Mo Fan at his best – Versatile Mage

Upon returning to Shanghai, Mo Fan headed straight for the Clearsky Hunter Agency.

The moment he pushed open the door, he saw Old Bao sitting behind the counter as usual, smoking his pipe and reading a newspaper. The old man’s posture was lazy, his eyelids half-lowered, as if even if a Forbidden Curse exploded outside, he would still finish reading the current page before reacting.

Old Bao raised his eyes when he noticed Mo Fan.

“Why are you here?”

He looked Mo Fan up and down, clearly a little surprised. “Aren’t you supposed to be participating in National Team training? With your ability, you shouldn’t have been kicked out, right?”

Then, as if suddenly remembering Mo Fan’s usual style, Old Bao’s eyes narrowed.

“You didn’t cause some huge trouble again, did you?”

Mo Fan’s face darkened.

“I’m such an honest person,” Mo Fan said seriously. “Do I look like someone who likes causing trouble?”

Old Bao’s lips twitched.

Even someone as experienced as him could not say “no” with a clear conscience.

Mo Fan rolled his eyes and stopped wasting words. He took out the Condensed Evil Bead from his storage and placed it carefully on the table.

The moment the bead appeared, the air inside the agency seemed to sink.

The bead was murky and dark, with faint red-black threads swimming inside it like living veins. Every now and then, a whisper-like fluctuation spread from it, not loud, but enough to make people feel irritated, greedy, resentful, and restless.

“This is the Condensed Evil Bead I got from the Twin Guardian Towers in Japan,” Mo Fan said. “It’s useful to me, but it’s too unstable. It keeps trying to affect people around it. I came back specifically to ask you to deal with it.”

Old Bao’s lazy expression vanished.

His cloudy old eyes suddenly became sharp, as though a blade had been drawn from its sheath.

“Where exactly did you get this?” Old Bao asked.

Mo Fan briefly explained the matter of the Eastern Guard Pavilion: the prison formation, the extracted soul origin of the prisoners, General Takagi trying to keep the bead for himself, and the traces connected to the Red Demon.

Old Bao listened quietly.

The more he heard, the colder his expression became.

When Mo Fan finished, Old Bao took a slow puff from his pipe, but this time the smoke no longer looked leisurely. It coiled around his face like mist before battle.

“So that thing has appeared again,” Old Bao muttered.

Mo Fan raised an eyebrow. “You know about it?”

Old Bao looked at him and said, “Lingling’s father, the Cold Hunter King, once chased the trail of the Red Demon for many years. That thing is not a normal demon, nor is it a normal evil spirit. It is a monster born from human evil thoughts, resentment, desire, fear, and madness. It grows by corrupting people from the inside.”

Mo Fan’s expression became more serious.

Old Bao continued, “A Condensed Evil Bead like this is essentially a container. If left alone, it can nurture something terrible. If it falls into the wrong hands, it may become the seed of another Red Demon.”

Mo Fan nodded. “That’s why I brought it here.”

Old Bao gave him a strange look. “You said it’s useful to you. Useful how?”

Mo Fan hesitated for a moment, then said, “I have something inside my spiritual world. The Demon Element.”

Old Bao’s pipe paused in midair.

For the first time, his face showed true shock.

“You mean the experimental Demon Element?” Old Bao stared at him. “You used the blood essence and didn’t die? You didn’t lose your mind? It even condensed into a stable system inside your spiritual world?”

“Stable is a bit generous,” Mo Fan said. “But yes, it’s there.”

Old Bao’s eyes grew even sharper.

He naturally knew about the Demon Element. There were not many major secrets in China’s magical world that he had never heard of. He was a figure from an older generation, someone whose experience and status stood even above many famous Super Mages and mentors.

Back then, Old Bao had not merely been a famous Hunter.

He had once been a world-renowned Forbidden Curse Mage.

Thirty years ago, he had personally slain an Emperor-level creature alone, a feat that shook the magical world. He had also defeated the infamous American Forbidden Curse Mage Michael Jordan, a man once called the “Flying Saint” because of his Heaven-gifted ability to fly freely without relying on wings, wind, or artifacts.

In this world, Michael Jordan was not a basketball legend. He was one of the greatest Forbidden Curse Mages America had ever produced, a terrifying figure who dominated the sky as if gravity itself had no right to bind him.

Yet even that man had once lost to Old Bao.

The current Old Bao looked like a pipe-smoking old man guarding a small hunter agency, but anyone who truly knew his past would understand that this old man had once stood at the peak of the world.

