Huo Yumeng quickly let go of Song Jie and said anxiously, "When we were leaving, we ran into more of those giant ants from before!
Among them was a Great General, and we were no match for it, so Mu Lei told me to come find you!"
Song Jie frowned but didn't waste time thinking. He motioned for Huo Yumeng to get on the Wind Riding Sky Eagle's back.
They were probably being hunted by magical beasts right now — every second counted.
"Lead the way!"
"This way!"
After Huo Yumeng pointed out the direction, Song Jie urged the Wind Riding Sky Eagle forward.
He silently prayed that Mu Lei and Ding Yumian were still alright.
The Wind Riding Sky Eagle darted swiftly through the dense forest, weaving between towering trees. Soon, they spotted bloodstains on the ground — still fresh!
"Over there!"
Following the trail, they soon saw Mu Lei being chased by several blood-red ants.
Song Jie raised his hand, and a burst of golden Radiance shot from his palm, instantly obliterating the magical beasts pursuing Mu Lei.
"Song Jie!!"
Mu Lei let out a long breath of relief upon seeing him, then suddenly collapsed to the ground.
They quickly dismounted. Huo Yumeng, a healing-type mage, immediately began tending to Mu Lei's injuries.
"Are you alright?" Song Jie asked.
"I'm not dying," Mu Lei grunted.
"Where's Ding Yumian?"
Mu Lei clenched his fist. "To avoid dragging me down, she led some of the magical beasts away in another direction."
He pointed ahead. "She went that way."
Song Jie nodded sharply and leapt back onto the Wind Riding Sky Eagle.
He could only hope Ding Yumian could hold on until he reached her.
Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Ding Yumian was surrounded by Bloodthirsty Ants.
She used her Mind Element magic to suppress their instincts, forcing the creatures into a strange calm.
The Bloodthirsty Ants stood still, their usual blood-red glare fading from their eyes.
Ding Yumian exhaled shakily. With her current strength, there was no way she could defeat a Great General Bloodthirsty Ant — all she could do was buy time and wait for a chance to escape.
But then—
Rustling sounds echoed from all around her.
More creatures were approaching!
Her heart tensed. She glanced at the motionless ants and then scanned her surroundings. The noise grew louder — she was surrounded.
Ding Yumian guessed that the wolf pack they encountered last night had probably been forced out by these Bloodthirsty Ants.
But she didn't have time to dwell on it — she had to survive first.
One after another, blood-red ants the size of basketballs emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing with violent light.
Ding Yumian spread her spiritual energy once again, forcing the beasts into stillness — but maintaining it drained her rapidly.
Her mind was already exhausted, still reeling from the earlier battle where she helped Song Jie.
Just as she was about to collapse, a dark shadow loomed over her.
She looked up — and her eyes lit up with relief.
The Wind Riding Sky Eagle swooped down, and just before landing, Song Jie reached out and pulled her onto its back.
The moment she left the ground, the Bloodthirsty Ants below erupted into a frenzy, roaring toward the sky.
Without hesitation, Song Jie raised his hand and unleashed an ultimate Great Explosion downward!
The explosion tore through the forest — a wave of golden fire and pressure turned the Bloodthirsty Ants into nothing but a bloody mist.
"Are you alright?" Song Jie leaned close to Ding Yumian's ear, his voice soft but filled with worry.
She shuddered slightly — the warmth of his breath brushed her skin.
"I'm fine," she murmured weakly. "Just... my mental energy is drained. I want to sleep for a bit."
Before Song Jie could respond, she slumped against him, unconscious.
He quickly checked her condition, his hands scanning for injuries. Only after confirming there were no severe wounds did he exhale in relief.
"Thank goodness, no major wounds." He withdrew his hands and muttered under his breath, "I swear, I was really checking her injuries. I didn't do anything improper!"
Back at their resting spot, Huo Yumeng had finished healing Mu Lei's wounds.
When she saw Song Jie return with Ding Yumian in his arms, she hurried over.
"What happened to her?" she asked.
"Mental energy depletion. She fainted," Song Jie explained.
"Give her to me."
Song Jie nodded, passing Ding Yumian to her.
Huo Yumeng began treatment while Song Jie went over to Mu Lei.
"I finally figured out why there are so many bones here," Mu Lei said grimly.
"Why?"
"It's these ant beasts," Mu Lei replied. "We saw them devour a Warrior-Level magical beast whole. When they were done, only bones were left."
Song Jie's expression darkened. "Then what happened last night was probably their doing too."
This used to be the territory of wolf-type beasts. They must have been driven out by these Bloodthirsty Ants.
Mu Lei swallowed hard. "Song Jie, we can't stay here any longer."
"I agree."
"Oh, right—what about those men from before?"
"They've been taken care of," Song Jie said flatly.
"Good."
Just as he was about to go look for Bai Liang and Dongfang Ming, their group arrived.
Xu Mingliang asked, "What happened to you all?"
"We ran into magical beasts," Mu Lei said wearily. "But this isn't the place to talk about it."
Song Jie added, "Those creatures could still be nearby. We need to move to the next survey point immediately."
Bai Liang and the others nodded.
Encountering magical beasts was the last thing they wanted during field training — and seeing Ding Yumian injured only showed how dangerous the situation had become.
Song Jie had Huo Yumeng support Ding Yumian onto the Wind Riding Sky Eagle's back.
As the sun set and the moon rose, silence enveloped the dense forest.
Without tents, they had no choice but to sleep under the open sky.
Ding Yumian had slept for several hours before faint noises stirred her awake. She sat up slowly.
"Ding Yumian, you're awake!" Huo Yumeng said with relief. "How are you feeling?"
"Much better," Ding Yumian replied.
"Perfect timing. I cooked something. Eat a little," Huo Yumeng said, handing her a bowl.
"Did we leave that place?" Ding Yumian asked.
"Yes."
"Where's Song Jie?"
"He's patrolling nearby."
Ding Yumian nodded faintly.
It was a good thing Song Jie had arrived when he did — otherwise, she might have been dead by now.
However… although she'd fallen asleep, she remembered clearly the feeling of Song Jie holding her tightly against him.
Her face flushed bright red.
"Ding Yumian, why is your face red? Are you sick?" Huo Yumeng asked, worried.
...
Author's Note:
The first half (completed version) of Versatile Mage: My Magic Has Gone Beyond Limits! is now available on Patreon!
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Thank you all for your continued support! 💙
Second Half Coming Soon...