long as I have you, Yanzi, why bother thinking? Just tell us the answer~”

Shaking her head, the swallowtail-braided girl spoke in a calm yet serious tone.

“…Putting all the information together, a cavalry captain commanding troops far beyond his rank, operating on an inland road where the [Black Scaled Army] shouldn’t be, and ready to mobilize forces at a moment’s notice. What kind of scenario typically involves this?”

Shangguan Hong, the sharp-eyed senior brother who seemed highly familiar with military affairs, raised an eyebrow as realization dawned on him.

“You mean… they’re temporarily stationed here to guard something? And most of the higher-ranking officers are preoccupied with other matters, leaving this person to oversee the troops for now?”

Yanzi nodded thoughtfully.

“Exactly. If I’m not mistaken, about ten miles from here, in the [Wangxi Basin]… wasn’t that area recently sealed off by the military? It seems the [Black Scaled Army] is responsible for that.”

“For this cavalry captain to divert so many troops over something minor and act so oddly. Don’t you find that suspicious?”