Because of that, Mo Fan trusted him with the Condensed Evil Bead.

Old Bao stared at Mo Fan for a long time before saying, “You brat… you really are carrying more trouble than anyone your age should.”

Mo Fan shrugged. “That’s why I came to the professional.”

Old Bao snorted. “Flattery won’t make this easier.”

“I wasn’t flattering you. I was stating facts.”

Old Bao almost laughed from anger.

Mo Fan pointed at the bead. “Can you fix it?”

“I can suppress its bewitching influence, purify part of the evil thoughts, and modify it so it stops leaking corruption everywhere,” Old Bao said. “But if you’re asking me to make it into a proper cursed bead, something stable, controllable, and useful for your Demon Element, that’s another matter.”

Mo Fan frowned. “You can’t do it?”

Old Bao did not get angry. He simply shook his head.

“I can fix dangerous things. I can seal them. I can purify them. I can even forcefully destroy them if needed,” Old Bao said. “But crafting a cursed bead is not the same as dealing with a cursed object. That requires modern magical research, curse theory, soul container design, fusion magic theory, and controlled experimentation.”

He tapped the table lightly.

“For that, you need Feng Zhoulong.”

Mo Fan’s eyes moved slightly.

Feng Zhoulong.

The head researcher of the Demon City Tower laboratory.

The future pioneer of Fusion Magic.

A genius whose death in the original timeline had been one of the greatest losses to the magical world.

Old Bao continued, “I can make this bead safe enough for you to carry. I can also ask someone from Wei Fang’s side to help adjust the outer containment structure. But if you want it developed into a true cursed cultivation tool, you’ll need Feng Zhoulong. That man’s brain is better suited for this kind of thing than mine.”

Mo Fan nodded slowly.

“Then fix it first,” Mo Fan said. “As for making cursed beads, I’ll find Feng Zhoulong later.”

Old Bao gave him a meaningful look. “You speak as if recruiting a researcher of his level is as easy as hiring a hunter.”

Mo Fan smiled. “Everything starts with a conversation.”

Old Bao snorted and picked up the Condensed Evil Bead.

The bead trembled slightly in his palm, as though sensing danger. Red-black threads wriggled inside it, and faint whispers spread through the room. For a moment, even the shadows under the furniture seemed to deepen.

Old Bao merely glanced at it.

A silent pressure descended.

The bead instantly quieted.

Mo Fan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

This old man really was not simple.

Old Bao placed the bead into a special silver case covered in tiny magical patterns. “Come back later. This will take effort.”

“How long?”

“If all goes well, a few days. If not, longer.”

Mo Fan nodded.

Just then, the door opened.

Lingling walked in, her twin braids falling along her cheeks. Her eyes immediately fixed on Mo Fan.

“Mo Fan, it really is you. I thought my tracking program was malfunctioning,” Lingling said.

Mo Fan’s face stiffened. “Little girl, you put a tracker on me again?”

Lingling blinked innocently. “Of course.”

Mo Fan was speechless.

This girl was terrifying. If she grew up like this, whoever married her in the future would never be able to hide anything.

Lingling’s gaze quickly shifted to the silver case in Old Bao’s hand. “What’s that?”

Mo Fan and Old Bao briefly explained the Condensed Evil Bead and its connection to the Red Demon.

When Lingling heard that it was tied to the trail her father, the Cold Hunter King, had once pursued, her expression changed sharply. Her small hands clenched, and for a moment, the usual clever smugness in her eyes disappeared.

But she did not cry.

She forced herself to remain calm.

Mo Fan looked at her and said, “This thing may help us get closer to the truth. When I become strong enough, we’ll dig out everything about the Red Demon and your father’s case.”

Lingling lowered her head.

After a long while, she nodded.

Old Bao took the bead away.

Mo Fan stayed at Clearsky Hunter Agency for a while, waiting for the result. Since he had nothing better to do, he helped Lingling sort through some hunter commissions. Most of the bounties were too small to interest him now, but he still scanned them out of habit.

A few days later, Old Bao returned.

He looked a little tired, but his expression was calm. In his hand was the modified Condensed Evil Bead.

Compared to before, the bead was much quieter. The murky red-black threads still existed inside it, but they no longer leaked outward like poisonous smoke. A faint silver pattern had been engraved over its surface, forming a seal that resembled a cage of thin light.

Old Bao tossed it to Mo Fan.

