Assassination / Torturing the Black Vatican

Unlike Bo City, Magic City wasn't their hometown, so they still needed to scout the area. And the threats Magic City faced weren't demons on land, but Flood Demons from the great rivers and Sea Monsters from the East Sea.

These two great races were far stronger than One-Eyed Magic Wolves. General-level creatures were everywhere, and they even had Monarchs behind them.

Of course, the resources the siblings needed had long since outgrown what a single pack of One-Eyed Magic Wolves could provide, so they had moved on to Magic City.

But before that, Lu Jun had been on the verge of breaking through in the Metal Element for quite some time. He decided to advance first. He had spent weeks honing his skills, and with the White Tiger Pendant constantly nourishing him, the breakthrough came easily.

About a week later, one evening.

Lu Jun was home alone while his older sister was out patrolling, on duty as a night watchman. They had been in Magic City for nearly a month without running into much trouble. They had only encountered one lesser General-level creature, whose corpse and the city's compensation had brought in just over a million.

Since he was about to advance, he simply let Lu Mei go by herself.

Bzzzz!

At that moment, platinum light burst from Lu Jun's body. The platinum Nebula in his Spiritual World surged, expanding by a full circle.

Metal Element, Intermediate Level Two [Differentiation]!

He was overjoyed as he sensed the effect. The so-called sword-light division allowed him to temporarily split his Vibranium Flying Sword into multiple blades, multiplying his killing efficiency several times over.

It was much like the Lightning Element's Intermediate Level Two spell, Thunderclap Yaksha, which called down multiple bolts of lightning.

But his ability was clearly harder to control. Even making a single flying sword change size at will and move as naturally as his own arm took a great deal of concentration. Controlling several swords at once required Multitasking, making it much more difficult. On the other hand, used well, it was incredibly versatile.

Fortunately, his Mind Element cultivation was exceptional. At his current level, he could easily create seven flying swords at once. A few hundred Servant-level creatures would be no trouble for his Metal Element, and if a General-level creature stood before him, one sword would be enough to kill it.

With his advancement complete, Lu Jun was in high spirits. Since he still had plenty of time, he decided to meet up with his sister and continue their patrol.

At midnight, he had just left the apartment and was walking along the road when a shadow stirred in a secluded alley.

Assassination

The neon lights of Magic City were especially beautiful at night. Even though it was already eleven or twelve, people were still strolling near Jinyuan Apartment, mostly couples from Pearl Institute.

After walking for a while, Lu Jun turned into a quieter side street, apparently hoping to take a shortcut to the City Demon Hunting Squad's patrol zone.

Only a few people were on this road. His hearing was sharp, and he caught two young men, a little older than him and apparently new students at Pearl Institute, enthusiastically discussing campus life.

Bzzzz! Suddenly, the unnoticed shadow in the corner of the alley moved. A ball of dark light silently flared to life, and a giant nail took shape. Powerful dark energy twisted the light and shadows around it.

Intermediate Shadow Element Magic: Giant Shadow Nail!

If the Curse Element's Intermediate spell, Evil Spider Trap, was a crowd-control spell with lethal force, then the Shadow Element's Giant Shadow Nail was the ultimate single-target restraint spell.

Both could bypass ordinary elemental defenses and take effect directly. Their effects were similar: they were difficult to detect when set, and anyone struck by them couldn't break free. Their will would also be sealed, preventing them from casting magic.

The difference was that the former was lethal and had a wider range, while the latter could move and offered more flexible control.

The dark glow vanished as soon as it appeared, hiding beneath the shadows as it shot toward the shadow behind Lu Jun.

Just as it was about to hit, Lu Jun controlled his Star Track. Water vapor swirled around him as several streams of blue water intertwined across his body, circulating without pause. The azure Tide rippled, refracting the light until the shadow at his feet was forced far out of place.

Bang!

The Giant Shadow Nail missed Lu Jun's shadow and struck a large patch of darkness instead, dispersing into dark energy.

A Gray Robe man emerged from the shadows, his face incredulous. "You spotted me?! How could that shadow have dodged?"

Lu Jun turned toward the corner of the street and taunted him. "Never heard of refraction on a water's surface? It's basic middle-school physics."

