Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 672
The ice covered a great distance, trapping a lot of the Sea Hook Black Beasts under the thick ice. However, the direction the ship was sailing in was left alone, allowing the ship to keep going!
"Xuexue?" Mo Fan immediately knew who it was when he saw the ice.
Mu Ningxue's Nirvana Ice Domain was extremely effective against large groups of demon creatures. The frozen sea greatly hindered the Sea Hook Black Beasts' movements, lifting a great burden from everyone's shoulders.
"Follow me!" Mu Ningxue stayed in the air while guiding the ship forward.
Below the ice, a few Viscera Hunters seemed to have realized how much of a danger Mu Ningxue was to their plan. They quickly moved into Mu Ningxue's flight path and suddenly sprang up into the air, breaking through the ice.
Only the Viscera Hunters were capable of breaking through Mu Ningxue's ice. They sprang into the air and surrounded Mu Ningxue, trying to take her out at once.
Mu Ningxue did not even glance at the Viscera Hunters. She continued to unleash the power of her Domain to freeze the surface of the ocean. When the four Viscera Hunters were around ten meters away from her, their bodies starting freezing with every meter they traveled.
The Viscera Hunters finally reached a distance of five meters away from her, but they had all frozen completely. They fell straight down upon the layer of ice above the sea.
Smash!
The four Viscera Hunters broke into bloody-hued pieces of ice. The rest of the Viscera Hunters shadowing Mu Ningxue immediately gave up on the thought, which would surely get them killed!
"I'll keep an eye at the back!" Mo Fan yelled.
Every Viscera Hunter that showed up at the front would die for sure with Mu Ningxue clearing the path ahead. The weak Sea Hook Black Beasts were trapped under the ice. They had no chance of breaking through the ice, regardless of their numbers!
The layer of ice had given Mo Fan a wide area to fight the sea monsters on. He swiftly went to the back of the ship and jumped onto the ice.
"Take care of yourselves," Mo Fan told Cao Qinqin and Tang Peng.
Tang Peng, Jiang Shen, and the others had witnessed Mo Fan's strength. They did not to worry about his safety.
The Viscera Hunters were the only ones that could break through Mu Ningxue's ice. Mo Fan soon noticed that many of the Viscera Hunters were striking the ice, trying to help the Sea Hook Black Beasts break through it.
Mo Fan immediately set his eyes on the Viscera Hunters. His eyes flickered as he grabbed a Viscera Hunter with Telekinesis and tossed him into the air.
A lightning bolt struck the Viscera Hunter when it lost its balance and disintegrated it instantly into bloodspray.
A Viscera Hunter that was hiding under the ship suddenly appeared, swiping its claws fiercely at Mo Fan's stomach.
"Rebelling Shadow!"
Mo Fan decisively consumed a Commander-level Soul Remnant. The Dark Material materialized in the Viscera Hunter's vicinity, a shadow that looked exactly the same as the Viscera Hunter, attached to the creature's back!
The Rebelling Shadow had sharp claws, just like the Viscera Hunter. It tore the Viscera Hunter's throat apart before it even knew what happened!
The Viscera Hunter's blood scattered across the air as soon as it jumped up. Jiang Shen's eyes widened upon witnessing it.
Jiang Shen was a Shadow Mage too, but it was his first time seeing anything like Mo Fan's move.
"Watch out!" Cao Qinqin yelled.
Mo Fan was behind the ship, where most Viscera Hunters were. These creatures preferred to use sneak attacks on their targets. They were now aware of Mo Fan's outstanding strength, so ten of them decided to pounce at him at the same time!
These creatures had been hiding under the ice all along. Each of them was in close proximity from Mo Fan when they showed up. Even an Advanced Mage would die instantly under the circ.u.mstances!
"Idiots!" Mo Fan grunted.
The Dark Material spread wildly. Mo Fan instantly consumed ten Commander-level Soul Remnants.
The Viscera Hunters did not realize that the surrounding ice and water had been replaced by a black swamp the moment they broke through the ice. The swamp extended a few hundred meters...
