Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 577
The Ardent Sunset's flames were utterly imperious. The heat immediately turned Ke Lingxi's Sharp Ice Domain into water vapor. The flames extended out like a rug and burned vigorously under Mo Fan's control.
"You...you dare attack members of the Research Union!" Ke Lingxi's eyes widened. The two men he had brought along were dumbfounded too!
They were being harsh toward Mo Fan after seeing how young the man was, and how he had messed up their experiment. The Research Union never bothered paying any respect to young, inexperienced Mages.
Ke Lingxi initially thought the kid would wet his pants after unleashing his Sharp Ice Domain. To his surprise, he was miserably driven a few steps back by the young man's flames instead.
"You have really gotten on my nerves!" Fiery dragons were rolling on Mo Fan's fists. The three members of the Research Union quickly summoned their defensive Equipment to resist the Fiery Fist.
To their surprise, Mo Fan's Fiery Fist was stronger than a normal Advanced Spell after the added imperious power of the Ardent Sunset. It ended up knocking the three men flying!
Ke Lingxi was the strongest among the three, but they were all burned by the scorching heat. Their flesh blistered as they stood amid Mo Fan's flames with twisted faces.
The Magic Association had always been the one that dared to use magic against other Mages. Was the kid out of his mind to cast such a strong spell at them!?
"Kid, you're dead, you're dead for sure!" Ke Lingxi pointed at Mo Fan and swore.
"You just go back and train for a few years before saying that. I don't understand why a piece of trash like you dares to act so full of yourself in front of me!" Mo Fan harrumphed coldly.
He initially thought the members of the Research Union were strong, but he had left them in such a miserable state with a single punch. How amusing!
"Icebound Coffin!" Ke Lingxi yelled, casting the Advanced Ice Spell.
Ke Lingxi had a Domain. The Icebound Coffin he summoned was surrounded by the same ice spikes from before. They flickered coldly as the Icebound Coffin descended from the sky. Cao Qinqin quickly hid in the distance when she saw the men were serious about the fight.
Mo Fan did not try to dodge as the Icebound Coffin descended with its spikes. The ground below his feet cracked apart as scorching flames burst out like a wild geyser.
A thick burning pillar rose into the sky. Mo Fan remained under the pillar. The wild flames punched through the Icebound Coffin and instantly melted it!
Even though the Ice Element and Fire Element were effective against one another, it solely depended on which side was stronger. The stronger side would always overwhelm the weaker side.
It was obvious that Mo Fan's Ardent Sunset was stronger than Ke Lingxi's Domain. Ke Lingxi had never fought against anyone with such unstoppable flames. His Ice Element was completely useless!
Ke Lingxi did not attack again. He muttered petulantly, "We will report your misbehavior to the Magic Association. The Enforcement Union will deal with you!"
"If I were you, I'd just tug my tails between my legs and leave. You're so weak!" Mo Fan spat back disdainfully.
Ke Lingxi was so mad that his face was twitching.
The Research Union mainly focused on inventing and improving magic. They were more like builders, armor forgers, or formation constructors. Their cultivation was not weak, but their fighting ability was significantly weaker when compared to the Enforcement Union.
However, they were the ones that started the fight. They had no choice but to swallow the humiliation!
They were not in a rush to get their revenge. The other departments of the Magic Association would occasionally ask the Research Union for favors. They had the right to send out members of the Enforcement Union, too. This man was going to pay for what he did!
"Let's go!" Ke Lingxi left with his two subordinates.
They were injured and their clothes were ragged. They had completely lost their arrogant bearing.
One of the men whispered, "How is this kid so strong!?"
"It seems like he's really a mentor of the Pearl Institute..."
"Humph, I don't care who he is; anyone that goes against the Research Union will suffer!"
---
Cao Qinqin only dared to come up to Mo Fan after the fight ended. Her eyes were glittering like stars, with a strong hint of admiration.
Mo Fan's fire was just too outstanding. Cao Qinqin did not have a chance to observe it closely when he was battling against the moth woman. She finally had a chance to see the Ardent Sunset in person this time. The flames with the color of the sky at sunset, with an overwhelming heat that could even set the sky on fire!
