85: Chapter 85 Preparations Before Departure

When Wang Sheng stepped out of the Chiefs Tent, the rhythmic clanging of metal on metal echoed across the training grounds.

The morning sun shone from the direction of the Lingxi River, casting golden-red light across the Savage Beast hide flooring of the training grounds and stretching the shadows of the bone pillars and wooden targets far across the ground.

The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of spiritual crops from the spiritual fields, mingled with the scent of sweat and Savage Beast bone powder—the distinct aroma of the training grounds.

Murong Xue was training alone.

The Holy Light Knight was wearing a lightweight silver training suit. Unlike her formal full-body silver armor, this training attire covered only her shoulders and forearms, revealing her long, powerful arms and toned midriff.

The silver metal clung to her honey-colored skin, like moonlight falling upon sun-kissed mountain ridges, creating a visually striking contrast.

Her brown ponytail was tied high, exposing her long neck and refined jawline.

Her resolute face in the morning light resembled a silver war god, yet she was more beautiful than any war god, for there was a softness between her brows that a war god would never possess. That softness was hidden beneath her sharpness, like a warm current beneath ice, perceptible only at the closest distance.

The Holy Light Spear moved like an extension of her own arm.

"Hah!"

She executed a sudden, swirling thrust, the spear tip carving a golden arc of light—like the first ray of the sun rising over the Lingxi River—striking a Savage Beast bone pillar at the edge of the training grounds with precise, ruthless force.

"Crack."

The bone pillar split in two, the cross-section as smooth as a mirror.

Murong Xue withdrew her spear and let out a long breath.

Her silver training suit was soaked with sweat.

The thin layer of silver metal clung to her athletic body like a second skin, outlining every inch of her stunning curves.

Sweat trickled down her long neck, flowed over the crescent-moon curve of her collarbone, and vanished into the edge of her chest armor. There, the curvature of the silver plate swelled slightly, outlining a full, upright silhouette that rose and fell gently with her ragged breathing, resembling the two most captivating silver mounds on the Savage Continent.

The faint, elusive abdominal muscles flashed between the gaps of the silver armor. It was not the thinness of frailty, but lines brimming with power; every curve appeared like a meticulously forged weapon, like markings carved into her honey-colored skin by the blade of a Savage god.

Her waist was slender yet powerful, like a drawn bowstring, ready to unleash astonishing power at any moment.

Further down, her hips were round and firm. The fit of the silver training suit cascaded like flowing moonlight, outlining her full, uplifted curves as if they were two full moons sculpted by the hands of a Savage god.

With every turn, those stunning curves seemed like flowing silver beneath the armor, a perfect fusion of power and beauty. It was not a beauty of fragility or coquetry, but the kind that made one want to be protected by her, yet simultaneously want to protect her.

She was not as gentle as the moon like Shen Xun'er, not as cold and aloof as ice like Frost Mage Lin Shiyun, not as soft and fluid as water like Su Mengyao, nor did she possess the devilish contrast hidden within a petite frame like Zhao Linger. She was a silver spear under the scorching sun—spirited, upright, and heroic, like the most inviolable war god on the Savage Continent.

But at this moment, sweat slid down her temple, dripped onto the tip of her chin, hung for half a second, and then landed on the shoulder plate of her silver armor with a faint, faint "ding." That touch of vulnerability made her entire being something one wanted to protect.

Wang Sheng stood at the edge of the training grounds for a long time. He did not speak; he simply watched.

It was not until the interval after Murong Xue withdrew her spear for the third time that he spoke: "Your spearmanship has improved again."

Murong Xue turned her head. Her brown ponytail whipped a sharp arc through the air, sending droplets of sweat flying, which looked like shattered gold in the morning light.

When she saw Wang Sheng, her lips curled slightly upward. It was not a coy smile, nor a shy one, but the tacit understanding between comrades—an openness that said, "I know you are watching, and I don't mind."

"I have to improve," she said, driving her spear into the ground. The shaft sank three inches, standing firmly upright.

She then placed her hands on her hips, her chest armor stretching slightly with the movement. The full curves, guarded by the silver armor, resembled two mounds rising and falling gently with her breath in the morning light.

"The women around you are getting stronger and stronger; as a cavalry commander, I cannot fall behind."

She walked up to Wang Sheng. She was half a head shorter than him, but her spirited aura made her seem just as tall.

Her brown eyes were clear and resolute, like two polished ambers, containing not a trace of impurity, only light.

"I heard you are going to the Myriad Races Market?" Her gaze was serious. "I am going with you."

"Murong Xue,"

"Don't even think about leaving me behind." She interrupted him, a flash of unquestionable stubbornness crossing her resolute face. "You didn't take me to fight the Ink-scaled Python last time. This time, for diplomacy, if things don't go well, you will need someone who can fight."

Her finger flicked the shaft of the Holy Light Spear, emitting a crisp hum that vibrated like a silver bell in the morning breeze.

"Warrior Tier 3 against Warrior Tier 6—I cannot win," she admitted frankly, her voice devoid of any retreat. "But to hold him off for three minutes, I can do that better than anyone else."

