The internal conflict within the National Institute team cast a shadow over the prospects of this championship favorite.
The whole world was watching for amusement, thinking that the troublesome members had finally been removed, especially since the two expelled members held significant tactical positions—it was as if they had destroyed their own defenses.
"Let me tell you, the Chinese team is strong, but it doesn't matter, they'll give it away!"
Domestic netizens angrily commented, "Heh heh heh, the National Institute team never disappoints when it comes to being disappointing."
"Why keep the instructors fed, and why not kick out the troublemaker Mo Fan? Why not remove Mu Ningxue, a member of the Black Vatican family? I suspect she might throw the match."
"Where is the team captain? Members eliminate rivals—Lu Jun, where are you?"
Public opinion gradually became skewed, seemingly manipulated by someone. If nothing unexpected happened, it would be the Mu and Nanrong families, unwilling to see their members eliminated.
Feng Li bore tremendous pressure, receiving countless calls daily—some threats, some inducements, some friendly advice, some from benefactors out of goodwill.
The first two were bearable; the latter two were truly difficult.
Fortunately, he stood firm, silently bearing all the public pressure, shielding the National Institute team members from storms.
Time passed, and three months flew by. The ten National Institute members immersed themselves in cultivation, all making progress. Yet, the external public opinion storm not only did not subside but intensified.
All members who emerged from seclusion were resentful. Even Guan Yu had some grievances toward Mo Fan, thinking it went too far. They suggested it would have been better to merely move the two to the bench, avoiding confrontation, and handle it quietly.
Boom!
Meanwhile, from Lu Jun's seclusion, the roar of surging tides erupted. Sky-blue radiance surged above his cave, forming layered tidal ocean patterns, grand and majestic, with thick water-elemental energy gathering.
"Pop!" A sound of a certain constraint breaking echoed.
Within Lu Jun's spiritual world, a vast, jet-black celestial river expanded, the light membrane shattered, and surging magical energy slammed into yet another wall of sighs.
He slowly opened his eyes, water-elemental energy roaring through his body, wisps and mists weaving everywhere.
Water-type advanced to High-Tier Level 3, fully cultivated!
Seeing this, Lu Jun was filled with joy. Water-Level 3 allowed him to transform defensive skills into offensive maneuvers, named [Water Flower], akin to an upgraded version of the Mid-level Violent Wave, with greatly increased lethality.
"Wonderful! My Water-type Soul Seed [Tide] can finally be put to use. High-Tier Level 3, casting seven or eight high-level spells consecutively—doesn't that reach the power of Super-level, a weakened version of [Water Holocaust:Water Sluice]!"
Lu Jun thought silently. Originally, the Tide was restricted by Water-type magic at the beginning of his cultivation, leaving it tactically negligible. Now, with advanced magic transformations, it could be utilized, a single move second only to Ascension-level attacks.
Next, he consolidated his Water-type cultivation briefly, then gracefully emerged from seclusion.
The National Institute competition officially began.
Lu Jun stood at the forefront of the hall, hands behind his back, face stern, scanning both rows of National Institute members. He said in a low voice, "I've heard about what happened. Words alone are worthless; everything relies on real ability. Let us now break the criticism of the world."
Upon hearing this, the anger in the hearts of the members transformed into high spirits. From this moment, the entire team became united as one.
The National Institute competition began, and people from all regions gradually arrived in Venice. In just a few days, the city's visitors nearly tripled. The waterways, bridges, squares, and public ferries all became crowded.
Packed to capacity, tickets for the magical viewing arenas were almost impossible to obtain, with scalpers everywhere.
Due to technical limitations, videos of magical duels were extremely rare. Only two major competitions in the world allowed the public to witness true National Institute duels:
The first was the Hunter King Championship, the second the National Institute competition.
Because of their scarcity and the public's desire for the extraordinary, these two competitions required no promotion and naturally drew maximum attention.
The first had very high-level battles that ordinary people could not understand, which was somewhat tolerable. The second featured young elites competing, balancing spectacle and professionalism, tied to national honor, with at least hundreds of millions of viewers for each broadcast.
Truly attracting worldwide attention.
For such an important event, not only did the Nine Provinces dispatch their second-in-command Shao Zheng to lead, but the Ancient Capital Magic Association sent Han Ji, Secretary-General Zu Huixian, and the Forbidden City Chief Mage Pang Lai.
In Venice, thirty-two national flags hung high, fluttering in the wind. These represented the top thirty-two nations selected for Venice, the best from both the training paths and National Institute challenges—true magical powers recognized worldwide.
Lu Jun and his party, guided by volunteers, entered the venue. Media had already stationed along the sides, snapping photos frantically.
Suddenly, he saw two individuals nearby, attracting a swarm of journalists asking questions in all directions.
Seeing this, Lu Jun furrowed his brows—it was the two women who had been expelled from the National Institute: Mu Tingying and Nanrong Ni.
They seemed to notice him, looked up at Lu Jun, and gave a cold smile. Then, turning to the reporters in front of them, they spoke softly, putting on a white-lotus innocent demeanor as they accepted interviews.
Soon, Lu Jun was surrounded by several international media outlets. A blonde, blue-eyed Western female journalist handed him a microphone, speaking fluent Mandarin politely: "Excuse me, Mr. Lu Jun, may we interview you as the representative of the Chinese team?"
She spoke extremely quickly, not giving Lu Jun time to respond: "Before the match, I heard that some unfavorable news about your team emerged. Are these reports accurate?"
Hearing this, Lu Jun remained silent and gave a cold chuckle. He knew there were people deliberately trying to dig traps and apply pressure. Misquoting him entirely was unlikely, but bias was inevitable. At this moment, it was best to say nothing.
But who was he? If he didn't occupy the narrative, someone else would, and he intended to make a big splash, advertising his future enterprises while he was at it.
Lu Jun replied decisively: "I don't know exactly what situation you're referring to. If you mean the internal conflict among our members, then yes, it is true. Within the team, Nanrong Ni and Mu Tingying leveraged their families' influence to sabotage Mu Ningxue outside the arena."
"They sought to reduce her cultivation, forcing her to withdraw from the National Institute competition."
At these words, everyone present reacted in shock. The female journalist's eyes lit up, her pen flying over the paper. She didn't care about the truth; the more contradictory the statements, the more explosive the news.
Then Lu Jun continued like a machine gun, endlessly outputting, spitting words, and everyone's eyes widened—this was big news.
"What? You ask whether Nanrong Ni and Mu Tingying withdrawing would affect the team's combat power? I can only say—no impact at all!"
"The National Institute team's strength remains the same with or without them… actually, without them, the team's cohesion and power are even stronger."
"Oh, you say the major betting agencies overnight raised our odds, thinking we barely make the top eight? Hahaha, I just want to say to the other National Institute teams—you're here to fight for second place, right?"
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
Patreon. Com/ALLISWELL123