Ch 1146 - Ch 1150

Chapter 1146

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

—

—

For the next few days, everyone was totally released from their burdens . Venice was a charming city, meaning that the team could enjoy themselves for a few days after the tournament came to an end .

Since the team mainly consisted of young adults, they had no limit on when they were allowed to do whatever they pleased . Even Mo Fan was drunk for almost a full day . Unfortunately, alcohol had no effect on Mu Ningxue . Otherwise, he could easily have taken hold of the opportunity to finish the job with her!

Mo Fan's approach toward Mu Ningxue had always been that he would not mind forcing something if he had to, even if it meant crossing the line . Otherwise, he simply had no idea how long he would have to wait before the harvest . He had already expressed all his feelings to her!

"F**k, I almost vomited myself to death, what exactly did Jiang Yu, that asshole recommend to us? It tasted like cow's piss, not to mention its strong aftertaste . I almost had s** with a stripper in her forties . It's going to haunt me for the rest of my life!" Zhao Manyan cursed, finally sober again .

Mo Fan was amused when he saw Manyan struggling to stand properly on the balcony outside his room .

It was true that someone around the age of forty had helped him back to his room, but the person was not even a woman…

It was almost evening when they woke up . The brilliant sunset shone upon Venice, reflecting colorfully on the well-decorated windows and the surface of the water in the canals . The beautiful and mature women of Venice walking on the streets were also part of the soothing scenery!

That being said, nothing could be compared to the sense of achievement after winning the final match . The more Mo Fan recalled the details of the tournament, the more impressed he was with himself .

How brilliant was the decision of his father to sell the old house just to send him to Tian Lan Magic High? He was a f**king magic genius!

"Come, let's go have a walk, to sober up!" Zhao Manyan proposed .

"Sure, let's head to the beach," Mo Fan agreed .

They had no idea where the rest of the team had gone . Perhaps they were hanging out together, or picking up chicks on the street . Since they were the champions of the tournament, they only needed to stand still on the street for a minute before someone recognized them, and would jump straight into their arms .

Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan did not need to be secretive . They were not movie stars or singers . Even though the World College Tournament had grabbed the attention of the whole world, it was unlikely that people would be able to recognize them on the street, since the spectators could only watch from a distance away . Besides, when they were dressed casually, they looked no different than the other people on the street, apart from being slightly more handsome, of course…

—

They went to the seaside of Venice . As a matter of fact, Venice was a spacious bay, its shape like an irregular half-moon . Most interestingly, it also had a long beach, like the string of a bow .

Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan had nothing much to do, and so they decided to walk along the bay . It was not an attraction in Venice, and the two had no idea what it was called, either . They only knew the scenery was quite nice .

There were quite some people along the bay, as many luxurious hotels were located here, glittering under the sunlight .

"Strange, since when is there an artificial island here?"

"Why is that strange? The island of the final match is also an artificial island . Maybe we just haven't been here in a while . "

"That's true, it's been some time since I came here . Haaaa… the older you get, the easier you miss out on the latest news . I swear I've never heard of a new artificial island in Venice . "

Two old men were taking a stroll along the bay . They would occasionally look toward the city .

Between the bay and the city was a huge body of seawater . The island of the final match was located there .

"I bet you aren't just thinking of a normal walk, bringing me to such a remote place?" Mo Fan broke the silence as he felt that Zhao Manyan had something to tell him .

"How did you know? Are you a parasite in my stomach?" Zhao Manyan was shocked .

"Just spit it out," Mo Fan replied impatiently .

Zhao Manyan was slightly hesitant, still deciding if he should tell Mo Fan about it .

"It's about my father . He's quite old, and has lots of health issues because of his living habits when he was young . I have lived up to his name now that we've come in first, but he happened to fall sick . I bet he didn't even see the match…" Zhao Manyan sighed .

"That's a pity . Aren't you going to visit him?" Mo Fan asked .

Every son would want their father to feel proud of them, and prove that they could still achieve greatness in society without their father's protection .

Mo Fan could understand Zhao Manyan's feelings . It was true that the people of Zhao Manyan's clan and his father had always assumed that Zhao Manyan was frivolous . They never expected him to have any kind of achievements .

"I'm just worried," Zhao Manyan said .

"Worried?"

"He's been very sick . The old Healer of our clan already told us that if he falls sick again, he might pass away . Even though we've been preparing ourselves for it… whenever the thought of my father not having much time left hits, I'm overwhelmed by sorrow," Zhao Manyan admitted in a soft voice, unlike his usual demeanor .

"That serious?" Mo Fan was startled .

He had no idea that Zhao Manyan's father was approaching the end of his life, since Zhao Manyan never mentioned it to him .

"That's why I want to make him proud, so he can pass away in peace . I'm just afraid, afraid that once I tell him the news, he will just pass away in relief . If he doesn't see me, he could live longer . It's the reason why I'm scared to visit him," Zhao Manyan said . He had been carrying the burden for some time, and had not told anyone before .

"Is there really no chance of healing or extending his time?" Mo Fan asked .

Zhao Manyan shook his head . His father had been sick for more than ten years . He was only alive because he was being treated by a powerful Healer .

"Only the Spell of Resurrection can save him . Otherwise, it's pretty much terminal cancer," Zhao Manyan said .

When he saw that Zhao Manyan was indeed mentally prepared for it, Mo Fan exclaimed, "I have always wondered why a fuerdai like you would bother joining the national team and cultivate so diligently, instead of wasting your time on women . Well, in my opinion, you should just pay him a visit . You should just go to him and tell him your heroic achievements rather than using such an extreme method just to keep him alive . He can leave in peace, and you can at least bid farewell to him!"

"You're right, it's just that I'm worried about my brother…" Zhao Manyan sighed .

