Heading to Magic City / Pearl Academy

Even handling the aftermath was a troublesome task.

When daylight finally brightened, countless black dots moved rapidly toward them in the distance. As they drew closer, they turned out to be Sky Eagles—Wei Fang had sent reinforcements from the nearby cities.

Sky Eagles were rare mounts domesticated by the military. Their combat strength was formidable, and each one represented the arrival of an Intermediate Mage.

Zhan Kong was extremely busy. He had to receive the allied forces that came to provide support while also tallying the casualties and losses.

After being occupied for quite some time, he finally found a moment to spare. He hurried over to Lu Jun and Lu Mei, looked them over, and sighed with emotion before saying solemnly, "I already know about Bai Yang's affair. We'll investigate it thoroughly."

After a pause, he said sincerely, "I should be thanking you two. I never expected the Black Vatican to be hiding so deeply in Bo City, or that they would even draw in a pack of wolves and nearly overturn the entire city."

"No need to thank me. I was only protecting myself." Lu Jun waved his hand dismissively and joked, "I'm a hunter. You understand what I mean, right? Give me some practical compensation instead of just saying it."

"Hahaha, you brat." Zhan Kong laughed loudly. "I think the person hiding most deeply in Bo City is you. Even the Black Vatican didn't know where they had exposed themselves. Tsk, tsk, tsk—two Intermediate Elements."

"Don't worry. You'll be rewarded. Bo City won't let its heroes bleed and shed tears. I'll give you a hint: at least this much."

Zhan Kong pondered, then held up two fingers.

Seeing this, Lu Jun understood. It was more than twenty million. Adding the money he had saved over the past half-year, he could equip his sister with a good Spirit Seed. He did not feel embarrassed at all. He had been both father and mother to her, so he deserved the money.

Apart from the military personnel remaining behind, most of the Civilian Mages gradually withdrew and returned to Bo City's Safe Zone to search for their relatives.

This time, there was only cheering and laughter. The civilians and ordinary people had been protected very well.

After that, Zhan Kong caught Mo Fan and also called Lu Jun over.

Inside the Yin Mao Building, the Mu Family, Mo Fan, and Mu Ningxue were all present. Zhan Kong's mouth twitched as he looked at the two geniuses, then he shouted in frustration, "You're saying you swallowed the Earth Sacred Spring, then advanced to become an Intermediate Mage?"

Mo Fan gave an embarrassed smile. "Wasn't it to keep the Black Vatican from taking it? Besides, I was supposed to soak in it for a week, but then this happened. Just consider it compensation."

"Forget it." Zhan Kong waved his hand. "It's fine that it's gone. That saves us from having people covet it. In any case, there wasn't much energy left."

The matter was settled, and no further investigation was made.

Only the two brothers from the Mu Family looked grim. In name, the Earth Sacred Spring was jointly used by all the factions in Bo City. In reality, with the Mu Family dominating the city, it had long since become their private property.

Now that it was gone, they had suffered the greatest loss.

The bad news did not end there. Zhan Kong hesitated before saying, "By the way, after this battle, Bo City will be dismantled and converted into a military fortress. There are Black Vatican moles among the higher-ups, so the authorities want to break everything up and reorganize it completely. Every high-ranking official will have to undergo an investigation."

"How can they do this? We clearly defended Bo City."

The Mu Family was quite unwilling to accept it. Converting it into a military city would have little effect on ordinary civilians, and its safety would instead improve greatly. The ones who suffered were the enormous factions, whose land would be confiscated.

Lu Jun watched this scene. Bo City's development would be restricted, and the Mu Family would have to relocate.

Most other things were different from the original story as well. The Night Rain was no longer a shadow over the citizens of Bo City, but a united effort to protect the city.

Apart from some houses, everything had remained intact. After a little cleaning, people could move back in without rebuilding.

As for Lu Jun and Lu Mei, it was also time for them to leave. Before that, the official commendation and rewards arrived. After the Demon Beast corpses were processed and the proceeds split with Tang Yue, a total of thirty million was deposited into their accounts!

