"I didn't believe it at first either, but it's the truth," Mu Nianbing said firmly.
Zhu Meng clearly didn't believe him at first, but when he saw Mu Nianbing's serious expression, his uncertainty grew.
The key issue was that Mu Nianbing had no reason to lie. There was no benefit in deceiving him.
"What level?" Zhu Meng asked after a long pause.
"Servant-class."
"Only Servant-class?" Zhu Meng's expression darkened.
If it were a higher-ranked Undead, being separated from Death Qi for a time would make sense.
But how could a mere Servant-class Undead separate from Death Qi? That was completely illogical!
"I feel this might be a bad omen," Mu Nianbing explained truthfully.
"I originally wanted to speak with President Han Ji in person, but at my level, I can't even get an audience with him."
As things stood, if he wanted to protect the tens of millions living in the Ancient Capital, his only option was to start with Zhu Meng.
"This is indeed strange," Zhu Meng said after some thought. "But to want to meet President Han Ji over something like this, you really are…"
He stopped himself. Remembering Mu Nianbing's past achievements, he couldn't bring himself to scold him.
If not for Mu Nianbing's bold decisions, the previous epidemic would never have been resolved so smoothly.
"Forget it. I'll personally speak with President Han Ji about this. You don't need to worry." Zhu Meng waved his hand dismissively.
Though he found the matter odd, he didn't consider it a major issue.
At most, he would assign more Wall-Guarding Mages.
A trace of helplessness crossed Mu Nianbing's eyes. It was indeed hard to convince Zhu Meng with so little evidence.
"Alright, I'll leave this to you."
"You brat, just book your return flight for tomorrow. This isn't a place you should linger."
Zhu Meng, well aware of the National Team Captain's importance, didn't want Mu Nianbing staying in the Ancient Capital.
Although Mu Nianbing was an Advanced Mage, countless Advanced Mages had lost their lives in the wilds around the Ancient Capital.
After leaving the Magic Association, Mu Nianbing went straight to the restaurant Mu Bai had booked. As the host, Mu Bai was naturally treating everyone.
As soon as he stepped inside, Mu Nianbing saw several familiar yet slightly unfamiliar faces.
Three years had passed. Everyone had changed.
Wang Sanpang and Zhao Kunsan looked mostly the same—just a bit rounder.
Zhou Min, on the other hand, had matured gracefully, her beauty rising from an eighty to a solid ninety.
But the one who shocked Mu Nianbing most was Mu Bai. His entire demeanor had changed so much that Mu Nianbing almost didn't recognize him.
When Mu Nianbing appeared, everyone stood up together.
"Brother Bing! It's been so long—you've gotten more handsome," Zhao Kunsan said quickly, his tone dripping with flattery.
Mu Nianbing chuckled and took the seat beside Mu Bai.
"I heard from Mo Fan that you've already broken through to the Advanced level?" Mu Bai asked curiously.
"Yes," Mu Nianbing nodded.
He had broken through long ago—and now he was even a three-element Advanced Mage. There was no need to hide it anymore.
Everyone drew in a sharp breath.
When Mo Fan first mentioned it, they'd thought he was bragging. They didn't expect it to be true.
"Family disciples really are different," Zhou Min said, a trace of envy in her tone. "I'm only Intermediate-level Two, but you're already Advanced."
Though she'd always known Mu Nianbing's talent was exceptional, the gap still stung.
"Haha…" Mu Bai gave a dry laugh.
As a member of the Mu Family, he knew full well that their resources were stretched thin—it was unlikely Mu Nianbing had received much support from them.
Unless he had officially joined the Mu Clan… but clearly, he hadn't.
"I just cultivate a bit faster. It's nothing special," Mu Nianbing replied calmly. He knew Zhou Min's temperament well and didn't take her subtle jab to heart.
Zhao Kunsan and Wang Sanpang rolled their eyes. Still at the Basic level, they thought, A bit faster? Really?
"By the way, Bing Ge," Wang Sanpang asked while raising his glass, "Xu Zhaoting's from the same school as you, right? How's he doing these days?"
"Don't you have his number? Why not ask him yourself?" Mu Nianbing shot back.
Wang Sanpang scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Didn't want to disturb his cultivation."
Mu Nianbing's mouth twitched. As expected of Xu Zhaoting's good buddy.
"He got into the main campus. His cultivation should be between Intermediate-level Two and Three," Mu Nianbing said.
He hadn't spoken to Xu Zhaoting much since the training ended—just a few casual chats.
But he knew Xu Zhaoting had cultivated in the Three Step Tower, so his strength couldn't be low.
Hearing that, Wang Sanpang immediately relaxed.
After they'd eaten and drunk their fill, Mo Fan leaned back and grinned. "We've eaten enough. What's next?"
"KTV, of course! Already booked!" Zhao Kunsan said proudly. Hanging around Mu Bai lately meant he could afford to show off.
"Let's skip that—it's too boring," Mu Nianbing said flatly. He had zero interest in KTV. Especially since Mo Fan's singing was… lethal.
Other people sang for entertainment. Mo Fan sang for destruction.
"If Bing Ge finds that boring, why don't we go hunt some Undead? Zhou Min's on duty tonight anyway," Wang Sanpang suggested eagerly.
He had an ulterior motive—going out with an Advanced Mage like Mu Nianbing would definitely make them look impressive.
"I don't mind," Zhou Min said, her curiosity piqued.
She wanted to see how powerful Mu Nianbing had become—could he casually slay a Great Corpse General?
"Good exercise after dinner," Mo Fan said with a grin.
Previously, when they'd fought in the wild, Mu Nianbing had handled most of the Undead himself.
Mo Fan wanted to test the current strength of the Undead as well.
"What do you think?" Mu Bai asked, looking to Mu Nianbing. He was eager to see the extent of Mu Nianbing's Ice Element.
"Anything's fine," Mu Nianbing replied.
He knew the Evil Abyss would appear soon, and when it did, the number of Undead would explode.
Instead of staying idle in the city, it was better to hunt a few now—and he might even catch early signs of the coming disaster.
If this trip to the Ancient Capital went smoothly, perhaps he could use the Death God's Blessing to revive and control the Ancient King.
With command over millions of Undead, he'd finally have the strength to face the Mu Clan head-on.
"Then let's go," Zhou Min said decisively.
After leaving the restaurant, everyone followed her toward the outer city wall.
The Ancient Capital was divided into an inner city and an outer city.
Only the inner city was protected by barriers, and space there was limited—so most people lived outside the walls.
If the Undead broke through, the outer city would fall into chaos, and a catastrophe would follow.
That was why Mu Nianbing had to find a way to convince either Han Ji or Zhu Meng to evacuate the outer city's population before it was too late.
...
Author's Note:
Versatile Mage: Heir of the Frozen Throne — Part 1 is now fully completed and available on my Patreon!
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1. Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
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5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
6. Versatile Mage: Awakening the Succubus System
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