Three days after my victory over Yu An, I was finally taken to the holy spring. At the last moment, my dear teacher Tang Yue gave me a couple of magic scrolls for lightning and fire elements, which were supposed to help me create a mid-level spell. Thank you, Teacher Tang Yue!
The holy spring turned out to be completely different from what I had expected. Instead of a hot spring where I could cultivate, I found myself in a stone hall with an altar and a large reservoir. The water was icy, and I couldn't immerse myself in it. However, the energy of this place permeated me even when I hadn't opened my spiritual paths! My main goal in visiting this spring was to break through to the mid-level of magic. I could already feel that my stars and stardust of both elements were ready for a breakthrough; only a little more was needed.
Of course, I surpassed almost all mages my age. Even Yu An, with the support of the Mu clan, could only dream of the mid-level. He still needed to cultivate for at least half a year before breaking through! I, on the other hand, was ready to do it right now, but since I had a week, it was better to first prepare the stars thoroughly for the breakthrough and then make it.
However, even despite my current level, the breakthrough needed to be made as soon as possible, as the institute I wanted to enter was very prestigious. Jiaxing Yun, my adopted brother, had talked about it the other day. My father found him on the street when I was seven; it turned out we were the same age. Only his parents were hunters and abandoned him while going on another mission, after which they never returned. My father couldn't turn him away, so he started living with us. There's not much to say about him; he's an ordinary quiet, kind guy, slightly secretive and cowardly. Although during practice, he seemed more like a reckless warrior! Who would rush into the jaws of a monster, push you away, and order another to drag you into a cave? I also planned to lure the wolf into a cave, but his actions were quite strange, no matter how you looked at it. Besides, he followed us after that, why? Was he worried? Then why did he send us there?
There was another incident with him, on the very first day of our studies at the magic school, when we were awakening our magic. When it was my turn, Xu Zhaoting awakened lightning in the neighboring class, so no one saw that I had awakened it myself, except him and Jiaxing Yun. He deliberately stayed in the classroom and saw me awaken lightning, even giving me a thumbs-up. Later, when everyone returned, I also awakened fire along with lightning. The only one who knew about it was Jiaxing Yun. I immediately came up with a plan to get back at the Mu clan for the humiliation, but because he knew about my two elements, it was dangerous. Of course, he was my brother, and I trusted him, but who knew? However, when I was about to ask him to keep the information about my elements under wraps, he agreed, and most importantly, didn't reveal it! So now I trust him completely, but I should still be careful with him; something tells me so.
So, about the institute, I wanted to enter Minzhu, which is in Shanghai. Jiaxing Yun decided to enter there too, but the selection process is very strict, so he decided to wait a year and then enter. Of course, he's only a second-stage wind mage, but I thought about his words; for guaranteed admission, I need to break through to the mid-level.
After some time spent at the spring, thanks to my talisman, which allowed me to cultivate around the clock, I was ready to break through to the mid-level, but just before the process began, an earthquake started! The walls vibrated violently. I opened my eyes and went to the door, which was open! How could it have ended so quickly? It couldn't be! I still have time!
Peeking out, I saw the walls covered in blood, the corpses of the guards lying on the floor, and in the center of the room stood a creature resembling a one-eyed rat, only much larger and uglier! It was a blood-eyed rat! It tossed the captain of the guards, a mid-level mage, aside like a sack of sand! A cute girl wanted to run to him, but the captain shook his head, pointed to the door, and shouted with his last breath: "Close the gate!" The girl obeyed him and rushed towards me, slipping past me, she pulled a lever hidden behind the stones, and the door began to close. At the last moment, the rat tried to break through to the spring but couldn't, hitting the closed door and leaving a small dent.
"What happened? What's going on outside?" I immediately asked the girl, having recovered slightly from what I saw.
"If you want to live, follow me," she said sternly, heading towards the altar in the center of the room. "My name is Lin Yuxin, I am the deputy commander of the holy spring guards. The city has been attacked by monsters, there is complete chaos in the streets, and our goal is to preserve the holy spring." She quickly blurted out, pressing some buttons on the altar.