Chapter 1147: 1147

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

"Your brother… why are you worried about your brother? That he will be overwhelmed by sorrow?" Mo Fan asked .

Zhao Manyan shook his head, "Forget it, we've just won the tournament . I shouldn't mention something like this to ruin the mood . "

"Don't mention it, we grieve and celebrate when the time is right, even when the two are mixed up . There's no need to force your feelings," Mo Fan agreed .

"Do you mind giving me some time to think about it? I'll talk to you again once I clear my mind . " It was obvious that Zhao Manyan was still bothered by some other things . As a matter of fact, he was still unsure about the truth .

"Alright, I'll be in my room, or Mu Ningxue's . Just come find me whenever you want," Mo Fan did not force him .

Mo Fan turned around before he left and saw Zhao Manyan slowly moving toward the seawall . It was quite obvious that Zhao Manyan was very troubled by this matter .

Luckily, he had long prepared for it .

Being prepared for the death of close ones was totally different than suddenly receiving the news of someone passing, since people had time to gradually accept the truth when the person was going to pass away soon . The grief would slowly turn into respect for the deceased . Zhao Manyan did not really have any regrets . After all, he had achieved an impressive feat before his father passed away . The old man could rest in peace now .

On the other hand, news of the sudden death of close ones would take anyone by surprise, like a lightning bolt landing right on them . Mo Fan had witnessed too many deaths during the Calamity of Bo City and the Calamity of the Ancient Capital . It was the reason he had been putting so much work in his cultivation, to ensure his loved ones could live in peace amid the chaos brought about by the demon creatures .

Unfortunately, every life would come to an end one day . People would eventually have to embrace it and continue on with their lives . If they spent their whole lives in shadows and rainy days, they would be the person that died instead!

—

—

Zhao Manyan was still at loss in front of the seawall . The sky had completely darkened . The lamps in Venice lit up, while some of the islands nearby disappeared in the darkness as if they did not exist .

A couple was approaching . The man was in his thirties, with a scar on his tanned forehead . He was hugging the woman beside him tightly with a huge smile, as if he was extremely pleased by their relationship, like a young man passionately in love .

The woman seemed to be in her thirties, too . She looked quite ordinary, the kind that Zhao Manyan would not bother giving an extra glance to . The woman was wearing a shy smile, but her eyes were glancing around . She sneakily looked over at Zhao Manyan .

"Friend, can you take a photo of us?" the man asked, holding a camera out .

"Sure . " Normally, Zhao Manyan would just walk past the couple arrogantly . He only allowed himself to show off his relationship to others, instead of the other way around . However, he was in a bad mood today, so he did not mind doing someone a favor, collecting some blessings for his father who would soon pass away .

When Zhao Manyan reached out his hand to take the camera, the man with a scar suddenly grinned viciously .

The man's eyes flickered murderously as a long poisonous snake with eight claws poked out from his sleeve . It coiled around Zhao Manyan's wrist and bit his arm!

Zhao Manyan did not feel any pain from the bite, but his blood suddenly froze, and continued to spread to the other parts of his body!

"You!" Zhao Manyan was astounded . He quickly cast a defensive spell .

The Sacred Shield Protection was about to complete itself when Zhao Manyan was dazzled all of a sudden, the same way he felt when he was drunk last night .

The last Star Orbit broke in half . Zhao Manyan had failed to set up his defense in time . The poison was spreading too quickly . Not only did it paralyze him, it was also messing with his mind!

"Who are you!?" Zhao Manyan yelled . He was still able to speak .

"What's the point of asking so much? Isn't it better to die without knowing anything?" the woman grinned . She slowly took out a poisonous needle .

The needle was the length of a dagger . It was clearly a vicious piece of magic equipment, similar to Guan Yu's claw gauntlet . The Weapon was suitable for assassin-type Mages . They were not that useful against demon creatures, but were deadly against Mages!

"Who sent you!?" Zhao Manyan was so infuriated that his eyes were about to spit fire .

"It looks like you will be able to keep your father company in the afterworld!" the female assassin giggled coldly as she stabbed the needle into Zhao Manyan's heart .

The poisonous needle easily penetrated Zhao Manyan's skin and entered his flesh . It would soon reach his heart . However, a golden light erupted out of nowhere . The insignificant necklace that Zhao Manyan was wearing drove back the two assassins with the strong light, preventing the poisonous needle from moving any further .

"As expected of a fuerdai, you have a piece of magic equipment that even surpasses the power of the Ring of Venice . But is your final struggle going to make any difference?" The female assassin was still grinning, as if she was not too surprised by his magic equipment .

The two assassins were incredibly strong, especially the man with the Poison Element that had ambushed Zhao Manyan first . Even if Zhao Manyan was paying attention, the man could still have subdued him easily .

Zhao Manyan had been a playboy for a long time . He had only spent the last two years cultivating diligently to please his father . He had never offended anyone with great status before, so it was fairly impossible that anyone would send assassins after him…

The golden light was protecting Zhao Manyan, but the power of the magic equipment would not last long,and it was unlikely that anyone would come to his rescue at such a remote place .

Zhao Manyan knew his death was approaching, yet he was unwilling to accept it or to believe it!

"Zhao Youqian, show yourself! I know it's you!" Zhao Manyan yelled . His veins were surfacing on his face from the poison .

There was no response .

"Zhao Youqian! You have the guts to kill me, but don't you have the guts to face me in person!?" Zhao Manyan screamed . He had a feeling that Zhao Youqian was nearby!

As he thought, a tightly-clothed man walked out from behind an aged tree not far away .

The man had even covered his hair, revealing only his eyes . He was being extremely careful that no one could see his face .

The golden light would still last for some time, yet Zhao Manyan was feeling extremely hopeless . The two assassins had clearly killed many people before, and even a Mage like he stood no chance against them .

