Although the others didn't understand why, the punch from Mo Fan was undeniably powerful, forcing everyone to scatter and avoid it. In the chaos, the Flame Witch took the opportunity to suppress the ghostly woman, the one wrapped in white cloth, in mid-air with immense force.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Engulfed in roaring flames, the ghostly woman's face twisted in pain. Desperate, she turned to Chen Ying, using her psychic magic to influence her.
"Kill her, Chen Ying! Kill her!"
Without hiding it, the psychic attack was visible to everyone as it rushed towards Chen Ying.
Although Chen Ying was no weakling and a mid-level mage, the psychic strike caused her to grab a dagger, preparing to follow the ghostly woman's orders.
"Damn it! Are you just going to stand there like a fool? If you don't kill her, are you going to let your own daughter stab you instead?" Mo Fan couldn't help but curse at the Flame Witch.
How could she still hesitate at a time like this? Instead of directly eliminating the threat, she had simply restrained the ghostly woman, giving her time to cast spells!
Sometimes, saving people brings more frustration than satisfaction. It makes you wonder if they're even worth saving in the first place.
Hearing Mo Fan's harsh words, the Flame Witch snapped back to reality. After a moment of hesitation, she saw her daughter approaching with the dagger in hand.
"Screech!!!"
"Boom!!!"
The Flame Witch had saved this woman, but instead of gratitude, the ghostly woman was trying to use her daughter to stab her in the back.
Consumed by rage, the Flame Witch incinerated the white-clothed woman into ashes with a burst of her terrifying power. Her aura spread across the entire area.
Zhao Yulin and the team he had brought were dumbfounded! The strength of the Flame Witch was overwhelming, far beyond what they could contend with.
But to their relief, after killing the ghostly woman, the Flame Witch did not attack them further.
Chen Ying also regained her senses after the death of the ghostly woman and quickly explained everything to her father, Zhao Yulin.
Meanwhile, Mo Fan turned his attention to the Flame Witch and said, "You may have been saved by the Flame Belle and became her successor, but you're still human. If the Little Flame Belle stays with you, you can't protect her. If we hadn't been here today, what would have happened if Chen Ying had stabbed you? Could you have defended yourself?"
"If you were killed here, what would have happened to the Little Flame Belle then?"
The Flame Witch looked at Mo Fan, recalling his earlier outburst, and then pondered his words.
After a moment, she softly sighed.
She knew Mo Fan was right. In her current situation, she couldn't guarantee the Little Flame Belle's safety. She had planned to observe Mo Fan more, but after what had happened, especially with her former husband potentially harboring other dangerous thoughts, she realized the Little Flame Belle needed better protection.
The Flame Witch gently cradled the Fire Calamity Fruit in her hands, gazing at it with love and tenderness. Despite her personality, she had been a protective and caring guardian of the Flame Belle's legacy.
"Whoosh~~~"
With a soft breath, the Flame Witch accelerated the growth of the Little Flame Belle. Mo Fan could feel a pulse of life force radiating from the fruit.
The hardened shell of the Fire Calamity Fruit began to crack, and a small fragment popped off, falling to the ground.
From within the fruit, a tiny arm reached out—a small creature eager to explore the world, its little hand pawing away at the shell, trying to break it completely.
The tiny arm was about as thick as Mo Fan's finger, but it was made of flames, flickering like a candlelight, so fragile it seemed like a single breath could extinguish it.
Watching this scene, Mo Fan thought to himself: "Well, at least my earlier shouting wasn't in vain!"
The little creature inside the fruit had broken through its protective shell. Unlike most newborns who come into the world crying and frail, this flame-formed baby was full of energy. After emerging from the shell, it immediately started nibbling on the fragments of the Fire Calamity Fruit like a squirrel!
Its tiny arms and legs, along with its round little body, made it look like an exquisite porcelain doll. The sound it made was more like the soft mewing of a kitten that had just been fed.
Hearing a soft hum from the Flame Witch, Xin Xia explained, "Brother Mo Fan, this is the last Flame Belle in the world."
Mo Fan nodded, turning to the Flame Witch and solemnly promising, "Don't worry, I won't let you down, nor will I let down the Flame Belle lineage."
The Flame Witch nodded in acknowledgment, letting out another soft hum.
This time, though, it wasn't directed at Mo Fan but a message she passed on through Xin Xia to Chen Ying.
Mo Fan didn't mind, as he had already left his contract mark on the Little Flame Belle.
The newborn fairy, still a blank slate, didn't resist Mo Fan's imprint. In fact, the bond made the Little Flame Belle feel close and attached to him.
Zhao Yulin and his team looked on enviously, but with the Flame Witch's powerful presence looming over them, they dared not make any moves.
After sharing some final words with Chen Ying, the Flame Witch urged them to leave.
Although Chen Ying was reluctant to part, she and her mother were of different races—human and demon. Unless she could obtain a summoning device or a magical artifact capable of contracting her mother, there was no way for the Flame Witch to follow her.
However, Chen Ying was already grateful to Mo Fan for helping save her mother. At least she could visit her whenever she wanted.
With Zhao Yulin having a way to leave the area, the group decided to follow him. Even though Zhao Yulin envied Mo Fan for acquiring the Little Flame Fairy, he had no intention of acting against him, especially with Zhao Man Yan and Chen Ying in the group.
More importantly, Mo Fan had become somewhat of a family benefactor.
Mo Fan, however, chose not to leave with them. He intended to stay in the area, claiming that the recently ravaged Fire Wasteland was a treasure trove of resources. This would be the perfect place for him to train and cultivate.
Though Lingling wanted to stay behind too, Mo Fan refused.
Even though the wasteland was rich with resources, acquiring them meant constant battles, and he didn't want to put Lingling in unnecessary danger.
(End of Chapter)