Su Xiaocheng sat bolt upright, listening with full attention.
“First, do not attempt to touch its power. Build your magic system toward purification. Master a purification-biased domain using your own strength, then absorb the seed.”
“The purifying power accumulated inside the seed can rapidly grow your domain. After that, simply use your own magic power to catalyze the seed and make it sprout. You will advance to S-rank smoothly.”
“Is it that simple? What if I can’t grow it either?”
“It won’t happen. It has already chosen you. If you take this path, I guarantee that in at most two years you can become S-rank—and an S-rank specialized in purification magic at that. You would be invincible against Witches of the same rank.”
Su Xiaocheng had to admit she was truly tempted. With S-rank strength she would be high-level combat power throughout the entire Magical Girl Alliance.
She would never have to worry about dragging Xiaolu and the others down again. In time, she would be the one carrying everyone!
“Second choice: Release most of the purifying power accumulated in the seed and absorb only the portion you can withstand. This way you can quickly increase a portion of your strength and obtain a quasi-Miracle that you can use even at your current level.”
“Even without a domain yet, you would be able to display A-rank strength. Then, using the quasi-Miracle as your anchor, you could quickly master a purification-biased domain.”
“But this would be a waste of the Miracle. Building a domain with a quasi-Miracle would indeed make the domain stronger, but breaking through to S-rank in the future would be much harder. Ordinary Miracles wouldn’t suffice—you would need a higher-quality purification-attribute Miracle. Honestly, I don’t recommend this.”
Su Xiaocheng fell into deep thought.
Should she go for the guaranteed S-rank, or gain temporary power and chase a vague chance at becoming an even stronger S-rank?
Suddenly she thought of something and asked nervously, “Tea Grandma, can the purifying power accumulated over five hundred years restore a Magical Girl whose pollution has exceeded the critical threshold?”
Hearing Su Xiaocheng’s question, Tea Grandma answered without hesitation, “Of course. This is a Miracle. As long as she hasn’t reached S-rank, the purifying power is enough to cleanse every trace of pollution on her body.”
“But I must warn you first: This seed has already fused with you. There is no possibility of discarding it after using up the purifying power. Doing this would be like giving your future self a huge setback.”
“Xiaocheng…” Lu Yinxi understood Su Xiaocheng’s intention and opened her mouth, but stopped.
“Don’t try to persuade me. Use the purifying power to save Youzi. We’ll deal with the future later.” Su Xiaocheng didn’t hesitate for a second.
Tea Grandma didn’t blame her. Instead she looked a little gratified.
Risking everything for her companions—what a beautiful quality. This was exactly how Magical Girls should be.
“Do what you want to do.”
Tea Grandma left those final words, and her figure vanished into thin air.
Su Xiaocheng downed the tea in front of her in one gulp, stood up, and said, “Let’s go. We’re heading back to find Youzi.”
***
At the summit of White Tea Mountain, Youzi anxiously watched the tea garden on the neighboring peak.
It had already been half an hour since Su Xiaocheng and the others had chased underground.
Ever since that extremely powerful magic fluctuation earlier, there had been no movement at all.
The intense magic interference had even temporarily cut off the signal on the Magical Girl-exclusive terminal.
Finally, under Youzi’s hopeful gaze, four familiar figures emerged back onto the surface.
Seeing Youzi on the White Tea Mountain summit, the group flew straight over.
“Youzi, I have a way to save you!”
Su Xiaocheng said excitedly.
“Save me? Should I lie down or something?”
Youzi was completely confused.
Su Xiaocheng held up the mysterious seed for Youzi to see and said, “This is, um…”
After a brief moment of thought, Su Xiaocheng casually gave the quasi-Miracle a name.
“This is the Purification Seed. Using it can purify the pollution on your body, Youzi.”
Hearing Su Xiaocheng’s words, Youzi was somewhat shocked.
The concept of Miracles wasn’t widely known; it was actually something taught only during the Dawn Trial.
“Sister is telling the truth,” Su Xiaowei vouched.
Youzi looked to Lu Yinxi for confirmation.
Lu Yinxi nodded without mentioning the cost of doing so.
“No,” Youzi suppressed the longing in her heart and still refused.
“I don’t know what this is, but something that can purify a Magical Girl whose pollution has exceeded the critical threshold must be extremely precious. Xiaocheng, you should keep it for yourself.”
“Youzi, so dishonest,” Xiaobai mercilessly teased.
“Actually, we weren’t asking for your opinion.” The tour concert unfolded, isolating them from outside observation.
Su Xiaowei also activated Cozy Little Home, protecting Su Xiaocheng and Youzi.
“You girls? Can you show some respect to your senior?”
Youzi said helplessly.
After fusing with Su Xiaocheng, the purifying power released by the Purification Seed also matched the color of Su Xiaocheng’s magic power—pink.
Large swaths of pink light enveloped Youzi, gently washing away the pollution on her body.
The last bit of glowing Maiden Heart flew out.
Under the rush of purifying power, the black pollution gradually faded, revealing the original orange color.
“Mmm~” A soul-deep sense of pleasure and comfort made Youzi unable to hold back a soft moan.
The pollution deeply etched into her Maiden Heart was stripped away strand by strand under the quasi-Miracle-level purifying power, turning into gray mist and vanishing without a trace.
Under the cleansing of such high-quality purifying power, Youzi felt her Maiden Heart had become even more radiant.
The domain she had been unable to master for so long now showed faint signs of forming.
“What is this thing?” Youzi’s heart was filled with amazement.
Five hundred years of accumulation, completely consumed in just ten minutes.
The Purification Seed flew back into Su Xiaocheng’s body and quietly stayed beside her Maiden Heart.
The Maiden Heart, which had been almost completely polluted, now had not a single stain.
It looked like a crystal-clear orange gem, shining with dazzling light.
Youzi had never felt so light. Her talent was average, yet she had shouldered the responsibility of protecting Anning City.
Over the years, she had seen off one senior after another and welcomed one junior after another.
These past days, Youzi had already accepted her fate.
She just wasn’t willing.
She didn’t want to turn into a Witch in the end and cause trouble for Lu Yinxi and the others.
She had even thought that once the Dawn Trial began and the Magical Girl Alliance sent new Magical Girls to take over the duty of guarding Anning City, she would venture alone into the wilderness and turn into a Witch far from the city—at least she wouldn’t personally destroy the place she had protected for so long.
But today, a junior in her eyes—a Magical Girl who had only been one for a month—had brought her salvation.
Tears welled up and spilled over.
Looking at her brand-new Maiden Heart, Youzi could no longer suppress her emotions.
This was a miracle belonging to the present.
A miracle created by Su Xiaocheng’s own hands.