He temporarily believed Lu Jun's words. Even if he didn't, there was nothing he could do about it. Moreover, he felt that Lu Jun knew a great deal. Knowledge was also a form of strength, so he was worth befriending.
The awakening was complete, and the classes returned to their classrooms.
Lu Jun truly had no intention of exposing himself. It would bring him no benefits and would only offend people. Besides, he sincerely hoped Mo Fan could grow up safely. To be honest, in the face of the future disasters, even a dozen people like him wouldn't be enough.
A moment later, under his homeroom teacher's guidance, Lu Jun began cultivating magic for the first time.
Metal Element Primary Magic
Casting magic involved only three very simple steps.
First, meditation.
Second, controlling.
Third, releasing!
As the name suggested, meditation increased Mental Power and Star Dust Magic Power, raising one's cultivation. Controlling meant directing the Star Seeds into formation, after which magic was released according to a fixed casting template.
Lu Jun immersed himself in his Spiritual World. A blue Star Dust and a platinum Star Dust shone brilliantly, each containing seven dazzling Star Seeds that floated and sank.
[Star Dust] meant dust of the stars. With the cultivation of an Elementary Mage, it was insignificant within the vast Spiritual World, so the name was quite apt.
Each element had one Star Dust containing seven Star Seeds. Once the seven stars connected into a [Star Track], one could cast a spell.
When one reached the Intermediate Mage level, Star Dust transformed into a [Nebula], containing forty-nine Star Seeds. Casting magic then required seven Star Tracks to combine into a [Star Chart].
In the Magic World, spellcasting before the Advanced Level was extremely rigid. Each element at each level had only one spell. With Elementary Mages limited to a single skill, only teamwork allowed them to display their respective advantages.
After reaching the Intermediate Level and fully cultivating two elements, four skills gave one a little more flexibility.
Alternatively, one could rely on external forces. This was where [Magic Tools] came in. They were equivalent to equipped magical treasures, but Magic Tools had enormous limitations: they could only be activated once within a certain period, whether they were offensive Demon Slaying Gear or defensive Shield Magic Tools.
"So that's why Innate Talent is so precious. It grants all kinds of strange abilities. Then there are Spirit Seeds and Soul Seeds. Refining them can greatly increase the power of one's element."
Lu Jun shook his head and thought to himself, Spirit Seeds and Soul Seeds are similar to the strange flames in Battle Through the Heavens. They're concepts unique to the elemental systems. When ordinary people cast spells, Water Element is ordinary water, Fire Element is ordinary fire, and Lightning Element is ordinary lightning. They have no special effects or overwhelming power.
But after refining Spirit Seeds and Soul Seeds and gaining control of strange fire or strange water, one's power leaves others of the same level far behind.
Unfortunately, those things were extremely expensive. Moreover, only Intermediate Mages could contain Spirit Seeds, while Advanced Mages could contain Soul Seeds. Soul Seeds were above Spirit Seeds, and they were still far beyond his reach—unless one's Innate Talent happened to be control over a Spirit Seed.
At this moment, Lu Jun ignored the [Metal Element] Star Dust and focused instead on the [Water Element] Star Dust.
After careful consideration, he decided to pour his energy into Water Element. Metal Element could not be exposed, and without a template for its Elementary spell, he could not even control its Star Seeds.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
However, the moment Lu Jun's thoughts touched the Water Element Star Dust, the White Tiger Pendant around his neck trembled. Information entered his mind, and his face lit up with delight. It was actually the Star Track arrangement for the [Metal Element]'s Elementary spell.
"Haha, I knew awakening Metal Element wouldn't leave me helpless."
There was no doubt that the White Tiger Pendant was also a Magic Tool. Its level was extremely high, and its abilities were extraordinary.
Although the matter of Metal Element had been resolved, Lu Jun still obediently cultivated Water Element first. It concerned the school's evaluation.
During his first cultivation attempt, his thoughts dug into the blue Star Dust. The seven azure Star Seeds had originally been quite calm, but the instant an outsider arrived, they became restless. Each one drew elegant trails through the Star Dust, evading their master's capture.
After a while, Lu Jun gained nothing. He had not caught even one Water Element Star Seed. This was normal. Every magical element had its own temperament, and one had to learn how to get along with it first.
Ordinary people often needed about a year before they could successfully cast an Elementary spell, and that was already considered excellent.
After returning home from school, Lu Jun was exhausted in both body and mind. Ordinary people could meditate for five hours, but if they controlled Star Seeds as well, they could only last two. The mental expenditure was severe.
