Lu Jun, hearing this, couldn't help but fall into thought, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
Although he had foreseen the future and already knew that the champion's prize would be the Divine Seal Benifaction from the Parthenon Temple, before it was officially confirmed, who could say whether a butterfly effect might occur?
He was determined to obtain this supreme divine technique!
Indeed, the Void Altar awarded to the runner-up was quite tempting for Lu Jun—it offered about a 50% chance to break through to the Super-tier, perfectly suited for a high-tier mage like him who had mastered all his elements to completion.
However, it still couldn't compare to the Divine Seal Benifaction. This divine art could transform an ordinary mage's magic system to a level comparable to his six monstrously strong elements—utterly earth-shattering.
Ask any mage in the world whether they would exchange the Divine Seal Benifaction for an opportunity to train at the Void Altar—the answer would be no. No one would trade it, because although the Void Altar was as precious as Pearl Institute's Three-Step Tower, it wasn't unattainable. Those who made great contributions to the Australian Magic Association had the chance to enter it.
After all, the Void Altar was vast and had many slots available, so its rarity was somewhat diluted.
Moreover, there were many alternatives to the Void Altar—the Starsea Celestial Vein, the Ice Domain Fruit that Mu Bai had consumed, or the thunder-type Peruvian Lightning Veins—all celestial treasures that could help a mage break through to the Super-tier, further reducing its uniqueness.
In contrast, the Divine Seal Benifaction could only be performed by the Parthenon's Goddess or the High Priestess herself. It represented the ultimate blessing of the Blessing Element, demanded a great price, and could only be granted once in a lifetime.
Even the Goddesses throughout history had rarely bestowed it upon their own followers—let alone outsiders.
And the Divine Seal Benifaction was a lifelong divine gift that could be used all the way up to the Forbidden Curse level—its significance was immeasurable.
When Mo Fan heard Zhao Manyan's explanation, his eyes also burned with excitement. Their odds of winning the championship were high—didn't that mean the Divine Seal Benifaction was almost within reach?
At that moment, Zhao Manyan revealed another piece of shocking news, speaking mysteriously: "You guys know that Forbidden Mage, the Shadow Element's Supreme, Essendale? He's been declared guilty by the Holy City and is about to be arrested and executed."
Guan Yu exclaimed, "You mean Lord Essendale? I didn't expect that at all…"
Everyone began talking at once, except for Lu Jun, who frowned slightly. He knew that Izisha, the Commander of the Fountain of Souls, was the one driving this plan. Essendale had close ties with Ander, one of the leading candidates for the Goddess position—once the former was executed, the latter would soon fall from grace as well.
Still, it wasn't his concern—he decided to stay out of it.
"Silence!"
Suddenly, on the massive arena stage, a stern old mage shouted, "The Treasure Hunt Competition is about to begin! Please listen carefully to the following rules…"
There were sixteen National Academy teams present, each consisting of ten members—one hundred and sixty participants in total.
The organizers distributed a series of silver Spatial Scrolls to all competitors. These served as life-saving tools—when activated, they would teleport the user out of the competition within four seconds.
After all, the venue of each year's Treasure Hunt Competition was located far from Venice, often within an entirely separate dimension.
At the center of the arena stood a towering Spatial Magic Formation, its silver radiance rippling in a spiral, ready to transport the participants.
Lu Jun stood among the crowd, glancing around and quickly spotting several familiar figures.
At the forefront of the Greek team stood a woman wearing a veiled mask. Her figure was curvaceous, her aura both divine and alluring—a perfect mix of holiness and seduction.
Asharuiya seemed to sense Lu Jun's gaze and responded with a graceful, reserved smile.
"She's participating this early?"
He was slightly surprised. In the original timeline, Asharuiya had only joined the National Team during the third stage—the Top Eight Duel—after Greece suffered an upset loss to Egypt, as part of her campaign to promote her candidacy for Goddess.
