The Shadow of War / The Insect Tide Attacks

Lu Jun pondered this word, having heard it many times before. "Heart?"

"Yes," Bayer said. "The Spirit Carving Method can draw inspiration from countless Demon Beasts and summon beasts adapted to various situations, but imitation is ultimately limited. Only those that have existed in the mortal world can be released."

"For some creatures that went extinct in ancient times, even if you find their fossils and try to copy and depict them, it won't help. And among the myriad of strange and wonderful beasts, is there really one that perfectly matches your taste?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jun was startled, lowered his head in deep thought, and then shook his head, saying, "I don't know what '100%' means. Are there any perfect creatures in this world? In my opinion, Summoned Beast that can meet all my requirements is extremely satisfactory."

"Hahaha." Bayer laughed loudly, his eyes burning with fervor, "What if I told you that the Spirit Carving Method could create a Summoned Beast from nothing, one that perfectly matches your desires, a unique species that doesn't exist in this world?"

"He can combine the strengths of all the top races, the chimera among chimeras. He can completely disregard rationality, logic, and Demon Beast. He is the perfect, flawless, invincible, and eternally unseen being in your heart."

Bayer spoke each word clearly, his tone growing more forceful with each sentence, his eyes burning with intensity, his voice ringing out powerfully.

Upon hearing this, Lu Jun gasped, deeply shocked, his breath quickening, and his scalp tingling. This grand idea was far too far-reaching.

Yes, the Spirit Sculpture Summoning Technique utilizes that spiritual bond to instantly capture a corresponding beast group that is perfectly suited to one's own will. So why can't one carve a non-existent race out of thin air and summon it into reality?!

What's even more remarkable is that half of its foundation is based on fantasy, while the other half touches on reality. It exists between the real and the unreal, allowing for the addition of various 'settings' and 'organs' without having to consider the self-consistency of its internal structure.

It should be understood that species born of nature must respect nature. No matter how powerful those Demon Beasts are, they have corresponding weaknesses and natural enemies, and their internal structures are bound to have many superfluous aspects.

You can't have it all. All creatures hailed as the perfect race are only relatively perfect. If you take the function of just one organ, they certainly wouldn't be considered the strongest.

The Spirit Carving Method is different. It allows it to compete with the True Dragon, the overlord of the sky, in the realm of flight, and is even more powerful than the giant Kun of the deep sea in stirring up waves. It also has the strength to contend with the Demon Tiger Clan on land.

"Teacher, I want to learn!"

Lu Jun said sincerely that calling someone "teacher" before was just playing a role, but this time it was from the bottom of his heart.

It must be said that Bayer helped him open the door to the highest hall of Summoning System, something no one had ever thought of before.

"No rush. Imagination stems from reality. You need to at least practice by imitating thousands of species during the second stage of the Spirit Carving Method to accumulate experience and materials. In addition, you also need to master the top-level techniques of the Mind Element."

Bayer smiled kindly, patted Lu Jun on the shoulder, and left gracefully.

Standing in the stone forest, Lu Jun deeply agreed. Scanning the dense, endless stone forest, he felt full of energy. The Spirit Eagle's exclusive Summoned Beast wouldn't be so easy to obtain; he estimated it would require it to Super Rank.

After all, the Inca Empire doesn't seem to have actually realized this vision.

But a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. He calmed himself down, picked up his hammer, and began to carve and imitate the Demon Beast stone statue.

Due to time constraints, it's unclear when we'll be able to return.

Lu Jun specifically chose several commonly used and powerful races to carve first.

Thump, thump, thump... Another series of hammering and colliding sounds echoed through the stone forest...

Time flies, and the days at the Summoning Institute passed by one by one. In the blink of an eye, Lu Jun had stayed for a month and copied seven or eight kinds of Demon Beast stone sculptures.

Just as he was about to stay put, the people from the Space Institute arrived. They were young, strong, and beautiful women with delicate, three-dimensional features, deep eyes, wheat-colored skin, and strong muscles.

The woman came to teach the method of establishing the second contract, and the process was surprisingly simple.

Chapter 328 The Shadow of War

Lu Jun attempted the exercise under the woman's guidance.

The newcomer was none other than Elder Mina's daughter, Putana, who was young but already possessed Super Rank in both spatial manipulation and summoning.

The dark-skinned beauty parted her fierce lips slightly and said gently, "Close your eyes, capture the Contract Space within your body, and then use an Intermediate Level Space Element Rift Magic to divide it into two parts."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jun fell into meditation. In the vast darkness, his mental focus swept across the area and he quickly glimpsed a dazzling singularity.

When the soul rushed in, everything opened up, revealing a vast little world. The Tide surged, and the azure glow reflected in the sky, clearly indicating that this Contract Slot already had an owner, occupied by the Mermaid Holy Spirit.

He hesitated when he heard that he would be cut in two by a spatial rift. Was this for real? It was too brutal.

"It's alright," Putana said encouragingly, "You must trust in the mending power of the Contract Space."

