Chapter 218: Water element spirit for Zhao manyan???
In front of the temple, Mochizuki Chihaya knocked several times, but still, no one responded from within.
Mo Fan’s heart sank slightly.
Don’t tell me… he was already dead?
They had rushed here this many days in advance, yet had they still arrived too late?
Just as Mochizuki Chihaya was still patiently waiting, Mo Fan suddenly stepped forward, walked up to the wooden doors, and delivered a heavy kick.
Bang!
A loud boom echoed.
Zhao Manyan winced at the sound and quickly said, “Damn, Old Mo, aren’t you afraid of offending the master like this?”
Although Mochizuki Meiken was mild-mannered, he was still a solid Super Mage and one of the leaders of the Twin Guardian Pavilions. As his old friend, this Master Qixiu should not be far off.
Mo Fan didn’t reply. He quickly walked toward the side room. His Shadow Element had already sensed a thick aura of death spreading inside.
The two behind him quickly followed and saw Mo Fan halt at the threshold.
When they looked inside, they were stunned and quickly covered their mouths.
An old man had collapsed on the floor. Signs of struggle surrounded him—he had likely been down for a long time, his breath faint and weak.
“Quick, help him!”
Mochizuki Chihaya rushed over, carefully lifting the old man. Pale blue-gray vines extended from her hands, wrapping around the man’s broken leg and arm as stabilizing splints.
She gently patted the man’s back, trying to regulate his breathing.
Mo Fan wasn’t idle either. A tiny figure of lightning quietly appeared near his shoulder. Little Lightning Belle blinked her bright eyes, then released several gentle strands of soft lightning that seeped into the old man’s body, stimulating his fading vitality.
The old man’s eyelids trembled.
Beside them, Zhao Manyan quickly found a small bowl, filled it with water, and carefully fed it to him one spoonful at a time.
The tricky part was that none of the three possessed true Healing Element abilities. They could only stabilize his body and awaken his consciousness. They had no way to reverse his condition.
Fortunately, the old man’s cultivation seemed solid. With Mochizuki Chihaya’s support, Zhao Manyan’s water, and Little Lightning Belle’s gentle restorative lightning, he quickly regained basic consciousness.
However, Mo Fan saw through his condition with a single glance and subtly shook his head.
The old man didn’t have long left.
His body was steeped in death energy. It wasn’t illness; it was simply the end of his life. In this state, ordinary medicine could not save him.
Even Little Lightning Belle’s restoration could only wake him for a while. It could not drag someone back from the end of their lifespan.
Unless they went to Tianshan of the Nine Provinces to find a Celestial Snow Lotus to extend life, but such an endeavor had almost never succeeded. Many powerful figures worldwide had tried hiring hunter teams to retrieve one when facing death, yet few ever returned with results.
Soon, the old man’s cloudy eyes cleared, and he gratefully said, “Thank you, young ones. If not for your timely arrival, these old bones of mine would’ve been done for.”
“As thanks, I’ll give you something,” the old man said generously. “After all, I’m already old. Any remaining possessions can’t be taken to the grave.”
“Master Qixiu!” Mochizuki Chihaya quickly said. “It’s me, Chihaya. I met you when I was a child.”
Hearing this, Master Qixiu examined Chihaya. His expression grew more and more surprised before he let out a hearty laugh.
“Ah, my memory! So it’s little Chihaya. You’ve grown up—blossomed beautifully—I almost didn’t recognize you.”
The monk’s tone was kind and gentle. “So, what brings you to me?”
Hearing this, Mochizuki Chihaya felt bitter. This once-legendary Hunter King, now in old age, was far from the heroic figure he once was. His twilight years were bleak and somber.
Zhao Manyan also fell silent.
No matter how powerful a person was, no matter how dazzling a hero had once been, one day they too would return to dust.
Even with such high cultivation, old age still brought its woes. At this age, a single fall without help could become a death sentence.
Mo Fan had his doubts.
At this age… was this really the person Mochizuki Meiken spoke so highly of, the one said to be capable of purifying the Condensed Evil Bead?
Forget it.
Mo Fan brought out the bead wrapped in silver gauze and explained the reason for their visit.
“It’s related to the Red Demon.”
Master Qixiu sucked in a cold breath, then gave a bitter smile. “Look at me now… do you think I can still purify the Condensed Evil Bead? My spiritual world is nearly collapsing.”
As expected, the three of them looked disappointed.
