The train shook once as it pulled out of the refugee station, metal wheels grinding softly against the tracks. Outside the window, the world blurred into streaks of gray rain, black soil, and distant hills still shrouded beneath a storm that hadn't yet realized the battle was over.
Xu Mang leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, one foot propped against the opposite bench. The compartment was nearly empty—just an old couple asleep under a blanket and a young mother whispering to calm a crying toddler.
He closed his eyes.
Not to sleep.
Just to breathe.
Bo City's smoke was still in his lungs.
Even now, he could hear it: the bell tolling, the collapsing walls, the wolves, the screams. The image of the city falling replayed behind his eyelids, framed by lightning and fire.
He exhaled slowly.
Then he opened his eyes and looked forward.
The path wasn't behind him anymore.
It was Imperial City.
Mu Clan,
Towering over the southern edge of Beijing stood a majestic mountain, it was called The Mu Mountain, which was crowned by an enormous and ancient castle. This was the seat of the Mu Clan, one of the most powerful and influential families in all of China.
Unlike the modest branch estates scattered across the country and continent, this castle was the heart of the entire Mu Clan—a legacy carved from centuries of magical might and iron-fisted diplomacy.
They had their hands in every major organization in Beijing, be it the Magic Association, Enforcement Union, Hunters Union, the Merchant Guilds, or real estate conglomerates. One would always find a Mu Clan member in the top ranks. They didn't merely live in the capital—they influenced it.
The Mu Clan was one of the Four Great Magic Clans of China, a dominant force that specialized in Ice Magic.
The clan also welcomed talented mages of other elements—so long as they brought power, prestige, or political value. Their vast resources and elite training made them capable of raising geniuses as strong as those in the top-ranked Magic Associations.
Their stronghold in Beijing was only the tip of their power—their true influence extended across the entire Asian continent.
Designated as a Class 2 Clan, the Mu Clan was no longer just a family—it was an organization, a legacy, a titan in the Magical World. Its foundation was built over generations of powerful mages, and within its ranks were multiple Forbidden-Level Mages, each capable of reshaping battlefields and rewriting the fate of smaller nations across the Asian Continent.
----
In the world of ancient magical families, clans are ranked by a hierarchical classification system consisting of five primary tiers, each representing the breadth of a clan's influence, resources, magical power, and historical prestige.
Clans Below Class 5 were not even worth official classification. These were minor, often obscure families whose influence rarely extended beyond their hometowns or village. They are considered too minor to even be listed in the official rankings. Most barely have a few Advanced Mages among them.
Class 5 – City-Level Clans, known as the Classless Clans, their power and resources allowed them to influence an entire city. Many of these clans possessed at least one Super Level Mage if not several and a respectable magical heritage and can be considered powerful regional forces. They often formed the backbone of local magic communities. However, their influence rarely extends beyond their city's borders.
Class 4 – Provincial Clans. These clans held sway across an entire province or multiple states within a country. Rich in resources, and elite super mages, and at least a century old historical foundation, Class 4 Clans were influential enough to stand side by side with local Magic Associations. Most had long lineages, complete training systems, and deep ties to local governments. Many had at least one Mage who had surpassed the boundaries of Super Level with them, either acting as a Clan Head or Clan Elder.
Class 3 – Country-Level Clans
At this level, a clan was considered a national treasure. Their roots stretched deep into the country's history, often with ancestral heroes who helped shape the nation's magical legacy. These clans were required by law to respond immediately in national emergencies. Many Class 3 clans boasted several Half-Forbidden Mages to Full Forbidden Mages. Any member born into their ranks was practically guaranteed a future path to the Super Level.
Class 2 – Continent-Level Clans
At this level, a clan's influence can no longer be compared to typical families, a mere bloodline, it becomes an organization of continental relevance. Class 2 Clans are rare—fewer than ten exist across the world. They have entire networks of magical institutions, commercial ties, academies, government allies, internal economy, military forces, and intercontinental connections. Their influence could shift the balance of power across entire continent.