When he arrived home, he sensed a strange whirlwind surrounding the residential building. Dense Wind Element spread through the area, surprising him.
"Sis, I'm home."
Lu Jun entered the living room and shouted.
Soon, he saw Lu Mei sitting cross-legged on the sofa, floating three feet above the ground, her whole body radiating azure light.
She slowly opened her eyes and smiled. "Your big sister has become an Intermediate Mage. An Intermediate Wind Element Mage. From now on, you can walk sideways in Bo City."
Lu Jun was also rather surprised. Reaching the Intermediate Level at twenty placed her on the same level as the students of Mingzhu University. Although the Intermediate Level was relatively easy to pass, his sister had still spent two years grinding away at it.
"How is it?" Lu Mei asked concernedly. "What element did you awaken?"
Lu Jun hesitated, then decided to tell her about his two elements. They depended on each other for survival, so how could he not trust her? Besides, when he thought of the Metal Element Star Dust, he would need his sister's support to cultivate that Elementary spell.
"I awakened two elements."
Lu Mei was stunned. Her red lips parted slightly, and her eyes widened. "Innate Talent?! Innate Dual Elements?"
The pride she had felt upon advancing to the Intermediate Level vanished instantly.
"Wait." She rushed over to her younger brother and said seriously, "Don't tell anyone besides me. Otherwise, some malicious force might target you. You can only expose it after reaching the Intermediate Level and gaining the ability to protect yourself. Also, what are your two elements?"
"I'm not stupid," Lu Jun replied. "Water Element and Metal Element."
"Huh?" Lu Mei was confused again. She understood Water Element, but what was Metal Element?
Unable to believe it, she asked several times in succession. Only after Lu Jun personally guided the sharp platinum-colored magic power unique to Metal Element did she believe him.
"A brand-new element?!" Lu Mei's expression turned solemn as she studied her brother. She sighed emotionally, "Little brother, you're destined to become a great mage, standing shoulder to shoulder with figures like the First Emperor and Faraday."
Seeing that his sister still firmly stood on his side, Lu Jun first breathed a sigh of relief. Then he grew embarrassed.
The basic framework of the Magic World was the same as in his previous life, but everything had been replaced with magic. For example, Qin Shi Huang was the ancestor of Earth Element and one of the origins of Undead Element. He had created magical wonders such as the Great Wall and the Ancient Capital imperial mausoleum.
Finally, Lu Mei asked curiously, "What skill does Metal Element have at the Elementary Level? You know, blindly controlling Star Seeds to cast a spell either gives it no power or injures you."
"Metal Element?" Lu Jun recalled the information transmitted by the White Tiger Pendant, his expression becoming strange. The Elementary spell of Metal Element was called [Forge].
As the name suggested, it used metal to forge an object. It could be a saber or sword, or a bell, tripod, tower, or mirror. After magic power was infused into it and the Metal Element Elementary spell was engraved upon it, it would transform into a Magic Tool. Stored and nurtured within the Metal Nebula's Metal Element Star Dust, it would evolve as one's cultivation increased.
Unlike ordinary Magic Tools, which could only be used once, a Metal Element spell could be activated repeatedly as long as the magic power contained in the Star Dust had not been exhausted.
One had to understand that even a Mortal Magic Tool used by an Elementary Mage was unstoppable among those of the same level once activated. Same-level Demon Slaying Gear was even more powerful than an Elementary Lightning Fire spell. Its only weakness was its poor endurance; at most, it could be used in an emergency.
There was always a way forward. Lu Jun had originally been wondering how he would endure the awkward period when Water Element only had a defensive spell. He planned to turn Metal Element into a destructive element.
Metal governed slaughter and killing. In terms of Killing Power, it had been number one beneath the heavens since ancient times, even more renowned than Lightning Fire. Judging from the description of its Elementary spell, it clearly had that potential.
Unfortunately, without a Forge, Metal Element could not display its power even after the Star Seeds were controlled. Therefore, Lu Jun's urgent task was to find suitable materials for forging. He could only ask his sister for help.
Materials were crucial. Elementary Metal Element Star Dust could contain only ordinary metals, but if one chose a good alloy, then setting aside the basic increase in power, its additional special effects would not be inferior to those of a Soul Seed or Innate Talent.
One had to be extremely cautious when forging with Metal Element's Elementary spell. The material had to be hard, because the Star Seeds would merge into the Natal Magic Tool. If it were destroyed, the entire element would be crippled.
