Principal's Office.
"Repair the back mountain wall?"
Principal Zhu stared at Mu Nianbing, confused. "Why would you suddenly want to repair the wall?"
"That's right," Mu Nianbing replied earnestly. "The back mountain wall is too low. If demons appear, we won't be able to hold them off."
There were still six months left before the Bo City Disaster. As someone born in Bo City, Mu Nianbing naturally wanted to do what he could to minimize the coming tragedy.
With his current strength, he couldn't possibly fight against the Black Vatican, but preparing in advance and reducing future casualties was something within his reach.
"What you said isn't unreasonable," Principal Zhu admitted, "but why would demons suddenly appear? There's never been such a problem before."
Tianlan Magic High School had stood for many years without a single demon invasion. He found it difficult to understand why a student would suddenly bring this up.
"Principal, it's just a wall repair. It doesn't cost much," Mu Nianbing said seriously. "If necessary, I'll pay for it myself."
Seeing the young man's determination, Principal Zhu was moved.
"That won't be necessary. The school still has the funds. I'll make the arrangements soon."
After leaving the office, Mu Nianbing immediately called Zhan Kong.
The disaster in Bo City had happened so suddenly in the original timeline because there was a demon entrance hidden somewhere near the city.
Through that opening, countless monsters bypassed the Military Mages' defensive lines and poured straight into Bo City, leading to its fall within a single night.
If that entrance could be found and sealed—or at least monitored—countless lives could be saved.
"Why are you calling me now? Finally decided to join the army?"
Zhan Kong's voice came from the other end of the line, clearly surprised.
"There's a cave in Mingwen Girls' Middle School that might lead outside the city," Mu Nianbing said directly. "You should investigate it as soon as possible."
He didn't waste time with small talk. The more he beat around the bush, the more suspicious Zhan Kong would become.
"A cave leading outside the city?"
Zhan Kong's tone turned grave. As the commander of the Bo City Military District, he instantly understood how serious that could be.
After a long pause, he asked, "How do you know about this?"
"I accidentally discovered it when I visited Mingwen Girls' Middle School."
"Mingwen Girls' Middle School is an all-girls school. What were you doing there, kid?"
"Don't doubt my noble character with that tone," Mu Nianbing said calmly. "Can't I go pick someone up?"
In truth, he had often gone there to pick up Ye Xinxia after class.
After some back-and-forth, Zhan Kong decided to take it seriously.
Even if it turned out to be a false alarm, it was better to be cautious than regret it later. If it wasn't true, he could always deal with Mu Nianbing afterward.
"Sorry, Instructor Zhan Kong," Mu Nianbing thought to himself with a faint smirk, "but I'll have to trouble you to draw the Black Vatican's attention this time."
The Bo City Disaster had been the Black Vatican's large-scale rehearsal for the Ancient Capital Calamity.
If Zhan Kong began investigating the demon entrance, the Black Vatican would surely take notice.
Having him draw their attention was both strategic and just repayment for that earlier "training mission."
It was risky, yes—but if Zhan Kong succeeded, it would become a major military achievement.
"There are still six months left," Mu Nianbing murmured. "I'll awaken my new Element first."
He didn't plan to perform the awakening in Bo City. Instead, he traveled to Magic City.
In a city like that, Middle-level Mages as young as seventeen or eighteen weren't unheard of, though they were rare.
As Mu Nianbing stepped into the grand Magic Association Headquarters, the dense magical aura in the air instantly refreshed his spirit.
"As expected of the Magic Association," he said to himself with quiet admiration.
Not long after, a polite attendant in a cheongsam approached him with a professional smile.
"Is there anything I can assist you with, esteemed Mage?"
In this world, Mages held a status far above that of ordinary citizens. The stronger the Mage, the higher their standing.
"I have an appointment for a magic awakening," Mu Nianbing said.
"Of course. May I have your name, please?"
"Mu Nianbing."
The attendant searched through the records—and the moment his name appeared, her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Mu Nianbing… registered for a Middle-level Awakening?"
A young Middle-level Mage at his age?!
Could he be a genius trained by a major family?
And that surname—Mu.
Could he possibly be connected to the Mu Clan from the Imperial Capital?
The attendant immediately became even more respectful.
"Mr. Mu, this way please."
Mu Nianbing nodded lightly and followed her to the awakening room.
"Mr. Guo, there's a Mage here for awakening," the attendant announced.
Soon after, a middle-aged man with a calm demeanor walked out of the room.
"Are you Mu Nianbing?" the man asked.
"That's right," Mu Nianbing replied.
"To reach Middle-level at such a young age, your talent is extraordinary," the man said. "But why didn't you awaken in the Imperial Capital?"
The man was Guo Liyu, a respected Awakening Instructor. With Mu Nianbing's age, talent, and surname, he could only assume he was a direct descendant of the Imperial Mu Clan.
Mu Nianbing raised an eyebrow. He couldn't exactly tell the truth—that he was from Bo City's small branch of the Mu Family.
Even someone as experienced as Guo Liyu had likely never heard of that local branch.
"I'm just here to awaken," Mu Nianbing said calmly.
Guo Liyu didn't press further. He'd met plenty of heirs from powerful families, and many had proud temperaments.
"What Element do you wish to awaken?" Guo Liyu asked.
"Summoning Element."
Mu Nianbing had already made up his mind. Since he lacked the innate talent for dual Elements, he needed something rare and powerful for his second Element.
Among rare Elements, Summoning held the greatest potential.
It would also complement his current abilities well—his contracted spirit, Lei Yi, required no direct consumption of magic energy, only time to respond across planes.
If he had a contract space, things would be far more efficient.
Moreover, Lei Yi was already bound to his soul; summoning him again wouldn't even consume another contract slot.
"The Summoning Element, hmm?" Guo Liyu nodded approvingly. "A wise choice for your second Element. However, I can't guarantee the awakening will succeed."
"I understand."
Mu Nianbing smiled. With someone of Guo Liyu's level assisting, the odds were already much higher than usual.
Under Guo Liyu's direction, Mu Nianbing entered the sealed awakening chamber.
The instructor carefully placed a Pure Awakening Stone at the center, surrounding it with smaller Guiding Stones to stabilize the elemental flow.
Once the setup was complete, Guo Liyu quietly exited the room and sealed the door behind him.
Mu Nianbing placed his hand on the Awakening Stone.
Having experienced his first awakening before, he remained calm this time.
Naturally, the best outcome would be awakening the Summoning Element—but even if he failed, it wouldn't be the end of the world.
After all, with enough cultivation, any Element could become powerful.
There were no useless magic Elements—only useless Mages.