Chapter 186: Who did What???
A big battle was still coming.
Just as Mo Fan was considering spending a large amount of Water Element mana to stack tide effects and force his way through, a vast surge of water essence suddenly descended from above. A brilliant blue pearl rose into the air, and a rich oceanic aura spread across the battlefield, instantly suppressing the dry, chaotic elemental currents in the forest.
The earthen dragon lunging toward Mo Fan was struck head on by a roaring wall of water and exploded apart on the spot, collapsing into mud and shattered stone.
“Move aside, Mo Fan. If you keep charging in alone, what’s the point of having teammates?”
Zhao Manyan’s voice rang out first, followed by the heavy chopping sound of helicopter blades. The aircraft hovered above the battlefield, and Zhao Manyan stood by the open door with his hair whipping wildly in the wind. In one hand he held onto the cabin, and in the other floated a dazzling blue pearl that shone like a miniature sea.
It was the Water Avoiding Pearl.
The moment it appeared, the surrounding water aura seemed to obey his will. Countless streams of water gathered from the air, from the soil, and from every bit of lingering moisture in the environment, circling Zhao Manyan like blue dragons.
He jumped down from the helicopter and landed beside Mo Fan with a grin. “I told you, if we’re fighting a big clan, you can’t leave this young master behind. And since these idiots want to play numbers, I brought the real thing.”
Mo Fan glanced at him and snorted. “You came pretty fast.”
Zhao Manyan laughed. “Of course I did. I even brought my treasure with me. With the Water Avoiding Pearl in hand, I’d like to see how these Lu Family dogs block me.”
As he spoke, the Water Avoiding Pearl released another wave of blue radiance. Zhao Manyan raised his hand and cast Water Element magic in rapid succession. Water Armor wrapped around Mo Fan’s body, followed by another layer of flowing water that clung tightly to him like a second skin. Then Zhao Manyan slammed his palm forward.
“Violent Wave: Breaking the Galaxy!”
A massive torrent burst forth, amplified to a ridiculous level by the Water Avoiding Pearl. It was no longer a simple intermediate spell. The roaring flood expanded wildly, smashing through the Lu Family formation and sending dozens of mages staggering back. Even their combined Wind and Earth magic was disrupted by the sheer pressure of the surging water.
The Lu Family elders’ expressions changed immediately.
They had expected Zhao Manyan to be troublesome, but they had not expected him to directly bring one of his most terrifying treasures. With the Water Avoiding Pearl amplifying his Water Element, Zhao Manyan became far more than a support mage. He became a walking flood disaster.
He stood shoulder to shoulder with Mo Fan and grinned, though sweat was already beginning to form at his temples. “Go kill whoever you want. I’ll hold the field together.”
Mo Fan’s lips curled slightly. That was more like it.
Before the Lu Family formation could recover, a green streak suddenly tore through the forest. Wind rushed low to the ground, and a figure shot forward with astonishing speed, weaving through collapsing trees and broken spell patterns.
“Brother Fan!”
Zhang Xiaohou arrived.
He stopped beside Mo Fan, chest heaving lightly, dust all over his clothes, but his eyes were bright and steady. The moment he appeared, he immediately traced his Wind constellation and slammed out a Wind Disc that sliced through several Lu Family mages trying to flank from the left. Without even pausing, he followed with Earth Element magic, raising several Rock Barriers to cut off another wave of attacks.
Mo Fan looked at him in surprise. “Xiaohou? You came too?”
Zhang Xiaohou grinned, though his tone remained firm. “How could I not? Once I heard they were targeting you, I came over immediately. Besides, this matter already reached the military side.”
At those words, Mo Fan’s gaze sharpened slightly.
Deep inside the Lu Clan, at almost the same time, the patriarch’s personal communication device rang. He had expected another casualty report, but the moment he heard the voice on the other side, his hand trembled.
The caller was Hua Zhanhong.
There were few people in all of China whose names alone could make an aristocratic patriarch break into cold sweat, and Hua Zhanhong was one of them.
He was the Commander in Chief of the Chinese military, a title many foreigners wrongly translated as Marshal, but in truth he stood above that understanding, the true supreme commander of the nation’s armed forces. By conventional foreign standards, his position was already equivalent to a five star general, perhaps even beyond. More importantly, he was one of the few TRUE Forbidden Mages in China, the master of Zhan Kong, and one of the hidden giants standing behind the nation.
He had also been Mo Fan’s secret benefactor from the start.
It was Hua Zhanhong who had helped push Mo Fan into the national team as a Captain. It would also be Hua Zhanhong who would personally propose to Chairman Shao Zheng that Mo Fan continue the task of searching for Totem Beasts after Jiang Shaojun disappeared, because he believed Mo Fan was exactly the kind of person who could continue bringing surprises to the country.
And now, that same man was calling the Lu Clan patriarch personally.
His voice was calm, but every word carried crushing weight.
“This matter is entirely your Lu Clan’s fault. You should consider yourselves fortunate that Mo Fan has not yet completely lost his reason.”
The patriarch’s throat went dry. “Commander in Chief Hua...”
“Do not interrupt me.” Hua Zhanhong’s tone did not rise, but the pressure in it was enough to freeze the patriarch in place. “Mo Fan is someone I personally value. He is under the military’s watch, and also under mine. If anyone in this country dares touch him again, I will regard it as a direct challenge to me and to the Chinese military.”
His next sentence was even colder.
“As Mo Fan’s ultimate backer, I will let nobody in the country touch him.”
The patriarch’s face turned pale.
Hua Zhanhong continued, “You wanted Lu Yilin in the national team. You made use of private power. You mobilized family influence. You targeted people around Mo Fan. Every step of this was your Lu Clan’s own doing. If Mo Fan kills his way through your branch today, then your branch deserves it. Not one person in this nation has the right to complain to me afterward.”
Then, after a brief silence, he added, “I believed Mo Fan could give this country pleasant surprises. Today, you people forced him to show everyone what happens when his bottom line is crossed.”
The call ended there.
The Lu Clan patriarch remained frozen for several seconds, then immediately barked orders to the elders around him, forcing his voice steady. “No one is allowed to touch Mo Fan anymore. Especially not from the main clan. Lu Xin’s branch will bear its own consequences.”