Mu He looked at Yu Ang, who was kneeling on the ground, and kicked him away. He would have liked nothing more than to take action himself, but he still had a more important mission to fulfill and couldn't reveal himself. Bishop Salang's plan mattered more.
Torrential Rain
Drip, drip.
Lu Jun stood atop the towering Yin Mao Building. Suddenly, he paused and reached out his hand. A drop of rain fell into his palm, chilling it. The wind on the rooftop grew stronger, and clouds blanketed the night sky, blocking out the light.
"It's going to rain," he murmured. As expected, Palm Leader Wu Ku had made his move. A Super Rank Mage and a half Calamity Bringer of the Water Element could wield the might to summon wind and rain, changing the weather over an entire region.
In the future, his power would become even more terrifying. He would be able to reverse the climate of an entire country and bring about an even greater disaster.
Rumble!
Soon, rain began to fall, growing heavier and heavier. The air grew thick with moisture, and the Water Element became abundant. The only strange thing was that the rainwater was murky and carried a peculiar smell.
He stared at the water in his palm. It was none other than the Frenzied Spring.
By then, the operation in Bo City had already ended. Billows of smoke rose from all over the city, and every tunnel had been destroyed. The whole thing had taken less than half an hour, and, strangely enough, they hadn't encountered a Black Vatican attack.
Just as Yang Zuohe was about to speak, he suddenly looked toward the distant edge of Bo City. Three beams of white light shot into the sky, illuminating a vast area.
He stared blankly. As the head of the Bo City Magic Association, he still couldn't hide the terror on his face. Trembling, he said, "Three beams of Light Shine. Demon Beasts are invading. Blood Alert. City-Slaughtering Disaster."
Yang Zuohe hurriedly switched on his radio and issued an order. "All mages in the city, take note: Blood Alert. Quickly organize the people by household and get them into the Safe Zone."
Fortunately, it was a day off, so everyone was quietly staying at home. Thanks to the earlier warning, no panic had broken out, and the people were organized and evacuated in an orderly fashion.
On the Yin Mao Building, Yang Zuohe breathed a sigh of relief and said gratefully to Lu Jun, "Good thing you warned me ahead of time and blocked the sewer entrances leading out of the city. Otherwise, with trouble both inside and out, Bo City would have fallen at the first blow. Who knows how many people would have died?"
Lu Jun frowned and gazed toward the edge of Bo City, wondering how things were going there and whether the defenses could hold.
In the original story, the city had been attacked from within. The Great Noble Families' experts, along with Deng Kai of the Demon Hunting Alliance, Yang Zuohe of the Magic Association, and others, had all been busy dealing with the thousands of Demon Beasts inside the city and rescuing people. Everything had descended into chaos.
The Military Department had been left to hold back the Demon Horde outside the city, and in the end, they'd had no choice but to abandon the entire defensive line.
Yang Zuohe continued relaying information and directing his subordinates. In an instant, a magnificent golden Light Screen rose over the city, like an upside-down golden bowl covering most of the area.
A moment later, Yang Zuohe said gravely to Captain Liang, "This is bad. I just got word that the leader of the One-Eyed Magic Wolf pack has moved out. There's a Commander-level Winged Azure Wolf and over a hundred General-level beasts. We're terribly short-handed."
"I'm going to reinforce them. Here..."
Captain Liang understood. He replied solemnly, "Don't worry. I'll protect the Earth Sacred Spring. Besides, Hunter Lu Mei and Adjudicator Tang Yue are both here to keep watch. Neither is weaker than you, so we're in good hands."
"Right." Yang Zuohe nodded, then sighed. "What worries me now is the Black Vatican, who've been lying low. But stopping the Demon Beast invasion is more important. Once you've called Mo Fan up, have him and the other Intermediate Mages escort the two students and the Earth Sacred Spring into the Safe Zone."
He glanced at Lu Jun, signaling Captain Liang. He also thought there shouldn't be any problems. He'd been watching in secret, and both Tang Yue and Lu Mei were top-tier dual-element Intermediate Mages, far stronger than him.
Green light shone around Yang Zuohe as fierce winds howled. With the Primary Level Wind Orbit · Floating Shadow, he became a blur, leaping from building to building until he vanished from Lu Jun's sight in the blink of an eye.
