The tranquillity of the evening was shattered by an enormous surge of energy erupted from the depths of West Lake, sending shockwaves rippling across the water's surface.
The once peaceful waters now lashed out violently, overflowing into the park in what resembled a mini-tsunami, the wave crashing up to a meter high and sweeping through the paths and lawns.
SPLOOSH!
Water splattered against the banks, drenching the area in a fine mist that clung to everything. The initial eruption sent a geyser of water shooting skyward near the small central island, creating an almost surreal scene as the spray cascaded back down like rain.
Drip… drip…
"What the?!"
High above, in the towering Enforcement Union headquarters, Tang Zhong, who had been quietly enjoying his evening coffee, found himself startled out of his peaceful moment.
The chairman, normally so composed, winced as scalding hot coffee splashed onto his hand.
"Ah—hot! Hot!" Tang Zhong yelped, the mug slipping from his grasp. But instead of crashing to the ground, the mug hovered in mid-air, held in place by an invisible force.
Tang Zhong blinked in surprise but quickly regained his composure, his eyes narrowing as he instinctively turned toward the source of the disturbance. From his vantage point, he could clearly see the enormous black serpentine figure rising from West Lake, cutting a formidable silhouette against the darkening sky.
"What in the world…" Tang Zhong thought, his mind racing but his demeanour calm.
The creature that dominated the horizon was the Black Totem Snake, a revered and ancient being that was normally quite docile and friendly.
As a Supreme Ruler Level entity, the Black Totem Snake possessed strength capable of levelling cities with a single strike. It was a guardian, a totem beast of unmatched power, and yet now it moved with alarming aggression.
Tang Zhong knew that such a disturbance from the Black Totem Snake could not be taken lightly.
Though the eruption from the lake had been violent, the surrounding city had not yet descended into panic. Most of the nearby residential areas were built a safe distance away from the lake, and the park—usually teeming with families and children during the day—was relatively quiet in the evening. This stroke of luck prevented a potential catastrophe.
Tang Zhong's eyes remained fixed on the towering snake. His vast experience as chairman of the Enforcement Union had trained him to stay calm in moments like this.
He wasn't just any mage; he was the one who ensured the peace and safety of China's cities by overseeing some of the most powerful mages in the world. But something about the Black Totem Snake's behaviour today disturbed him.
"Why now? It's not it's ecdysis period yet..." he muttered.
Moving back to his chair, he tapped the glassy marble desk twice.
Tap! Tap!
Voom~
The antique desk suddenly lit up and a hand print appeared asking him to scan his hand. Tang Zhong put his hand on the desk, the surprisingly futuristic desk scanned his hand print and unlocked itself.
*Welcome Chairman, What can I do for you?* An electronic voice rang out.
"Give me all the live feeds from the West Lake park." Tang Zhong said.
A moment later multiple screens opened up.
With a wave of his hand, the array of screens rose from the table and became Holographs displaying live feeds from various security cameras around West Lake and the Enforcement Union HQ.
Tang Zhong quickly scanned the footage, trying to piece together what might have caused the Black Totem Snake to act out so violently.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Tang Zhong remained calm. He had dealt with countless magical incidents during his tenure, but never had the Black Totem Snake reacted in such a way.
The massive creature had always been a symbol of protection and stability—its presence reassuring, not hostile.
*Chairman, Provincial Councilman Lei Chen is contacting you. Do you wish to pick up the call?*
"Yes." Tang Zhong said, still scanning through the holographs.
"Chairman Tang," a voice crackled through. It was the Provincial Councilman of Hangzhou, Lei Chen. "We're seeing unusual activity from the Black Totem Snake. Permission to engage?"
Unlike the close ties Black Totem Snake had with the Tang Family, the rest of the people including Provincial Councilman Lei Chen did not share the same thoughts as coexisting with the Black Totem snake. They were instead hostile towards the creature, jumping at every opportunity to kill it.
He didn't believe that a creature of such strength could be peaceful, they thought it was akin to a Time-Bomb, but due to the Chairman and the Tang Clan's influence, they couldn't do anything to it despite having such position and power.
Tang Zhong thought for a moment, weighing his options carefully. Attacking the snake directly could provoke it further, leading to an even greater disaster. He needed to tread carefully.
"Negative," Tang Zhong responded firmly. "Do not engage. Deploy the Space Sealing Barrier around the city and ensure that no civilians approach the lake. I will handle this myself."
He turned his attention back to the lake, his mind working through the possible causes of the snake's aggression. It was then that something caught his eye—a faint yet unmistakable silver glow near the lake's edge.
"Zoom in on the camera 349 near the west side" Tang Zhong ordered the computer.
The holograph no.349 zoomed on the footage immediately.
A lone figure stood there, struggling against the snake's immense power. His hands glowed with the mysterious magic of Space Element. Tang Zhong recognized the face immediately: Mo Fan.
The chairman's brow furrowed as he observed the tension between Mo Fan and the Black Totem Snake. There was no time to question what had happened; the Black Totem Snake's enormous maw began to widen, revealing swirling plumes of ghastly green gas—its Poison Domain. It was preparing to launch a devastating attack.
"Mo Fan?? Shit!" Tang Zhong's heart skipped a beat when it saw the Black Totem Snake going all out against a kid.