The presence of multiple Forbidden Mages was the norm, not the exception. There were also a few True Forbidden Mages in their ranks. These clans were strictly monitored by higher global entities such as The Sacred City, and The Five Continental Magic Associations, for their power was too great to leave unchecked.
The Mu Clan, with its vast history, resources, and magical talent pool, belongs to this elite tier.
The Mu Clan's place in this hierarchy cements its dominance not just in China, but across the entire continent. It is a bastion of magical tradition, a forge of Supreme mages, and a political giant in the world of magic.
To be born into the Mu Clan was to be born into legacy, discipline, and overwhelming power.
But within that legacy burned cold ambition, politics, and sacrifice—especially for someone like Mu Ningxue, who was unknown to the fact that the fate of someone dear to her was buried by the same Magical Giant.
----
Inside the castle of the Mu Clan, a routine quarterly meeting was underway.
The large conference room was illuminated by golden lighting, emanating from ancient enchantments embedded in the very walls of the Castle. The thick wooden beams of the high ceiling carried the weight of centuries of tradition.
The room was a blend of regal grandeur and subtle intimidation, with the faint scent of frost incense mixed with the sharp metallic undertone of magical power. The Mu Clan had always been a family defined by its power—power in politics, magic, and influence—and their meetings were no different.
The central figure of this meeting was none other than the Clan Head, Mu Gong.
A large, imposing man in his fifties, with steel-gray hair and an aura of Absolute power, Mu Gong sat at the head of a long obsidian table, flipping through several reports with calm efficiency.
Seated near him were the Five Grand Elders, all cloaked in robes imbued with ancient magic, their eyes half-closed, but their presence sharp and oppressive.
Around them sat twenty Elders, each in their late 50s and 60s, and beside them, fifty board members and many branch heads of Class 3 & Class 4 Clans from across the Continent. Each and everyone of the person participating in the meeting was a powerhouse of beyond Super Level.
—
By morning, the storm finally broke. Sunlight pierced through the clouds in thin rays, revealing fields of wheat bending under the weight of the previous night's rain. The train sped onward, leaving the shattered memories of Bo City far behind.
At noon, the horizon shifted.
First mountains.
Then walls.
Then towers like gleaming ice-spears stabbing into the sky.
Imperial City.
A living monument to wealth, authority, and political suffocation.
Where the Mu Clan flared like a frostbitten thorn—beautiful, deadly, and impossible to ignore.
Xu Mang stepped off the train platform, adjusting his backpack. His boots touched the polished white stone unique to the capital. Already he felt the shift in atmosphere: colder air, sharper gazes, cleaner streets, and an invisible pressure pressing down from all sides.
The people here walked like they owned the world.
Or like they were afraid to admit someone else owned them.
Xu Mang cracked his neck slightly. "Home sweet… nope, not calling it that."
He moved into the crowd.
—
He didn't go straight to the Mu Clan. That would have been stupid even by his standards.
Instead, Xu Mang walked across the merchant square, taking in the layout—three main avenues, five plazas, dozens of branching alleys. Every major Clan had symbolic architecture: flaming motifs for the Zhao Clan, metallic engravings for the Pang Clan, stonework giants for the Dongfang Clan…
And frost for the Mu Clan.
He spotted it first in the form of a statue—an enormous ice sculpture of a woman in flowing robes, her expression serene. In her palm, over a hundred glowing frost-glyphs spun in slow orbit.
A Mu Clan tribute monument.
Impressive.
Unnecessary.
Arrogant.
Xu Mang nodded at it. "Very subtle. Definitely not compensating for anything."
Two noble brats walking past glared at him like he had insulted their ancestors back to the Stone Age. One grabbed his sleeve.
"What did you just say about the Mu Clan?"
