As Mo Fan looked at the charred remains of Lu Nian, who was now lifeless, he used his spatial magic to create a deep pit in the ground. Without a second thought, he tossed the body inside, burying him in the wilderness before heading back to the city, completely unfazed by the incident.
Upon returning to his apartment, Mo Fan opened the door and found Ai Tutu lounging on the couch, watching TV.
"Hey, you big demon! Where have you been wandering off to this time?" Ai Tutu asked. As his roommate, she was used to Mo Fan's frequent outdoor excursions, and it had been nearly six months since she last saw him.
"Just got back from the Scorching Plains." Mo Fan replied as he changed into slippers.
"Where's Sister Mu?" he asked next.
"She's participating in the nomination tournament." Ai Tutu explained.
"Oh?" Mo Fan paused, suddenly remembering that the nomination tournaments were in full swing.
"Hey, big demon, are you really not going to participate in the nomination tournament? You have three votes already. While it's almost a given that you'll be selected, you still need four votes to secure your spot. If you participate and get nominated yourself, no one can challenge your position, and it'll also stop people from gossiping." Ai Tutu urged.
"Let them talk if they want. I'm not interested in fighting a bunch of weaklings." Mo Fan shrugged it off.
Ai Tutu's mouth twitched at his words. The nomination tournament wasn't just limited to students from Pearl Academy's magic school. It included top students from all the prestigious schools across the country. The pre-selection phase was extremely competitive, as not everyone could secure the necessary four votes.
Mo Fan knew that the competition at Pearl Academy was intense, with only ten slots available for nomination. After the nomination, there would be two rounds of selection to finalize the team members. From what Ai Tutu told him, Mu Nu Jiao was doing well in the tournament, holding her own in her matches so far.
Having understood the situation, Mo Fan decided to visit Pearl Academy.
Ai Tutu assumed he was going to join the nomination tournament, but Mo Fan shook his head and said he was actually going to meet Principal Xiao.
Seeing that, Ai Tutu gave up on following him. Though she was a bit naive, Mo Fan valued her as a friend but kept things at a platonic level, especially considering her powerful family background.
Upon arriving at Pearl Academy, Mo Fan went straight to Principal Xiao's office.
When Principal Xiao saw Mo Fan, he greeted him enthusiastically, "Mo Fan, you're finally back!"
"Principal Xiao, is there something urgent?" Mo Fan asked, noticing the Principal's anxious demeanor.
"I recommended you for the national team, remember?" Principal Xiao said.
Mo Fan nodded.
"Because of your strength as a high-level mage, you've been exempted from the nomination and elimination rounds. You're already qualified as an official member." Principal Xiao explained. "However, the chief instructor of the national team, Pang Lai, wants to meet you."
"Why does he want to see me?" Mo Fan asked, a bit confused.
"With your abilities, you're more than capable of being the team captain." Principal Xiao said.
Mo Fan shrugged, "What's so great about being a captain? It doesn't come with any extra resources."
Principal Xiao was stunned. Though being the captain didn't come with direct rewards, it was a high-profile position!
"I know how to get attention when I need it. As for being captain, I'm not interested. Too much hassle." Mo Fan said casually. The national team was full of talented individuals, and Mo Fan wasn't interested in managing that. He'd rather spend his time working solo, earning money, and gathering resources.
Seeing that Mo Fan had already made up his mind, Principal Xiao didn't push the matter further. He handed Mo Fan the resources allocated to him during his time away. Although the university was competitive, top students like Mo Fan still received special treatment.
After collecting his resources and confirming his spot on the national team, Mo Fan left the university. He originally planned to meet Zhao Manyan to sell some materials and buy more, but Zhao was nowhere to be found. It seemed Zhao had gone into seclusion to prepare for the competition, relying on his family's vast wealth to speed up his training.
Without Zhao's help, Mo Fan realized how valuable it was to have well-connected friends. He ended up spending the entire day selling off his materials and then another day buying resources for his Flame Wolf's evolution.
Mo Fan spent a significant amount on enhancing his shadow magic, and another two billion on resources for his lightning element and a rare item called the Star River Vein. His light element didn't need immediate strengthening, and both his light and spatial elements were still far from reaching the high level.
After gathering everything, Mo Fan went to the university's summoning training ground and called out his Flame Wolf. Today, the wolf seemed particularly excited—it knew the long-awaited day for its evolution had finally arrived.
Flame Wolf had been through countless battles with Mo Fan, always standing strong at his side. When Mo Fan wasn't around, it was cautious, but with Mo Fan nearby, it was fearless and ready to show off its strength.
The wolf's evolution process began smoothly. With Mo Fan there to support it, the wolf had no fear of failure. Before long, the Flame Wolf successfully completed its evolution and transformed into the mighty Winged Azure Wolf!
The Winged Azure Wolf was massive and powerful, covered in dense, silver-gray fur that shimmered like metal. Its hind legs were muscular and strong, allowing it to stand upright, while its front paws were razor-sharp, capable of tearing through anything in its path. A pair of enormous wings grew from its back, giving it the ability to soar through the skies.
The wolf's face was both fierce and majestic, with cold, piercing blue eyes that seemed to see through everything. Its mouth was lined with razor-sharp fangs, deadly enough to rip through any prey. Its long, muscular tail moved like a steel whip, ready to be used as a powerful weapon in battle.
(End of Chapter)