Versatile Mage

Chapter 3131: The Bright Blood King

MO Fan was good at managing time.

He had told his superiors that he was going to the Dark Plane with Asha’ruiya.

However, there was a time limit.

If he stayed on the Dark Plane for too long, he would be punished when he returned.

MO Fan knew the Darkness Creatures well. They were just a bunch of undead monsters that held hostility and bitterness toward outsiders or anything alive.

If they handled things the way Asha’ruiya did, it would take a lot of time. Dealing with the higher-ups was easy, but it was different with the lower-level creatures. There were many of them, and they were troublesome. If MO Fan and Asha’ruiya had not taught those creatures a lesson, they would never have made it through all the palaces on the Dark Plane.

Their journey went smoothly after that.

The creatures on the Dark Plane likely had their own unique way of talking to each other.

Either way, it was nice that no more annoying creatures were bothering them.

“I actually miss the old days when I was in the World College Tournament…” MO Fan said as he casually rested his hands behind his head.

He looked just like a young and bright cowherd who had diligently created a large pasture. He walked around leisurely and reminisced about those carefree days spent herding cattle on the hills.

“Yeah. The journey of getting stronger is enjoyable, especially when we overcome our challenges. Looking back at that moment does bring me a bit of pride.” Asha’ruiya nodded.

She missed her days in the mortal world too.

However, to avoid being controlled, she opted for a path that led to an irreversible abyss.

While they reminisced, the palaces around them changed. The vines and plants on the walls were replaced with beautiful and vibrant Bright Blood Flowers.

It was as if numerous artists had carved the flowers onto the walls day and night. After much effort, they transformed into an incredibly magnificent and beautiful mural of flowers. Flowers extended endlessly along the riverbanks, which resembled the shores of a mythical underworld where souls were guided.

Right then, the pendant around MO Fan’s neck began to glow with a strong desire. Its trembling suggested that it might break free from its chain and rush toward the floral palaces.

“Take it easy, Little Loach. You’re acting like the time you saw an elephant for the first time.” MO Fan quickly tried to calm it.

Little Loach had been quiet for a while ever since the battle in Holy City.

Hence, it was unusual for it to react with such excitement.

It seemed that those unique Bright Blood Flowers had provided it with quite the boost!

“One flower represents one life. Do you know what they are?” Asha’ruiya said.

“I don’t know, but they definitely have something to do with souls,” MO Fan replied.

“What’s the fundamental nature of Black Magic?” Asha’ruiya asked.

“Borrowing,” MO Fan answered.

“Yes. If you borrow power, you have to give it back. These flowers are people from over thousands of years who used Black Magic in the mortal world. But the Bright Blood King turned them into specimens because they couldn’t repay the soul energy they borrowed. It’ll take a hundred years for them to dry out completely, and only then will their souls disappear into the earth and sky,” Asha’ruiya explained.

“What exactly is the Bright Blood King?” MO Fan asked.

“Well, if this is anything like a home loan, then there has to be debt collectors. You’re a genius when it comes to magic. You’ve kept Black Magic under your control and even mastered the Demon Element. But not everyone is as talented as you. Many can’t repay their debts and end up draining their lives and souls. They’ll try anything to escape, and that’s when debt collectors from the Dark Plane step in. You know about Kongsi’s story. She’s the most famous debtor, who ultimately brought eternal curses upon her country,” Asha’ruiya explained.

“You’re right. Hahaha.” Suddenly, elegant laughter echoed from deep within the palace.

Following that, the vibrant Bright Blood Flowers started blooming and swaying. It felt as if a king had just spoken, and his followers below were clapping and echoing each other’s sentiments continuously. Their organized and disciplined reaction was eerie.

“Kongsi was the first person I made a deal with when I arrived in the mortal world. I dislike her, so I don’t like other humans either!” The individual who was laughing moments ago abruptly let out a strange shriek!

MO Fan was taken aback, and he used his divine sense to peer into the depths of the floral palace. He was trying to see the mysterious figure who was talking to them from afar. However, he saw a pair of eyes opening up like bloody wings!

