After leaving the team, the adventurer ladies regretted it deeply-Chapter 730 - 507, The Land of Bitter Cold, Bailuo’s Doubt_2

“Student? Spring is here already; which cohort do you belong to?”

The guard was visibly surprised.

He took Lin Da’s leave slip, while the marking indeed belonged to the Ice Abyss, signed by Instructor Tannis, leaving no room for forgery.

In other words, this young man had taken a full year’s leave…

Typically, adventurers who entered the Ice Abyss quickly pulled ahead of those outside, thanks to the abundant resources provided by the Coldmoon Duke—something unimaginable in the outside world.

Students were eager to stay in the Ice Abyss year-round, even skipping fireworks festivals, spending all 365 days there.

The golden-armored guard glanced at Lin Da with interest: “Go ahead! Train hard from now on and don’t waste this precious opportunity!”

As he spoke, the fog gate churned, revealing the scene beyond.

Whoosh—

A piercingly cold wind mixed with icy snow blasted forth.

Despite being prepared, Lin Da couldn’t help but flinch.

This chill emanated from the [Cold Moon Law], and even a trace of it was unbearable for ordinary adventurers.

Lin Da dared not be careless, fully activating his Magic Circuit.

Recovery Magic Power formed a thin membrane around him, gradually dissipating the cold.

The other team members quickly adjusted as well; even Monica, who had the weakest constitution, managed to withstand the wind beyond the fog gate.

Observing the performance of the Phoenix Tail Flower team, the golden-armored guards nodded faintly.

“Don’t forget, upon entering the Ice Abyss, report to the Commander’s Camp first.”

“What’s the direction to the Commander’s Camp?”

“Straight ahead, there’s a large blue tent. Head there!”

“Thank you for the guidance.”

Lin Da and his team stepped through the fog gate.

Inside the Ice Abyss lay a world cloaked in white; the wind howled, icy and bone-chilling.

The ground was blanketed in snow, each step sinking to the ankle. Before long, Lin Da’s feet were numb from the cold.

“So this is the first trial of the Ice Abyss: reaching the Commander’s Camp before exhausting all Magic Power!”

Lin Da’s expression turned serious as he addressed Kafni: “It’s your turn to shine.”

“Leave it to me!”

Kafni tossed her short hair back, her smile radiant.

Radiant Technique: Comprehensive Scan!

Pale white light rippled outward.

A moment later, Kafni opened her eyes and pointed in a direction: “Follow me!”

…

…

Elsewhere, Bailuo returned to the rector’s office and slumped onto the sofa to rest.

Reuniting with old teammates had renewed her spirit considerably.

The Phoenix Tail Flower team members were also cheering for her.

“Teacher, no matter how long it takes, I will find you…”

Bailuo clenched her tiny fists, murmuring to herself.

Her gaze fell on the gift box on the table, sparking a thought.

After a bath and getting her wounds cleaned by a Priest, she’d eat it.

During the gathering, the food had been woefully insufficient, thanks to Taige’s large appetite, leaving Bailuo with barely anything.

In the bathroom, Bailuo carefully removed her dress.

The full-length mirror reflected a near-perfect youthful figure.

Slender arms, long and powerful legs—they reminded one of the hummingbird, famed for its agility. Though small, her speed was unmatched, exceeding even that of the eagle, truly a spirit of the wind.

Seeing the rotting wound on her left shoulder, a trace of melancholy appeared in Bailuo’s eyes.

“I wonder if the Holy Light Church in the Royal Capital has a cure…”

Though Dark Corruption wasn’t fatal, it weakened an adventurer’s combat abilities and Life Force. Worse still, it was unsightly and emitted a faint odor.

This was something Bailuo found most intolerable.

Even during the mild spring weather, she bathed daily, keeping her home meticulously clean. The sight of the wound made her so furious she wanted to chop it off.

But that would be a self-destructive solution.

Dark Corruption took root deep within the body, with the external wound merely its surface manifestation. To expunge it, one had to target its source.

Water gushing.

The bathtub filled with hot water, steam rising as a layer of mist coated her pale skin.

Bailuo’s feline ears twitched, flicking water droplets everywhere. She clenched a red elastic band between her teeth and tied her hair into a bun, slipping her left foot into the tub first to test the temperature, then submerged herself entirely.

For Water Series adventurers, soaking in water could slightly replenish Magic Power and suppress Dark Corruption.

When Lin Da and the others were present, she didn’t summon a Priest because she wasn’t confident she could undergo treatment without losing composure before them.

The bathwater’s surface reflected Bailuo’s weary visage.

During her recovery days, she had visited many places and learned of several magic items capable of treating Dark Corruption:

The Holy Spring of the Life Forest, the scales of the Holy Dragon, the heart of the Deep Sea Blue Whale… or one of the goddess’s [Miracles].

Among the 71 Miracles, 6 were known to cure Dark Corruption.

Looking at it this way, there seemed to be plenty of solutions.

But only those who sought them firsthand knew how difficult it was to obtain even one.

These items were impossibly rare, and whenever they appeared, upper-class Big Shots consumed them first. Only a handful reached the Sacred Rank.

The sky began to darken as Bailuo’s shoulder wound festered like a boiling oil pot, the Dark Magic Power stirring restlessly.

Bailuo bit her lip, curling into a ball, her thoughts drifting to fragments of her time with the Primitive Adventure Team.

“Teacher.”

“Teacher…”

“Sob…”

Strange noises echoed in the bathroom.

The pristine bathwater seemed tainted…

Ten minutes later.

Bailuo exited the bathroom, donning a new dress.

Thanks to the self-consolation she provided earlier, she managed to endure the daily peak of Dark Corruption’s symptoms. Her mind was clearer, realizing certain unusual details.

Bailuo sat on the sofa, towel-drying her damp silver hair and quietly pondering: due to the arrival of Taige and Anna, she had overlooked anomalies in someone else.

Calming her thoughts, she reflected on the day’s events, finding them strangely intriguing…

The first and foremost oddity was Taige’s attitude toward Lin Da.

From what she knew of Taige, he would never address someone as “boss” so warmly unless Lin Da had earned his absolute respect.

Moreover, Anna was close to Lin Da.

Anna, like herself, was a core member of the Primitive team.

Both had seemingly modest personalities but were remarkably proud; they wouldn’t let just any adventurer into their ranks.

So far, coincidence could still explain things.

But if Monica, Tasya, Mingli…

They were all old teammates from the Primitive group…

Bailuo’s heart skipped a beat.

Something struck her suddenly, prompting her to stride toward the collection room.

Inside the cabinet was a commemorative photo album she had made using a Recording Stone during her days at the Primitive manor.

Bailuo followed the faint echo of a memory and opened the album.

One by one, familiar yet distant photographs appeared before her.

The times from four years ago resembled a faded dream, feeling unreal.

Tina, Lemy, Anna, Wolf…

Each name resurfaced in her mind.

There were photos of teammates dining together, laughing together, training and sweating on the practice grounds. But these weren’t what Bailuo sought.

She remembered one particular photo that had accidentally captured the Primitive Adventure Team’s roster.

The roster listed the names of all members who had ever joined the team.

But time had passed, and Bailuo’s memory had dulled. Perhaps the photo wasn’t deemed worthy of inclusion in the album and had been discarded.