Just looking at the current growth rate, Mo Fan felt that by the time the National Government Competition began, he would be able to have at least close to three to four magic systems reach High Level, and possibly even five systems reach High Level.
At Zhao Manyan's family auction house.
"Zhao Manyan, what's that over there? It looks like it's within the transaction scrolls. Could it be that you sell Star Map Books here?" Mo Fan asked, feigning confusion.
The reason Mo Fan came here was, of course, because of Zhao Manyan's cousin, Chen Ying. She was the key person who could allow him to obtain the Flame Belle. If it weren't for this, why would Mo Fan need to come find Zhao Manyan? He could completely take Xin Xia directly to the Burning Plains.
"Oh, that's not selling scrolls; it's selling lottery tickets," Zhao Manyan explained.
"Why don't you buy a few tickets too? I'll ask them to give you a discount," Zhao Manyan continued.
"Alright, since I don't have a target for a contracted beast right now anyway," Mo Fan responded.
Since this was Zhao family property, Zhao Manyan naturally had some privileges. He quickly got Mo Fan a few confidential scrolls.
The confidential scrolls were exquisitely made. After all, they were for mages to consume, and most things mages consumed were luxury items. After all, ordinary people would rather spend tens of thousands on a famous bag than foolishly buy such speculative rumors.
Soon, after opening the useless scrolls, the news of a Flame Belle in Zhuo Yuan North Corner appeared before his eyes.
"Holy crap, this information is extremely valuable!" Before Mo Fan could even react, Zhao Manyan suddenly exclaimed.
"Get me more information about the Flame Belle," Mo Fan said.
"Alright."
News within the Hunter Mage circle spreads like wildfire daily. While most of these exchanges occur in the Hunter's Hall, certain special venues can also uncover valuable intelligence. Much like how news in the martial arts world often circulates in taverns and inns, Hunter Mages have their own gathering spots.
Zhao Manyan was quite knowledgeable about these matters. After spending nearly ten million of Mo Fan's money—which was all of his current assets—he quickly found all the information related to Yan Ji.
Mo Fan considered this ten million a lost cause anyway. With the Fire Calamity approaching and the Burning Plains being a treasure trove, Mo Fan certainly wouldn't return empty-handed if he went.
At the very least, finding and devouring more Fire Element spirit seeds would be beneficial for him!
After receiving the information, Mo Fan said, "I have nothing to do right now, so let's go."
"You're going just with this little information?" Zhao Manyan asked, somewhat surprised.
"There's no harm in going. Consider it a training experience..." Mo Fan replied.
"Don't even mention training to me," Zhao Manyan said with a dark expression.
"As a Mage, how can one not have a heart that loves to court death?" Mo Fan said earnestly.
Zhao Manyan was speechless. He looked at Mo Fan and said, "Brother, with just this much information, aren't you going to consider it?"
"Consider what? My money doesn't grow on trees."
"Can I not go??" Zhao Manyan thought for a moment and said.
"If you're not afraid of me blasting you into dust," Mo Fan said with a smile.
"Alright, I'll go."
Zhao Manyan truly didn't want to take risks, but who could blame him when the one calling him was Mo Fan? He was already High Level, so a little adventure in the Burning Plains shouldn't be too big of a problem.
The most important point was that despite Zhao Manyan's outwardly timid appearance, he actually enjoyed adventure and excitement deep down.
Perhaps this was a common ailment among rich, naive children.
"However, just the two of us definitely won't be enough. Let's find some more people, ones we can trust," Zhao Manyan said seriously.
Upon hearing this, Mo Fan thought, 'I brought you precisely so you could bring a key person!'
Then he nodded subtly and said, "Bring Lingling, and also Xin Xia, the Mind Element Mage. Hmm... Miss Mu also needs some training, and Zhang Xiaohou seems to have nothing to do."
He naturally didn't need their help for anything specific. To put it bluntly, he was just bringing them along for training. These people were genuinely reliable and wouldn't stand by idly when needed.
"No, you're planning to bring that little loli too??" Zhao Manyan hadn't interacted much with Lingling. Even with the Scaly-Skin Demon Mother, Mo Fan had dealt with it quickly.
So, he couldn't understand why one would bring a little loli to a place like the wilderness.
To charm the demon beasts?
"You don't know anything! Although Lingling can't use magic, her role is incredibly significant. She knows how to use her brain!" Mo Fan said.
Zhao Manyan didn't care. Since Mo Fan was strong and didn't mind the little loli being a hanger-on, what opinion could he possibly have?
After Mo Fan told them about the plan, they all agreed. Mu Ningjiao actually had some lingering fear from past training experiences, but she felt very safe going with Mo Fan. Moreover, since Mo Fan was already High Level, she naturally didn't want to fall too far behind.
Lingling spent about a few days thoroughly understanding the information about the Burning Plains. Then, they met at the Clearsky Hunter Agency. As expected, Zhao Manyan brought his cousin, Chen Ying. With everyone gathered, the group of seven set off for Dunhuang.
