After separating from Mo Fan, Mu Nianbing and Lin Yuxin quickly rushed toward the residential area.
Not long after, they encountered two One-Eyed Demon Wolves. Before Lin Yuxin could even react, both wolves were frozen into solid ice sculptures by Mu Nianbing.
"Mu Nianbing, are you really a senior high school student?" Lin Yuxin couldn't help but ask, her eyes wide in disbelief.
The strength Mu Nianbing displayed was no weaker than that of an experienced mid-level mage.
"Who else would I be?" Mu Nianbing replied calmly.
After the disaster, he no longer saw any need to hide his strength.
Just then, a dozen strange black shadows flashed across the street behind them. In a narrow alley nearby, several figures cloaked in black robes were lurking.
Under one of the hoods, a twisted, sinister face appeared — Mu Yuang, Mu Nianbing's so-called dearest friend.
"Mu Nianbing… could it be that the Holy Spring is in his hands?" Mu Yuang's eyes gleamed with malice.
This was his last chance to make amends. If he failed to retrieve the Holy Spring, the Black Vatican would punish him mercilessly.
At the mere thought of their cruel tortures, Mu Yuang shuddered.
I must get the Holy Spring!
"Master Priest, the Holy Spring is very likely in his possession," Mu Yuang reported, bowing respectfully to the higher-ranked black-robed priest beside him.
The priest gave Mu Nianbing a cold glance and said, "If it isn't, then you can prepare to suffer instead."
Mu Yuang's neck shrank back in fear. He hated Mu Nianbing even more now.
If it weren't for Mu Nianbing taking away his cultivation resources, he might have been strong enough to surpass even Mo Fan by now.
The priest gestured to his men. "I'll deal with that one. You handle the other girl."
Suddenly, Mu Nianbing felt a chill crawl up his spine. He turned sharply.
A dozen pitch-black monsters were charging down the street toward them!
In an instant, Mu Nianbing traced the Ice Element Star Path.
A wave of frigid air burst from his body, spreading outward like a storm. The entire street was soon covered in thick frost.
The charging beasts froze mid-run, locked in place like grotesque statues of ice.
Lin Yuxin gasped as she recognized them. "Be careful! Those are the Black Vatican's shadow beasts!"
A dark voice sneered from behind them.
"Not bad ice magic… but still far inferior to my flames."
A massive fireball streaked through the air.
Intermediate Fire Magic — Fiery Fist: Fierce Fist!
Flames erupted in all directions, the heat searing their faces.
"Mysterious Ice Mirror!" Mu Nianbing's expression didn't waver.
A massive wall of thick, crystal-blue ice rose before him, two meters high, blocking the flames completely.
Since advancing to the intermediate level, Mu Nianbing's control over ice magic had reached near-perfect precision—on par with many high-level mages.
The black-robed priest's eyes widened.
This power… could he have a natural talent?
The murderous intent in his gaze deepened.
Meanwhile, Mu Yuang and two gray-robed cultists lunged at Lin Yuxin. She was only a beginner mage, barely managing to summon a Water Barrier to defend herself.
"Mysterious Ice Art — Ice Lock, Ice Chain!"
Mu Nianbing's eyes flashed icy blue. An ice chain shot out like lightning, piercing straight through a gray-robed cultist's chest in an instant.
"How dare you ignore me!"
The black-robed priest roared, his body blazing like a demon of fire.
Fiery Fist — Earthly Evil!
He slammed his flaming fist into the ground, sending waves of molten heat racing beneath the surface.
A moment later, the entire street exploded in flames, engulfing Mu Nianbing's position.
Lin Yuxin froze in horror, forgetting to maintain her spell.
"Good opportunity!"
One of the remaining cultists grinned and whipped his Thunder Seal toward her.
Without armor or artifacts, a beginner mage struck by that attack would be severely injured—if not killed.
But just before the Thunder Seal landed, an ice chain shot up from beneath the cultist's feet, impaling him from below.
It didn't pierce all the way through, but it was enough to leave him writhing in agony before he finally died.
Mu Nianbing emerged from the flames, frost still clinging to his clothes.
If it weren't for the Demonic Meteorite Boots gifted by Teacher Tang Yue, he would have been badly burned.
Both the black-robed priest and Mu Yuang stared at him in disbelief.
"It must be that old man Mu Zhuoyun's high-tier magic gear!"
Mu Yuang's voice trembled with resentment — hatred for both Mu Zhuoyun and Mu Nianbing alike.
Mu Nianbing's eyes turned sharp as blades, locking on the priest.
The priest shuddered. What else is this monster hiding…?
"Dimensional Summoning!"
Mu Nianbing quickly connected another Star Path — this one glowing with a soft, moon-white light.
A swirling dimensional gate appeared in midair, its edges humming with energy.
A moment later, a massive dragon — seven or eight meters long, covered in dark blue scales — burst through the gate with a thunderous roar.
Cangming Jiao!
The beast's aura froze the air around it. It possessed both water and ice attributes — and its bloodline was incredibly powerful.
Mu Nianbing recalled his only visit to the Summoning Plane — no tools, no guidance, and by sheer chance he had landed in the middle of the sea.
There, he had encountered and bonded with this dragon-like creature, blessed by the Ice God itself.
"Summoning System?!"
The priest's voice cracked in disbelief.
Not only was Mu Nianbing a natural ice talent — he had also awakened the Summoning Element!
Mu Yuang's heart filled with dread. When their strengths were close, he had felt jealousy.
Now, with such an overwhelming difference, he felt only fear.
Cangming Jiao roared, its massive tail whipping through the air. It opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of freezing water straight at the priest.
The priest's low-grade artifact was useless. He couldn't block the assault.
The moment the water struck, Mu Nianbing raised his hand.
"Ice Vines — Third Level!"
Dozens of ice tendrils erupted from the ground, coiling around the priest. On their own, they might not have been enough to restrain a mid-level fire mage —
but combined with Cangming Jiao's freezing torrent, they solidified instantly, forming an enormous ice pillar over two meters thick.
From within, there was no escape. Unless one's fire cultivation had reached the high level, breaking free was impossible.
"...Master Priest?" Mu Yuang's voice quivered. He stared at the frozen pillar, horror written all over his face.
He didn't even have time to run.
...
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