The Black Dragon King Ants gathered together and resembled mountains. But they scattered away after the Mirage Dragon King Ant Mother had died. Some went into the ocean, some stuck to the land and ocean borders, some returned to deep sea rock bottom, and some hid somewhere in the sea area.

They had been working in unity and coordination under the Mirage Dragon King Ant Mother’s instruction and command. But now, they split too fast for the eyes to see.

　…

Meanwhile, Mo Fan and the rest of his group returned to Bo Sea through the tunnel under the ocean. The Dragon King Ants had received the news about the death of their Ant Mother, hence they retreated from Bo Sea. The sea surface became calm and clear.

Even though they had gained victory, Commander Hua did not show any reaction except that smile when informing about the death of the Mirage Dragon King Ant Mother.

After the war is won, the surviving ones may not necessarily be over the moon about it because they had to witness their comrades’ sacrifices.

None of Commander Hua’s subordinates had survived after fighting the Termite Guard surrounding the Mirage Dragon King Ant Mother. So, the war was not a victory in its entirety because they had faced many losses of their friends and teammates.

After they arrived at Bo Sea, Commander Hua spent a long time alone at the Great Bronze Bell Hill. Pang Lai commemorated the Royal Mages who did not return with them.

Mo Fan, Song Feiyao, and Jiang Yu stood behind them. They quietly waited for the two leaders mourning the death of their comrades. Song Feiyao looked remorseful.

After going through the war with them, she had finally understood that the unique ancient statues were not the reason that had provided Licheng Afterglow Island with peace and security. In fact, the ancient statues could not withstand attacks against creatures such as the Mirage Dragon King Ant Mother. True peace was the result of someone standing up for the country and fighting the rainstorm with their own sweat and blood!

“Mo Fan,” Commander Hua called.

Mo Fan went up to him. Commander Hua had recovered from his injury slightly, and he looked more spirited.

Mo Fan was surprised that Commander Hua seemed to be recovering so quickly. He was told that the Healing Scroll had little effect on a Great Forbidden Mage.

“We seem to see each other quite frequently,” said Commander Hua with a tired smile.

“What do you mean?” Mo Fan did not quite understand what Commander Hua wanted to express to him.

“In my current position, I rarely have friends with whom I can share my problems with. When I look down from my vantage point, I see that many people are still struggling to climb up, that many more are still at the starting point, and that there is a large crowd that is so far out of my sight that I don’t even get a chance to greet them.”

“I wish I will have the chance to say the same thing someday,” said Mo Fan.

“I occasionally pay attention to people with potential. To be honest, I expected you to take five years before you become a Super-level mage from the Awakening stage. I never expected you to become a Super-level genius at such a young age. Those who I valued and expected much of have vanished out of sight at Super level…,” said Commander Hua.

Mo Fan felt very complex. Commander Hua had just praised him, and he didn’t know how to respond. A person’s strength determined the level of society he was exposed to.

They first met each other at Emperor Qin Island by accident because Zhang Xiaohou had appeared within Commander Hua’s sight. Although Commander Hua had given Mo Fan the entrance ticket to the National Institute, it did not mean Mo Fan could join Commander Hua in the realm of Forbidden Curse.

Today was their third time meeting each other. They did seem to meet very often. To Commander Hua, this was very unexpected. He had assumed Mo Fan would take another five years or so until he was capable of lending Commander Hua a helping hand.

However, Mo Fan had aided him twice in a matter of months and done it with impact. Commander Hua was surprised and happy to see Mo Fan’s rapid growth.

“Commander Hua, if there’s something you want me to do, I would be very happy to accept. You just need to give me your order and I will follow,” said Mo Fan.

On Mo Fan’s first day at Magic High School many years ago, Principal Zhu had informed all students at the Awakening stage about the vocation of becoming a mage.

After he joined Pearl Institute, Dean Xiao had told them that money and fame were the least important in this vocation. In fact, all mages should strive for supreme magic.

Mo Fan was aware that the reason he could live in peace when he was young and weak was all because someone who was more powerful had shielded him from the ferocious Ocean Demons. After he became a Super-level mage, he believed he had to stand up and contribute.

“Can you promise me something?” Commander Hua asked solemnly.

Mo Fan nodded without hesitation. He would be willing to take on any challenging task for Commander Hua. It must be something important if Commander Hua was personally asking for a promise.

Perhaps it was about survival on the East Coastline, or about the presence of a certain Emperor-level creature, or the key points to face the Ocean Demon’s war…

Commander Hua patted Mo Fan on the shoulder. “Promise me that you will never act recklessly no matter how severe or desperate the war is. You must stay alive.”

Mo Fan was stunned. ‘Stay alive? Was this the important message that Commander Hua had to personally tell him?’

“Commander, I believe I’ve been doing quite well at staying alive,” said Mo Fan with a smile.

“No, you don’t understand.” Commander Hua’s gaze turned razor-sharp. He squeezed Mo Fan’s shoulder a little harder.

“You must stay alive because this war doesn’t belong to your generation. This is not your generation’s doing. We may be defeated; We’ll most likely be defeated. But I hope it will be my generation sacrificing themselves in the war for making the world safe rather than your generation because we are the ones who failed to stop this disaster. We are not powerful enough. We must not leave your generation’s mages to bear the consequences of our actions.”

“You’re exposed to my level because you’ve surpassed the people of your generation. You still have a bright future ahead. You will become stronger and more powerful. I hope you can celebrate that victory with your teammates maybe five years later, instead of fighting a ray of hope at the cost of other people’s lives like me.”

Mo Fan was at a loss for words. He had always viewed Commander Hua as invincible and his battle with the Mirage Dragon King Ant Mother had cemented his belief. ‘Why would such a strong man say he is not powerful enough?’

“I don’t want you to take part in any of the Ocean Demon wars along the coast over these five years. We’ll be defeated within these five years. By then, we’ll have lost our base cities. Our defense line will crumble. All of us will have to move to the West. We’ll lose a lot of things. I hope you and your generation can protect the cities, establish a safe boundary, and provide a peaceful living environment for the next generation. Or maybe even reclaim our territories on the East Coastline from the Ocean Demons!”