"Sir, you're so strong. What training did you normally do? You're perfectly synchronized with your fire! Can you control it as you wish?" Cao Qinqin asked excitedly.
"Too many questions, and stop bringing weird people to me," Mo Fan snapped.
"Oh, I didn't know they were trying to stir up trouble. The Research Union is an impressive department of the Magic Association, how are they weird? I've graduated, but I haven't found an organization to join yet. I'm thinking of joining the Magic Association, but I'm not even qualified to be an intern," Cao Qinqin said.
"What's the Donghai Magic Association about?" Magic Association asked.
"Sir, are you being serious? The Donghai Magic Association is a branch office of the Asia Magic Association in our country. It's only inferior to the Dongfang Oriental Magic Association!" Cao Qinqin said.
"I didn't really have much business with the Magic Association. By the way, you've been around for quite some time. Have you learned how the Water Circulation Magic Formation works?" Mo Fan asked.
"Only the basics, I'm quite interested to learn more about it. If I can master the art of constructing a magic formation, I believe I can become a well-respected Mage... Unfortunately, I'm just a student. The mentors aren't willing to share the essence of the magic formations with me," Cao Qinqin grumbled.
Chapter 1253 - Bashing the Research Union
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"Do you know how to construct formations?" Mo Fan asked.
"Sir, that's what I've been studying. My primary Element is Water. Poison is only my secondary Element," Cao Qinqin said, blinking her eyes.
"Great, I'll ask Dean Xiao to teach you the Water Circulation Magic Formation, but once you learn it, you will have to construct one for me," Mo Fan told her.
Cao Qinqin's eyes glittered.
The Water Circulation Magic Formation was officially in operation in Tongxiang. Cao Qinqin had already witnessed how powerful the magic formation using the energy generated from flowing water was, and how it could protect the town. Even though it was incomparable to the absolute defense provided by an Earth Pistil, it was an impressive invention since it was still able to fend off ordinary demon creatures.
Dean Xiao was truly impressive, being able to invent a magic formation like this. Cao Qinqin was very interested in learning it. She had been staying around even though she had graduated, hoping to learn more about the formation.
"Sir, can you really convince Dean Xiao to teach me?" Cao Qinqin said excitedly. She was just a student. She had no chance of interacting with people like Dean Xiao. Only a few like Mo Fan could just barge into Dean Xiao's office and chat with him as he pleased.
"Of course, but you must do your best to learn it. Otherwise, I'll take away your graduation badge!" Mo Fan said.
"Ah? Sir, you're just as unreasonable as the people of the Research Union," Cao Qinqin protested. However, she was quite confident that she would be able to learn the magic formation. She quickly nodded, "Sir, thank you for the opportunity you've given me. Why don't I join your faction then? I don't really have anywhere to go."
"..." Mo Fan was starting to be impressed by his own charm. The girl's admiration of him was already off the charts even though all he did was guide her on a graduation mission. Sigh, since she had such great hindsight, he would not mind taking her in as his concu...as his disciple. Besides, his Fanxue Mountain was recruiting too. Cao Qinqin was a graduate of the Pearl Institute. She was more than qualified for it!
"After you're done learning it, just come to the Fanxue Mountain," Mo Fan said.
"Alright, sure, I promise I'll set up the same Water Circulation Magic Formation in sir's territory!" Cao Qinqin promised.
"Speaking of which, what did those idiots want from Yu Shishi? I heard them saying that they have had their eyes on her for quite some time?" Mo Fan fell into deep thought when he recalled the doubts he had.
"She's eccentric and special, the people of the Research Union like to conduct weird experiments. I bet they are treating her as a subject for their experiments, trying to learn if she's actually a human or a demon creature, or a combination of both," Cao Qinqin said.
"You know a lot, don't you?" Mo Fan had a whole new impression of Cao Qinqin.
"Sir, I'm not a good fighter, but not many people in the Pearl Institute are more knowledgeable than me!" Cao Qinqin stuck her tongue out.
