Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 193
That person was Liu Qian!
As a matter of fact, the two were merely associates with one another, yet when Liu Qian found out that Zhou Tong's turn was at the very end, he had asked the last challenger to do him a favor.
Liu Qian wanted Mo Fan to be severely injured, serious enough for him to tie him to a bed for a few months.
If he succeeded, Liu Qian the moneybag would reward him greatly.
Liu Qian was definitely brooding about the transfer student. In Zhou Tong's opinion, he only needed to do a fairly simple task for a great reward, since the transfer student was so worn out on the surface that he most likely could not even cast another Spell.
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Mo Fan stood there with a slightly pale face.
The battles had been going on for too long. His energy was finally depleted. Besides that, his injuries were getting worse. It was fairly impressive that he had managed to hold on until now.
"Mr. Wei Rong, please go ahead with the countdown. Don't give him too much time to rest," urged Zhou Tong, as if he could not wait to claim his victory.
Wei Rong nodded and announced the beginning of the battle.
As soon as he finished the announcement, a voice suddenly interrupted, with words directed at Wei Rong.
"That's enough for today," The crowd was unaware that Dean Xiao had also arrived at the dueling ground, who spoke out in time to stop the duel.
"Dean Xiao."
"Dean."
Some of the teachers politely offered their seats. Meanwhile, even though the Fire School was not under Dean Xiao's control, he was still the institute's dean, thus it was reasonable to respect him.
"Mo Fan, you're coming down, too. There's no need to make this into a 'the fish dies or the net splits' situation. It won't bring any good to your development here at the Fire School," Dean Xiao said to Mo Fan.
"Aye, you're right," Mo Fan nodded.
"Apologize to Mr. Wei Rong, and to your senior brothers and sisters in the Fire School. After all, you're a freshman here..." Dean Xiao was obviously here to take control of the situation.
"Err...fine," Mo Fan was not bullheaded. Since Dean Xiao had made his point clear, it was indeed unwise to continue on with the duel.
Mo Fan faced Wei Rong and apologized with his head lowered, before obeying Dean Xiao's order by apologizing to the students of the Fire School.
The demon king seemed fairly sincere, yet the apology was neither painful nor itching for him. The students of the Fire School were dumbfounded.
Wasn't he supposed to apologize to them one at a time? Did Dean Xiao seriously clear the guy's offense by asking him to make such a simple apology?
"Dean Xiao, if we don't let him apologize to them one by one, how is the Fire School going to retain its reputation in the Pearl Institute?" said Wei Rong softly.
"Oh Wei Rong, if the duel were to take place, this Zhou Tong won't stand a chance against Mo Fan," whispered Dean Xiao to Wei Rong.
Mr. Gu Han nodded. As a matter of fact, he already tried to give Wei Rong a hint.
"He no longer has the energy to fight. How could Zhou Tong possibly lose the duel?" said Wei Rong with his brows raised and a slight hint of anger.
Dean Xiao did not want too many people to know about Mo Fan's true talent. After all, some things were better to be left secret as they started preparing for the World College Tournament. Exposing too much would not bring any advantage to them. As such, he whispered a few words into Wei Rong's ears.
Wei Rong was not an idiot too. Even though Dean Xiao had vaguely touched upon it, he immediately broke out in cold sweat!
Wei Rong soon understood why Dean Xiao had come in person to take control of the situation... He was actually helping them to preserve the Fire School's reputation!
It went without saying that Dean Xiao knew Mo Fan was a maniac who had four Elements. If the duel were to continue on, the stubborn Mo Fan would surely use his Shadow Element. There was no way Zhou Tong would have any chance against him. Considering that Mo Fan was going to represent their school in the World College Tournament, Dean Xiao had no intention of exposing Mo Fan's fourth Element, since the World College Tournament was extremely important to their nation!
"If that's the case, the challenges for today have officially come to an end," Wei Rong did not dare to ask any further.