Before this, the heads of the Great Noble Families at Mu Manor, along with Zhan Kong, Deng Kai, Principal Zhu, and the rest of Bo City's main forces, had all been there. They'd heard Yang Zuohe's broadcast and frowned, unsure what he was up to. Only when the Blood Alert came did they suddenly understand.
"Quickly! Everyone, head to the Snow Mountain Outpost and hold back the Demon Horde!"
Mu Zhuoyun shouted urgently. The others reacted at once, gathering together and quickly assembling the mages before heading to the city's outskirts to provide support.
Zhan Kong simply unleashed the high-level Wind Element spell, Wind Wings, and flew there first.
Bo City's leaders all reached the border. Yang Zuohe was the last to arrive. When he reached the border outpost, the scene before him left him stunned, his soul and body trembling.
Aoooo! Awoooo!
Terrifying roars rolled out from behind the mountains in wave after wave. They sounded like thunderclaps exploding behind the peaks, shaking the entire range.
The tremors reached the outpost, where even the massive stone barricades began to shudder.
Through the endless curtain of rain, a blurry figure leaped into the air and landed atop the highest branch of a towering pine in the distance.
The terrifying creature had a wolf's body, yet stood hunched upright. Three eyes glowed with savage red light in its grotesque head.
Three-Eyed Magic Wolves, Bone-Spike Ferocious Wolves, and other General-level wolf Demons appeared. Each one was enormous, and there were roughly a hundred of them. A single General-level creature could take on seven or eight ordinary first-tier Intermediate Mages, so Bo City would need at least several hundred Intermediate Mages to hold them back.
And that wasn't all. Packs of Servant-level magic wolves surged toward them from the far end of the mountains. Their dark silhouettes grew more and more numerous, their pairs of blood-red, savage eyes dotting the hazy downpour like stars. One look was enough to make your blood run cold and your scalp prickle!
From above, the blue-black tide covered the mountain range and spread inch by inch across the horizon. More than a dozen nearby hills were packed with dark, crawling shapes.
Thousands of Servant-level creatures. A vast horde.
And it still wasn't over. As the wolves howled in unison, an enormous creature streaked across the gray sky. Its entire body was silver-white, and its outstretched wings spanned thirty meters, blotting out the sky. A crushing pressure swept across the area.
A Commander-level Winged Azure Wolf!
It landed gracefully in the midst of the wolves, like a king surrounded by his subjects, aloof and supreme. The howling pack fell silent in an instant. The deafening din gave way to utter quiet, and the pounding rain grew clearer as an inexplicable pressure descended from all sides.
Along the edge of the outpost, more than a thousand Military Mages stood in formation at the front. Two or three thousand Demon Hunters and unaffiliated mages were behind them.
The Military Mages were used to battle and stood firm as mountains. The others, however, were panicking. The crowd grew restless. There was no one in Bo City who could stop a Commander-level creature, let alone face the terrifying order of the Demon Beasts.
Zhan Kong stood at the very front, his face resolute, his dark green military coat flapping in the wind.
A line of Military Mages stood on either side of him, all wearing the same blue-green coats. Their coats billowed high as they stood tall on the edge of the observation platform, motionless and imposing, like a row of statues.
Zhan Kong's voice rang out clearly. "Don't be afraid! It's just one little Commander. I could kill one on my own years ago. This one's just come to serve itself up on a platter."
"I'll handle the Commander-level beast. You hold off the rest for now. I've already notified the nearby cities. Reinforcements will be here soon."
He spoke sternly. "Remember, our families are right behind us. There's no retreat!"
Black Vatican
In the curtain of rain, Lu Jun watched Yang Zuohe's retreating figure. His vigilance reached its peak. He knew the Black Vatican wouldn't give up on the Earth Sacred Spring. Was this a diversion?
He thought about the border. There shouldn't be too much to worry about there. Zhan Kong had already been a member of the National Prefecture Team several years ago.
Held once every four years, the National Prefecture Competition was also known as the Venice Competition. It was a global contest among universities, showcasing the reserves of each nation's next generation of mages. It was like the Olympics on Blue Star, only with even greater prestige.
Zhan Kong was among the world's top university mages. He'd reached the High Level long ago and had undoubtedly killed a Commander-level creature on his own.
The real crisis was here with Lu Jun. Fortunately, neither Captain Liang nor Yang Zuohe had considered him a combatant. The Black Vatican probably thought the same. Little did they know how sharp a blade he was about to drive into their backs.
