The National Pavilion. Lu Jun swept his gaze over the dozen or so young people present, most of them familiar faces.
Jiang Yu, Guan Yu, Mu Tingying, Nanrong Ni, Zhou Xu, Li Kaifeng, Nan Jue, and Zhao Manyan.
Mu Tingying had originally been complaining, her temper flaring as she said, "Damn it, who's so high and mighty that not only are they pre-appointed as the national team captain, but they're also making all of us wait for their return?"
The others all looked like they agreed.
But before Mu Tingying could finish, her voice suddenly cut off, freezing mid-sentence as she stared blankly into the distance.
Everyone followed her gaze and saw Lu Jun and swallowing nervously, each reacting differently.
Mu Tingying froze on the spot, her face alternating between green and red. Nanrong Ni's expression changed slightly, lowering her head and eyes, shrinking off to the side, a flash of resentment crossing her gaze.
Jiang Yu was the most enthusiastic. After all, back in the Imperial Capital, his master, Pang Lai, had guided Lu Jun, making them something like half-siblings in cultivation.
To this, Lu Jun nodded in acknowledgment, then glanced coldly at Mu Tingying and said, "You have a problem?"
"No... no problem."
Mu Tingying was cowed by his sharp gaze, not daring to talk back. Her cultivation was only at the peak of the Intermediate level, still far from Advanced, while the other party was already Dual-Element Advanced.
Aside from these eight, there were two unfamiliar faces a dark-skinned, strong-looking man and a seductive, foxy woman.
The former had a strong military aura, similar to Nan Jue's type resolute, manly, straightforward. The latter wore revealing clothing: a tank top and shorts barely covering her hips, exposing large areas of smooth, milky-white skin.
Lu Jun didn't need Instructor Feng Li to introduce them. From their appearances alone, he instantly matched them to memories in his mind.
Ai Jiangtu and Jiang Shaoxu, from the Northern Military Zone and the Central Military Zone respectively, both had powerful military backgrounds in their families.
At this moment, Ai Jiangtu smiled at him kindly and said warmly, "I've heard my little sister talk about you. Your name precedes you."
"Hello," Lu Jun nodded. His sister was none other than that baby-faced tease, Ai Tutu, who had long been sharing an apartment with them at the Jinyuan Complex.
Ai Jiangtu's cultivation was also the highest among them. He served as the acting national team vice-captain before Lu Jun returned to the team, handling related responsibilities.
Currently, he possessed both Curse and Space Elements at the Advanced level, with peak-level Tier-Four Spiritual Strength, masterfully commanding Advanced Spells. He could restrain a Commander-level creature alone, on par with Mo Fan's current strength.
The enchanting Jiang Shaoxu, on the other hand, had none of that military aura. She was like a girl-next-door elder sister, occasionally radiating shocking allure. At times, she resembled a mature housewife; at others, a mischievous young girl—combining the playfulness of a sprite with the sensuality of a seductive woman.
Yes, people called her "Madam Jiang."
Of course, Lu Jun had tasted all kinds of beauties already and no longer felt any worldly lust.
She sashayed over, swaying her hips, and said in a flirtatious tone, "Oh my, our national team captain so handsome."
Lu Jun just curled his lips and didn't take her teasing seriously. This type of woman was like Asha'ria open-minded, unpredictable in attitude, and one misstep could have you wrapped around her finger.
In any case, she was no match for his sister Lu Mei, Tang Yue, or Ding Yumian.
After a few brief exchanges, the three of them had made a shallow acquaintance. Including the eight from before, that made ten people.
Finally, there was the eleventh member of the national team a silver-haired girl with a cold expression, standing quietly at the edge of the crowd, her presence almost nonexistent, surrounded by a chill.
It was clearly Mu Ningxue. With her strength and noble background, she should have been a core team member. Now she was only a substitute. Clearly, that matter had come to light.
Disasters from the Ancient Capital were being disclosed more and more, and among them was High Deacon Mu He of Hujin.
Mu Ningxue's entire family was under investigation, and her reputation had plummeted. She had nearly been forced into a political marriage.
But she stood her ground and came back on her own strength, stubbornly proving her worth to the instructors.
"I knew you'd come, brother."
At that moment, Mo Fan first hugged Zhao Manyan. The two threw their arms around each other and began chatting about the girls they were going to chase overseas. He also noticed Zhao Manyan's unwelcome status within the team.
Zhao Manyan shrugged and said, "It's just that they have issues with how I bought my spot with money. As if they didn't rely on their own backgrounds. Believe me, if these guys lost their family names and became regular folks with the same cultivation level, they wouldn't even qualify to guard the National team."
"Who's really better than who?"
"Damn right you are."
Mo Fan recalled the hardship of scraping together the three admission tickets, gave a thumbs-up, and said.
As he spoke, he shifted his position slightly and finally caught sight of the unnoticed Mu Ningxue. He was stunned and lit up with surprise and joy as he stepped forward. "Xuexue! You're here too?"
Just as everyone was getting to know each other, Feng Li arrived, fashionably late.
He had been observing for a while and now smiled, saying, "Looks like you all know each other. That's great aves us some time on team bonding."
Lu Jun nodded. Counting him and Mo Fan, there were thirteen people total, same number as in the original storyline. Zu Jiming was already dead; now he had taken that spot.
Ten official members, three substitutes—all of whom were basically filler. The only real fighters were Ai Jiangtu, Mo Fan, and himself.
As for Mu Ningxue, she'd only rise to prominence after fully unlocking her Ice Crystal Bow. Zhao Manyan, too, needed to go through real battles before converting his wealth and resources into actual strength.
"All in all, this year's National Institute Championship is within reach. Three SSRs, two late-blooming SSRs, a five-star Huaxia team? Ultra Champion Edition?"
Lu Jun secretly joked to himself. But in truth, with his broadened horizons, winning a championship didn't even matter anymore it was as easy as picking something out of a bag.
What he cared more about was forging connections with the true heirs of various factions, the opportunities and encounters during the journey, the rewards and fame after victory.
Especially Jiang Shaoxu not just for her own value, but because she had a brother named Jiang Shaojun, who had done deep research on Totems and had even gone missing in a forbidden zone, presumed dead.
Now that was something. Other than the original story's memories, Lu Jun knew jack about the White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and the like. When he needed to break through to the Super Tier in Metal Element later, he would need the right opportunity. He had to plan ahead.
There was no doubt Jiang Shaojun had some relevant information.
From the front, Feng Li said, "Rest up tonight. The training begins early tomorrow morning."
With that, the instructor dismissed the team.
With nothing else to do, Ai Jiangtu, seeing everyone idle, suggested they all go out for a meal to get more familiar with one another.
After thinking it over, everyone agreed.
That night, the group of young people entered the most bustling area of the Imperial Capital and found a laid-back shop where they could sit and talk.
Lu Jun took a seat among them, just ready to relax and enjoy the moment, when an unwelcome guest showed up.
Nearby, a middle-aged man named Lu Dong hesitantly approached. He didn't come too close, but Lu Jun sensed him right away and recognized him at first glance.
"You! Get over here!"
Lu Jun furrowed his brows, stood up, and barked the order. "What do you want? Didn't I say before if you show your face to me again, I'll kill you."
The sudden outburst drew curious looks from the other National Institute members, who watched with interest to see what was going on.
The shout terrified Lu Dong. He didn't dare delay and immediately dropped to his knees, crawling a few steps forward and stammering in panic, "It wasn't me, I swear—it was him! He forced me to do it!"
"Hm?!"
Lu Jun's eyes turned sharp at those words, sensing something was off.
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
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