"Buzz~~~~!"
A violent tremor shook the Holy Spring, instantly waking Mu Nianbing from meditation.
He opened his eyes sharply and looked toward the sealed entrance.
The forbidden gate was slowly opening, and a woman in a white military uniform rushed inside.
Outside the door, the guards had already become mangled corpses. The thick, metallic scent of blood filled the air.
Mu Nianbing frowned slightly.
Hadn't the demon entrance already been cleared?
Even if the One-Eyed Demon Wolves had breached the city, it shouldn't have happened this fast. How could the guards have been wiped out without resistance?
Lin Yuxin didn't have time to grieve. She hurried to the control panel and slammed her hand on the emergency switch, forcing the gate to close.
Before it could shut completely, a massive rat-like creature covered in pulsating crimson veins lunged through the opening. Its claws were large enough to crush a boulder.
"Blood-Marked Giant Demon Rat!!" Mu Nianbing's pupils shrank.
This wasn't a lowly slave-level monster—it was a commander-level beast!
Could there be another demon entrance nearby?
The rat screeched, its bloody claws descending toward Lin Yuxin.
"Mysterious Ice—Ice Vine: Enclosure!"
A surge of chilling energy burst from behind Lin Yuxin. The freezing aura spread like a storm, instantly encasing the rat's claws—and the gate itself—in solid black ice.
Although it was only elementary magic, under the amplification of Black Ice, the spell's freezing power rivaled intermediate magic. Even a commander-level beast couldn't resist.
Lin Yuxin's eyes widened in disbelief.
"So strong…!"
Her voice trembled. It was the first time she had ever seen such a powerful display of ice magic.
To freeze a commander-level demon with elementary magic—this was something only a true monster of talent could accomplish.
Before she could recover, Mu Nianbing's calm voice sounded again.
"Mysterious Ice—Ice Lock: Frost Chains!"
From the ground, five thick chains of ice shot upward like serpents, coiling around the Blood-Marked Giant Rat. They twisted violently, wrapping around its limbs and neck.
Within seconds, the beast was completely restrained, unable to move even an inch.
Intermediate-level Ice Magic combined both control and offense. Under Mu Nianbing's mastery, its control strength was comparable to high-level plant spells.
Lin Yuxin stared blankly, her mind spinning.
"You've already broken through to the intermediate level? No— even if you did, it's impossible to master intermediate magic this quickly!"
Mu Nianbing didn't respond. His focus remained on the rat.
With a faint motion of his hand, the icy chains constricted further.
One wrapped tightly around the creature's neck, twisting until bones cracked. The others pierced into its vital points—the abdomen, jaw, and heart.
Moments later, the Blood-Marked Giant Rat fell silent, its enormous body frozen solid.
Mu Nianbing waved his hand, summoning a Soul Vessel to absorb the remnant energy from the beast's corpse.
He sighed softly. "What a pity… no Spirit Essence. That would've been worth quite a fortune."
From the corner, a familiar voice cursed softly.
"Damn! How could this guy be so freakishly strong?!"
Mo Fan had woken up from the commotion long ago but hadn't dared to interfere. With his current strength, stepping in would've only made things worse.
Now he understood why Mu Nianbing had said he could defeat Mu Yuang in a single move.
He wasn't exaggerating—he meant it.
Not only Mu Yuang—even he, Mo Fan, would be killed instantly if they fought.
A chill ran down his spine.
Thank goodness my opponent wasn't him.
Mu Nianbing reinforced the gate with another layer of thick ice before walking up to Lin Yuxin.
"What's the situation outside?"
Lin Yuxin took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
"The city is under a Crimson Alert. Commander Zhan Kong is leading a large force to hold off the Demon Wolf Army to buy time for evacuation. But… Bo City has nearly fallen."
Mu Nianbing's eyes narrowed. "So, it's already that bad…"
Still, if the evacuation had begun, at least some civilians could survive.
"Crimson Alert?" Mo Fan repeated, his face pale.
Once the city reached that level of emergency, survival outside the protected zones was almost impossible.
Lin Yuxin didn't waste words. She moved to the altar, retrieved a small bottle, and began collecting the shimmering liquid of the Holy Spring.
"We can't stay here. The area's already compromised," she said quickly.
Mu Nianbing patted Mo Fan on the shoulder. "Don't just stand there like a fool. Time to move."
Mo Fan nodded dumbly and followed them.
Under Lin Yuxin's lead, the three took a hidden passage beneath the building, emerging at the back mountain behind Tianlan High School.
The moment they stepped out, Mu Nianbing's gaze was drawn upward—to the enormous black silhouette looming atop the Silver Commerce Tower.
A gigantic Winged Wolf stood there, its body shrouded in dark mist. Its crimson eyes scanned the city like twin torches of death.
"The Holy Spring isn't safe with me," Lin Yuxin said, handing the small bottle to Mo Fan.
"Take it and get it to the Safe Zone. I'll draw the Black Vatican's attention."
Mo Fan froze, staring at the bottle in disbelief. "You're going to lure them away? Alone?"
Before Lin Yuxin could move, Mu Nianbing grabbed her wrist.
"Wait. I'm coming with you."
Lin Yuxin blinked. "You're going to the residential area? It's crawling with demons—what could you possibly—"
Mu Nianbing cut her off calmly. "Ye Xinxia is still at home. I have to get her out."
His voice carried quiet determination.
He had warned Xinxia beforehand not to leave home for several days, even alerting Mo Qing and her husband.
But only Xinxia had listened.
Now, he had to make sure she survived.
Mo Fan clenched his fists. "You… you're risking your life for her?"
He didn't know what to say. This wasn't the cold and distant Mu Nianbing he thought he knew.
"Alright," Lin Yuxin said finally. "We'll go to the residential area first. If we draw attention from the Black Vatican, it won't matter where we are."
Mo Fan walked up and punched Mu Nianbing's shoulder with a grin.
"Don't die, man. I haven't gotten my revenge on you yet."
Mu Nianbing laughed lightly. "You can dream about that."
"Damn you!"
Mo Fan rolled his eyes, but even he couldn't hide the faint smile tugging at his lips.
...
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