A competition that was supposed to involve the whole department ended with just two participants getting knocked out. And soon after, in a challenge against a top-ten-ranked opponent, Mo Fan secured an overwhelming victory with his incredible fire resistance.
At this point, everyone had to accept the undeniable fact: Mo Fan was the dominant figure, the "Demon King", at Pearl Academy, both in the junior and main campuses. Even those who weren't convinced had no choice but to acknowledge it.
At this moment, Dongfang Lie, the academy's number one, was frowning deeply. Mo Fan's fire resistance left him feeling powerless, and even more frustrating was the destructive power Mo Fan wielded—Dongfang Lie had no confidence in dealing with it. If Mo Fan challenged him, could he still hold onto the number one spot? Not likely.
More importantly, Mo Fan was a dual-element mage, skilled in both fire and lightning. If given the chance to unleash his powers, Dongfang Lie knew he wouldn't stand a chance. He mulled over various strategies, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't find a solution—Mo Fan was simply on another level.
After the challenge week concluded, Mo Fan returned to his apartment. While on his way, a thought occurred to him: his demon servant. Specifically, Liu Ru's sister. If his memory served him right, she hadn't died yet, but was likely in some kind of trouble. Since he would eventually need a vampire's fangs, this might be the right time to intervene and save her in advance.
With that plan in mind, Mo Fan headed straight for the Clear Sky Hunter Agency, knowing that when it came to finding people, Lingling was far more capable than he was.
At the agency, only Old Bao was present. Lingling was still at school, likely caught up in her classes.
"You've improved fast, kid. I bet your fire element is fully mastered by now, right?" Old Bao remarked with a hint of surprise upon seeing Mo Fan. He knew Mo Fan had been progressing quickly, but even he hadn't expected such rapid advancement.
Mo Fan wasn't surprised that Old Bao could see right through him. After all, a Forbidden Curse mage like Old Bao possessed the ability to assess others with ease—just like Principal Xiao, who had previously seen through Mo Fan's situation in an instant. Around these old-timers, there were no secrets.
"I'm planning to break through to high-level fire magic soon." Mo Fan stated.
"Breaking through to high-level requires—" Before Old Bao could finish his sentence, Mo Fan pulled out the Star River's Vein that he had purchased.
The Star River's Vein was about the size of a goose egg, shaped like a diamond, but far more transparent and brilliant. Tiny light spots shimmered across its surface, resembling the stars in a beautiful and expansive galaxy. It was an item coveted by countless mages, essential for those reaching the bottleneck of their cultivation when transitioning from star cloud to star river.
The gap between a star cloud and a star river was enormous, and for a human mage to break through such a barrier on their own was extremely difficult. The Star River's Vein provided not only the necessary energy for absorption but also emitted powerful energy pulses that helped mages reach the star river stage. The transformation from star cloud to star river marked the transition from intermediate to advanced mage, where the mana available was far greater than before.
However, the Star River's Vein didn't guarantee success—only mages who were already at the peak of intermediate level and had a solid foundation had any hope of advancing.
"Impressive," Old Bao said with admiration. He knew that Mo Fan had earned the Star River's Vein through his own efforts. "But I wouldn't recommend using it right away. Your star cloud has only recently been fully developed. You should wait at least three to five months before attempting the breakthrough."
Mo Fan pondered this and realized Old Bao was right. Though eager to break through, he recognized that rushing could be counterproductive.
"Young people need to take things one step at a time," Old Bao continued. "You're already progressing quickly thanks to your experience in constant combat. Most people would take a year or two before they're ready for this."
"Does combat really help that much?" Mo Fan asked.
"Of course." Old Bao nodded.
"Well then, I guess I'll go train in the wild after I find the person I'm looking for." Mo Fan said.
After all, General Instructor Zhan Kong was also getting ready to deal with that Winged Wolf.
Even if Mo Fan couldn't help with the main battle, taking down some Bone-Spur Wolves or other creatures would be good practice.
He didn't intend for his wolf to awaken some Arctic Ice lineage—after all, he didn't have any ice magic. Instead, Mo Fan planned to upgrade his wolf to the Winged Wolf. The cub's strength wasn't keeping up, and it would soon be useless even for transportation. For Mo Fan, finding the spirit of the Winged Wolf wasn't difficult. Besides, fighting would only accelerate his own advancement, so why not?
"You're something else, kid." Old Bao said, shaking his head in slight exasperation. Mo Fan had a knack for constantly pushing the limits, dancing on the edge of danger.
Even experienced hunters weren't keen on frequent trips into the wild, yet Mo Fan seemed to enjoy it. But did he really?
In reality, Mo Fan didn't enjoy the wild at all! He would much rather stay in the city, hugging the soft, warm bodies of Tang Yue and Xin Xia. That was far more comfortable than roughing it in the wilderness! But his desire to grow stronger drove him forward—when the Great Calamity of the Ancient Capital came, he wanted to save as many people as possible.
Since he had come this far, he couldn't afford to waste time.
"I'm back." a voice came from outside.
Lingling, her twin pigtails bouncing, walked in with a tired expression on her face.
"Is there a bounty?" she asked immediately upon seeing Mo Fan. If Mo Fan was here, there was likely a job at hand.
Seeing her exhaustion, Mo Fan felt a little guilty but still shook his head. "Unfortunately, no bounty this time, but I do have something I need your help with."
(End of Chapter)