Ten shadows resembling the Viscera Hunters sprang out from the swamp. Their actions were perfectly in synch, attacking under Mo Fan's control. The Viscera Hunters in the air suddenly stiffened, before blood started jetting out from their necks!
The Viscera Hunters posed a great threat to Mo Fan only a second ago, but they all died horrible deaths in the blink of an eye. It only took the Rebelling Shadows a brief moment to eliminate their targets; not one of the Viscera Hunters managed to survive!
"Such...such a remarkable power of the Shadow Element!" Jiang Shen was lost in thought.
He never expected the Shadow Element to be so deadly and imperious. The Viscera Hunters might not even realize how they had died!
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Mu Ningxue was clearing the path ahead while Mo Fan was protecting the rear. The others suddenly felt like there was nothing they needed to do. It was not exaggerating to describe the two as monsters after seeing their strength. The deadly trap had suddenly turned into a complete massacre!
"As expected of the two strongest members on the national team," Tang Peng sat inside a cabin, holding in his guts with one hand.
He was suffering from serious injuries, and the others were in bad shape, too. They initially thought they were going to be wiped out on the ocean, but the battle had suddenly become one-sided after Mu Ningxue showed up.
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A huge pool of blood was left on the ocean, even visible at night. The ship soon reached the shallow waters. Another ship quickly came over to lend them a hand, escorting them back to the harbor at the dam.
"It's a relief that no one died," Tang Peng felt the pain easing a little when he saw that everyone had returned safely.
"We are so lucky that I asked mentor to come along. Otherwise, there's no way we would have made it back here," Cao Qinqin said.
"Fighting on the ocean greatly limits my capabilities. Otherwise, you guys wouldn't have ended up in such bad shape, either," Mo Fan said.
If Mu Ningxue had not made it in time to freeze the surface of the ocean, Mo Fan doubted if he could have brought everyone back alive. The sea monsters were a lot more cunning than he had imagined. He realized why Chairman Shao Zheng looked so haggard now. It must have been quite a while since the man was able to get a good night's rest!
"Speaking of which, didn't the Viscera Hunters try to invade the city while we were away? Is everything alright?" Jiang Shen blurted out.
"The city is fine; Yu Shishi's moths managed to see through their tricks," Mu Ningxue said.
"These little moths are really impressive!" Jiang Shen exclaimed.
"That's good to hear… Mayor, it's our fault for being so reckless. We didn't expect those assh**** to set us up," Tang Peng apologized with a guilty look.
"He's the Mayor," Mu Ningxue pointed at Mo Fan.
Tang Peng was startled. He turned to Mo Fan.
The other members of the patrolling squad were astounded, too.
Even Mo Fan was taken by surprise. Since when did he become a mayor? He might be the owner of Fanxue Mountain, but Mu Ningxue had been managing everything since day one!
"Oh, we've been together for so long. It's unnecessary to distinguish between us anymore," Mo Fan said shamelessly after realizing something.
"Hehe… he's right!" The others let out hollow laughs. They were quite unprepared to witness a public display of affection between the two...
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The danger had been resolved, returning calm to the new city. The injured members did not take a rest to recover from the injuries as they should have. They were drinking in some of the bars that had just opened recently, while boasting about the battle to the others.
The battle was clearly an unforgettable experience for many of them. Apart from the little moths that had contributed greatly by detecting the Viscera Hunters, most of the discussions revolved around Mu Ningxue and Mo Fan, and their unbelievable strength!
"You have no idea! We were surrounded in the deep sea by at least three thousand Sea Hook Black Beasts. There were at least one to two hundred Viscera Hunters as well, but right at the start of the battle, Mo Fan… oh, Boss Mo Fan, was fending them off by himself. Guess how many a single lightning bolt could kill?" a Mage whose face still had a visible wound said while raising five fingers.
"Fifty?" a few young Mages that did not take part in the battle asked curiously.
"What fifty? It's five hundred! You have no idea how terrifying the situation was. The whole surface of the ocean was filled with the heads of the sea monsters bursting like popcorn… I'm not bluffing, it's real, I saw it in person, and all he drew was a Star Pattern! I couldn't even tell which tier his Lightning Spell was in. It's a lot stronger than most of the Advanced Spells I've seen..."