As for how he'd discovered the man... Lu Jun scoffed. With his Mind Element reflecting the world around him, he had more than just a sixth sense that warned him of danger. The fluctuations in everyone's Mind Lake were right there for him to see. Killing Intent couldn't be hidden.

The Gray Robe Shadow Element Mage looked bewildered. He had no idea what Lu Jun was talking about.

Seeing this, Lu Jun slapped his forehead. He had almost forgotten that the Magic World's nine years of compulsory education were entirely about magic. Science was more like something out of an online novel. There was no point explaining it to an illiterate.

Then he addressed the two seemingly stunned new students farther away. "Quit pretending. All of you have already been exposed."

"Huh?" The two young men were startled. They swallowed, hesitating. They weren't sure if he was bluffing, and still wanted to play dumb.

Clap, clap, clap. A burst of applause suddenly rang out in the alley. A Gray Robe man wearing a mask walked up from the far end, clapping as he spoke hoarsely. "Heh. As expected of Lu Jun. You saw through our Bo City operation, and now you've seen through this assassination too."

He glanced at the two young men and said coolly, "Jia Wenqing, Fu Tianming, stop pretending. Since he's already figured it out, show yourselves openly."

The two Pearl Institute freshmen exchanged a glance. They dropped the act and sneered at Lu Jun.

At some point, the street had emptied. Both ends were blocked, and there were five people in total: the Gray Robe Shadow Element Mage, the masked Gray Robe man, and three men posing as new students.

"Oh, so it's the Black Vatican that came to assassinate me."

Lu Jun sneered. He had thought someone from Lu Nian's side had sent them. But the Black Vatican made sense. He swept his gaze over the group, then fixed it on the masked Gray Robe man. If he wasn't mistaken, that was Yu Ang.

The three Pearl Institute freshmen—Fu Tianming, Jia Wenqing, and Li Nan—were bit-part characters in the original story. A year and a half later, they would take part in the siege of Mo Fan. For now, though, they were still freshmen in the same class as Lu Jun, not the older students they would later become.

Their cultivation probably amounted to Intermediate Level One in a single element at most.

The Gray Robe Shadow Element Mage was probably a member assigned to assist them, and a little more powerful than the others.

Lu Jun didn't know why they'd targeted him instead of Mo Fan, but the Black Vatican was like a mother-in-law—he could understand. Besides, he had made quite a name for himself in Bo City, so it was only natural they had noticed him. The fact that they had sent only this many people meant they hadn't taken him very seriously.

That worked out perfectly. Yu Ang had escaped Bo City. Lu Jun could kill him now and spare Xu Zhaoting—or anyone else—from his schemes. The longer the Black Vatican survived, the more people it would hurt.

Lu Jun looked at Yu Ang and mocked him. "Tsk, tsk. A Gray Robe now? Promoted, have you? Hey, what happened to your face? It's hideous."

His words struck a nerve. This was the man who had caused the entire Bo City plan to collapse. In the end, Yu Ang had retreated and been punished by Tiger Jin Grand Deacon, who had thrown him into the Pool of Curses and soaked half his body until it rotted away.

Then Bai Yang had exposed their secrets, forcing Yu Ang to flee into the wilderness. He had long since ceased to look human.

To take revenge, he had used a Black Vatican forbidden technique to forcibly raise his cultivation. The price was his lifespan. Now he would live only into his thirties.

"I'll tear that mouth of yours apart, then throw you into the Pool of Curses to suffer. You'll become the lowest of Black Beast Demons, your soul trapped forever, serving me."

Yu Ang grinned viciously. "Oh, right. I heard you have an older sister. She's quite pretty, apparently. One day, we'll catch her and let the brothers have their fun."

At that, Lu Jun's expression turned cold. "You think trash like you can do that?"

"Haha, of course not." Yu Ang raised a hand and smiled wickedly. "A Blue Robe Deacon lent me three Cursed Black Beast Demons. That'll be more than enough for you."

Below the Black Vatican's Cardinals were the Blue Robe Deacons, Gray Robe Clerics, and lowest-ranking Black Robe Cultists, corresponding to the High, Intermediate, and Primary levels.

