Chapter 238: All this for manyan
The next day, after wrapping up the matter with the Black Vatican’s fleeing Blue-clothed Cardinals and confirming that Blue Bat had already left Japan, Mo Fan finally prepared to return to China.
Feng Li had arranged for him to fly straight to South Korea and rejoin the National Team.
Mo Fan looked at the ticket, then looked at Zhao Manyan, who was still half-dead from their deep-sea trip.
Then he calmly changed the route.
“What are you doing?” Zhao Manyan asked weakly.
“Going back to China first,” Mo Fan said.
Zhao Manyan immediately sat up. “Are you insane? Feng Li is already waiting to skin you alive. You skipped the flight, ran into the sea with me, fought sea monsters, killed Black Vatican members, and now you’re going home?”
Mo Fan put away his phone and said casually, “What’s one more day without the National Team?”
Zhao Manyan stared at him.
For a moment, he truly admired Mo Fan’s ability to anger mentors.
Mo Fan continued, “Besides, the Water Elemental Spirit escaped. We can’t just go back empty-handed. That Water Element crystal we brought out from the Merfolk Sea is too valuable to leave unused.”
Zhao Manyan’s eyes moved.
“You mean…”
“I know someone who might be able to turn it into something useful for you,” Mo Fan said. “A Water Seed. Maybe not a Heaven Seed, but if the foundation is good enough, it can become a top-grade Soul Seed with room to grow.”
Zhao Manyan’s tired face immediately lit up.
“Brother Fan, why didn’t you say that earlier?”
“Because you were busy pretending to die.”
“I wasn’t pretending! My Water Element was almost drained dry!”
“Good. That means you’re ready to appreciate it.”
Zhao Manyan was speechless.
Still, the moment Water Seed was mentioned, his complaints became much weaker. He had failed to obtain the Water Elemental Spirit, and although he tried to act careless, Mo Fan could tell he was disappointed.
Zhao Manyan’s Water Element had just reached High Tier. If he could obtain a suitable Water Seed now, especially one refined from the Water Element crystal of the Merfolk Sea, his defensive system would take a huge step forward.
Mo Fan contacted Feng Zhoulong before boarding the return flight.
When Feng Zhoulong heard that Mo Fan had brought back a soul-grade Water Element crystal from a deep-sea elemental region, his voice immediately changed.
“Come back right now,” Feng Zhoulong said. “No, wait, bring it carefully. Don’t let anyone else touch it. Do you understand how rare that thing is?”
“I figured it was valuable,” Mo Fan said.
“Valuable?” Feng Zhoulong nearly laughed from anger. “A crystal formed in a Water Elemental Spirit habitat, touched by deep-sea currents and protected by Merfolk for who knows how many years… if its structure is intact, it could be worth enough to buy an entire smaller city’s worth of resources!”
Mo Fan glanced at Zhao Manyan.
Zhao Manyan immediately straightened his back.
His rich young master instincts had been awakened.
A few hours later, the two arrived in Demon City.
Instead of heading to the airport for South Korea, Mo Fan brought Zhao Manyan straight to the Demon City Tower laboratory.
The laboratory was still the same silver-white, minimalist space as before. Transparent tempered glass separated the experimental areas, and countless magical instruments floated silently in the air. Strange crystals, sealed containers, cursed samples, and elemental fragments were arranged in separate cabinets.
Zhao Manyan looked around curiously.
“So this is Feng Zhoulong’s laboratory?” he asked.
Mo Fan nodded. “Try not to touch anything.”
Zhao Manyan raised an eyebrow. “Do I look like a child?”
“You look like someone who would touch something expensive, break it, then ask if money can solve it.”
Zhao Manyan thought about it.
That did sound like him.
Before long, Feng Zhoulong walked out of the inner laboratory. He wore a white coat and gloves, his eyes already shining with excitement. When he saw Mo Fan, he barely greeted him before looking toward the storage container in Mo Fan’s hand.
“You brought it?”
Mo Fan smiled and handed over the sealed deep-blue crystal.
