Full-Time Mage: Starting with the White Tiger Pendant

As far as Lu Jun knew, at the Azure Sky Demon Hunting Agency in Modu, there was a certain little girl with exceptional intelligence. She had no cultivation of her own but, following her father, the Cold Hunter King, had solved many difficult cases. By the sixth grade of elementary school, she had already earned the title of a one-star Hunter Master.

"The City Demon Hunting Squad is good," Lu Jun mused. "We can join a Demon Hunting Agency along the way."

It was only after Lu Mei reminded him that he recalled this. Demon Hunting Agencies were similar to outsourced companies, with groups operating as private studios that joined the Hunter's Alliance platform. They could even be considered the leaders of the alliance.

The Azure Sky Demon Hunting Agency was one of the most famous in the country, having produced a Hunter King.

Moreover, while others might not know, Lu Jun was well aware that Old Man Song at the Demon Hunting Agency was another hidden Forbidden Curse Mage. Once they joined, his sister would have a powerful backer, greatly increasing her safety.

It had to be said that Modu was a city where crouching tigers and hidden dragons resided, with many more such reclusive experts.

"Join a Demon Hunting Agency? Will there be restrictions?"

Lu Mei hesitated. These groups were essentially upgraded versions of Demon Hunting Squads, with many internal rules, such as commission rates and joint operations.

She particularly disliked Demon Hunting Squads, as many of them were filled with scum. She had experienced this in Bo City before, and with her looks, she feared she would be incessantly harassed.

"Don't worry. I know a Demon Hunting Agency with almost no rules. Coincidentally, they're recruiting recently."

Lu Jun said mysteriously. The Azure Sky Demon Hunting Agency was like the Akatsuki in Naruto, working in pairs but acting independently, mysterious and with a high degree of freedom.

The siblings didn't set off immediately. They stayed home while Lu Mei refined the Earth Element Spirit Seed, Mountain, greatly increasing her strength.

Three days later, in the skyscraper of Lujiazui, within the Hunter's Hall, a beautiful and mature female assistant smiled at Lu Jun and his sister, handing them their identification cards. "You've both been hired. As per your request, your shifts have been scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays, as well as the night shift."

Seeing this, Lu Jun glanced at the map. The assigned area was very close to Mingzhu, and for now, there were only the two of them. His sister's high cultivation meant she could hold the fort alone.

Afterward, he asked the assistant for the address of the Azure Sky Demon Hunting Agency and then headed there with his sister.

They passed Jing'an Temple and walked along a tree-lined avenue adorned with blooming flowers, slowly entering some old streets that exuded a distinct Republican-era charm.

At the end of the old street, a sign gently swaying in the alley wind, creaking audibly, came into view—Azure Sky Demon Hunting Agency!

As Lu Jun and Lu Mei stepped inside, they saw a cute little girl with long twin ponytails sitting on a stool, holding a dossier. Her face, like smooth cream, was furrowed with a pained frown, and her usually bright, lively eyes were red.

If he wasn't mistaken, this should be Ling Ling, the high-IQ genius and one-star Hunter Master.

"Hello," Lu Mei said proactively, her smile bright and friendly. "Little sister, is an adult at home? We're here for an interview."

The little beauty remained motionless, showing no reaction. After Lu Mei called out a few more times in frustration, she finally looked up coldly and snorted, "You like Demon Hunting so much, are you rushing to your death?"

Lu Jun was shocked. That's not right, he thought. From what I remember, Ling Ling, while a bit talkative and prone to sharp, direct remarks, wasn't this aggressive and ill-mannered.

Even Lu Mei, who had a good temperament, looked displeased.

Soon, an old man inside seemed to hear the commotion outside and hurried out, apologizing. "Ah, apologies to both of you. This girl had an accident at home not long ago. Her closest relative died while Demon Hunting, and she's in a very bad mood right now."

Lu Mei glanced at the little girl. She looked like she was only in the sixth grade of elementary school, so she reluctantly forgave her.

Beside her, Lu Jun pondered deeply, then suddenly realized. He had encountered the Azure Sky Demon Hunting Agency a year earlier than Mo Fan. If his guess was correct, the Cold Hunter King had recently died, an event that had been widely reported in Modu's newspapers and on the internet.