"I shall bid you farewell then," the disguised man responded coldly .

Zhao Manyan felt a great chill running down his spine, as if his heart had been stabbed by the poisonous needle numerous times .

It was him . It really was him!

Zhao Manyan knew he had no chance of escaping, but he was hoping that someone else was behind it . He would rather think that it was someone he had offended unknowingly in the past…

They were brothers . Zhao Manyan had been suspicious of the man before . It was what Zhao Manyan wanted to talk to Mo Fan about . He sensed that Zhao Youqian was the kind of person that would do anything to achieve his goals, but considering that they were brothers related by blood, Zhao Manyan finally shook it off and decided not to tell Mo Fan about it…

He did not say it, as he was hoping that he had misunderstood his brother . Otherwise, Mo Fan would surely stay with him, just in case someone tried to murder him . He would not have ended up in his current situation, either!

When Zhao Manyan thought about how Mo Fan never hesitated to sacrifice himself to save him and the others back in Jinlin City, and a few times after that too, and compared him to Zhao Youqian who only dared show his eyes, he was immediately troubled by complicated feelings .

"Don't you have any humanity?" Zhao Manyan asked .

"Aren't you naive to ask that question? Isn't it all our father's fault, forcing me to come down to this? I, Zhao Youqian, have been under strict discipline since the age of ten, learning different languages, finance, how to talk with businessmen, and bluff around with greedy men . The money that I've earned for the clan, the effort I've put in… and you, you have been living a carefree life since you were born . The old man didn't scold you even once, and let you spend as much money as you want without asking you to manage anything . He even prepared the path for the things you wanted to learn . I thought he was only spoiling you, without caring what you do . You could just live a comfortable life like a useless fuerdai . I thought he was raising me up as the successor of the clan, he was so very strict to me, so I could be better than him in the future…"

"But what did he do!?"

"What did he do!?" Zhao Youqian screamed . His voice was filled with hatred and malice .

"He left his will before you even won the tournament, asking you to inherit the Zhao Clan, and I, Zhao Youqian will be assisting you!… HAHAHAHA, what a good father, what a good father, he has been planning it since the very start, he treated you like his precious son, while I am nothing but a subordinate to him, and now he's assigning me to serve you too!" Zhao Youqian yelled .

Zhao Youqian could not accept it . So what if Zhao Manyan had joined the national team and came in first in the World College Tournament? His contributions to the Zhao Clan were more than ten Zhao Manyans could have done! However, his father was so naive to think that Zhao Manyan was the hope of the Zhao Clan just because of a single achievement, and now he had to serve his useless younger brother like a pet…

"That's father's decision . Did you seriously think I'm going to compete with you after he passed away? I'll focus on my magic, and you can manage the business . Why does it have to come down to this? Father is still alive, but you just could not wait to get your hands on me!" Zhao Manyan took a deep breath after seeing how twisted Zhao Youqian was .

"Just because he's still alive… right before he dies, I will tell him in person that I've killed his precious son, to get my revenge for treating me like a dog for so many years!" Zhao Youqian could not have cared less .

"If that's the case, how could you possibly send assassins after me right after he has fallen ill? I bet you hired them long ago, and just waited until the old man fell ill?" Zhao Manyan asked .

"That's correct! You know what kind of person our father is, I needed to have a backup plan at all times . Don't hate me, you should understand who's even more inhumane!"

"I forgive you, you are my brother after all . "

"I didn't want to do this, either . "

"Take care of mother," Zhao Manyan said . It was meaningless to struggle further, since he did not see even the slightest hint of hesitation in Zhao Youqian's eyes .

Zhao Youqian had really changed . The man felt like a complete stranger to him .

"I will . She won't suspect me for it, she trusts me . " Zhao Youqian signaled the assassins .

The light protecting Zhao Manyan slowly dissipated, placing him in despair .

He could only stand there . If there was any regret, it was the fact that he could no longer go on adventures around the world with Mo Fan, and achieve higher levels of magic .

If only he had time to pick up all the chicks he liked…

Zhao Manyan had no idea why such a ridiculous thought would cross his mind right before his death . Perhaps he had also learned to face every wave with a smile after spending so much time around that man…

"Do it!"

The two assassins were incredibly strong . They might even be Super Mages, judging from their shocking auras . Even without the poison restraining him, Zhao Manyan would have difficulty resisting the pressure of their murderous auras .

Zhao Manyan closed his eyes . As death approached, he did not notice the glow of the wooden clapper in his soul, as if the thing had awakened from a deep slumber!

A loud roar was heard, rising from Venice's coastline and the bay . The whole city trembled under it . The roar was extremely terrifying at night!

A black island suddenly rose on the ocean . Huge waves splashed and reached the clouds, before sweeping in all directions like a tsunami!

"Holy crap, what's that?"

"It's…it's the island…"

Thousands of people in Venice watched the waves rolling toward them . Mages flew into the sky as the sirens went off, followed by a purple light shining down upon the city!

The shadow of the enormous island loomed over the city, blocking the moon and the stars . The city of Venice was like a little toy building in front of the island . It felt like it would be destroyed fairly easily…

Mo Fan was in the area facing the ocean . He stared at the fleshy body of the creature that had been previously submerged in the sea . The shock he experienced was the same as his first encounter with the Black Totem Snake!

"It's…it's…it's the creature that has been following us!" Mo Fan recognized it .

An island…

A creature that disguised itself as an island…

The mysterious, enormous creature that once showed up in Japan, but had never revealed itself to them!

It had swum all the way to the Mediterranean, and stopped here in Venice!

It was actually following them!

Chapter 1148: 1148

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

The bay a few kilometers away from the island was affected by the waves . The waves rolled onto the bay and dragged the paralyzed Zhao Manyan into the ocean .

