“He asked the Lycoris Sorceress Queen to clear a path for us, then he returned to the Silver-Blue Valley City to save Master Pang Lai,” said Jiang Yu.

The crowd was at a loss of words. They found it unbelievable.

The Black Totem Snake had given them hope. But they had never expected Mo Fan to be able to summon a creature as powerful as the Lycoris Sorceress Queen.

The Black Totem Snake could wipe up low-level and high-level Rulers effortlessly. However, the Lycoris Sorceress Queen could summon more domineering force against the vast army of Ocean Demons.

Without the Lycoris Sorceress Queen, they would have died fighting the endless Ocean Demon troops.

“He should come with us. What do we do now? The Eight-headed Serpent, the Stingray King, and the Fury Sea Demon Dragons will not spare them,” Bei Shou said miserably.

They all knew Pang Lai was prepared to sacrifice himself to protect them but they refused to accept it.

The moment they fell into the cunning Ocean Demon’s trap, they were destined to pay a heavy price. They still needed to find Commander Hua, no matter what. They had to get him out of here.

Most of them were exhausted. They did not have much magic energy left.

Whenever they heard the roars coming from the mountain valley, the Royal Mages and the rest of their groups were anxious and frightened. But they weren’t going to abandon their teammates. They would rush back and perish with their Chief, if need be. But they had their duty to fulfill. They needed to complete their mission.

“Let’s go,” said Ye Mei.

Nan Shou sighed. “If only we had known about Mo Fan’s capabilities, we could have stayed back. We are all in our mid-fifties. We don’t have much to contribute to the country, at least not as much as Mo Fan. It’s a shame to lose such a young but talented mage.”

“Don’t talk about it anymore. We…” Ye Mei could not finish her words. She had never expected to be in debt to the young mage for their lives whom she had despised.

Jiang Yu was regretful. He hated himself for failing to return to the mountain valley with Mo Fan. He hated the fact that he was weak and had to rely on others for protection.

If Mo Fan had taken the Lycoris Sorceress Queen with him to take on the Eight-headed Serpent, perhaps he and Master Pang Lai would stand a chance to survive the fight.

Jiang Yu swore to improve himself and focus on increasing his cultivation if he survived this mission.Not only did he want to strengthen his Summoning element, but he also wanted to strengthen his other elements to grow stronger.

They found it difficult to breathe. The number of the Stingray Legion was shocking. A Sword Fish with the special hooks covered in aluminum alloy covered the sky.

The Sword Fish was more ferocious than the Stingray Legion. The armed Sword Fish’s upper lip was extended, with a hook at its tip. It had a crown fin that looked like a flag sail. When they appeared in groups in the sky, they looked like a full expeditionary force.

“Roar! Roar!”

The Eight-headed Serpent’s roar was deafening. One of its heads was stuck between two mountains that fell from the sky. It could not break itself free.

Mo Fan and Pang Lai took advantage of the opportunity and soared up to the sky. However, the Stingray Legion and the Sword Fish were already alert, not giving the duo a chance to escape.

Meanwhile, the Moon Moth Phoenix’s Armed Spirit Moths were powerless in facing the two Ocean Demons in the sky.

“Mo Fan, why did you come back to save me?” Pang Lai said in annoyance.

There was a reason for him to be so frustrated. Pang Lai had reached the Forbidden Curse threshold long ago. However, if he re-entered the realm of the Forbidden Curse at his age, it would only be a waste.

While the Forbidden City was capable of training a Forbidden Mage, Pang Lai had turned down the offer.

“I told them that I’ll receive the baptism of the Forbidden Curse only if I’m able to return alive. The Forbidden Curse is more than a power; it carries enormous responsibility,” Pang Lai said to Mo Fan.

Pang Lai confided in Mo Fan maybe because he knew the outcome of this fight.

“Old Pang, save your words to yourself. We can leave this place. We will survive. Trust me,” Mo Fan assured him.

“Mo Fan, don’t force yourself. I will be relieved if you can escape from here. Are you aware that your strength is our only hope? You are as important as Commander Hua! Just leave me and go. I’ve rejected the Forbidden Curse because I wanted to save it for someone better. I came here not because of my own righteousness, but because I’m old. My magical power dwindles over time…” Pang Lai said. He had no intention of stopping, as if he thought he would not have a chance of saying everything ever again.

Mo Fan stared at Pang Lai, his chest was covered with blood. Pang Lai had confronted the Eight-headed Serpent and his chest was wounded. Most of his inner organs were crushed, and he looked weak. Pang Lai was earnest in his words.

As the Chief Royal Guard, Pang Lai could not show any sign of weakness. He had to always appear courageous and strong. However, no one could stop time. Pang Lai was old. He had fought many enemies in his life, but age was something he couldn’t fight.

Pang Lai had never been concerned about his age. However, as time passed he realized that the signs of aging were more noticeable and Pang Lai panicked.

Like most people, Pang Lai accepted that he could not ignore it any longer. He had to accept that his time was up. As the Chief Royal Guard, he felt defeated.

When he was eventually trying to accept and move on, an opportunity to step into the Forbidden Curse had arrived. The Imperial City required a Summoning element Forbidden Mage. They hoped Pang Lai could become a Forbidden Mage. They had obtained the rare Dimensional Pistil.

Pang Lai was over the moon the moment he learned that he had been chosen for it. After all, he had been pursuing the path of the Forbidden Curse all his life…

A few days later, he suppressed his excitement and gave it another thought.

He was aware that the Forbidden Curse would weaken as one grew old. Even if he became a Forbidden Mage, there was no stopping his advancing age and that would only mean that it was all a waste…

However, the Imperial City hoped Pang Lai would accept the offer. They instructed him to become a Forbidden Mage. Pang Lai felt lost and helpless so he decided to come to Hawaii to stall for time and to think things through.

He decided that if he was able to rescue Commander Hua, then becoming a Summoning Element Forbidden Mage in his age wasn’t such a waste.

But now, he wasn’t so sure. Pang Lai didn’t mind dying here, giving the rest of his team a chance to save Commander Hua. As for the Forbidden Curse offer, he would feel more at ease if someone younger but capable mage took his place.

Pang Lai wasn’t trying to prove he was humble or courageous. He wasn’t even trying to show that death meant nothing to him. He just knew he was old and would keep aging.