Mochizuki iken spoke solemnly, "So, there's sothing I hope you can help with."
"I have an old friend in Tokyo, a veteran Hunter and also a cleric of the Sacred City. He's long been fighting against the Red Demons. I want you to escort this Evil Condensing Pearl to him for purification. Once the evil thoughts are removed, what remains will be pure energy."
"As for the reward… he will offer you a Battle Beast Soul that can promote a summoned creature."
Lu Jun responded with a faint smile, "First of all, this Evil Condensing Pearl belongs to us. Ask your granddaughter if you don't believe . And as for escort fees and hush money, offering just a single Battle Beast Soul seems a bit stingy, doesn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Mochizuki iken furrowed his brows and looked at his granddaughter, the dutiful Mochizuki Chikako.
She nodded in embarrassnt and said, "In order to sneak into the Eastern Pavilion at night, I did promise Lu Jun."
Mo Fan, who had initially brightened at the ntion of a Battle-Beast Soul, thinking of how his Old Wolf had been stuck at the Warrior level for a long ti, was ready to accept imdiately. But upon hearing this, he snapped back to his senses, a flicker of wariness appearing in his eyes.
Right—how were the two of them supposed to split the reward? And hadn't he also risked his life sneaking into the Eastern Pavilion? Was all that credit going to be casually brushed aside?
Mochizuki iken said sternly, "Such intense desire… I suspect the Evil Condensing Pearl may be controlling you."
Lu Jun retorted sarcastically, "Old man, the fact that I can willingly hand over the Evil Condensing Pearl proves I'm completely immune to its allure. At the very least, I'm stronger than you were back in the day. This is simply a matter of standing firm on what's due."
At those words, Mochizuki iken's expression turned sowhat awkward.
Fortunately, he had already entered his twilight years, his cultivation stagnant and no longer inclined toward youthful competitiveness. He let it go and said, "Fine. Once it's purified, the Evil Condensing Pearl will be yours."
"As for your escort reward, I'll write a letter to my old friend and let him decide what it's worth. It won't be anything too shabby."
Lu Jun nodded slightly. In fact, in the original tiline, the Evil Condensing Pearl ended up in Mo Fan's hands anyway.
The reason was simple: the old friend of Mochizuki iken had, unfortunately, passed away three days before Mo Fan arrived in Tokyo, and thus never even appeared on stage.
As for Mochizuki iken himself, that little islander behaved like he was trying to get rid of a plague he ignored the Evil Condensing Pearl and left it with Mo Fan, who took it back to China. Eventually, it was Old Bao of the Demon Hunting Bureau who purified it.
His impression of the Japanese: respectful and courteous on the surface, but small-minded and lacking in righteousness.
That said, Lu Jun wasn't sure this ti whether Mochizuki iken's old hunter friend would still die. After all, their current progress was far ahead of the original storyline perhaps they'd actually get to et him in person.
The parties reached an agreent. There wasn't much ti left in the evening, so everyone returned to their rooms to sleep.
Mochizuki Chikako still worried about her brother Iwada's safety, but Mochizuki iken reassured her, "Don't worry. Once Takagi realizes the Evil Condensing Pearl is gone, he'll naturally release your brother. Away from the Pearl, his mind will gradually recover."
The next morning, the national team mbers woke up and departed for Tokyo.
What surprised them was that the Japanese female instructor Mochizuki Chikako also followed along, stating she had sothing to do and would accompany them part of the way.
Though curious, seeing that their captain Lu Jun remained calm, they didn't press further.
Before long, the group arrived in Tokyo and were t with a magnificent sight. On the outskirts of the bustling Tokyo tropolis stood a thick, towering city wall, stretching endlessly along the coastline for hundreds of kiloters.
It appeared layered and staggered, each section higher than the last, so formidable that even sea monsters over a hundred ters tall couldn't scale it.
A glorious work of Earth Elent magic, it was perhaps not as grand as the Nine Provinces Great Wall, but still known worldwide as one of the four great Sea Battle Fortresses.
Guan Yu remarked in awe, "It's said that the ani Attack on Titan was originally inspired by Tokyo's Sea Battle Fortress a wall separating inside from outside, with endless deep-sea beasts on the other side."
Jiang Yu, well-versed in knowledge, said bitterly, "In reality, the oceanic creatures we've faced so far account for less than one ten-thousandth of the true numbers. The real power of the Deep Sea Demon Empire hasn't even revealed itself yet."
"Put it this way the sea monsters sent to the frontlines aren't here to conquer human lands. They're just too many in number… sea demon overpopulation. These ones are forced ashore and sent to die."
"If they manage to seize human resources, they'll live a few more days. If not, it's fine too the main goal is to control population density."
This statent shattered many of the team's long-held worldviews.
Mu Tingying exclaid in shock, "Then that's basically the sea demons' version of family planning? But I heard there are tons of Commander-level beasts on this battlefield. That's Commander-level! On land, that's enough to dominate a city, yet they're just cannon fodder?!"
Another mber, Li Kai, also found it hard to believe, "Humans can't be that weak, right? If the cannon fodder alone makes us treat them like a national crisis…"
Ai Jiangtu stepped up and affird, "That's exactly the case. Humanity's situation is far less secure than it looks."
This conversation plunged the group into deep thought. These young people were finally beginning to see the world more clearly.
The Sea Battle Fortress brought Tokyo an imnse influx of soul essences, materials, and resources, fueling its economic prosperity. Hunters from all over the world flocked here, drawn by the extraordinary opportunities for training.
Lu Jun instructed several of the national team mbers, "Head to the Sea Battle Fortress imdiately. This training exercise relates to the allocation of a batch of national-level magical resources contributed to the Magic Association by various countries. These are all high-tier materials."
"And after this training, our national team will undergo its first round of eliminations and selections."
Upon hearing this, the team mbers who were originally planning to relax beca serious. No one wanted to fall behind.
Ai Jiangtu asked, "What about you? Where are you going?"
Lu Jun replied casually, "I have other business to handle. Mo Fan's coming with , so I'm leaving the team in your hands."
Shortly after, the team split into two groups.
One headed for the Sea Battle Fortress to engage the sea monsters, while Lu Jun and Mo Fan, led by Mochizuki Chikako, set out to find the hunter friend introduced by Mochizuki iken.
The three traveled across a large section of Tokyo and finally arrived at the famous scenic area, Seven Wings Mountain.
This region was rich with natural beauty—temples nestled in the hills, rivers suitable for camping, and entire stretches of maple-covered mountains burning red like fire.
As Lu Jun and the others walked along, they saw many Japanese families setting up tents on the clear riverbanks, which were full of smooth pebbles.
Elegant white-collar workers, gentle and sweet housewives, children laughing and playing everything radiated warmth and harmony, with a touch of bourgeois charm.
Coming here from the chaotic Sea Battle Fortress felt like a ti warp. The nearby serenity clashed sharply with the blood-soaked battles on the other side.
"What beautiful scenery… and so many forests," Mo Fan muttered. "No wonder this is where a master would choose to live. Tsk tsk, even the rich guys' wives here look like they ca straight out of certain… films."
Hearing this, although Mochizuki Chikako didn't understand Chinese, she clearly noticed the lecherous gleam in Mo Fan's eyes and shot him a fierce glare.
Finally, the three of them found an old and secluded temple deep in the mountains. They knocked on its reddish-brown doors.
Knock knock knock!
"Hello, Master Qixiu, I am the daughter of Mochizuki iken. I apologize for the sudden visit."
As she knocked, Mochizuki Chikako spoke respectfully.
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
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