The Light Element's Winning Move Was Ancient Capital

Silence hung over the bridge tonight.

After a long while, Zhan Kong finally spoke again. "Ancient Capital? What are you going there for?"

"To kill undead and get stronger."

Ever since he'd seen the Golden Star Dust in his Spiritual World, Xu Fang had made up his mind to go to Ancient Capital.

Ancient Capital was the Light Element's winning move.

Ancient Capital teemed with undead, from powerful Supreme Monarchs to incomplete corpse ghouls that didn't even qualify as Servant level. You could find anything you wanted there.

It was the perfect place for a Light Mage. Elsewhere, an Elementary Light Mage could only serve as a lightbulb. Against ordinary Demon Beasts, all they could do was give them a photon facial.

Xu Fang's plans were coming together nicely. He could test out his unusual Light Element in Ancient Capital while raising his level to Intermediate Level, then awaken either the Summoning Element or the Great Thunder Element. What could be better?

Zhan Kong said, "Ancient Capital is too dangerous. Bloody Alerts happen every other day. It's nothing like our safe little Bocheng."

"Where is safe?" Xu Fang said. "We're all going to die someday, so we have to take a chance. Just go for it!"

This was the world of Full-time Mage! Rather than trusting the Path of Cowardice to keep him alive, he'd be better off trusting his own toughness.

The timid died faster. If he didn't risk his life, where would he find resources and opportunities?

That struck a chord with Zhan Kong. "At least you've got your head on straight now. You're doing better than when you were about to jump off that rooftop."

"...Can I say I just went up there to get some fresh air?"

"'Can I say I just went up there to get some fresh air?'" Zhan Kong repeated in a high-pitched, mocking voice. "Heh!"

That settled the rooftop incident. Zhan Kong could actually relate to Xu Fang. When failure was inevitable no matter how hard you tried, the helplessness and despair really could make you want to die.

"You're sixteen, which makes you an adult. Since you've made up your mind, I won't try to talk you out of it." Zhan Kong said, "You can go to Ancient Capital, but not yet. Once you finish your first year of high school and pass the Magic Release Exam, I'll get in touch with the Central Military Department for you."

"Of course." Xu Fang nodded.

"One more thing. Both your parents were martyrs, and your father was an Intermediate Sky Eagle Mage who earned plenty of merits. As their immediate family member, the Southern Military Department will cover the resources you need to train up to Intermediate Level, starting from the day you successfully awakened."

Xu Fang's eyes lit up. "How much?"

"Who knows? They give it to you monthly." Zhan Kong gave him a sidelong glance. "You're not planning to resell the resources, are you, kid?"

"Legion Commander, you can question my abilities, but you can't question my character!"

"Your character? With that bleached hair, you look like a street punk, and you're going to lecture me about character?" Zhan Kong had the temper of a mule. If you had ability, he'd fawn over you; if you didn't, you were nothing. And he had a real knack for saying the wrong thing.

In the original story, when he wanted to recruit Mo Fan, who had Dual Lightning and Fire Elements, he'd called him "bro" without batting an eye.

"I was born this way. You're just stereotyping me!"

"Stereotyping? Ha! Every summer, you sell the Demon Beast Meat sent from Xuefeng Mountain to restaurants and fleece the parents of the new students. You think I don't know?"

"Uh..."

Xu Fang was at a loss for words.

Even though it had been the original Xu Fang who'd done it, the two of them were counterparts from different planes. In other words, if Xu Fang had been in his shoes, he probably would've done the same.

"Cut the crap. Say what you need to say. I still have a patrol to get to," Zhan Kong said impatiently.

"Legion Commander, I want to apply for all the resources at once."

"In your dreams! Apply for everything at once? Do you have any idea how much that would be?" Zhan Kong cursed under his breath. "Just the things I know about include Magic Tools, an Intermediate Awakening Stone, and..."

"I don't want any of those," Xu Fang said. "I want a Stardust Magic Tool."

The Stardust Magic Tool was the most coveted piece of equipment for any mage training in magic.

Few people knew how it worked, but every mage knew it could help them recover quickly after training fatigue set in, shortening the time they needed to rest.

Normally, a Primary Mage could only meditate for five hours a day. They couldn't squeeze out even a single extra drop.

The other nineteen hours made up the meditation fatigue period. They could only get through it by doing something else or simply sleeping. Otherwise, not only would their cultivation fail to progress, they'd suffer splitting headaches, damage their bodies, and risk a mental breakdown.

Five hours? What was that to a grind fanatic?

A real man never admitted defeat. I'll fight for a whole day and night!