These eyes seemed to belong to a king who had disdain for everything, like vengeful demons from the abyss. They were so full of hatred that the whole world could not contain them!

“Your Majesty.” Asha’ruiya bowed slightly to show her respect.

“Six Wings, where do you plan to take this special guest?” The Bright Blood King’s voice sounded far away. It was as though it was coming from a palace atop a distant mountain.

“My foster father wants to meet him,” Asha’ruiya replied. “What’s your name?” the Bright Blood King asked.

“Mo Fan.”

“I’ve heard about you. You’re currently responsible for maintaining some order in the mortal world. Give me a reason to welcome you into my world, or else I might consider giving your country a ‘gift,”‘ said the Bright Blood King.

“Throughout history, there has been prejudice against Black Magic in the mortal world. But based on what I’ve learned from contracts, Black Magic has always been the fairest. Even the Dark King, who governs dark rules, operates fairly. Kongsi betrayed her promise, so she and her country paid the price. I’m a Black Mage as well. I think Elemental Magic, White Magic, and Summoning Magic focus on inheritance. This means that ordinary mages in the mortal world will face unfairness. They can’t afford the expensive Star Essence or access high-level Soul Seeds or gain the favor of skilled masters. But you and Black Magic are different. In Black Magic, the demands and the price have always been consistent. It treats all mages equally and provides ordinary mages with many chances to succeed,” MO Fan set aside his usual lackadaisical demeanor and spoke earnestly to the Bright Blood King.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” The Bright Blood King’s tone softened noticeably.

“It’s not just a compliment. I also have some influence in the mortal world. At least in my country, I work to reduce the prejudice that families of magic practitioners hold against Black Magic. In addition, I allow newly awakened mages to learn about Black Magic earlier. You know, there are many people in my country. This way, you’ll have more offerings from Black Mages,” MO Fan explained.

“That sounds promising. This reason alone is enough for me to welcome you in person,” the Bright Blood King said.

After that, the Bright Blood Flowers transformed into numerous floating spirits that looked like migrating divine butterflies and birds. They swirled around gracefully and formed a charming figure.

It was as huge as a celestial goddess. It looked particularly majestic and solemn within the “stomach wall” palace, where the ceiling was so high that it could not be seen.

The figure made of Bright Blood Flowers approached MO Fan step by step. As it neared, its size gradually went from grand to ordinary. It started to resemble a human but not entirely. The Bright Blood Flowers then transformed into a garment that draped over its cold and slender body.

For a moment, the Bright Blood King seemed like a sacred and untouchable celestial being to MO Fan. The king was extraordinary and beyond reach. However, the king exuded a noble aura of darkness, coldness, and decay instead of divine.

MO Fan was surprised.

It turned out that the Bright Blood King was a female!

Kongsi’s story had left a deep impression on MO Fan.

She had offended a powerful being capable of cursing a country for thousands of years. And this being was standing before him. The consequences of saying the wrong thing would likely be dire!

“Tell me how you intend to make your country more open to Black Magic?” the Bright Blood King spoke in her actual voice. This allowed MO Fan to confirm that she was indeed female.

He could not see the king’s face, so he could not gauge her emotions. He could only be as sincere as possible.

“It’s not just up to me. We discussed it with some Forbidden Mages leaders and realized that sticking to old traditions won’t help us reclaim the coastal territories. They are constantly being taken from us, and with the intrusion of the Kunlun Demons, our safe borders are shrinking. Faced with threats from all sides, we hope to introduce Black Magic to students of magic as early as in high school,” MO Fan explained.

He was not making things up.

This was the result of a discussion with various magic associations and leaders in the country.

The nation needed more powerful mages to handle potential threats.

Although MO Fan was a top mage, he could only stabilize the situation for a while. No matter how strong he was, he could not defend a coastline that stretched over twenty thousand kilometers or deal with the even harder-to-quantify threats from the Kunlun Demons himself.

Magic education required some changes.

In the future, the mages in the country would learn Fusion Magic in high school.

Therefore, they needed to introduce Black Magic as soon as possible. It had the weakest rejection reaction with other magic. This made it the best choice for students who were trying Fusion Magic for the first time.

