VERSATILE MAGE: RISE OF A LEGEND

Mu He chuckled at the confidence in Yu Ang's voice. "Even so, Light has progressed quickly. Don't underestimate him."Go on ahead, I'll catch up with you shortly."

Yu Ang gave a slight nod and turned to walk toward the master's house. As he walked away, Mu He couldn't help but smile at the young man's determined nature.

Inside the Mu Family's grand estate, Yu Ang made his way toward the central hall, where Mu Zhuoyun, his father and head of the Mu family, sat sipping tea. Yu Ang took a seat nearby, his gaze thoughtful.

"Father, I don't understand why you've arranged a duel for me at my Coming-of-Age Ceremony," Yu Ang said, his voice betraying a hint of confusion.

Mu Zhuoyun, calm and calculating as always, set down his teacup before answering. "If we were to invite only high-class individuals and family members to your Coming-of-Age Ceremony, it would be quite dull. Gathering the most influential people of Bo City in one place is not easy. A duel at your ceremony will demonstrate your strength, not only to your peers but to the elders as well. It's time for you to gain prestige. That will make it easier when you rise to power later."

Yu Ang nodded, understanding his father's reasoning.

Mu Zhuoyun continued, his tone shifting slightly. "Your opponent, Light, has already gained considerable attention. He's made remarkable progress in his cultivation, surpassing many expectations. In just 2 year, he's become the most outstanding student at Tian Lan Magic High. He's caught the eye of key figures like Deng Kai, Zhan Kong, and even Principal Zhu. His family, the Su family, has been on the rise, and his sister Su Hongxiu utterly crushed our disciple in last year's battle. Be mindful of this."

Yu Ang's lips curled slightly. "Then it seems my Coming-of-Age Ceremony might have some entertainment after all."

Mu Zhuoyun leaned back in his chair, pleased. "Good. Remember, this duel isn't just for you. It's for the Mu family's reputation in Bo City. After your victory, I will open the Underground Holy Spring of Bo City for you. You'll have a week to cultivate there, and it will accelerate your progress beyond anything you've experienced."

Yu Ang's eyes gleamed with interest. "The Underground Holy Spring… Is it really that powerful?"

Mu Zhuoyun nodded. "It's like a Stardust Magic Tool, but far more potent. It's the key to breaking through to the Intermediate level, perhaps even faster than you'd expect."

Yu Ang sat back, deep in thought. His father's words carried weight, and the promise of power was too enticing to ignore. He was ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.

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As summer continued, Light maintained his steady cultivation. Working with the City Hunter Team wasn't too demanding, giving him time to focus on improving his magic. His Stardust was growing stronger, and with it, his control over the stars was becoming sharper and more precise.

School life remained much the same, but with the entrance exams approaching, the atmosphere was growing more intense. Students who had once been lackadaisical were now frequenting the training grounds, pushing themselves harder than ever before.

One day after class, Light was approached by Zhoumin, a fellow student.

"Light," Zhoumin whispered as she approached, "do you have time tonight?"

Light nodded, surprised by the sudden request. "Sure, what's up?"

Zhoumin hesitated, her expression serious. "Wait for me after school. I need to tell you something important."

Light agreed, sensing the urgency in her voice.

Later that evening, as the other students filed out of the school, Light found Zhoumin waiting for him near the back gate.

"Thanks for coming," Zhoumin said, her voice quiet. "There's something strange going on at my grandmother's house, and I need your help…"

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm golden hue over Bo City as students eagerly rushed out of the school gates. The final bell had rung, signaling the end of the day, and the school grounds transformed into a bustling scene of activity. Friends grouped together, chatting and laughing, while others hurried home. Among the crowd, a familiar figure strode confidently toward the back gate, where someone waited.

After school ended, a large crowd of students rushed toward the exit. Light, though typically blending in with the other students, stood out today. He moved with purpose, his thoughts preoccupied by something unusual that had occurred earlier in the day.

Zhoumin was indeed true to her words; she was waiting for Light at the back gate of the school. Her presence wasn't surprising, but the nervous look on her face certainly was. She wasn't the type to worry easily, and that alone piqued Light's interest.

Light walked over and was about to open his mouth to ask her what was going on when Zhoumin mysteriously said, "Light, I'm not sure if I should be telling you about this matter, but I also don't know anyone who is more suitable."

Light raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Zhoumin wasn't the type to be melodramatic, which meant something serious was bothering her. "What's going on?" he asked, his tone calm but with a hint of curiosity.

Zhoumin took a deep breath before she began. "It's like this; my grandma's house is on Rongshu Street. It's an old district that's going to be rebuilt into a new one. During the summer break, I went back to live with my grandmother, and then I frequently felt trembling sounds from the construction site next door. It seemed like there were construction workers doing their jobs. However, I asked some people, and they all said that they don't do construction work at night…"

Her voice trembled slightly as she continued. "My grandma always said that the large old district that's about to be razed has something living there. I tried to get my grandmother to move away, but she refused to leave the place. Therefore, I was hoping you would come with me and see what exactly is happening. Or else, I won't feel safe leaving my grandmother there alone. I'd feel scared at night," Zhoumin told Light sincerely.

Construction site trembling?

Light's mind immediately flashed back to the incident at the Mingwen Girls Middle School cafeteria, where he and others had encountered something far more dangerous than construction workers. Shit, last time there was a cafeteria, and this time, there's a construction site trembling. This Bo City was getting toyed with too much!

"Little classmate Zhoumin, you really found the right person," Light said with a confident smirk.

Zhoumin managed a small smile, her nervousness still evident but less pronounced now that she knew Light was taking her concerns seriously. They didn't waste any more time and set off toward the old district.