He heard that a reporter sent by the Fifth Young Master of the Imperial Court was preparing to give Bo City a detailed report. They had even invited him for an interview as someone involved in the incident. Naturally, his identity would be kept anonymous and his face mosaicked to prevent retaliation from the Black Vatican.

The Disaster of Bo City had long since become a nationwide topic as it spread across the internet. Charitable donation drives had begun everywhere, embodying the saying that when one place was in trouble, support came from all directions.

Naturally, this attracted the attention of the authorities.

Lu Jun had a rough idea of what was happening. His performance had probably caught the eye of Leader Hua from the original story, giving him a powerful backer.

The Fifth Young Master, Lan Xing, belonged to the sports channel. Here, however, it had become magic—the supernatural world, where magic was sports.

Its importance had risen accordingly. Although it was not as important as the comprehensive channel, it was still among the most important channels, second only to it.

The interview process was swift. They had arrived before even the damaged areas had been cleaned up and the corpses removed, since that better demonstrated the terror of the Demon Beasts and the Black Vatican.

Lu Jun also gave a proper account of what had happened, and the Bo City incident came to an end.

Chapter 49: Heading to Magic City

Inside the small bungalow, Lu Mei walked around, touching this and looking at that, her face full of reluctance.

She sighed. "You're going to study at a school in Magic City, so I'll have to go with you. The highest halls of magic can only be found in a major city. But don't sell this house. Keep it. It can serve as a reminder."

"We aren't short of money anymore, anyway." His sister counted on her fingers. "If we fail someday, we can come back to our hometown and lie low. If we succeed, there'll always be a time when we retire from the world."

Lu Jun quietly listened to his sister's rambling. A sense of parting sorrow and homesickness welled up in his mind, making it difficult for him to calm down.

A week had passed since the Disaster of Bo City. Familiar people such as Zhang Xiaohou, He Yu, Mu Bai, Mo Fan, and Xu Zhaoting had all made their decisions and gone their separate ways. From then on, they would be scattered across the world.

Zhang Xiaohou and his companion had chosen to enlist in the army. Mu Bai had followed his uncle, Mu He, to the Ancient Capital in confusion. Xu Zhaoting had applied to a school, while Mo Fan had resolutely taken his entire family to Magic City to make a living.

Zhan Kong was also going to be transferred, while Tang Yue was returning to Hangzhou.

Before leaving, both of them sincerely invited him once more, promising to provide him with high-level resources at the very least.

Lu Jun had to admit that he was somewhat tempted. Intermediate and Advanced Levels were completely different. To break through to the Advanced Level through his own efforts, he would need the long-term nourishment and tempering of a Star River Magic Tool.

Otherwise, he would have to purchase a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure called a [Star River Vein] to break through. It was worth one hundred million!

Lu Mei had already reached the peak of the Intermediate Level in both Elements and urgently needed such a thing to advance. It would take the two of them at least two or three years to save that much money, wasting a great deal of time.

Someone from a major faction like Tang Yue, on the other hand, was still at the peak of the Intermediate Level. After returning to Hangzhou, she would probably receive a Star River Vein and use it to break through. In a few weeks, she could transform into an Advanced Mage and truly enter the hall of greatness. Even across the entire country, she would be considered a minor expert.

Lu Jun was not sure what the future held. He could only take things one step at a time and hope to find a channel for obtaining a [Star River Magic Tool]. High-level resources like that were no longer available on the market.

Including their past savings, the siblings now had forty million in total. In theory, that was more than enough to rent a Star River Magic Tool.

"Oh, right. Sister, your two Elements and two Spirit Seeds still need to be fully equipped. Then there's the Metal Element magic metal I need. Why does the money disappear so quickly when I add it all up?"

He shook his head and sighed before turning to Lu Mei. "It's time to go. We've already bought the train tickets."

"Ah." Lu Mei sighed. She took one step at a time, turning her head repeatedly to look at their little bungalow. Even Lu Jun was reluctant to leave. It had been their home for eighteen years, and for three years, he and his sister had lived together shamelessly... Ahem, they had relied on each other.

Creak—bang!

The gate to the small courtyard closed, not knowing how long it would remain sealed.

