Tang Yue watched in surprise from the side. She hadn't expected a student to strike so swiftly, accurately, and decisively. His strength seemed to have improved, too. He'd dealt with the vicious wanted criminal without needing her to lift a finger.
Then Lu Jun walked up to a pillar of Rose Flame rising from a fissure in the reservoir ground. Blue-green water flowed over his body, and Water Shield warded off the waves of intense heat. The air around him was already twisting.
He took out a box specially made for storing Spirit Seeds, then carefully used Metal Element magic energy to guide the seed inside. When he closed the box, the brilliant rose-red glow disappeared.
A top-grade Fire Element Spirit Seed, Rose Flame, was his!
Lu Jun sighed in relief and turned toward the four people held by the Curse Net. A black-and-red Great Evil Spider hung above their heads, its hideous mouthparts spread wide as strands of transparent Soul Power seeped from their crowns.
If he did nothing, all four would have their souls drained and die.
The Intermediate Mages were unconscious at the moment.
He controlled his stars. Translucent ripples spread out, and white light flashed in his eyes. "Third-Level Spirit Ripple—Mind Wall!"
In some unseen realm, transparent, crystalline walls suddenly rose around four dust-covered, lifeless Mind Lakes, keeping the black-and-red claws at bay.
The next moment, Dongfang Jun and the others woke up. Their sleeping minds began to stir, and they focused their thoughts, desperately resisting the Curse Trap.
Hiss, hiss! The Great Evil Spider above them shrieked in fury. It was an Intermediate Magic, after all. With a Mind Mage tipping the scales in their favor, the four Intermediate Mages finally broke free.
The spider slowly vanished, as if returning to the Dark Plane, and the net around their souls came undone.
Dongfang Jun and the others collapsed to the ground, weak and exhausted. "Thank you, brother. The Dongfang Family will remember this."
At that, Lu Jun waved him off without a word. He stared at the spot where the spider had vanished, lost in thought. All four branches of Black Magic were closely tied to the legendary Dark Plane. They were bait deliberately scattered among humans by the rulers there.
He glanced over the four men. The spider had drained their Soul Power for quite a while. They'd probably need a long time to recover, and might even be left with lasting side effects.
There were two kinds of Curse Mages: those who used tormenting spells, and those who used soul-devouring spells that stole lives. The former merely inflicted pain and were used in duels; the latter were pure killing techniques, strictly forbidden by the Magic Association. (Original novel, Chapter 1330)
Even surviving a curse could leave serious side effects. That was why the Curse Element had always been so powerful: it was hard to defend against, and even powerful mages who fell victim to it were in serious trouble.
Chapter 57: The Temptation of Home
Lu Jun didn't chat much with Dongfang Jun. He and the scions of prestigious families weren't cut from the same cloth. He'd saved him on a whim, not for a reward or a favor.
He hurried over to Tang Yue and said quietly, "Let's go. We got what we came for, and the criminal's been dealt with."
But after he called out to her several times, the woman beside him only trembled slightly, remaining motionless.
Sensing something was wrong, Lu Jun reached out and took Tang Yue's wrist. Her skin was burning hot. Before he could react, a pair of delicate hands gripped his tightly.
"The drug's taking effect. You... you need to take me somewhere safe. I can control it by myself."
Tang Yue panted softly, her beautiful eyes hazy and unfocused. Her long legs barely held her upright, and her feverish, supple body leaned against him. She'd actually started feeling it back in the woods, which was why Lu Jun had been able to provoke her.
Holy crap. Lu Jun glanced around, gritted his teeth, and wrapped an arm around the mature woman's soft waist. Then he hoisted her over his shoulder and sprinted down the mountain, his Azure Cloud Boots flashing.
"Oof!" Pain struck her abdomen, and Tang Yue retched in surprise. She was stunned. She'd imagined all kinds of possibilities, but never that the young man would carry her so "roughly" over his shoulder.
Still, she had to admit that the Magic Tool was fast.
In the blink of an eye, Lu Jun had carried Tang Yue back to the hotel. A fierce wind roared around them, leaving a blur in their wake. No one could even see them.