But the Stardust Magic Tool was a cultivation treasure that shortened the fatigue period. Use it, and you'd feel good, too.

It might not make a big difference after a day or two, but what about over time? If you already had amazing talent and a treasure like that at your side, your classmates would be calling you "Dad" by the end of the semester!

He didn't have Mo Fan's Little Mudfish, so he had to find other ways to make up for it. Otherwise, he'd be left so far behind he wouldn't even see Mo Fan's taillights.

"Stardust Magic Tools aren't cheap. Even the worst ones cost over ten million. As for the slightly better ones, even the Mu family, that old Mu Zhuoyun's family, only has one. They don't give it to anyone but core family members," Zhan Kong said.

"That's just in Bocheng. How big is Bocheng, anyway?" Xu Fang smiled. "As far as I know, my parents were directly affiliated with the Southern Military Department. Stardust Magic Tools aren't a big deal there."

Zhan Kong smiled, too. "You slippery kid."

"So you'll agree?"

"I'll have to submit a report first. I'll tell you upfront, there's never been a precedent for this, so I can't guarantee—"

"Legion Commander, you know I've been away from my mom since I was little."

Zhan Kong took a deep breath. His temples were starting to throb. "...Fine. I get it. I'll find someone to help you, okay?"

"Thanks a lot!"

Xu Fang brushed nonexistent dust from his clothes and smoothed his hair, which the Wind Track had blown into a mess. "All right, Legion Commander, you can drop me off here. I know the way home, so I won't keep you for dinner."

Zhan Kong watched Xu Fang walk away, the corners of his mouth twitching twice.

Damn, who'd taught him to be so shameless?

Xu Fang's family's old house stood on an old street. A short walk away was a manor, beautiful enough to take your breath away, where even the grass was kept neatly trimmed.

At the highest point of the manor stood several elegant European-style villas, like princess castles from fairy tales. They were the stuff of every child in Bocheng's dreams.

Unfortunately, the manor was surrounded by an iron fence, crudely dividing the outside world from the inside.

Xu Fang's home wasn't bad, either. It was a three-story house with a rooftop terrace, where the family's odds and ends were piled up. Xuefeng Mountain came by regularly to fix it up.

From the rooftop, he could look down on the dilapidated one-and-a-half-story building next door. That was Mo Fan's house.

The shabby, old place clung to Xu Fang's house like a peeling dog-skin plaster.

Who would've thought that two Forbidden Mages would come from here?

An old pickup truck that matched the house was parked outside Mo Fan's home. A middle-aged man with a sallow complexion was hauling things out of the house.

"Uncle."

Xu Fang greeted him.

"Oh, Fang Zai. You're home from school early." Mo Jiaxing smiled with an honest, guileless look. "How did your awakening go today?"

"I awakened the Light Element. Mo Fan awakened the Fire Element."

"Oh, that's great. Really great." Mo Jiaxing was delighted. He didn't understand the differences between the Elements. As far as he was concerned, awakening at all was already an incredible achievement.

His son had done so well. It made all the land he'd sold to put him through school worth it...

"Uncle, what are you doing?"

"Ah, I'm thinking of renting out the house to help with the family expenses." Mo Jiaxing gave a sheepish smile. "Once I'm done here, we'll celebrate properly at a food stall tonight..."

Some people were born to be troublemakers. Before Mo Jiaxing had even had time to enjoy himself, a man in a sharp suit walked out of the Mu Family Manor.

"Jiaxing, why haven't you finished moving out yet? Let me tell you, this place belongs to me now. You can't just squat here and refuse to leave!"

"Brother Mu He, I'm almost done. Almost done." Mo Jiaxing bowed and scraped.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but with your family's financial situation, why would you sell everything you own just to send your son to school to become a mage? Sure, your son awakened the Fire Element, but so what?

"Becoming a mage isn't that easy. Can your family afford all those magic books, Magic Tools, and Magic Artifacts? Without that support, he won't even become an Elementary Mage..."

Mu He spoke slowly, his words sounding earnest and considerate, but his manner was haughty.

Mo Jiaxing lowered his voice and pleaded, "Brother Mu He, let's not talk about that today. The kids are here."

He wasn't worried about being humiliated himself.

He was worried that Xu Fang would see him in such a humiliating state and that his son, Mo Fan, would lose face. After all, ever since they were little, Mo Fan had called Xu Fang his "archenemy" and his "rival in destiny."

"You didn't mention it, so I hadn't noticed." Mu He looked at Xu Fang. "Xu Fang, take my advice. Don't waste your effort. You're just not cut out for it!"