The few sentences that Dean Xiao had uttered already revealed enough information to him. Wei Rong did not dare to put the reputation of his Fire School at stake. Since Mo Fan had already apologized to him and the students, everyone was given a way out.
"We can't let it end like this!"
"Let Zhou Tong fight him!"
"Yeah, it's either the majority in the Fire School are trash just like he said, or he apologizes to every single one of us!"
The students of the Fire School were unsatisfied!
They demanded that Mo Fan apologize singly, as the humiliation they had suffered today was great. Otherwise, how could they possibly retain their face?
"Wasn't he acting smug just then? Yes, he might be strong, and many of us admit that we are no match against him. Yet, that doesn't mean we'll let him trample our dignity and leave it just like that," said one of the losers.
Mo Fan was initially the public enemy, and it was obvious that he was completely worn out and was obviously going to lose the duel. Most people had no intention of letting him go.
"Hey, those who are from the Fire School, enough with your shamelessness. I would feel too ashamed to even show my temper after over two hundred students from my school were defeated in a row. Are you seriously asking him to apologize to every one of you still? Don't you feel embarrassed?" scolded Ai Tutu from within the crowd, who had come here early to watch the duels.
"That's right, maybe he's kind enough to forfeit the duel as he doesn't want to put the Fire School in a worse spot, and you guys are still dropping stones on the man who has fallen into a well. Didn't you hear that Dean Xiao and your Elemental Director have agreed to call it off? Meanwhile, you peeps who are jealous of the glory he has earned today are trying to protect your hilarious loss of dignity!" Many of the students from the other Elements were standing on Mo Fan's side.
The people of the Fire School had always been proud and arrogant, not showing any respect to the other Elements. It gladdened their hearts to see the transfer student teaching the Fire School a lesson.
The students of the Fire School were even more infuriated after hearing those comments. They were even more determined not to let Mo Fan go so easily.
His apology to the whole school was nowhere enough. Many people were waiting for the scornful guy to lower his head and apologize to them one by one!
Chapter 429 - Strange Body Composition
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Wei Rong pulled a long face when he heard the objections from the students. His already rough look turned even fiercer and more intimidating.
"Enough!" Wei Rong yelled in a rough voice. His voice quickly covered the sound of the crowd, as if none of them dared to make any noise when Wei Rong clenched his brow. The students of the Fire School were fairly respectful of their Elemental Director.
Wei Rong glanced at the students of the Fire School and spoke, "Today, I'm totally disappointed by you all. It's meaningless for the duel to keep going from this point onward. Initially, I d.e.s.i.r.ed every student in the Fire School to become an elite, an outstanding Magician, which is why I was strict to a transfer student whom I assumed had given up on his previous Element halfway.
"However, he has proven to everyone that he's no weaker than most of the students from the Fire School. If you're really not satisfied with the result, then fight him in a fair duel in the future, instead of stirring up a scene here to save a little bit of your dignity. Dignity is something you earn with your hands. I hope that one day, a student of our Fire School is able to defeat this transfer student at his peak! That will be the best justification to the school."
Wei Rong's words echoed in the students' minds. Most of them were simply demanding an ending they could accept for the matter on hand, yet they had totally ignored the fact that they had lost the duels. Many began to feel ashamed.
Bai Mei nodded with a slight smile. If Wei Rong had done this earlier, he would have stopped the criticism from the other Elemental Schools.
"Mo Fan, down you go. Your injuries aren't light at all. Any delay further might affect your recovery," said Bai Mei.
Mo Fan nodded. He was indeed feeling extremely uncomfortable. Luckily, Dean Xiao had made it in time.
He went down from the stage, and as he passed by Dean Xiao, he murmured, "Old man, why did you come so late?"
Dean Xiao glared at him and responded, "Is it that hard to stay out of trouble?"
Mo Fan chuckled without commenting any further.
"Go ahead and treat your wounds," Dean Xiao blurted out after he saw Mo Fan's injuries.
