The Chronos Domain possessed unfathomable properties.
Its suppression and repair of space distortions were merely passive effects. After all, beneath the authority of time and space, ordinary Space and Chaos magic were automatically restrained—the priority of this domain was extremely high.
The true special ability lay within the very meaning of Chronos: it could freeze the time and space within a hundred-zhang radius for six seconds. During those six seconds, Lu Jun always held the privilege of acting first.
To draw a comparison, it resembled something Lu Jun had read in his previous life—in the novel Dragon Raja, the effect of Principal Angers' Word Spirit: Time Zero.
Just this alone meant that even Super-level mages would be forced into defeat. To gain the first strike, to stack six seconds' worth of attacks and release them in one breath—anyone who survived that onslaught could then talk about continuing the fight.
However, Chronos magic could not be used frequently. It could only be invoked once per day, and its cost was not light. After Chronos was cast, his Space Element star galaxy would dim for the entire day, leaving him unable to cast even the slightest spatial magic.
Moreover, Chronos was not truly invincible. To put it plainly, it was more of a pseudo-time spell. Against High-level and even ordinary Super-level opponents, it was naturally overwhelming. But as enemies' cultivation rose, the duration of frozen time would gradually decrease.
Even so, it was terrifying enough, and counted as a true trump card.
Against an ordinary enemy like Bi Jiang, Lu Jun naturally did not need to use his ultimate card. The double domains of Imaginative Power and Chronos were more than sufficient to end this battle.
Of course, the Chronos Domain was not always used this way. He had discovered that within its scope, his three Space Element spells underwent subtle transformations—just like how Shadow magic received a boost under the Dominion of the Night. It was a small amplification, and he would need to explore its full potential slowly in the days to come.
At this moment, Light had pierced through Darkness, and Time had smoothed out Chaos. Bi Jiang's most confident innate talent had been sealed away, leaving him utterly without the power to resist.
"Impossible! How could you know the truth of my magic?!"
Bi Jiang's face was filled with disbelief, faintly tinged with fear. His tricks had been exposed, and from now on, his intimidation factor would be drastically reduced whenever he faced future enemies.
High in the air, Lu Jun Psychic Element pierced directly into Bi Jiang's thoughts. He sneered coldly:
"Future? There is no future for you! Sword, come!"
Buzz!
The Tai'e Sword streaked in from afar, its blade light chasing stars and moon, becoming a line across the heavens in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, Bi Jiang gritted his teeth and unleashed his final trump card—Shadow Phasing. His body blurred, becoming translucent like a phantom. Though in a world of light there was nowhere to hide, evading one fatal strike was all he needed.
But as the black-gold sword light swept through—Puchi!—the phantom shadow quivered. Bi Jiang's head was severed clean, flying high with eyes wide in disbelief as blood spurted, staining the pure white world.
[Death Calamity · True Damage]!
Lu Jun's expression remained impassive. Evade damage? Unless one possessed something like Mo Fan would in the future—the Shadow Element's transcendental power, draped in the Dark Noble Mantle with Sixth-level Shadow Escape—only then could one perhaps completely negate such an attack.
With Bi Jiang's death, the twisted shadows reverted to normal. His headless corpse emerged clearly.
A thought, and Lu Jun's dark-silver light flickered in the void, drawing Bi Jiang's corpse into his personal storage space. Thanks to the Temporal Imprint, it carried a trace of Chronos' power—no need to worry about a "shelf life."
As the Imaginative Power Lu Jun had accumulated for many days was exhausted, the simulated Light Element High-level Domain spell, Radiant Worldfall, also dispersed. The ultimate pure-white realm without a trace of shadow gradually faded, returning to the barren wilderness.
Bi Jiang had been slain, utterly crushed by Lu Jun from beginning to end—offering not the slightest challenge.
Now, all that remained was to await the conclusion of the National Institute Battle, then take the spoils back to Old Feng for refining Nightshade and researching fusion magic.
