The old man muttered in confusion, "Are there Archmagi I don't even know about? Or has Aelif already recovered, or perhaps he was never wounded at all and was just lying? Damn it, to think this old coot tricked even me! If I ever find out, I swear I'll pick a fight with him and teach him the price of deceiving me."

The elderly mage exclaimed excitedly, "That’s right, I’ll just go ask him and find out! If this old man has been playing me, he's going to regret it!"

With that, he abruptly turned and cast the Fly spell, soaring up into the sky.

In moments, he was gone.

Meanwhile, Mo Han and the others had returned to Maya City in the Proud Moon Empire. They hadn't encountered so much as a shadow of a magical beast on the road, which was entirely thanks to Little Mo. The beasts sensed the aura of a high-level magical beast emanating from Little Mo and kept their distance; there was no way they would dare appear before them.

Everyone rested in the city for a day, prepared some supplies, and purchased a few horses. (Heh, they were practically overnight millionaires now. The cores of the Fire and Water Shadow Wolf they obtained sold for a staggering 100,000 gold coins, leaving Mo Han and the others dumbfounded. They had only expected to get 50,000 at most. Remembering the other core Little Mo had destroyed, Mo Han felt a sharp pang of regret and proceeded to curse Little Mo fiercely again. Poor Little Mo spent the next few days dodging Mo Han whenever he saw him.)

The group left Maya City and headed toward the Dragon Sky Empire. With horses, their speed was significantly faster. In less than ten days, they reached Skywatch City, the easternmost city of the Proud Moon Empire. Crossing Skywatch City meant leaving the Proud Moon Empire's territory and arriving at the Duchy of Kack, one of the smaller cities situated between the Proud Moon and Dragon Sky Empires.

Along the way, whenever they had a moment to rest, the companions pored over the notes Mo Han had given them. They had all been at the peak of their respective levels, close to breaking through, but they lacked guidance from a renowned master. Mo Han's secret manuals were undoubtedly that master, and everyone was progressing at lightning speed.

Daili had broken through to the rank of Advanced Swordsman and entered the ranks of the Sword Masters. Latin and Rock had reached the level of Advanced Warriors, and Jack had broken through his cultivation to achieve the strength of an Intermediate Magician. They just hadn't officially registered their achievements with the Mercenary or Mage Guilds yet.

Anna's archery was also growing faster and faster; her arrows required Latin and Rock to block with utmost care, though only Daili could parry them with ease. But Sword Masters were still relatively rare, and Anna's archery was constantly improving, which brought Mo Han a great deal of comfort.

One morning, the group arrived in Skywatch City, and Mo Han suggested they rest for a day before moving on, using the time to take their guild assessments and collect their new badges. After days of continuous travel, everyone was utterly exhausted, except for Little Mo, who seemed unaffected and was sleeping contentedly in Daili’s arms, making Mo Han intensely envious.

The two girls, Daili and Anna, looked noticeably pale, which filled Mo Han with self-reproach. He should have rested sooner; he had only been focused on reaching the Dragon Sky Empire quickly, ignoring their feelings. Thinking of this, Mo Han spoke apologetically to Daili and Anna, "I'm sorry, I was too careless; we should have rested earlier." Daili smiled and replied, "It's alright, I can manage." Anna added, "I'm not tired either. It’s better if we can help Brother Mo Han resolve his issues sooner." Hearing this deeply touched Mo Han. He thought to himself: Ah, what truly good girls they are. I must take good care of them.

After entering the city, they found the largest inn to stay in. Everyone busied themselves showering and resting. Mo Han took Little Mo into the room and sat quietly on the bed to meditate. Since casting Meteor Fire Rain last time, Mo Han felt his magical cultivation had advanced another step, bringing him ever closer to the realm of Saint Magister.

When Mo Han awoke, it was already evening. He looked up to see Daili's worried gaze fixed on him. Upon closer inspection, Anna and Latin were there too. Mo Han chuckled, "Geez, you're all here? Am I really that handsome that you can't stop looking?"

Daili scolded him with concern, "How could you be so careless? Meditating without setting up a barrier! What if something had happened?"

Mo Han laughed and replied, "Heh, it was my momentary lapse; I won't do it again." Though Daili was chiding him, Mo Han could feel the profound affection woven into her words, warming his heart. Moreover, Mo Han knew that with Little Mo nearby, those who could harm him were few and far between.

Mo Han looked at Latin and asked curiously, "What about you? Why haven't you gone to rest?"

Latin replied flatly, "If the Boss is meditating, naturally I must stand guard. I already said it: to harm you, they must kill me first."

Mo Han said gratefully, "Heh, thank you very much for that."

Anna, standing nearby, protested a little resentfully, "Brother Mo Han, what about me? I'm here by your side too."

Mo Han smiled and replied, "Heh, of course, I wouldn't forget our little Anna. Thank you too. Oh right, where are Jack and Rock?" Mo Han asked, looking around.

Daili spoke up, "They went to buy some provisions and decided to take their guild assessments while they were out; they should be back soon. We went first; now it's their turn." As she spoke, she proudly pointed to the badge on her chest and asked happily, "Does it look good?" Mo Han stared at Daili's chest with a flirtatious look and murmured, "Beautiful, truly beautiful."

Daili sensed Mo Han’s gaze was inappropriate, and seeing his eyes lingering on her chest, she blushed and snapped, "You pervert, where are you looking?" Mo Han feigned innocence, "Duh, you asked me if it looked good."

Daili chided him shyly, "I meant for you to look at the badge, not where your eyes are going!" Mo Han smiled slyly at Daili, "Oh, a misunderstanding, I misread your meaning. You didn't make yourself clear when you asked me to look, heh, so you can't blame me. But honestly, it really is a beautiful badge—I mean, your badge is very beautiful."

Seeing Daili about to flare up again, Mo Han quickly changed the subject. "Oh, what about Little Mo?" Mo Han glanced around, not seeing the perpetually hungry little guy.

Just then, a muffled whimper came from under the bed. Little Mo crawled out from beneath it, a roast duck of indeterminate origin clutched in his mouth, happily gnawing away.

Mo Han laughed and chided him, "All you think about is eating! I told you to stand guard for me, where did you go? You made Kelly and the others worry."

Little Mo whined pitifully, Woowoo, seemingly trying to defend himself.

Mo Han laughed, "Still talking back? No food for you tonight." The poor Earth Bear, Little Mo, could only quietly shut his mouth and look at Mo Han with a wronged expression, which made everyone burst into laughter.

Kelly interjected from the side, "Alright, you only know how to bully Little Mo."

Mo Han grinned at Little Mo, "Heh, that's not true, is it, Little Mo?" As he spoke, he fixed the bear with a stern glare. Under the pressure of Mo Han’s threatening look, the poor Little Mo reluctantly nodded with a wronged expression.

This earned Daili an eye-roll and a teasing scolding: "Is that how you interrogate someone?" Mo Han acted innocent again, "Uh, no, I wasn't threatening Little Mo." Simultaneously, he inwardly thought with satisfaction, Heh, topic successfully diverted.

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