The two of them finally set off. They would first go to Xiamen next door, then transfer to Magic City.

Just then, Lu Jun remembered something. Bai Yang seemed to have already been interrogated and executed. Many members of the Black Vatican had been exposed and arrested, while he had no idea where Yu Ang had run off to. He would have to keep an eye out later.

Now that the script had been torn to shreds, Xu Zhaoting probably would not take the fall anymore, right?

On the train, the siblings each browsed their phones. Lu Jun was looking up information about [Shanghai Pearl Academy], a super academy ranked second in the country and vying for first place.

It was also a first-rate academy worldwide. Every graduate had at least an Intermediate cultivation level.

After thinking for a long time, Lu Jun still decided to apply to this school. It had abundant resources, as well as a cultivation holy land like the [Three Step Tower].

Of course, because of the Disaster of Bo City, all the students from Tianlan High School had missed the entrance examination. The authorities could only arrange for the third-year students to repeat a year and take the exam again. Xu Zhaoting and Mo Fan had both decided to wait another year.

Lu Jun was different. Staying behind for a year would be a complete waste of time for him, so he would simply take a special admission slot. The sooner he entered university, the sooner he could improve himself.

Special admission meant exactly what it sounded like: he needed to have a special talent. On the surface, he possessed the Water and Curse Elements at the Intermediate Level—though it was actually the Metal Element. His cultivation level and the rarity of his Elements were both sufficient for admission.

Besides, Lu Jun had another motive for applying to Pearl Academy. Principal Xiao of Pearl Academy was a hidden major boss—a Forbidden Curse Mage of the Water Element whose true strength would only be revealed later.

If he could catch the old man's eye and become his disciple, heh, he would be able to walk sideways through the world. The related experience in cultivating the Water Element would also be invaluable.

"Wow! Lu Jun, look."

Just as he was thinking about the future, his sister suddenly cried out in surprise. She held out her phone with a bright smile. "Little brother, you're famous!"

Lu Jun was stunned when he saw a Douyin video on the phone. The footage was shaking, dark, and blurry, capturing the Yin Mao Building through a Light Screen.

Judging from the angle, it had probably been filmed by someone inside the Safe Zone.

The following scene was extremely familiar. He stood proudly atop the building, controlling the Vibranium Flying Sword as he slaughtered his way through the enemies. Then, blue floods surged forth as if washing away every sin in the world.

With every attack, cheers rang out from behind the camera. One man even roared, "Good! Good! Good! Beat the Black Vatican to hell!"

Seeing this, Lu Jun felt a strange emotion rising inside him. Was it touchedness, pride, or vanity? In any case, being recognized by the people of a city he had protected was certainly an incredible accomplishment.

At the very least, it was something he had never experienced in his previous life.

He opened the comments, curious to see what the foolish netizens were discussing.

"I was there. I'm from Bo City. That night was so damn cool. I just don't know who this Mage is."

"Sword Flying! I'm crying. An ancient myth actually reappeared. Could those people from two thousand years ago already have excavated magic?"

"I'm going to become a Mage like this too and slay demons to eliminate evil!"

"Keep dreaming. A Magic Tool like this isn't easy to obtain. It might be an expert from one of the Great Noble Families."

"Does anyone know this Mage's account? I'm going to follow him. He's a good Mage who protects the people."

"Hehe, I know. He also took part in the Demon Beast battle afterward and performed exceptionally well. He's very young and handsome, but I can't say who he is."

Lu Jun browsed several more videos. Every one of them praised him. There were even brief reports from the Fifth Young Master, which had caused a tremendous response. In the end, the netizens had affectionately given him a nickname.

"Bo City Sword Immortal."

"Hahahaha." His sister was so delighted that she trembled with laughter. Patting her pale thigh, she said, "Why is the title so embarrassingly childish? Sword Immortal~ I can laugh about this for a whole year."

Lu Jun's cheeks reddened. After thinking about it, he decided it was fine. His identity was confidential with the authorities, so it probably would not be exposed online in the future. Probably... Once the attention died down, the internet's usual fickleness would probably bury it beneath the waves.