"It's because you have been overemphasizing it, right? But then again, we need people specializing in different fields, too. If you can really learn the complete Water Circulation Magic Formation, you will be better than hundreds, or even thousands of Mages," Mo Fan realized.
"I can do it, as long as Dean Xiao is willing to teach me. I'm a fast learner!" Cao Qinqin was very confident in herself.
------
Dean Xiao happened to be in Tongxiang, too. He must have been here to see how the magic formation was doing. Mo Fan went straight to him.
Dean Xiao glared at Mo Fan, knowing how benefit-oriented he was, "You really know what to take from me! I spent ten years on the Water Circulation Magic Formation before finally completing it, and now you're asking me for it. I'm more than willing to teach you if you want to learn it yourself, but you're sending someone to learn it instead!"
"Hehe, Dean Xiao, isn't the goal of your magic formation to help mankind? Look at how reputable the Pearl Institute is; I've contributed a fair lot to it. As my teacher, shouldn't you be teaching your student everything you have to?" Mo Fan asked shamelessly.
Mo Fan was well aware of how valuable Dean Xiao's magic formation was. It was clearly a worthy invention. He believed the government, the military, and the renowned clans would pay him a visit and request Dean Xiao set up the magic formation for them too. It was valuable even at the international level.
"You can't just set up the formation anywhere you want. It relies highly on the layout of the waterways. If the waterways aren't suitable, you will have to modify them accordingly! You do know many of the rivers and streams are the territories of the demon creatures. If you try modifying them, they will just attack you recklessly!" Dean Xiao declared.
"So are you going to give it to me or not?" Mo Fan was wicked too. He was trying to convince Dean Xiao by saying how noble and glorious he was as a teacher.
"Don't you worry, I have no plan to keep it to myself. Once it's finalized, I'll open it to the students of the Pearl Institute. Every student that studies magic formations will have a chance to learn it, but it's up to the students if they can really understand it. It's a very complicated magic formation. The girl you mentioned might not be able to complete it on her own. If she can't do it, I'll just pay a visit to Fanxue Mountain myself and set it up for you," Dean Xiao said.
Dean Xiao treated Mo Fan as his disciple. He was more than willing to teach Mo Fan everything he knew. Unfortunately, the Water Circulation Magic Formation had strict requirements, and it was difficult to master.
"It's fine, Dean Xiao, you can just give Cao Qinqin some advice. She was one of the students that helped set up the Water Circulation Magic Formation as part of her graduate mission too. You are always so busy, how could I ask you to waste your time on my little territory? The magic formation has to be maintained and upgraded in the future, too. It doesn't make sense to keep calling you over, right? It's easier to let Cao Qinqin learn from you. She can just set it up at her own pace since everything is still in progress," Mo Fan said.
"Fine… oh, by the way, did the people of the Research Union talk to you? The people of the Research Union have the worst tempers in the Magic Association. You should just go easy on them. Try not to stir any trouble," Dean Xiao said to Mo Fan when he remembered something.
"Oh, they did; I beat the crap out of them," Mo Fan replied.
"..." Dean Xiao was left speechless.
"They seem to be after the moth woman. I'm quite confused. Is there something special about Yu Shishi?" Mo Fan asked.
"The moth woman is indeed a unique existence. Her secrets might allow the researchers to learn something new. I got the idea of the Water Circulation Magic Formation from a powerful demon creature that gathers energy from natural waterways, for example," Dean Xiao explained.
"Which means, if the Heresy Judgment Court gets their hands on me, I'd most likely end up as a test subject too?" Mo Fan asked.
"No doubt about it, the Demon Element is crazily strong. The reason why the Demon Element was forbidden was because of how corrupted and uncontrollable it is, but now, you are perfectly fine even after you've turned into a demon. It goes without saying that they wanted to replicate more people like you, so they won't need to worry about the demon creatures anymore," Dean Xiao said.
"...I guess I should just stay as far away as possible from the Heresy Judgment Court," Mo Fan smiled wryly.