Lu Jun stood silently in place, gazing toward the coastal direction of the city, murmuring:
"Their battle over there should also be finished by now."
With that, he closed his eyes to sense. Through the fourth-level Intermediate Contract Summon's Heartfelt Resonance, his soul abruptly departed his body, descending remotely upon that location.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
The Chinese National Institute team had finally crossed paths with the contestants from India and Japan.
After a series of investigations and pursuits, they had narrowly managed to block the harbor just as the Red Ornaments Society was about to launder themselves clean and flee by ship.
At this moment, the local mayor, Laurent, led the city's official guards to intercept all thirty-some contestants from the three National Institutes. His expression was cold as he declared:
"You are not permitted to pass."
Ai Jiangtu still attempted to explain:
"We mean no harm. That Red Ornaments Society are bandits, wanted by the Parthenon Temple of Liberty. Our mission is to help you—to eradicate them."
"Parthenon Temple of Liberty!"
Mayor Laurent revealed a trace of disgust, cursing angrily:
"If the Magic Association were truly useful, they wouldn't only show up now. Back when the sea monsters were rampant, when bandits surged forth—where were they then?!
"In my view, the Parthenon Temple of Liberty is the greatest source of cholera in the entire Caribbean!"
America: "How dare you! Did your country strike oil or something?!"
Everyone: "..."
Ai Jiangtu, Jiang Shaoxu, Guan Yu, and the others with strong backgrounds and familiarity in international affairs fell silent. For a moment, they had no way to refute.
Mayor Laurent spoke with a firm tone:
"We have our own solutions. I believe the Red Ornaments Society will be the strongest defensive line against the sea monsters."
Only Mo Fan broke into a furious curse, pointing directly at Laurent's nose:
"Are you fucking blind?! Can't you see those bandits rampaging across your land—slaughtering, pillaging, tormenting the people?
"Defensive line against sea monsters? If it weren't for them dragging you down as dead weight, you'd have long since been able to free up your forces and deal with the sea monsters with full strength. Eliminating the Red Ornaments Society is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be reborn from fire!"
It was truly an absurd and laughable sight: the local authorities, rather than properly protecting the suffering villagers, instead puffed their chests and defended a group of criminals so securely.
Mo Fan felt nothing but utter loathing toward these people. Right was right, wrong was wrong—he would never compromise.
As the Chinese National Institute team and the local government remained at a stalemate, the other two national teams began to deliberate.
"Captain, what should we do now?"
The leader of the Japanese team, named Shao Hegu, faced his teammates' questions in silence before replying:
"There's no choice. We can only withdraw. It's unwise to come into conflict with the local government."
Thus, the two national teams decisively turned away, leaving only the Chinese team locked in the standoff.
Nearby, hidden in the shadows, two Parthenon Temple mages witnessed the scene. They shook their heads with sighs, silently taking notes.
One of them, a beautiful long-haired woman named Oluna, said in dissatisfaction:
"These two national teams score zero points. They can't accomplish a single thing."
On the scene, Jiang Shaoxu and the others, seeing their allies depart, couldn't help wavering. They hurriedly held back Mo Fan, earnestly persuading him:
"Don't be reckless, Mo Fan. Handle this slowly."
Mo Fan sneered. He wasn't foolish, nor a reckless hothead—on the contrary, he possessed sharp political insight.
He knew clearly that if they retreated now, the Red Ornaments Society would be set in stone. With the locals' protection, it would be impossible to move against them later.
On the other hand, while the outcome was still undecided, even killing them now would still be justifiable. When that moment came, what could Laurent do? He'd have no choice but to pinch his nose and accept it.
Throughout history, in Jiuzhou, there had been countless examples of striking first and reporting later. Were those who took the lead all reckless fools? No—they were people who seized fleeting opportunities, stood up at the critical moment, and turned the tide.
For additional chapters
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