Afterward, he browsed Bihu to see how people were evaluating him.

As expected, the most popular article was speculating about his identity.

The article even cited the Fifth Young Master's report, basically listing the motives and evidence behind his taking the initiative. First, he had discovered that the Giant Eyed Rat Demons' activity in the sewers was abnormal. Then he had contacted the guards of the Earth Sacred Spring and discovered that some of it had been stolen.

He had therefore decisively sounded the alarm and taken charge of the operation without hesitation.

A series of interviews, combined with the footage, made the whole thing seem thrilling.

The author concluded that anyone capable of noticing the anomaly underground had to be a member of the City Demon Hunting Squad. With such decisiveness and experience, the person was definitely older and acted steadily.

In the end, the author swore with absolute certainty that this person could not possibly be young, criticizing the little fairies and rumors online that had imagined otherwise.

Chapter 50: Pearl Academy

Seeing this, Lu Jun sensed a familiar flavor. The analysis appeared reasonable and well-supported, but the entire process was wrong, and so was the conclusion.

He contentedly put away his phone. Excellent. Bihu's operation had led everyone astray, so no one was paying attention to him anymore.

The article had a great deal of influence. Before long, Lu Jun's communicator received many supportive private messages from people such as Yang Zuohe and Lin Yuxin, who were standing up for him.

Lu Jun, however, did not care. Laying low and developing himself was more important for now. Otherwise, he would have taken advantage of the attention to open an account, capitalize on the traffic, and make money through livestream sales, earning back the Star River Vein in one operation.

Uh... Why did he suddenly feel a little tempted?

Forget it. Lu Jun gave up. He was not an internet celebrity who had cultivated a deep presence online, so it was impossible for him to earn one hundred million. Besides, selling things online was too tacky.

Soon, the train arrived in Magic City. The first thing the siblings did after getting off was look for an apartment to rent. Since Lu Jun would be attending school, Lu Mei searched through the area around Pearl Academy.

In the end, they chose an apartment called [Jinyuan]. It was a little expensive, but it was very close to the Green Campus and the surroundings were quite good.

"Jinyuan Apartment?" Lu Jun's expression turned strange. As he searched through his memories, he noticed a blind spot. Wasn't this the place where Mo Fan, Mu Nujiao, and Ai Tutu would live a year and a half later?

The latter two were supporting female characters who had some presence in the original story. Ai Tutu had a powerful background, with her father being a senior official in the guard department directly under the central government. Mu Nujiao's Mu Family was one of the four Great Noble Families of Magic City.

When they entered, they saw that it was nominally one apartment, but in reality, it consisted of two connected units, each with its own living room. It was practically a presidential suite.

Seeing her brother's expression, Lu Mei asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. I was just wondering if we rented a place that's too big."

"But this is the only rental left near the school." Lu Mei's mouth twitched as she complained, "The students at Mingzhu University are really rich."

The poor had their way of living, and the rich had theirs. Most civilian students stayed in dormitories, while the children of the Great Noble Families had already rented the better apartments nearby.

Lu Jun was no longer short of money, so there was no need to squeeze into a dormitory and make things difficult for himself. Besides, cultivating four Elements at the Intermediate Level required privacy, and his sister needed a place to live as well.

"Then let's take this one."

Hearing this, Lu Jun nodded. The future was the future. It did not matter if they rented it ahead of time.

After settling on the apartment, the siblings went their separate ways. Lu Mei went to purchase a Spirit Seed, while Lu Jun headed toward Pearl Academy.

Pearl Academy was divided into two major areas: the Green Campus and the Main Campus. The Green Campus was mainly for Elementary Mages. New students and old students were treated the same there. Only after reaching the Intermediate Level and passing the assessment could one enter the [Main Campus].

The Main Campus was the true Pearl Academy, divided into something resembling outer and inner sects.

While applying, Lu Jun happened to glance at the academy's rare-Element recruitment programs. They included the Curse Element of Black Magic, the Summoning System of Dimensional Magic, and the Space Element.

It was obvious how rare the Curse Element was—and how formidable its power could be.