The reason why the Demon Element was successful for him was not just because of his Double Innate Elements, but the Soul Essences provided by the Little Loach Pendant, allowing him to pay the cost of using the Demon Element.
His Double Innate Elements were no longer a secret, but he had never told anyone about the Little Loach Pendant. He could not afford to fall into the hands of the Heresy Judgment Court!
"Speaking of which, the Research Union isn't acting humanely. Regardless of what Yu Shishi is, she still has the right to choose. It's her choice if she doesn't want anything to do with the Research Union..." Dean Xiao said.
"I'll just beat the crap out of them every time they show up. I've never seen anyone as annoying as them from the Magic Association!" Mo Fan said.
"Why don't you take care of your wild temper first?" Dean Xiao said helplessly.
"I don't go around and provoke people, but that doesn't mean I can tolerant of sc.u.m like them!"
"I'll talk to the Research Union about it."
"It's fine; if they are asking for trouble, let them come! My hands have been itchy too! Ask them to send some experts, I feel like loosening my muscles," Mo Fan grinned. He was nothing but a battle maniac.
---
---
Mo Fan failed to catch the train back to Shanghai that night. He had no choice but to Summon the Flying Creek Snow Wolf.
The Flying Creek Snow Wolf was faster than a train when running at full speed. However, Mo Fan could only travel along the border of the safe zone so he wouldn't scare civilians.
However, considering that Mu Ningxue had slowly begun to accept him, Mo Fan suddenly decided to stay at Feiniao City for the time being instead. He should make use of the chance to talk and flirt with her more.
"Old wolf, turn around, we're going to Feiniao City," Mo Fan tightened the grip of his legs, as if he was riding a horse.
The Flying Creek Snow Wolf had an unhappy face. His master had not Summoned him for a fight recently, only using him for transportation, even though he was a Commander-level wolf!
Little Flame Belle sat on the Flying Creek Snow Wolf's head. Her legs were dangling above the creature's nose while grabbing his upright ears. The little princess was definitely enjoying the ride.
The Flying Creek Snow Wolf suddenly came to a stop. He glared at a mountain wall nearby hostilely.
The Flying Creek Snow Wolf was extremely s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e towards murderous auras. Mo Fan was immediately alert after learning trouble had come.
A bunch of blue moths beat their wings as they flew out of the mountain wall. They seemed to be afraid of Little Flame Belle, and didn't dare get within ten meters from her.
More moths began to appear and outline an alluring figure.
The moths suddenly spread into the surroundings and flew towards the mountain. A woman wearing a hat and hemp garment was standing at the spot where the moths were gathering, hiding her face with the hat. She slowly lifted her head, revealing her glimmering eyes. They were dazzling under the night sky.
"It's you. Have you come for revenge?" Mo Fan chuckled when he recognized her.
Chapter 1254 - Yu Shishi's Secret
Translated by XephiZ Edited by Aelryinth "I once thought of murdering you and cutting you into pieces, but I need your help," Yu Shishi replied. "Hehe, is that what a person asking for a favor should be saying? I have no time to waste on you, just do whatever you want," Mo Fan patted the Flying Creek Snow Wolf, signaling him to proceed on their way. "Wait!" Yu Shishi stopped Mo Fan. "Don't ever come to me again. I'll hand you to the Enforcement Union if you annoy me again," Mo Fan snapped impatiently. Mo Fan was not in a good mood after the people of the Research Union showed up. He did not care about what would happen to Yu Shishi, nor was he interested in the secret she had that the Research Union was after. "I've been to the land that you bought," Yu Shishi said. "You've been stalking me?" Mo Fan glared at the woman icily. He had only spared her life because she did not go around killing innocent people. However, if the woman was trying to harm the people around him, he would not hesitate to eliminate her! "I just went to see the girl who you mentioned was in a similar situation as I am." Yu Shishi seemed a little intimidated when she saw the flames rising from Mo Fan's body. It was the same fire that had destroyed countless numbers of her moths. It felt worse than death! She had long lost her family. The moths had become her friends, her family, yet Mo Fan had killed almost half of