The two assassins did not expect something like that to happen . They quickly cast defensive spells to prevent themselves from being knocked away by the strong tide .

"Where did he go?"

"He was dragged into the water, I'll go get him!"

The female assassin glanced after Zhao Manyan and immediately turned into a shadow bird, chasing after Zhao Manyan, who was being dragged further away by the strong backwash .

"What…what the hell is that!?" Zhao Youqian stood on ground now under seawater . He pointed at an island quickly approaching the bay in disbelief!

The island was huge! The sight of it approaching the bay so quickly was horrifying!

"I…I have no idea, why is such a creature in Venice's territorial waters!?" The male assassin's eyes widened . Even someone as experienced as he had never seen such a gigantic beast before .

A great cruise liner was heading toward Venice's harbor . It managed to halt when the huge waves came past, and did not flip over .

There were around a thousand people on the cruise liner . They were totally clueless about what just happened . A few Mages went up on the deck to investigate the matter .

To their shocked surprise, a huge mountain happened to pass by . The difference in sizes between the mountain and the cruise liner was like an infant and an adult man . The people who were watching from the city were amazed by the difference in size .

The Seagull was the biggest cruise liner in Venice . Its symbol of a seagull was visible from a great distance away, yet it was extremely tiny compared to the gigantic Island Beast!

When the people thought the creature was going to flip the Seagull over, it simply swam past it and headed for the long bay!

"Zhao Manyan…" Mo Fan suddenly recalled that Zhao Manyan was still at the bay!

The sea monster had already swum a few kilometers into the distance, yet its body was still very clear . It did not become smaller because of the distance .

Mo Fan collected his thoughts and quickly turned into a shadow bird, sprinting across the surface of the water in the darkness…

He was moving at his quickest speed, yet he still needed some time to reach the bay . However, the distance was only a few steps to the Gigantic Island Beast!

—

Out on the bay shore, the assassin realized that the Gigantic Island Beast was coming right at them . He quickly grabbed his client, Zhao Youqian, and sprinted to the other end of the bay .

The Gigantic Island Beast still did not reveal its true appearance . The darkness had shrouded its figure . The people could only see a giant silhouette that was like nothing they had seen before .

Its body slammed into the seawall and snapped it in half . The structure collapsed and fell into the water .

Zhao Youqian's face was filled with disbelief when he felt the whole place about to sink from the impact .

With a deafening roar, the Gigantic Island Beast suddenly opened its mouth .

With a single bite, it drank down hundreds of tons of seawater . The water that was almost the capacity of a reservoir was gone .

"Crap!" the male assassin exclaimed .

That area was where the female assassin and Zhao Manyan were . They were like two planktons swept into a whale's mouth without any resistance .

"Why did it have to swallow there!?" Zhao Youqian blurted out .

The gigantic Island Beast swallowed both the humans and water down . It had no intention of staying any further . It sank into the ocean, only leaving its massive backbone above the surface…

It looked like a moving island was slowly sinking into the ocean . The gigantic beast that had shocked Venice finally submerged into the water . Its black silhouette soon disappeared into the horizon .

The male assassin and Zhao Youqian were left speechless as they watched the gargantuan Island Beast leaving .

-Did…did the creature eat them both?-

Was it a coincidence? The Gigantic Island Beast happened to be drinking water here, and sucked both the female assassin and Zhao Manyan into its stomach .

"Should we go after it?" Zhao Youqian asked, but he realized how dumb it sounded as soon as he said it .

The male assassin immediately snapped coldly, "A creature of that level is the highest even among the Ruler-level creatures . Even if our Assassin Palace was to send everyone, there's no way we could fight against it . My partner has died, and your target won't live, either . Just pay the remaining sum; I'll be taking her pay, too!"

Zhao Youqian was startled . The man was still thinking about money after what just happened .

He did see the beast eat Zhao Manyan with his own eyes . There was no way Zhao Manyan could have survived that . However, for some reason, he was feeling uneasy . Why did the creature appear out of nowhere when he was about to end Zhao Manyan's life? Were the authorities in Venice and the Shoreline Alliance useless? How were they not aware of a creature that could easily endanger the city?

"I'll pay you in full," Zhao Youqian agreed .

The male assassin was a Super Mage, while the female assassin was a talented Advanced Mage . Zhao Youqian had spent a fortune just to hire them . If he knew the gigantic beast would do him the favor, why would he have bothered spending the money to hire the assassin?

—

The area close to the seawall was like a little town . Now that the seawall had been destroyed, the area was drowned in seawater .

The Mages in Venice finally showed up . They all had dark faces when they saw the seawall had been destroyed .

Venice was the famous City of Canals, hence it had Super Mages stationed in the city . However, none of them could react before the Gigantic Island Beast left .

The whole city was overwhelmed by fear; no one knew that a gigantic beast that could destroy the entire city was so close to them!

If the gigantic Island Beast was hostile to humans, Venice would have sunk into the ocean in an instant!

It was a relief that the beast was not hostile to them, or perhaps it simply disregarded their existence . The Seagull was the perfect example . However, the people still did not understand . Why would the beast hide itself here? What was it after?

—

Mo Fan did not find Zhao Manyan . He even asked the Shoreline Alliance, the advisors, and the team to search for him, yet they could not find him anywhere, not even his corpse…

At dawn, the Shoreline Alliance finally found a person who had witnessed two people being swallowed by the gigantic creature .

Mo Fan was downhearted at the words . If that was really the case, Mo Fan really had no clue what he was supposed to do .

"Mo Fan, did you know what that thing was?"

"You said that it has been following us since Japan . Was that true?"

Even Mo Fan was unable to answer the questions .

The only thing he knew was, the gigantic Island Beast was the reason that Miyata had died . It was there at Japan's Xixiong City, and Miyata spent a night on it, assuming it was just an island, but it somehow disappeared the next day .