As for how she could join midway this time… well, it must be one of the Saintess's privileges.
Lu Jun pondered carefully, his vigilance rising. His eyes swept toward other major contenders.
Leading the British team were a man and a woman—both stunning, elegant, and noble, like a golden couple. They exuded an ancient and dignified aura—none other than Zeroro and Ayleen.
He had long regarded the former as his benchmark, though he had now surpassed him. The latter was a Duchess of the British Victoria Royal Family, the confirmed next leader of the British mages—her strength unfathomable, talent unmatched, and her collection of treasures vast.
Lastly came the American team—though less described in the original accounts, observing the few men and women in their lineup, each exuded a sharp, elite presence. Following them were other strong teams: France, Canada, and Italy.
"Something's not right."
Seeing this scene, Lu Jun's expression turned wary—his psychic senses faintly resonating.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The organizers announced that the Treasure Hunt Tournament had officially begun. One hundred and sixty participants from sixteen national teams stepped one after another into the silver spatial vortex. A terrifying ripple of energy surged forth, teleporting everyone into an independent dimension, scattering them across various corners of the realm.
Before stepping into the vortex, Lu Jun secretly placed Psychic Marks and Space-Time Marks on the other nine members of the National Team, ensuring he could locate them instantly after the teleportation.
The next moment, his vision distorted chaotically, his body drifting in and out of focus.
When Lu Jun opened his eyes again, a gray, murky sky stretched before him — unreal and hazy.
In the distance, the land rose and fell with jagged ridges and abrupt peaks; forests sprawled across the horizon, rivers ran upstream, and eerie cries echoed from long valleys…
This entire area radiated an unnatural dissonance, far from the harmony of true nature.
He looked up — a massive eagle was circling roughly a hundred meters above, its sharp, luminous eyes glinting with awareness.
At a glance, Lu Jun recognized it as a Pupil Eagle — a creature capable of transmitting its vision to distant instruments, functioning similarly to an Evil-Eye Bronze Mirror, used as a live surveillance familiar.
Each national participant had one following them, and several were stationed at specific regions to ensure every contestant's movements were broadcasted faithfully to the audience — recording everything without omission.
Lu Jun smiled faintly. He knew of a rather broken trick — to use Psychic Invasion on the Pupil Eagle to seize its vision, thereby obtaining a full-map view and grasping everyone's positions.
However, since these Pupil Eagles belonged to the military, such tactics were likely anticipated. There would certainly be safeguards. The fact that Ayleen could so easily invade one before indicated how profound her Psychic cultivation truly was.
By the same logic, Lu Jun's own Psychic Element was by no means weak — he could likely take control of a Pupil Eagle himself.
But he had to be cautious. His publicly known elements did not include the Psychic Element, so he couldn't act too recklessly. He decided to manipulate only one or two in specific areas to avoid suspicion.
Just as Lu Jun was about to quietly use his Psychic Invasion on the Pupil Eagle, his consciousness suddenly trembled. True Name Foresight activated!
His soul detached from his body, roaming into the boundless void, while his physical form remained frozen in place.
At the same time, across the vast dimension, countless national participants descended — each one disturbing the native creatures of the realm, igniting battles and chaotic clashes in multiple zones.
Those who accidentally landed near one another — in groups of two or three — either immediately began fighting, cautiously retreated, or chose to form temporary alliances. With humanity's arrival, conflict erupted instantaneously, and a killing intent quickly enveloped the entire dimension.
The Greek Team's Asharaya, the British Team's Zell, the American Captain, the Italian Captain and many other elite young magicians all had sharp, focused gazes. The moment they landed, they dispersed swiftly in different directions.
Asharaya gave a soft hum. "I hope those guys have a bit of coordination. The Chinese Team's overall strength is clearly above the rest. If we don't join forces against them in the Treasure Hunt, then in the Grand Eight Finals, no one will be able to stop them."
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
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