As his daughter, Ling Ling was likely in a state of grief and rage, trying to find the murderer who framed her father and bring them to justice.

Therefore, Lu Jun understood. He didn't rashly try to console her. Without experiencing someone's pain, don't tell them to let go. Besides, with Ling Ling's intelligence, she would probably recover soon.

Chapter 53: Tang Yue Calls

The Cold Hunter King of the Azure Sky Demon Hunting Agency was one of the two Hunter Kings in the Greater China region from the previous decade.

Lu Jun, who was familiar with the plot, actually knew the inside story of the Cold Hunter King's death. He was killed by a Red Demon. The formation of this entity was extremely complex, beyond his current ability to investigate.

He knew how terrifying this thing was, considering that Mo Fan later evolved into the Evil Saint King by devouring this super-nutritious Red Demon with his Demon Element.

He even suspected that Lu Nian's initial research was based on the Red Demon as a sample, which led to the development of the Demon Element. The two were closely related.

"This is weird. Why have I been encountering so many demons and ghosts these past few days?"

Lu Jun muttered inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged.

Seeing her grandfather apologize for her, Ling Ling felt bad and realized she had made a mistake. She proactively said, "Sister, I'm sorry. I was wrong."

Seeing the little girl's sincere attitude, Lu Mei waved her hand, letting it go.

"You're here for an interview, right?" the old man finally got to the point, speaking kindly. "My surname is Bao. You can call me Old Man Bao from now on."

A lie! Lu Jun knew the man's real name was Song Qiming, a former high-ranking official in the Holy City with significant international influence. However, he wisely chose not to expose him. The man's Forbidden Curse status needed to be kept hidden, and Lu Jun couldn't explain how he knew.

Old Man Bao chatted with them for a while and praised them, "You're both Mages from Bo City? Intermediate level at such a young age, your potential is extraordinary. Excellent."

He pondered for a moment and made the decision, "It's just the two of you. Welcome to the Azure Sky Demon Hunting Agency."

"You two siblings will work together and get acquainted, so we'll form a team. For now, you're both Intermediate level. Once you reach High-level, we'll assign you more missions."

Lu Mei was a little surprised. They were talking about High-level right off the bat. The entry barrier was this high? It seemed the Demon Hunting Agency her brother found was indeed extraordinary.

After a brief chat, the two bid farewell to Old Man Bao. As they walked on the road, Lu Jun recalled his days in Modu with a sigh of emotion. He had, unknowingly, visited all the 'ports' of Modu.

After this, nothing significant happened until the start of the school year. They would just go to the City Demon Hunting Squad for their shifts and training.

Lu Jun also immersed himself in his own cultivation. Besides striving to break through to Intermediate level two in the Gold Element, he dedicated most of his energy to the Mind and Curse Elements.

High school was over, and the university era was filled with many experts. The Gold Element couldn't be used frequently, as it was easy to expose his secrets. It was time to conquer the world with the Curse Element.

A few days prior, he had combined both elements and directly tormented an Intermediate Mage to the point of disfigurement. It left a deep impression, and while his superior mental realm played a part, the combined power of the two elements was truly astonishing.

Legend had it that the mother of Medusa in Africa was among the first batch of Mind and Curse Mages in human history. After losing her humanity, she created the powerful technique, Medusa's Eye, which proved the potential of these two elements.

Inside the apartment, Lu Jun sat in meditation, conducting a peculiar experiment. His intent probed into the transparent Stardust, where a semi-transparent mass of mental energy writhed and constantly changed shape.

The Intermediate level [Spirit Ripple · Mind Shock] of the Mind Element is a skill used to interrupt. It impacts the target's mind, at best causing dizziness.

He wanted to transform it into a lethal magic, which wasn't impossible. This was because Mind Element Mages usually cast magic by following the established order, their intentions roughly forming an outward projection.

At this moment, Lu Jun was thinking, if he could repeatedly hone his mental power, tempering it like steel, and condense it into a needle-like strand, wouldn't it be capable of destroying souls and seizing spirits once unleashed?

Breaking through with a single point, it might just become a trump card in his hand.

It would also be a way to achieve maximum effective lethality within the constraints of his limited mental power.