them. She had the urge to tear Mo Fan into pieces, yet she had no choice but to come to Mo Fan for the sake of the remaining moths. "Oh, you saw her?" Mo Fan withdrew the flames. "I did," Yu Shishi said. "Just tell me what you want, I'm in a hurry here," Mo Fan snapped. "I'm trying to run away from the Research Union. They have never treated me as a human. It's not going to end well if I fall into their hands..." Yu Shishi said. "You better hide then," Mo Fan said. "I..." Yu Shishi lowered her head. She was obviously stirred up emotionally, "I swear I just want to live peacefully! Why can't the people of the Research Union just leave me alone? If they didn't keep forcing me, I wouldn't kill the people that are weak and troubled by sickness by accident. I admit that I've killed people that went missing, but I never wanted to take their lives. I just want to protect myself and the moths. I just want to live, I don't want to die..." "You've killed some innocent people, whether you meant it or not. It's your fault that you've nowhere to go now," Mo Fan said. "I've checked your information. You are Mo Fan, the strongest participant in the World College Tournament, the man that saved the Ancient Capital during the calamity. You aren't afraid of the Magic Association, nor are you afraid of the Research Union..." Yu Shishi went on. "Forget it, there's no way I'm helping you," Mo Fan said decisively. Yu Shishi looked at Mo Fan. She did not think the man would reject her so mercilessly. "Then...then why are you willing to keep the Blood Tribe girl with you?" Yu Shishi asked. "I've already said it, I don't really care what you really are. The truth is, your beautiful looks and stunning figure are bonus points to me… but they aren't really that important. It's more about what you've done," Mo Fan explained. "Don't you want to know why the Research Union keeps trying to hunt me down? I'll tell you my secret if you're willing to help me," Yu Shishi said. Mo Fan pondered for a moment. Judging from the Research Union's eagerness, Yu Shishi's secret must be very important to them. Otherwise, they would not send a committee member after her, especially since the person was receiving orders directly from the Asia Magic Association. It must be a serious business if a Magic Association at the international level was involved. Eccentric people had always been rare, yet Yu Shishi was clearly not the only strange kind. The Blood Tribe was also unorthodox. If the Research Union was only interested in weird people, why were they so fond of Yu Shishi, instead of hunting down the Blood Tribe? According to Yu Shishi, the Research Union had been after her for quite some time... "Tell me about it," Mo Fan said. "Do you remember when we met for the first time, you asked me why I'm not afraid of demon creatures when I'm alone in the wild?" Yu Shishi said. Mo Fan remembered. He even saw her n.a.k.e.d body. It was stunning, especially her huge yet firm b.r.e.a.s.ts. He believed if she had her blue moth wings out, it would add even more charm to her! "You aren't afraid because of the moths," Mo Fan said. "No, I told you the reason before," Yu Shishi said. "Did you?" Mo Fan recalled the encounter and realized something, "You mentioned that the demon creatures don't attack you because of the fragrance you had?" Yu Shishi nodded. "Wait, you were telling the truth?" Mo Fan looked at Yu Shishi in surprise. "I wasn't lying," Yu Shishi answered. Mo Fan was shocked. He subconsciously went up to Yu Shishi and sniffed. He wanted to know what she would smell like. Yu Shishi did not think Mo Fan would just come up to her and sniff her. Her eyes flickered with a hint of embarrassment, but considering he was the only person that could help her, she remained still and let the man sniff her instead. "I didn't smell anything special; it's similar to the body fragrance of an ordinary girl," Mo Fan said. "Are you expecting it to be a pungent smell? Wouldn't everyone just treat me like a monster that way!?" Yu Shishi snapped. "You're right, but does it really allow you to move freely among the demon creatures? Do they just ignore you?" Mo Fan asked seriously. "Shall we try it out then?" Yu Shishi said. "Sure, seeing is believing," Mo Fan said. If Yu Shishi was telling the truth about her scent, Mo Fan would believe why the Research Union was so interested in her. Demon creatures were extremely hostile toward humans. They could tolerate some living creatures passing by their territories, or some other species hunting for food in their territories, but