Mo Fan caught a glimpse of it on the train, too . He was supposed to have a clear view of the sea, yet he saw a gray island .

Later, at the Twin Guardian Towers, the defensive mechanisms of the place had sensed the beast's existence . It was then that Mo Fan speculated that the creature was following them .

After that, they went to South America, the whole Pacific Ocean apart . Mo Fan felt that it was unrealistic for the creature to keep following them…

Little did he know, the creature had actually followed them . Not only did it cross the vast Pacific Ocean, it even crossed the Atlantic Ocean into the Mediterranean Sea!

Mo Fan had no idea how the creature ended up in the Mediterranean Sea . Either way, the creature was following them, without them knowing it!

"Why did it show up?" Mo Fan was still confused by the question .

There must be a reason that the creature was following them, but it had decided to show up at this time, as if it was going right at Zhao Manyan, and swallowed him!

Mo Fan had a feeling that it was not as simple as Zhao Manyan being eaten . The creature was comparable to the Black Totem Snake . If it wanted to harm them, it would have done so back in Japan…

—

Left with no choice, Mo Fan could only ask the Clearsky Hunter Agency for help . Surprisingly, Old Bao promised to investigate it personally after learning about it .

Mo Fan knew Old Bao was an authority who had retired from some powerful organization . If he had to involve himself, it must be something extremely important .

"Old Bao, what exactly is that creature? I don't think there are a lot of creatures of that size in this world? There must be some records of it, right?" Mo Fan asked on the phone .

"There are actually lots of huge creatures in this world, especially in the ocean . Even the strongest Mages have no clue what kind of creatures are lying twenty thousand feet down in the ocean . I need some time to do some research on what the creature is . Don't panic . If that kid is dead, his body would be found on the spot . That creature could have killed him with a single breath . If his corpse isn't there, he should be fine . He will be back once the mysterious creature is closer to land…" Old Bao told him .

Mo Fan's face twisted . "What do you mean by that? I guess I'll have to visit Hangzhou . "

"Either way, there's nothing you can do about it . Even if you ask the Black Totem Snake for help, he won't be able to find the creature, either . The Black Totem Snake won't dare to venture deep into the ocean . The sea isn't as simple as you think!" Old Bao reminded Mo Fan so he would not act on impulse .

The Black Totem Snake might live in water, but he was not a creature of the sea . The Gigantic Island Beast had already left, meaning that there was nothing the Black Totem Snake could do . It was unnecessary to bring the Black Totem Snake to a foreign country, resulting in great panic .

Venice was already ashamed of what had happened . The people were extremely worried, too . If the Black Totem Snake appeared again, it was likely that Forbidden Mages would show up!

Things would be very complicated if Forbidden Mages showed up . It was unnecessary to stir any more trouble!

Chapter 1149: 1149

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

—

"I will treat what you told me seriously . I've already sent someone to Japan's Xixiong City . Stop worrying about it, it doesn't help anyway . You should prepare yourself to visit the Parthenon Temple for the Blessing of the God's Seal . It's very useful to you," Old Bao admonished Mo Fan .

"I just feel like he's still alive," Mo Fan said in a serious voice .

"I guess that is possible . As you said, the creature could have wiped out the team in Japan if it wanted . It doesn't make any sense for it to wait until now," Old Bao said .

"Old Bao, I'll leave it to you," Mo Fan said .

"It's been years since I was last on a case . I'll give you a satisfying explanation, considering that you won the tournament for our country," Old Bao said .

Old Bao would not come out of retirement easily . He always stayed in his house no matter what happened, so Mo Fan was actually quite surprised that he was going to investigate this personally .

Since Old Bao had already said this, Mo Fan had no choice but to leave the matter aside .

The great Island Beast had shown up very suddenly . When Mo Fan finally realized the creature had swallowed Zhao Manyan, it was already too late to act, even if he used the Demon Element . He could only let Old Bao investigate the creature and locate it .

—

The prize for the winner of the tournament was the Blessing of the God's Seal .

The Chinese team headed to Greece . The initial plan was that they would receive the Blessing of the God's Seal in front of the believers during the ceremony where the Parthenon Temple would elect its Goddess . However, it turned out that the election had yet to conclude, meaning that the Goddess would only be elected some time later . As a result, the Hall Mother would be giving them the Blessing of the God's Seal instead .

Mo Fan had missed Xinxia . He finally had an excuse to visit the Parthenon Temple and see how she was doing .

For some reason, Mo Fan had a strong feeling that Xinxia was troubled by something .

Currently, there were three Saintesses . Panijia had the highest number of supporters, Asha'ruiya had the most loyal supporters, and Xinxia had a limited number of supporters, but was said to have a formidable background .

Mo Fan had been suspicious of this for quite some time . It was obvious that someone had promoted Xinxia to her current position . The Hall Mother seemed to be responsible for it, but somehow Mo Fan felt like the situation was much more complicated…

——

After arriving at the Parthenon Temple, the Chinese team reached the Ten Thousand Stairs of the sacred mountain under Feng Li and Pang Lai's lead, and arrived at the Hall of Faith .

Countless people would visit the Hall of Faith to be blessed every day . Many people were willing to throw away money recklessly in exchange for the Blessings from the Hall of the Goddess .

A Blessing from a Probationary Servant could prevent an infant from falling sick or having any infections for ten years . However, it was unlikely that the people of the Hall of the Goddess could give every person Blessings . As such, they only chose from the most sincere believers and those with the highest contributions .

Believers were willing to spend years donating lots of money just for a Blessing . Meanwhile, the Blessing of the God's Seal was the strongest spell of the Blessing Element . Money could not represent its value .

"Why can't we wait until the Goddess is elected? It's not like we are in a rush . I heard the Blessing of the God's Seal from the Goddess is better," Jiang Shaoxu asked in confusion .

