After obtaining the Glazed Phoenix Feather and the Lingzhong Shards, Mu Nianbing took a flight and left the Ancient Capital.
Besides the shards, Han Ji had even gifted him three complete Ice Element Lingzhong—an extremely generous gesture.
Mu Nianbing didn't bring Mo Fan along.
Mo Fan decided to stay behind in the Ancient Capital to stabilize his Fire Element cultivation.
But Mu Nianbing suspected that Mo Fan's real reason for staying had more to do with Zhou Min than with training.
Considering Zhang Xiaohou already had two girls around him, it was no surprise that Mo Fan, as his "boss," was feeling anxious.
Mu Nianbing wasn't interested in meddling with their personal affairs.
He and Zhou Min weren't particularly close—just classmates from the same second-year high school class—so they could barely be considered acquaintances.
When Mu Nianbing arrived back in Magic City, he noticed several unread text messages from Feng Li.
Due to the signal blockade during the Ancient Capital Disaster, the messages had only just been received.
He quickly went through them.
In summary: after the Nomination Competition ended, the final selection ceremony for the National Team was held immediately after.
As the pre-appointed National Team Captain, Mu Nianbing naturally didn't need to participate in any further matches.
His strength had already been acknowledged by the Grand Speaker himself—after all, he had defeated Ai Jiangtu.
However, his absence during the official assembly created a stir.
Feng Li, furious at his unexplained disappearance, had even considered stripping him of the captaincy.
But with such undeniable achievements and official recognition, removing him wasn't possible.
The last message was filled with irritation, yet still included the assembly time and location.
"There are still three months left," Mu Nianbing calculated silently.
That was enough time for him to push his Summoning Element to the second tier—and help Little Snow Girl reach Commander-level.
At her current pace—devouring one Lingzhong Shard per day—Little Snow Girl's strength had already peaked at the General-level.
Her mastery of ice magic allowed her to fight on par with most Commanders. Once she ascended, her combat power would multiply severalfold.
When Mu Nianbing reached his apartment complex, he unexpectedly ran into Mu Nujiao and Ai Tutu.
"Why do I always bump into them right after getting back…" he thought, momentarily puzzled.
Could this be the work of the Qilin Blessing again?
"Mu Nianbing?!"
Both girls looked genuinely surprised to see him—especially Mu Nujiao, whose eyes flickered with a mix of relief and curiosity.
Mu Nianbing had vanished completely for some time. Even when they asked Xinxia, she hadn't known his whereabouts.
Just a few days ago, Mu Nujiao had wanted to discuss something with him, but finding his apartment empty, she had let the idea go.
"Where have you been all this time?" Ai Tutu asked hurriedly.
Seeing the concern in her eyes, Mu Nianbing couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"I went to the Ancient Capital. Why? Is there a problem?"
He didn't bother hiding it—after all, the matter would become public soon enough.
Hearing this, Mu Nujiao and Ai Tutu exchanged a meaningful look.
"So, you must already know what happened there," Ai Tutu said seriously.
"Of course," Mu Nianbing nodded. "The Ancient Capital Disaster. I was in the middle of it. Fortunately, the casualties weren't too high."
He shrugged casually. Not only had he been involved, he had been the reason the city survived—but that was something he couldn't reveal yet.
The Ancient Capital Disaster had shaken the entire nation, its impact far surpassing that of the Bo City tragedy.
Not only because the Ancient Capital was a major city, but also because it involved the resurrection of the Ancient King himself.
The Ancient King—one of the original creators of the Undead Element—had become an Undead Emperor after death.
The reappearance of such an existence naturally drew the attention of the world's top powers.
"That's not what we wanted to talk about," Mu Nujiao said quietly.
"Then what is it?" Mu Nianbing asked.
"Yesterday, the Black Vatican's Tiger Jin High Priest was tried," she said softly. "I heard he's related to your Mu Family."
Mu Nianbing's brows furrowed slightly. They had already begun Mu He's trial so soon?
It made sense. The Black Vatican's recent actions had enraged the nation—they needed someone to take the blame and pacify the public.
But Mu He was already dead. That meant the anger would now fall on the Mu Family.
The only question was how the Mu Clan would respond.
Seeing his calm expression, Mu Nujiao asked in disbelief, "Aren't you worried about being implicated?"
"This matter's already set in motion," Mu Nianbing replied evenly. "Worrying won't help. Better to think about how to fix it."
He spoke casually, completely unbothered.
He had more than one trump card up his sleeve—whatever the Mu Clan planned, he could counter it.
Mu Nujiao was silent for a moment, then smiled faintly. "You're right. With your strength, I suppose nothing really fazes you."
Mu Nianbing gave her a brief smile but said nothing.
From Feng Li's messages, he hadn't seen the list of selected National Team members, so he didn't know if Mu Nujiao had made it.
Judging from her current Intermediate-level cultivation, though, it seemed unlikely.
Mu Nujiao's talent was excellent, but when it came to combat power, she still fell short of students like Dongfang Lie.
After parting ways with the two, Mu Nianbing returned to his apartment.
As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Ye Xinxia sitting on the sofa, browsing the latest reports on the Ancient Capital Disaster.
He hadn't told her about his trip—he didn't want her to worry.
Though he'd said he'd be away for a few days, Xinxia still couldn't calm her heart.
When news of the disaster broke, she had immediately feared the worst—that her "Nian Gege" was there.
So she kept searching for updates, hoping for reassurance.
Mu Nianbing quietly walked up behind her and covered her eyes with both hands.
"Brother Nian?" Xinxia froze for a moment, then spoke softly.
Mu Nianbing had intended to surprise her but hadn't expected her to recognize him so easily.
"How did you guess it was me?" he asked curiously.
"I didn't guess," Xinxia said, smiling faintly. "I could tell from your scent."
"I just took a shower yesterday," Mu Nianbing said with mock exasperation. "What scent could there be?"
"I don't know how to explain it," she said sweetly. "But it's always cool and clean—just like you."
Mu Nianbing chuckled and gently wrapped his arms around her.
She felt even lighter than before—delicate and warm in his embrace.
Leaning close to his ear, Xinxia whispered softly, "Brother Nian… you've gotten stronger again…"
...
Author's Note:
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