Lu Jun was feeling a headache coming on. Seeing the commotion caused by his first challenger, he had an ominous premonition that his plan to sweep through the Water Institute would not go as smoothly as expected.
At that mont, the entire audience erupted into laughter upon witnessing the first challenger—an entirely chubby girl from the Water Institute's bottom ranks—step onto the stage only to start crying. So went even further, openly mocking her.
"This is hilarious. That fat pig is just stalling. All she can do is cry. Is she really a Mid-tier Mage?"
"No wonder she ranks last. Useless. Getting into the main campus is just a waste of resources."
"If your ntal resilience is this weak, don't bother being a mage. Do you even deserve the resources society invested in you?"
The spectators had already grown impatient from waiting. Now, seeing this girl—who seed laughable in both strength and appearance—they vented so of their frustration on her.
Liu Xiafei clenched her teeth, her body trembling, a lost and desolate look in her eyes.
Seeing this, Lu Jun frowned. His cold gaze swept across the crowd of mockers, and he spoke calmly yet with overwhelming authority, "Anyone who keeps laughing—co down here and fight ."
At his words, several of the more cowardly spectators imdiately shut up, no longer daring to sneer.
Lu Jun smirked. "So, that's all you amount to. Hiding in the crowd like clowns."
Having said his piece, he stopped paying them any more attention and turned to the chubby girl before him, sighing in exasperation. "What's going on with you?"
Hearing him speak, Liu Xiafei's body shuddered. Instead of stopping her tears, she sobbed even harder.
"N-Nothing..." She wiped at her tears, trying her best to suppress them. Looking at Lu Jun, her gaze was filled with gratitude as she choked out, "Thank you... It's been a long ti since I've been in the spotlight like this."
Lu Jun fell silent.
Others might not understand, but he did. A person's success wasn't just about effort; it also required a degree of luck—be it in talent, family background, or opportunities.
For Liu Xiafei to have made it into Pearl Academy and advanced to Mid-tier, she was undoubtedly outstanding. Her hard work was in no way inferior to anyone else's.
However, in the brutal competition of the main campus, soone had to be last. It just so happened that it was her.
anwhile, the successful ones reveled in their triumph, crediting it all to their own efforts while trampling on the dignity of those who fell behind—conveniently forgetting that wealth, talent, and other advantages were gifts from fate.
A true powerhouse remained humble, acknowledging that their success was, in part, luck.
Lu Jun was the sa. He constantly reminded himself of this. He didn't hold any grand ideals of social responsibility. He trained hard not just to prepare for future crises but also because he didn't want to squander the blessing of being born with dual elents.
After a brief pause, he spoke gently, "You're already outstanding and have worked hard enough. You're just missing a bit of luck. Don't listen to the outside noise. Keep working at it, and wait for your chance."
"If ten years isn't enough, then twenty. Thirty. Even if the outco you desire never cos, your life will still have been worthwhile."
Liu Xiafei listened intently, her emotions gradually settling.
Seeing this, Lu Jun figured she was ready. Raising an eyebrow, he said, "Since you see this as a once-in-a-lifeti opportunity, then don't waste it. Co! Show your strength. Can you still cast a Mid-tier spell?"
The chubby girl was briefly stunned, then her eyes lit up with excitent. She nodded eagerly and closed her eyes, beginning to construct the Water Elent's Mid-tier Violent Waves—Expulsion
However, under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands, she was too nervous. Her control over the stardust kept breaking, leading to repeated failures. Her expression grew more and more dejected.
Buzz!
Lu Jun cast a spell—Psychic Elent: Soothe. A wave of ntal energy spread outward, and he transmitted his voice into her mind: "Steady your breath. Focus. Ignore all distractions."
Suddenly, Liu Xiafei's turbulent emotions cald like still water. This ti, she maintained full control over her stardust, linking them seamlessly.
anwhile, the audience had heard their exchange, and many had fallen into deep thought.
A vast majority of them felt a pang of guilt—because they, too, were struggling. The main campus had no shortage of hardworking individuals.
Even so of those who had mocked her now felt ashad.
And what was the best way to make soone feel guilty? This—right here.
The Water Institute's mages started cheering. "You got this, girl!"
