The sky had darkened, and thick clouds merged with the horizon, encircling the city like an iron cage. The air was damp, carrying a hint of impending rain.
"Tick-tock~"
Rain? Ye Chenfeng thought, glancing upward as the first drops fell. "Seems like Zhankong's actions have been discovered." As if on cue, rain poured down heavily, lightning slashing through the sky, illuminating his cold, determined face. He had done what he could, hinted where he should, but some things were beyond control now.
Ye Chenfeng took a deep breath and pinched the void, activating telepathy. An unseen hand gathered murky liquid from the air, storing it in a vase. Good, he thought. The violent spring water is collected; now, onto the holy spring.
At the Holy Spring, the scene was a nightmare. The floor was awash in blood, the sealed door left wide open. Guards lay scattered, their bodies torn, blood and organs pooling on the floor. Mo Fan looked on in shock.
"Captain Liang!" a woman in a white uniform cried out.
Turning, Mo Fan saw mid-level magician Liang Weichang hurled against a pillar, shielded by his water defense magic.
"Scorching Flame·Fire·Double Explosion!!" Mo Fan unleashed his spell, engulfing the demon before him in blazing flames, reducing it to ash.
"Is this… spiritual fire?" Lin Yuxin gasped.
"Into the secret room, now!" Captain Liang yelled, rallying the group. Ye Chenfeng scooped up Captain Liang, helping him into the safety of the secret chamber.
"What's happening?" Mo Fan asked, his voice shaking.
"Demons are attacking. Blood Alert. Bo City is about to fall," Ye Chenfeng said evenly, closing the door behind them.
Captain Liang quickly inspected the holy spring's altar. The circulating water flowed into small holes, and within seconds, the spring had vanished. Lifting a small blue bottle hidden on the altar, he turned to the others, saying, "This passage should lead to the back of Tianlan Magic High School. We can't let the Holy Spring fall into the wrong hands." He looked at Ye Chenfeng. "You're the strongest here, and they wouldn't expect us to entrust it to someone far away at Mingzhu Academy. Keep it safe."
Ye Chenfeng hid his relief. At least he didn't have to convince them himself.
After following the secret passage, they emerged on the north side of the mountain. The city lay in ruins, bloodstained buildings and strange, eerie rain giving it an apocalyptic feel. In the distance, a colossal monster roared, shaking the ground.
"Is this the leader of the monsters?" Ye Chenfeng murmured, realizing its power was beyond anything he could handle. They would need high-level mages to face this.
Lin Yuxin and Liang Weichang devised a plan to distract the monster, while Ye Chenfeng turned to Mo Fan. "What's your plan?"
"I need to regroup with the students and get them to the safe zone. Even if they're inexperienced, they're magicians—they'll help with evacuation."
"Then here, take half of the Holy Earth Spring. Give it to Instructor Zhankong." Ye Chenfeng poured half of the spring into a small bottle and handed it to Mo Fan.
"Wait, where are you going, Ye?" Mo Fan asked, staring at the Holy Spring.
"I'm going to see what the demons are up to. They must be working underground."
Mo Fan's face lit up. "I might know where. Xinxia's school."
"Relax, I got her to the safe zone already," Ye Chenfeng said, grinning.
"Damn, Ye, you're the best!" Mo Fan said, laughing.
As Ye handed Mo Fan a red box, he said, "Here, this might help." He hurried off, leaving Mo Fan to open the box and reveal… a gun.
"Is Ye a time traveler?" Mo Fan wondered, running and trying out the strange weapon. He fired, and a burst of fire magic exploded, melting a tree trunk.
"Oh crap!" Mo Fan yelped, as the tree almost crashed on him. "That thing's even more powerful than my level-three Fire Breath!"
Mo Fan laughed as he looked at the gun, excitement flickering in his eyes. This weapon would come in handy.