Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 614
"Hey, wait a second, old man, you've taken charge of the situation and placed the blame on them, but your Magic Association should be held responsible for it, too. You didn't bother to show up even when the island almost sank during the fight… the Nanrong Clan is willing to compromise and apologize because they didn't want to give up on their relationship with you, but your Donghai Magic Association hasn't really done anything. You think you can get over it by just saying a few nice sentences to us?" Mo Fan pressed angrily.
Elder Kang was startled, and g.r.o.a.n.e.d inwardly. -How cunning, he managed to see through my trick...-
He had punished the Dali Clan and forced the Nanrong Clan to compromise and compensate them for the loss. It seemed like the Donghai Magic Association had been making amends on the surface, yet they had not really given up anything. Chasing the Dali Clan away was not necessarily a loss for them!
He had executed it perfectly, yet Mo Fan had to ruin all of it when he was about to dismiss the crowd!
"Shouldn't you be compensating us for our loss too? As the reputable Donghai Magic Association in charge of the cities along the coastline, as an international organization, I believe you will be giving us more than the Nanrong Clan has given us, right?"
"Well..." Elder Kang found himself in an awkward position. His trick had worked every time before. He had managed to improve their reputation, rectify the name of the Donghai Magic Association, warn the renowned clans, and get rid of a foolish partner; how did his plan fail miserably all of a sudden!?
Mu Ningxue pinched Mo Fan's waist, as he was trying to demand more benefits through extortion. She suddenly felt like it was such a waste for him to be a Mage. He should have become an unscrupulous merchant instead!
"I'm just trying to earn more money to buy you some facial masks, look at your injuries..." Mo Fan said softly.
"Initially, you wouldn't be able to get a greater share of the Fragmented Crystal Vein, since you already own a portion of it, but we'll be giving you the share that was previously allocated to the Dali Clan instead. If you are able to manage it wisely, I believe we will have more opportunities to work together in the future. What do you think?" Elder Kang said.
"But that's from the Dali Clan, not the Donghai Magic Association..." Mo Fan continued relentlessly.
Elder Kang's expression darkened. He had never seen such a shameless young man before!
"That will do, we'll take care of the Dali Clan's share. Leave it to us," Mu Ningxue quickly intervened between the two. She did feel like Mo Fan was pushing the limit...
"Mm, very well then," Elder Kang nodded. He was afraid that Mo Fan would bite at him again!
Mo Fan also knew how difficult it was for the Donghai Magic Association to give something up. However, he was more than willing to take the Dali Clan's share of the Fragmented Crystal Vein, even though he had no clue what it actually was...
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The rest of the procedures were straightforward. The Nanrong Clan soon transferred ownership of the Cliff of Ages to Fanxue Mountain. Meanwhile, Fanxue Mountain was also part of the group managing the extraction of the Fragmented Crystal Vein. On top of that, the share that the Dali Clan initially held was quite a big portion, since both the territories of the Dongfang Clan and the Bai Clan were further away from the Fragmented Crystal Vein than the Dali Clan. After all, the main headquarters of the Dali Clan was around Feiniao City too! That being said, Fanxue Mountain was still the closest. It was right beside Fanxue Mountain's territory, but Mu Ningxue's clan would have difficulty eating the entire cake...
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"Did Little Flame Belle evolve?"
"Yeah, she's in the Adolescent Phase now. Her strength is equivalent to a Commander-level creature in the Advancing Period, but there's a huge problem now," Mo Fan told her, placing his hands behind his head.
He enjoyed going for a walk with Mu Ningxue. Even though the woman was within an arm's reach, they were still not as intimate as a pair of lovers… but the ambiguous feeling was special and comfortable. It was just like how they were when they were still kids. He was hoping to take the next step, yet he did not want to rush it and ruin the atmosphere between them. It was so pure that Mo Fan was struggling to believe it was something that he had wanted for so long!
"What is it?" Mu Ningxue asked immediately.
A Commander-level in the Advancing Period was remarkably strong. Only a Super Mage could take on a creature like that!