For Mages, advancing age often meant declining magical strength.
Master Qixiu looked at the bead, his old eyes flashing with both hatred and helplessness.
“I pursued the Red Demon for many years, but in the end, time defeated me first.”
Soon, Master Qixiu opened the letter from his old friend. A glint of nostalgia flashed through his eyes.
He looked at Mo Fan, Zhao Manyan, and Mochizuki Chihaya, then said, “I understand your purpose now. But after years of pursuing the Red Demon, I’ve exhausted much of my resources. What remains may be sufficient for common people, but for high-level mages… far from enough.”
“So if you’re hoping for some treasure, you might be disappointed.”
“Damn it,” Zhao Manyan grumbled. “He couldn’t purify the bead and just dumped it on us. We came all this way for nothing?”
Mochizuki Chihaya looked embarrassed. Her father had clearly passed the burden to them.
Mo Fan remained calm, noticing a detail the others had missed.
He put the Condensed Evil Bead away again and said, “If you can’t purify it, then forget it. I’ll take it back and find someone else. China has people who know how to handle this kind of thing.”
Zhao Manyan looked at him. “Old Mo, what about the reward?”
“No rush.”
Mo Fan fixed his gaze on Master Qixiu and asked, “Master, you’ve been a hunter for decades, traversing numerous forbidden zones and coastal battlefields. You must have accumulated a wealth of knowledge and intelligence.”
Master Qixiu gave him a curious look. “What do you want to ask?”
Mo Fan glanced at Zhao Manyan beside him.
Zhao Manyan suddenly felt a strange chill. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Mo Fan said, “Do you know where a Water Elemental Spirit can be found?”
Zhao Manyan froze.
A Water Elemental Spirit?
He immediately understood.
Mo Fan wasn’t asking for himself. Mo Fan already had Little Flame Belle and Little Lightning Belle. A Water Elemental Spirit would not fit his current path nearly as well as it would fit Zhao Manyan.
Zhao Manyan was a Water Mage. His defense had always been strong, but compared to Mo Fan’s violent combat style, he lacked a true core companion that could grow alongside him. If he obtained a Water Elemental Spirit, his defensive ability, recovery, control, and survivability would all increase drastically.
More importantly, with the right Water Elemental Spirit, Zhao Manyan might finally build a style that belonged entirely to him, instead of always being treated as the team’s turtle shell.
Zhao Manyan opened his mouth, then closed it again.
For once, he did not joke.
Master Qixiu looked between the two of them and smiled in comfort. “Good, young man. You didn’t set your greedy eyes on superficial wealth—you’ve come to seek precious knowledge.”
He said proudly, “Indeed, over these years, I’ve traveled far and wide and witnessed much. Some knowledge is cursed, bound by confidentiality pacts, or erased from memory, so I cannot speak of it. But the rest? Quite abundant.”
As he spoke, his emotions stirred, causing another violent cough. Mochizuki Chihaya quickly tried to support him, but he waved her away and continued.
“Admittedly, you’ve posed a difficult question. If you sought Soul Seeds, heavenly treasures, or sacred cultivation grounds, I could give you dozens of confirmed locations—some I personally scouted and withdrew from when they weren’t yet ripe.”
“But a Water Elemental Spirit… that is something on par with an Elemental Seed in rarity. What I have is solid intelligence, but I won’t claim one hundred percent certainty.”
Mo Fan’s eyes lit up.
As expected, these old-timers always held back something.
This was a goldmine.
Zhao Manyan also became visibly excited. “Master, are you serious? There’s really a clue to a Water Elemental Spirit?”
Master Qixiu smiled faintly. “Only a clue. Whether you can find it, whether it is still there, and whether it is willing to acknowledge you are all different matters.”
Zhao Manyan immediately became serious.
Elemental Spirits were not ordinary contracted beasts. They were born from pure elemental environments and possessed extremely high spirituality. Even if one found them, forcefully capturing them was not always the best method. Recognition mattered.
Master Qixiu slowly said, “Years ago, when I was chasing traces of the Red Demon near the Pacific island chains, I once passed through a hidden sea valley called the Blue Whirlpool Trench. It was a strange place where warm currents and cold currents intertwined, forming a natural spiral domain.”
“The sea monsters there avoided the center of the whirlpool, not because there was a stronger beast inside, but because the water itself seemed alive.”
“At night, the entire trench glowed with blue light. I saw something like a child formed from water sitting in the center of the vortex. It was transparent, pure, and surrounded by countless droplets that moved like stars.”