Before long, they were back at the hotel, where the same front-desk clerk stared at the daytime couple in astonishment. He suddenly understood. He'd thought it was an old bull eating young grass, but it turned out she was the one taking a ride in his big truck.
He gave Lu Jun a thumbs-up. Impressive, truly impressive. It had only taken one day for him to turn things around and get ahead.
Lu Jun had no idea what that was about. He quickly carried Tang Yue back to the room, tossed her onto the bed, then braced his hands on his waist and panted.
But before he could cast the Mind Magic spell, "Soothe," the wild woman wrapped her long legs around him like a white python. Her weight shifted, tripping him onto the bed, where he fell face-first against her.
At that moment, Lu Jun felt as if he'd fallen onto a soft, scalding cushion. He lifted his head slightly, and a rosy mouth, red as a rose, pressed against his.
Mmmph! Lu Jun's eyes widened. My first kiss is gone? What a loss! And the woman was even trying to slip her tongue into his mouth.
He was still a little dazed when a force struck his chest, rolling him onto his side.
Tang Yue had regained a little of her reason and pushed him away, her face burning with embarrassment.
Lu Jun was still stunned. Soon, however, he felt another wave of heat coming at him. The woman pounced on him, claws bared, and pinned him to the bed.
Lu Jun was going numb. If this went on, he wouldn't just fail to save her—he'd be the one getting dragged under.
"Spirit Ripple, Soothe!"
But he was an upstanding gentleman, a student with a pure and foolish air about him. He disdained taking advantage of someone in distress, so he promptly cast the spell. He fixed his eyes on Tang Yue above him, ready to subdue the demoness!
Tang Yue's body shuddered as if she'd been doused with cold water. The ripples in her Mind Lake settled, and she calmed down. She looked down at Lu Jun. Their position should have been embarrassing, but she felt no stir of emotion at all.
Then she left the soft bed and sat down on the sofa. Her clothes were slightly disheveled, and her short skirt had ridden almost to her waist, outlining the striking curve of her full bottom.
For a while, the only sound in the room was their panting.
Lu Jun quickly cast Soothe on himself to calm down. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and ask, "How are you feeling now?"
"Me?" Tang Yue furrowed her brows, seeming to be in pain. The heat and desire in her body clashed fiercely with the cool calm in her mind. The mismatch between the two was agonizing.
Since matter determined consciousness, the Mind Element had altered that structure. She was calm, but her mind was still hazy.
Seeing Tang Yue's dazed look, Lu Jun didn't ask anything else. He knew she wasn't feeling well.
Unfortunately, he didn't get to rest for long before a voluptuous body pounced on him. The Mind Magic wore off.
"Calm down." Lu Jun put both hands on Tang Yue's rounded shoulders. White light flashed in his eyes as he gave her another "tranquilizer."
Before long, the mature beauty was lying limply on the sofa again, her eyes rolling back and drool slipping from the corner of her mouth as she panted.
Seeing this, Lu Jun muttered to himself. He had a feeling there might be a catch to Mind Magic. If he used Soothe too often, could it make someone develop a pathological dependence on it?
But he'd already started, so he could only grit his teeth and keep going.
Before long, Tang Yue pounced on him again. Lu Jun reluctantly prepared to cast the spell, but just then, his phone rang in his pocket.
The ringtone was piercing in the quiet room.
He frowned, holding Tang Yue back with one hand while picking up his phone with the other. He glanced at the screen, and his brow twitched. It was his older sister, Lu Mei. At a crucial moment like this, of all times!
Lu Jun wanted to pretend he hadn't heard it. He set the phone aside, gave Tang Yue another Mind Soothe, and placed her back on the sofa.
But the phone kept ringing. It had the air of someone who wouldn't give up until he answered.
Lu Jun grimaced but still didn't pick up. Damn it, he was clearly rescuing someone. Why did this feel like he was secretly having an affair?
But when he looked at the beauty on the sofa, moaning softly and shifting restlessly, he suddenly fell silent. Maybe it really would be hard to explain.
