Chapter 25: A Magical Prodigy

Once their wounds were bandaged, the two rested for a while before continuing on their way. All things considered, they'd been lucky—facing a monster like the earth dragon, they had only suffered minor injuries.

"Xu Feng, who is your teacher?"

"Teacher?"

"Yes," Corona smiled. "Who taught you magic?"

"No one taught me. I learned it on my own."

"What?" The young woman was taken aback. After all, there were no schools on Hailan Star; magic was traditionally passed down from master to disciple. Self-taught? How was that possible? But she didn't think Xu Feng was lying.

"It's like this..." the boy explained. "I really wanted to learn magic, but I never found a good teacher. After arriving in the capital, I happened to come across a few magic books, so I started learning on my own. Unfortunately, they only covered the basics."

Corona nodded, understanding. Indeed, there were books that introduced the simplest magic, but intermediate and advanced spells were always taught directly by masters. No wonder Xu Feng only knew Wind Blade and Fireball.

Wait... Corona suddenly thought of something and stopped walking. "You mean, you only started learning magic after you arrived in the capital to treat the princess?"

"Yes," Xu Feng nodded.

"How is that possible?" The girl was shocked, her beautiful eyes wide open. Although beginner-level magic was simple, it would take at least half a year for someone with no prior knowledge to master it. But... from the time he treated Aelia until now, it had been less than a month. Could it be...? Her gaze toward Xu Feng changed—was he a genius among geniuses?

Thanks to their earlier experience, the two had grown much closer. For the rest of their journey, they encountered no further dangers. The sun gradually set, and the light in the forest grew dimmer.

"Corona."

"Hmm?"

"Let's find a place to camp. It's almost dark." Generally speaking, the dangers in the forest increased significantly at night, and Xu Feng wanted to prepare in advance.

"No need," the girl smiled. "My teacher's place isn't far from here. We should be able to make it before dark."

Twenty minutes later, the dense, sprawling trees finally came to an end. Their view opened up abruptly, revealing a vast clearing.

Besides the grassland, there was a tranquil small lake. The water was as smooth as a mirror, with a few swans floating on its surface. Behind the lake stood a majestic green mountain. Though not tall, its peak was shrouded in thick mist. The scenery of the lake and mountains complemented each other beautifully, as if they had arrived at the legendary paradise of Penglai.

Xu Feng stared in amazement. Who would have thought that the infamous Misty Forest held such breathtaking beauty within?

"This is the residence of Master Kelaibafei. Unauthorized personnel, keep out!"

"Uncle Bater, it's me."

"Miss?" The voice that had appeared out of thin air paused, then revealed a hint of surprise. "You've returned."

Beside the small lake stood a few thatched cottages. A tall, slender middle-aged man walked out. He appeared to be in his forties and looked delighted to see Corona.

"Bater is my teacher's follower, but I respect him greatly and have always called him uncle."

Xu Feng nodded. The boy didn't know that twenty years ago, the name Bater had been renowned across the continent. As a high-tier, upper-grade knight, though he hadn't reached the Saint-level, he was already one of the continent's top experts. However, after a few years of glory, he had mysteriously faded from the public eye.

At the time, there were all sorts of rumors. Some said he had challenged a dragon and died tragically; others claimed he had fallen victim to an enemy's plot; and still others believed he had gone into seclusion somewhere, training diligently to break through and become a Sword Saint...

But none of these rumors were ever confirmed. As time passed, people gradually forgot about this powerful figure. Who could have imagined that he would become a follower of Archmage Kelaibafei? The story behind this was something outsiders could never know.

"Uncle Bater, how is my teacher's condition?"

Bater sighed. "Let's talk inside." Then he turned to Xu Feng. "And this is..."

"My name is Xu Feng. I'm a friend of Corona's."

Bater was also surprised. He had practically watched the young lady grow up, and in his impression, Corona had always disliked noble youths. Why today...?

Noticing Bater's strange gaze, Corona blushed and quickly explained, "Uncle, don't misunderstand. Xu Feng... his medical skills are exceptional. I invited him here to treat my teacher."

The more she explained, the more Bater misunderstood. This young man named Xu Feng must be the young lady's lover. Seeing Corona's shyness, he didn't press the matter and simply smiled. "Come in quickly. The master has been missing you."

"Ugh, it's all your fault!"

Seeing the amusement in Uncle Bater's eyes, Corona's face turned as red as a ripe apple. She reached out and pinched the boy's arm hard. Xu Feng winced in pain, feeling both amused and helpless. No wonder people said beautiful girls were often unreasonable—she was the one who misspoke, so why was it his fault?

But he wasn't about to let the pinch go unanswered. Xu Feng took hold of the girl's hand, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "Corona, did you know that only girlfriends are allowed to pinch their boyfriends?" Before she could react, he quickly stole a kiss on her cheek and then... made a run for it.

"You..."

Corona had encountered flirtatious nobles before, but none had ever dared to be as bold and unrestrained as Xu Feng in front of her. The key was... after their battle with the earth dragon, their relationship had changed significantly. Corona didn't know what she was thinking, but after being teased like this, she felt only three parts anger—the remaining seven parts were shyness and delight.

As the saying goes, "Bad boys attract good girls." Of course, being merely "bad" wouldn't win anyone's affection. But during the fight with the earth dragon, Xu Feng had fully demonstrated his wit and courage. At all times, he could make a girl feel safe.

A man who was witty, humorous, clever, bold, and responsible was absolutely lethal to any young girl. Corona might not have realized it, but she had already been drawn to him. So, even when Xu Feng stole a kiss, she felt only a hint of anger, overshadowed by shyness and joy.