Mo Fan quickly left the dueling ground. No matter how dissatisfied the people of the Fire School or the other Elements were, they had no choice but to leave the place. That being said, talk about the duels that had lasted from the morning to late at night were surely going to spread wildly through the school.
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"It's not too bad, the fire resistance granted by your Soul Seed's flame is fairly strong. Someone else would suffer from lingering effects of the burn for a few months without getting treated in time. The Healing Magic I've given you can only treat the wounds on your skin, but there are still some lingering effects in your body. You'll have to consume some countering medicine for a week," said Bai Mei, after giving Mo Fan a thorough check-over.
Mo Fan nodded. From what he recalled, the lingering effect of a burn was something he should not underestimate. Otherwise, it might slowly penetrate his inner organs. By that time, Healing Magic would be fairly useless against it. He could only use a significant amount of medicine and other recovery Magic to heal it slowly. The medicine was relatively costly, and something that most hunters spent lots of money on.
"Thanks, Mr. Bai Mei," said Mo Fan.
"By the way, something is a little strange about your body composition. Did your body go through some kind of irregular modification?" said Bai Mei all of a sudden.
"Is there something wrong about it?" asked Mo Fan.
"I can't really tell. Normally, the injuries of those who are suffering from a burn will slowly worsen, posing a threat to their lives when the condition worsens to a certain level. However, I discovered that your wounds are already showing signs of recovery when you came down from the stage," said Bai Mei.
"Isn't that a good thing? It's just showing that my body can heal faster."
Bai Mei shook his head and continued after looking him up and down. "I wouldn't mention it if it was a normal recovery. Something is a bit strange about your body. If possible, I suggest finding a more proficient Healer to give your body a thorough exam. I can sense some kind of irritable Element inside your body, and it's not any Magic Element, White Magic or Dimensional Magic that we usually see. If anything, it bears similarities to Black Magic."
Mo Fan glanced at Mr. Bai Mei in astonishment.
He had once acquired the power of the Demon Element. However, some aged Magicians in the Southern Military had confirmed that most of the residue of the Demon Element in his body had dissipated. This Bai Mei's cultivation was fairly outstanding, otherwise, he would not be able to sense the remnants of it.
If the Demon Element could be considered an Element, it would surely be listed as a Black Magic.
Mo Fan could not help but be impressed by this teacher.
"Alright, I'll ask around. Thanks, sir," answered Mo Fan.
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Mo Fan was worn out by the time he arrived back at his apartment.
Ai Tutu swung her large b.r.e.a.s.ts around while talking to Mo Fan, who was lying on the couch continuously.
The girl seemed exceedingly excited. Her gleaming eyes were somewhat surprisingly displaying a slight hint of admiration toward Mo Fan.
On the other hand, Mu Nujiao was more worried about his injuries. She blamed him for stirring up trouble just after he had returned to school.
Mo Fan fell asleep halfway without knowing it. He was indeed too tired, but he did enjoy himself in the duels!
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Mo Fan woke up at midnight, and saw he was covered in a thick blanket. The previously lively living room was silent.
Mo Fan took a can of cider from the fridge and switched to lying on the balcony, where the air was much fresher.
"The overall strength of the students here at the main campus is a lot stronger than I imagined. Those born with innate Soul Seeds were only ranked slightly over a hundred in the Fire School. Doesn't that mean lots of people ranked in the top one hundred have a chance to defeat me, and those ranked in the top fifty or even top ten are pretty much a bunch of monsters?" mumbled Mo Fan after taking a sip from the pineapple cider.
He was only in one of the Element Schools in the main campus. If all the Elements were combined, the number of experts would be comparable to the number of hairs on a cow. It was not an easy task for him to stand out among them.
He still had lots of room for improvement!
If he managed to find himself a Contracted Beast, his strength would improve significantly. He should try and level-up his Lightning Nebula to the third tier, too...
