Mo Fan at his best – Versatile Mage

After giving final instructions regarding the aftermath of the Nether Queen, Zhang Xiaohou departed quietly.

The other party pretended to look reluctant, instructing him that if anything happened, he could summon her by lighting a candle and shining it on a mirror.

“This concubine will certainly come to protect you.”

Zhang Xiaohou merely gave a faint, awkward smile, not quite knowing how to respond to such theatrics. He was in a hurry to return to the others, his thoughts already drifting toward the battlefield and whether everything had truly settled.

Buzz buzz buzz!

Moments later, he activated a Wind-infused Spatial Traversal. A ripple of pale silver currents flickered through the air, and his figure vanished, reappearing not far outside the Ancient Capital. Riding the currents of the wind, his landing was steady and precise. After passing the inspection of the city-guarding mages, he quickly entered.

When Zhang Xiaohou arrived at the inn where they were temporarily staying, the structural damage had long since been repaired by skilled Earth Element mages specializing in infrastructure.

After giving final instructions regarding the aftermath of the Nether Queen, Zhang Xiaohou returned quietly to the Ancient Capital.

The exhaustion of battle still lingered in his body, but something deeper weighed on him—something far more insidious.

At the inn, after a brief reunion with Lu Mei and the others, Zhang Xiaohou remained silent, his usual steady composure slightly strained.

It didn’t take long before Mo Fan found him.

Leaning casually by the doorway, Mo Fan watched him for a moment before speaking.

“You’ve already begun to be affected by the Emperor’s Armor.”

Zhang Xiaohou’s gaze shifted, but he didn’t deny it.

Mo Fan walked in, his tone turning serious.

“The vast sea of negative emotions—rage, resentment, slaughter from the undead—is subtly invading your subconscious. Sooner or later, it’ll replace you with another personality.”

A faint wind stirred around Zhang Xiaohou, unstable for the first time.

“I can feel it,” he admitted quietly. “Like something trying to take root.”

Mo Fan nodded.

“I’m currently helping you cleanse it every moment—but I can’t keep doing this forever. You need to quickly advance to Super tier in the Undead element so you can touch the subconscious level and suppress these negative feelings.”

He paused, then added more bluntly,

“Or…”

Zhang Xiaohou looked at him.

“Or you balance it yourself,” Mo Fan continued. “Strong will, clear purpose—positive emotions. That’s the only way to counter something like this naturally.”

Zhang Xiaohou fell silent.

After a moment, he said, “I won’t lose myself.”

Mo Fan smirked faintly. “Good. Because I don’t feel like fighting you.”

The tension eased slightly.

Mo Fan then crossed his arms, thinking for a second before speaking again.

“But there’s a faster, safer way too.”

Zhang Xiaohou looked up.

Mo Fan shrugged. “I know someone.”

“Ding Yumian.”

Zhang Xiaohou’s expression shifted slightly at the unfamiliar name.

“She’s basically the strongest Psychic Element user I know,” Mo Fan continued. “My assistant back at Pearl Institute. Her whole thing is dealing with emotions, mental influence, subconscious control—stuff exactly like what you’re dealing with right now.”

He looked directly at Zhang Xiaohou.

“The corrosive influence from the undead isn’t just energy—it’s emotional residue. That’s her specialty.”

Zhang Xiaohou listened carefully.

“If she helps you,” Mo Fan added, “you won’t just suppress it—you’ll stabilize it completely.”

Zhang Xiaohou nodded slowly.

“I’ll go.”

Mo Fan waved his hand. “Not immediately. You’ve still got things to handle here. But once you’re done… Pearl Institute.”

He paused, then grinned slightly.

“And while you’re at it, hurry up and reach Super Tier.”

Zhang Xiaohou raised an eyebrow.

Mo Fan’s eyes gleamed.

“There’s a Wind Element Heaven Seed sitting in the Dark Abyss.”

The air around Zhang Xiaohou shifted instantly.

Mo Fan continued,

“You’re a Wind Mage. Once you hit Super Tier, you can refine it. That thing will completely transform your element—your speed, your power, everything.”

Zhang Xiaohou’s gaze steadied.

“I understand.”

Mo Fan nodded, satisfied.

“Good. Fix your mind first, then take the Heaven Seed.”

He turned to leave, then added over his shoulder,

“And don’t die before that. Would be a waste.”

Zhang Xiaohou let out a quiet breath, the wind around him gradually stabilizing once more.

For the first time since returning, his thoughts felt clearer.

