"Young man, our Parthenon Temple is renowned across the world. I'm sure you've heard of it," Glocken said, approaching Mu Nianbing with a friendly smile.
"It's alright," Mu Nianbing replied flatly, unimpressed.
Glocken's smile stiffened. Most people, upon hearing the name of the Parthenon Temple, would show admiration or reverence.
But this young man's casual tone made it seem as if the Temple were nothing worth mentioning.
"He's the most outstanding student of our institute—Mu Nianbing," the department head quickly interjected, clearly trying to smooth things over.
"He'll also serve as this year's National Team Captain."
"National Team Captain…"
The moment they heard that, Glocken and his companions exchanged glances, their attitudes shifting instantly.
Even though China's past national team had not performed particularly well, anyone chosen as its captain was definitely not an ordinary talent.
Even Dikaios, who had shown hostility earlier, began to take Mu Nianbing seriously.
"Mu Nianbing," said the department head earnestly, "the Parthenon Temple Academy is the dream of every healing mage. You must also consider Xin Xia's future, don't you?"
Mu Nianbing nodded slightly. Of course he understood. Ye Xinxia possessed the Divine Soul of the Parthenon, and it would be a waste not to study there.
As for safety? He wasn't worried in the slightest.
If it came down to it, with the Ancient King and millions of undead under his control, flattening the Parthenon Temple itself wouldn't be impossible.
Still, he didn't answer right away. Instead, he walked straight to Ye Xinxia and asked softly,
"Xin Xia, do you want to go to this academy?"
After a brief silence, he decided to leave the choice entirely to her.
If she wanted to stay, even if Hailong, the Hall Master of the Knight Hall, came personally, Mu Nianbing wouldn't let them take her away.
"Brother Nian," Ye Xinxia said, looking up at him with determination in her eyes, "I think I should go."
She understood better than anyone how vast the gap between her and Mu Nianbing had become.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch up by effort alone.
From the beginning, she had always relied on his strength, his protection.
And while he never asked for anything in return, she wanted—needed—to grow strong enough to stand beside him one day.
Joining the Parthenon Temple Academy was her best opportunity to make that happen.
"If you want to go, then go," Mu Nianbing said gently, reaching out to pinch her cheek with a smile.
"Don't feel pressured. I'll always support you from behind. But if anyone bullies you… you must tell me, okay?"
"Mm."
Ye Xinxia smiled sweetly, though the shimmer in her eyes betrayed her emotion.
Watching from the side, Glocken found himself quietly impressed.
Now he understood why this girl cherished Mu Nianbing so much. With that kind of strength and gentleness combined, any woman would.
After a few moments, Mu Nianbing turned toward Glocken.
"I agree to let Xin Xia attend your academy," he said evenly.
"But I have one condition. You must guarantee her safety. Otherwise—" his tone turned sharp, "I'll tear your Temple down."
The calmness in his voice made the threat sound even more chilling.
"Ridiculous!" Dikaios snapped, unable to contain his anger. "You? A mere Advanced Mage? Do you even know what you're saying?"
In the Parthenon Temple, Advanced Mages were ordinary. Even Super Mages were nothing special.
Mu Nianbing's lips curled into a faint smile, "Do you want to test whether my ice sword is sharp enough?"
A flash of silver gleamed in his eyes.
In the blink of an eye, Mu Nianbing disappeared—then reappeared behind Dikaios, pressing an ice-forged longsword against his neck.
The temperature plummeted. Dikaios froze in shock.
He hadn't even seen Mu Nianbing move.
For a Parthenon warrior of his level, being subdued so effortlessly by a "student" was humiliating beyond words.
Rage filled Dikaios's eyes as his pupils turned reddish-brown.
Grains of fine sand began to swirl around him, quickly condensing into a Sky Veil Armor that wrapped his entire body in dense, earthen protection—especially around the neck.
"You want to challenge me in elemental power?" Mu Nianbing sneered.
In the next instant, an overwhelming chill burst forth from his body.
The ground beneath them froze solid, and the air filled with the biting sound of cracking ice.
His Ice Seed possessed three additional effects—Ice Invasion, Ice Devour, and Frozen Domain—each deadly on its own.
Under the influence of his ice energy, Dikaios felt his magic draining rapidly, while the invasive cold began eating away at his very soul.
Gritting his teeth, Dikaios abandoned defense and counterattacked, conjuring several enormous Sand Cones that launched toward Mu Nianbing.
Mu Nianbing calmly raised his hand. A thick Ice Wall rose before him, shattering the sand projectiles to pieces.
Then he lifted his palm and pressed down.
"Ice Mountain: Descent."
A colossal block of frozen power crashed down toward Dikaios.
He tried to leap back, but his legs wouldn't move—already encased in layers of frost.
"Dikaios!" Glocken shouted, summoning countless Ghost Vines from the earth.
They surged upward, wrapping around Dikaios to shield him from the falling mountain of ice.
Even with Glocken's interference, the impact still sent shockwaves across the courtyard.
If Glocken hadn't intervened, Dikaios might have been crushed to death.
The onlookers were pale.
This level of power... was this really an Advanced Mage?
The Ice Mountain had been formed after Mu Nianbing absorbed Dikaios's own magic energy, and its strength exceeded that of a typical Advanced Tier 3 spell.
Even after the attack ended, Dikaios knelt on one knee, gasping, his armor cracked and his body trembling.
The lingering effects of Ice Invasion still gnawed at him, even resisting the healing magic Glocken tried to cast.
At Glocken's repeated pleas, Mu Nianbing finally relented and withdrew the ice energy from Dikaios's body.
"This time, Dikaios acted offensively," Glocken said, bowing slightly.
"But please rest assured, I will personally ensure that Miss Ye Xinxia is kept safe. The Parthenon Temple will not allow her to suffer any harm."
He spoke sincerely now.
Mu Nianbing's strength had exceeded all expectations. Even Dikaios—a Parthenon combat envoy—was completely outmatched.
It seemed that in the upcoming World School Tournament, China had a very real chance of winning the championship.
Glocken wanted to take Ye Xinxia back immediately to begin preparations, but Mu Nianbing refused.
"Come back in a week," he said firmly.
Glocken hesitated, but after what had just happened, he didn't dare argue.
After the Parthenon delegation left, Mu Nianbing returned to his apartment with Ye Xinxia.
They knew they wouldn't see each other for a long time.
The thought made their farewell all the more emotional—so much so that Ye Xinxia took the initiative for once, completely forgetting about Mu Ningxue's presence.
When Mu Ningxue walked in mid-training and caught them together, the atmosphere instantly froze harder than any ice Mu Nianbing could conjure.
...
Author's Note:
Versatile Mage: Heir of the Frozen Throne — Part 1 & 2 is now fully completed with 150+ chapters and available on my Patreon!
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
🔥 I also have additional **18+ fanfics** available for readers who enjoy exclusive mature stories. 😉
1. Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
6. Versatile Mage: Awakening the Succubus System
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you all for your support and love for this story 💙