Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 850
"Space Rhythm: Gravity!" The lightning covering Mo Fan did not dissipate. A silver hexagon established itself and encapsulated the Manta Ray Bird Emperor and Mo Fan, who was holding onto the creature's back!
The Manta Ray Bird Emperor tried to fly away, but it felt like its body was held in place by some powerful magnet, like it was carrying over a hundred tons of extra weight. It started falling down instead!
However, the Bird Emperor's wings were surprisingly strong. It managed to recover and remain in the air even under the pressure from Mo Fan's Space Rhythm. It was slowly moving out of the Space Rhythm's area!
"Transforming Rock: Binding Gravity!" Mo Fan quickly cast another spell when he saw the Bird Emperor about to break free from the Space Rhythm.
Space Magic involved compressing an area to multiply the force of gravity. On the other hand, the Earth Magic modified the structure of the ground to manipulate gravity. Mo Fan used both spells on the same area. It basically added another huge mountain to the Bird Emperor's back. If the creature tried to hold back, the overwhelming force might even crush its bones!
The two spells were extremely effective against an agile creature like the Manta Ray Bird Emperor. It was having trouble just beating its wings to remain flying, and was slowly being dragged to the ground.
The Bird Emperor did not give up. It was moving toward the center of the valley where the water was acc.u.mulating at. Mo Fan was a little puzzled. The water in the valley was going to disappear eventually. It was unlikely that the Bird Emperor could turn the situation to its favor, even if it had the ability to control the water!
The Bird Emperor suddenly withdrew its wings while Mo Fan was thinking. It had turned into a triangular sword diving straight to the bottom of the valley at a terrifying speed under the strong force of the two spells. Mo Fan's heart almost jumped out of his throat from shock. He was falling straight to the bottom of the valley with the Bird Emperor!
"What is it trying to do? Is it trying to take me down with itself?" Mo Fan was astounded when he saw he was getting closer to the bottom of the valley.
Was it forcing him to cancel his spells?
"Must it really be so resolute!? Damn it, is it trying to see who's tougher? Go ahead and crash, then! We'll see who's still standing in the end!" Mo Fan cursed. He decided to go all out with the arrogant Manta Ray Bird Emperor.
Mo Fan would not miss out on the opportunity to subdue the Manta Ray Bird Emperor. Manipulating the gravity with two spells was the only way he could think of to defeat the Manta Ray Bird Emperor, so he had no intention of giving up on it!
The Manta Ray Bird Emperor was diving like a meteorite. It was suicidal, especially when Mo Fan's spells had multiplied the force of gravity on it.
The Bird Emperor dove into the water like a swordfish. The water was not too deep. The resistance of the water was nowhere enough to provide them with some buffering. The Bird Emperor continued to drag Mo Fan who was holding on stubbornly and plunged right at the bottom of the valley!
"I'm never… going to let go...(gulp gulp)" Mo Fan's throat was filled with water after his shout.
Mo Fan retained consciousness. He realized the Bird Emperor was serious with its decision, too. It did not bother slowing down even though it was about to crash into the bottom of the valley.
Mo Fan did not withdraw his spells despite the Manta Ray Bird Emperor's reckless decision. However, just as Mo Fan thought the Bird Emperor was going to kill the both of them, it somehow dove into a cave at the bottom of the valley!
Mo Fan was in complete darkness. He was very close to the walls, but the creature was still diving deeper into the cave, now filled with cold water.
Mo Fan thought the Manta Ray Bird Emperor was going to crush both him and itself. He did not expect there to be a bottomless cave in the valley. The Manta Ray Bird Emperor was not trying to break free from the spells when it was moving around. It was aiming for the cave before diving straight into it!
The cave was shockingly deep. Mo Fan initially thought the Bird Emperor's spell had merely filled the cave with water, but after the water became colder and cloudier, and he accidentally tasted a hint of saltiness from it, he realized the cave was filled with water from the sea instead of the Waterfall!
The valley was located at the center of the island, around seven kilometers from the sea. However, Mo Fan noticed the space clearing up after they dived another hundred meters deeper. The vast place was filled with seawater instead!
