Chapter 58: Keep Talking, and I'll Throw You into the Demon Nest

"What do we do now?" Zheng Bingxiao asked.

"No matter what, I'm not going back." Mu Ningxue was the first to speak up.

She wasn't going to force anyone to stay, but she wasn't ready to abandon this expedition halfway through. After seeing how powerful Mo Fan had become, she felt even more determined not to give up on her own path to strength.

Mu Nujiao felt the same way.

With the two "goddesses" making their stance clear, the others who had been grumbling about leaving didn't feel like they could keep pushing to retreat. After all, they were men…

"Mo Fan, you'd better keep your mouth shut from now on. You're the type who runs at the first sign of danger. I really don't know why the leaders at Pearl Academy would even send someone with such poor character as an exchange student." Liao Mingxuan said rudely.

Ming Cong, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. "If it weren't for my Light Magic slaying tool, I doubt we would have even made it out."

"If you two keep yapping, I won't hesitate to throw you both into a demon's nest." Mo Fan coldly retorted.

The two of them had been quite arrogant, but after hearing Mo Fan's threat—and realizing that the others weren't stepping in to defend them—they immediately quieted down.

Even though they both had magical items to protect them, they had seen Mo Fan's power firsthand during the battles at the Imperial Capital. If it came down to a fight, they wouldn't stand a chance.

"Alright, let's stop arguing and not waste time. Let's head to the next investigation point." Mu Nujiao stepped in, trying to mediate.

She didn't doubt Mo Fan's words for a second.

"It's a waste of time dealing with these two weaklings. You guys go to that survey point. I'll check out another one myself." Mo Fan said.

In truth, he wanted to go back into the building where the False Fiend had died. There was a seed left inside that creature. If he could retrieve it, he could sell it for over ten million.

Mu Nujiao quickly tried to stop him. "Mo Fan, don't be reckless."

"Yeah, it's safer if we all stick together. If you get into trouble out here in the wilderness, we won't be able to help you," Zheng Bingxiao added.

Even Zhao Manyan tried to persuade him.

But Mo Fan insisted he'd go explore on his own.

"Let him go. Hmph, I bet he won't make it back in one piece." Liao Mingxuan sneered.

"Zzzt! Zzzt!"

"Agh!"

Without wasting words, Mo Fan casually cast a lightning spell, sending a bolt of electricity right at Liao Mingxuan.

In an instant, Liao Mingxuan was scorched, both inside and out.

"Do you think I'm joking?" Mo Fan walked over and stepped on Liao Mingxuan's head. "Why don't you try barking like a dog again and see if I don't follow through?"

Ming Cong wanted to intervene but hesitated, realizing he didn't dare.

He hadn't expected Mo Fan to actually attack. Nor had he expected the others to stand by and do nothing.

The students from Pearl University weren't about to stop Mo Fan, knowing full well how powerful he was.

Liao Mingxuan wanted to shout about his family's influence, but here, in the wilderness, he didn't have the guts to gamble on that. In the end, he had no choice but to swallow his pride.

After putting Liao Mingxuan in his place, Mo Fan prepared to leave.

Just before he departed, Mu Nujiao came over and handed him a protective water charm. While Mo Fan didn't really need it, he wasn't about to refuse a gift from a pretty girl.

Mu Ningxue also gave him a few words of caution before he left, telling him not to overexert himself.

All in all, Mo Fan was clearly very popular with the ladies, a fact that drew more than a few jealous looks.

As for the others, they headed in the opposite direction. When Liao Mingxuan finally got up, his eyes were full of anger.

After they had gone, Mo Fan returned to the collapsed building, found the seed from the False Fiend, and then set off toward the survey point.

With his current strength, even venturing near a demon's nest didn't worry him.

Once the survey was complete, Mo Fan headed back to rejoin the main group.

"Just hold on a bit longer, it's about to turn green!"

"Damn it, more giant lizards are coming! If we don't leave now, we'll all end up as their dinner!"

"It's green, it's green!"

"Retreat, retreat!!"

A group of sweating mages scrambled to escape, narrowly evading the incoming threats.

Shortly after, a horde of giant green-skinned lizards emerged from the partially sunken areas of the city. Their sheer numbers covered the streets, creating a suffocating sense of impending doom.

Their cries echoed in all directions, and the mages desperately unleashed their magic, hearts pounding, as they fled the area.

Thankfully, they had planned an escape route beforehand, avoiding the risk of being cornered by the swarm of green-skinned lizards.

"Damn, we've barely completed one survey area and we're already this exhausted. If we have to survey the rest of the city, at least half of us will die." gasped Luo Song, panting heavily between words.

"Without Mo Fan, we're missing a lot of firepower. Dealing with these demon swarms is much tougher." Peng Liang added.

Liao Mingxuan scoffed, "That guy only causes trouble. He said he was going to complete his survey alone, but I bet it won't be long before he comes crawling back in defeat."

"He's heading this way, according to my tracker." Zhao Manyan remarked.

"Guess he couldn't do it after all." Liao Mingxuan muttered.

With Mo Fan absent, he felt bold enough to talk, but once he returned, Liao Mingxuan would have to hold his tongue.

"You might want to stop talking. If you piss him off again, none of us will be able to stop him from tossing you into the demon nest." Peng Liang warned.

Liao Mingxuan's expression twitched.

Meanwhile, Mu Ningxue, hearing their discussion, realized just how infamous Mo Fan's reputation was at Pearl Academy.

Honestly, she had to admire Mo Fan's audacity—he truly feared nothing.

She was relieved that her father hadn't completely antagonized Mo Fan and that someone had been keeping an eye on him back in Bo City. Otherwise, Mu Ningxue didn't even want to imagine how powerful an enemy Mu Zhuoyun might have made.

While Mo Fan moved effortlessly, the rest of the group was in dire straits. Fortunately, they found refuge in a relatively well-preserved church. Built with durable stone that plants couldn't easily overgrow, it was still in good shape, with much less dust than other areas. After a quick cleaning, it was a decent place to stay.

Inside, three people were stationed: the heavily injured Song Xia, Bai Tingting, who was healing her, and Ming Cong, who was protecting them.

When the rest of the group arrived, they walked in on a rather embarrassing scene.

(End of Chapter)