The path ahead was dangerous—but it was also certain.

And this time, he would walk it without losing himself.

Meanwhile, the Black Vatican had carefully planned their conspiracy, yet they never expected that the Commander of Bo City that they had completely disregarded would be the one disrupting their festival.

Test run?

The unforgivable sin the Black Vatican had committed in Bo City had trained people like Mo Fan, Zhang Xiaohou, Xu Zhaoting, and Zhan Kong, who would give all they had to fight against the Black Vatican, even if it meant sacrificing their lives.

The Black Vatican had brought fear and death to the world, yet to those that had survived the calamities, all they had sown was an inextinguishable fury in their hearts!

A little Bo City had already trained so many people, let alone the Ancient Capital that had existed for thousands of years. Many brave ones among the survivors would step forward. The wild ambition of the Black Vatican to bring chaos upon the world would not stand a chance against the determination of the people who wanted to eradicate the evil organization!

The seeds had been planted, watered with the sad tears of those who had lost their loved ones...

They would surely blossom one day!

—

On the clock tower, Great Deacon Hu Jin still could not believe what had just happened as he hung there in the rain.

The whole city was celebrating, only he looked worse than a dead man.

The festival was gone, implying that he would no longer be sent to paradise. His soul would fall into the burning pot together with the Dark Beast Monsters and become an ugly slave for the rest of his life!

Ta, ta, ta, ta...

It was the sound of heels hitting the concrete. The clock tower was now empty. Mu He did not dare to breathe when he heard the footsteps.

However, it seemed like there were two people walking up the stairs...

“Why did you call me here?” said a woman.

“I believe there’s no one here. I thought we were both going to die... either way, there’s something I have wanted to tell you since a long time ago. About ten years ago, when we first met here, you were still a Hunter Master. I know, I’m not worthy of you, I’m still an ordinary Imperial Magician after ten years... but for the past ten years, you’ve always been the most perfect woman in my heart!” said a man.

“Is that all you have to say?” The woman’s voice sounded rather cold.

“Yeah, I’m not hoping that you would accept me, but I still wanted to tell you my feelings,” said the man firmly.

“Normally, I would accept everyone who’s willing to submit to me, but unfortunately, you’ve spoken this nonsense to me when I’m in my worst mood. I won’t accept your feelings, but I don’t mind accepting... your heart,” said the woman.

“What did you say... AHHH!” the man’s voice turned into a painful scream in the middle of her words.

The clock tower suddenly fell silent. Not a single sound could be heard.

Mu He was hanging at the same spot, his face completely twisted.

Not long after, he heard the same sound of heels tapping on the bricks, each felt like a sharp blade was stabbing his heart as they came closer.

“Senior...Senior Salan!” Mu He wanted to kneel on the ground, but he was unable to do so.

The woman’s right hand was dripping with blood, and holding a fresh human heart. It was extremely horrifying!

She lifted her cold gaze, staring at Great Deacon Hu Jin hanging before her.

Mu He felt like the cold gaze had simply shattered his soul.

“You helped that kid to enroll in a Magic School?”

“Yes...yes... no...no...” Mu He was at a loss for words.

“You’ve brought up such a monstrous enemy for our Vatican, who even ruined my festival. I should be thankful to you...”

“No, don’t, please don’t, no... AHHHH!”

An utterly forlorn cry echoed from the ancient clock tower, like someone’s soul was being torn into pieces. The cry lingered in the air for some time.

Meanwhile, the people below the clock tower was cheering and celebrating. It looked like a fairly exciting festival was happening...

——

When the tide of undead fell away, backup and support finally arrived.

Countless helicopters were circling in the sky, bringing supplies to the city. Construction crews came in bulk and started rebuilding. However, in order to prevent the undead from attacking again, they first built temporary places within three kilometers of the city walls to settle the people.

The rain finally stopped on the third day. The survivors were settled in the temporary buildings enclosed by tall walls, making them at least look safer on the surface.

Unlike Bo City, the city had coexisted with the undead for a long time. It was rich with resources, and it had existed for thousands of years. Even the greatest storm had failed to destroy it. The city would only be rebuilt after it was torn down, as most people were unwilling to abandon their property.

The reconstruction of the city did not take as long as the people had expected, since half of the rebuilding was done by machinery, while the builders were in charge of the bridges, roads, streets, and buildings. Each building would only require a few Earth Magicians.