Wang Sheng looked into her eyes—resolute, serious, clear, like a silver spear drawn from its sheath.

"Fine." He extended his hand.

Murong Xue was taken aback for a moment.

She looked at that hand—broad, warm, with distinct knuckles and thin calluses on the palm. It was the hand of a warrior, the hand of a chieftain, and most importantly, the hand of the person who had once handed her a tissue when she was at her most miserable.

Then, she extended her own hand.

The moment their palms clasped, his palm was warm, and hers had thin calluses.

The moment the two temperatures merged, Murong Xue's heartbeat inexplicably skipped a beat.

"Thump." Just like that, it was as if a golden spark had suddenly bloomed within the silver holy light.

She snatched her hand back abruptly. Turning around, she picked up her spear. "I'm going to prepare."

Her brown ponytail fluttered in the morning breeze, and the silver training suit outlined her athletic, spirited back—slender waist, shapely hips—every step carrying the precision of a soldier.

Her long, powerful legs took crisp strides in her Savage Beast hide boots, and the curve of the silver armor around her waist and hips was like flowing moonlight.

But Wang Sheng noticed. The tips of her ears were slightly red.

In the new construction zone of Guangming Village, a workshop built from Savage Beast bones and dark iron stone stood at the east end of the spiritual fields. The Weapon Refinement Workshop.

Rune Forgemaster Xu Mohan stood at the entrance of the Weapon Refinement Workshop, cradling a palm-sized dark iron rune in both hands like a mother holding a newborn child. Although her expression remained that of a rationality so calm it bordered on indifference, there was an unmistakable trace of pride in the corners of her eyes and brows.

The Rune Forgemaster was wearing a gray-blue work shirt today, with the sleeves rolled up above her elbows, revealing a pair of fair, slender arms.

Perched on the bridge of her nose was a pair of glasses polished from Savage Beast bone, which she had crafted by hand using scraps of dark iron ore and Savage Beast bone shards. The lenses reflected a rational gleam in the morning light.

"Chieftain, the Weapon Refinement Workshop is ready."

Her voice was calm and clear, like the rhythm of striking spiritual iron during forging, every word as precise as the most critical stroke in a rune array.

"I have inspected the dark iron ore and the Ink-scaled Python hide; the quality is superior, and it can be used to forge three sets of Barbarian Warrior-grade armor."

She flipped the dark iron rune in her hand, revealing the intricate patterns within. Those patterns spread like a spiderweb, every stroke and line seemingly carved by the most delicate fingertips of a Savage god, precise to an incredible degree.

"I have also inscribed a defensive rune array. Once embedded into the armor, it can provide an additional spiritual power shield. When struck, the rune array will automatically activate, forming a thin spiritual barrier on the surface of the armor that can negate about twenty percent of physical impact."

Wang Sheng patted her shoulder. "Thank you for your hard work."

Rune Forgemaster Xu Mohan's ear tips turned slightly red, but her expression remained calm, like the most stable core node in a rune array.

She pushed up the glasses on the bridge of her nose, her voice returning to that flatness of rationality bordering on rigidity: "This is the duty of a Forgemaster."

She paused, seemingly hesitating whether to say the next sentence. Then, she pushed up her glasses, as if to encourage herself: "Also, Frost Mage Lin Shiyun came by last night."

"Frost Mage Lin Shiyun?"

Rune Forgemaster Xu Mohan's lips twitched slightly, like the finest calibration in a rune array. She was not very good at saying things tinged with emotion, but she said it anyway.

"She asked me to add frost spiritual power circuits to the lining of the armor." Rune Forgemaster Xu Mohan pushed up her glasses, a hint of imperceptible softness in her voice. "Once worn, it can automatically regulate body temperature, keeping the wearer cool under the scorching sun of the Savage Continent. The precision required for the frost spiritual power circuits is extremely high; every circuit must perfectly connect with the nodes of the rune array. Her frost spiritual power is more refined than the spiritual power I use, and she inscribed the circuits even finer than I could."

She paused, a rare occurrence. "She must have stayed in the Weapon Refinement Workshop for most of the night. By the time I arrived, the frost circuits were already inscribed."

Wang Sheng was silent for a moment.

The Frost Mage. She never expressed care with words, kept a cold face toward everyone, and spoke harder than frost, but every action she took was warmer than any sweet words.

She had stayed in the Weapon Refinement Workshop for most of the night, inscribing the frost spiritual power circuits one by one, with such precision that even Rune Forgemaster Xu Mohan had to admit it was "finer than mine." When she did all this, she told no one, nor did she intend for anyone to know.

If Rune Forgemaster Xu Mohan hadn't said it, he might never have known.

"Prioritize forging armor for Murong Xue and Xiao Yuqing in the Weapon Refinement Workshop," Wang Sheng decided, his voice steady. "They are the core combat strength of the diplomatic mission."

Rune Forgemaster Xu Mohan nodded and turned back to the workbench. Those fair, slender hands had already picked up the dark iron rune again; a Forgemaster's hands were always more honest than her mouth.