Fortunately, after Lu Mei called several times, she finally stopped.
Meanwhile, in Magic City, Lu Mei sat cross-legged in meditation. She stared at the communicator in her hand, frowning as she wondered what was going on. My brother didn't answer. Could he be on a mission?
She thought to herself, Never mind, I shouldn't disturb him. If he hasn't called back in a few hours, I'll go find him.
On Lu Jun's end, he and Tang Yue struggled back and forth for half a day before she finally settled down. Exhaustion filled her mature, alluring face. She lay on her side and fell into a deep sleep, clearly worn out in both body and mind.
Seeing that, he breathed a sigh of relief. He'd used his Mind Stardust at high frequency all day, and his magic energy was depleted. Still, he'd grown much more adept at controlling his magic. He'd reached the peak of the Basic Level; if he kept calm and focused for two or three months, he might break through to the Intermediate Level.
"I guess I can call this turning misfortune into good luck."
Lu Jun smiled wryly. He'd originally planned to leave the room, but he was worried something might happen if no one was there to protect her, so he stayed and dozed off.
After who knew how long, Tang Yue woke first. Seeing her disheveled clothes and all the fair skin exposed, she was startled. She immediately checked herself all over, then finally relaxed when she found nothing wrong.
Then she saw Lu Jun half-reclining on the bed, and a faint flutter stirred in her heart. She remembered what had happened yesterday, blushed, and covered her face with both hands.
Tang Yue took a deep breath, grabbed a sticky note, and wrote a few words of thanks. Without disturbing the young man, she quietly left.
If she had to sum up what she was thinking in one sentence, it was: I don't have the face to see him again.
Not long after Tang Yue left, Lu Jun woke up. He read the note, scratched his head, and decided he'd come out ahead, more or less. He'd gotten a Spirit Seed. Sacrificing a little of his looks in exchange was acceptable.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he was startled. How did I get as shameless as Mo Fan?
Sure enough, you became like the people you spent time with!
"Ah-choo!" Mo Fan, who was miserably stuck cultivating in the Magic City housing complex, sneezed. Then he said smugly, "Hahaha, some beautiful woman must be thinking about me."
Chapter 58: Getting Away with It
Lu Jun got up and called his older sister first. When she answered, he heard her lazy, pleasant voice say, "Hello. Did you finish the mission last night? I didn't hear from you all day yesterday, so I was a little worried."
Hearing that, he first felt a warmth in his heart, then a little guilty. "Ah, I'm fine. It's all taken care of. I'll be back tomorrow. Oh, and I got a huge haul this time."
Lu Mei gave a soft hum from the other end. "As long as you're okay. What you brought back doesn't matter."
Good grief, she was so gentle that Lu Jun could hardly take it. Maybe the passion of the day before hadn't faded yet; his imagination was running wild.
He couldn't help saying, "Sis, our family's got money now. I got a top-grade Spirit Seed."
"Huh?" Lu Mei was a little surprised. "That's no small feat. You're amazing! But it must've been dangerous, right? Were you hurt?"
She'd cared about his safety first. Lu Jun felt like she had him wrapped around her finger.
But what she said next made his blood run cold. He heard her voice through the communicator:
"Teacher Tang Yue was kind to help you earn money. You didn't get a chance to sit down and talk during the Battle of Bo City. I thought you'd never see each other again after that, but now you have the chance. Invite her over so we can thank her."
Lu Jun fell silent. Sis, you can't be inviting her over! Things had turned awkward the day before, and he didn't feel comfortable seeking Tang Yue out. Mostly, he had no idea what she thought of him.
He sighed. "Teacher Tang is an adjudicator. She doesn't have time. She went back to report first thing this morning. Maybe we'll get to know each other better another time."
"Well..." Lu Mei hesitated. "You should at least ask her. See if she'll come."
"Okay. If she can make it, I'll come back today." Lu Jun agreed. After he got off the phone with his sister, he hesitated for a moment. To be honest, he really didn't want to call Tang Yue right now. It was too awkward for both of them.
Maybe they needed some time to calm down before they could face each other naturally again and go back to being friends.