As a Gray Robe Cleric, Yu Ang naturally had a powerful force at his command. He began chanting a strange incantation.

The incantation looked like a string of visible gray notes. They floated around Yu Ang, forming ribbons that twisted around one another and wove a gray door covered in engraved talismans.

Bzzzz!

Black Beast Demons poured out, filling the entire alley. There were dozens of them. Then three much larger Cursed Black Beast Demons strode out last.

They had unusual dark green eyes. Their emaciated, pitch-black bodies were covered in black-and-red curse marks, and they emanated a foul, rotten, evil stench. Their auras were unmistakably General-level!

Only after being made from Intermediate Mages and tortured for a long time could one of these creatures be created—and even then, the odds were slim.

Three General-level creatures, any one of which could easily torment an Intermediate Mage, backed by five Intermediate Mages. It was fair to say they had taken Lu Jun extremely seriously. Even Mo Fan hadn't received this kind of treatment in the original story.

"Not bad. I'll enjoy the slaughter tonight."

Lu Jun wasn't afraid at all. Instead, he rolled his neck and smiled bloodthirstily. His family had been threatened, and fury surged within him. A Vibranium Heavy Sword appeared in his hand.

"Still mouthing off when you're about to die? Attack!" Yu Ang sneered, ordering the three Cursed Black Beast Demons to charge.

One Cursed Black Beast Demon moved. With a whoosh, the creature left only a blur behind as it raced toward Lu Jun at incredible speed.

A cloud of dust rose where it had stood. Its speed was beyond the limits of human vision.

The Cursed Black Beast Demon swooped down over Lu Jun and looked at the boy with cruel eyes. It slashed at him with its sharp claws, certain the boy would soon fall dead like every other mage it had killed, cut in half at the waist.

But the next moment, Lu Jun raised his sword to meet it. He had reacted in time.

His eyes were closed as his Mind Element reflected the surroundings. He caught the slightest movement with startling speed. This was the Mind's Eye. Once a creature reached General-level or higher, it grew so fast that it became difficult to observe with the naked eye. Only the mind could keep up.

Mo Fan had nearly been killed the first time he encountered a General-level creature.

Lu Jun seemed slow, but he struck first. The edge of his Vibranium sword was already pointed at the Cursed Black Beast Demon's claws. Then his eyes snapped open, platinum light rising from his body and winding around the blade. He let out a low growl.

Golden Radiance, tremor!

Rumble!

In an instant, the air in front of Lu Jun exploded. A vast Platinum Glow burst from the Vibranium Heavy Sword. From a distance, it looked like a white crescent moon surging into the sky. The successive shockwaves carved a deep trench through the street.

The Cursed Black Beast Demon first felt pain in its claws, then a tremendous force it couldn't resist struck it. Its body was hurled away, tumbling through the air again and again, falling and bouncing back up until it landed at Yu Ang's feet.

Lu Jun hadn't moved. With nothing but a Metal Element Primary Magic spell at Level Four, [Vibration]—the recoil of the tremor—had nullified the terrifying impact of a General-level creature.

"Idiot! His Magic Tool is no ordinary weapon. Attack together!"

Yu Ang cursed. Seeing the Cursed Black Beast Demon's nearly broken claws and how the Platinum Glow had left it unable to get up, a trace of fear flashed through his eyes. He had a bad feeling.

At the same time, the other two General-level creatures saw what had happened to their companion. Wary, they began circling Lu Jun from both sides.

Meanwhile, Jia Wenqing and the other three Intermediate Mages began clumsily drawing their Star Charts.

Bzzzz!

But before they could cast their spells, Lu Jun's eyes flashed. A Mind Sword, honed within the Mind Element Stardust, shot out like a streak of white light and hit the Shadow Element Mage beside him.

"Ah!" The Gray Robe Cleric screamed. Blood poured from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, and his body fell limp to the ground. He had died of brain death on the spot.

At the same time, the Curse Aura emanating from Lu Jun fixed firmly on Li Nan, who was about to cast an Intermediate Ice Element spell. Li Nan's face turned pale, sweat pouring down him as the Star Track he was forming broke apart.

