Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Inside the White Tiger Pendant, a blood-red marsh churned endlessly. Faint blue soul-flames flickered above, and three or four dark moons hung suspended in the air.
At this moment, several Commander-level Remnant Souls, bright as moons, were stirred and transmitted directly into Lu Jun's very soul. At the center of his moon-white Star River, azure flames ignited, burning the seven central Stars until they became crystal-clear, swelling to the size of fists.
Advancement to Fifth-Level Stars—Basic Summoning Magic: Dimensional Summon · Edict!
Arcane knowledge of the magic flowed through Lu Jun's mind, and he gradually comprehended the meaning of this new skill, joy showing on his face.
The so-called Edict was dual-sided: not only was it Lu Jun's edict over the Summoned Beast, but it was also the Night Thunder Dream Beast's reverse 'bestowal' upon Lu Jun.
The effect was far freer than the Fourth-Level Borrowed Power. Before, he could only borrow one fixed ability from a Dimensional Beast. Now, he could temporarily borrow all of the Night Thunder Dream Beast's powers.
The sole flaw was that when Lu Jun used abilities such as Nightmare Domain, Dominence of Night, or Lonely Death Lighting, their might was still determined by his own Summoning cultivation, and the state would only last a few dozen seconds at best.
Far inferior to the innate talent of elemental spirits fusing with their masters.
Still, it felt almost identical to when he entered his Ascension State—able to wield the Night Thunder Dream Beast's abilities as his own. The Demonization showed his future self at full mastery, while this Edict granted a glimpse of that state through the Dream Beast.
And when Lu Jun cast the Edict upon the Night Thunder Dream Beast, it was equally remarkable—it transferred Summoning energy from his Star River directly, temporarily boosting the Dream Beast's strength by an entire tier.
In summary, after unlocking Fifth-Level Dimensional Summoning, Lu Jun's bond with the Night Thunder Dream Beast became immeasurably closer.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Above the harbor, a powerful resonance suddenly rippled between the Mermaid Spirit and the Night Thunder Dream Beast. A moon-white radiance expanded, covering the surroundings for nearly a hundred meters.
Both Summoned Beasts were veiled in shimmering moonlit gauze, dreamlike and ethereal. Their auras surged, each ascending an entire tier: the Mermaid rose to mid-Commander, while the Dream Beast directly leapt to high-Commander!
Mo Fan had only just approached when he was once again forced aside. Little Flame Belle burst out of his body, the two staring in bewilderment at Lu Jun's strange summons. Why had they suddenly grown so much stronger?
They had no idea it was due to Lu Jun's soul projection forming a resonance with them both.
"This should be called… Coordinated Domain?"
High in the air, Lu Jun beheld the scene and sensed the smooth perfection of the shared field. He couldn't help but ponder.
This Domain could only unfold when he and both his Summoned Beasts were present, temporarily amplifying their combat strength.
It made perfect sense—Dimensional Beasts and Contracted Beasts alike were crucial parts of the Summoning system.
And one should not underestimate a single-tier enhancement. Hadn't Mo Fan's Old Wolf, upon evolving into the Swift Star Wolf, also been strengthened within the Ice Domain into mid-Commander? Even that alone earned it the title of peerless Summoned Beast.
"Not bad at all."
Lu Jun nodded with satisfaction. With all six of his magic elements now grasping Domains, the foundation was laid perfectly for stepping into Super-level Transcendence.
After killing Casso, he quietly withdrew without disturbing Mo Fan.
His translucent soul-form dissolved into a streak of light, vanishing into the void and returning to his body.
Back on the battlefield, the moon-white radiance faded from the two Summoned Beasts, their aura falling back to normal.
Mo Fan, seeing this, was left scratching his head. He could only chalk it up to some oddity in the Summoned Beasts themselves.
He glanced at the pitch-black sea in puzzlement. He had thought that with Lu Jun absent, he could slay Casso and claim both the championship and the Dark Noble Cloak. Yet unexpectedly, even Lu Jun's two Summoned Beasts alone had surpassed him.
Still, he knew that without their aid, he alone could never have matched Casso.
Even so… Mo Fan gave the Mermaid Spirit a strange look. Big Sis, with such peak Commander strength, why hide it? Wouldn't it have been faster to just kill Casso outright, instead of playing weak to strong?
