Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

Mo Fan had learned to pay attention to the important news across the world. He had heard about the plan to establish the Andes Federal Union.

A few days after they arrived at the Aorus Sacred Institute, a few countries, including Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, and Chile, decided to form a federal union in South America to fend off the sea monsters of the Pacific Ocean together. It was named after the Andes Mountains.

The Andes Federal Union!

Many countries along the shore were taking appropriate measures to prepare themselves. China had decided to establish headquarters cities, like Feiniao Headquarters City, Magic City (Shanghai) Headquarters City, and Beast Capital (Guangzhou) Headquarters City. The people of the cities and towns along the shoreline had been moved to the headquarters cities, making it easier for the government to defend the people while fending off the sea monsters.

Countries like Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, and Chile in South America were also targets of the Calamity of Sea Monsters. They could not afford to build a dam tens of thousands of kilometers long. Even the most resourceful country would struggle to build a dam that long!

These countries had no choice but to form a federal union to share their resources and information on the sea monsters, helping one another to overcome the calamity together.

"The establishment of the federal union will strengthen the defense along the coastline, but it also means the efforts our seniors have put in over the past few dozen years are in vain. The orphanages scattered across different regions will be abandoned, but the new federal union doesn't want to allocate a place for the orphans. Around fifty-four hundred orphans will be homeless… The Alps Institute is in Europe, and the laws of Europe and Switzerland do not allow us to take these orphans to the Alps Institute. Besides, we don't even have the resources to shelter so many orphans," Brianca said.

More children would be left homeless as the invasion of sea monsters continued. These children did not have proper identities. Meanwhile, the countries in the Americas were having political instabilities. They did not have a proper organization to handle the issue regarding the orphans victimized by the war.

The Alps Institute used to have many orphanages to shelter these children, but they would be abandoned when the federal union was established as they were mostly located in dangerous areas. The orphans would have nowhere to go!

Brianca was deeply troubled by this.

"So the reason you came to the Aorus Sacred Institute is to help those children?" Mo Fan asked.

"Mm, the Aorus Sacred Institute has great influence. I was hoping they could discuss the issue with the leaders of the federal union and allocate a place in the safe zone for the Alps Institute so we could shelter the orphans," Brianca said.

"But the Aorus Sacred Institute didn't agree with you?" Mo Fan asked.

"I wouldn't feel so troubled if they had," Brianca confirmed helplessly.

"Why didn't they agree with you?" Mo Fan wondered.

"They claim they won't interfere with other countries' politics," Brianca sighed.

"How is that even politics?"

"All I can do is help my students win in the open tournament and use my influence to get the local governments' attention. What happens next is beyond my control," Brianca shook her head.

Mo Fan was lost for words.

It was not like he could blame the countries for losing their humanity. Even adults were struggling to find themselves shelter during the invasion of sea monsters. No one would bother caring about orphans who were not going to contribute to the war.

The Alps Institute was basically doing some charity work, but it was not going to stop the invasion of sea monsters. There would only be more orphans as the war continued. The Alps Institute was only an educational institute, not a profitable organization. Their resources were mainly from the donations and sponsorship from the clans and factions in Europe. It was difficult for them to handle such a costly and strenuous task on their own.

The rich had so much meat and wine that they would never eat it all before their expiry dates, while the poor were starving to death on the streets. Whoever managed to enroll in the Aorus Sacred Institute would live in paradise without having to worry about necessities, but those who were not qualified could only live in the slums, under the bridges, and in junkyards. Their wellbeing was none of the school's concern!

"If the Aorus Sacred Institute isn't going to help, why don't you contact the Parthenon Temple? They are concerned about the orphans too," Mo Fan told her.

"The Parthenon Temple?" Brianca shook her head. "You are well aware of the conflict between our school and the Parthenon Temple. They will only hit us when we are down instead of cooperating with us."

"Have you tried?" Mo Fan pressed.

"No, but the outcome is pretty obvious," Brianca sighed.

"So you would rather worry about it, suffer from insomnia, and try to win the open tournament than put the past between you and the Parthenon Temple behind?" Mo Fan reiterated.

Brianca was startled, and stared at Mo Fan. She did not know what to say.

Mo Fan had heard the same thing from Xinxia, who was also troubled by this issue.

However, the Parthenon Temple had yet to establish its influence in South America. Most people here were supporters of the Alps Institute.

The Alps Institute had put a lot more focus on helping ordinary people, but they lacked the resources to do this job.

The Parthenon Temple had plenty of resources, but the people in South America only listened to the Alps Institute. They were hostile to the Parthenon Temple.

Xinxia was from China, and did not hold a grudge against the Alps Institute, unlike the people of the Parthenon Temple. Mo Fan had already hinted to the Alps Institute to contact Xinxia before, yet they had not taken the first step.

Mo Fan had no intention to interfere with the decisions of the authorities on both sides, yet he was annoyed by the fact that they were not getting anything done just because of some conflict in the past.

In the end, it was just some charitable work. Getting it done or not did not really matter to either side. However, if it was about their own survival, they would easily leave the past behind.

"I think, it's already too late now, isn't it?" Brianca sighed, feeling ashamed.

"Give it a try, perhaps there's still a chance," Mo Fan encouraged her.

------

Despite everything Mo Fan said, he was still unsure if the Alps Institute was willing to work with the Parthenon Temple. After all, Brianca was not her school's leader, either.

However, while eagerly getting ready to pay the Sun-Gathering Peak a visit, Mo Fan received a piece of bad news. The federal union's military had already occupied the Sun-Gathering Peak to mine it!

"Damn it, we were a little late!" Mo Fan grumbled.

"The Lightning Pentagons are the raw materials for Cultivation Tools… we should have gone earlier. It's pretty much a gold mine. We could have earned a lot there!" Zhao Manyan said in self-pity.

Mo Fan was only planning to find a few Lightning Pentagons on the Sun-Gathering Peak, yet it turned out to be a mine of Lightning Pentagons. If he had secured it first, he might have been able to become a Forbidden Lightning Mage!