After escorting the group from Weiju Village to the ancient capital, Zhang Xiaohou decided to follow Su Xiaoluo and the others to the shelter. Mo Fan initially thought there might be a battle along the way, but in reality, Fang Gu, who had been secretly following them, made no moves.
Perhaps Fang Gu had recognized him from the start, knowing he had once visited their village.
However, it was unclear if Fang Gu knew that Mo Fan had already taken their spring water.
In fact, even if he knew, it didn't matter. After all, the water originally belonged to the little loach.
It was likely that the ancient king, after awakening, was waiting for the Azure Dragon to return to battle.
Unfortunately, the revived ancient king was no longer the same as before.
Wait…?
Suddenly, Mo Fan thought of something.
That is… the Nine Bridges to Death, said to be a test left for future generations, was not meant to allow just anyone to pass.
But… in front of the Nine Bridges to Death, there was an Immortal Demon Lotus!
Even forbidden spells couldn't destroy that thing.
If even forbidden spells couldn't destroy it, how could some of the Weiju villagers, most of whom were just ordinary people, hope to deal with it? Not to mention the Immortal Demon Lotus blocking their way, even the test itself would be impossible for them to pass.
The ancient king had left behind a will for the descendants of Weiju Village.
Each of their villages had ancestral teachings. The villagers knew this, but each generation of village leaders also received secret teachings. The secret teachings mentioned that they were blessed by the gods, and even if they fell into the realm of death, they would still be honored guests. However, over the years, there may have been gaps in this protection.
To put it simply, the Abyss of Fiends only provided a place for them to survive.
But even so, these people couldn't inherit anything.
Because, when it came to the Immortal Demon Lotus, they had no way of dealing with it. In other words, whoever could break through the Immortal Demon Lotus would be the one who had the chance to take on the ancient king's challenge!
Mo Fan had suspected this before but hadn't thought too deeply about it. Now, however, he suddenly realized that the Nine Bridges to Death was clearly meant for him.
In the original world, Fang Gu had been consumed, and Zhan Kong had succeeded in his sacrificial ritual. In truth, this only happened because Mo Fan opened the door.
But the first person to step inside was Fang Gu. Since Fang Gu was from Weiju Village, he didn't face any trials, allowing him to reach the Blood Throne's location.
He arrived first, and in his greed, he was consumed. Zhan Kong… there was no need to question his motives. That man had lived his life purely for the sake of sacrifice.
So, without waiting for the man with the Azure Dragon's soul to arrive, Zhan Kong became the one to inherit the ancient king's power.
But a man who had reached the level of a five-element Forbidden Spell Master during his life, called the God of Magic, and who had spent two thousand years growing in the Abyss of Fiends, couldn't possibly be limited to the power of an emperor.
In other words, Zhan Kong had not inherited the ancient king's full power.
After thinking it over, Mo Fan, holding the little loach pendant in his hand, muttered in a daze, "So... the ancient king was actually waiting for you, or maybe for me."
He stayed behind at the Nine Bridges to Death.
He let Zhang Xiaohou and the others go inside.
Mo Fan didn't dwell on whether the ancient king in the Abyss of Fiends was waiting for him, because right now, capturing Mu He was the most pressing issue.
The Mind Parasite was still devouring Zhang Xiaohou, so catching Mu He was crucial.
Following the directions given by the short man, Mo Fan found the street that was supposedly occupied by Bo City residents.
The street wasn't long, just a cross-street between two major roads, and it specialized in selling magical items.
Mo Fan had attended a prestigious magical school, where most students were intermediate mages. In the academy, intermediate mages might not seem impressive, but in society, they held quite a high status. In reality, there were countless mages and ordinary people struggling at the bottom of the magical world, making a living from small magical businesses, selling magical equipment, materials, and trading demon parts.
This street, Hui Li Street, was full of tiny magical items, most of which sold for between 500 and 10,000 yuan. Since the value of many second-hand magical tools and materials was hard to estimate, this kind of magical market street was like a combination of an antique market and a magical dollar store. Many cash-strapped mages would come here to hunt for bargains, and occasionally, they'd find something good. For them, a new magical tool could mean a significant boost in power!
Mo Fan arrived here, not expecting to recognize everyone.
After all, Bo City had many residents. He was here to find Zhao Sankun, a small-time guy, and to meet Mu Bai.
"Damn, what kind of junk did they stock this time? It's all garbage, and it cost me 100,000 yuan! Do they think money grows on trees?!" a raspy voice echoed through the shop. It wasn't a pleasant sound.
But Mo Fan recognized the voice immediately.
After all, the person speaking was someone he had beaten up more than once.
Following the voice to the shop's entrance, Mo Fan saw the owner: a short man with dark skin, small eyes, and a flat nose. Though his face had changed a bit since high school, it was still familiar.
"Zhao Sankun!" Mo Fan greeted with a smile.
Zhao Sankun, who was in a foul mood after his subordinates had bought a bunch of junk, was frustrated over how to sell it to recoup the 100,000 yuan. When he heard someone call him by his nickname, he immediately got angry.
Zhao Sankun worked for Mu Bai, and while Mu Bai treated him as a half-brother, he didn't appreciate being called a lackey by those who didn't know better.
"Are you looking for trouble? Do you believe I won't blast you with magic? Let me tell you, I'm a mage, a Level 3 novice mage!" Zhao Sankun yelled at Mo Fan as he entered the shop.
But as he yelled, he gradually stopped.
"Mo… Mo Fan!?" Zhao Sankun stared with his small eyes, struggling to process what he was seeing.
"Yeah, it's me. Long time no see," Mo Fan replied.
"Boss, do you want me to call some people to kick this guy out? Does he even know whose territory this is?" A shop assistant, noticing his boss's reaction, asked eagerly, ready to defend him.
"Shut up! This has nothing to do with you," Zhao Sankun snapped impatiently.
Are you kidding? Even if all the mages on this street were called in, they wouldn't stand a chance against Mo Fan. Zhao Sankun wasn't stupid; he knew full well how powerful Mo Fan had become.
He didn't pay much attention to Mo Fan, but he knew Mu Bai had been keeping track. Every time he heard about Mo Fan's accomplishments, Mu Bai would lock himself away to train, driven by his desire to surpass Mo Fan and reclaim his pride.
Over time, Zhao Sankun naturally came to understand that Mo Fan had grown frighteningly strong.
Definitely not someone a small fry like him could afford to provoke.
"Looks like you're doing well," Mo Fan said casually before adding, "Call Mu Bai. Tell him I'm here to see him."
Zhao Sankun quickly nodded in agreement.
Even though he didn't like how Mo Fan ordered him around, he was realistic. He knew that Mo Fan was now so powerful that even the likes of Mu Zhuoyun wouldn't dare provoke him.
Back in the day, the "Lord of Bo City" didn't stand a chance. What could someone like Zhao Sankun do?
There was no way he was foolish enough to cross Mo Fan.
(End of Chapter)