"Then we can only start searching first."
As soon as Mu Nianbing spoke, a summoning formation glowed beneath his feet.
The Cangming Jiao appeared with a low roar, its colossal body coiling through the air like an azure dragon.
With its current size, carrying more than a dozen people was effortless.
"So big!" Mu Nujiao stared in awe, her lips slightly parted.
"Commander level!" Zhao Manyan and Xu Zhaoting were dumbfounded — their eyes nearly popping from their sockets.
Mu Nianbing calmly lifted Mu Ningxue, who was still frozen in surprise, and leapt onto the Cangming Jiao's broad back.
"Don't just stand there. Get on — we need to find the others."
He extended a hand to Mu Nujiao and pulled her up.
Mu Ningxue sat in front of him while Mu Nujiao settled behind, her arms instinctively wrapping around his waist for balance.
Xu Zhaoting and Zhao Manyan followed shortly after, though neither looked very steady.
Zhao Manyan managed to keep composed — he'd at least ridden the beast once before.
Xu Zhaoting, however, was both thrilled and terrified, gripping tightly as the creature shifted beneath them.
"Brother Bing, your summoned beast is incredible! It looks just as majestic as a Yalong!" Zhao Manyan exclaimed, eyes gleaming with admiration.
Most summoners' beasts could barely hold off a mid-level mage, but Mu Nianbing's Cangming Jiao was on another level — powerful, domineering, and able to soar through the skies like a living storm.
"Don't call it 'like' a dragon," Mu Nianbing replied, voice calm but proud.
"Its bloodline is that of a dragon — just not a Western lizard-dragon, but an Eastern divine one."
The Cangming Jiao belonged to the ancient Jiaolong lineage, carrying the essence of true draconic blood.
That was why Mu Nianbing hadn't rushed to find a contracted beast yet — few creatures in the world could surpass this one.
"If your summoned beast has reached the commander level," Mu Nujiao asked curiously, "doesn't that mean your Summoning Element has already advanced to the high tier?"
She realized how absurd the question sounded but couldn't help asking. Even with another year of cultivation, she doubted she could reach that level.
Mu Nianbing, on the other hand, had achieved high-level dual elements and commanded a commander-level summon. His growth was monstrous.
"I just cultivate a bit faster than most," Mu Nianbing said with a faint smile.
As he adjusted his grip on Mu Ningxue's waist to steady her, his fingers brushed against her delicate frame. Her body tensed slightly — but she said nothing.
Zhao Manyan groaned under his breath. "Some people are just born to make others jealous…"
If Mu Nianbing had been a direct heir of the Mu Family, groomed with endless resources, Zhao Manyan could've accepted it.
But he was merely a collateral branch member from the Magic City, receiving almost no family support — yet he still soared above them all.
Unfair didn't even begin to describe it.
The Cangming Jiao streaked across the night sky like a bolt of blue lightning, covering miles in moments.
Before long, they located Song Xia, Zheng Bingxiao, and Bai Tingting, who had fortunately escaped pursuit.
A short while later, they found Shen Mingxiao and Luo Song locked in a desperate battle with a military mage.
Though they fought together, they were completely outmatched — both were bleeding and barely standing.
Mu Nianbing's expression didn't change. He simply gave a command.
"Cangming Jiao, Water Cannon."
A concentrated jet of freezing water burst from the dragon's maw, piercing straight through the enemy mage's skull.
The man dropped lifelessly, blood and frost splattering across the forest floor.
"Bai Tingting," Mu Nianbing said coolly, "heal them. If you can't save them, leave them."
At those words, Shen Mingxiao and Luo Song — who were half-unconscious — immediately raised trembling hands. "W-We can still be saved!"
Bai Tingting, pale-faced, nodded quickly and got to work. Both men were in critical condition, and it would take time before their wounds stabilized.
Then, a deafening boom tore through the night. The ground trembled violently beneath their feet.
Zhao Manyan's face paled. "Brother Bing… that sound — it's that thing, isn't it? The Giant Lizard Pseudo-Dragon?"
The mention of the creature made everyone's blood run cold.
That monster was a nightmare — a force no student could even dream of facing.
"The Giant Lizard Pseudo-Dragon should be confronting Lu Nian," Mu Nianbing said, narrowing his eyes. "Stay here. I'll check it out."
"Brother Bing, just let them fight it out!" Zhao Manyan urged.
"If both sides get injured, that's the best outcome for us. Right now, we should regroup and get out of this cursed place."
Mu Nianbing shook his head. "Cangming Jiao will stay here to protect you. Those two are still being treated."
He pointed toward Shen Mingxiao and Luo Song, both lying unconscious. Without his summon's protection, they'd all be sitting ducks.
Zhao Manyan fell silent — he couldn't argue with that.
Meanwhile, at the heart of the battlefield—
"Damn it, this is all your fault!" Lu Nian roared, blasting spell after spell at the Giant Lizard Pseudo-Dragon while glaring at his brother.
Lu Zhenghe lay behind him, one thigh missing, unable to move.
If it weren't for this useless fool, Lu Nian would've fled already.
Then, a frigid wind swept through the sky. A magnificent Ice Dragon appeared out of thin air, its wings beating like frozen thunder.
The moment the pseudo-dragon sensed its power, it abandoned its prey and turned to flee.
But the Ice Dragon gave no mercy — it locked onto the pseudo-dragon and dove.
A sound like a mountain cracking echoed through the plains.
Ice exploded outward, and the pseudo-dragon was frozen solid midair before crashing to the ground like a falling glacier.
"What terrifying Ice Magic!"
Lu Nian's pupils shrank in horror. This mastery of ice could only belong to a top-tier high-level mage!
Then he realized — his brother was still beneath that falling monster.
"Zhenghe!!!"
Boom!!!
The frozen pseudo-dragon slammed into the ground, shattering into a storm of ice shards.
When the frost settled, Lu Zhenghe's body lay crushed beneath it.
"NO!! Brother!!"
Lu Nian's anguished scream tore through the night. His last kin — the final hope of their family — was gone.
"Mysterious Ice Dragon Soars!"
Mu Nianbing's voice cut through the wind like a blade.
Another Ice Dragon roared to life, spiraling toward Lu Nian.
Against a man this deranged, Mu Nianbing saw no need for restraint — mercy had no place here.
Lu Nian barely had time to react. His pupils trembled as the dragon's icy fangs closed in.
He poured every last bit of mana into his defensive artifacts, desperate to survive.
But in front of Mu Nianbing's power, even that hope was as fragile as glass.
...
Author's Note:
Versatile Mage: Heir of the Frozen Throne — Part 1 is now fully completed and available on my Patreon!
🔥 I also have a Additional 18+ fanfics now 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
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