The moment the crystal appeared, the temperature in the room seemed to drop slightly, but it was not cold in the way Ice Magic was cold. It was a deep, vast moisture, like a calm ocean sealed inside a transparent stone.
The crystal was dark blue, almost flawless. Inside it, tiny water patterns moved slowly like living tides. Every now and then, faint ripples spread across its surface, even though no one had touched it.
Feng Zhoulong immediately put on a second pair of white gloves before receiving it with extreme care.
Zhao Manyan watched his movements and became even more nervous.
“Old Feng,” Mo Fan said, “this is Zhao Manyan. High Tier Light, newly High Tier Water, and Basic Earth. His path is mainly defense.”
Feng Zhoulong finally looked at Zhao Manyan properly.
“Zhao Family?”
Zhao Manyan smiled. “Yes. Zhao Manyan.”
Feng Zhoulong nodded. “Good. Rich, defensive, and Water-Light focused. Your compatibility with this crystal should be high.”
Zhao Manyan’s smile froze slightly.
He did not know why, but being summarized like that made him feel strange.
Mo Fan continued, “The Water Elemental Spirit escaped. We didn’t get the spirit, but this crystal should have absorbed part of the Merfolk Sea’s elemental environment. I want to know if you can refine it into a Water Seed for him.”
Feng Zhoulong’s eyes brightened.
“A custom Water Seed?”
“Yes,” Mo Fan said. “Preferably one that suits his defensive style.”
Feng Zhoulong took a deep breath and carefully placed the crystal into the center of an experimental formation.
“This is possible,” Feng Zhoulong said slowly. “But it will not be a normal Soul Seed. This crystal has a natural tide rhythm. It also carries traces of deep-sea pressure and a faint spiritual imprint from the Water Elemental Spirit habitat. If handled correctly, the seed formed from it may have more than simple amplification.”
Zhao Manyan immediately leaned forward. “What kind of effect?”
Feng Zhoulong raised one finger.
“First, Tide. It can strengthen Water Magic’s flow, recovery, and layered defense. A normal Water Shield blocks once. A Tide-type defense can absorb part of the impact, guide it away, and rebuild itself through circulating water.”
Zhao Manyan’s eyes lit up.
That suited him perfectly.
Feng Zhoulong raised a second finger.
“Second, Withering. This is not poison. It is a deep-sea erosion effect. When enemy attacks enter your water domain or barrier, their force will be worn down layer by layer, like stone being eroded by waves. Physical impact, elemental heat, corrosive energy, even some spiritual pressure—if your cultivation and control are sufficient, all of them can be weakened.”
Zhao Manyan’s mouth slowly opened.
Mo Fan looked at him. “Close your mouth. You look stupid.”
Zhao Manyan ignored him.
A Water Seed with both Tide and Withering effects?
That was not just good.
That was absurdly suitable for him.
Feng Zhoulong continued, “Of course, whether both effects can fully form depends on the refinement process and Zhao Manyan’s compatibility. If his Water Element foundation is too weak, the second effect may become dormant and need to be awakened later.”
Zhao Manyan immediately said, “My Water Element is High Tier.”
Feng Zhoulong glanced at him. “Newly High Tier.”
Zhao Manyan coughed.
That was true.
Mo Fan said, “Can you do it?”
Feng Zhoulong smiled. “I can try. But this will require Zhao Manyan to cooperate as a lab subject.”
Zhao Manyan suddenly felt a chill.
“Lab subject?” he asked cautiously.
Mo Fan patted his shoulder. “Relax. I’ve done it before.”
“That doesn’t comfort me at all!”
Feng Zhoulong waved his hand. “Don’t worry. I only need to observe your Water Star River and guide the seed’s compatibility. I won’t cut you open.”
“Why did you say ‘cut me open’ so naturally?” Zhao Manyan asked.
Mo Fan looked away.
Researchers were all a little abnormal.
After exchanging a few words, Zhao Manyan was placed inside the main refinement chamber.
