Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 148
Mo Fan instantly released the Swift Star Wolf into the Summoning Plane. He hugged the walls and immediately cast Fleeing Shadow.
Mo Fan had been keeping an eye out at the sky throughout the whole battle. He was not pretending to be an artistic emotional young man before his death. He was waiting for the sun to poke out from the clouds!
The buildings would only cast shadows when there was sunlight!
Mo Fan had disappeared around the corner, and when the Giant Lizards chasing after them reached the spot, they had already lost sight of the human and the wolf.
Meanwhile, the Giant Lizards who were being attracted to the street due to the sounds produced from the battle had not seen Mo Fan and the Swift Star Wolf, nor did they notice a lump of shadow moving between the buildings. They continued to move toward the group of soldiers who were busy killing their comrades.
Jiang Yi had seen Mo Fan disappearing around the corner. However, by the time she reached there, Mo Fan was no longer there...
He had vanished into thin air!
Even though he had only turned the corner, and the entire street was still filled with Giant Lizards, the demon beasts were only rushing toward her men. They did not act as if they had seen anyone rushing past them.
"He's gone?" Jiang Yi stared into the distance in disbelief.
Jiang Yi initially assumed that there was an element of luck when she learned that the kid had saved Bo City and fought back against the Black Vatican. However, she was more convinced that that was not the case now.
She had lost sight of Mo Fan!
Her instincts were telling her that Mo Fan had escaped with some hidden abilities. She would be able to track him down eventually, but the problem was, her troop was still surrounded by the Giant Lizards. She did not even know if they could make it out alive!
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[1] TL Note: For more information about Nine Halls (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lo_Shu_Square)
Chapter 316 - Just in Time, Zhan Kong!
"Crap, a pack of Tyrant Lizards are heading toward us!" a soldier who was in charge of observing the surroundings blurted out.
The Giant Lizards would never be able to break through their defense. After all, they were Battlemages who had gone through countless battles. They knew how to exploit the weaknesses of the demon beasts to set up a temporary fortress.
However, the Tyrant Lizards were a completely different story!
Each Tyrant Lizard that had appeared would inflict some damage to their formation. They would need a couple of Intermediate Spells to hold them off.
However, a pack of Tyrant Lizards was definitely a nightmare for them.
They were all trying to hold the overwhelming number of Giant Lizards back. Who would have the spare firepower to deal with the Tyrant Lizards?
Seeing the pack of Tyrant Lizards taking up half of the street with their different-colored skins indicating the Element they possessed, the soldiers could no longer remain calm as before, as death was just around the corner!
"Clear a path, now!" Jiang Yi demanded.
They had to break free from the demon beasts. Otherwise, their entire troop would be wiped out here!
------
Meanwhile, Mo Fan had used the Fleeing Shadow to distance himself from the main street.
He was still at the center of Jinlin City, but for some reason, the buildings nearby had all collapsed. The whole place was full of debris. He could not see the end of it with a glance.
There was no swamp nearby. Although he could still see the towering nest in the distance, there were barely any Giant Lizards nearby.
Mo Fan stood on the remains of an observation tower and looked at the soldiers who were slowly drowning among the demon beasts.
He could imagine the fear replacing their arrogant looks. He could also imagine the disbelief on Jiang Yi's face when she lost sight of him.
This bunch of idiots, still thinking they stood a chance against him. They would never expect him to be a Shadow Magician, too. He could easily move around as long as there were shadows near him.
The Giant Lizards were extremely slow with their reactions. They would never notice him when he was using their shadows to move around. It was the main reason why Mo Fan had decided to venture deep into their territory.
Most importantly, he had managed to rank up!
Mo Fan now understood why many of their seniors had encouraged the younger Magicians to have more battles against the demon beasts.
Meditating was indeed important, but the best way to improve a human's potential was through fighting. If he weren't surrounded by the demon beasts, Mo Fan believed that he would have needed at least another half a year to improve his Fire Nebula to the third-tier.