Chapter 1836 - Breaking the Chain
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
The chain that had been swinging around loosely at the domestication ranch suddenly tightened. It had only covered a hundred meters when it was curled up, but it was over four hundred meters long when it was straightened. It tore the trees and rocks along its path into pieces. Wood and rock splinters were fired to the sides. The chain was even producing a loud screech, like a metallic dragon who had suddenly lost its calm!
"What's going on?" Li Dong and Zhu Min witnessed the chain's unusual movement when they were going to the other side of the mountain to look for the person who was fending off the Manta Ray Evil Birds.
Luckily, they had not stood too close to the chain. Otherwise, its force would have broken their legs easily.
"Not sure, it seems to be tied to something in the valley." Zhu Min followed the chain and noticed one end of the chain was extending deep in the valley.
"Let's not worry about it for now. We should stick to the chief's orders," Li Dong said.
Zhu Min nodded.
The two were just about to jump over the misbehaving chain when it suddenly cracked loudly. The chain had snapped in half somewhere between the mountain and the valley. Countless shards went flying and left holes peppering the mountain walls.
Zhu Min was very unlucky, as the front of the chain suddenly swung in his direction after it snapped in half. The chain struck him like the tail of a snake, moving at the speed of lightning.
Zhu Min's eyes widened. The chain dealt a ferocious blow to his c.h.e.s.t and his stomach before he could react. He spun crazily in the air as he was sent flying!
Zhu Min slammed into a stone wall with a loud bang. His body almost sank into the stone. Li Dong's mind went blank as he remained frozen to the spot. He ran to Zhu Min with a shocked expression when he finally collected his thoughts after some time.
Blood splattered across the ground. Zhu Min, whose body was now stuck in the rock, had completely lost consciousness. His entire c.h.e.s.t had collapsed, as if it was no longer supported by his ribs. His body was badly bent out of shape. Fresh blood was pouring out of his eyes, nose, and ears. Li Dong could not believe how terrible Zhu Min looked!
"Zhu Min, Zhu Min, wake up!"
Li Dong was terrified. Did Zhu Min really die from the whiplashing chain? How was he supposed to explain his death to Chief Zhu Qi?
Your son was killed by a chain... I saw it with my own eyes.
Li Dong believed he would also die if he told the chief about it.
Li Dong felt his scalp going numb. A hint of anger rose within him when he looked at Zhu Min's miserable appearance again. Such a pampered son! Wasn't he an Advanced Mage? How could he possibly fail to dodge the chain? He would not have died so easily if he at least Cast a Basic Spell or used some Equipment to defend himself. Only Mages who lacked practical experience would fail to react in time and die such a miserable death!
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The chain had broken. Its other end was dragged deep into the cave at the bottom of the valley by the Manta Ray Bird Emperor. It proceeded to sink to the bottom of the ocean.
The three Soul-grade Flames were significantly weaker now that Mo Fan was surrounded by water. He was even having trouble maintaining his own body temperature. When the Bird Emperor was diving to the bottom of the ocean, Mo Fan was relieved when he recalled the Bird Emperor was bound by a chain. It would eventually reach its limit, but when he realized the chain had snapped in half, he could not help but feel like he was being dragged into Hell instead!
"Brother, you won, you're the winner, let me go now!"
Mo Fan was now extremely helpless. He initially wanted to subdue the Bird Emperor with his plan, but not only did he help the Bird Emperor break free from the chain that had tied it down for twenty years, it had even brought him to the bottom of the ocean.
It was obvious that Dawn Island was different from the other islands with a solid bottom. Most islands were similar to a mountain, with half of their bodies immersed in water. The part above the water was referred to an island, but Dawn Island was different. There was only an irregular pillar under the water below it, like a house being supported by a single pillar at the edge of a cliff.
The Bird Emperor was amphibious. The cave connected to the sea below the island was located close to the Sky Coconut Grove. However, the Manta Ray Bird Emperor's movement was restricted by the chain, so it could only reach a certain depth in the cave. However, it was now like a fish that had broken free from the hook of a fishing rod and jumped back into the water to enjoy its freedom!
