Mo Fan at his best – Versatile Mage

Mo Fan didn’t bother explaining the misunderstanding. Smiling faintly, he said, “Since you already noticed something was wrong, come with us. The Eastern Guard Pavilion is hiding something filthy. You’re good at defense, so you’ll be useful if something unexpected happens.”

Zhao Manyan’s eyes narrowed. “Something filthy? How filthy?”

“Filthy enough that the people here would rather bury the truth than let outsiders know,” Mo Fan said. “And filthy enough that there might be benefits inside.”

The moment he heard the word “benefits,” Zhao Manyan immediately understood Mo Fan’s style. This guy never moved without profit. If Mo Fan said there were benefits, then there was definitely something worth digging up.

After a brief hesitation, Zhao Manyan nodded. “Fine. I’ll go with you. But let me say this first—if it’s too dangerous, I’m running.”

Mo Fan glanced at him. “You? Run? With that turtle shell of yours, you’ll survive longer than most people.”

Zhao Manyan’s face darkened. “Can you not describe my defense like that?”

Mochizuki Chihaya beside them raised her eyebrows. She didn’t think it was appropriate to bring a third person along so casually, but the moment Mo Fan gave her a glance, she had nothing more to say. She still needed his help, after all.

The three of them quickly packed up and stealthily headed toward the cliffside where the Eastern Guard Pavilion was located.

On the way, Mochizuki Chihaya briefly explained the situation with her older brother, Iwata, to Zhao Manyan, and Zhao Manyan finally understood why she had been so desperate.

Mo Fan, however, was thinking about something else.

The Condensed Evil Bead was formed from resentment, curses, and the drained soul origin of prisoners. To ordinary people, it was an ominous and disgusting thing, a seed that could give birth to another Red Demon if left unchecked. But Mo Fan knew that power itself was not the problem. The real problem was whether it could be controlled, purified, and refined.

If the impurities, madness, and curse backlash were removed, could the remaining essence be condensed into something usable?

An Essence Orb.

A dark, soul-nourishing orb that could strengthen beings with an affinity toward darkness, death, demons, and the underworld.

Mo Fan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Zhang Xiaohou’s future path was already tied to the Undead. Once he truly awakened that side of himself and walked toward becoming the new Ancient King, he would not merely be a Wind and Earth Mage anymore. He would become the ruler of countless undead, a future Undead Emperor with an instinctive affinity for demons, death energy, and the underworld.

If such an Essence Orb could be purified properly, it might become a foundation stone for Zhang Xiaohou’s future transformation.

And Mu Bai…

Mo Fan’s expression became thoughtful.

Mu Bai’s future would not be simple either. His path would eventually touch the Dark Plane, and if fate continued moving in that direction, he might one day become a Dark King. A being like that would naturally require a different kind of resource from ordinary mages. Normal spirit seeds, soul seeds, and cultivation aids might not be enough once he stepped beyond the human path.

Something born from curses, evil thoughts, soul origin, and darkness—once purified—might be exactly the kind of thing that could help him.

Of course, Mo Fan had no intention of handing his friends a filthy Evil Bead directly. That would be no different from poisoning them.

But if he could strip away the resentment, erase the Red Demon influence, and leave behind only the pure dark-soul essence, then this dirty prison might become a treasure vault instead.

Mo Fan curled his lips slightly.

The Wangyue Clan had hidden this mess for years, letting it fester into a disaster. Since they didn’t know how to use it properly, then he didn’t mind taking it away and turning it into something useful.

Soon, with a guide leading the way and Mo Fan’s Shadow Magic covering their presence, the three of them smoothly avoided the restrictions and infiltrated the Eastern Guard Pavilion.

Zhao Manyan and Mochizuki Chihaya still appeared quite tense. Only Mo Fan remained calm. His Shadow Element spread beneath their feet like a silent black cloak, and faint silver Space ripples occasionally twisted around them, helping him sense the movement of guards ahead of time.

With his current casting speed and proficiency, ordinary patrols could not react before he had already shifted their hiding position.

As soon as they stepped into the Eastern Guard Pavilion, they felt a wave of discomfort in their bodies. The air was filled with a faint aura of curses.

Before Mochizuki Chihaya could say anything, Mo Fan spoke up. “This is a Cursed Domain. It constantly drains the soul origin of the imprisoned criminals. We’re only staying a short while, so it won’t affect us much.”

Zhao Manyan’s expression changed. “Drains soul origin? Damn, this place is really evil.”

Mo Fan’s gaze swept across the corridor, his tone calm. “That’s why we’re here. Places this evil usually hide something valuable.”

Down the dungeon corridor, they had barely taken a few steps when four guards approached head-on.

Mo Fan immediately used Shadow Magic to cloak their presence. The darkness beneath their feet stretched out, swallowing their figures into the corner of the corridor. At the same time, Zhao Manyan raised a faint defensive barrier, suppressing their breathing and magical fluctuations as much as possible.

The group narrowly avoided detection and, without alerting anyone, found the stone chamber where Mochizuki Chihaya’s elder brother, Iwata, was held.

Mochizuki Chihaya hadn’t expected it to go so smoothly. She quickly looked into the stone chamber and, upon seeing the man inside, immediately became emotional.