After Yang Zuohe left, Captain Liang said regretfully, "Come on, let's go to the basement and wake up that student. It's a shame. This should have been a huge opportunity for him, but now we've run into this disaster. We'll have to soak him in it after things settle down."
Lu Jun didn't move. He looked down at the buildings blanketing Bo City and said calmly, "There's no time. The Black Vatican is here."
Rumble!
As soon as he finished speaking, a series of booms rang out through the torrential rain. Captain Liang rushed to the railing and looked down. Blazing streaks of fire shot skyward from every street and alley, their light piercing through the rain.
Explosions rang out in all directions. The people, who had been evacuating in an orderly fashion, panicked, and chaos began to spread.
Then Lu Jun caught sight of black figures darting through the darkness. Some came out of the sewers, while others emerged from various houses. Moving at incredible speed, they blurred into streaks and rushed toward the most conspicuous building in the city center—the Yin Mao Building.
A quick glance told him there were at least several hundred.
Black-robed figures emerged as well, magic igniting in their hands as they recklessly bombarded any place where people were gathered.
Captain Liang stared in shock at the black figures. Their bodies were pitch-black, with monkey-like faces and twisted, shriveled limbs that made his stomach turn.
"They're the Black Vatican's Black Beast Demons. Damn it, we can't leave."
He hurried downstairs. "I'll get the student and the Earth Sacred Spring from the basement first. Follow me. I'll see if I can get you out and join up with the scattered squads outside."
But the next second, a hurried voice came through the communicator in Lu Jun's ear. It was his older sister. "Lu Jun, stay where you are. Black Vatican members are attacking civilians on my end, causing a traffic jam. I can't get to you for now."
Tang Yue, Lin Yuxin, and the others had all been delayed for various reasons, scattered across Bo City. After destroying the tunnels, the Black Vatican had made their move while everyone was returning.
Lu Jun understood the enemy's strategy: surround and divide, then exploit weaknesses to defeat their targets one by one. They'd sent part of their forces ahead, while concentrating most of their strength on the weakest point.
With Yang Zuohe gone, the Yin Mao Building had been left vulnerable.
As far as he remembered, only a few members of the Black Vatican had been prominent figures, but there were plenty of low-ranking followers and acolytes. They'd once attacked and nearly wiped out the mages who'd destroyed the tunnels.
Now that they'd launched a sudden assault, the strength of their forces was astounding.
Captain Liang had already gone downstairs to retrieve the Earth Sacred Spring from the basement.
With danger closing in, Lu Jun instead broke into a mocking, wild laugh. "I've finally been waiting for you. I've been itching for a fight."
A faint platinum glow welled up in his eyes. He swept out a hand, controlling the Gold Element Primary Level Star Orbit in almost a second. A Vibranium Heavy Sword dropped from above, a little over three feet long—about 1.2 meters—and slammed into the ground.
Right after that, Lu Jun began drawing the Star Chart for the Gold Element Intermediate Level Magic, the first-tier spell Artifact Control · Flight. He'd fully controlled the Star Seeds a year ago, and his mastery had grown more and more skillful as he hunted Demon Beasts.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Three seconds later, a platinum Star Chart spread out beneath Lu Jun's feet. Forty-nine Star Seeds aligned into seven interwoven Star Tracks, and magic power surged from the Star Chart, carrying a faintly sharp, magnetic quality.
Soon, the magnetic force lifted him off the ground. He hovered in midair, then rose to the true peak of the Yin Mao Building, standing on an antenna as gale-force winds howled and rain poured down around him. His coat flapped as he looked down over Bo City.
Whoosh!
Propelled by the immense magnetic force, the Vibranium Heavy Sword shot upward. It transformed into a black flying sword and sped through the rain like lightning, flying eight hundred meters in one go.
He activated Size Change and Golden Radiance.
The sword expanded against the wind until it was more than three yards long—nearly twelve meters—like a massive heavenly blade as tall as a small villa. Wrapped in platinum light, it sliced through the sound barrier, unleashing a tremendous shockwave. The rain swept backward in layers like surging waves, a breathtaking sight.
Screee!
Everyone in Bo City heard a piercing sonic boom, like a supersonic fighter jet flying low overhead. It stung their eardrums. They blinked, and a vast platinum light was already streaking across the night sky.