"It's possible that the election is having some problems, so they won't be able to decide who the Goddess is any time soon . The Hall Mother isn't bad; her Blessing Element is the strongest below the Goddess . Her Blessing of the God's Seal is quite reliable too . It will at least multiply the base potency of your magic by 1 . 4 times, or even 1 . 5 times if you have a good foundation," Pang Lai explained .

"It's my first time coming to the sacred mountain . Doesn't the Parthenon Temple forbid people from flying? If we take the Ten Thousand Stairs, won't it take us more than an hour to reach the top?" Jiang Yu said .

"Yeah, that's just how it is . Even though we aren't believers, it's still important for us to be respectful considering the favor we are receiving . Let's take our time; we can enjoy the scenery in the meantime," Pang Lai replied firmly .

The sacred mountain was verdant and lush, with a pleasant scent of flowers lingering in the air . Each time they reached the other side of the mountain, they would see flowers and trees covering the land into the distance . Colorful petals were dancing in the wind, as beautiful as a painting, while the pleasant scent assailed the nostrils . It was indeed a paradise in the mundane world .

"What's that? It's beautiful!" Jiang Shaoxu exclaimed when she saw a cliff with a gap in the middle .

The cliff had a bridge leading to another faintly blue mountain . Between them, a swing like something that out of a fairy tale was hanging in the air . It was thrilling and attractive, and looked very magical .

"On top of the cliff is Saintess Asha'ruiya's palace . It's part of the Hall of the Goddess . We aren't allowed to go up there," Pang Lai informed her .

Mo Fan looked up the cliff and saw the top of a white structure poking out from the green canopy .

Xinxia had told him that every person above the rank of a Muse would have their own abode . The palace that was built between cliffs, with a direct passage to the Hall of the Goddess, was most likely the highest structure on the sacred mountain . Not only would someone see the sea of flowers and trees from up there, they could also see the entirety of the spectacular Citadel of Athens!

—

The Ten Thousand Stairs reached as far as the Hall of Knights . Non-authorized personnel were not allowed to go any further . The magic Formation protecting the place was extremely powerful . Even the slightest touch would turn a person into dust scattered in the air . The only way up was the Starry Mountain Path!

"If you come here on the seventh of September, you will feel like the path is going straight up into the sky, as if a path has been opened to the stars and connected with this Starry Mountain Path . It's the most spectacular sight in this world, but unfortunately, not every person is allowed to come here," Pang Lai informed them, glancing at the Starry Mountain Path leading up to the top of the mountain

"Old Pang, why would you know that if you didn't come here often?" Feng Li turned around and asked with a smile .

"It's been a long time since I last came here…" Pang Lai glanced at the Starry Mountain Path with a hint of sorrow .

"Why aren't there any guards here?" Mo Fan asked after observing the area .

Pang Lai seemed very familiar with the Parthenon Temple . He explained, "This Starry Mountain Path is the only way to the Mountain of the Goddess . The rest of the places are filled with forbidding magic Formations . Those Formations will kill every person that isn't baptized . No one can break through the ancient magic Formations of the sacred mountain, so this Starry Mountain Path is the only way up . "

Pang Lai pointed at the white arc-shaped entrance of the Starry Mountain Path and at a similar arc-shaped entrance at the top of the mountain and added, "But if there's an intruder, this Starry Mountain Path will shut itself, preventing anyone from entering the mountain . If someone is on the Starry Mountain Path, the two arc-shaped entrances will activate a powerful magic Formation, trapping the person on the path… do you see those statues? There are four guardian statues with Chaos Magic who can suppress a person's cultivation to the Advanced Level, or even below the Advanced Level, allowing the statues to easily subdue them . "

"Suppress? Does it work against every Mage?" Mo Fan had to ask .

"Apart from Forbidden Mages, all other Mages will be suppressed by it, and the stronger they are, the stronger the suppression will be . " Pang Lai glanced at the four guardian statues and continued, "On the other hand, the guardian statues are as strong as Great Ruler-level creatures while they are inside the magic formation . Think about it: if a Super Mage only had strength like yours, and has to face the four guardian statues, wouldn't the statues be able to subdue them with ease?"

"Pang Lai, why are you so familiar with it? Did you try going to the top before?" Feng Li inquired .

"Exactly! In the past, Izisha was unwilling to see me in person, so I had no choice but to take the challenge . Despite having four Elements at the Super Level, they were all suppressed to the Advanced Level . I ended up being seriously injured by the statues, and it took me more than three months to recover . My cultivation dropped too," Pang Lai replied honestly .

"Master, even you with four Elements in the Super level weren't able to defeat the four statues?"

"Yeah, the suppression is simply too strong . It's why even a strong Mage would have trouble making it to the top," Pang Lai said .

"The Parthenon Temple is pretty merciful to still allow you to come here," Feng Li chuckled .

"I took the challenge fair and square . The Parthenon Temple has always had a rule . Apparently, in the ancient times, a soldier foresaw that the Tyrant Titans were plotting an act of revenge . The soldier requested to meet the Goddess in person, but the Hall of Knights rejected his request . In the end, the Tyrant Titans did come, resulting in great loss to the Parthenon Temple . Since then, a wise authority constructed the Starry Mountain Path, allowing courageous warriors to take the challenge in order to meet the Goddess in person . Those that make it to the top are allowed to see the Goddess, or any person in the Mountain of the Goddess . Many people are unaware of the rule . It was Wen Tai who told me about it…" Pang Lai said .

"You dared to take the challenge? You were pretty bold back then," Feng Li exclaimed .

"Chief, what about people that are still in the Advanced Level? Will they be suppressed too?" Mo Fan asked .

"The suppression applied to those that are already in the Advanced Level is weaker," Pang Lai answered .