Xu Mang smiled pleasantly. "Nothing. Your ears just translated my thoughts."
The boy's face darkened. He raised his hand, star map flickering to life—an Ice Spread attack forming.
Xu Mang didn't move.
He didn't need to.
Another voice cut in sharply.
"Stop."
A Mu Clan patrol guard approached—the uniform unmistakable: white fur mantle, cyan trim, polished boots, and the symbol of a frost lotus at the collar. His tone made the noble brats shrink instantly.
The guard turned to Xu Mang, gaze lingering. "Outsider?"
"Visitor," Xu Mang corrected with an easy smile. "Just admiring your… icy decorations."
"It is forbidden to speak ill of Clan monuments," the guard said. "Offenders may be fined."
Xu Mang tapped his chin. "I see. What if I think ill of them silently? Do you have a fine for that too? Should I write it down to be efficient?"
The guard's eye twitched.
Xu Mang patted his shoulder kindly. "Relax. I'm joking. Mostly."
He stepped past before the guard could respond.
First contact:
Minimal hostility.
Target annoyed.
Success.
He found a quiet street, walked to the corner stall, and bought a steamed bun. The vendor—an old man with frostbitten fingers—kept glancing around before whispering,
"You shouldn't joke about the Mu Clan. They have eyes everywhere."
Xu Mang chewed thoughtfully. "Do they?"
"They run half the city," the man said quietly. "More than half in winter."
Xu Mang nodded.
He already knew.
That was why he'd come.
He finished his food, dusted his hands, and walked toward the heart of the city—past frost lanterns, through the nobles' district, and toward a cluster of towering pavilions surrounded by ice walls that glittered like glaciers.
The main Mu Clan estate.
Even from this distance, he could see layered barrier formations glowing faintly—one for defense, one for sensory detection, one for sound suppression. The place was practically a fortress.
Xu Mang admired the architecture for all of two seconds.
Then he smirked.
"Yep. Definitely compensating."
He didn't approach the front gates.
He turned right instead, disappearing into the shadowed streets.
He had work to do.
—
Step one: Identify blind spots in the Clan's barrier network.
Step two: Confirm which building housed the research department.
Step three: Locate security rotations, servant schedules, and mana fluctuation zones.
Step four: Get inside without anyone realizing he was there.
Step five: Steal the Innate Talent Forging Technique.
Step six: Leave without dying.
Easy.
Probably.
He walked past a teahouse. A news scroll floated in front of it, projecting floating text:
BO CITY FALLS TO BEAST TIDE – OFFICIAL REPORT
Zhan Kong Listed as Missing; Presumed Deceased
Evacuees to be relocated within the week
People stopped to read.
Some covered their mouths.
Some whispered prayers.
Xu Mang's fists clenched at his sides.
He exhaled.
Then he kept walking.
He reached a narrow alley behind the Mu Clan outer residence. Frost coated the walls—even the rain evaporated before touching it. Obviously, some enchanted defensive frost was in place.
Xu Mang placed two fingers on the ice and closed his eyes.
Lightning stars activated within him—not enough to cast, but enough to sense.
A faint crackle.
A tiny distortion.
A flaw.
"Oh?" Xu Mang murmured. "Your fancy frost wall has a tiny leak in the mana layering? Naughty."
He traced it further—feeling where the frost glyphs weakened.
It was small.
Barely noticeable.
But enough.
A human body wouldn't pass through.
A shadow might.
Xu Mang smiled.
"Well then. Guess I'll follow the crack."
For the first time since leaving Bo City, his pulse quickened—not from fear, but anticipation.
He slipped deeper into the alley, boots silent on the wet stone.
Somewhere inside the Mu Clan estate, hidden behind layers of arrogance and ice, was the darkest and most powerful secret they possessed:
The Innate Talent Forging Method.
A taboo technique.
A weapon.
A miracle.
A monstrosity.
And soon—
It would be in his hands.