Chapter 27: A Critical Moment!

Alicia watched Eric, marveling at the fact that she was now learning Magic from him, and she couldn't help but continue watching.

This was something easily understood. After all, opportunities to watch experts in action were few and far between. Alicia knew that even watching Magic users from her own family perform magic was something she rarely got to see.

Alicia noticed that Lilith beside her was also watching intently, obviously learning as well. She clenched her fist in silence. "No, I cannot lose to her!"

At that moment, due to the distance, neither Alicia nor Lilith could confirm whether Eric had used the Water Vortex without Chanting. However, there was no doubt about Eric's speed in casting or his astounding level of proficiency!

"Wow, this young man's Magic is incredible. I feel like I've opened my eyes today! So this is what it's like to have a Magic user as a teammate!" one of the Physical Cultivation Practitioners on the battlefield exclaimed.

As a participant in the battle, he was truly experiencing the satisfaction of being supported by Eric's magic.

"Of course, did you think I would pick someone unreliable?" Red Snake said with a tone that almost sounded like bragging.

With Eric's Water Vortex, the pressure on everyone dropped significantly. There were only a dozen or so Bluewood Monkeys left, and they should be able to handle them without much trouble.

On Black Serpent's side, the Monkey King's injuries were mounting. It was clear that the fight was almost over, and the atmosphere on the battlefield began to lighten.

"Soon, everything will be settled," Black Serpent thought to himself.

"I never imagined that this kid would be such a big help," Black Serpent, an Intermediate-level Physical Cultivation Practitioner, thought as he observed.

Having been on the battlefield himself, Black Serpent had witnessed firsthand how Eric contributed. As the strongest in the group, his keen perception was sharper than anyone else's.

He knew better than anyone how crucial Eric's role had been. If it weren't for Eric, the sheer number of monkeys would have been too much for them to handle. "After the battle, I really need to thank him," Black Serpent thought to himself.

Just as Black Serpent was reflecting on this, he suddenly widened his eyes in shock, not because of the Monkey King, but because he saw something happening behind Eric.

"Eric, get out of the way, quick!" Black Serpent shouted, causing everyone to look toward Eric immediately. What they saw made their hearts stop.

Behind Eric, three Bluewood Monkeys had appeared out of nowhere.

These three Bluewood Monkeys were all Level 4 Exotic Beasts. It was unclear when they had hidden themselves, but they knew Eric was the one who had caused them so much damage, and now they were charging at him with no hesitation, intent on attacking!

"What!?" Eric immediately noticed the three Bluewood Monkeys behind him. "No wonder they're Level 4 Exotic Beasts, they know how to launch a sneak attack. Their intelligence is almost on par with humans!"

The three Bluewood Monkeys were incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, they were almost upon Eric. The first countermeasure Eric thought of was to use Phantom Step.

After all, his physical body was weak, and trying to dodge with his own strength was impossible. He wasn't a Physical Cultivation Practitioner. But just as he was about to activate the skill, his heart sank.

"What, I don't have enough magic for a Phantom Step?!" Eric panicked.

Having been supporting an entire Physical Cultivation Practitioner team throughout the battle, his magical energy had been greatly depleted despite being enhanced several times. At that moment, he was exhausted, and the magic required for a Phantom Step was far beyond his remaining reserves.

As a result, he couldn't use it!

With the Bluewood Monkey's claws rapidly approaching him, Eric's face went pale. The others, including Black Serpent and Red Snake, could only watch in desperation. At their distance, they couldn't get to Eric in time to save him!

"It's over!" The others thought, their hearts in their throats.

However, in the next instant, everyone heard a rippling water sound, and before they could process what was happening, a massive surge of water suddenly erupted around Eric!

The events unfolded so fast that no one could even comprehend when he had cast his magic. The terrifying torrents of water surged outward, blasting in all directions. Eric stood in the center of the water waves, expressionless, like a god of water!

"That was close! That was close! I made it just in time!" Eric thought as he forced out the last of his magic energy, activating Ripples of Water in that critical moment.

Ripples of Water allowed for a wide-range attack and control in all directions. It was not only a clearing skill but also a lifesaving one.