"Does that mean we have a better chance to make it to the top?" Jiang Yu smiled .

Pang Lai glared at him and snapped, "Better chance my ass! Even though the strength of a Super Mage is suppressed, they are allowed to use Super Spells still, but the power of their spells will be weakened significantly! I had four Elements at the Super Level, and a Domain for each of those Elements! I can also draw a Star Constellation with a single thought, and my mental strength has also reached the advanced stage! On top of it, I have a full set of magic Equipment too! Even all of you teaming up isn't necessarily enough to beat me with my strength suppressed back then, and yet I didn't even see the last statue!"

Everyone was dumbfounded by Pang Lai's words .

On second thought, it did sound reasonable . Even though Pang Lai was suppressed to the Advanced Level, he was still a Super Mage with four Elements at the Super Level . His comprehension of magic, mental strength, magic equipment, and Domains completely outmatched theirs .

"With your current strength, you won't be able to defeat the first statue, let alone reaching the top . Do you have any idea what the consequences are? In less serious cases, you will only lose part of your cultivation, but there's a chance that your Spiritual World will be shattered, meaning that you won't be able to use magic anymore!" Pang Lai harrumphed coldly .

"Ugh… I was just saying, hehe…" Jiang Yu laughed nervously…

Chapter 1150: 1150

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

The team reached the Mountain of the Goddess, but the Hall of Knights did not let them enter the area of the Hall of the Goddess . Only knights on patrol and the members of the Hall of the Goddess were allowed to enter the Hall of the Goddess . No one else was permitted to go inside . The men on the team were fairly disappointed . They were thinking about seeing long dresses swaying inside the luxurious hall…

"This is Sir Haylon," Feng Li introduced a man .

Haylon was wearing purple-golden armor, in an ancient Greek style . He stood at the top of the stairs in an imposing manner .

All knights save those on duty were present at the square in front of the Hall of Knights . They strictly followed the orders given and lined up in a triangular formation .

Haylon was briefing the knights . He did not pay any attention to the members of the Chinese team .

The knights had different ranks: Blue-Star Knights, Silver-Moon Knights, Golden-Sun Knights, and Purple-Galaxy Knights .

The Purple-Galaxy Knights were the Hall Masters . The Hall of Knights had a Hall Master and three Vice Hall Masters . The rest of the knights were made up of Golden-Sun Knights, Silver-Moon Knights, and Blue-Star Knights .

Hall Master Haylon was speaking in Greek, so the team had no idea what he was saying . They had no choice but to stand to the side patiently . Haylon's aura was imposing, and his tone was heavy . Not only did the knights not dare to make a single sound, even the Chinese team had to lower their voices significantly .

"This Haylon must be the strongest Mage on the sacred mountain?" Mo Fan half-whispered .

"More or less . The previous Hall Master was a Forbidden Mage, but he retired, and Haylon is his successor . I believe he has a chance of becoming a Forbidden Mage," Pang Lai confirmed .

"Teacher, who would win if you were to fight Haylon now?" Jiang Yu could not help but ask .

Pang Lai was one of the strongest Mages in China, and Haylon was one of the strongest Mages in Greece . As such, Mo Fan was interested in knowing the answer too .

"Without the Blessings of the Hall of Knights, I guess the odds are four to six . Four for me, six for him, but with the Blessings, the chance of me winning is less than a tenth," Pang Lai calculated .

"…he's that strong!?" Jiang Yu exclaimed .

In Jiang Yu's eyes, his master Pang Lai was the strongest Mage he knew of . Only a few Maged in the world were comparable to him, yet this square-faced Haylon was stronger than his master?

Haylon finished his speech . He cast a side glance at the Chinese team that had been waiting for some time .

Feng Li went up to the man and said, "Sir Haylon, we are the national team of China . We are here to receive the Blessing of the God's Seal from the Hall Mother . "

Haylon did not even look at Feng Li . He glanced at Pang Lai and said with a disdainful grin, "You still have the guts to come?"

"Why couldn't I? I am the chief advisor of the national team, and my students have defeated the Greek team too . It's a great honor for us," Pang Lai retorted without mercy .

Haylon harrumphed coldly . He turned around, flinging his cloak, which was embroidered with flashy diamonds, and headed for the hall .

"Haylon, we are here to receive the Blessing of the God's Seal, yet you've left us on the side for so long, and now are about to leave without saying anything . What does that even mean?" Pang Lai inquired .

"Do you seriously think I, a Hall Master, am in charge of such lowly matters?" Haylon answered, and continued on his way .

Not long after, a Golden-Sun Knight came over and introduced himself with a stiff expression .

"I am Haziel . I will bring you to the place," the Golden-Sun Knight said .

Pang Lai was the chief of the Chinese Royal Guards . In terms of ranks, his role was actually equivalent to the Hall Mother of the Parthenon Temple . Haylon, the Hall Master of the Hall of Knights, was actually a level lower . However, it was quite obvious that Haylon had no respect for Pang Lai . Not only was he unwilling to receive the Chinese team, he even summoned a Golden-Sun Knight to receive them instead of a Vice Hall Master .

Although the Golden-Sun Knight was a Super Mage, his rank was still a few levels lower than Pang Lai's, let alone the difference between their strength . They were both Super Mages, but Pang Lai already had four of his Elements at the Super Level, but the Golden-Sun Knight only had two Elements in the Super Level at most .

"Aren't they overdoing it?" Feng Li frowned . He was not happy with how arrogant the people of the Parthenon Temple were .

The Parthenon Temple's influence might surpass that of the Magic Associations of the Five Continents, but it was still an independent organization . To think how stuck-up they were…

"They have always been like this . They even do the same thing to the people of the Sacred Hall of Liberty and Saint Paul Church . Besides, I once beat the crap out of Haylon when he was younger, so it's understandable that he doesn't like me," Pang Lai chuckled .

