After eating the gray garlic, everyone continued their journey toward Yangyang Village.
Under the guidance of the short man—and with the gray garlic keeping away monsters—they encountered no danger along the way.
"Once you cross the hill ahead, you'll see Yangyang Village," the short man said eagerly, walking closer to Mu Nianbing with an almost flattering tone.
Mu Nianbing didn't respond. He already knew Yangyang Village no longer existed.
Sure enough, when they climbed over the hill, a scene of devastation spread out before their eyes.
Except for Mu Nianbing, everyone was stunned. What lay below wasn't a peaceful little village, but a pile of broken ruins.
"Are you kidding us?" the bearded follower roared, glaring at the short man. "Does this look like a place where people live?"
"I—I don't know either," the short man stammered, looking panicked. He turned toward the burly man leading them, hoping for answers.
But the strong man's face twisted in disbelief before he bolted toward the ruins like a madman.
"This should be Yangyang Village," Mu Nianbing said calmly, "but it looks like it was attacked by something."
"Attacked? Could it be the undead?" Mo Fan asked, frowning.
It wasn't an unreasonable guess—Yangyang Village was far from the city, and undead attacks were not uncommon.
"Perhaps."
Mu Nianbing gave a helpless shrug. At first glance, it did look like the work of the undead. But in truth, he knew otherwise.
Yangyang Village was once a dangerous village, one that possessed the treasure known as the Kunjing Spring—a source connected to the Holy Spring of the Earth.
Because of that, it had long been a target of the Black Vatican.
In short, the destruction of Yangyang Village was the work of the Black Vatican.
"So… what do we do now?" Mo Fan asked grimly. The only clue they had was Yangyang Village, and now it was gone.
Mu Nianbing stayed calm. He turned to the short man. "Are there any other villages nearby?"
Unless something unexpected had happened, Zhang Xiaohou should still be in another village.
"There's one," the short man replied after a pause. "But it's far—about two days' journey. And we don't have enough gray garlic left."
Without the garlic's scent to deter monsters, traveling that distance would be extremely dangerous. The short man clearly didn't want to risk his life.
"I can use my summoned beast to fly us there," Mu Nianbing said. "That should save a lot of time."
"Summoned beast?" The short man blinked, then shook his head quickly. "No! If we summon something large, it'll only attract more undead!"
Mu Nianbing chuckled softly. He didn't argue—he simply opened a dimensional door.
In the next instant, a massive figure emerged from the spatial rift—the Cangming Jiao.
The air vibrated with power as the enormous dragon coiled in the sky above them, its scales glinting like sapphire steel.
Having reached the Commander Level, its body now stretched over a hundred meters long.
"Commander-level dragon!" Asharuya and her two followers were visibly shocked.
The short man and the burly warrior could only stare, completely dumbfounded. They had never seen a summoned beast this powerful.
Only Mo Fan remained relatively calm. He already knew how terrifying Mu Nianbing's summoned beast was—it wasn't even comparable to his Swift Star Wolf.
"If we encounter any powerful undead," Mu Nianbing said lightly, "I'll handle it."
Even a commander-level undead wouldn't pose much of a problem for him.
And if something truly dangerous appeared, Asharuya and her followers were still there.
The short man didn't doubt him anymore. Just one look at the dragon above was enough to assure him of their safety.
After everyone climbed onto the Cangming Jiao's broad back, Asharuya deliberately took a seat beside Mu Nianbing.
They were close enough that Mu Nianbing could faintly smell the fragrance of her perfume.
"You major in the Summoning Element?" she asked curiously.
Her tone carried genuine admiration.
A powerful Ice Elf and now a Commander-level dragon—both were proof of exceptional strength in summoning magic.
"No." Mu Nianbing glanced down at the Little Snow Maiden resting against Asharuya's chest.
A faint look of envy flickered in his eyes—though it wasn't clear whether it was for the elf or her comfortable resting spot.
"Then your main element must be even stronger," Asharuya said softly, clearly impressed.
"To be this strong with summoning as a secondary… it's unbelievable."
Mu Nianbing only smiled. Compared to his mastery of Ice Magic, summoning was indeed nothing special.
After advancing to the Commander Level, the Cangming Jiao's speed had increased dramatically.
Though they encountered several undead on the way—including a few at the General Level—Mu Nianbing dispatched them all with ease.
He didn't even use his Ice Magic. The power of his Space Magic alone was enough to obliterate them.
Asharuya and her entourage watched in awe. If his Summoning and Space Elements were this strong, then how terrifying was his main element?
Then, without warning, a torrential downpour began.
Mu Nianbing didn't care about getting wet, but Asharuya clearly did. He sighed and asked the short man to find shelter.
They spent three long, uneventful days waiting out the storm in a cave.
When the rain finally stopped, they resumed their journey—riding the Cangming Jiao toward Hua Village.
From the air, Hua Village came into view.
Though not as devastated as Yangyang Village, it still bore signs of tragedy—collapsed houses, dark stains of blood, and an eerie silence.
Mu Nianbing knew there were survivors hiding below. He guided the Cangming Jiao to land near a well.
When the dragon's shadow fell over the wellhead, frightened faces peered up from the darkness below.
"People are hiding inside," the short man whispered, astonished.
With Mo Fan and Zhuang Nan's help, the villagers slowly climbed out one by one. The well wasn't large, yet somehow it had sheltered hundreds.
When Zhang Xiaohou finally emerged, Mo Fan rushed forward, eyes bright with relief and excitement.
Mu Nianbing stayed silent. He wasn't as emotional—his relationship with Zhang Xiaohou wasn't that close, certainly not like Mo Fan's bond with him.
At this point, Zhang Xiaohou was still pretending to have lost his memory and didn't recognize Mo Fan at all.
"Now that we've found Hua Village," Asharuya said gently, "it's time for us to go. I'll return this little one to you."
She lifted the Little Snow Maiden from her arms and handed her back to Mu Nianbing.
The tiny spirit looked reluctant, but after Mu Nianbing tapped her lightly on the forehead, she pouted and flew to perch on his shoulder.
"So soon? Can't you stay a little longer?" Mu Nianbing asked casually, half teasing.
"No," Asharuya said with a smile, her tone both kind and mysterious. "But I'm sure we'll meet again."
For the first time, she removed her black veil, revealing a face that was both gentle and breathtakingly beautiful.
Her two attendants couldn't help but exchange glances, a flicker of jealousy in their eyes.
Could it be that Her Highness, the Saint of the Parthenon Temple, had taken a liking to this man?
...
Author's Note:
Versatile Mage: Heir of the Frozen Throne — Part 1 is now fully completed and available on my Patreon!
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
🔥 I also have additional **18+ fanfics** available for readers who enjoy exclusive mature stories. 😉
1. Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
6. Versatile Mage: Awakening the Succubus System
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you all for your support and love for this story 💙