"Fiery Fist: Nine Halls… I've finally mastered such a domineering attack." Mo Fan clenched his right fist as he recalled the destruction wrought by the giant fire pillars.
He still remembered his first time seeing the attack from Tangyue. Back then, Tangyue was so powerful that Mo Fan had the urge to bow before her. She might have reached a greater height by now, but at least he had caught up to her strength back then. Besides, she was an agent of the Magic Courts!
Leaning back, Mo Fan began to take a rest.
He was slightly worn out from the battle before. Now that he was safe, he was not in a rush to leave, since he was interested in admiring the fate of the evil Battlemages when they ended up dead!
"Mm, what's that?" Mo Fan realized a pair of white wings were flapping in the sky.
He gathered his thoughts and glanced ahead, taking a clearer look.
The following second, his body began to tremble as if he had been struck by lightning.
It was a Heavenly Eagle with a pair of snowy white wings, slightly bigger than an ordinary one.
It was flapping its wings as it soared across the sky above Jinlin City...
Its claws were extremely huge, and were carrying a giant net.
Four people were trapped inside the net. It looked like they had lost control of their minds. They were utterly helpless against the net and were being dragged around like little chicks. Their eyes were looking at their surroundings helplessly.
Mo Fan was utterly familiar with them, as they were Zhao Manyan, Mu Nujiao, Mu Ningxue and Bai Tingting...
Flames of anger ignited within Mo Fan's heart. He finally realized why Lu Nian was not going after him. It turned out that the devil was chasing after his friends. He was hanging them in the air just to display his bargaining ch.i.p.s.
Mo Fan was exceedingly furious!
How could someone be so despicable! If he could turn his anger into fire around his fist, he would surely have smashed that son of a b**ch's face with his b.a.r.e hands!
"Mo Fan, I'll only say this once, whether if you can hear it or not!"
"Come and kneel in front of me at once. Otherwise, I'll be throwing them down from this height!
"Don't you worry, I've sealed their souls. I can guarantee you that they won't be able to cast a single spell during the fall. According to my experience, even a Warrior-level demon beast will be smashed into minced meat from this height. Forget about the little kid from the Zhao Family who's on the verge of dying after I've beaten the crap out of him. However, it would be a pity for the girl with the Ice Element who's still unconscious. I believe she's very important to you. If that's not good enough, how about the three of them together?"
Lu Nian's devil-like voice echoed in the sky. He had purposely enhanced his voice with his magic, making sure that it would spread to every corner of the city.
As Mo Fan heard the words, flames uncontrollably burst out under his feet. He could no longer control the rage inside him.
Even the outrageous Black Vatican had never made him so angry before. He never thought it would be a person wearing the uniform of a Battlemage!
"Mo Fan, this devil will still kill us even after you've shown yourself. Go back to the capital, to the Magic City. You have to let the Enforcement Union and the army know what happened here..." Zhao Manyan who was severely injured let out a scream.
He was unable to yell out with magic, as his soul was being sealed. He could only scream at the top of his voice, hoping Mo Fan could hear him somewhere down there.
That being said, there was no chance Mo Fan could hear him due to the height!
Bai Tingting and Mu Nujiao remained silent. Their ears were filled with the echoes of Lu Nian's terrible laughter.
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Up in the sky, a great burst of wind swept forward, parting the clouds in a blue line...
A pair of Wind Wings slowly appeared in the blue sky, as a man wearing a wind jacket embroidered with a different pattern on its back flew toward the city rapidly.
The man had a handsome, stubbled face. Although his collars were upright, an obvious scar going across his neck all the way to his c.h.e.s.t could still be seen.
"Lu Nian, you've committed a terrible crime! Let go of the students at once!" the man approached the giant Heavenly Eagle and snapped furiously.
Chapter 317 - Constellation, Advanced Magic!
Lu Nian stood on the back of the Heavenly Eagle and stared at the stubbled man driving the Wind Wings.
Zhan Kong?