If Little Flame Belle had become so strong, Mo Fan was basically unbeatable against Mages below the Super Level!
"My cultivation is too weak. There's a chance I will explode if Little Flame Belle Possesses me," Mo Fan smiled wryly.
"Which means you won't be able to use it as often?"
"Mm, it will become stabler once my cultivation improves," Mo Fan confirmed.
"Sounds good; it means you'll be training even harder!"
"Why don't we find a secret room and cultivate in seclusion together? Like Xiaolongnu and Yang Guo..." Mo Fan suggested.
{TL Note: Xiaolongnu and Yang Guo are a pair of lovers from The Return of the Condor Heroes.}
"Your fire is going to affect my ice," Mu Ningxue rejected him promptly.
How could she not know what Mo Fan was thinking? The man with his vile thoughts!
Chapter 1324 - Flame Belle's Space Element
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Mo Fan felt like he had to train harder. Mu Ningxue's cultivation was a lot stronger than his now.
That being said, Mo Fan was not planning to just cultivate diligently. When he needed to meditate, he would spend more time meditating than anyone else, but to improve his efficiency, there was no point in him just meditating.
The biggest thing that had allowed Mo Fan to improve so quickly was the Little Loach Pendant. Therefore, he was trying to find a way to upgrade the Little Loach Pendant, so as to ensure all six of his Elements could improve rapidly.
After returning to Fanxue Mountain, Mo Fan spent a month meditating. He was trying to improve the other Elements, but the higher their levels, the harder it was to break through the bottlenecks. A few of Mo Fan's Elements had been stuck in the first and second tiers for quite some time...
That being said, compared to other Mages, Mo Fan's rate of improvement was still like the speed of a jet. Most Mages had trouble improving their Elements by a single tier without the help of some incredible loot!
"(sigh) I guess I'll practice my Space Element then..." Mo Fan had no choice but to focus on mastering his skills, since it was unlikely he would have a breakthrough without some special circ.u.mstances.
Practicing skills was useful in refining his control over the related Element. His control of the Fire Element was the best among the Elements he had. With Little Flame Belle's help, his control of the Fire Element was very close to the level of a Super Mage. He was able to alter the forms of his Fire and attack as he pleased now. Meanwhile, Little Flame Belle, who was now at the peak of the Commander-level, also granted Mo Fan incredible strength when using the Fire Element.
Unfortunately, Mo Fan was having trouble enduring the formidable power of Little Flame Belle after she reached the Adolescent Phase. He needed to improve his Fire Element to the Third Tier of the Advanced Level.
The Element he had the second-best control over was the Lightning Element. Due to the Lightning Tyrant Domain and the Blessing of the God's Seal, the Lightning Element was more like his trump card. Normally, it would take a person a long time to defeat a Commander-level creature, but Mo Fan would have no trouble killing a slightly weaker Commander-level creature in an instant if he used his Lightning Element at the perfect time!
The Element that Mo Fan had the third-best control over was the Space Element. After achieving the fifth stage of mental strength, Mo Fan's Space Magic had improved significantly, allowing him to attack, control, engage a group of enemies, or focus on a single target at will. Space Magic was capable of doing everything as long as his mental strength was high enough!
The fourth Element was the Shadow Element. It had been a while since it had any improvements. He mainly used the Nyx Regime as a Shadow Domain. If his Shadow Element could reach the Second Tier of the Advanced Level, he believed the crowd-control abilities of his Shadow Spells would improve by a lot.
As for the Summoning Element, it was the Element that Mo Fan spent the least amount of time on. Even the outstanding ability to Summon a Beast Tide had gradually become ineffective as Mo Fan continued to grow stronger. Many Summoners would put a lot of focus on improving the Advanced Summoning Spell, since the destruction that a Beast Tide could bring was comparable to that of a horde of demon creatures.
Mo Fan was keen to improve them all. Sometimes, he felt like having too many Elements was a kind of burden. Every time he wanted to cultivate diligently, he would discover so many things he had to work on; it gave him a huge headache!