In the end, it was thanks to Eric's current abilities as a proficient Magic user that he had the benefit of a magic recovery buff.

Had he been an ordinary Magic user, he would have certainly been dead by now!

The three Bluewood Monkeys that had tried to sneak up on him were thrown into the air by the violent water flow, and were ultimately killed by the torrents. Eric had narrowly escaped danger.

The group of Physical Cultivation Practitioners breathed a huge sigh of relief. At the same time, their battle was finally drawing to a close.

The Monkey King, already at death's door with injuries all over, used its last remaining strength to counterattack Black Serpent. Its massive hand balled into a fist, and it swung at Black Serpent's head.

"Roar!!"

Meanwhile, the Monkey King paid no attention to its own body, allowing Black Serpent to strike at its heart. Black Serpent could easily pierce the heart now, but at the same time, the Monkey King was aiming for his head.

It was clear that the Monkey King had given up on its own life, determined to take Black Serpent down with it!

Black Serpent's expression turned cold as he muttered, "Idiot!" Then, his large blade suddenly gleamed with light. "Power Slash!"

In the next moment, Black Serpent's blade visibly sped up several times, and a layer of cutting energy surrounded it. He swung the blade, deflecting the Monkey King's fist with a powerful strike.

Then, with a mighty chop, Black Serpent cleaved the Monkey King's neck, slicing down its right side, splitting its massive body in half!

"The battle is over!" Black Serpent said coldly, his face expressionless as he sheathed his blade. The Monkey King's lifeless body fell to the ground with a thud.

Nearby, Black Serpent, along with a group of Physical Cultivation Practitioners, was quickly finishing off the remaining Bluewood Monkeys. When the last Bluewood Monkey's head was severed, the battle was finally concluded!

"Good! Good! We've successfully secured the win!!" The Physical Cultivation Practitioners cheered in unison, their voices full of triumph.

On the other side, a group of students watched in awe, their hearts racing. While they hadn't participated in the battle and thus didn't feel the danger firsthand, witnessing such a visual spectacle still left them feeling fired up!

Kevin was ecstatic. "Oh my god, did you see that last strike from Black Serpent? That's Martial Arts Skills! Martial Extremes! It was so cool!"

While Magic users could wield Magic, Physical Cultivation Practitioners could also learn Martial Extremes. Both paths led to the same destination.

As the group of Physical Cultivation Practitioners celebrated, Alicia and the others remained silent. The one who had truly stunned them the most in this battle was undoubtedly Eric.

When Alicia saw the Ripples of Water in action, her heart skipped a beat. "Instantaneous Magic, Water Vortex, and Ripples of Water... all of those must be Level C, right?"

"Eric, Eric, how did you become such a monster?" Alicia couldn't help but marvel inwardly, her expression showing signs of exhaustion.

It wasn't just those three Magics, but also his ability to cast without chanting, his powerful magic display, and… his magic energy levels were abnormal.

Alicia could barely manage to use a few Magics in a day before feeling completely drained, but Eric… he had been able to cast Ripples of Water all the way until the battle was over!

Alicia, thinking about the gap between herself and Eric, felt a deep sense of shame. Up until now, she hadn't even managed to learn her third Magic.

Fortunately, after watching the battle, Alicia had gained many insights. She clenched her fists and thought to herself, 'It's decided. After I return, I'll go into seclusion and train. I will break through to becoming a Mid-level Magic user!'

After the battle ended, Black Serpent and the others began to clean up the battlefield. Although this fight had been tough, the spoils were extremely valuable, starting with the numerous Bluewood Monkey corpses scattered around.

These corpses could be treated like piles of dollars because even a level 1 Bluewood Monkey was considered a high-quality Exotic Beast, worth around 8,000 dollars.

And as their level increased, the value of the Bluewood Monkey corpses grew exponentially!

Black Serpent walked up to Eric and spoke seriously, "Brother Eric, I owe you an apology for the misunderstanding earlier. If it weren't for you, this battle would never have gone so smoothly."

"So, I've decided. Half of the Bluewood Monkey corpses will be yours!" Black Serpent said, his tone firm and unquestionable.