"That's not all of it! His Shadow Element is the real deal. I initially thought his Lightning Element was the strongest, but it's like Boss Mo Fan suddenly turned on his hacks when our Mayor froze the surface of the ocean. The Viscera Hunters all died within seconds, and they were all killed instantly by their own shadows!"
"Instantly? That's insane! The Viscera Hunters are considered the strongest among the Warrior-level creatures. How could they possibly die instantly?"
"Why don't you believe me? Do you really think I'm bluffing right now?"
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The new city was not very big. The incident that took place soon spread among the people rapidly. Almost everyone knew what happened before morning.
Many people knew Mo Fan was the strongest participant during the World College Tournament, but the national team only consisted of students, and they were up against students from other countries, too. It did not necessarily reflect how the participants would do in the future. However, Mo Fan's reputation skyrocketed after the attack of the Viscera Hunters. The patrol squads in particular were utterly impressed by Mo Fan's capabilities!
Chapter 1438 - Pin Her Down Now
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Early that morning, Mu Linsheng could not stop discussing the incident while Mo Fan was still having his breakfast. Many versions of the same story had appeared overnight.
"It's really nothing. I just killed some sea monsters, do they really have to make it sound so crazy?" Mo Fan believed the people of the new city were exaggerating it.
"Brother, you are already used to fighting demon creatures. I bet you've seen more demon creatures than humans by now. Killing them is like slaughtering chickens for you, but not every Mage hangs out with the demon creatures as often as you! They are already considered veterans if they can slay a few demon creatures with their own hands. Being involved in a great battle against the demon creatures is enough for them to boast about for a few years!
"What happened last night might be insignificant to you, but it's an unforgettable experience for many of the Mages who have never left the safe zones!" Mu Linsheng explained the viewpoint of the Mages who spent most of their time in the cities.
Mu Linsheng was a Mage too, but his cultivation was not that impressive. He knew there were not many Mages like Mo Fan and Mu Ningxue, who had fought numerous battles against demon creatures. Most Mages only pursued a stable life and income under the protection of the cities. They were not willing to risk their lives fighting against demon creatures...
Their country had lost a huge portion of its territory to the rising sea. The people were afraid as the sea monsters became restless. Under these circ.u.mstances, being able to punish the sea monsters and bring back their heads was already something to be proud of!
"Most of the people you normally hang out with are monsters like yourself, but the patrol squads only consist of normal Mages. Apart from the patrol squads, the new city has a lot of young Mages too! This incident has taken place so close to them, so it's reasonable for them to behave like that… It's also a great chance for our new city to make a name for ourselves! HAHAHA, we killed two hundred Viscera Hunters and more than two thousand Sea Hook Black Beasts, and the city is perfectly unharmed!" Mu Linsheng exclaimed.
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Mu Linsheng left in a great mood. It was obvious that he was busy thinking about how he could use the opportunity. Meanwhile, Mo Fan and Mu Ningxue continued to enjoy their breakfast. It was just a normal night for them. The battle was nothing worth mentioning, compared to what they had been through in the past.
"We still need some powerful Mages. It's good enough if we can hire a few more Advanced Mages, let alone a Super Mage," Mu Ningxue told Mo Fan.
"We're just getting started. Let's take one step at a time. I believe a lot of the Advanced Mages will be willing to join our stronghold if we successfully partner with the Mui Clan and the Dongfang Clan..." Mo Fan agreed.
Even though the average strength of the Mages in the patrol squads was only at the Intermediate Level, they still had to pay those Mages every day. There were only a few Advanced Mages among them. If Mo Fan had not happened to go with them, it was difficult to say how many among them would have made it back alive...
Mo Fan was unlikely to be around all the time. He knew what Mu Ningxue was trying to say. Fanxue Mountain needed more Mages they could rely on!
"It's a villa, not a stronghold!" Mu Ningxue felt the need to correct him.