The areas within three kilometers from the inner city were rebuilt first. They would slowly expand out from there. As long as the heart was still there, the Ancient Capital would slowly rejuvenate... humans were not as fragile as they had imagined. Despite the sorrow they had been through, those who survived still had to keep moving forward.

——

The meeting room in the bell tower...

Some fruit that was just brought to the city was placed on the meeting table. They looked fairly juicy, they must have been sent here via air transport from the south.

Not many people were seated at the meeting table, but they included Du Xiao, Zhu Meng, Han Ji, the mysterious man, and Yao Nan...

“I’ve looked many places, but I still can’t find Mo Fan,” said the mysterious man.

“The guy doesn’t seem like a kid who is unwilling to leave his name behind after doing a good deed?” teased Zhu Meng.

“It’s all thanks to him. Who would have thought, the Demon Element... tsk tsk, he must be the only person who can support the Demon Element. I’ve called you all here to discuss what we’re going to do with Mo Fan,” said Han Ji.

“The Demon Element is banned by the Magic Associations of the five continents. I’ve asked Mo Fan, he doesn’t want to be the white mouse, so I guess we’ll try our best to conceal the truth,” Zhu Meng expressed his thoughts.

“A superior from the military has contacted me. He told me that Demon Mo Fan was the Deathbringer of Dongting Lake that once stirred up great chaos in Biyi City,” said the mysterious man.

“Which superior?” asked Zhu Meng immediately.

“Must be the one in charge of the southern military district. He told us that it’s best not to let the Magic Associations of the five continents know about Mo Fan,” said the mysterious man.

“Mo Fan wants us to keep it a secret, and the military and the Magic Association have no intention to make it public either, but regarding the Hunter Union... Du Xiao, can you stop Chu Jia and the others from spreading it?” asked Zhu Meng.

Du Xiao shook his head.

He was a Senior Hunter, but the elders were higher-ranked than him. He had no way of sealing their mouths.

“Don’t worry about the Hunter Union. Some old man must know about it, and Mo Fan is working in his shop. With his help, the information won’t spread to somewhere it’s not supposed to,” said Yao Nan.

“I almost forgot about that. Yao Nan, I’ll let you contact the Clearsky Hunter Agency,” said Du Xiao.

“Alright, the military, Hunter Union, and Magic Association should be able to keep it a secret. After all, only a few of us have seen him using the Demon Element. We should be fine. As for Mo Fan’s friends, they won’t have any problem keeping it a secret, either,” Han Ji nodded.

“By the way, Salan must have learned about the Demon Element too, will he possibly...” blurted out the mysterious man as a thought crossed his mind.

“Salan must be trying his best to leave our country now. He was too exposed this time. The Enforcement Union will be uprooting all his remaining underlings. The highest ranks of the Enforcement Union is going to hunt him down. Do you think he has time to waste on Mo Fan?” Han Ji smiled.

“That guy tried to destroy the Ancient Capital by relying on the Ancient King’s kingdom of undead to crown himself the God of Death. I bet he’s running away like a dog now. Once we find out all the Blue Deacons and uproot those that are hiding, in half a month, Salan will just be a general without an army... By the way, Mo Fan is truly the Black Vatican’s nemesis. They failed to acquire the Underground Holy Spring from Bo City because of Mo Fan, and at the Magic City, they were still trying to steal the Underground Holy Spring, but they completely lost everything there. This time, Mo Fan has disrupted their festival too, giving us the chance to get rid of the Black Vatican’s influence in the country. Splendid!” Zhu Meng burst out laughing.

“Yeah, the kid is our secret weapon against the Black Vatican.

Once his cultivation improves further, he can simply infiltrate the Black Vatican’s main headquarters and erase them from the world!” said the mysterious man excitedly

The Black Vatican was basically the world’s biggest malignant tumor. Many people would burst into tears the day it was finally removed!

“Then we should take good care of this gem,” Han Ji smiled too.

“Should we provide assistance so that it’s easier for him to grow?”

“No no no, that’s not a smart choice. If we help him, his cultivation might stop at the Advanced Level. I believe you all know that we didn’t reach our level by living like a prince, nor is it because we are under outstanding protection...” Du Xiao immediately disagreed with the suggestion.

The people that attended the meeting had more than enough resources to train Mo Fan into an expert, yet it would only spoil him!

Mo Fan was a gem that had grown in the wild. They should just let him be. Every strong Magician had walked the path on their own.

“But we can’t just let him be without keeping an eye on him...” Han Ji was not so carefree.

“I have a good idea,” Zhu Meng laughed.