[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-armed-witch":3,"chapter-armed-witch-armed-witch-chapter-966":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Armed Witch",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2354506,4604,"Chapter 966: This Is the Legacy","armed-witch-chapter-966",966,"\u003Cp>[PS: Last chapter I mistakenly remembered the youth group age range—it’s 200–350 years old. I’ve adjusted it slightly; Spider Teacher now has a few extra years, from “just a few years shy of 200” to “just over 200.”]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Youth Group Finals: Round of 10 to 5, Match One.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noerose vs. Alanis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Spider Witch rose from the preparation room with eager anticipation, ready for today’s first match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she walked down the corridor from the preparation room to the arena, a smile still lingered on her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noerose remembered something joyful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, her adorable little apprentice seemed to be coming to watch her match today—and apparently even brought some surprise, which was truly exciting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the Spider Witch’s profession was Armed Witch, she always saw herself as a Research Witch; even her world-conquering campaigns were, in her eyes, merely ways to gather research materials and funding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, she had little desire to win the duel tournament—but if it meant showing off her strength to her adorable apprentice, she could make a little effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, Miss Noerose became slightly more serious. She adjusted her battle robe, then strode confidently into the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering, she didn’t even glance at her opponent, instead lifting her gaze directly to the judging platform high above the eastern side of the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then the Spider Witch, who had been squinting, widened all eight of her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight eyes, utterly stunned.jpg\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, what did she just see?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why would a judging official have the grotesque whim to transform into my apprentice’s face—and worse, waving at me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What demonic entity is this? Reveal your true form at once!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A string of question marks floated above Noerose’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, she realized the figure on the platform wasn’t an imposter—it was truly her beloved apprentice. After all, the nameplate on the judging table clearly read four characters: “Forest Witch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tsk, no wonder she hadn’t heard any crowd cheers when she walked out of the corridor—everyone had been staring at the judge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk, this little brat really gave me a surprise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Spider Witch stared at her apprentice on the judging platform, thumb raised, grinning with a mouth full of white teeth. She wanted to give her the finger—but then she noticed Professor Euphelia beside her, and restrained this teacher-apprentice moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, she found the idea of her apprentice serving as her judge perfectly acceptable; such things weren’t rare in the Witch World.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At two hundred years old, she was Dorothy’s teacher—but a thousand years from now, she and Dorothy, both over a thousand years old, would be nearly peers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, in the Witch World, generational hierarchy doesn’t matter much. Strength alone determines status; the capable lead, the strong hold power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, she’d done similar things herself. Decades ago, she was already a dual master of Puppetry and Architecture; thus, the certification exams for her former teachers—who once taught her those subjects—now fell under her review.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heh, as Dorothy would say: “Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. Never underestimate a girl’s poverty.” Back then, those teachers who called her heretical had flunked her—now she returned the favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teacher-apprentice roles reversed, heaven turned upside down—this is tradition in our lineage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, it’s an unavoidable rite of passage for most genius witches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the long path of cultivation, those once distant mentors you could only look up to are gradually overtaken, then left far behind—after enough experience, you grow accustomed to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Spider Witch hadn’t expected to feel this “former mentor” sensation so soon—she’d only been a teacher for half a year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh, sometimes having an overly talented apprentice isn’t a good thing. Being a teacher feels utterly flavorless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the moment she realized Dorothy was the Forest Witch, she accepted it. There’s no point comparing herself to such a prodigy—her apprentice has the potential to become a monarch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teacher, do your best.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noerose saw her apprentice’s beautiful lips moving silently, saying just that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, the Spider Witch gave a thumbs-up gesture, then finally turned her gaze to her opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few seconds of stunned silence, her expression turned strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, this opponent looked familiar. The name seemed familiar too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of recollection, Noerose’s eyes lit up. She lifted her skirt and bowed to the opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Long time no see, Sister Alannis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She finally remembered why she felt familiar—over a century ago, when they were both students, this sister, already graduated for over a hundred years, had been a rising star in the dueling world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Schools loved inviting outstanding graduates back to teach younger students, give lectures, and share experience. This sister had taught two dueling classes to Noerose when she was still a novice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, though the Witch World has no saying like “a teacher for a day, a mother for life,” this sister had indeed once been her teacher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which made today’s match a tangled mess of generational hierarchy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the battlefield, she and Sister Alannis were opponents; her former classmate Euphelia was now a judge on the platform; even Dorothy, her own apprentice, was also a judge—effectively her grand-apprentice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, in the Witch World, generational ranks are just for amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the Elf Witch Alannis’s emotions were even more complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once, she had been the undisputed genius among her peers—even now, she was among the most successful in her age group. But comparison is cruel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noerose had only just recognized her—but Alannis had recognized her long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, she’d recognized Professor Euphelia even earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heh, one was the brightest Research Witch star before the Forest Witch’s rise; the other, the Crown Prince of Dragon Kingdom—a once-in-ten-thousand-years prodigy. How could she not know them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet over a century ago, in that classroom, she stood on the podium, speaking confidently, while these two sisters were just two unremarkable students among many.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, such a gap in status wasn’t easy to accept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since Alannis had grown up as a genius who’d always sailed smoothly. Geniuses have pride—who easily accepts being surpassed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, they hadn’t met in years; they’d only read about each other in the Witch Daily. And strictly speaking, they weren’t even in the same field: she was a professional dueling witch, while these two sisters were a Research Witch and an Armed Witch who dominated battlefields—no real comparison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But fate played a cruel trick: here, on what should have been her own stage, she met these two sisters again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heh, one became her opponent; the other became the judge evaluating her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the Elf Witch’s emotions were truly complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, years of competition experience allowed her to quickly stabilize and calm herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Indeed, it’s been a long time, Sister Noerose.