"Bang!!!"
Another icy explosion erupted. The frigid blast instantly froze Lu Nian into a block of ice.
Even with his defensive armor and enchanted tools, Lu Nian barely clung to life.
Yet the chilling energy continued to invade his body, rapidly draining his vitality.
Mu Nianbing didn't rush to end him. Instead, he calmly removed the space ring from Lu Nian's hand.
This was, after all, a military command center. There had to be plenty of valuable items inside.
"Who... who are you?!" Lu Nian gasped, trying to reach out, but his body no longer obeyed him.
Mu Nianbing formed a black ice spike in his palm, leaned close to Lu Nian's ear, and whispered three quiet words.
Then—without hesitation—he drove the spike straight through Lu Nian's heart.
"Mu... Nianbing…" Lu Nian's eyes widened in shock. He finally recognized the name—Lu Zhenghe had mentioned him before.
A heartbeat later, his head tilted lifelessly, and all sound left his body.
With Lu Nian dead, Mu Nianbing turned to the fallen giant lizard pseudo-dragon.
The faint glow of a powerful spirit essence flickered within its corpse. His lips curved into a rare smile.
A Commander-level spirit essence!
"Finally… my luck's turning around. I'm rich again."
He chuckled softly. Judging by the contents of Lu Nian's space ring, the total value of his haul would probably exceed ten billion.
"Maybe I can even afford a young dragon..."
Still, he knew that the Cangming Jiao's bloodline was purer than most sub-dragons.
Purchasing an inferior one would be pointless—and a high-bloodline sub-dragon cub would cost a fortune.
"Forget it. Better to get a Galaxy Magical Weapon first."
He still lacked one. For a high-level mage, a Galaxy Weapon was essential—only with it could his Ice Element cultivation reach new heights.
After securing the spirit essence, Mu Nianbing efficiently harvested valuable materials from the pseudo-dragon's body.
His past missions with Lingling had taught him well how to collect monster components.
When he returned to the others, Zhao Manyan hurried forward. "Brother Bing, what happened out there?"
"I took care of both the giant lizard pseudo-dragon and Lu Nian," Mu Nianbing replied evenly. "Now, let's focus on finding the others. If we can't, we'll withdraw."
Everyone understood the implication. Anyone they hadn't found by now was either dead, hiding, or devoured.
Xu Zhaoting frowned. "What about Mo Fan? I saw a dozen military mages chasing him…"
Zhao Manyan nodded. "Yeah, I don't think Mo Fan's dead. He's too stubborn for that."
Mu Nianbing thought for a moment, then said, "We'll search for him. If he's still fighting, we'll decide what to do then."
He knew the truth—Mo Fan wouldn't die so easily.
As the Black Vatican's experimental subject for the Demon Element, his last resort would be to activate the Blood Spirit.
If he hadn't done so yet, Mu Nianbing could still save him. But if he had already turned into a demon… then retreat was the only option.
After Bai Tingting finished treating Shen Mingxiao and Luo Song—both barely alive—Mu Nianbing gestured for everyone to mount the Cangming Jiao.
"Don't waste time. Get on."
He sat between Mu Ningxue and Mu Nujiao again, and the Cangming Jiao soared into the skies toward the ruins of the lizard tribe.
Before long, they spotted movement below—a monstrous, werewolf-like figure rampaging among the rubble.
"Demonized form?!" Mu Nianbing's eyes narrowed.
Could Mo Fan have been forced to use the Blood Spirit after all?
Xu Zhaoting's voice trembled. "That... that thing looks like Mo Fan!"
"This is the new system Lu Nian was researching," Mu Nianbing replied.
Zhao Manyan's face went pale. "You mean—that really is Mo Fan?"
"It's complicated," Mu Nianbing said, eyes sharp. "We'll talk later. Right now, we need to move—fast."
He could sense Mo Fan's demonic instincts focusing on them. The Cangming Jiao's energy had likely drawn his attention.
The demonized Mo Fan roared and charged toward them like a cannonball.
Mu Nianbing immediately raised a massive Ice Wall.
"Bang!!!"
The Ice Walls shattered one after another. The shockwave sent Mo Fan tumbling from the sky, crashing into the earth below.
Yet when he rose again, there was a faint trace of rationality in his crimson eyes.
He didn't attack. Instead, he turned and sped toward the remnants of the lizard tribe—seeking essence to recover his mind.
Zhao Manyan exhaled shakily. "Can he… really come back from that?"
Mu Nianbing's tone was calm. "Don't worry. Mo Fan's tougher than anyone I've ever met."
When the survivors finally returned to the Imperial Capital, Mu Nianbing was the first to report the incident to Dean Xiao.
He had no intention of speaking to Dean Songhe—that old man had been in league with Lu Nian all along.
Of all the Mingzhu Academy students, only Shen Mingxiao and Luo Song had been seriously injured; the rest survived unscathed.
The Imperial Capital Academy, however, suffered heavy losses. Lu Zhenghe and Mingcong were dead, while Jingjing and Zhao Mingyue remained missing.
With so many casualties among prominent families, the entire academy was in turmoil.
The Tribunal summoned Mu Nianbing for questioning, but only as a witness.
As a high-level mage, his composure made the investigation brief and uneventful.
Afterward, he had no desire to visit the Imperial Capital Academy again. The so-called "Number One Academy in China" only left a bad taste in his mouth.
When he returned to the Mu Family Villa, the first person he saw in the living room was Mu Zhuoyun.
"Nianbing, this time… if it weren't for you, and if anything had happened to Xiaoxue…" Mu Zhuoyun's voice trembled slightly, still shaken by what could have been.
"Uncle Yun, it was my duty," Mu Nianbing said with a faint smile. "Where's Xue'er?"
"She's in her room—last door down the corridor on the second floor."
"Thank you."
Mu Nianbing climbed the stairs and gently knocked on the door.
"Xue'er, it's me. Open up."
A few seconds later, the door creaked open.
Mu Ningxue stood there, dressed casually, her silver hair flowing softly over her shoulders.
Her slender legs, wrapped in white stockings, stood out strikingly against the dim light of the room.
...
Author's Note:
Versatile Mage: Heir of the Frozen Throne — Part 1 is now fully completed and available on my Patreon!
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1.Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
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4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
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