After giving instructions, Fang Shaoli decided to find a male pet to play with. Yes, these subordinates here were all people she had played with. By the time they realized they were in too deep, it was already too late.
"Too bad you won't get that chance to lay low," a voice suddenly emerged from the shadows as Fang Shaoli was selecting her male pet.
"Who's there?!" Fang Shaoli was startled by the sudden voice.
She heard the voice, but couldn't see the person. Whoever had come in did so without her noticing, and even after they spoke, she still couldn't locate them.
"Boom!!!"
Her answer was a massive flaming fist!
Flames surged toward her, and Fang Shaoli instinctively grabbed one of her male pets to use as a shield.
"Bang!!!"
A blast of blue flames exploded on impact.
Fang Shaoli was thrown back, although her male pet absorbed much of the attack, she still suffered significant injuries. At that moment, Mo Fan finally revealed himself.
"Who are you?!" Fang Shaoli asked angrily, looking disheveled.
Her teacher, Salan, had just told her to keep a low profile, and now trouble had come knocking.
The noise had already caused enough of a stir that staying here wasn't an option anymore. But before she fled, she had to deal with this fool who had barged in.
"You don't even know me, yet you think you're qualified to wear blue?" Mo Fan said with a smirk.
"You're courting death!" Fang Shaoli raged.
She slowly removed her outer cloak, revealing her tan skin. As she did, her blood vessels began to bulge outward, turning a deep green. Veins erupted all over her body, as if her blood vessels were exposed. Her skin was quickly covered by layers of black, coal-like material, shimmering with a metallic sheen.
Fang Shaoli knew Mo Fan was strong, but as a blue-clad member of the Black Vatican and Salan's student, she wasn't without her own special tricks.
She began laughing maniacally, her voice turning from shrill to beastly. She now roared like a wild animal, her muscles bulging as her body swelled to three times its original size. She transformed into a seven-to-eight-meter-tall black monster, her once human face now grotesquely disfigured. Only her brown hair hinted at who she once was, and her wild, bulging eyes radiated pure malice.
Mo Fan shook his head in disappointment, his hands glowing with a brilliant golden light.
After his experiences in the ancient capital, Mo Fan had learned one thing: any being tainted by dark powers was nothing in the face of his radiant light.
With a flash of golden brilliance, a large blade of light formed in Mo Fan's hands.
"Roar!!"
The mutated Fang Shaoli charged at Mo Fan with incredible speed, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
But just as she got close, Mo Fan swung his blade of light.
"Slash!!!"
"Arrghhh!!!"
The moment the golden blade struck her monstrous body, an intense, burning light enveloped her, causing her to scream in agony.
Her supposedly indestructible body couldn't withstand the searing light, and what was even more terrifying was how heavy the blade felt despite being made of pure light.
The mutated Fang Shaoli was forced to her knees, her massive body shrinking as the agonizing screams continued. Soon, her human form reemerged, and she collapsed on the ground, defeated.
By the time Mo Fan had finished with Fang Shaoli, Leng Qing had arrived with her team to secure the area.
Fang Shaoli was a trainee blue-clad member of the Black Vatican, but even as a trainee, she earned Mo Fan a bounty of two billion. After collecting the reward, the rest of the cleanup was no longer Mo Fan's concern.
Of course, given Mo Fan's brute-force approach, Lingling didn't hesitate to scold him harshly afterward.
With the Black Vatican on Chongming Island dealt with, Mo Fan headed straight to Hangzhou.
He first stopped by Hangzhou Academy and found out that Xin Xia was about to leave for the Parthenon.
"Brother Mo Fan… I didn't get a chance to say goodbye properly," Xin Xia said, looking down like a child who had made a mistake.
The reason she agreed to go to the Parthenon was because the teacher from there had promised that studying at the Parthenon might give her a chance to walk again. Even though Mo Fan never minded her condition, how could Xin Xia not want to stand on her own?
Before she could say any more, Mo Fan had already appeared in front of her.
"It's okay. Whatever decision you make, I'll always support you," Mo Fan said.
Going to the Parthenon was something Xin Xia needed to do. Not only would it help her awaken her soul powers faster, but Mo Fan also liked the idea of seeing Xin Xia as a queen one day.
After all, every man has a thing for powerful women, and Mo Fan was no different.
Hearing that Mo Fan wasn't upset, Xin Xia finally felt at ease.
Mo Fan then said, "Before you go, let's spend a few days together. After that, I'll be heading off to the global academy trials."
"Alright," Xin Xia replied with a smile.
After informing the academy and the Parthenon, Mo Fan and Xin Xia left Hangzhou and spent a week vacationing in nearby towns.
Once that week was over, Mo Fan spent two more days with Tang Yue before finally heading to the capital for his national team duties.
The next day, inside a grand magic arena in the capital.
This colossal stadium was located in the heart of the capital's academy, its star-shaped structure and domed ceiling capable of opening and closing at will. It could hold 50,000 people, making it an impressive sight. Usually, only top-tier magical duels were held here, but today, the stands were empty.
In the center of the arena stood ten young mages, lined up in a row. Dressed in sleek magical battle robes, their capes fluttered in the wind, giving them an air of heroism.
Among them were Mo Fan, and the guardian mage Nan Jue, whom he had met in the Scorching Plains.
Also present was Nan Jue's colleague, the guardian mage Ai Jiangtu.
Alongside them were the hulking Zhu Qiming, the overly confident Guan Yu, the alluring Jiang Shaoxu, the deceptively sharp Nanrong Ni, the fiery-tempered Mu Tingying, the summoner Jiang Yu, and last but not least, the brilliant Mu Nujiao, who had emerged victorious from the trials of Pearl Academy.
Yes, Mu Nujiao had defeated Li Kaifeng, another student from Pearl Academy, to secure her spot on the national team. Though Li Kaifeng had an impressive background, his lack of strength had been his downfall.
(End of Chapter)