Lu Jun gritted his teeth and decided to give it a shot.

Buzz buzz buzz!

Within the void of his body, above the mysterious ball of light, his will was like a knife, and a wisp of silver light slashed down, splitting the ball of light in two with a 'plop'.

Ring!!! The Mermaid in the Contract Space was awakened by the loud noise. Upon seeing this scene, her voice trembled with disbelief. She woke up to find her house cracked open?!

Her big, bright eyes were brimming with tears. Men really are all heartless jerks; once they get what they want, they don't know how to cherish it.

Life finally turned its cruel hand on this poor little Holy Spirit.

But the Mermaid maiden remembered her mother's admonition and forced herself to swallow her grievances. Living under someone else's roof, she had to act like the head wife and serve them obsequiously in order to have the last laugh.

So the Mermaid Princess forced a smile and gracefully murmured, "Ring~" (It's alright, I'm willing to squeeze in for my sister.)

At this moment, Lu Jun had no time to pay attention to the inner monologue of the Water Element Spirit. A sharp pain surged from the depths of his mind, as if his soul was being cleaved in two.

Just as he was beginning to suspect that the Ancient Inca Earth Method were causing harm, a surge of powerful Mental Power welled up between his brows, shining like a bright silver moon. A cool sensation descended from the top of his head, instantly relieving the pain.

Lu Jun examined his body internally and was astonished to find that the edges of the two mysterious spatial cuts were rapidly closing, and then drawing in soul power and spatial magic energy from all directions of the void to nourish and strengthen it.

During the holidays, both quickly return to their original levels, much like fission reproduction.

These represent the First Contract Slot and the Second Contract Slot, respectively.

"I see. With the involvement of High-level Space Element in the second contract, opening it up was a piece of cake. (Secondary setting)"

Seeing this, Lu Jun suddenly realized that Mo Fan's second contract was actually a natural result of his cultivation level reaching a certain point.

If one can be divided into two, then can two be divided into four, and so on, into all things?

He fell into deep thought again, his mind racing, wanting to make a few more cuts.

Unexpectedly, Putana seemed to see through his thoughts and patiently warned him, "If you want to continue splitting the Contract Slot, please don't. This is the experience accumulated by the sages through countless failures. Contract Slot can only be torn apart once."

"In fact, the fact that you were able to recover to normal so quickly is already incredible. A normal Space Summoner needs a long time to nourish themselves."

"Yeah?"

Lu Jun smacked his lips in regret, but didn't dare to try it. Countless predecessors had already fallen into the same traps, so he didn't want to repeat them.

He's not qualified to innovate, and his understanding of Summoning System isn't deep enough.

Putana asked earnestly, "Now that your Spirit Carving Method and Second Contract are basically complete, and your Mind Element, Space Element, and Summoning System have all established connections, do you wish to proceed to the next step?"

"Of course, who else but me!" Lu Jun declared resolutely and righteously, "This is the empire's only chance in this world to rebuild its glory, and it is our duty to do so."

He saw through the future, was fearless, and naturally possessed great righteousness, shouting slogans with great force.

The Spirit Carving Method and the Second Contract are safe and mature methods that have existed for a long time. Everything beyond that is an unfamiliar territory, and anything derived from these two is uncertain in terms of life and death. The best outcome is that all cultivation is lost.

Therefore, Putana was truly shocked by Lu Jun, and deeply admired and moved. It was precisely because so many virtuous and righteous people emerged during the empire's crisis that the tide was turned.

Her eyes changed, as if she were remembering something, filled with tenderness.

Putana instructed, "You've been in intensive seclusion for a month. Go back and rest for a while before coming back to the Space Element for the final experiments."

"OK."

Lu Jun had been carving stone for so long that he was mentally and physically exhausted and wanted to take a break, so he nodded in agreement.

A moment later, he walked out of the Stone Forest Holy Land and was surprised to find that the number of worshippers had decreased significantly. The more than twenty institutions and departments of the Holy Land were empty, and the people coming and going were in a hurry.

As he passed through the town, his expression grew solemn. The Space-Time Town was deserted, except for the occasional pedestrians who were all in processions of mages.

They wore helmets adorned with brightly colored feathers, exuded a Killing Aura, were covered in blood, and most were severely wounded, their faces showing exhaustion.

"Soldiers have poured into the purest of Inca sanctuaries. What's the situation outside? They're on the verge of besieging the city."

Lu Jun was slightly flustered. According to the course of history, the Inca Empire was destroyed extremely thoroughly. If the Amazon invaded before he could find a way to escape through the Eye of Time and Space, wouldn't they perish as well?

He nervously grabbed a mage soldier and asked about the situation.

The mage was short and had a very youthful appearance, like a high school student. Seeing Lu Jun's slight surprise without any impatience, he exclaimed with delight, "Are you Lord Lu Jun?"

"Ah, yes, it's me. You know me?"

This time it was Lu Jun's turn to be stunned, and he asked in confusion.