Zhao Manyan’s breathing grew heavier.
Master Qixiu continued, “At the time, I was focused on tracking the Red Demon and had no Water Element cultivation, so I did not disturb it. Later, I asked around and learned that local hunters called that place the Sleeping Sea Eye.”
“Some said a Water Elemental Spirit was gestating there.”
“Others said it had already been born, but was waiting for a suitable mage.”
Mo Fan glanced at Zhao Manyan. “Sounds like it’s made for you.”
Zhao Manyan straightened his back immediately. “Old Mo, don’t say it like that. With my noble temperament and natural affinity for water, of course such a pure little spirit would choose me.”
Mo Fan looked him up and down. “Noble temperament?”
Zhao Manyan coughed. “At least compared to you, I look safer.”
Mo Fan couldn’t be bothered to argue.
Master Qixiu smiled and said, “The Blue Whirlpool Trench is not easy to enter. It lies close to several sea monster migration routes. Commander-level creatures are common there, and if the tide changes, even stronger existences may pass nearby.”
Zhao Manyan’s expression stiffened.
“Commander-level creatures are common?” he repeated.
Mo Fan patted his shoulder. “Perfect. You wanted to become stronger, didn’t you?”
Zhao Manyan’s face twitched. “I wanted to become stronger, not become seafood.”
Master Qixiu chuckled softly, then took out an old map from a wooden box beside him. His fingers trembled slightly as he unfolded it.
“This map is old, but the general location should still be correct. If you truly wish to seek the Water Elemental Spirit, start from the Sleeping Sea Eye. Remember, do not enter during the red tide. Wait for the moonless night when the currents become silent. That is when the spirit’s aura will be easiest to sense.”
Zhao Manyan carefully accepted the map.
For once, his expression was solemn.
“Thank you, Master.”
Master Qixiu looked at him kindly. “A Water Elemental Spirit does not favor greed or violence. If you go there only thinking of taking it by force, you will fail. Water accepts all things, protects all things, and endures all things. If you wish for its recognition, you must first understand what kind of mage you want to become.”
These words struck Zhao Manyan harder than expected.
He had always been good at defense. He protected himself, protected his teammates, and survived situations others could not. But deep down, he had often felt inferior beside people like Mo Fan and Ai Jiangtu, who stood out through overwhelming attack power.
Now, hearing Master Qixiu’s words, he suddenly felt that perhaps defense was not weakness.
Perhaps protection itself could become a path.
Mo Fan saw Zhao Manyan’s expression and smiled faintly.
That was exactly why he had asked.
The Battle Beast Soul could help Wolfie. The purified Condensed Evil Bead might one day help Mu Bai and Zhang Xiaohou. And this Water Elemental Spirit clue could help Zhao Manyan take a true step forward.
This trip was not wasted.
After a brief exchange, Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan took their leave.
Mochizuki Chihaya stayed behind to care for Master Qixiu and contact the hospital. From the dimness in her expression, it was clear she knew Qixiu didn’t have much time left. All she could do now was stay for his last days and see him off.
On the way down the mountain, Zhao Manyan held the old map carefully, as though afraid it would vanish if he loosened his grip.
Mo Fan asked casually, “Well? Worth the trip?”
Zhao Manyan was silent for a moment, then grinned.
“It was.”
Mo Fan nodded.
Even in the original timeline, a single Soul Seed lead was worth hundreds of millions. And this… was a Water Elemental Spirit.
For Zhao Manyan, its value was immeasurable.
Japan was an island nation surrounded by sea. It made sense that the first real clue to a Water Elemental Spirit would appear here. And Master Qixiu had spent his life entangled with the ocean, sea monsters, and the Red Demon. Information like this was exactly the kind of hidden treasure an old hunter would leave behind.
Zhao Manyan glanced at Mo Fan and suddenly said, “Old Mo.”
“What?”
“If I really get this Water Elemental Spirit… I’ll remember this favor.”
Mo Fan looked at him strangely. “Don’t be disgusting.”
Zhao Manyan’s face darkened. “Can’t you let me be moved for once?”
Mo Fan smiled. “Get the spirit first. Then you can be moved.”
Zhao Manyan carefully rolled up the map, his eyes burning with rare determination.
The next goal was clear.
The Blue Whirlpool Trench.
The Sleeping Sea Eye.
A Water Elemental Spirit that might become the core of Zhao Manyan’s future path.