Mo Fan was a non-swimmer. He was not going to suffocate in the water, but his strength would greatly weaken if he was underwater for too long. Meanwhile, the Bird Emperor was as good at fighting in the water as it was in the sky. How was Mo Fan supposed to beat the Bird Emperor?
Therefore, begging for mercy was the best option he had. It was merely a misunderstanding… it was a misunderstanding… just a misunderstanding!
"Mm? Why am I smelling blood? Am I injured?" Mo Fan suddenly noticed a strong smell of blood from the seawater while he was at a loss. He quickly checked his body, but did not notice any wounds apart from the one on his shoulder, and the internal injuries he had suffered from the impact of the ferocious wave.
Mo Fan used the Shadow Element to look around carefully and realized the blood was from the Bird Emperor's belly. It was leaking like a huge bucket of red paint was being spilled into the water.
"It's injured?" Mo Fan murmured.
Mo Fan did not dare let go of the Manta Ray Bird Emperor. If he did not stay on its back in its blind spot, the Manta Ray Bird Emperor could easily kill him in the water. He might still have a chance to return to safety by hanging onto its back.
However, the Bird Emperor did not seem to have any strong intention to shake him off. Its speed began to slow down. It was slowly falling to the bottom of the sea now, like a leaf drifting in the wind.
Its wild temperament, fierce aura, and vitality had dropped significantly. Mo Fan immediately used the Shadow Element to observe the other side of the creature as he realized something.
Mo Fan gasped after the glance. He almost swallowed a mouthful of seawater because of it.
He saw a terrifying wound under the creature. The Bird Emperor might look like a ray, but most of its organs were still located at the center of its body still. However, the skin and flesh under its belly were completely torn apart. The wound already reached its organs, from whence its blood kept pouring out.
"The chain was hooked onto your organs?!" Mo Fan exclaimed.
The creature was abusing Mo Fan's spells to increase its diving speed just to break free from the chain, but the chain was actually hooked to its body, its bones, and its organs. It was clearly suicidal!
It explained why the Bird Emperor had lost its aggression ever since it had dove into the sea. It had basically risked its own life just to break free from the chain!
Chapter 1837 - The Twisted Succession
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Thick blood was continuously pouring out of the creature's body. A great chill was slowly infiltrating its body as it gradually sank to the seabed. Mo Fan felt terrible, like his heart was being filled with the disgusting seawater.
In the end, he did win the battle. The Battle Emperor knew its action was going to tear apart its organs and bones, yet it did not hesitate in the slightest. It did not necessarily hold a strong grudge against the human who came to provoke it, but it did against the chain which had tied it down and prevented it from soaring freely in the vast sky and the sea. The chain was like the string of a kite or a fishing rod. It was a cage limiting it to a world of only four hundred meters radius!
Mo Fan began to regret his decision to manipulate gravity with his spells. It gave the Bird Emperor the chance to break free from the chain, at the cost of its own life. This fall to the seabed was most likely the final moment of its life.
Mo Fan felt extremely terrible after seeing the blood squirting all over the place. He was not a Healer. There was nothing he could do to stop the Bird Emperor's life from draining away. He could only fall to the seabed together with the Bird Emperor. He could already see the seabed, despite the darkness around him.
The seabed was supposed to be covered in sand or irregular rocks, yet what Mo Fan saw was more like… the remains of a kingdom of oceanic creatures!
Mo Fan's vision was limited due to the darkness. If he had not noticed something that resembled the skeleton of a creature below him, he would simply have assumed the bottom consisted of weird-looking rocks. However, when he got closer to the seabed, he realized the remains were actually the insides of an enormous creature lying at the bottom of the sea. Its bones were enough to form a seabed, while its spine was the sea stack that was supporting the whole island!
The spine below the island was covered in moss, so Mo Fan had first assumed it was a sea stack instead. However, his thoughts were all over the place after he realized the truth.