Isn't he guy in charge of the army in the south? Why would he come all the way to Dongting Lake to meddle with his business?
The entire operation had been carried out behind the scenes. There was no way the military would have noticed it. Could it be that someone had alerted them? Could it be the students who had escaped?
Impossible, even if they had some sort of a communication device, the military would not be able to respond so quickly. It was too much of a coincidence if Zhan Kong just happened to be nearby, too.
Lu Nian grinned, revealing his yellow teeth. He waved his pipe calmly before speaking with a challenging gaze, "A useless commander like you, who failed to protect Bo City, dares to challenge me? Zhan Kong, I believe you've come alone...You knew that the kid had Double Innate Elements all along, but you have been keeping it to yourself. Does that mean you're planning something on your own, too?"
"Bullshit. Do you think everyone is as reckless as you? Blood Sarira my a.s.s, with the kid's potential, he could easily rise up as a hero one day without relying on that filthy piece of crap. I'd feel greatly ashamed if I were you, to use such inhumane methods on students. If your father knew you would turn out to be such a piece of crap, he would prefer to shoot you on the wall and let you dry in the wind!" Zhan Kong did not care how rough it sounded when he was cursing people.
He was extremely furious.
Zhan Kong assumed that Lu Nian would only be trying to capture Mo Fan alive.
To his surprise, Lu Nian had totally lost his mind. He somehow decided to kill all the students, just to silence them.
They were the elite students from the Imperial College and the Pearl Institute, with a great future ahead of them. However, they had died horrible deaths here just because of Lu Nian's wild ambition.
How many years had it been since the military had a failure like him!?
"Zhan Kong, do you really think you can defeat me?" Lu Nian smiled. It slowly turned into a savage grin.
Since his actions had been exposed, there was no longer a need to be mindful of keeping it all a secret.
There was no need to care too much. A high achiever should never be bound to the restrictions around him. It was better now that he was no longer tied to his rank. There were only a few Commanders in the army that could match his strength, and this Lu Nian was definitely on the list.
It was time for the massacre to begin!
Anyone who was slightly related to this incident would die!
"Feed them to that thing." Lu Nian glanced at the giant beast who had just woken up on top of the nest with a cruel grin.
"Commander, I believe… that's a Razortail Drake!" the soldier driving the Heavenly Eagle said with a trembling voice.
Lu Nian was referring to the dominator of the desolated city, currently sitting at the top of the Giant Lizards' nest: the Razortail Drake!
Feeding the four students to the Razortail Drake?
Wasn't that a little bit too far?
If he were to fly toward it, the Razortail Drake would surely eat both him and the Heavenly Eagle too!
"Are you disobeying my order?" Lu Nian glared at the soldier.
"Ne...negative." The soldier saluted and directed the Heavenly Eagle to fly toward the nest.
...
In the net, Bai Tingting's face was as pale as a piece of paper.
Zhao Manyan and Mu Nujiao might not know the beast, but she had seen it herself.
The Heavenly Eagle was flying directly at the beast. Despite the distance between them, Bai Tingting was already soaked with the cold sweat of fear.
"What's that?" Zhao Manyan caught onto the net and stared at the top of the nest with a blank face.
"It's...it's the thing that had eaten the Pseudomorphing Demon Beast with a single bite," Bai Tingting said in a trembling voice.
Zhao Manyan and Mu Nujiao could not help, but shiver in fear.
So, that's the thing… eating the Pseudomorphing Demon Beast with a single bite...
The Pseudomorphing Demon Beast alone was impossible to deal with, wouldn't that make the Razortail Drake as deadly as the Grim Reaper...
They preferred to fall to their deaths from their current height rather than being fed to the Razortail Drake as a snack!
...
"Lu Nian, are you insane? Are you seriously going to continue making mistakes?" Zhan Kong roared furiously.
"Zhan Kong, are you really that naive to believe the world is within your grasp? Don't you know that someone is still waiting for you under the cracks of Tianshan Mountain? You don't even have the courage to retrieve her corpse!" Lu Nian burst into sinister laughter.