Arriving at the old district, it was just as Zhoumin had described. This part of the city had already been demolished; it looked as though it had just experienced a severe earthquake. Crumbled walls, half-destroyed buildings, and debris littered the streets. Most of the people had already moved away from this district. There were wanderers and vagrants who decided to stay here temporarily due to their circumstances. The remaining ones who stayed behind were the old people who refused to move away, like Zhoumin's old grandmother.

"Is this where she lives?" Light asked, eyeing the dilapidated houses around them.

"Yes, my grandmother's house is right over there," Zhoumin pointed toward a small, run-down home. "And the trembling area is over there." She pointed toward a large construction site, where several old houses had already been partially demolished.

To be honest, other than the emergence of Light's pure and manly heroic spirit, he was very puzzled over this trembling thing happening again. It had already happened once at the Mingwen Girls Middle School's cafeteria; how come, not long after, another trembling had emerged in a different part of Bo City?

It was reported that after eliminating the Colossal-eyed Ape Rat, the other areas around Mingwen Girls Middle School also had slight trembles. The police hadn't found the reason behind them, and the school had ensured the campus' safety, so school began as planned. Yet, here they were again, facing a similar situation in a completely different location.

"Let's go check it out," Light said, his expression becoming serious as he prepared himself for whatever might be lurking in the shadows.

The great city officer Light was currently being quite daring. With a nimble leap, he vaulted over the temporary construction walls that were put in place to keep people out. Zhoumin watched with a mixture of awe and fear before she cautiously followed him, squeezing through a gap in the wall.

Light walked forward a few steps and then reached into his pocket. From within, he pulled out a small, fragrant bag. He untied it, revealing sparkling and translucent dust inside. As Light blew the dust, it immediately scattered through the air, slowly sprinkling down all over the construction site.

Zhoumin's eyes widened in recognition. "This is… Beast Seeking Dust?" As expected of the honor student Zhoumin, she could tell what it was from a single glance.

"Yeah," Light nodded. Beast Seeking Powder was a must for city officers when hunting Magical Beasts on a dark and windy night.

"How come you brought this kind of thing along? Do you really think there's a Magical Beast here?" Zhoumin asked, her surprise evident.

Light chuckled. "Lady, you need to trust in experts. Just look for yourself." He pointed toward the sparkling, translucent dust that was slowly settling on the ground.

As the dust settled, something extraordinary happened. About ten meters away, the translucent dust particles seemed to glue themselves to the floor, forming an outline. The outline resembled something unmistakable—something ominous.

A footprint.

Zhoumin's breath hitched, and her face turned pale. The odor of a Magical Beast was normally really hard to catch a whiff of, especially if the beast had already left the scene. The specialty of the Beast Seeking Dust was that it was extremely sensitive to a Magical Beast's odor. If a Magical Beast had left behind a footprint ten days ago, the Beast Seeking Dust would still be able to track it!

"What, what do we do?" Zhoumin stammered, her voice trembling.

"I'll take a look at the shape of the footprints," Light replied, his bravery unwavering. He stepped forward to examine the footprint more closely.

Zhoumin, however, was not as calm. "We-we should hurry and contact the City Hunter Team," she urged, her voice filled with panic.

"The City Hunter Team needs evidence. They aren't that free," Light responded calmly.

The footprint outline emerging from the Beast Seeking Dust could only count as a suspicion, and not ironclad evidence. After all, a Summoning Mage taking a stroll here was a possibility, too. But Light knew better—something was off.

"This footprint doesn't seem like it belongs to a Colossal-eyed Ape Rat," Light muttered, creasing his brow in concentration.

"Light... We should leave," Zhoumin's voice quivered, fear gripping her.

But Light, ever the investigator, was determined to get to the bottom of this. He continued to walk toward the interior of the construction site, his steps cautious but resolute. Zhoumin, despite her growing fear, couldn't leave him alone and carefully followed.

"It seems like he is hiding in that unfinished mall," Light pointed toward a large, partially constructed building down the road. Its frame loomed ominously in the dim light, casting long shadows across the rubble-strewn ground.

"L... Li... Light…" Zhoumin's voice suddenly turned incredibly stiff. There was a strange tension in her voice, something Light had never heard from her before.

He immediately looked in the direction she was staring. On the other side of a crumbled brick wall, where the first floor of the building should have been, there was a wiggling black shadow.

And it wasn't just any shadow.

It was a creature with very sturdy lower limbs. Even just standing there, its head almost touched the ceiling of the second floor. The dim light of the moon cast an eerie glow over its gigantic wolf-shaped head. Its most striking feature was its one, singular eye, glaring menacingly beneath the night sky.

"It's… It's a One-eyed Magic Wolf!" Zhoumin's voice almost broke into a scream.

A One-eyed Magic Wolf. This was a savage Magical Beast that had been mentioned several times by their teachers in Magical Beast class. The One-eyed Magic Wolf mostly dwelled in the mountains, far from human settlements. It was known to be hostile to humans—and it had a particular taste for human flesh.

Who would've thought that this would be the Magical Beast they'd encounter here in Bo City?

The One-eyed Magic Wolf was chewing something. In the shadowy light, Zhoumin's eyes widened in horror as she realized what it was.

It was a human arm.

Light's heart raced as he assessed the situation. The One-eyed Magic Wolf was no ordinary threat. This was a beast that could easily tear through humans, and it was standing mere meters away from him and Zhoumin.

Zhoumin's breath was shallow, panic threatening to overtake her as she backed away slowly. "W-we need to get out of here, Light! That thing—it's going to kill us!" she whispered, her voice trembling with fear.

But Light stood his ground, his mind racing as he considered his options. He wasn't about to run away and leave the situation unchecked. If this beast was here, more might follow, and that could spell disaster for Bo City.