Chapter 88

The Earth Sacred Spring lay beneath the Silver Trade Building — which caught Mo Fan off guard. The rooftop where he'd once met Mu Ningxue was only one building away from Silver Trade.

The Silver Trade Building rose in a perfectly vertical pentagon. Calling it a grand skyscraper undersold it — it was more like a towering five-sided pagoda planted at the very heart of Bo City.

Two hundred meters tall, its entire exterior sheathed in tempered glass, the building seized the blazing sun and threw off flashes like a blade drawn from its sheath. After dark, it blazed with shifting neon that could be seen from districts far across the city.

It was Bo City's most iconic landmark. Rumor had it that the grand conference hall on the topmost floor belonged to Mu Zhuoyun himself.

And yet Bo City's most precious natural treasure — the Earth Sacred Spring — lay directly beneath it. Most of the white-collar and gold-collar workers who toiled in the building had no idea the tower even had fifteen underground floors.

An elevator that felt straight out of a spy thriller whisked Mo Fan down to the fifteenth basement level. He stepped out and blinked. The place genuinely resembled the lair of some clandestine organization: a secret underground chamber, excavated and kept under strict protection.

The chamber's walls were built from a particularly unusual crystalline rock. A single glance told you it was the work of an exceptionally skilled architect.

A full patrol unit stood guard throughout, and the unit's captain was an Intermediate-Level Mage.

An Intermediate-Level Mage standing guard at a door?

That alone spoke volumes about how highly Bo City valued the Earth Sacred Spring.

"Behind this totem gate is the Earth Sacred Spring," Mu Zhuoyun said, making no effort to hide his irritation. "You have one week inside. The spring maintains its own cycle — don't interfere with it. Just sit on the leather cushion at its center and practice your Meditation or Control. That's all."

The Earth Sacred Spring had been meant for Yu'ang. Having it snatched by this kid was hardly something Mu Zhuoyun could swallow gracefully.

Tang Yue had come along to see Mo Fan off. She gave him a small nod, signaling that he was free to head inside and begin his secluded training.

"Oh — I have something for you." Tang Yue seemed to remember something and turned to Mo Fan.

"For me?" Mo Fan blinked.

From somewhere, Tang Yue produced four scrolls — two purple, two red. Each one was engraved with glowing points like Star Motes and tracing lines like Star Trails, forming what appeared to be complete magical diagrams.

"Teacher Tang Yue, that's a remarkably generous hand you have there," Mu Zhuoyun said at once, recognizing the scrolls, his expression distinctly sour. "Those are expensive Star Chart Books — and you're giving away four of them at once. Even a man of my means finds that eye-opening."

"Star Chart Books — what are those?" Mo Fan asked.

"After you've been through the Earth Sacred Spring, I imagine you won't be far from breaking through to Intermediate Level. I'm not certain I'll still be around to teach you by then, so consider these a parting gift — something to protect yourself once you make that breakthrough." Tang Yue paused, then continued to explain their purpose. "You already know that Basic-Level magic requires linking Star Motes into Star Trails. Only when the Star Trail forms does the spell take shape."

Mo Fan nodded, feeling very much like a student sitting in on a lesson about the next tier of magic.

"Once you become an Intermediate-Level Mage, your Stardust will transform into a Star Nebula. A Star Nebula is far more vast than Stardust, and holds a total of forty-nine Star Motes. To form Intermediate-Level magic, you must connect all forty-nine into a Star Chart — only when the Star Chart takes shape does an Intermediate-Level spell come into being."

Stardust becomes Star Nebula. Forty-nine Star Motes linked into a Star Chart — Intermediate-Level magic.

Mo Fan silently committed every word to memory.

"You understand how long it takes to fully Control seven Star Motes — well, forty-nine is more than several times harder. Even after your Stardust becomes a Star Nebula, it will take considerable time before you can actually Release Intermediate-Level magic. That's what makes these Star Chart Books special: when you channel your Mental Intent into one, it releases a particular force that pulls your forty-nine Star Motes into the pattern engraved on the scroll. Even if you haven't yet developed the ability to Control all forty-nine yourself, as long as your Star Nebula holds sufficient magical energy, you can Release Intermediate-Level magic all the same." Tang Yue spoke with careful emphasis.

Mo Fan's mouth fell open. He had never imagined such a thing could exist.

*If Star Chart Books are a thing, what's the point of all that grueling Control training mages put themselves through? Just carry a stack of scrolls and call it a day!*

Mu Zhuoyun, standing nearby, clearly read the thought written across Mo Fan's face. He let out a cold snort. "Star Chart Books aren't something you can simply buy, no matter how much gold you throw at it. Your Teacher Tang Yue is far more than just a schoolteacher."

Mo Fan studied the poised, beautiful woman in front of him, his astonishment deepening by the second.

*Come to think of it, a teacher who could settle the Stardust Artifact affair so effortlessly was never going to be just a high school teacher. And he'd seen Tang Yue use Shadow Element skills with his own eyes. She had to be at least an Intermediate-Level Mage.*

"With your innate Dual Elements, jealousy from petty people is inevitable. Think of these scrolls as tools for self-defense." Tang Yue's tone turned serious. "Of course, to use a Star Chart Book, your Stardust must already have become a Star Nebula and your seven Star Motes must have grown to forty-nine. If you try to use one before then, the scroll will drain your body dry and leave you a husk."

Mo Fan nodded very deliberately, a quiet warmth stirring inside him.

*All they had was an ordinary teacher-student relationship — and yet she'd gone this far for him. Clearly the only proper way to repay such a debt was to reach Intermediate Level as fast as possible, make a fortune, marry her, and spend the rest of his life making it up to her.*

"Thank you, Teacher Tang Yue. I'll train twice as hard — I swear it!" Mo Fan said with complete sincerity.

Tang Yue smiled, a glimmer of anticipation lighting her bright eyes.

"Don't go getting too pleased with yourself, kid," Mu Zhuoyun said with a cold huff. "The Earth Sacred Spring is a magnificent natural treasure, yes — but pushing you all the way to Intermediate Level? Out of the question. It's nothing more than a powerful shove toward the threshold. As for actually breaking through..." He gave a derisive laugh. "You've got a long road ahead."

Tang Yue said nothing more. She had said everything that needed saying. She turned and left.

Mu Zhuoyun had no interest in wasting further words on a kid who made his blood pressure spike just to look at. He waved a hand, signaling the Earth Sacred Spring's guardian to usher Mo Fan inside.

"Everyone stay sharp!" Guard Captain Liang Bin called out. "Last time, some gutter rats nearly sniffed their way down here. If the spring's warmth leaks out and brings trouble, I will hold every one of you personally responsible!"

"Captain, it won't happen again — you have our word!" the guards replied in unison.

The last thing Mo Fan heard as the door sealed behind him was that exchange. It immediately brought the One-Eyed Demon Wolf to mind.

The One-Eyed Demon Wolf had grown so terrifying precisely because it had absorbed the warmth seeping from the Earth Sacred Spring. And here Mo Fan was, with a full seven days of immersion ahead of him.

*Wouldn't that practically make him boil over?*