Bocheng Disaster!

Everyone knew what the Crimson Alert meant, but they refused to believe it.

A few years ago, the weakest Orange Alert had already brought great disaster. The sounding of the Crimson Alert made people feel a sense of unreality.

But when, through the curtain of rain, Demon Wolves with fierce glints in their eyes darted beneath the city walls—

Only then did everyone truly grasp the terror of the Crimson Alert.

Cold rain slapped against their faces. There was no fear, only despair.

Bocheng, underground.

Inside a cave chamber.

"You useless idiots—why are there only this many tunnels left?!"

A harsh voice rang out. Inside the cave, a middle-aged man roared at a group of trembling Gray-robed Clerics.

Mu He was about to explode.

The plan had been to let the demons in from underground, striking from within and without to quickly break Bocheng's defenses.

But at the critical moment, some unknown group had blown up over ninety percent of the tunnels dug by the Giant-eyed Stinky Rats.

The few scattered holes left couldn't pose any real threat to Bocheng's interior.

"Could it be the Judgment Society's doing?" someone said.

The Judgment Society had long noticed the Black Vatican making moves in Bocheng.

But they didn't know the specifics of what was planned.

They'd only sent a few investigators to Bocheng—Tang Yue was one of them.

Mu He snorted coldly. "Whoever did it won't stop my carefully prepared masterpiece. The gift I offer to Lord Salang must be completed perfectly!"

"Go, you lot—coordinate with the Demon Wolves to open Bocheng's city gates!"

"The rest of you, follow me to the Silver Trade Building to seize the Sacred Spring!"

Silver Trade Building, fifteen floors underground.

In a hidden corner, a group of Blood-patterned Giant Demon Rats dug through the ground and crawled out of the hole.

Right behind them came Mu He and a crowd of Gray-robed Clerics.

"Take out the guards quickly and seize the Sacred Spring!"

At Mu He's command, the Gray-robed Clerics moved at once.

The Blood-patterned Giant Demon Rats, scenting their prey, lunged at the nearest guards.

Their sudden assault caught all the guards off guard, cutting their numbers by more than half in an instant.

The remaining guards pulled back toward the entrance of the Sacred Spring.

The sounding of the Crimson Alert threw the Silver Trade Building's security into chaos.

Jiang Yuan finally got his chance to reach the fifteenth underground floor.

As soon as he entered, a Blood-patterned Giant Demon Rat met him head-on.

It was gnawing on the corpse beneath it, making a chilling crunching sound.

"Lightning Seal—Fury Strike."

A flat voice rang out. Lightning flashed.

Under the quadruple-powered Lightning Seal - Fury Strike, the Blood-patterned Giant Demon Rat turned to charcoal. A Soul Essence slowly condensed and rose.

An unexpected bonus.

Jiang Yuan collected the Soul Essence and hurried toward the Sacred Spring.

By the time he reached the gate of the Sacred Spring, it was slowly opening.

Several Blood-patterned Giant Demon Rats charged over the scattered limbs.

Guard Captain Lin Yuxin was on the verge of despair.

These Blood-patterned Giant Demon Rats had appeared too suddenly. The guard squad had lost too many.

There was no way to stop the Black Vatican's scheme.

"What the hell? What's going on?"

As the gate opened, a bewildered Mo Fan hadn't even seen what was happening before Lin Yuxin, drenched in blood, dashed inside.

"Grrrrrr!!!!"

The Blood-patterned Giant Demon Rats caught the scent of the Sacred Spring's lifeblood. Their massive, blood-red eyes locked onto Mo Fan's position.

Sharp claws scraped across the floor, easily sinking into the stone tiles of the hall.

These Blood-patterned Giant Demon Rats were gathering their strength, roaring like an engine revving up.

"What the hell, how are there Blood-patterned Giant Demon Rats here?!"

Mo Fan was dumbfounded, not yet realizing the danger he was in.

Lin Yuxin didn't waste a single word—she had no time for it.

She slapped her hand on the door switch, trying to seal the gate shut again.