Upon arriving in Dunhuang, one could immediately feel the unique charm of this loess land, which truly broadened one's horizons.
Dunhuang was famous in their country, as it was the habitat for many ancient demon beasts, those with the purest lineage and longest history. It was also the most brilliant milestone of their country's Magic Civilization. Hunters always went there to search for the ancient civilization, and those that were lucky would discover a huge amount of artifacts or equipment...
Unfortunately, the Dunhuang region had long become the demon beasts' habitat, especially the infamous and savage Sand Tiger Horde.
In the south, the One-eyed Magic Wolves were described as savage, and posed a huge threat to mankind, yet they were relatively insignificant compared to the Sand Tiger Horde. The Demon Tiger species had always been domineering and barbarous...
The Burning Valley was located to the east of the Dunhuang region, in the barren sands of the Gobi Desert, where loess swept across the sky, not to mention the extreme heat and hot winds. Even Hunters in foreign countries knew about the place.
The Burning Valley was included in the Dunhuang region, and apart from Dunhuang City, which Mo Fan was familiar with, the Dunhuang region was a lot bigger, occupying almost half of the Gansu province. The Burning Valley was in fact located close to Gansu's Jiayuguan.
Mo Fan had limited geographical knowledge, yet he immediately came to an understanding when Jiayuguan was mentioned, having a clearer picture of where the place was.
Although the Dunhuang region was fairly dangerous, there were still cities established in certain parts. They could simply fly to Dunhuang Airport and head north-east to their destination, the Burning Valley.
Lingling had been making preparations for the past few days. It seemed like it was her first time going to the desert too, and she looked excited to go on the adventure to the barren sands.
As a matter of fact, Lingling's father had told her stories about his adventures in the Dunhuang region. She had imagined how the place would look since she was young, and the incident with the dark red soul made her miss her father more, so she decided to visit Dunhuang when Mo Fan told her the plan.
Mo Fan was extremely lucky to have Lingling as his partner. The other experienced Hunters would take a huge part of the commission, whereas, in Mo Fan's case, he had full control over the rewards. According to Lingling's explanation, once her fighter grew stronger, they would be able to take on higher-ranked quests!
At the Dongting Lake area, they had first stumbled into a bunch of idiotic Giant Lizards which were only Servant-class, but the Dunhuang region immediately revealed how different it was. They had barely stepped out of the safe zone when a Warrior-level Sand Howl Tiger appeared before them, its massive body cutting through the shifting sands with a suffocating presence. The environment itself felt hostile, the dry air scraping against their lungs as the wind carried grains of sand that stung against their skin.
"It's hungry… and irritable," Xinxia said softly from atop the Swift Star Wolf, her brows slightly furrowed as she sensed the creature's emotional state. "There's pain too… it might be injured." Her voice carried a hint of unease, but she remained composed, her Psychic Element allowing her to perceive far more than what was visible on the surface.
Mo Fan glanced at the Sand Howl Tiger for a brief moment before letting out a quiet sigh. "That's it?" he muttered, his tone flat, almost disappointed. There was no tension in his posture, no urgency in his movements, only a calm indifference that contrasted sharply with the oppressive aura of the creature before them.
The Sand Howl Tiger let out a deafening roar, lowering its body as its muscles coiled with explosive power. In the next instant, it lunged forward, kicking up a violent wave of sand behind it. Its speed was terrifying, its entire body turning into a blur of motion as it charged straight toward them, the kind of force that would overwhelm most Intermediate Mages instantly.
Mo Fan didn't move. He simply raised his hand.
A small flame flickered into existence in his palm, quiet and controlled, its heat compressed to an unnatural degree. There was no elaborate casting, no visible Star Pattern forming in the air, only a subtle shift in the atmosphere as the energy condensed into something far more dangerous than its size suggested.
"Fire Burst. Level 5."
He flicked his fingers forward.
The explosion detonated instantly. There was no travel time, no warning, only a sudden, violent eruption of force as the compressed flame expanded outward with overwhelming intensity. The Sand Howl Tiger was still mid-charge when it was engulfed entirely, its roar cut off as the blast swallowed it whole. The shockwave tore through the surrounding sand, sending a ring of heat and pressure outward as the air itself warped under the impact.
When the dust settled, the battlefield fell silent.
The Sand Howl Tiger was gone. In its place remained only scorched sand and fragments of charred remains, completely erased by a single strike.
Zhang Xiaohou stopped in his tracks, his expression frozen between shock and disbelief, while Zhao Manyan stared ahead, momentarily speechless. Even Xinxia blinked, her gaze lingering on the aftermath as she processed what had just happened.
Mo Fan lowered his hand casually, as if nothing significant had occurred. "Let's keep moving," he said, his tone calm and uninterested, already turning away.
To him, it hadn't been a battle.
It hadn't even been worth slowing down for.
A Warrior-level creature, at his current level, was nothing more than an inconvenience.