The old wooden door opened with a soft creak. Mo Fan stood in the doorway, surprised to see a lone child waiting outside. His figure was rugged, broad-shouldered, the faint scars along his arms faintly visible beneath his sleeves—a man shaped by countless battles, though his eyes carried a quiet exhaustion.
He studied the boy before him."Who are you, child? What brings you here?" his tone was firm but not unkind.
Sanhartha raised his head, meeting Mo Fan's gaze with steady eyes that carried far more calmness than a child's should.
"Are you Uncle Mo Fan?" he asked.
Mo Fan blinked, faintly confused. "Yes, boy. I am Mo Fan. And you are?"
Sanhartha didn't answer immediately. Instead, he silently reached into the storage pouch at his waist and drew out a carefully folded letter, presenting it with both hands. Mo Fan hesitated for only a moment before accepting it. As his eyes moved across the familiar handwriting, his expression shifted—first surprise, then sorrow, and finally helpless resignation.
When he finished reading, Mo Fan exhaled slowly."So… you are San Yan's child." His voice carried a heaviness that came from old wounds reopening. "Come in, boy. Let us speak inside."
He led Sanhartha into the modest courtyard and gestured for him to sit. Mo Fan sat opposite him, his gaze softening.
"San boy, I am indeed the Mo Fan you're seeking. Tell me—what brings you here today?"
Sanhartha's voice was calm, controlled, but beneath the steady tone lay something deeper."Uncle Mo… I have come to ask for your help."
Mo Fan leaned forward slightly. "What is it, child?"
Sanhartha took a breath."I wish to obtain my first soul ring. And I hope Uncle Mo will accompany me to hunt it."
Mo Fan's eyes widened slightly. "Your first soul ring?" His voice held disbelief. "Don't tell me… you have already reached level ten?"
"Yes, Uncle Mo," Sanhartha replied with quiet certainty. "I reached level ten today."
For a long moment, Mo Fan did not speak. At the age of seven, reaching level ten was a talent rarely seen even among noble clans. Under normal circumstances, such a child would have been fought over by major powers. Yet here he sat—quiet, humble, unknown.
Mo Fan finally sighed."You have grown far beyond what I expected, child."
His gaze drifted, memories rising unbidden.He thought of the past—the day the soul hunting operation went wrong, when San Yan and Hei Harth fell, and when his own wife, Li Nan, had been fatally poisoned. The day he entrusted an infant to Brightleaf Village was the day his soul hunting group broke apart forever. He had not returned to the battlefield since.
After a long silence, Mo Fan asked, "Why not request the academy to aid you in the hunt?"
Sanhartha answered without hesitation."Although the academy assists in obtaining soul rings, they will only secure beasts below a hundred years. I need at least a century-old soul beast for my first ring. The academy will never agree to such a risk."
Mo Fan nodded. "You're right. They would not."
He looked at Sanhartha closely, and something within him stirred—perhaps responsibility, perhaps pride, perhaps the faint echo of a bond long dormant.
"Well," Mo Fan said slowly, "although I have disbanded my group, I am not so weak that I cannot deal with a mere hundred-year soul beast. If this is your wish, then your Uncle Mo will help you."
A faint warmth flickered in Sanhartha's eyes—brief, controlled, but real."Thank you, Uncle Mo."
Mo Fan smiled for the first time in years, a weary but genuine smile."So, what martial soul do you possess, boy? Is it the Blazing Fire Bird like your father?"
Sanhartha shook his head."No, Uncle. My martial soul is… a phoenix. I call it the Desire Heart Phoenix."
As he spoke, crimson light blossomed behind him, feathers of flame unfolding in a brilliant arc. A majestic silhouette of a phoenix rose behind his back, radiating scorching heat and commanding presence.
Mo Fan's breath caught. His pupils narrowed in disbelief."…Phoenix?" he whispered, stunned.His hands trembled slightly—not from fear, but awe.
"A phoenix…" he repeated, voice turning hoarse. "Your martial soul… surpasses even your parents."
A long silence followed.
And in that silence, a new path opened—one that would change both their destinies.