The silver-white room closed around him. A circular Water Element formation lit up beneath his feet, and several transparent pipes connected to the sealed crystal floating in the center. Feng Zhoulong activated the instruments one by one, causing the dark-blue crystal to release thin threads of water light.
The threads entered the formation and slowly circled Zhao Manyan.
At first, Zhao Manyan looked nervous.
Then his expression changed.
The water threads did not hurt him. Instead, they felt gentle, cool, and heavy. They flowed around his body like deep-sea currents, testing his Water Element, touching his Star River, and measuring how much pressure he could endure.
Inside Zhao Manyan’s spiritual world, his newly formed Water Star River trembled.
The dark-blue crystal responded.
Its light became deeper.
Feng Zhoulong watched the readings, his eyes growing brighter.
“Good compatibility,” he said. “Very good compatibility. His Water Element is still young, but its defensive tendency is extremely clear. His Light Element also stabilizes the seed’s structure. Interesting… the Earth Element is weak, but it provides a faint foundation effect. Light, Water, Earth. Protection, flow, endurance.”
Mo Fan crossed his arms and stood outside the glass.
“Can the seed be completed today?”
Feng Zhoulong looked at him like he was looking at a madman.
“You think refining a special Soul Seed is cooking noodles?”
Mo Fan said calmly, “Feng Li is waiting for me to return to the National Team.”
“Then go.”
“I’m not leaving until this is done.”
Feng Zhoulong was speechless.
Zhao Manyan, inside the chamber, shouted, “Brother Fan, very touching, but can you not pressure the person controlling my life?”
Feng Zhoulong adjusted his glasses. “At minimum, I can complete the initial fusion today. The full stabilization will take longer, but Zhao Manyan can carry the seed embryo with him. It will continue adapting to his Water Element.”
Mo Fan nodded. “That works.”
The refinement began.
The dark-blue crystal slowly melted into liquid light. It did not flow downward. Instead, it floated in midair, rotating like a miniature ocean vortex. Around it, layers of water patterns appeared, each one thinner than silk yet carrying immense pressure.
Zhao Manyan’s face became serious.
His Water Star River was being pulled.
The newly awakened High Tier Water magic inside him surged toward the seed embryo. At first, the process was smooth, but soon, the pressure increased sharply. Zhao Manyan felt as if an entire sea had been placed on his shoulders. His Water Stars trembled violently, almost losing formation.
“Don’t resist it directly,” Mo Fan reminded from outside. “Guide it.”
Zhao Manyan gritted his teeth.
He remembered the deep-sea battlefield.
The endless monster tide.
The crushing currents.
The way direct resistance only drained him faster.
Water was not only a wall.
Water guided.
Water endured.
Water protected by accepting pressure and redirecting it.
Zhao Manyan slowly adjusted his breathing. His Water Star River stopped trembling wildly and began moving with the rhythm of the dark-blue crystal. The pressure was still there, but it no longer felt like it was crushing him. It felt like he was standing inside a tide, letting it rise and fall around him.
Feng Zhoulong’s eyes lit up.
“That’s it. Keep that state.”
The seed embryo gradually formed.
It was a small dark-blue seed suspended before Zhao Manyan’s chest, surrounded by tiny rotating currents. Its surface had two faint markings. One resembled a tidal spiral, constantly flowing. The other resembled a dried crack on the seabed, but instead of representing dryness, it gave off a strange feeling of erosion and exhaustion.
Tide.
Withering.
Zhao Manyan opened his eyes.
The seed entered his spiritual world.
Boom!
His Water Star River surged.
A deep-blue light spread through his body, and the Water Element around him became noticeably heavier and more agile. A transparent defensive layer automatically formed over his skin, then dissolved into flowing water.
The refinement chamber shook slightly.
Feng Zhoulong immediately stabilized the instruments.
“Success,” he said, wiping sweat from his forehead. “The Water Seed embryo has formed. It is not fully mature yet, but its quality is extremely high. Once it absorbs enough Water Element resources and stabilizes completely, it should become a top-grade Soul Seed.”
Zhao Manyan stood inside the chamber, staring at his own hands.
He could feel it.
His Water Magic had changed.
