After emerging from the Dark Abyss, Mo Fan decided to head to the ancient capital.
Old man Han Ji still owed him a favor—or rather, the entire ancient capital did.
Mo Fan wasn't planning to ask for much; all he wanted was a piece of the Star Sea Divine Vein, even if it was just a semi-complete version.
Whether Han Ji could manage that, however, was his problem.
The reason Mo Fan wanted the Star Sea Divine Vein, even in semi-complete form, was because he still had a considerable amount of energy stored in his Little Loach Pendant.
He hadn't used this stored energy yet, as he was saving it for the time when he would attempt to break through to the Super Level, just as a safeguard.
But just in case, Mo Fan figured he'd better secure a Star Sea Divine Vein as well.
When Mo Fan arrived at the ancient capital, Han Ji and the high-ranking officials were all overjoyed and excited to see him.
They had thought Mo Fan was finished.
But seeing him standing there, completely unharmed, they realized that he had survived and was just fine.
"Old man Han, you haven't forgotten what you promised me, right?" Mo Fan asked, as they were still basking in excitement.
"Of course! I'll make sure to prepare a rich reward for you," Han Ji replied.
"Can I specify what I want?" Mo Fan asked.
"???"
Han Ji was bewildered. Specify what he wanted?
While it seemed a bit excessive, given Mo Fan's immense contribution in saving so many people, it didn't seem unreasonable for him to ask for something. After a moment, Han Ji asked, "What do you need?"
"A piece of the Star Sea Divine Vein. Naturally, a complete one would be best, but I'd settle for a semi-complete one," Mo Fan said.
He wasn't trying to make things difficult for Han Ji, knowing how rare the Star Sea Divine Vein was.
"!!!"
When Han Ji heard Mo Fan's request, his mustache nearly flew off in shock.
The Star Sea Divine Vein? This kid…
He sure wasn't being modest!
"Alright, I'll do my best... but I can't guarantee I'll get it for you," Han Ji responded. He didn't agree to it right away because, after all, such a rare item was incredibly difficult to acquire. Then he added, "You've still got quite a long way to go before reaching the Super Level, don't you?"
It wasn't just a matter of whether Mo Fan could reach that level; his current strength was still far from it. Requesting the Star Sea Divine Vein at this point seemed a bit premature.
"Yeah, there's still a long way to go, but I like to be prepared," Mo Fan replied.
Even though it was early, Mo Fan didn't elaborate further. Instead, he asked, "After you crossed that Nine Bridges to Death, One to Life, what happened? Why have the undead retreated beyond the hundred-mile perimeter of the ancient capital?"
This was something Han Ji found particularly puzzling.
Hearing Han Ji's question, Mo Fan sighed, "The Ancient King was one of the greatest figures in China's history. Sadly, his quest for immortality wasn't what he had hoped for."
The great king had indeed achieved immortality in this world.
But it wasn't the immortality he had desired.
For he was no longer human, no longer a Mage King, but something more like a monster.
Han Ji was completely confused.
What the…? He felt like Mo Fan was explaining something but also not really explaining anything at all.
What was he talking about?
Han Ji knew the stories of the Ancient King's glorious achievements, but this was strange.
Mo Fan shook his head, deciding not to delve into it further. Instead, he offered a warning: "While the ancient capital may have avoided severe damage this time, it will still take a long period of recovery. The undead may no longer trespass into the ancient capital's borders, but that only applies to the hundred-mile radius. If humans step into their territory, they will still attack."
Han Ji could see that Mo Fan had indeed experienced something significant inside the abyss, but it seemed he wasn't willing to share the details.
Since Mo Fan wasn't going to explain, Han Ji felt it wouldn't be appropriate to press further.
Everyone has their secrets, after all.
"The ancient capital will remember your contribution, and its people will forever be grateful that you saved this city," Han Ji said.
"That's not important. What matters is the Star Sea Divine Vein."
"I'll do everything in my power."
"..."
After parting ways with Han Ji, Mo Fan went to see some old friends.
The snowy days had passed, and early spring was on its way.
The ancient capital had made remarkable progress toward restoring itself before the new year, with the outer city nearly rebuilt.
In a small restaurant:
Mo Fan, Zhang Xiaohou, Mu Bai, Zhao Kunsan, Wang Sanpang, Zhou Min, He Yu, and Zhang Yinglu were gathered together.
Aside from Xu Zhaoting and another guy from the vanguard team, everyone who had once ventured toward the safe zone together was present.
"Come on, let's raise our glasses! We survived another disaster," Wang Sanpang said.
"Yeah, we're really tough to kill. Two major catastrophes, and we're still alive!" Zhao Kunsan added.
"We should definitely toast Mo Fan! Without him, who knows what the outcome would've been this time," Zhang Yinglu said with a smile.
This girl who had also survived the great disaster was now a skilled mage among the defenders.
Having survived the calamity, both she and He Yu had continued to grow stronger in their respective fields.
As for Liu Xian and Liu Ru, after confirming Mo Fan's safety, he had sent them back to Magic City ahead of him.
"Mu Bai, don't overthink it. You did what you had to do," Mo Fan said, patting Mu Bai on the shoulder.
Mu He might have wronged the Mu family, but he had never wronged Mu Bai. Even though Mu Bai's sister had become part of the Church, Mu Bai had remained untouched by corruption.
This was exactly why Mu Bai had been so emotionally turbulent lately.
"I'll figure it out," Mu Bai replied.
Mo Fan thought to himself: Your tough days are still ahead of you. But considering how badly things were already going for "Miss Green Tea," he decided not to mention it.
"Brother Fan, are you heading back soon to join the World University Tournament?" Zhang Xiaohou suddenly asked.
Everyone turned their attention to Mo Fan. Mu Bai, Zhou Min, and He Yu had all been strong contenders for the tournament nominations but had ultimately fallen short.
"Yeah, you could say that. Your big brother is about to chase his great dreams," Mo Fan nodded.
As excited as he was, this new journey was something he found deeply intriguing.
However, that reminded him…
Where had Chief Instructor Zhan Kong gone?
Without him, Qin Yu'er might never be released.
And without Qin Yu'er, how would little Mu Ningxue, after being kicked out of the team, manage to improve herself?
So... wasn't this the perfect opportunity for him to step in!
Thinking back to that time in the cave at Dongting Lake, Mo Fan's lips curved into a smirk.
The others, noticing Mo Fan's sudden smug expression, chose to ignore it. After all, this was one of his few flaws.
(End of Chapter)