While Black Magic was not compatible with White Magic, it blended seamlessly with Elemental Magic. It could also produce erosion elements with abilities akin to Soul Seeds, such as Erosion Lightning, Erosion Fire, Erosion Wind, Erosion Water, Erosion Earth, and Erosion Ice.

The combination of the Lightning Element and Fire Element was too violent.

Letting young student mages use it would lead to severe consequences.

However, the combination of Black Magic and Elemental Magic would not cause catastrophic damage even if it failed.

MO Fan was not lying to the Bright Blood King. He was representing the mortal world for a discussion with the Dark King.

MO Fan approved of the Bright Blood King as the Dark King. Talking to her was the right move.

At this moment, MO Fan’s main concern was how much it would cost.

He did not want the young mages of his country to pay too much to learn Black Magic in advance.

So, he needed to talk to the Dark King, who collected debts, and ensure that the price of using Black Magic was reduced for everyone!

“Do you think the price is too high?” the Bright Blood King asked.

“Yes. Our country believes in the concept of ‘many drops make a shower.’ The offerings may be small, but we have a large population. If the number of Black Mages suddenly increases by the millions, the offerings you receive will definitely be far more than those you get through a one-on-one approach. It’s pointless to have a lot of Black Magic power if you can’t lend it out. Besides, you may encounter people like Kongsi, who refuse to repay and don’t care about their credibility, from time to time,” MO Fan explained.

The Bright Blood King shifted her gaze to Asha’ruiya and seriously asked, “Are there a lot of people in his country?”

“They take up about one-fifth of the population in the mortal world,” Asha’ruiya answered truthfully.

“One-fifth?! But aren’t there hundreds of countries in the mortal world?” The Bright Blood King was astonished by the proportion!

How many mages would awaken every year?

“In my country, very few people awaken to Black Magic. Perhaps, not even one out of a thousand people awaken to it,” MO Fan explained.

He had experienced the awakening process. It seemed that no one had awakened to Black Magic back when he was in high school.

The conditions for awakening Black Magic were actually quite strict.

Firstly, the chances of someone awakening to Black Magic as the first type of element were low.

Secondly, there were very few materials that could trigger this awakening.

Even if someone tried to awaken to it in a specific way, they would likely fail.

It was not because Black Magic was rare but because certain powerful families in other countries had control over the materials needed for its awakening. As such, it was hard tor others to obtain them.

That was why MO Fan had to venture into the Dark Plane and head straight to the source.

He had to find better-quality Awakening Stones and guiding mediums for his country’s mages. He, of course, wanted to negotiate the price too.

“I’m not responsible for providing guidance in awakening,” said the Bright Blood King.

“That’s fine. I’ll discuss this matter with other Dark Kings later. As for the price, if we have many mages with Black Magic as their first type of element, could you adjust the price you collect?” MO Fan suggested.

“This is worth considering.” The Bright Blood King nodded.

“While we continue, could I visit your palace for a glass of wine or something?” MO Fan patted the Bright Blood King on the shoulder.

Asha’ruiya’s face immediately turned pale with fear.

She had expected the Bright Blood King to send MO Fan back to the mortal world with the Reincarnation Art. But to her amazement, the king smiled. It was a rare sight. She looked happy to invite MO Fan as a guest to her palace.

The Bright Blood King and MO Fan walked together as they discussed their “big project.” Asha’ruiya, who trailed after, felt that they had become close friends.

“This guy…

“He used to be so arrogant. He would throw punches whenever he saw someone.

“I didn’t expect him to be so tactful.”

Asha’ruiya found the situation funny. She felt like she was playing the role of mediator between two big shots who were attempting to negotiate a significant collaboration!

No matter how powerful MO Fan was or how skillful he was at using the Forbidden Curse, he could not afford to offend a few Dark Kings on the Dark

Plane.

One of them was the Bright Blood King!

However, what MO Fan said earlier made sense.

Black Magic was not about getting lost, falling into corruption, or being deprived.. It was more like an unbreakable contract!