It was meant to be Fanxue Villa and Fanxue New City, yet it suddenly became some bandits' stronghold in Mo Fan's eyes.
"Villa, yes, our villa..." Mo Fan corrected himself.
"I have registered the new city under your name. Your reputation clearly exceeds mine. If the city was under my name, it would bring some hindrances to it," Mu Ningxue told him.
Mu Ningxue clearly felt she was being picked on after she started managing Fanxue Mountain. It was obvious that people could not easily forget what Mu He had done in the past. On top of that, the Mu Clan had been quite a nuisance, too! If Fanxue Mountain was planning to grow further, it would be difficult to do so under Mu Ningxue's name.
As such, Mu Ningxue used Mo Fan's name to register the new city. Fanxue Mountain was established under both their names, too. The new city was a new hope for the people. She believed everything would be much smoother if it was under Mo Fan's name.
"I just think that you've put everything you have into it. I didn't really do anything, so it's not fair..." Mo Fan began.
Mo Fan was used to being free and unconstrained. Otherwise, he would have long joined one of the factions that were interested in recruiting him. He was quite surprised that he had become the mayor of a city all of a sudden.
"I was just worried that you wouldn't like it, since you've gotten used to walking your own path..." Mu Ningxue was well aware of Mo Fan's character. He did not like being tied down by something, and preferred to live a free life.
"It's true that I might struggle to adapt to it, but it's fine; we have a long way to go still. We have to manage it together eventually, both Fanxue Mountain, and our adorable and cute little babies in the future," Mo Fan said.
"..." Mu Ningxue was a little touched when she heard the first half of the sentence, but she was left speechless when she heard the second half. How did his thoughts even jump so far away!?
"Anyway, don't worry about me, I'll give you all my support as long as it's something you want," Mo Fan reached out and placed Mu Ningxue's little hand in his palm. He rubbed her hand like it was a piece of jade. It felt cold, but surprisingly comfortable.
Mu Ningxue did not seem to be resisting the intimacy between them, giving him great joy!
Some women were the kind that men would have the urge to strip their clothes off and have an enjoyable time with right away, but they would be forgotten soon, too. There were also women that men preferred to approach slowly, even though they were hoping for the same final outcome. They would enjoy the process of slowly melting their hearts and merging with them into one… even if Mo Fan had to wait until he was thirty to achieve his goal, he would not think of it as a long journey!
Fanxue Mountain was a great responsibility, and a huge burden to take good care of. Mo Fan would prefer not to be bound by such burdens, but he clearly felt that Fanxue Mountain had shortened the distance between him and Mu Ningxue. She had begun to open up her heart without realizing it when he helped her achieve her dream with everything he had.
If Fanxue Mountain could really become the bridge between them, Mo Fan would not mind abandoning his free and unconstrained old self and becoming a responsible person...
Many women dreamed of having a family, a home that could shelter them from their worries and problems. They would slowly taste the warmth of love, and in Mu Ningxue's case, she would only feel secure and have a sense of belonging when she finally had her own city...
Since Mo Fan had decided to stay with her, he must take on the responsibilities too!
Either way, he had chosen her to be his wife first...
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"I'm heading out for a while," Mu Ningxue rose to her feet. Someone was looking for her.
Mo Fan nodded. He squinted and admired Mu Ningxue's alluring curves… ah, the tight-fitting pants with faint gray and silver lines, the slightly waving b.u.t.t. It must be very bouncy to touch, and if he was doing it from behind...
Did he just think that it was fine to wait to sleep with her until he was thirty years old?
He had an urge to pin her down right now!
Chapter 1439 - Awakening Stones
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
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The journey was long, crossing mountains and ridges. The newly discovered fire vein was located some distance from the city.
The west of China was less populated, with tall mountains, vast lands, thick woods, and serene valleys. It was extremely difficult to find one of the rare fire veins in a place like this. Luckily, after the two renowned clans spent a long time surveying the land, they had found a safe path leading to the fire vein. They even established a relay station at Kunlun Mountain's Sun Ridge specifically for the fire vein.