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Little Flame Belle sat on a rock holding a Fire Soul Seed like a little squirrel gnawing on a nut. She did not forget to cheer for Mo Fan to motivate him.
Little Flame Belle had grown into a teenage girl after consuming the Time Liquid. Mo Fan had assumed Little Flame Belle had reached the Adolescent Phase back then, but to his surprise, Little Flame Belle actually had the appearance of an a.d.u.l.t woman after reaching the Adolescent Phase.
Her legs were slim. Whenever she mimicked the beautiful ladies in the city by wearing heels, it would highlight her slender figure. The two buns on her head had disappeared. They were replaced by long hair reaching her knees, similar to Jiang Feng's style.
The flames of the Ardent Sunset were visible on her face, like a veil shrouding her head. Her eyes glowed brilliantly, like gems. Little Flame Belle was even more glamorous than Jiang Feng after reaching the Adolescent Phase. Her flames set off her unique charm.
When the current Little Flame Belle stood beside Mu Ningxue with her Nirvana Ice Domain, it resulted in quite a contrast between the two, enough to place them both in the limelight.
Little Flame Belle had finally grown into an actual belle. To be honest, Mo Fan was still not used to it. Little Flame Belle would no longer step on his face while he was sleeping. She would no longer ask for hugs or lie on his head. He could not help but wonder what the others would think when they saw the fiery belle with an outstanding demeanor walking beside him.
Unfortunately, as Mo Fan was imagining how astounded people would be, Little Flame Belle slowly shrank as she was sitting on the rock. Her Ardent Sunset and the Calamity Fire weakened significantly, too. The m.a.t.u.r.e woman turned into the same porcelain doll in just a few seconds. Her huge eyes kept blinking as she asked Mo Fan for a hug, like a little baby wanting to take a nap after she was fed!
"That works?" Mo Fan's eyes widened when he saw Little Flame Belle reclaiming her appearance of the Infant Stage.
"Ling~" Little Flame Belle seemed quite happy. Her mind was still that of a little kid. It was unlikely she would stop relying on Mo Fan as much in a short time. She was not fond of her Adolescent Phase appearance. She preferred to stay a little loli, sleeping after eating, asking for a hug after sleeping, and eating after she had gotten enough hugs...
Mo Fan was left speechless by Little Flame Belle's ability to shift between different forms. A porcelain doll and a glamorous belle… how enticing!
"You're sleeping too much. Aren't you worried that you're going to turn into a ball at this rate? You won't look as beautiful then," Mo Fan knocked on Little Flame Belle's head.
"Ling~" Little Flame Belle twisted her lips, indicating that she had nothing to do since she had just evolved.
"Your mummy was able to use Space Magic, you should be able to use it too. Have a go, see if you have Awakened the Space Element," Mo Fan placed Little Flame Belle down. She was like a sticky little octopus who wanted to hang onto him for the rest of her life.
"Ling~" Little Flame Belle hesitated for a while before trying to control her will.
Mo Fan clearly remembered how impressive Jiang Feng's Space Element was, especially when she was using it together with her Fire. Even though it did not make her as strong as a Ruler-level creature, her strength was still insane!
"The rock you were sitting on, try lifting it up. Remember, you have to focus, absolute focus. Imagine you can see your will in your mind. Wrap it around the rock and slowly lift it up," Mo Fan explained to Little Flame Belle how to use her Space Element.
Little Flame Belle stood aside and stared at the rock with wide eyes. The rock remained still no matter how hard she was staring at it. Little Flame Belle had an urge to burn it into ashes!
"Try it out in your Adolescent Form," Mo Fan said.
"Ling~" Little Flame Belle was engulfed in two different flames sprouting up wildly. The slender figure of Flame Belle gradually took shape in the flames. The wild flames gradually turned into a blazing red dress, setting off the glamorous belle.
"Try it again," Mo Fan urged her.
Flame Belle's eyes flickered with a unique glow. Her body emitted a vague silver light as she followed Mo Fan's instructions. The rock that Flame Belle was directing her will at began to vibrate...
BANG!
The rock suddenly exploded into splinters flying in all directions!