The young man said excitedly, "Lord Lu Jun, everyone in the empire knows you are a hero of the empire. The emperor and the Grand Elder have both said that the hope of saving the Inca rests on you, and the success of the Ultimate Plan is just around the corner."

With eyes full of reverence, he said, "Please, you must reclaim my hometown from the hands of Demon Beast."

Looking into the boy's bright eyes, Lu Jun was momentarily unable to meet his gaze. He was ultimately just a passerby, and the fate of history had already been sealed. He, a mere High-Order Mage, could not save anything.

Moreover, seeing the young men's age on the battlefield and the empire's use of a vague and unrealistic plan to promote itself and boost morale, he knew perfectly well that the Inca Empire was about to perish.

Lu Jun felt guilty; he had taken the Inca's legacy but received nothing in return. After a moment of silence, he said earnestly, "We will definitely be able to reclaim it in the future."

Centuries later, the Amazon Empire, affected by unknown forces, retreated into the forests, and South America would once again flourish.

He was determined that if he found a way back, he would fight the Inca people to the last moment, until the situation was beyond saving, before returning.

Lu Jun said in a deep voice, "But soldier, you must tell me the current situation first."

The boy trusted their 'Lord Lu Jun' and explained the overall situation of the empire in detail.

Chapter 329 The Bug Tide Arrives

"Lord Lu Jun, the Empire's territory east of the Andes Mountains has been gradually eroded by the Amazon Empire, resulting in a near-total collapse."

The young mage said somewhat dejectedly, "Now we can only rely on the natural barrier of the Andes Mountains to protect the remaining territory along the Western Coastline."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jun was surprised. Had the situation become so dire? The Inca Empire only occupied most of its eastern territory, leaving only a small area in the west.

The Amazon, once it crosses the Andes, plunges straight into the sacred ground of Space-Time Town, which is in imminent danger!

His face was somber, and he was filled with emotion. Centuries ago, the Inca Empire faced the threat of the Amazon and struggled to survive on the western side of the mountains. Centuries later, the South American Alliance faced the invasion of the Sea Demon Empire and sought survival on the eastern side of the mountains.

Every era and every country will encounter various disasters; some survive, while others vanish without a trace.

The Inca Empire didn't survive; after all, land Demon Beast weren't Sea Monster, and the mountain obstacles weren't insurmountable.

"Thank you for letting me know, I will do my best."

Lu Jun sighed, decided not to waste any more of the young soldiers' time, and turned to leave.

The young man shouted after him, "Please, Lord Lu Jun!"

He waved his hand, and at the same time noticed that the other mages and officers in the group were also watching expectantly, which moved him deeply.

This reminded Lu Jun of the atmosphere in the Holy Land. Such large forces had complex internal interests and would certainly have been scheming against each other in the past, but now, in the face of life and death, they had become united in their determination.

In just one month, everything he encountered was so pure and sincere, it seemed like everyone wanted to put pressure on him, 'Lu Jun,' making it hard for him to breathe.

"Perhaps only at the end of a civilization can the masses unleash the most dazzling fireworks, leaving behind such magnificent traces as the Nazca Geoglyphs."

Lu Jun, lost in thought, returned home.

The Maid Xiao La, had been waiting at the door for a long time. She trotted forward and offered to help him undress.

He initially refused, but the allure of her gentle embrace was too irresistible.

Of course, when the maid tried to touch him, he pushed her away. He didn't mean anything by it; it was illegal. Besides, it was uncertain how long he could stay in this world, so it was best not to get too entangled with these people.

At night, after washing up, Lu Jun felt refreshed and noticed Xiao La squatting by the door with her knees drawn up to her chest, her eyes red and swollen, sobbing softly.

He mistakenly thought he had hurt the other person's feelings, so he went up to them and asked, "What's wrong?"

After saying that, La hurriedly stood up, bowed her head and greeted, "It's nothing, Lord Lu Jun."

Lu Jun glanced at her, and seeing that she didn't want to talk, he didn't press her further.

Just as he was about to go back to his room to rest, he heard the soft, weak voice of a young maid behind him. "Lord Lu Jun, do you think we will survive?"

He paused, seemingly wanting to speak but then stopped, and then heard Ra say earnestly, "I know that only a hero like you can save the Inca, and that you will surely succeed, won't you?"

Lu Jun didn't know how to respond, so he nodded vaguely, "The elders will find a way."

It seems that bad news from the front lines reached the town, and many people here couldn't help but feel pessimistic upon hearing the news.

La pursed her lips and said nothing more.

He then stood in the room, his thoughts in turmoil. His desire to escape grew stronger, while the thought of staying also intensified.

He knew that this was due to a sense of guilt. He had learned so much and was expected to succeed by so many people. It would be a shame to do nothing. However, he was too weak to turn the tide and could not change the course of history.

Rumble!

At that moment, a deafening explosion resounded through the city, and a violent surge of energy swept across the surroundings, causing buildings to shake violently.