These Water Elent students were already gentle by nature. Seeing Liu Xiafei's tragic situation, they felt sympathy and began rallying behind her.
Following their lead, the entire arena's atmosphere shifted. Tens of thousands of voices cheered in unison.
Liu Xiafei felt as if she had reached the pinnacle of her life at that mont. Water vapor surged around her, and with a mighty punch, she unleashed a Expulsion—a vast torrent crashing forward like a rolling river!
Rumble!
Lu Jun did not interrupt her casting. With a single thought, a Water Elent Nebula ford. Strands of pure azure water wove together, coiling around him like a massive serpentine flow. Crystal-clear scales shimred into existence across his body, forming a dual-layered defense.
Basic Water Defense: Fourth Level.
As the Violent Waves: Expulsion engulfed Lu Jun, the audience fixed their eyes on him, gasping in shock.
"The Butcher of Lu is actually taking a Mid-tier spell head-on? Isn't that way too arrogant?"
But when the over ten-ter-wide wave crashed down, water splashed across the arena, revealing Lu Jun standing there, completely unscathed.
Even the massive water serpent coiling around him remained largely intact.
"Fourth-level Water Defense... an Ultimate-grade Spirit Seed... its defense can withstand a full-power strike from an average Warrior-level mage. A normal Level-1 Mid-tier spell can't even scratch him. That's insane."
The spectators were in an uproar, their expressions growing serious. No wonder he dared to challenge the entire Water Institute. With just Basic-tier magic, he could disperse water-based attacks with ease.
What they didn't know was that, with his enhanced physique, Lu Jun wouldn't even need Water Defense. Just his White Jade Balm physique and Tideborn Talent's water resistance would be enough to withstand a Expulsion spell.
In the distance, Liu Xiafei felt exhilarated, as though she had shattered the chains holding her back. She didn't make another move—she knew Lu Jun was holding back for her sake. Grateful, she bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for your help. I'll rember this."
With that, she voluntarily forfeited and left the stage. However, her entire deanor had transford—she radiated confidence, her eyes shining brightly.
Lu Jun shook his head. To him, it was just a casual act of kindness. Nothing more, nothing less.
At that mont, a new presence arrived.
The Water Institute's Chief, Qing Yu, had arrived at the arena just in ti to witness the entire exchange. She gazed at Lu Jun, her sharp eyes narrowing in thought.
"Not bad," she murmured.
Nearby, the Water Institute's female mages noticed Qing Yu and imdiately covered their mouths in excitent, exclaiming in admiration, "Chief! You're here!"
Her arrival sent ripples through the crowd. Every Water Institute student who saw her called out "Chief" in unison. Wherever she walked, the spectators instinctively parted, making way for her with an air of deep respect.
Qing Yu wore an elegant azure cheongsam, her stunning features ice-cold, her expression unreadable. She sat gracefully in the center seat of the spectator area, seemingly accustod to such treatnt.
Noticing the commotion outside the arena, Lu Jun glanced over.
Seeing this absolute beauty, he raised an eyebrow. So this is the Water Institute's Chief?
The original novel hadn't ntioned her. But that made sense—Mo Fan's activities weren't focused on Pearl Academy's main campus. The only Institute he had directly interacted with was the Fire Institute, whose Chief was Dongfang Lie.
Dongfang Lie's Fire Elent 1 Talent was so ridiculously overpowered that he naturally outclassed all the other Institute Chiefs, earning a nomination for the National Institute's Representative Battle and becoming a National Guardian. Because of this, many of the other Institute Chiefs never even got a ntion.
That said, Lu Jun would never underestimate a Chief Mage—their strength was bound to be extrely close to High-tier.
After a brief glance, he withdrew his gaze and calmly announced:
"Next challenger—Wu Wenyi."
A mont later, a tall, slender girl stood up from the audience. She was ranked second-last in the Water Institute, but thanks to Liu Xiafei's performance before her, she no longer felt nervous.
Wu Wenyi grinned mischievously as she approached Lu Jun and made an unexpected request:
"Butcher Lu, can we take a picture together?"
Hearing this, Lu Jun's face went blank.
What the hell? How did this challenge tournant turn into sothing so weird?
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