"Wait, the city has been attacked? How are we going to defend it if we're locked in this completely sealed room and aren't strong mages?" I bombarded her with questions, starting to worry greatly about my father, Jiaxing Xia, and Jiaxing Yun. Although he's a second-stage wind mage, in a city full of monsters, he wouldn't be able to escape them for long without proper preparation! At that moment, all the water gradually disappeared from the room, not a drop remained!
"Yes, they attacked. We need to ensure the safety of the contents of the holy spring. There is another tunnel here; it leads to the mountain behind Tian Lan School," said Lin Yuxin, approaching the top of the altar, moving aside the leather chairs and taking a bottle of holy spring from underneath them.
"To Tian Lan School? Wait, I'm not going to help you; I have to save my family!" I said confidently, shaking my head.
"Yes, exactly there. One of the guards found a fake holy spring in the tunnels dug by the monsters, which is very tempting for monsters. It's likely that this monster attack is not a mere coincidence; someone wants to seize the spring for their own purposes. I think it's the Black Church," said Lin Yuxin, descending the steps that had formed in place of the water, heading towards the tunnel leading out of the room. Having no other choice, I followed her. "I need you to protect the spring. Most likely, the church people know that I will have it and will be looking for me. I will give it to you to deceive them. You just need to deliver it to a safe place and survive the catastrophe!"
"Wait, but I didn't agree to help you!" I almost shouted at her. How could she not hear what another person was saying, just a few steps away? "I need to save my family! My father, sister, and brother!"
"I understand you perfectly; my father is also in the city, but the spring is more important. Even if my mother and sister hadn't left for Xi'an a few days ago, I would have given my all to protect the spring; it cannot fall into their hands! For the sake of your loved ones too. If they survive, and the Black Church gets the spring, they will cause an even greater tragedy!" said Lin Yuxin, walking through the tunnel.
"Yes, but I'm not you!" I replied. "My loved ones are more important to me! Than the danger of a new tragedy!"
"Do you even realize that I'm risking more than you? The Black Church will hunt me! And I have a sister who would be very upset if I died! Yes, she could have died herself if her boyfriend, Jiaxing Yun, hadn't given her money for the trip to Xi'an, where she wanted to go so badly, as light mages are valued there!" Lin Yuxin continued to persuade me.
"Wait, Jiaxing Yun?" I asked, realizing it was my brother's name. "Have you seen him? He's a tall guy with pale skin and short black hair?"
"Yes, what about it?" Lin Yuxin stopped her speech. "Exactly like that, although I only saw him once at the train station."
"Damn, that's my brother," I exclaimed, laughing, although the time was quite uncertain.
"So, your brother saved my sister twice, so to speak," Lin Yuxin noted. "The first time a year ago, when the librarian of Ming Wei School died, and the second time now. Alright, don't argue, take the spring. I'll try to save him, your sister, and your father. What do they look like?"
"Father is an old man with gray hair, named Mo Jiaxingg, slightly shorter than me. Sister is Jiaxing Xia, she can't walk on her own, very beautiful, with long black hair," I said, taking the spring from her hands. "But I still didn't agree to help!"
"Sigh, you've already taken the spring; you have no other choice!" she replied, opening the door leading out of the tunnel.
As soon as we emerged, a huge wolf with wings flew overhead. It exuded incredible power; compared to it, the one-eyed rats and wolves, and even the blood-eyed rat, were mere small fry! The sight of this creature alone made my legs buckle!
"Who is that!" I asked, watching the wolf's figure head towards the city center.
"That's a commander-level winged ash wolf. The only person in the entire city who can defeat it is Zhang Kong. I hope so," she replied, also watching the monster with her gaze. "Now run, get to a safe place!"
"Wait, but..." I couldn't say anything before she interrupted me.
