Mo Fan at his best – Versatile Mage

Mochizuki Meiken spoke solemnly, “So, there’s something I hope you can help with.”

“I have an old friend in Tokyo, a veteran Hunter and also a cleric of the Sacred City. He has been fighting against the Red Demons for many years. I want you to escort this Condensed Evil Bead to him for purification. Once the evil thoughts are removed, what remains will be pure energy.”

“As for the reward… he will offer you a Battle Beast Soul that can strengthen a summoned creature.”

Mo Fan’s eyes brightened slightly.

Battle Beast Soul.

If it had been before, this kind of thing would have been perfect for helping an ordinary summoned beast break through. But now, his Snow Frost Star Wolf was no longer some simple Warrior-level beast. Wolfie had already reached a level comparable to a Mid Commander, with an Emperor bloodline, an Antarctic origin, and an oppressive Ice Element presence.

Even so, a Battle Beast Soul was still useful.

For a contracted beast with a powerful bloodline, this kind of resource could help stabilize its Commander-level foundation, strengthen its beast soul, and push its future evolution further. If used properly, Wolfie’s Emperor bloodline might awaken even more deeply.

Mo Fan smiled faintly. “First of all, this Condensed Evil Bead belongs to me. Ask your granddaughter if you don’t believe me. As for escort fees and hush money, offering just a single Battle Beast Soul seems a bit stingy, doesn’t it?”

Upon hearing this, Mochizuki Meiken furrowed his brows and looked at his granddaughter, Mochizuki Chihaya.

She nodded in embarrassment and said, “In order to sneak into the Eastern Pavilion at night, I did promise Mo Fan.”

Zhao Manyan, who had initially been excited at the mention of a Battle Beast Soul, immediately snapped back to his senses.

Right—how were they supposed to split the reward?

Hadn’t he also risked his life sneaking into the Eastern Pavilion? Was all that credit going to be casually brushed aside?

Mochizuki Meiken said sternly, “Such intense desire… I suspect the Condensed Evil Bead may be influencing you.”

Mo Fan retorted sarcastically, “Old man, the fact that I’m willing to bring the Condensed Evil Bead here and discuss purification already proves I’m not controlled by it. If I truly wanted to keep it, I would have left long ago. This is simply a matter of standing firm on what’s mine.”

At those words, Mochizuki Meiken’s expression turned somewhat awkward.

Fortunately, he had already entered his twilight years. His cultivation had stagnated, and he was no longer inclined toward youthful competitiveness. After a moment, he let it go and said, “Fine. Once it is purified, the Condensed Evil Bead will still be yours.”

Mo Fan raised an eyebrow. “Not just the bead. I want part of the purified essence too.”

Mochizuki Meiken frowned. “The purified essence is precisely what must be handled carefully.”

“Handled carefully?” Mo Fan sneered. “You people handled it carefully for so many years and almost raised another Red Demon. Don’t use that excuse with me.”

Mochizuki Meiken fell silent.

Mo Fan continued calmly, “I don’t want the evil thoughts, curse contamination, or Red Demon influence. I’m not stupid enough to swallow poison and call it treasure. What I want is the clean essence after the filthy parts are stripped away.”

Zhao Manyan glanced at him suspiciously. “Old Mo, what do you need that kind of thing for?”

“Research,” Mo Fan said casually.

Zhao Manyan clearly did not believe him, but he wisely chose not to ask further.

Mo Fan’s real thoughts were already moving elsewhere.

The Condensed Evil Bead was a dangerous object because it mixed resentment, curses, evil thoughts, and soul origin together. But if a true expert could purify it and separate the madness from the essence, what remained might become an extremely rare dark-soul treasure.

An Essence Orb.

Something that ordinary mages might fear, but that could one day be useful to people walking a path connected to darkness, death, demons, and the underworld.

Mu Bai’s future would eventually be tied to the Dark Plane. If fate continued along that path, he might one day become a Dark King, a being whose existence would no longer be limited by ordinary human cultivation resources.

And Zhang Xiaohou…

That guy’s future was even more terrifying.

Once Zhang Xiaohou awakened the Undead Element and continued growing toward becoming the new Ancient King, he would no longer simply be a Wind and Earth Mage. He would become a future Undead Emperor, a ruler of the underworld, someone naturally compatible with death energy, demonic forces, and calamity undead.

If this Condensed Evil Bead could be purified into a clean Essence Orb, it might become a foundation resource for both of them in the future.

Of course, Mo Fan would never hand his friends something contaminated.

He wanted the usable part.

The pure part.

The part these people probably didn’t even understand the full value of.

“As for your escort reward,” Mochizuki Meiken said after thinking it over, “I’ll write a letter to my old friend and let him decide what it is worth. It won’t be anything too shabby.”

Mo Fan nodded slightly.

In the original course of events, the Condensed Evil Bead would have ended up in his hands anyway. The difference now was that he was moving earlier, and he already understood its potential value.

Mochizuki Meiken’s old hunter friend in Tokyo was supposed to be the person most suitable for purifying it. However, whether that friend would still be alive, whether the Red Demon had already acted, and whether this timeline had changed because of Mo Fan’s interference were all uncertain.