"Mister, I don't think it's inappropriate to defame our Hall Master," the Golden-Sun Knight Haziel interjected . The man was quite young . He had achieved the Super Level in his thirties . He sure had a bright future ahead .

However, such talent was rather common in the Parthenon Temple .

"Defame? HAHAHA, young man, I dare you to ask your Hall Master Haylon if he once lost to me! You can also check the records of the Magic Association to verify my claim!" Pang Lai burst out laughing .

"May I ask for your name?" the Golden-Sun Knight said .

"Chinese Royal Guard, Pang Lai!"

"Oh, oh… so you're Pang Lai!" The Golden-Sun Knight now recalled the rumors that the Hall Master Haylon did lose to someone in a duel when he was younger . It explained why the Hall Master was in such a bad temper .

However, the duel took place when the two were still young . It was like an adult MMA fighter mentioning the fight he once lost against a kid from the next class . The Golden-Sun Knight was clearly trying to defend the Hall Master . He added, "But I bet you don't dare to challenge him to a duel now, am I right?"

"If I was to fight him, a huge chunk of your citadel would be razed to the ground," Pang Lai replied indifferently .

"Our citadel has the best evacuation procedures . If a battle between Super Mages does take place, we can escort the people to the safe zones and the bunkers underground in the shortest time possible . There won't be any casualties," the Golden-Sun Knight Haziel declared .

"HAHAHA! Sure, go ahead and challenge your Hall Master on behalf of me, and see if he dares accept it," Pang Lai responded .

The Golden-Sun Knight immediately shut his mouth .

The Magic Association had strictly forbidden any Super Mages from dueling one another . As such, Mages were only allowed to challenge one another to a duel before the Super Level .

Haylon had lost to Pang Lai before the Super Level, meaning that he could not get revenge for the rest of his life . The Hall of Knights also strictly forbade the knights from accepting any challenges, apart from protecting the people of the Hall of the Goddess .

—

The Golden-Sun Knight arranged the team a place to stay in the Hall of Knights, and told them they were not allowed to go anywhere on their own .

"When will the Hall Mother give them the Blessing of the God's Seal?" Feng Li asked .

"The Hall Mother has been busy lately . You will have to be patient . I don't have an exact time for you yet," Haziel said .

Haziel did not leave the place . He waited on standby at the entrance, preventing anyone from leaving .

The team was intrigued at first, but bored quickly .

They were not allowed to visit other places, or walk around . It was no different than being placed on a house arrest . They initially thought they could enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Mountain of the Goddess and see the gorgeous women of the Hall of the Goddess, yet it felt like they had been imprisoned instead .

—

Two days later, Pang Lai was starting to feel impatient after not receiving any news from the Hall Mother .

He was a busy man . He did not have the time to waste just waiting here with the team!

A Vice Hall Master named Cass finally came when Pang Lai lost his temper, saying that he would pay the Hall Mother visit at once .

—

That night, Mo Fan went to the garden at the back of the place the team was arranged to stay at .

They were allowed to move around in the garden . Mo Fan moved to the edge and glanced at the other side of the mountain that was covered in flowers .

Some time later, Mo Fan noticed a slim figure pushing her wheelchair as she approached Mo Fan .

The garden that Mo Fan was staying at was very close to the flowery mountain Xinxia was staying at . Mo Fan could easily reach it with a leap, but he knew that the place was enclosed by a Formation . The boundary between the Hall of Knights and the Hall of the Goddess was impassable!

"Seriously, trying to see you in person is like carrying on a clandestine love affair in the royal palace during ancient times . There are so many rules here!" Mo Fan grumbled .

However, he was immediately in a better mood after seeing Xinxia . For some reason, Mo Fan felt that Xinxia had grown skinnier . Her previously chubby face had lost its shine .

"It's because the election is still going on . Brother Mo Fan, I will ask to leave this place after the election comes to an end," Xinxia told him .

"You're leaving?" Mo Fan was astounded .

Xinxia initially planned to join the Hall of the Goddess so she could learn the best Healing Magic and Blessing Spells . She was extremely kind, and was willing to visit places to aid people . Mo Fan thought she would want to stay here for a longer time .

"Mmm, I prefer going back to our country . There are lots of things I can do there too," Xinxia said .

"Right, you've learned quite a lot here . It's better to go back, considering how many restrictions there are here . We can stay together and do as many shameless acts as we please!," Mo Fan agreed readily .

"I have to go . Otherwise, the Golden-Sun Knight who's in charge of my safety is going to find out what we're doing . I only told him I came here for a walk, and that I wouldn't leave the Hall of the Goddess in order to stop him from following . I am not allowed to see any outsiders during this period," Xinxia said .

"It's not like the election has anything to do with you . Forget it, it won't be long anyway . Let's go back to the Magic City after it all comes to an end," Mo Fan sighed .

Mo Fan did not continue the topic .

As he was about to leave, a Silver-Moon Knight rushed over to him . He saw Xinxia leaving and immediately recognized her as the Saintess in a wheelchair . He snapped furiously, "Please don't go anywhere without permission! Otherwise, we will treat you as an enemy, and don't you dare offend the sacred Saintesses!"

Mo Fan looked at the young Silver-Moon Knight and was suddenly lost for words . Why did he feel like the people of the Parthenon Temple were suffering from second-year middle-school syndrome?

"Is there any problem? I was just taking a stroll after dinner . I didn't cross the boundary," Mo Fan was lazy to waste his time on the Silver-Moon Knight . It was clearly a waste of time to be reasonable with these people .

These knights had been brainwashed by the idea of superiority and inferiority, just like ancient times . It was very uncommon in modern society . That being said, the ideas that the Parthenon Temple was promoting were none of his business .