"Don't worry about your family; save the spring, and I'll try to take care of them. I won't let the relatives of the person who saved my sister die!" Lin Yuxin said confidently and seriously. "Run to the school; perhaps Jiaxing Yun is there. I'll try to find your sister and father." As she said this, the growling of monsters could be heard. "Run faster, I'll distract them as much as I can, but don't expect too much!" Lin Yuxin said, pushing me towards the school and heading towards the sounds of the monsters.
There was no time to think, so I rushed to Tian Lan School. At the last moment, I saw trees breaking from the bodies of monsters! Could this girl survive their attacks? But I had no time to think about it; I was heading to the school. Firstly, Jiaxing Yun is most likely there. Secondly, there are plenty of mages, with whom I can evacuate to a safe place. Even now, having almost broken through to the mid-level, I wouldn't be able to deal with the monsters on my path as easily as I would like, and given the current situation, they are unlikely to be walking alone.
Tucking the bottle with the spring into my shirt pocket, I felt my talisman vibrate. It was already reacting to the spring, but at that time, I managed to stop it, but now I didn't have time! The talisman drank the entire spring in a fraction of a second and, making a sound like a burp, calmly hung on my neck! What am I supposed to do now? Ah, well, the main thing is to save myself and my loved ones; now no one will take the spring!
Upon reaching the school, I headed towards the elite class premises; all the students of the class were supposed to gather there in case of an emergency. On the way there, I ran into my former homeroom teacher, Xue Musheng. When he saw me, he suddenly cheered up and then said:
"Mo Fan, how did you get here?"
"I escaped from the holy spring chamber and ended up near the school. Have you seen Jiaxing Yun or Xiao Hou? We need to evacuate urgently; the deputy guard of the spring told me this is just the beginning," I quickly replied.
"No, I haven't seen either Jiaxing Yun or Xiao Hou. We are already organizing an evacuation; perhaps he's in the classroom," the teacher said, heading towards the classroom. I quickly followed him. Entering the classroom, I quickly looked around, searching for Jiaxing Yun and Zhang Xiaohou, who should have been here, but I only found Xiao Hou.
"Fan-ge! It's good that you came!" Xiao Hou said when I approached him.
"Have you seen Jiaxing Yun?" I immediately asked him.
"No, sorry, no one has seen him for a couple of days," Xiao Hou replied. Damn, where could he be that no one has seen him for a couple of days? He's probably in the city. Lin Yuxin saw him at the train station a couple of days ago, seeing off her sister. It's unlikely he left anywhere after that, but where did he go then?
"This should be left to the teachers, but with so many one-eyed wolves, we need help..." Meanwhile, Xue Musheng began to speak, gathering Xu Zhaoting, Mu Bai, Zhou Ming, Wang Ping, and a few other strong students. Xiao Hou and I also approached them. "We need a vanguard unit... Unfortunately, most of the vanguard will be students. The vanguard unit will go ahead to protect those in the rear. After we pass the area, the remaining 2000 will proceed as we show them. You are among the strongest in the school; some of you are not inferior in strength even to the teachers. Therefore, I hope you will join the front line to help everyone get to the shelter," the teacher finished with a sorrowful look, staring intently at everyone present.
"I'll join, teacher," Zhou Ming was the first to agree, raising her hand.
"I'll join too," Xu Zhaoting raised his hand next; he was very serious and confident when he did so. Wang Ping reluctantly followed him. "Teacher, have you seen Jiaxing Yun? He could also help us," Zhaoting added.
"Unfortunately, no," Xue Musheng remarked dryly. "I hope he's okay and we'll meet him on the way to the shelter or in the shelter itself."
"I'll join too," Mu Bai stepped forward confidently, followed by Kun San, a rather unpleasant type, although for the last year or two he stopped bothering me, which is interesting why? I thought that despite my successes, he would still constantly mock me, but even if he started, Jiaxing Yun could easily shut him up by saying a few words.
"Fan-ge, what are we going to do?" asked Xiao Hou, standing nearby.
"I'll join the vanguard; it's much more dangerous in the rear..."