Rumble!
The three-yard Vibranium Heavy Sword came crashing down like a super-heavy truck. Its tremendous momentum bulldozed every small building along its path. Row after row of concrete walls collapsed, and dust billowed along an entire street as boulders flew everywhere.
The twenty or so Black Beast Demons that had just appeared along the street didn't even have time to react before the Vibranium Heavy Sword slammed into them.
Splurch, splurch. Like beads on a string—or meat going through a grinder—one after another was crushed into a pulp. Blood and flesh flew, limbs scattered, and crimson blooms erupted into a sky of blood mist.
The area trembled for a while. At last, the three-yard sword ran out of momentum and stopped, its tip buried halfway in the ground.
Tang Yue, standing by the street, stared in shock. She'd been surrounded by Black Beast Demons on all sides, but then this sword had fallen from the sky, sweeping away every enemy in its path. In an instant, only a handful remained.
It all felt unreal. She couldn't tell if the enormous black "truck" before her could still be called a sword. It was planted in the ground, towering over her.
A moment later, Lu Jun's calm voice came through Tang Yue's communicator. "The Black Beast Demons in your area have been taken care of. Escort the people into the Safe Zone, then head to the border to provide support."
She turned around abruptly and looked through the torrential rain toward the hundred-meter building towering over the city center. A blurry figure stood proudly on its rooftop, atop Bo City's most conspicuous landmark, imperious and untouchable.
Tang Yue stared in disbelief. "Was that you just now? What kind of Magic Tool is that...? Wait, if I leave, what happens to the Earth Sacred Spring?"
Atop the building, Lu Jun's hands each shone with a ball of platinum light. He held the communicator to his ear with one hand and said calmly, with an air of dominance, "Doesn't matter. I'll handle it!"
He lowered the communicator. The biting gale and cold rain stung his skin, making him frown. With a thought, he controlled the Water Element Star Seeds and cast the Primary Level spell Tide · Water Shield · Cycle.
In an instant, the countless droplets in the air gathered. Torrents of dense Water Element condensed into several endless streams of azure water, circling around him for a radius of several yards and shielding him completely.
The gale and rain were kept at bay. Lu Jun's soaked clothes dried and freshened up. In the downpour, the power of Water Shield seemed to have increased as well.
Of course, with the Azure Ring Current circling around him as he stood high above the city, he'd become even more conspicuous.
Gold Element, Slay Demons and Evil
Lu Jun stood on the straight antenna, surveying Bo City. The densely packed buildings were clearly visible, and he felt somewhat dazed.
In the original story, the Winged Azure Wolf had perched atop the Yin Mao Building, keeping human society in a state of constant fear as it looked down like a king. Now it was Lu Jun standing beneath the sky, making every Black Vatican member tremble with fear.
Time and space had turned upside down, the scene completely reversed. It gave him a surreal sense of how unpredictable life could be.
The wheels of fate had turned, changing the direction of the future.
He was silent for a moment, then smiled freely and murmured, "Ten Steps, One Kill; A Thousand Miles Without Leaving Traces. Play Sword, Cultivate Body, Ride the Wind—slay demons and evil throughout the world!"
You could call Lu Jun a chuunibyou, but nothing could hold back his resolve to change fate. For a moment, he seemed to understand the true meaning of sword cultivation.
A ball of platinum light shone in Lu Jun's right hand as he slowly raised it. The twelve-meter-long Vibranium Heavy Sword on the ground in the distance trembled, its heavy body lifting gradually before roaring into the sky. He clenched his left hand, and it rapidly shrank into a three-foot blade of light, its sharp aura flickering as it became completely unremarkable.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
With his will guiding it and both hands controlling it, the Vibranium Flying Sword darted through the city, as though he were painting striking strokes across a muddy canvas with a brush.
The rainy night was thick with Killing Intent. Now and then, waves of air sliced across the sky, crisscrossing as the rain flew up in great sheets. The power was immense, and blooms of blood blossomed in the dark, both tragic and beautiful.
The gloomy, rainy night was pitch-black, and normally nothing would have been visible. But Lu Jun's mental will spread out, locking onto one Mind Lake after another to precisely pick off his targets. In the blink of an eye, more than thirty Black Beast Demons had been wiped out.
Before you continue