Eight to nine hundred million now in hand.
Lu Jun looked over his six Elemental Paths and realized that after the trip to Peru, all of them had reached perfection. Without several tens of billions more, there was no way to see any obvious breakthrough.
Thus, he shifted his attention to the third type of rare Metal-element ore, planning to use his connections and even ask the nation to assist in the search.
At the High-tier level, Metal Fusion was no longer a matter of mere dozens of kilograms.
He had a strong premonition—once his Taibai Domain and Taia Sword vessel expanded, he might need to refine an entire ore vein into his magic. When that day came, his Metal-element magic would undergo a qualitative transformation. With a single strike, immeasurable metal would converge, heavy as a mountain, sharp enough to cleave even Super-tier foes.
Cough cough cough… the price though, perhaps a little steep.
Secondly came the strengthening of his two Summoned Beasts.
Lu Jun pondered for a while.
"The Night Thunder Dream Beast can evolve on its own, so there's no rush. I'll wait until Feng Zhoulong refines Bi Jiang's Night Fiend—maybe I can implant it into the Dream Beast's body, strengthening its darkness-based abilities."
The Night Fiend's abilities were not bad. Lu Jun's Cursed Substance could also be integrated, but it felt redundant—overlapping too much with his current arsenal, not worth the effort.
Dark Infiltration Marks? He already had his Spiritual Faith Mark. His Curse: Thousand-Mile Soul Lock was a top-tier menace, and as for Summoning: Ghostly Phantoms, his two Yin-Yang Ghosts were already bizarre and formidable enough.
As for the Blood Abyss Curse Seal, if he were to fuse it with Cursed Substance, it would have to wait until he achieved a Super-tier Domain, at which point he could seek something far more refined.
In short, Lu Jun was in no rush. Strengthening his Summoned Beasts might yield even stranger mutations later on.
"Tangyue, Ding Yumian, the Dream Beast… oh, and Mo Fan's beast as well. Refining the Night Fiend won't come cheap."
He calculated that at least four hundred million could not be touched, leaving the other four hundred million for his Mermaid Spirit.
Little Water Mermaid definitely needed proper nurturing. If she had already been at mid-rank Commander-level, there would have been no need for his soul to possess her—she alone could have slain Casso.
In recent days, Lu Jun had lavishly fed her Spirit Essences, raising the Mermaid maiden into a plump, fair beauty. Her cheeks were a little round now, her figure more full-bodied. With her foundation laid solid, strengthening her further would be easier.
"Perfect. The Sea-Monster clan's Soul Essences can be put to use. If I add in a Water-element Source Crystal, it should raise her by an entire level."
He rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
At this time, the National Institute team had finished dividing up their resources. Everyone was delighted, already plotting how to improve themselves.
But then Feng Li spoke a single sentence that sent chills down everyone's spine and wiped away their smiles.
"In a few days, the next round of National Institute eliminations will begin."
In an instant, everyone's expressions changed, glancing at each other in unease before leaving one by one to purchase resources and shut themselves away in cultivation.
Lu Jun's lips curved into a faint smile. Among those present, the ones with no fear were none other than himself, Ai Jiangtu, and Mo Fan—the absolute core of the team. Zhao Manyan also brimmed with confidence; having gained a Totem Vessel, his strength had risen greatly.
Immediately, Lu Jun returned to his residence and summoned forth the Mermaid maiden.
Ring~
The room filled with misty water vapor, stars glittering in the haze. The Three Radiance Divine Water flowed like a galaxy across the chamber, and a graceful figure appeared within, her ethereal humming echoing.
Lu Jun held in one hand a vast, glowing azure moon, and in the other a fist-sized blue crystal. He spoke with solemn seriousness to Little Water Mermaid:
"The attributes of the Demon-Wraith Essence suit you well. Let's see if with this strengthening, you can grasp the Moon Eclipse Mode."
The Three Radiance Divine Water possessed three modes—Starlight, Sunshine, and Moon Eclipse.
At present, the Mermaid Spirit had mastered Sunshine Mode, which granted healing. At its peak, as with her mother, she could restore a near-dead body to full health with a single breath.
