Odin, the Sorcerer God

“Oh~, so Mo Fei really said that? He completely disregarded the warning from the Alliance of Saints?”

“Yes, Mo Fei also said that our Alliance has no right to interfere in the affairs of the City of Death, and that the City of Death fears no one, nor any threat from any force! His attitude was extremely tough, and he seemed utterly fearless.”

Within the borders of the Empire of Magic and Martial Arts, atop a desolate snow-capped mountain, a grand palace stood majestically along its slope. Inside the palace, the powerful Grand Magus who had previously appeared in the City of Death now bowed respectfully, reporting to the golden-haired elder seated upon the throne about the encounter with Mo Fei.

“Heh, how amusing! Mo Fei is truly overestimating himself. Does he think that, with the backing of those barbaric beastman berserkers and the dwarves, he can become invincible? Has he forgotten that, in this continent, everything is ultimately decided by absolute power?” The golden-haired elder spoke with disdain.

“Lord Odin, there is one more matter I must report. During our negotiation with Mo Fei, he unintentionally released an aura that made my heart tremble—much like the feeling you give me. Considering his disregard for our warning, I suspect Mo Fei may have already reached the realm of a Divine Magus,” the old mage confided his suspicion to Odin.

“Haha, you think Mo Fei has broken through to the Divine Magus realm? Impossible. How old is he? The Divine Magus realm is not so easily attained. You yourself have lingered at the Grand Magus level for years; surely you know how difficult it is to break through. Even my own advance to the Divine Magus realm was due to a series of fortunate coincidences. Mo Fei is barely in his twenties—how could he possibly break through?” Odin firmly dismissed the old mage’s guess.

“But the aura he released was indeed powerful. Even if he hasn’t reached the Divine Magus realm, I believe he’s not far from it. Moreover, according to our investigation, he’s only been cultivating for a few years and has reached such a level. He must harbor secrets. We must be vigilant—he may become a grave threat to us in the future.”

“I understand. You must keep a close eye on Mo Fei and the movements of his City of Death!” Odin said. “If there’s nothing else, you may withdraw.”

After the elder departed, Odin sat alone upon the throne. The old mage’s words lingered in his mind. Indeed, Mo Fei’s origins were shrouded in mystery. Even with the Alliance of Saints’ intelligence network spread across the continent, they had found nothing about where Mo Fei had come from. His appearance was unlike any race on the continent, his strength unfathomable, his principles eccentric. Every aspect of Mo Fei exuded mystery.

“It seems I must find an opportunity to meet this Mo Fei myself,” Odin murmured to himself.

…

In the City of Death, within Mo Fei’s courtyard.

“Mo Fei, why is it that after so many days, I still haven’t sensed any Qi?” Vivienne, sitting cross-legged at the center of the magical spirit-gathering array, asked Mo Fei with a look of disappointment.

Since Mo Fei had helped Vivienne and Irene establish their foundations, several days had passed. Yet Vivienne had still not sensed Qi. Irene, on the other hand, had begun to sense Qi the day after her foundation was established and had already formally entered the Qi refining stage. How could Vivienne not feel dejected?

“There’s no need to rush cultivation! Besides, this is your first time practicing cultivation—how could you expect to sense Qi so quickly? Even your husband needed half a month before he sensed Qi,” Mo Fei said, inventing a kindly lie to ease Vivienne’s disappointment.

Yet Mo Fei’s words were true: cultivation cannot be hurried. The speed at which one senses Qi is not a direct measure of one’s talent.

“But didn’t Irene sense Qi the day after her foundation was established?” Vivienne protested.

“Irene’s case is different from yours. You previously practiced battle energy and your sensitivity to the world’s spiritual energy can’t compare to the natural affinity the elves have. Irene’s rapid progress owes much to her racial talent. For ordinary people, it’s completely normal to sense Qi after a month,” Mo Fei patiently explained.

