Ding Yumian's body went limp as she leaned into Lu Jun's embrace.
She let out a soft sigh. After being pulled back and forth emotionally so many times by him, even someone as calm as her ended up cursing it was clear her psychological defenses had been completely shattered, and she had fallen completely.
"I guess I'm done for this lifetime."
At this moment, Ding Yumian just gave up. In any case, they couldn't be separated anymore.
Lu Jun held her for a long time before lowering his head to gently kiss her. Then he let go of the embrace and said, "When I return from the National Team, I'll take you away from Pearl Academy."
Upon hearing this, Ding Yumian's cheeks flushed. She turned her head slightly and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
She had thought this guy was about to do something crazy in the forest, the way he kept pushing the limits.
The two of them separated and walked hand-in-hand out of the academy's back mountain. Before parting, Ding Yumian spoke softly, "Do your best, aim for a good ranking, but your own safety is the most important. Don't force yourself."
"Mm, I'll be careful. Goodbye."
Lu Jun responded gently. He summoned the Night Thunder Dream Beast and headed for the Shanghai airport. After being dragged around by Tang Yue and Ding Yumian for so long, Mo Fan nearly ended up living in the airport.
When Lu Jun looked back, Ding Yumian was already just a tiny figure in the distance, but she still stood there, watching him from afar.
He had nailed it Lu Jun finally felt a huge sense of relief. Man, he was exhausted. Managing time between three women nonstop had taken a lot of effort, but he had finally smoothed everything out perfectly.
He had to admit, it was really satisfying.
A short while later, Lu Jun met up with Mo Fan. Old Mo looked at him with resentment all over his face. "What took you so long? Let's go already, the National Team instructor is breathing down our necks."
The two boarded the plane and headed straight for the Imperial Capital.
What Lu Jun didn't notice, however, was that in the bustling, crowded airport, a hesitant middle-aged man was pacing nearby. He bore some resemblance to Lu Jun it was none other than his nominal uncle, Lu Dong, whom he had crossed paths with a few times.
Back then, Lu Dong had been doing things for Lu Nian but got scared off by Lu Jun's threats. Now, for some reason, he was observing Lu Jun again.
Lu Jun's Psychic Elemental senses were powerful, but they couldn't fully function in a crowd. He could barely maintain sensitivity to killing intent under so many scanning gazes, it was inevitable he would miss something.
Moreover, Lu Dong was very careful. He knew Lu Jun's spiritual prowess well, and quickly averted his gaze after a brief glance.
Moments later, Lu Dong watched Lu Jun board the plane before finally leaving the airport. At a corner outside the terminal, he was stopped by a young, arrogant-looking man who asked, "So? Did he head to the Imperial Capital alone?"
"Young Master Lu?" Lu Dong was startled. After seeing the man's face clearly, he immediately spoke respectfully, "Yes, he went with that commoner Mo Fan. I've been watching for a while, no faction is accompanying them."
"As expected."
Lu Yilin murmured to himself and sneered. "This year, two commoner brats actually got selected for the National Team by luck. They've got no background whatsoever, yet they bumped me off the list."
He was full of jealousy. He had been training well with the National Team when suddenly the notice came down: two new members were being added, and with the team slots exceeded, he who lacked the same influence as some direct-line members of the Lu Family was immediately removed.
Lu Yilin was extremely dissatisfied afterward. His cultivation had clearly reached the Advanced Level; he just hadn't fully mastered Star Constellations. He was definitely stronger than some people on the team.
Yet the higher-ups wanted him to compare strength with the commoners and background with the noble heirs? How absurd was that?
By that logic, shouldn't he compare backgrounds with commoners and strength with noble heirs? He refused to accept it!
After doing his research, he found that all three of Mo Fan's recommendation votes came from major forces in the Ancient Capital. A top-tier city giving him full backing made things murky and unpredictable too risky to mess with.
But Lu Jun's status as a collateral branch of the Lu Family caught his eye. Framing it as an internal family conflict would make it easier to explain things to those above. After all, being a National Team member still carried a bit of weight.
Lu Dong hesitated. Remembering past events, his face showed fear as he warned, "That kid's a lunatic."
"Pfft, what do you know?" Lu Yilin couldn't be bothered to listen to such a minor character's advice and directly ordered, "When we get to the Imperial Capital, find a chance to lure Lu Jun out. Leave the rest to me."
On the other side, Lu Jun and Mo Fan sat through a long flight and finally arrived at their destination.
Mo Fan had been silent the entire way. As they approached the grand competition arena's gathering point and found themselves alone with no one nearby, he suddenly asked, "By the way, Old Lu, do you still have any Demon Orbs left?"
Hearing this, Lu Jun was slightly surprised. Then he understood it was likely the matter with Xin Xia had deeply affected Mo Fan, making him begin to seek a power capable of overturning everything.
"Nope. I've used up all the Demon Orbs. But once you reach the Super Level, the residual demon power will awaken into a new magic element. You can use it then."
Lu Jun said casually, but in truth, he was reminded of Japan's [Eastern Sentinel Pavilion], the birthplace of the first Red Demon.
Considering the mysterious link between the Red Demons and the demons, the [Condensed Evil Beads] formed from the original wicked thoughts of imprisoned Mage criminals there could also serve as substitutes for Demon Orbs.
When the time comes, with Mo Fan's meddlesome nature, he probably won't be able to avoid it.
Upon hearing this, Mo Fan looked disappointed but didn't press further.
The two stepped through the arena gate, where five middle-aged mages, all fairly senior, stood waiting. Upon seeing Lu Jun striding with the vigor of a tiger, dressed in a black-gold coat that fluttered imposingly, their eyes lit up and they came forward to welcome him.
One of them, a burly man with forehead wrinkles like tiger stripes, reached out warmly and said, "You must be Lu Jun. I've heard much about you, your cultivation and strength far exceed your peers. You'll serve as the National Team's captain. We're counting on you this time."
Lu Jun shook his hand and hesitated, "And you are?"
"I'm Feng Li," said the tiger-striped man, explaining, "I'm the chief mentor for this year's National Team. All training arrangements, personnel selection, resource allocation, and handling of conflicts will be my responsibility."
Upon hearing this, Lu Jun suddenly understood. The name rang a bell—Feng Li was known as a very responsible mentor, known for his fairness.
In the original timeline, Mo Fan had faced exclusion and hostility after joining the National Team, and this mentor had always stood on the just side of things.
Seeing how well Lu Jun was being received, Mo Fan looked eagerly at the group of National Mentors and asked, "What about me? What position do I get?"
"You?" Feng Li's attitude shifted slightly, now colder, as he said, "You're late. Being powerful isn't an excuse for arrogance. Since you've achieved High Tier in one Element, I'll grudgingly consider you a main team member."
Having said that, he ignored Mo Fan and took the lead, enthusiastically preparing to introduce Lu Jun to the National Team members and their current status.
Huh? Mo Fan stood there alone, dumbfounded and speechless.
Damn it, he was late just like Old Lu and missed the National Team selection trials. Why was the treatment so different?
He grumbled inwardly there's no way the mentor knew that he had also reached High Tier in Lightning Magic, and that his contracted creature Flame Belle Empress was nearly at Commander level. He definitely wasn't weaker than Old Lu!
Then, Mo Fan suddenly had a change of heart. Actually, this might be fine he could play the underdog, and when Old Lu couldn't carry the team anymore, he'd step up and show off his strength. By then, all the little girls watching nationwide would definitely fall head over heels for him… hehe.
Thinking it through, he cheerfully followed along to meet the rest of the team.
For additional chapters
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