"A metal alloy, huh? Looks like I can only ask a few girlfriends who got into universities to pull some strings and have one custom-made in a university laboratory," Lu Mei said thoughtfully, telling her brother to wait for news.
Then she smiled. "By the way, welcome home. Congratulations on becoming a mage."
Control Magic
In Bo City, summer turned to winter, and fallen leaves rolled through the wind. In the blink of an eye, an entire semester—half a year—had passed.
Ever since awakening magic, Lu Jun had buried himself in bitter cultivation. The pressure of future disasters, his desire for transcendent power, the steady temperament he had honed in his previous life, and his pursuit of fame and wealth had all transformed into powerful motivation.
A world where effort brought power was wonderful.
During the first half of the school year, apart from teaching some basic knowledge about Demon Beasts, the school mainly offered meditation classes. There were hardly any trivial matters.
At this moment, Lu Jun sat cross-legged in his bedroom, immersed in meditation. The White Tiger Pendant on his chest radiated a platinum glow. Its gentle power caressed his entire body, causing his pores to relax as if he were soaking in a hot spring.
Within his Spiritual World, the blue Star Dust and platinum Star Dust had both grown several times larger. Nourished by this mysterious power, they continued growing rapidly even when he was not meditating.
During this period, the White Tiger Pendant had given Lu Jun another pleasant surprise. It truly deserved to be a top-tier auxiliary Magic Tool. Even though it was damaged and had not recovered to its peak, it still possessed the ability to nourish Star Seeds, just like a Stardust Magic Tool or Nebula Magic Tool.
A [Stardust Magic Tool] was a special type of Magic Tool specifically used to assist cultivation. Normally, ordinary people became exhausted after meditating for ten hours and needed to rest and sleep.
Even the weakest Stardust Magic Tool could extend that time by several hours and restore Mental Power. Powerful ones could even cause one's cultivation to grow automatically through nourishment without any need for cultivation.
These Magic Tools were exceptionally precious. They were classified into Elementary, Intermediate, and other levels, progressing from Stardust to Nebula and then to the Advanced-level Galaxy!
The White Tiger Pendant itself was comparable to a top-grade Nebula Magic Tool. An Intermediate Mage bathing in its nourishment could rapidly grow to the peak, to say nothing of a newly awakened Elementary Mage.
Splash!
"Water Guard - Dissipate!"
Suddenly, blue light flashed in Lu Jun's eyes. The seven Water Element Star Seeds were controlled one after another. Water vapor surged around him, and a dazzling azure Star Track swept across the air.
Countless droplets of water gathered in the air, forming a water-blue ring of flowing water. It was more than three meters long and about two legs wide, like a soft ribbon winding around Lu Jun and covering most of his body. Its surface glimmered brilliantly and looked incredibly flexible.
Water was extremely soft, but if a person fell from a great height onto its surface, its hardness would be no less than that of rock, enough to cause them to shatter into pieces. This was the principle of a non-Newtonian fluid.
Lu Jun felt that this Elementary Water Element spell was nearly complete. He was delighted. He had finally mastered Level One Water Shield.
Apart from the five major realms, each realm was further divided into three levels.
Magic itself did not change. As one's level increased, many variations were derived from the foundation, strengthening its power.
For example, with Level Two Water Shield · Guard, Lu Jun would not condense just one water ribbon but several, leaving virtually no blind spots. As for Level Three Water Shield · Cycle, the ribbons would become dynamic, flowing endlessly and regenerating without limit.
Unless they were destroyed in a single burst—which would require a destructive spell above the Intermediate Level.
"I've finally learned to cast Water Shield. In half a year, I've successively mastered two Elementary spells, Metal Element and Water Element. I'm faster than Mo Fan. He should currently have mastered only the Elementary Lightning Element [Thunder Seal]. He won't master his second element, Fire Element's [Fire Seed], until the end of next semester."
"As for Mu Ningxue, it took her eight months to master an Elementary Ice Element spell. Tsk, tsk. Setting aside his Innate Talent, Mo Fan's cultivation talent alone isn't inferior to that of the other geniuses."
Lu Jun pondered. Of course, both of them relied entirely on their own efforts and had no Stardust Magic Tool at all. Only in the second year after mastering their Elementary spells did they receive Magic Tool assistance from their clan and school.
Therefore, it was normal for his progress to be so fast. Besides, this was only the beginning. Stardust Magic Tools offered little help with controlling Star Seeds. Their true advantage emerged when increasing cultivation and magic power.