“Is there any way you can help me sense Qi faster?” Vivienne moved to Mo Fei’s side, shaking his hand and pouting.

“I do have a method to hasten your Qi sensing, but it has significant drawbacks. It would leave your foundation unstable. If you don’t build a solid base from the start, achieving higher accomplishments later will be impossible. Are you sure you want me to help you?” Mo Fei replied, half smiling at Vivienne.

“No, I’ll just practice on my own!” Vivienne stuck out her tongue and obediently returned to the spirit-gathering array.

Since the incident with the Kingdom of Elves had been resolved and—aside from the matter with the Alliance of Saints—Mo Fei spent his days cultivating and guiding Irene and Vivienne in their practice.

That day, on a sudden whim, Mo Fei visited the council hall to attend the City of Death’s daily morning meeting. In fact, since his last excursion—after entrusting the city’s affairs to Elder Off and others—Mo Fei had scarcely involved himself in its management. His focus was now on cultivation.

“Lord City Master, with the Kingdom of Elves now a strong ally, the City of Death can no longer be disregarded by any empire. We can begin planning ahead,” Elder Off remarked, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

“I’m thinking that once things quiet down here, I’ll start planning my grand journey. I keep missing out; it would be good to see the world. The City of Death is in good hands with all of you. If territory needs taking, Cain does it better than I do. For managing and organizing, Elder Off excels. Logistics and supply are handled by Elder Warton. I feel as if I have little use left.”

“Lord City Master, you’re mistaken,” Elder Off said. “Everything we do revolves around you. Without you, none of us could accomplish these things. Only because we know your intentions and desires do we cooperate so well. Without you, there would be no City of Death as it is today.”

“Yes, young master. If you no longer want the city, Cain will simply follow you. As long as I can follow you, that’s all I need.”

“All right, all right,” Mo Fei laughed. “Enough of that. Since you all know what I want, just go ahead and act while I’m away. Anyway, most cities I’ll visit have our Night Squad stationed there, so communication will be easy.”

“Will the City Master be traveling with the two princesses?” Cain asked.

“Unless they don’t want to go, I doubt I’ll escape their company.” Though traveling with Irene and Vivienne would be lively, both had only just begun their cultivation. Their strength was still somewhat low, and Mo Fei felt a lingering sense of unease. While his own power meant he feared no threats to them, there was always the risk of unforeseen danger, and he worried he might not be able to protect them both.

“Are you talking about me?” As they spoke, Irene appeared before the group.

“They were just asking if I’d take you along next time I go out.”

“Of course you must! Brother, you mustn’t sneak away with Sister Vivienne and leave me behind. Oh, right! Brother, Mother asked me to invite you, Cain, and Elder Off to the Elven Capital!”

“Her Majesty wants us to visit? Is something the matter?” Elder Off inquired.

“I’m not sure. Mother wanted to come herself, but with so many guards in the palace, she’d be followed by a whole crowd if she left, so she sent me to invite you.”

“It’s so close, we’ll be there in no time,” Mo Fei smiled. “Let’s go, then.”

Leaving the city without guards, the principal figures of the City of Death entered the Forest of Death. After a few steps, an elf appeared to greet them before vanishing instantly. If Mo Fei hadn’t sensed their breathing, they might have passed right by without noticing.

Upon reaching the Elven Capital, the Elven Queen was already waiting outside the palace gates.

“Children, I wanted to come find you myself, but the steward insisted the forest was safer. If I went out, they’d send a whole crowd to follow me, so I asked Irene to invite you. I hope you don’t mind?”

“Your Majesty, you needn’t say that,” Elder Off replied with a smile. “With the Kingdom of Elves newly restored, you truly shouldn’t leave the capital carelessly. As for the City of Death, we’ve long been free of trouble. If anything arises, just let us know and we’ll come right away.”

“Mother, is there something you wanted to discuss? Shall we go inside?”

“Of course, please, everyone.” Mo Fei and Irene walked on either side of the Elven Queen as they entered.