Lu Nian's words made Zhan Kong's expression turn extremely dark, as if they had touched a spike at the bottom of his heart that he had been avoiding all this time. His eyes flickered with a strong murderous intent.
The devil Commander seemed to enjoy Zhan Kong's reaction, and added with a laugh, "You couldn't even protect Bo City from a bunch of low-intelligence demon wolves. You've shown me again just how useless you are. I feel sorry for you."
Zhan Kong's muscles twitched. The scar under his collar almost burst open as it throbbed.
"And now you're back pretending to be a hero, trying to condemn us like a sacred judge. Don't you find it funny? Look at those students. How innocent, how pitiful. They might be the future of mankind if they were able to survive. If you really are capable, then try and get over my dead body and save them. Prove to me that you're not a useless piece of crap! Unfortunately, you're trash, a complete piece of trash!" Lu Nian's voice was extremely ear-piercing.
Despite being utterly furious, there was no expression on his face.
Zhan Kong wore an expressionless face. He pointed at Lu Nian and said in a firm tone, "I might have failed before, but I've never stopped trying."
That person who was frozen under the cracks of Tianshan Mountain… Even if his hair turned white by the time he became a Super Magician, he would still revisit Tianshan Mountain to retrieve her, either alive or dead. It was a promise that he would keep for the rest of his life!
He knew he was responsible for Bo City's calamity, too. The Darkwing Wolf, the Black Vatican, he would never forgive them. He would surely use the wolf's blood and the heads of the Black Vatican to mourn the deceased of Bo City!
Now, Zhan Kong had sworn to himself that he would slay Lu Nian to get rid of this disgrace of the military, even if his life were at stake!
His Wind Wings beat rapidly. His priority now was to save the four students who were being delivered to the Razortail Drake. Zhan Kong swept across the sky at his fastest speed, resulting in a trail of turbulence behind him.
"Eyes of the Rock Demon!"
Lu Nian would never let Zhan Kong pass so easily. Several brilliant Stars appeared close to him, which were densely joined together in the sky like a stunning Nebula.
The Stars aligned into patterns. The patterns glowed brightly while they slowly combined. They gradually merged into an astonishing Constellation near Lu Nian's position.
The brown-hued Constellation looked incredibly complex, but Lu Nian had constructed it in a very adept manner!
The evil Commander was casting an Advanced Earth Spell. The brilliant, astounding Constellation was enough to serve as an indication.
"Petrify!"
The evil Commander uttered coldly. The clouds in the sky were covered in a grayish-white layer...
The dust from the petrification process lingered in the air. The clouds were turned into a stony substance within a few seconds, which began to break into pieces while floating in the air.
Even the clouds were petrified, what about humans?
Chapter 318 - This is the Blood Sarira
The first time Mo Fan had met Zhan Kong, his Wind Wings had only consisted of a pair, resembling an ordinary pair of wings.
Currently, Zhan Kong had two pair of Wind Wings on his back. The wings were generating a strong gust between them, which was quite impossible to see without a closer look.
Zhan Kong was controlling the four Wind Wings mentally. A pair of them wrapped in front of him as a shield, forming a layer of protection around him.
The gray-white force of Petrify approached its target. However, the Wind Element circulating around the wings was effective against the particles, even those invisible to n.a.k.e.d eyes. It formed a layer of protection that could blow any energy away...
Protected by the Wind Wings, Zhan Kong's eyes were burning.
Wind was only his supportive Element!
Fire was his main Element. Facing a strong opponent like Lu Nian, Zhan Kong had no intentions of concealing his strength!
Fiery Stars quickly aligned around his body. The paths between the Stars lined up and drew a perfect Intermediate Star Pattern.
The Star Patterns continued to join together as Zhan Kong floated right in the middle of them. He was like a dictator who had control over the lives of all living things, able to bring utter destruction with a single rise of his hand!