But how could it be honed into a needle? Where would the external force be applied?

Lu Jun had already conceived of a solution for this. It was none other than the Gold Element. The white-gold Star Nebula within his Spiritual World was brewing sharpness, and at its center, a Sword Seal suppressed all, exuding killing intent.

Hummm!

Lu Jun activated the power of the Gold Element Star Nebula for the first time. Wisps of white-gold radiance crossed boundaries, reaching into other Stardust domains. This action was extremely dangerous, but fortunately, the Soul and Mind elements granted him precise control.

A semi-transparent Mind Stardust flickered unstably. Under the tempering of the white-gold radiance, a mass of mental power gradually condensed into a rough sword shape.

He endured the dizziness, concentrating his mind. Seeing this, he rejoiced internally.

It really worked. The adaptability of the Mind Element was likely unparalleled among the various magic elements. No matter how the Gold Element's Magic Energy ravaged it, it was like the highest good, water flowing and adapting.

Time passed, and ten days went by.

Ever since he met Lu Dong that day, the other party hadn't come looking for them, likely scared off. Lu Nian also hadn't followed up.

At this moment, Lu Jun had just managed to condense a illusory, transparent little sword. Although it was a pity it hadn't condensed into a needle as originally envisioned, compressing it into a Mind Sword was still good.

The main reason was that he felt danger. He wasn't confident about compressing it further and risked damaging his Star Nebula, which would be bad. He probably had to wait until his mental realm cultivation improved before he could continue compressing it.

"Not bad. I wonder how powerful it is."

Lu Jun looked inward at his Spiritual World, gazing at the crystal-clear little sword suspended among the transparent Stardust, surrounded by seven Star Seeds. He couldn't help but nod in satisfaction.

He could sense a dangerous aura from it. He didn't dare to test it on anyone now; what if he accidentally turned them into a vegetable?

Meanwhile, the Gold Element Star Nebula had also undergone significant changes. The experiments during this period seemed to have not only brought substantial progress to the Mind Element but also served to temper the Gold Element.

Just as Lu Jun continued to immerse himself in the routine of city patrols and closed-door cultivation, a call came through.

Seeing "Teacher Tang Yue" displayed on his communicator, he was a little surprised. Then, his mind stirred, and he recalled that Tang Yue was currently carrying out a mission for the Adjudication Court.

Investigating the drying rivers in Xishui Town, Bo City, and apprehending a wanted criminal named Zhao He.

The key point was the situation in that area, which was purely caused by the emergence of a Fire Element Spirit Seed. Mo Fan's original Fire Element Spirit Seed, [Rose Flame], was obtained from this event.

Huh? Lu Jun was surprised. He hadn't expected Tang Yue to call him instead of Mo Fan now.

But then he thought about it and realized it wasn't strange. Because of him, the two of them didn't have much interaction. Instead, he and Tang Yue shared a bond of comrades-in-arms, having jointly destroyed the Black Vatican's conspiracy just a few weeks ago.

"Holy crap, this is bad! She's in grave danger right now."

Lu Jun recalled the detailed account of the incident and couldn't sit still. He quickly answered the call. A pleasant, melodious female voice came from the other end: "Hello? Are you there? How have you been lately? Want to make some money? I have a mission here that requires a Curse Element Mage to deal with..."

"Okay, no problem. Stay right where you are, don't move. I'm coming over right now."

As soon as Lu Jun answered, before the other party could finish speaking, he blurted out. He then quickly put on his clothes, preparing to head to Hangzhou.

Modu wasn't far from Hangzhou, at most a two-hour high-speed train ride.

In the spacious living room, Lu Mei opened her eyes. Seeing her brother in a hurry, she couldn't help but ask, "Lu Jun, where are you going?"

"Ah?" Lu Jun, who was putting on his shoes by the door, paused upon hearing this and honestly replied, "To Teacher Tang Yue's place, to do a mission and save someone. I can handle it myself."

Lu Mei's feminine intuition picked up a sense of unease upon hearing the name "Tang Yue." However, she felt her brother wouldn't lie, and she had also cooperated with Tang Yue before, knowing her status as an Adjudication Officer. It must be important business.

So, she didn't stop him but said gently, "Be careful. Call me if anything happens."