But one Blood-patterned Giant Demon Rat was already wedged in the doorway, making it impossible to close.

"Damn it!" Lin Yuxin cursed under her breath, her heart racing with anxiety.

"With so many demons, where the hell are the guards?" Mo Fan finally snapped to his senses and asked urgently.

Lin Yuxin gritted her teeth. "They're all dead. Those damned demons, and those Black Vatican scum!!!!"

"So that means it's just the two of us now?"

"Are you kidding me? I just got done showing off in front of everyone!"

Mo Fan was grumbling, but his eyes were locked on the Blood-patterned Giant Demon Rats closing in.

His mind raced, desperately searching for a way out.

If only Jiang Yuan were here.

The thought flashed by.

"Ice Explosion!"

A familiar voice rang out beside Mo Fan, followed by a bone-chilling burst of cold.

In an instant, the entire Sacred Spring hall was covered in ice, as if plunged into an ice age—everything frozen solid!

The only things untouched by the ice were Mo Fan, Lin Yuxin, and a figure that brought Mo Fan a wave of relief.

"Jiang Yuan, is it really you?!"

Mo Fan exclaimed in delight. "I was just thinking of you, and here you are. Are we really that in sync?"

"If it weren't for you, I'd be feeding these beasts today. I can't repay this favor, so how about I give myself to you?"

"Come on, let's hug it out, bro!"

"I'm warning you, stay the hell away from me, or I'll freeze your lower half into a block." Jiang Yuan dodged Mo Fan's lunge, still feeling a chill despite being in Overclock mode.

"Come on, can't two men hug? You're way too traditional." Mo Fan teased.

"Mo Fan, stay away from him!" Lin Yuxin suddenly spoke, eyeing Jiang Yuan with suspicion.

Anyone who could show up here, besides their own people, was either a demon or Black Vatican.

This sudden young man was way too suspicious!

"He's my classmate, no need to be so tense." Mo Fan quickly explained.

But Lin Yuxin kept her eyes fixed on Jiang Yuan, a Star Track forming around her as magic gathered in her hands.

"He might be Black Vatican. They're here to steal the Sacred Spring, so stay away from him." She spoke again.

"Impossible!" Mo Fan shook his head.

Jiang Yuan was definitely not scum like the Black Vatican.

The Sacred Spring was meant for Bocheng's most outstanding talents.

With Jiang Yuan's natural gifts, he could earn the Sacred Spring on his own—why would he need to steal it?

How could he make this woman believe in Jiang Yuan?

This misunderstanding wouldn't be cleared up anytime soon.

Jiang Yuan was a bit speechless, never expecting to be mistaken like this.

But it made sense—if he weren't worried that his appearance might cause some changes, he wouldn't have shown up here.

His current identity wasn't supposed to be in this place.

And his concerns were right.

In the original story, the Sacred Spring gate closed smoothly, letting Mo Fan escape with the Sacred Spring to the school.

Now, though, the Blood-patterned Giant Demon Rats had blocked the door.

If he hadn't shown up, Mo Fan and Lin Yuxin couldn't handle so many demons.

Not to mention the Black Vatican people still coming.

"In a small place like Bocheng, there's actually a third genius kid. Tsk tsk tsk."

At the tense moment, the Black Vatican had arrived.

"Black Vatican."

Seeing who it was, Jiang Yuan said flatly.

Let me explain: right now, the protagonist's strength is within normal range, but he's still unmatched among his peers.

As for crossing tiers, it's not that simple yet.

Because the protagonist hasn't strengthened his magic or obtained an Elemental Seed, relying only on his innate talent, his magic power isn't enough for tier-crossing battles.

Of course, by leveraging the uniqueness of his talent, he can use very powerful strength under certain conditions.

I plan to have the protagonist enter a rapid growth phase after Bocheng—not meaning fast advancement to Super Tier or forbidden spells, but strengthening magic and acquiring Elemental Seeds, along with some other opportunities. As for what those opportunities are, I'll keep that under wraps for now.