Before, his Water Shield was like a barrier he had to maintain with effort. Now, the water seemed to move more naturally, flowing around his body before he even commanded it. It did not simply block. It circulated, layered itself, and weakened incoming force.
He raised his hand.
A small Water Shield appeared.
Then a second layer formed behind it.
Then a third.
The layers moved like tides, one accepting impact, the next dispersing it, the next rebuilding the structure.
Zhao Manyan’s eyes widened.
“Damn…”
Mo Fan smiled. “Not bad?”
Zhao Manyan looked at him, then at Feng Zhoulong, then back at the Water Shield.
“Not bad? Brother Fan, this is amazing!”
Feng Zhoulong said, “Don’t get too excited yet. It is still an embryo. If you force it too much, the structure may become unstable. You need to feed it Water Element resources and let it adapt to your Star River.”
Zhao Manyan nodded quickly.
For once, he did not look lazy at all.
Feng Zhoulong continued, “Also, because this seed was formed from a crystal touched by an elemental spirit habitat, it may have growth potential. If you later obtain recognition from a true Water Elemental Spirit, this seed might become the best bridge between you and it.”
Zhao Manyan froze.
Mo Fan also looked thoughtful.
That was important.
The Water Elemental Spirit had escaped, but this Water Seed could become a preparation for their next encounter. If Zhao Manyan’s Water Element carried a trace of the same environment and aura, the spirit might be less hostile toward him.
Zhao Manyan’s expression gradually became serious.
“So this wasn’t a wasted trip.”
“Of course not,” Mo Fan said. “You got beaten half to death and came back with a seed embryo. Pretty profitable.”
Zhao Manyan’s mouth twitched. “Can you describe it in a less miserable way?”
“No.”
Feng Zhoulong removed his gloves and looked at Mo Fan. “You really brought me something troublesome again.”
Mo Fan smiled. “You like troublesome things.”
“That is true.”
Feng Zhoulong’s eyes were still filled with excitement. “This Water Seed is also useful to my research. The way it formed is not the same as ordinary seeds. It is closer to a natural elemental inheritance being artificially stabilized. If I can study the process further, it may help with Fusion Magic theory.”
Zhao Manyan immediately hugged his chest. “You’re not experimenting on me again, are you?”
Feng Zhoulong looked at him kindly. “Only a little.”
Zhao Manyan turned to Mo Fan. “I want to leave.”
Mo Fan ignored him and checked the time.
They had already wasted most of the day.
Feng Li had probably cursed him several times by now.
Mo Fan took out his phone and saw several missed calls.
Zhao Manyan leaned over and saw the screen.
“Mentor Feng Li?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you going to call back?”
Mo Fan thought for a moment, then put the phone away.
“No rush.”
Zhao Manyan stared at him. “You really aren’t afraid of him?”
Mo Fan said calmly, “The National Team can survive one more day without me.”
Zhao Manyan gave him a thumbs up.
“Brother Fan, when it comes to courting death in front of mentors, I respect you.”
Mo Fan patted his shoulder.
“Recover properly. When your Water Seed stabilizes, your defense should be much stronger. At least next time we dive into the sea, you won’t look like you’re about to die every ten minutes.”
Zhao Manyan’s face immediately darkened.
“Next time?”
Mo Fan smiled.
“What, you thought we were done with the Water Elemental Spirit?”
Zhao Manyan fell silent.
After a while, he looked down at his hand, where a small dark-blue ripple appeared and disappeared.
The Water Elemental Spirit had escaped.
But now he had a Water Seed born from its former habitat.
Tide and Withering.
Protection and erosion.
Maybe next time, he would not just be a rich young master hiding behind defensive tools.
Maybe next time, he could stand in front of the tide properly.
Mo Fan turned toward the laboratory exit.
“Let’s go. I still need to rejoin the team before Feng Li starts thinking I defected.”
Zhao Manyan followed him out, his steps still weak but his eyes brighter than before.
For Mo Fan, this extra day was only another delay.
For Zhao Manyan, it was the beginning of a new Water path.