His White Tiger Pendant was clearly in much better condition than Mo Fan's Azure Dragon Pendant. One could tell from their appearances alone. At the beginning, Mo Fan's had been no different from a dead object. Only after devouring a school's Stardust Magic Tool in his second year of high school had it activated part of its abilities, becoming comparable to a Stardust Magic Tool.
To reach the level of his White Tiger Pendant, it would need to devour the [Earth Sacred Spring] two and a half years later. The Bo City Earth Sacred Spring was a treasure of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that could assist one in breaking through to the Intermediate Level. It was also the source of the disaster, simply because the Black Vatican had set its sights on it.
"There are still two and a half years. I'll try to make both elements reach Elementary Level Two next semester."
Lu Jun clenched both fists and rose from the bed. Water-blue silk ribbons swirled around him, and mist blurred the air, making him resemble an immortal exiled from the water.
Downstairs, Lu Mei sensed the fluctuations of Water Element. Looking over, she saw a black-haired youth descending the stairs, water-blue ribbons softly winding around him. His skin had been nourished and appeared much fairer.
She immediately said enviously, "Being a Water Element Mage is great. Natural skincare."
Lu Jun was speechless. Magic was transcendent power! Shouldn't she be focusing on the magic itself? Water Element's popularity at the Elementary Level was no lower than Lightning Element's. It was the only one of the seven elemental systems with a defensive skill at the Elementary Level; the others had to wait until the Intermediate Level.
Lightning and Fire focused on killing. The difference was that Thunder Seal came with paralysis and control, while Fire Seed came with continuous burning. Ice Element specialized in control, Earth Element's [Ground Wave] was half control and half movement, and Wind Element's [Wind Track] was a movement spell.
"I'm just joking." Lu Mei chuckled and exclaimed in amazement, "I didn't expect you to master an Elementary skill in half a year. If I hadn't lived with you day and night and known you inside out, I might have thought you'd learned some Black Vatican dark art."
Lu Jun could not be bothered to respond to his sister's nonsense. He dispersed the Water Shield around his body and said irritably, "I haven't only mastered Water Element magic. I could cast Metal Element three months ago. If the alloy you promised me had arrived, why would it have no power?"
"Uh..." Lu Mei became serious and suspicious. "Lu Jun, you couldn't really be...?"
Hearing this, Lu Jun was silent for a while before raising his brows. "Don't make random guesses. I'll tell you everything when the time is right."
The fewer people who knew about the White Tiger Pendant, the better. Once he became powerful, it would not matter. In the early stages, it was merely an auxiliary Magic Tool. Later, it would become the means by which he searched for Totems.
When those Great Noble Families devoted all their resources to cultivating a single person, what they brought out was absolutely no worse than the White Tiger Pendant—perhaps several times stronger.
"All right." Lu Mei sighed. She felt that ever since her younger brother had awakened magic half a year ago, he had been burdened with worries, cultivating desperately and never slacking off for more than ten hours a day.
To be honest, for someone his age in the first year of high school, such self-control was frightening. Combined with that unprecedented Metal Element, he clearly had plenty of secrets. But she was willing to believe her younger brother unconditionally.
Lu Jun asked again, "What about my alloy?"
"Don't worry." Lu Mei winced. "It's already been produced by the laboratory and shipped here. You really are a money-eating beast. You needed a million in resources at the Elementary Level. And that's with my girlfriend's connections—and it was also an attached by-product of a profitable experimental project."
Lu Jun was likewise shocked. A million was enough to buy an apartment even in a second-tier city. It could also purchase a Shield Magic Tool capable of withstanding the destructive magic of an Intermediate Mage.
With his sister's cultivation, investing that money in her would have greatly increased her strength. Lu Jun felt guilty, but he was also deeply moved. Only true family would believe you after hearing one sentence and accompany you in going crazy.
This had truly emptied their family's savings: their parents' inheritance, the death compensation, and the money Lu Mei had earned over the past two years.
He only hoped that the power of Metal Element's spell would live up to its investment.
Metal Element's Killing Power
In the courtyard, Lu Jun finally saw the special alloy produced by the magical laboratory. It had been forged into the shape of a heavy sword: a glossy black strip four feet long, roughly 1.2 meters, that looked extremely heavy.
"Vibranium, the hardest metal in the world. It came from the depths of the cosmos, excavated from a fallen meteorite. If it didn't possess no magic power or special effects, one would think it was a powerful magical metal."
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