What exactly was the creature? How the hell was it so big? It felt like it had come a time when the world was still beyond anyone's understanding.
The Bird Emperor's dolphin-esque cry was a lot gentler and weaker now. Mo Fan only recovered from his astonishment after hearing the Bird Emperor's cry.
"Use these, I'm not sure if it will keep you alive, but it's better than nothing," Mo Fan quickly took out the sacred medicine which Xinxia had prepared for him. He poured them all into the Bird Emperor's mouth regardless of their effects, including those that were meant for external uses.
The Bird Emperor's cold eyes were fixed on Mo Fan. They no longer had its hostility, nor did it have any intention to fight him. Instead, there was a hint of gratitude in its eyes.
The battle had allowed it to break free from the chain. It had finally reached somewhere beyond the reach of the chain for once after twenty years. It could lie still among the bones of the Ocean Father. It had never felt so at peace.
"You were never a Contracted Beast, right?
"You have always been trapped on the island to be used as a test subject for their experiments. This is where you were born… so you want to sleep here forever?"
Mo Fan could not understand demon creatures, but those in the Ruler-level were intelligent to a certain degree. They could easily relay their thoughts through the looks in their eyes or their emotions.
Chen Shuo had indeed been lying to them. That son of a b**ch was most likely one of the people who were in charge of the inhumane experiment. He had still not given up on his wild ambitions after so long!
"Stop talking and hold your breath. I'll bring you up top and ask Mu Bai to freeze you. I'll find a way to heal you, too," Mo Fan told the Bird Emperor. "Oh, my bad, you weren't even talking… Anyway, don't give up on yourself so easily. The world is so big, there are still a lot of places you should check out on.
"Oh, don't you worry, I'm not Yang Yongxin. I'm not trying to brainwash you with the Psychic Element or anything, nor am I going to ask you to be my Contracted Beast. I'm a huge fan of democracy and freedom. Once I treat you, you can go wherever you want as long as you don't gather your army of Manta Ray Evil Birds and attack us humans. If you don't believe me, you can ask my Little Flame Belle and Apas. I've never forced them to do anything. They are willing to follow me around..." Mo Fan panicked even more as he thought the Bird Emperor was going to die soon. He quickly decided to motivate it.
However, a protesting voice sounded from the second Contracted Beast. Apas strongly disagreed with Mo Fan's statement by uttering, "Bullshit!"
However, Apas was quite a distance away, so the protesting voice was pretty poor. Mo Fan could not hear her at all. He continued to comfort the Bird Emperor by guaranteeing that it would soon return to the blue sky and sea healthily...
Mo Fan kept feeding the Bird Emperor medicine. As a matter of fact, Mo Fan wished he had the ability to summon someone globally. He would just summon Xinxia to him to save the Bird Emperor, but he did not have such an ability. He could only rely on the medicine.
The medicines were strong, but their effects were too slow. The hourglass representing the creature's life only had a thin layer of sand left...
Mo Fan heard noises in the surroundings. He looked around and saw sapphire light dots showing up in the darkness. They were approaching in huge numbers. Huge outlines of jagged wings soon appeared from the shadows.
"Look, your people have already woken up. They care so much about you, so you must keep on living for their sake..." Mo Fan began, but shuddered when he sensed strong murderous intent surging in his direction.
The Bird Emperor's feeble eyes glittered as it forced itself to gather its strength and stared at the Manta Ray Evil Birds cautiously.
Mo Fan was stunned.
He thought the army of Manta Ray Evil Birds had come to grieve at their emperor's death, yet there was not the slightest hint of sorrow among them. The creatures were staring at them greedily, as if they had been waiting so long for this day.
Their greed was not directed at the human Mo Fan, but the Bird Emperor instead!
"Sc.u.m, you bunch of sc.u.m!" Mo Fan was enraged.
The Bird Emperor was already dying, yet these creatures were already planning to feast on it. The Bird Emperor would rather die than surrender to an enemy, but its offspring were hitting it when it was down. Even the worst species would rarely turn against their own kind!