In an instant, Lu Jun had taken out the control-focused Shadow Element Mage who posed the greatest threat to him, while still having enough power to suppress another Intermediate Mage. Trading two Primary Magic Elements for them was a great deal.

Bzzzz! Wind Disc! Fierce Fist Breaker!

Fu Tianming and Jia Wenqing finally cast their spells. They were both at Intermediate Level One. At nineteen or twenty, they had clearly used Black Vatican forbidden techniques to infiltrate the institute and work their way into the upper ranks.

A blue tornado more than ten meters tall roared with flying sand and stones, wild and fierce. A terrifying pillar of flame burned beside it.

Lu Jun scoffed. Compared with his sister Lu Mei and Tang Yue, this was nothing more than a little breeze and a small flame.

Sword Casting!

He met every change with the same move. Raising the Dark Gold Longsword over his head with both hands, he brought it down in a fierce slash. Platinum Glow spread out in a vast sweep, spanning more than ten meters.

Rumble!

The tornado, intertwined with flames and wind, crashed toward him. The white crescent split it in two, and the shockwave tore apart the blue-and-red vortex. The dissipating currents slammed into both sides of the street. A series of explosions rang out as walls and buildings collapsed, filling the air with rolling dust.

Jia Wenqing and the others stared, eyes wide. A sword had just cleaved through magic? How was that even magic?

A Primary Magic spell at Level Four was almost as powerful as half an Intermediate spell—and the Metal Element had tremendous killing power to begin with.

Lu Jun ignored them and took a deep breath. An azure Star Chart formed beneath his feet as vast water vapor surged up, illuminating half the sky behind him. Tide · Violent Waves · Repel!

Splash!

He punched forward. A surging blue river burst forth, ten zhang wide and thirty meters long, sweeping across the entire street.

The more than thirty Black Beast Demons charging at him, including the two Cursed General-level creatures, were swept up by the powerful current. They could only tumble helplessly as the overwhelming force carried them from one end of the street to the other.

The flood was so powerful that it brought down many buildings. The commotion finally reached the surrounding residents, who began calling the police.

Lu Mei, whose patrol zone was closest to Lu Jun's, received the alert and hurried to investigate. When she saw that the location was very close to their home, worry seized her. She followed the Wind Track, leaping across rooftops as she rushed over.

Lu Jun didn't know how Magic City had responded, but when he looked ahead, he saw that most of the Black Beast Demons could no longer stand. Their bones and muscles were broken, and the current had drained some of their Demonic Power.

The Shadow Element Mage, who had already suffered brain death, had also drowned. There was no saving him. Yu Ang and the others had managed to activate shields to protect themselves, but even so, they were gasping for breath.

Only the two Cursed Black Beast Demons were still moving, trying to attack again.

But Lu Jun wasn't about to give them another chance. Vast water vapor rose around him again, increasing the spell's power by another twenty percent. A second flood swept through, its waters looking darker this time.

Boom! Boom!

The rumbles echoed throughout the surrounding area. Two consecutive Storm Waves had widened the street to more than twice its original size. Few things remained standing.

Bzzzz. Lu Jun controlled the Metal Element Star Chart. The Vibranium Heavy Sword flew from his hand and split into seven streaks of light. They traveled hundreds of meters, slicing into the heads of the three Cursed Black Beast Demons and the chests of Jia Wenqing, Li Nan, and Fu Tianming.

Squelch, squelch—

A series of flesh-cutting sounds rang out. The three Cursed Black Beast Demons were decapitated on the spot, while the swords pierced the three men through the chest. Golden Radiance flashed, and their upper bodies exploded.

A rain of blood fell from the sky. Chunks of flesh flew everywhere, turning the end of the street into a slaughterhouse. The stench of blood lingered in the air.

Yu Ang's gaze was vacant. Blood covered his head, and a black flying sword hovered before him, glinting white. His legs trembled. A yellow stream ran down his trousers—he had wet himself!

"How is this possible? How is this possible?" Yu Ang repeated blankly. They hadn't been unable to fight back. But every time they tried to control their Star Nodes, a stabbing pain shot through their heads and interrupted them.