At that moment, the mermaid maiden sensed Mo Fan's gaze, and her heart fluttered with shyness. After all, that immense power had only been possible because her master had possessed her.
On the surface, however, her delicate face remained cool and aloof, as though saying: It's nothing remarkable.
Mo Fan seized the chance to PUA Little Flame Belle, nagging: "Look at someone else's Summoned Beast. Same Elemental Spirit as you, but why can't you measure up?"
Through this battle, he finally recognized his true level. Within High-Tier, he was barely adequate.
If he wanted to reach invincibility, Mo Fan realized he would need to acquire a Fire Soul Seed or Lightning Soul Seed, strengthen his Shadow element, hasten the cultivation of his newly awakened Space and Chaos elements, and evolve his Old Wolf once more.
"All of this… takes money."
Mo Fan grimaced bitterly. Even as an official member with access to considerable resources, he was still far from filling all six of his elements.
He was already thinking of returning to his old ways—taking on bounty missions.
Meanwhile at the harbor, with the Red Ornament Society's leader Casso slain, his underlings were thrown into despair. With no will to resist, they scattered in all directions.
The National Institute Team surged forward like an unstoppable tide. With the Japanese and Indian teams also seizing the opportunity to rejoin the battle and provide reinforcements, all the bandits were subdued.
Mayor Lauren watched in shock. Never had he expected these young students to truly bring down the vicious Casso.
From the shadows, the two Temple Mages stepped forth, striding toward Lauren. In cold tones they declared:
"We are members of the Magic Association. Your actions will be reported to the Association. Prepare to face judgment."
At this, Mayor Lauren was filled with deep regret.
Thus, the mission gradually entered its closing stage.
Lu Jun's soul returned to his body, and with the aid of the Yin-Yang Ghosts, he rushed swiftly from the edge of the city back to the harbor.
The moment he appeared, he immediately drew the attention of all the National Institute members. The Japanese, Indian, and other teams all wore complicated expressions—even if one withdraws from the rivers and lakes, the rivers and lakes remain full of one's legends.
The strength of his two Summoned Beasts only served to highlight how unfathomable Lu Jun himself truly was.
Oluna of the Temple stepped forward, speaking with genuine respect.
"With a powerhouse like you, it seems this year's China National Institute Team will surely rise to prominence."
"I am a mentor of the American National Institute. When you come to challenge the U.S. National Institute, be sure to notify me. I will host you personally—as thanks for helping the Magic Association eradicate this malignant tumor."
Lu Jun only smiled faintly, saying nothing more.
After the battle, the teams rested for several days. Feng Li soon arrived to distribute the rewards from this mission.
In addition to the Dark Noble Cloak, there were also one billion in funds.
Inside the room, Lu Jun held up a pitch-black, hazy cloak, while several Shadow-element cultivators nearby stared at him with envious eyes.
At this, he smiled slightly and pretended to hesitate.
"I wonder if the Night thunder Dream Beast could wear this cloak?"
Hearing that, everyone's eyes bulged. Damn, giving a Summoned Beast such an item—how extravagant could one get?!
"Hahaha, I'm joking."
Lu Jun chuckled, shaking his head. In truth, the cloak was simply too small. Otherwise, he really might have tried it on the Dream Beast
Glancing around at Guan Yu, Li Kaifeng, Mo Fan, and the others, Lu Jun pondered for a moment before deciding.
"Other than myself, Mo Fan contributed the most in this battle. His Shadow cultivation is also the highest. Giving him the Dark Noble Cloak should be fine, right?"
At these words, Guan Yu was visibly disappointed, yet he could not voice any objections.
After all, it had been Mo Fan who first led the charge, and he was also the one who had directly faced Casso.
"Old Lu, I hereby acknowledge you as my foster father!"
Mo Fan was overjoyed, beaming as he happily accepted the cloak.
Beside them, Feng Li nodded in agreement before saying.
"Since Mo Fan has received the Dark Noble Cloak, then his share of the funds should go to Lu Jun. Four hundred million should be enough to buy at least a small Soul Seed."
Lu Jun did not decline and accepted the funds calmly.
After all, hadn't he split his soul into two paths and fought on dual fronts for the sake of resources? Was he here to be anyone's babysitter?
Now, with four hundred million in funds plus what he had already saved, he had a total of eight to nine hundred million.
He began to contemplate how best to use them.
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
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