While the Black Totem Snake was known for being tolerant of mages, something about Mo Fan's presence had triggered its rage. Tang Zhong wasn't sure what had happened, but he had a suspicion that Mo Fan wasn't exactly who he appeared to be anymore since the Bo City calamity.
Still, he couldn't let the situation escalate further. The destruction that could ensue if the Black Totem Snake unleashed its full wrath could obliterate half the city before any defence could be mounted.
Tang Zhong's entire body began to glow with the distinctive shimmer of the Space Element. The energy swirling around him was similar to Mo Fan's magic but on a scale far greater, denser, and more refined.
ZWIP!
In an instant, the space surrounding Tang Zhong twisted and warped, bending reality itself to his will. Before anyone could blink, he had teleported directly between the Black Totem Snake and Mo Fan, his presence like a silver comet cutting through the sky.
A soft hum echoed as space rippled around him, warping the fabric of reality in his wake.
Voom~
Mo Fan on the ground was startled at the appearance of Tang Zhong!
"C-Chairman Tang?!" he stammered, unable to hide his surprise.
Tang Zhong ignored Mo Fan, his focus was solely on the rampaging Black Totem Snake. His eyes, sharp and glowing with an intense silver hue, locked onto the serpent's massive form.
CRACK!!
TDHUDUD!!!
Power radiated from Tang Zhong as he raised his arm, the silver glow enveloping him growing brighter and more menacing. The sheer force of his magic caused the ground beneath him to crack and tremble.
The sky above the lake began to ripple like disturbed water, and in an instant, a colossal black void appeared.
The snake, sensing the change, glanced upwards. Its enormous form twisted in surprise as the void seemed to stretch across the heavens.
ZWOOSH~~
A massive silver palm, seemingly birthed from the stars themselves, descended from the void—dwarfing even the Black Totem Snake's immense body. The palm hurtled towards the snake with terrifying speed and authority.
The Black Totem Snake, sensing imminent danger, immediately attempted to cancel its Poison Domain.
The green gas dissipated, sucked back into the creature's throat as it tried to flee. But it was too late. The enormous silver hand closed around the snake's gargantuan body before it could even fully turn away.
Hiss!!!!!
The Black Totem Snake writhed in Tang Zhong's grasp, its massive scales glistening in the fading light as it attempted to free itself.
The ground beneath Mo Fan trembled as the creature thrashed violently up in the sky, but the silver hand held firm, lifting the colossal beast into the air as if it weighed nothing at all.
The sky seemed to roar as Tang Zhong's power pulled the snake higher and higher, the wind howling with the force of his magic.
HISS!!!
The snake's desperate hissing echoed across the park, but its immense power paled in comparison to the raw, unyielding force of Tang Zhong's control.
The once unstoppable Supreme Ruler Level beast was now nothing more than a captured entity, held subdued by the might of the Enforcement Union's strongest mage.
The struggle grew weaker, the Black Totem Snake's body eventually going limp as it realized resistance was futile.
Tang Zhong's gaze was unwavering as he held the creature suspended above the city, his silver aura still crackling with energy.
"Calm yourself, old friend" Tang Zhong muttered in a low, commanding voice, his words resonating with a power that transcended the physical realm.
Hiss!
The Black Totem Snake responded with a low, rumbling hiss, its hostility fading as the chairman's authority pressed down on it.
SWOOSH~
Slowly, Tang Zhong released his grip, and the massive silver hand dissipated into the ether.
Hiss...
The Black Totem Snake, now subdued, lowered itself back into the lake, its gargantuan body slipping beneath the surface with a reluctant hiss.
Mo Fan, still catching his breath, stared at the scene in awe. He knew Tang Zhong was a powerful Full Forbidden Mages, but to witness such dominance over a creature as fearsome as the Black Totem Snake was something else entirely. His view of Tang Zhong changed...
Sigh...
After letting out a sigh of relief, Tang Zhong finally turned his attention to Mo Fan, his eyes still glowing with residual power. "We need to talk," he said gravely, his voice carrying the weight of suspicion and authority.
"I swear to God, I didn't do anything to it!" Mo Fan replied instantly.
...
...
MO FAN's CURRENT PROGRESS.
•Blessing of the God's Seal ×2.5: Lightning & Fire Elements.
•Blessing of the Dark Spring ×1.5: Fire, Lightning, Earth, Shadow, Space, Summon & Chaos Elements.
•BASIC LEVEL
-Elemental Magic: Fire, Lightning, Water, Earth, Wind, Plant, Ice, Poison.
-Black Magic: Shadow, Curse, Undead,
-White Magic: Light, Bless, Heal,
-Dimensional Magic: Summon, Space, Sound, Chaos.
-Mind Magic: Psychic
All Elements: Tier 7
•INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
Fire Element: Tier 1
Space Element: Tier 1
Summon Element: Tier 1
Lightning Element : Tier 1
Mental Strength: Lv. 3 (Around 3.8)
…
SNOW FROST STAR WOLF KING.
•Small Warrior Level.
6× Stronger Than Every Monster at it's Level because of Royal Bloodline!
•Battle Mode: 8 metres Huge.
...
TANG ZHONG's CULTIVATION
•TRUE FORBIDDEN CURSE
Ice Element: True Forbidden Curse
Light Element: True Forbidden Curse
Lightning Element: True Forbidden Curse
Space Element: True Forbidden Curse
Earth Element: True Forbidden Curse
Mental Strength: Lv.9