Versatile Mage : Reborn As Mo Fan

It was unclear what kind of curse or calamity this land had endured, but whether they were demons or humans who died here, most of the spirits that emerged after death took on a humanoid form. Even though they were beast bones, they had somehow pieced themselves together into an impossibly strange skeletal giant. The head was the decaying skull of a Qinling demon from underground, while the body was composed of human bones.

Or it could be a beast with a rotting human head, crawling on all fours, covered in decay and dark spots. These dead creatures would do anything to assemble themselves into a humanoid shape. Some were part human, part beast, others were pieced together from several incomplete corpses, and still others, made entirely of beast remains, insisted on forming a monstrous humanoid shape.

"Fire Burst: Explosion!"

Seeing six or seven rotting corpses appear in front of him, Mo Fan quickly launched a fire spell.

As soon as the fire spell landed around the corpses—

BOOM!

In the next moment, a violent explosion erupted, with azure flames spreading out in all directions, instantly drowning out the eerie moaning of the undead.

After defeating those few corpses, Mo Fan quickly noticed that a swarm of nearly a hundred corpses had emerged from the ground all around him.

Great! He had stepped right into a nest of corpses!

These dead creatures had no senses, no intelligence, no pain, and no fear. The only thing driving them was their instinct to chase and devour the living. The only thing that could repel them was sunlight!

"Fiery Fist: Earth Lotus!"

A lotus of azure fire bloomed from the ground, instantly reducing dozens of undead to ash. But in a place like this, the undead weren't limited to just those in front of him.

Soon, more corpses began gathering from all directions.

"Thunderbolt: Yaksha!"

BOOM!

RUMBLE!

Though the rotting corpses came in droves, Mo Fan was a walking magical cannon. Naturally, he had no trouble dealing with them. Using his shadow movement ability, he fought and escaped from the encirclement of the undead.

Undead, like demons, were divided into Servant, Warrior, Commander, and Monarch levels. The ones Mo Fan was encountering were the most common type of rotting corpses. They were mostly beings who had died within the last ten years, their bodies buried in death-filled soil, decayed but not entirely rotted away.

These rotting corpses were of the lowest rank—Servant level. However, they came in large numbers, and encountering a swarm of them in the wilderness was extremely dangerous.

Within a swarm of rotting corpses, older ones that had absorbed more death energy could sometimes give rise to Corpse Generals.

Corpse Generals, or Bone Generals, were far superior to many Warrior-level demons. While ordinary demons could be crippled by attacking their legs or weakened by hitting their vital spots, these corpse creatures didn't weaken when injured. Even if their bellies were blasted open or their limbs shattered, the rest of their bodies remained strong. A severed hand could even jump up on its own and latch onto a person's body.

A single Corpse General could be as powerful as three Warrior-level demons.

Fortunately for Mo Fan, he hadn't encountered a Warrior-level corpse yet. These Servant-level rotting corpses didn't require him to use his strongest spells.

But the undead, drawn by the scent of his living body, continued to pursue him relentlessly.

"Dimensional Summon!"

Even though Mo Fan wasn't afraid of these rotting corpses, he knew he couldn't outrun an entire horde on foot. He immediately summoned his Wolf Beast.

HOWWWL!

The moment the Wolf Beast saw the group of droopy-headed mutated creatures chasing after them, it howled in terror and bolted in the opposite direction.

It had never seen a master this troublesome—summoning it only to face such terrifying creatures!

Though the Wolf Beast enjoyed a good fight, it was still just a small, Servant-level wolf cub!

"Stop howling and keep running!" Mo Fan yelled, all while continuing to launch thunder and fire spells to clear the undead blocking their path.

After cutting through the horde, Mo Fan gave the Wolf Beast a direction, and they successfully reached the nearby village of Yangyang. Yangyang Village was nestled at the base of the Qinling mountains, just a few kilometers down the winding slope.

The village was small, built along a mountain stream, with houses made entirely of wood. Stepping into the village felt like stepping back in time to ancient days. There was no trace of modern magical technology—no electric lights, no power lines, and likely not even a cell signal.

At night, the village was eerily quiet, with not a single lamp lit. The only illumination came from the dim, yellowish light of the cold moon hanging in the sky.

The sound of the stream flowing was crystal clear, but the village was deathly silent, as if no one lived there at all.

"Hey, kid, before you enter the village, take off anything you shouldn't bring." said a hoarse, elderly voice that suddenly came from a wooden tower at the village entrance.

The tower resembled a watchpost, likely manned every night to guard against danger.

"Got it."

Mo Fan had learned about this rule before coming here, so he had no objections. After discarding his belongings, the old man wasted no time setting them on fire.

Once the flames consumed his items, the old man finally led him into the village.

The village wasn't large; it was smaller than some wealthy estates, and walking from one end to the other took only about ten minutes. Perhaps because it was nighttime, aside from the old man, Mo Fan saw no one.

Due to a lack of empty houses, Mo Fan was casually assigned to a straw hut.

He didn't mind. In fact, after the old man left, Mo Fan felt the pendent he carried start to pulse. It was clear that the Little Loach pendant was excited about something here, particularly the village well.

Mo Fan's real purpose for coming here was to investigate the well. If his information was correct, the village had a mage, though not a particularly powerful one. Without hesitation, he used his shadow movement to sneak toward the well, following the pendant's guidance.

Upon entering the well, Mo Fan saw a series of murals. These murals seemed alive, vivid and lifelike, though they had no actual energy or power. He understood that these weren't just murals—they were connected to an ancient king's tomb.

Without dwelling on the murals, Mo Fan descended further into the well, where the pendant trembled even more intensely. He raised it and said, "Don't get greedy, little fish. Just absorb a third, okay?"

The little loach pendant seemed to understand, and it began to absorb the energy. After reluctantly stopping, Mo Fan could still feel the immense energy remaining in the well. He quietly returned to the straw hut, having avoided attracting any attention. 

(End of Chapter)