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She responded politely in kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was only surface politeness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, she had already decided: she must not lose this match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Euphelia, the Dragon Queen, was understandable—her terrifying battle record left no room for argument. But this Noerose? A Research Witch! How could a professional dueling witch lose to a hobbyist?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She must prove herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since this duel tournament was under the Dragon King’s direct attention—she needed a strong result to earn the Great Sovereign’s notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Elf Witch’s hands, hidden beneath her battle robe, clenched tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In response, Noerose’s smile slowly faded. She sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, that familiar stench of envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Born into the Envy Clan, she shook her head helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the environment around them began to shift violently. The ordinary arena transformed under magical arrays, reshaping the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above their heads, their names and health bars appeared, each occupying half the space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The countdown ended. The match began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the instant the countdown hit zero, Alannis immediately seized the initiative, swiftly raising her staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her staff was a shortbow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A favored design among Elf Witches—ideal for rapid fire, effective at both range and close quarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No incantations needed. Dueling witches valued speed above all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever struck first usually gained the advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alannis had always been confident in her speed. She was a classic rusher, using overwhelming arrow volleys to suffocate opponents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, as she raised her hand, instinctively reaching to draw the bowstring—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her brain issued the command, yet her hand felt no familiar tension of the bowstring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alannis frowned. Normally, she didn’t need to look down—she lowered her gaze to check her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But all she saw were two bare arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sound of something hitting the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the Elf Witch’s left hand, still gripping the bow, and her right hand, still in the drawing pose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alannis’s eyes widened in horror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before her eyes could fully open, she noticed her perspective felt strange—growing lower, then spinning wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another object hit the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the head of a beautiful Elf Witch, eyes wide open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even severed, the Elf Witch didn’t die immediately. The events had unfolded too suddenly—her body hadn’t yet registered the injury. The massive wound on her once-elegant neck hadn’t bled; the cut was mirror-smooth, revealing intact, still-functioning blood vessels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alannis’s consciousness had already understood everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a battle-hardened dueling witch, her mind was far more sensitive and quicker than her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew she had lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she still couldn’t fathom how—when had Noerose struck? How was her movement so fast?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As fear, resentment, envy, and humiliation churned inside her, her head was picked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the spider witch’s face came into the elf witch’s view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior, do you remember what you taught us in that dueling class?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noerose cradled her senior’s head, forcing her to meet her gaze, and asked with a hint of pity and nostalgia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peak witch’s immense vitality kept Alannis’s consciousness still alert, though weakness was rapidly overtaking her—her mind had already reacted faster than her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, the elf witch swiftly recalled, then her expression froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She remembered the theme of that dueling class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Younger sisters, remember: true dueling never begins after the countdown ends. In fact, the duel starts the moment it’s decided—you and your opponent are already fighting then. True fast attackers begin preparing the moment they learn their opponent’s name; they can launch their assault the instant they step onto the dueling ground. By the time the countdown ends, the outcome is already decided.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, she stood atop the school auditorium, radiant with success, convinced her life was a smooth path ahead, speaking confidently to the sea of young juniors below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, she herself was far from that level—but who speaks honestly at a graduation speech? Isn’t everyone just competing to see who can boast the loudest?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, what she said that day was actually what her teacher—a legendary fast-attack dueling witch who had dominated the tournament for years—once taught her. Though she herself barely understood it, that didn’t stop her from directly repeating her teacher’s words to the juniors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, she had nearly forgotten all of it—but she never expected this memory would be awakened again by the junior before her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, had she truly listened to those words back then? Had she truly internalized them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alannis found it hard to believe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this what true genius looks like? She was only in her twenties then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She opened her mouth to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment her lips moved, her body finally caught up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fountain surged—the newly formed dueling world, once picturesque, remained unharmed, yet now stained with a streak of crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the blood falling like rain finally revealed the invisible things around her—things nearly imperceptible even to a witch’s enhanced vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were fine strands of razor-sharp spider silk, so thin even a witch’s sight struggled to trace them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These threads had been stretched taut and interwoven, already blanketing the elf witch’s entire surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Alannis remained perfectly still, she would have suffered no harm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had she moved slower, she might have noticed the traps laid long ago, and reacted in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unfortunately, this elf witch was famously a fast attacker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her movements were indeed swift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior, thank you for your teachings back then—that class truly benefited me for life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noerose gently closed the dead senior’s unseeing eyes, speaking with sincere gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she turned to the judging stand, where her student still hadn’t lowered her thumb, her face still lit with a bright, toothy grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well? How was my performance? Did you learn anything?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She moved her lips silently, asking without sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, Senior Alannis was a good teacher—she once passed on the essence of fast attack to her, and now, by her own death, she showed her the importance of diligent study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Noerose hoped she could teach even better than this senior had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spider teacher was delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>",2117,"2026-06-21T03:49:48.467Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a435dfe208babd665d47f016285437245fb33496771bedc7ac884bf01f0600f6","armed-witch-chapter-967","armed-witch-chapter-965",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Farmed-witch-cover.jpg"]