"Got it," came the distant voice from the doorway. Her brother's figure had already disappeared.

Seeing this, Lu Mei frowned and muttered, "Running off so fast."

Chapter 54: Poisoned

Xishui Town, Hangzhou.

The land was covered in cracked soil and abandoned fields, a stark contrast to the so-called water towns of Jiangnan.

In a certain inn, Tang Yue removed her earpiece from her fair, tender ear, looking quite surprised. She hadn't even said where she was yet, so how did Lu Jun know? Why was he in such a hurry?

Two hours later, she realized how wrong she had been, spotting the young man waving from afar.

Lu Jun had rushed over non-stop since receiving Tang Yue's call. Upon entering Xishui Town, he immediately saw the alluring, shapely young teacher sitting by the window of the inn's corridor, her posture striking.

"Phew, thank goodness nothing happened."

He breathed a sigh of relief. After all, they were comrades. If Tang Yue hadn't revealed her Adjudication Officer identity, mobilizing the forces of Bo City wouldn't have been so easy.

This time, Tang Yue almost got into trouble while pursuing Zhao He, a wanted criminal from the Magic Association. Someone had noticed her and, unbeknownst to her, slipped her an aphrodisiac.

Lu Jun had warned her before she left. She never learned her lesson, still appearing in her dazzlingly beautiful guise. That kind of aura naturally drew attention. Why was she still being followed? He was speechless.

However, when Lu Jun saw Tang Yue's graceful figure walk into a pair of autumn-water eyes filled with a smile, his expression faltered. He suddenly remembered a crucial issue.

The fundamental reason for the water resource depletion in this Xishui Town was the emergence of the Fire Element Spirit Seed [Rose Flame]. This was also Mo Fan's Intermediate level Fire Element's spirit fire, which he used all the way to High-level.

He's here now, and Mo Fan is clearly out of the running.

He immediately stopped paying attention. Since he was already here, he'd just take it. Besides, he was in dire need of money, and this Spirit Seed could allow his sister to exchange for a Wind Element Spirit Seed.

Next, Lu Jun and the other could focus on earning money to save up a hundred million to buy the Star River Vein. It should be known that Lu Mei was already at the peak of Intermediate level. Even if she took some time to hone her cultivation, she would reach Grand Perfection, with no room for further advancement, in less than half a year.

Mo Fan was a pauper right now and couldn't afford a Fire Element Spirit Seed. It didn't matter whether he waited a year and a half to enter the Fire Institute of the Pearl Academy, or went to Dunhuang Liao Yuan two years later; he would find suitable Spirit Seeds. There was no need to worry about him.

In a short while, Tang Yue walked up to him. The two were quite familiar with fighting side-by-side. She teased, "Little boy, you came rushing over so quickly without even asking. Are you trying to spend time with me?"

She actually had a good impression of Lu Jun. The young man was clean and handsome, his words and actions were not vulgar, and more importantly, his talent and strength were formidable. He was decisive and responsible. The battle in Bo City had indeed shocked her a little.

Occasionally, when his eyes strayed to something, he would quickly retract them, appearing a bit shy and cute.

"Sigh, Sister Tang, don't be so overconfident," Lu Jun sighed helplessly. "You've already fallen for it yourself, don't you know?"

Hearing this, Tang Yue was slightly stunned. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Lu Jun frowned and looked around. "This isn't a good place to talk. Let's go somewhere else, like the hotel you booked."

"Huh?" She was momentarily confused, then slowly nodded.

The two entered the hotel. As they passed the front desk in the lobby, the attendant's eyes first lit up at the sight of the mature, beautiful, and familiar Tang Yue. Then, he saw the high school student beside her with a somewhat childish face...

He suddenly understood, looking at Lu Jun with envy and pity, his mind conjuring up all sorts of scenarios.

Tang Yue noticed the other person's gaze, and a blush spread across her delicate, pretty face, making her even more stunning. Why had she been so foolish as to bring the boy to a hotel privately?

This was bad; her reputation was ruined. She even suspected if Lu Jun was not as pure as he seemed, if he had ulterior motives for her, tricking her into a hotel room with his words, and then...

She secretly glanced at Lu Jun's profile. Hmm! She did find his looks quite appealing.