The Cornflower Witch

Book 3: Chapter 93: The Magnificent Silver Birds Dance

The wind whistled past her ears as Sylutia sat high above the clouds, overlooking most of the area from her elevated position.

Around the tall tower, colorful stars burst through the sea of clouds, blossoming in the sky and scattering comet-like trails of ribbons. Then, a platform rose from the empty square in the central main tower, and three hosts took their positions on it.

Soon, a pale blue ripple spread outward from the main tower, sweeping past the seats on the various branch towers and bringing a refreshing coolness. At this moment, the venue gradually quieted down.

The three hosts delivered their opening remarks in accordance with tradition, expressing gratitude and welcome, before officially announcing the start of the ceremony.

Enthusiastic applause rang out. Then, countless tiny blue dots of light descended from the sky, swimming into the center of the venue like a school of fish.

No—they really were fish. When the audience got a closer look at the true form of these blue dots, they realized they were all small, semi-transparent fish.

Sylutia watched the fish swimming not far above her head, blinking with curiosity.

[Blue Luminous Silverfish] (Alien Star): A special type of fish that appeared under the influence of the Alien Star. They normally live high in the sky's dome, surviving by absorbing the faint energy of starlight.

These fish had transparent bodies, allowing a clear view of their eye structure and main spine. As they absorbed starlight, their bodies emitted a faint blue glow.

As these fish entered the venue, a new stage rose from beneath the main tower. Seated on it were musicians—a symphony orchestra of nearly a thousand people.Melodious music began to play. The firefly-like fish swam over the audience's heads, converging above the plaza within the main tower. Guided by the power of the "Alien Star," they swam in formation, forming a dreamlike circle. Then, they constantly split, merged, and shifted, creating different beautiful patterns. Among these were vague silhouette portraits, scenic paintings from various locations across the Mage Alliance, and finally—the enormous emblem of the "Mithril Clock" School.

Ten minutes later, the orchestra's performance ended as the stage descended, and the transparent fish gathered in the main tower dispersed in an orderly fashion. The first act was over.

At this moment, the three hosts descended from the sky on floating stone platforms, reappearing to announce the start of this year's performance competition.

Is it my turn now? Sylutia glanced at Spencer not far away, then stood up. Two stone platforms appeared in front of them.

Stepping onto this platform, it carried Sylutia into the plaza within the main tower. At that moment, tens of thousands of gazes converged on the two of them. This concentration of stares felt almost tangible, placing a formless mental pressure on Sylutia.

After all, they were all Transcendents—so many of them. Even just the weight of their gazes made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

To act as a host in such a ceremony, one would probably need to be at the Fourth Tier to remain completely at ease.

She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again. At this moment, the stone platform also descended to one side of the plaza, letting her set foot on the ground once more.

About a hundred meters away, Spencer also landed. Compared to the composed Sylutia, his expression seemed somewhat stiff. That formless mental pressure had clearly affected him.

Seeing this, Sylutia felt a twinge of worry, concerned that he might slip up during the performance match.

Fortunately, Spencer was from a great noble family and had seen his share of grand occasions. After overcoming his initial nervousness, he finally steadied himself once the performance match began. Then, the two of them started their duel.

Since both were Second Tier, neither the audience nor the organizers expected them to unleash powerful spells or techniques. Their match was more about showcasing the creativity of the younger generation, with no need to worry about the scale of power.

Spencer produced four small vials of potion. Then, four streams of blue liquid flew out, forming different symbolic characters behind him as he began chanting his incantation, completing the spell.

"A Sovereign Spell combined with potion enhancement—merging the two?" Some spectators noticed the creative technique.

"It's fairly standard. That kind of idea has actually been around for a long time; it's just that few people use it." The elites of various schools exchanged comments.

Although it wasn't exactly novel, the audience's attitude was very tolerant. After all, they were only Seventh Tier—freshmen as well. Even if they understood the principle, being able to skillfully fuse two different techniques was still quite commendable.

However, the scene on the other side quickly drew everyone's attention.

Sylutia spread her hands apart, and strands of silver thread rose from the rings at her feet. They spread outward like flowering vines and creepers, then intertwined with one another.

"How beautiful! Forget about power for now—just the visual alone is enough to count as a performance," a mage praised.

"A student like this should come to our Opera School."

Soon, the silver thread vines beside Sylutia transformed once more. As they intertwined and shifted, like a magic trick, silver birds appeared one after another, circling around the young girl.

"What's this?" This time, many mages sensed something was off.

"That looks like a spell from the 'Bionics School,' but the details use the 'Quicksilver Rune' from the 'Mithril Clock' School."

After both sides' spells took shape, Spencer attacked first. He knew that if he didn't strike now, once the young girl opposite him made her move, the match would be over.

The two of them now had a clear understanding of each other's strength. Sylutia had deliberately slowed her casting speed, giving Spencer ample time to prepare.

The characters formed from the four blue ink streams transformed into Declarative Decrees, charging toward Sylutia. The young girl waved her sleeves lightly, and the birds at her side flew out one by one to meet the attack. They flapped their wings, turning into flowing silver blades that intercepted and shattered the incoming strikes before soaring into the sky, becoming crisscrossing silver stars.

Then, these five circling birds dove down again. Their outstretched wings displayed beautiful quicksilver patterns. As they accelerated, pale air blades formed on their wings, ultimately becoming five magnificent silver arcs cutting through the air like long lines.

Each of these arcs could easily slice Spencer apart. Watching the glittering silver stars descending from the sky, Spencer's face turned pale. He forced himself to stay calm and raised a barrier of azure flame.

"What a pity. That kid opposite can't hold up such a magnificent display at all."

"It's like an opera performance. If the other party can't carry the scene, all that power falls into empty space."

The five swirling silver birds swept past Spencer's side, cutting across the ground and leaving long, deep grooves. The final one shattered Spencer's shield, wrapped around him, and tossed him into the air. Then, it circled around him for a full turn before gently lowering his stiff body back to the ground.

When Spencer, pale-faced, finally set foot on the ground again, the entire venue erupted in enthusiastic applause. He glanced around in a daze and realized that the five birds that had brushed past him had carved a massive pattern into the ground—the image of his family crest, the "Dragon-Lily."

Although Spencer was destined to lose, Sylutia had still spared him some face, allowing him to fulfill his wish of showcasing his family name.

Realizing this fact, Spencer's heart was filled with a mix of emotions. He watched the young girl slowly turn and walk away from the plaza, and finally, he pressed his hand to his shoulder in a gesture of gratitude.