Little Flame withdrew the light. She glanced at the pieces of the rock, then at Mo Fan with a confused look.
"You didn't do it right. After wrapping your will around your target, you have to give it a command, for example, letting it fly, like this..." Mo Fan looked at a piece of rock on the ground. The rock was dragged out from the soil when Mo Fan's eyes flickered. It floated in the air.
Flame Belle was a fast learner. She started controlling another piece of rock by following Mo Fan's actions. This time, the rock did not explode. It was floating in the air too, but it was trembling since she was still not familiar with controlling it.
"Well done, try practicing it a few more times. You can control a single target, or multiple targets by dividing your will if your mental strength is high enough. It can be harmless like a soft breeze, or puncture and crush everything!" Mo Fan patiently demonstrated the capabilities of Space Magic.
Mo Fan did not learn it all that by himself. Ai Jiangtu had given Mo Fan a lot of help in mastering the Space Element when he was on the national team.
"After you've learned how to use Telekinesis, I'll teach you the Space Rhythm. You can try manipulating it as you wish after learning the basics..." Mo Fan went on.
There were differences in the way Flame Belle controlled Space Magic compared to humans. The spells of Elemental Beasts were a lot different than spells humans could cast. Mo Fan believed Flame Belle had some other abilities that she needed to discover herself. He could only teach her the basics.
Unlike humans, who had to start learning from scratch, Flame Belle's Space Element was more like a natural ability. Her mental strength was remarkable. Otherwise, she would not be able to shatter that rock to pieces right from the beginning, nor would she be able to lift up all the rocks within half a kilometer and form a spectacular formation in the air like she was doing now!
Chapter 1325 - Compressive Explosion
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"I'll now teach you the Space Rhythm. Let's start by compressing the space!" Mo Fan proceeded with the next lesson after seeing Flame Belle mastering the first step in no time.
Flame Belle mastered the Space Rhythm quicker than Mo Fan expected. As a matter of fact, she would gradually awaken her abilities as she gained more experience from fighting. Mo Fan was only helping her awaken her abilities earlier.
"That's right, compress the space in that area; not the fire, the ground. Turn the loose soil into firm rocks," Mo Fan said.
The area of Flame Belle's Space Magic was incredibly huge. Not only did it include the loose soil, it was also compressing the little flames she had left behind previously.
Little Flame Belle had tossed a fireball out of boredom to set the weeds on fire. The flames covered an area a meter square, but they suddenly shrank into the size of a candleflame as the space was being compressed, down to the size of a thumb.
Mo Fan went forward to check if the loose soil had solidified into rock, but the flames that were compressed into a candlelight suddenly exploded!
"Ling~" Flame Belle stuck her tongue out at Mo Fan after failing to control her magic.
Mo Fan stood still, in deep thought.
Little Flame Belle had just compressed the flames covering an area of a meter square into a tiny candlelight, but not only did it not weaken the flames, the explosion was actually stronger than the energy that the flames initially contained...
"If a small fire could trigger such a powerful explosion after it was compressed, what would happen if it's a big fire?" Mo Fan murmured.
Mo Fan immediately decided to have a go at it. He said, "Little Flame Belle, toss your fire into the space I'm compressing, as much as possible."
Mo Fan began to emit a silver light. A brilliant Star Pattern was completed swiftly. A rhomboid appeared in front of Flame Belle.
Flame Belle followed Mo Fan's instructions and poured her fire into the rhomboid continuously.
Normally, the fire that Flame Belle unleashed was enough to set the whole side of the mountain ablaze, and even spread further to the other side. However, as Mo Fan continued to use the Space Rhythm to compress the fire, it remained the size of a little glowing crystal.
The crystal was not that big. It was similar to a basic level Fire Burst when it was being tossed forward.
"I'm almost at my limit," Mo Fan was struggling to control the compressed space as more energy was poured into it.
Flame Belle seemed to be enjoying herself. She kept pouring her flames into the rhomboid despite Mo Fan's warning.
"Enough, that's enough!" Mo Fan blurted out when he realized something did not feel right.