In the end, he decided he had to make the call. If he didn't clear things up, his sister might contact Tang Yue herself and expose him immediately.
At an apartment near Hangzhou's West Lake, Tang Yue held her phone. When she saw Lu Jun calling, her face instantly flushed, but she didn't ignore him. She answered anyway.
The young man's first words nearly made her lose her composure. His voice was earnest. "If you're willing, I'll take responsibility. And... I'm sorry."
Tang Yue had meant to preserve what little dignity she had left and act like she'd never met him. But his words made her laugh despite herself, and her heart softened. Thinking it over, he was the one who'd rushed to rescue her.
She ought to be thanking Lu Jun, not the other way around. They were both adults. They should be able to face an awkward situation calmly. He was still just a kid, after all.
Without realizing it, her voice softened. "All right, I'm fine. You don't have to take responsibility. Nothing happened. You came to save me, so I should be thanking you. What's up? Why did you call?"
Hearing that, Lu Jun felt relieved. As expected of a mature woman like Teacher Tang Yue, she was so composed and gracious. Then he stammered, "My sister wants to meet you."
"Huh?" Tang Yue froze. One thought flashed through her mind: Meeting the family?!
She quickly shook her head. She was far older than Lu Jun, even a year or two older than his sister. They weren't a good match. A mage with a high level of cultivation might stay young and live past a hundred, but she couldn't get past that hurdle in her heart.
Wait, what am I even thinking? Tang Yue shook her head and tried to keep her voice even. "What's this about?"
Lu Jun said, "She just wants to thank you in person."
Tang Yue understood. "Then forget it. Rose Flame is yours by right. Give her my messaging contact, and I'll chat with her directly."
After hanging up, Lu Jun breathed a sigh of relief. He checked the time and realized it was already noon. Even dealing with one person at a time was exhausting. He didn't know how those so-called masters of time management managed to chat with several people at once.
That afternoon, Lu Jun took the Spirit Seed home by car. As soon as he walked in, he saw the dinner Lu Mei had prepared. She was lying on the sofa, watching a variety show, with a pair of long, shapely white legs resting on the armrest and her fair feet swinging.
He froze slightly, feeling dazed, as if he were back in Bo City.
Walking inside gave him a strange feeling, like a husband coming home exhausted to find that his wife had already made a lavish dinner.
His sister didn't even look up. "You're back. Eat first. Why didn't you bring Teacher Tang Yue home?"
Lu Jun was mortified. What did she mean, "bring her home"? He said awkwardly, "She couldn't come. I sent you her messaging contact, so you can chat."
"Oh, right." He took out the box of magic energy and handed it to his sister. "Go to the Magic Association and trade this for that Wind Element Spirit Seed."
Mm! Lu Mei's beautiful eyes brightened as she accepted it without hesitation. They were family, after all. She hadn't hesitated before when she'd helped Lu Jun gather money to buy special metal, and she wouldn't hesitate now over a Water Element Spirit Seed.
Lu Jun watched his sister take the Spirit Seed, add Tang Yue as a friend, and start tapping away on her phone, smiling as she chatted. She didn't ask him anything else, so he breathed a sigh of relief.
He was curious about what the two of them were talking about, but he knew better than to interrupt. He'd just barely gotten away with it.
The next day, the siblings went straight to the auction house and traded Rose Flame for that Wind Element Spirit Seed, Demonic Wind.
It was a Wind Seed from the Qinling Mountains, with a 2.5-times power boost. Its special effect was Featherfloss: wounds torn open by wind blades would bleed endlessly and fail to heal. This trait was especially effective against massive Demon Beasts with tenacious vitality.
From then on, Lu Mei had reached the peak of the Intermediate Level in both of her Elements and possessed two Spirit Seeds. Her combat power soared. Setting aside freaks with powerful Innate Talents, she was strong enough to sweep aside ordinary experts.
With their combat power greatly increased, both of them itched for a fight and planned to hunt groups of Demon Beasts in the wilderness. Relying on the City Demon Hunting Squad alone to gather a hundred million would take far too long.
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