The parties reached an agreement. There wasn’t much time left in the evening, so everyone returned to their rooms to sleep.

Mochizuki Chihaya was still worried about her brother Iwata’s safety, but Mochizuki Meiken reassured her, “Don’t worry. Once Takagi realizes the Condensed Evil Bead is gone, he’ll naturally release your brother. Away from the bead, his mind will gradually recover.”

The next morning, the National Team members woke up and departed for Tokyo.

What surprised them was that the Japanese female instructor, Mochizuki Chihaya, also followed along, stating that she had something to do and would accompany them part of the way.

Though curious, seeing that Mo Fan remained calm, the others didn’t press further.

Before long, the group arrived in Tokyo and were met with a magnificent sight.

On the outskirts of the bustling Tokyo metropolis stood a thick, towering city wall, stretching endlessly along the coastline for hundreds of kilometers.

It appeared layered and staggered, each section higher than the last, so formidable that even sea monsters over a hundred meters tall couldn’t scale it.

A glorious work of Earth Element magic, it was perhaps not as grand as the Nine Provinces Great Wall, but it was still known worldwide as one of the four great Sea Battle Fortresses.

Guan Yu remarked in awe, “It’s said that the anime Attack on Titan was originally inspired by Tokyo’s Sea Battle Fortress—a wall separating the inside from the outside, with endless deep-sea beasts on the other side.”

Jiang Yu, well-versed in knowledge, said bitterly, “In reality, the oceanic creatures we’ve faced so far account for less than one ten-thousandth of their true numbers. The real power of the Deep Sea Demon Empire hasn’t even revealed itself yet.”

“Put it this way: the sea monsters sent to the frontlines aren’t here to conquer human lands. There are simply too many of them… sea demon overpopulation. These ones are forced ashore and sent to die.”

“If they manage to seize human resources, they’ll live a few more days. If not, it’s fine too. The main goal is to control population density.”

This statement shattered many of the team’s long-held worldviews.

Mu Tingying exclaimed in shock, “Then that’s basically the sea demons’ version of family planning? But I heard there are tons of Commander-level beasts on this battlefield. That’s Commander-level! On land, that’s enough to dominate a city, yet here they’re just cannon fodder?”

Another member, Li Kai, also found it hard to believe. “Humans can’t be that weak, right? If the cannon fodder alone makes us treat them like a national crisis…”

Ai Jiangtu stepped up and affirmed, “That’s exactly the case. Humanity’s situation is far less secure than it looks.”

This conversation plunged the group into deep thought. These young people were finally beginning to see the world more clearly.

The Sea Battle Fortress brought Tokyo an immense influx of soul essences, materials, and resources, fueling its economic prosperity. Hunters from all over the world flocked here, drawn by the extraordinary opportunities for training.

Ai Jiangtu instructed several of the National Team members, “Head to the Sea Battle Fortress immediately. This training exercise relates to the allocation of a batch of national-level magical resources contributed to the Magic Association by various countries. These are all high-tier materials.”

“And after this training, our National Team will undergo its first round of eliminations and selections.”

Upon hearing this, the team members who had originally been planning to relax became serious. No one wanted to fall behind.

Ai Jiangtu then looked at Mo Fan. “What about you? Where are you going?”

Mo Fan replied casually, “I have other business to handle. Zhao Manyan is coming with me. I’ll catch up after it’s done.”

Ai Jiangtu looked at him for a moment, then nodded. “Don’t delay too long.”

Shortly after, the team split into two groups.

One group headed for the Sea Battle Fortress to engage the sea monsters, while Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan, led by Mochizuki Chihaya, set out to find the hunter friend introduced by Mochizuki Meiken.

The three traveled across a large section of Tokyo and finally arrived at the famous scenic area, Seven Wings Mountain.

This region was rich with natural beauty—temples nestled in the hills, rivers suitable for camping, and entire stretches of maple-covered mountains burning red like fire.

As Mo Fan and the others walked along, they saw many Japanese families setting up tents on the clear riverbanks, which were full of smooth pebbles.

Elegant white-collar workers, gentle and sweet housewives, children laughing and playing—everything radiated warmth and harmony, with a touch of bourgeois charm.

Coming here from the chaotic Sea Battle Fortress felt like a time warp. The nearby serenity clashed sharply with the blood-soaked battles on the other side.

“What beautiful scenery… and so many forests,” Zhao Manyan muttered. “No wonder this is where a master would choose to live.”

Mo Fan glanced around and clicked his tongue. “Even the rich guys’ wives here look like they came straight out of certain films.”

Hearing this, although Mochizuki Chihaya didn’t fully understand Chinese, she clearly noticed the lecherous gleam in Mo Fan’s eyes and shot him a fierce glare.

Finally, the three of them found an old and secluded temple deep in the mountains. They knocked on its reddish-brown doors.

Knock, knock, knock!

“Hello, Master Qixiu. I am the daughter of Mochizuki Meiken. I apologize for the sudden visit.”

As she knocked, Mochizuki Chihaya spoke respectfully.