they would never allow a human to set foot in them. It felt like the 'food' they had trapped in their cages had come out and was roaming around outside the cages instead. It seemed it was a great humiliation to them! Many demon creatures had strong senses. Their hearing was able to pick up human footsteps from over a kilometer away. Their sense of smell could sniff out the presence of a human on the other side of a mountain. Their outstanding sight could distinguish the skin of a human more than ten thousand meters away... They had lots of other ways to detect human presences that were even more shocking than the ones mentioned above. These unknown abilities were the main reason why lots of Hunters and soldiers died brutal deaths. Mo Fan had been to the desert in Tarim Basin himself. The relay station they visited was only in the outer region of the desert. They did not even make it to the middle sector. It clearly showed how difficult it was to explore the territories of demon creatures! As such, if they could mass produce Yu Shishi's scent to cover up their human presence, wouldn't it allow humans to freely enter the demon creatures' territories? It was definitely going to be a huge breakthrough for mankind. It easily explained why the people of the Magic Association were so eager to get their hands on her! ------ Mo Fan agreed to bring Yu Shishi to Yueyang Land. The west of Feiyue Mountain was connected to the Nanling Mountains. It was the territory of the Silver Skyruler, where many demon creatures resided, beyond the White Magic Falcons that ruled over the area. Mo Fan found one of the species in Nanling Mountains, so Yu Shishi could demonstrate her ability. "I can move freely in their territory as long as I don't enter their nest," Yu Shishi said. Yu Shishi was walking through the tall brush. She had entered the territory of the Hunter Fang Panther Demons, one of the species posing the greatest threat to Yueyang Land. Their physical finesse allowed them to cross mountains and ridges easily. There had been many Hunter Fang Panther Demons that had accidentally ended up in the Yueyang Land. When they were cleansing the area with the Earth Pistil, they had found a few packs of Hunter Fang Panther Demons hidden in caves. If they had not had the Earth Pistil, they would only have found these Hunter Fang Panther Demons by conducting a thorough search with a huge number of Mages! A bulky Hunter Fang Panther Demon was half-crawling through the brush. Its huge eyes were staring in Yu Shishi's direction. Mo Fan hid in the dark. He was not worried that these low-level demon creatures would sense his presence when he was using the Dark Noble Mantle, as long as he stayed a certain distance away. Yu Shishi continued forward until she reached the Hunter Fang Panther Demon. Surprisingly, the demon creature was still staring at her... Mo Fan followed its gaze and discovered two gray-black Hunter Fang Panther Demons in the tall brush. Their bodies were stacked on top of one another under the brush and were rubbing against one another without making any noises! Mo Fan's eyes widened! -Holy crap, the two Hunter Fang Panther Demons are rolling in the bed… rolling in the brush!- {TL Note: Rolling in the bed is a slang for having s.e.x.u.a.l i.n.t.e.r.c.o.u.r.s.e.} The bulky Hunter Fang Panther Demon seemed to have discovered that it was wearing a green hat. It immediately unleashed a strong aura. It completely ignored Yu Shishi's presence! The bulky Hunter Fang Panther Demon pounced forward and tore at the neck of the Hunter Fang Panther Demon having an affair with its partner, leaving a bloody wound on its neck! The demon creature twitched vigorously as blood poured out from its neck. The female Hunter Fang Panther Demon rose to its feet when it realized its lover had died... Mo Fan was utterly dumbfounded by the next scene. He initially thought the male Hunter Fang Panther Demons were dominant, judging from their greater size. To his surprise, the female Hunter Fang Panther Demons were even more violent. The female Hunter Fang Panther Demon clawed fiercely at the bulky male Hunter Fang Panther Demon instead. The male Hunter Fang Panther Demon did not dare to fight back. It lowered its head and followed behind the female Hunter Fang Panther Demon, as if it was fawning after her! "So the females of the species are the dominant ones… these female Hunter Fang Panther Demons are a lot fiercer than the males. The males are submissive, and have to fight one another to mate with the females!" Mo Fan exclaimed.