“This bead of yours took this old man quite a bit of effort. I even specially asked a friend of Wei Fang to modify the containment layer.”

Mo Fan caught it and immediately sensed the difference.

The bead was still evil.

Still dangerous.

But now it was restrained.

The whispers were gone. The restless temptation had been sealed deep inside, leaving only a dense, dark energy quietly waiting to be refined.

Mo Fan smiled. “Alright, then I won’t say too many thanks, Old Bao. I’ll offer more bounties and contribute more to the hunter community in the future.”

Old Bao’s face twitched.

It was not like the reward money always went to the agency!

In fact, aside from the earliest days, most of the bounty money Mo Fan and Lingling earned had gone straight into Mo Fan’s pockets.

Lingling only needed enough money for milk tea and snacks. Her current expenses were not high.

Although Mo Fan was somewhat shameless, he was not incapable of taking care of Lingling’s needs. Lingling was his little partner, and he would help her whenever she needed him.

Old Bao waved his hand impatiently. “Get lost. Don’t bring another disaster object here next time.”

“No promises,” Mo Fan said.

Old Bao almost threw his pipe at him.

After obtaining the modified bead, Mo Fan contacted Feng Li to let him know that he was ready to rejoin the team.

However, the moment the call connected, Feng Li’s voice sounded especially unpleasant.

“Where are you right now?”

“Shanghai,” Mo Fan said. “The matter is handled. I can return to the team.”

“No need to rush overseas yet,” Feng Li said. “The British National Team has come to challenge our National Pavilion.”

Mo Fan raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“And you caused this,” Feng Li said coldly.

Mo Fan was confused. “What does that have to do with me?”

“You went to the National Pavilion as soon as you returned and defeated several Egyptian National Team members by yourself,” Feng Li said. “News spread. Now the British team heard about it and came specifically to test the Pavilion.”

Mo Fan thought about it.

That did sound like something that might happen.

The National Pavilion had recently become a popular challenge spot. Several teams had won too easily, making it look weak. But then Mo Fan suddenly appeared and swept Egypt’s members aside, including Saeed and his Death Blade Mummy. Of course, other strong nations would become curious.

Britain was not a weak magical country.

They were a true magical powerhouse.

“So,” Mo Fan said slowly, “you want me to deal with the British National Team before I can rejoin the team?”

“Correct,” Feng Li said.

Mo Fan clicked his tongue. “Mentor Feng Li, you really know how to use people.”

“Cut the nonsense,” Feng Li said. “With the current National Pavilion lineup, fighting Britain is like throwing an egg against a rock. Losing to them is not shameful, but since they came specifically because of you, you should handle it.”

Mo Fan leaned against the wall and smiled. “Alright, since you asked, I’ll reluctantly go.”

Then he hung up.

On the other side of the phone, Feng Li stared at the disconnected call and almost crushed the device in his hand.

Reluctantly?

This brat was getting more and more arrogant!

If Mo Fan had not gone to the National Pavilion as soon as he returned, would the British team have come chasing after the excitement?

Although Feng Li was mainly responsible for the official National Team, the National Pavilion was also under his management. If the Pavilion kept losing, he would lose face too.

In reality, the situation was not that exaggerated. The previous losses had partly been coincidence. Lu Yilin had avoided certain strong teams and happened to successfully defend when the opponents were not too powerful. It did not mean the Pavilion was completely hopeless.

But Britain was different.

They were a legitimate powerhouse nation.

To deal with them, someone of Mo Fan’s caliber was needed.

Mo Fan put away his phone and looked toward the direction of the Oriental Pearl Mage Tower.

The British National Team.

He was actually a little curious.

He wondered whether that Chaos Element guy was among them.

If so, Mo Fan really wanted to see whether that person’s Chaos Magic could withstand several rounds of his destructive power.

Fire.

Lightning.

Space.

Shadow.

Little Flame Belle.

Little Lightning Belle.

And if things truly became troublesome, he still had Wolfie as a trump card.

Of course, Wolfie could not be summoned casually. His Emperor bloodline and extreme frost aura were too overwhelming. Once released, he might not just suppress the battlefield—he could attract top-level Ruler creatures that interpreted his presence as a challenge.

Mo Fan was not planning to escalate a National Pavilion match to that level.

At least, not unless Britain truly had someone worth it.

He slipped the modified Condensed Evil Bead into his storage and smiled.

“Fine. I’ll warm up with Britain first.”

Then he headed toward the National Pavilion.