Comparable to Mo Fan's future Nirvana Heaven Seed, this meant that so long as there were stars and water, she was virtually immortal.
The Moon Eclipse mode, however, normally required her race to reach the Commander advancement stage to wield.
But Lu Jun reasoned that with the Demon-Wraith Soul Essence boosting her spiritual power, and an artificially-forged Soul Seed in the form of the Source Crystal, she might master it ahead of time.
This was no small matter. If the Mermaid maiden advanced faster step by step, she could ultimately shatter her bloodline's shackles—just like Flame Fairy, surpassing her entire race to become a unique, transcendent being.
Ring~
Little Water Mermaid's expression turned solemn. Knowing the importance of this, she sat cross-legged and began refining the Soul Essence and Source Crystal.
Beside her, Lu Jun patiently channeled the Summoning constellation's mana to harmonize and assist her in breaking through.
Hum hum hum!
The nebula-like mist in the room gradually shifted from romantic starlight to cold, lunar brilliance. water and Psychic elements overflowed and blended together.
Days slipped by in this manner.
While Lu Jun carefully strengthened the Water Spirit, the National Institute's elimination trials had already begun.
This round was even more brutal—contestants paired off, their raw strength pitted head-to-head, with the weaker of each duel eliminated outright.
Coincidentally, Mu Ningxue had just arrived by plane with the National Institute instructors.
The fierce in-team battles went on for several days, rankings gradually being listed. Everyone grew more anxious, showing no mercy in their fights. In one match, Jiang Yu faced Li Kaifeng.
In order not to be eliminated, Li Kaifeng actually used a forbidden Azure Ban Technique, one that was explicitly prohibited by the Magic Association, and nearly killed Jiang Yu.
In the end, it was the Night Rakshasa who advanced to Commander-level. With a single strike, she punished Li Kaifeng, stunning everyone present.
Li Kaifeng was expelled, and Mu Ningxue took his place.
Everyone was shaken by this brutal scene—they had never expected that teammates would end up fighting to the death.
When Lu Jun emerged from seclusion, he found the others gathered in the room. Yet the atmosphere was icy cold, each person silent, the camaraderie he had worked so hard to forge shattered into pieces. The National Institute team was once again a pile of loose sand, cohesion broken, morale plummeting.
As for this method of selection, Lu Jun made no comment.
Fortunately, a few months before the World College Competition, the roster would be finalized. That would be the true time for cultivating trust and battle will.
Lu Jun focused instead on himself, looking inward at the Water Spirit in his first Contract Space. The Mermaid maiden's strengthening had been a complete success—her aura had transformed, reaching upper-mid Commander-level, and it might not be long before she broke through to High Commander.
At the same time, three-colored streams of water circled around her—sparkling starlight, milky white, and dark silver. The Moon Eclipse Mode had successfully awakened.
Moon Eclipse carried ties to both Psychic and Ice, granting concealment and stealth while dealing soul-corroding dual damage. The attributes of the Demon-Wraith Soul Essence had indeed been very suitable.
The waters of Moon Eclipse were particularly effective against creatures with high defense and strong vitality, compensating for a long-standing shortcoming of Water-element creatures.
"Not bad—this is the bearing of an Emperor!"
He nodded in satisfaction. Noticing the others still downcast in the room, he paid them no mind and left on his own.
After all, the Mermaid Monarch was still in his personal Summoning Space.
Now that they had reached the Caribbean waters, she saw that her daughter had been well nurtured and began demanding her freedom.
Lu Jun was reluctant—losing a free Monarch-level bodyguard was no small regret. But her will was firm, and he had no choice. He accompanied her to the shore and gave her freedom.
He had wanted to advise her that with the Sea-Monster Empire's overwhelming might, it would be wiser to lie low and plan long-term.
But the Mermaid Monarch still had close kin being hunted, and she insisted on returning.
"What a pity. If I were the head of the Asian Magic Association right now, I would immediately order human mages to intervene and protect the Mermaid race. In a way, that would also weaken the Sea-Monster Empire's strength."
Lu Jun pursed his lips. At the moment, his influence was too low—he could not make such decisions.
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
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