Not to mention his Shadow Element, which was still at the first tier. The Giant Shadow Spike: Twins was an extremely useful Spell. Last but not least, equipment: he only had two pieces of equipment. It was said that those ranked in the top fifty each had a set of equipment. If he were to fight against any of them, he would find himself at a disadvantage because of his equipment.
It seemed like he should be cultivating more diligently, to fill up the current gaps in his strength...
Chapter 430 - Your Snake Scales Are Trash
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Sigh, his cultivation had not improved at all for half a year. It was not a good thing for him.
The competition in the main campus was more intense than what he had imagined, and the distribution of the resources was fairly straightforward.
In order to level up his Lightning Nebula to the third tier, he had to cultivate in the Three Step Tower.
The cultivation speed granted by the Little Loach Pendant was enough for Mo Fan to pass the acc.u.mulation period fairly quickly, but to have a breakthrough in his cultivation, he had to rely on external assistance from unique places like the Three Step Tower, which contained a high concentration of the Elemental Energy.
Only those ranked in the top fifty were allowed to cultivate in the Three Step Tower. He was currently ranked one hundredth, still a distance away from reaching his goal.
He also needed a week for his body to recover. Although he had cleared the challenges, there was no way he could challenge someone for the rest of the week...
"I should try and secure a higher rank in the second challenge week!" Mo Fan grabbed the can and emptied the cool cider into his throat after roughly setting his direction in mind.
The lingering effect from the burn was rather annoying. He kept feeling that something was burning in his body, giving him a dull pain. Drinking something icy did not necessarily make any difference, but it just felt so good!
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The fourth week every month was the second challenge week.
In the first challenge week, Mo Fan was forced to take on consecutive challenges, but half a month later, it was his time to climb the ranking.
The resources given by the school were quite generous. If he could not secure the highest possible rank, his cultivation would fall behind fairly quickly.
After feeling that he had fully recovered after a week's rest at home, Mo Fan recalled what Old Bao had mentioned and went to the Dongfang Oriental Tower with his beloved snake scales.
With the introductory letter in hand, Mo Fan went to the main hall of the Magic Association, and quickly located the armor forgemaster, Huo Tuo, who was rather famous inside the tower.
Huo Tuo was highly respected. He even had his own luxurious guest room in the Magic Association. Due to the height of the Magic Association's location in the Oriental Pearl Tower, one could easily capture the most beautiful moment of the Huangpu River through the French windows...
The two most authoritative Magic Associations in the country were the Magic Palace in the capital, Beijing, and the Dongfang Pearl Magicians. Therefore, someone with a guest room like this was definitely no ordinary person. It seemed like this Old Bao was indeed a reclusive expert!
"Hi, I'm Mr. Huo's disciple, Li Junnan," said a young man in a neat attire politely.
"Oh, hello, I'm here for Mr. Huo. Is he in?" said Mo Fan as he glanced at the man with the shameless name.
{TL Note: Junnan means 'handsome man' in Chinese.}
"He is in, it's just that his temper isn't very good..." said Li Junnan softly.
"I understand, but Old Bao has told me that only Mr. Huo Tuo can handle the material I have, so I do hope you can tell him that," Mo Fan said sternly and sincerely.
A constructor was usually an Earth Magician, while most of the forgemasters were Lightning and Fire Magicians. The rare bones, scales, and skin from demon beasts had a unique composition, which was impossible to break down with ordinary machinery. They had to rely on the forgemasters' special Fires to smelt them, or Lightning to conduct electrolysis...
The process was similar to gold smelting. In order to turn gold into jewelry, they first smelted the gold, then used magical equipment to cool the gold down and solidify, forming the shape they needed.
Similarly, the material used to craft equipment had to be smelted first. Otherwise, how could the material they obtained from the demon beasts possibly be in usable shapes like boots, armor, bracelets, pendants, rings, and so on?
Besides, since the equipment was bound to the user's soul, they needed to be activated prior to using them.
