The Girl of My Dreams, the Red Rose / End of the First Semester, Transferring Straight to the Main Campus

At this moment, Lu Jun only felt his vision go black as his consciousness was squeezed into a corner of the Spiritual World. It felt like sleep paralysis. He clearly knew what was happening, could see and touch it, yet had no way to control his body.

A colossal consciousness occupied the space beside him, radiating a thick, dangerous aura.

But he did not struggle. Suppressing his instinct to resist, he quietly stayed where he was and observed Ding Yumian's actions.

Meanwhile, Ding Yumian had gained a completely different sensation. Her consciousness had been stuffed into an unusual body. It was heavier, yet full of strength and vitality. Within the Spiritual World, she saw a dazzling starry domain.

Four star clouds—platinum, azure, dark green, and transparent—intertwined and reflected one another's brilliance.

Ding Yumian did not pry into the others. Her consciousness focused on the transparent star cloud of the Mind Element. More precisely, she could only control Mind Element Magic; she could not interfere with the star clouds of the other Magic Systems.

Perhaps it was because her mental will had fought against Lu Jun's every day, making them exceptionally familiar with each other.

She opened her eyes and raised her dry, stiff hand. This was Lu Jun's hand—fair and slender, nourished by Water Element Magic, with skin no less delicate than a girl's.

That part was fine. The main problem was that the area beneath her felt different. After learning about it from those scraps of information, she immediately understood what it was. Her soul core trembled with embarrassment, and she could not help wondering how men managed to walk without this thing getting in the way.

Ding Yumian let her thoughts run wild for a while before finally calming down. She began controlling the body and walking. In only a few minutes, she went from awkward to completely fluent. She knew Lu Jun's body inside and out.

Then she controlled the body into a cross-legged position, meditated on the star cloud, controlled the stars, and mobilized her Mental Power and Mind Element.

Lu Jun had completely opened these permissions to her and was even assisting from the side.

Soon, during Ding Yumian's first attempt, she discovered an unprecedented dryness. That Mind Element Magic was far too dormant. Controlling even a thread of it was extremely difficult, and it was weak and shallow—less than a small puddle.

For the first time, she understood just how great the difference was between her own "talent" of controlling Mental Power as naturally as breathing and the aptitude of an ordinary person.

Fortunately, Ding Yumian's talent was there. She had once possessed it, and it had practically been engraved into her instincts. She gradually adapted and slowly made her thoughts smooth and rounded.

On the transparent star cloud, a mass of pale-white light writhed and changed unpredictably. Under Ding Yumian's control, various shapes appeared one after another. It was like kneading dough, moving as easily as her own arm.

Lu Jun was deeply astonished. With the same body, her control completely crushed his. At the same time, he continuously received feedback. Once he returned to his body, his control over the Mind Element would probably improve by a great deal.

"It's ready. Draw the seven Servant-level Spirit Essences into the star cloud. I'll see whether it works."

Lu Jun suddenly received a strand of mental information. Their hearts were connected, and their tacit understanding was extraordinary. He mobilized the seven essences in the White Tiger Pendant and guided them into the star cloud, while Ding Yumian took responsibility for shaping them.

Buzz, buzz, buzz! The seven stars expanded one after another, transforming into Elementary Level 4 stars as a new wave of magic energy surged forth.

Drawing on her experience of splitting herself into multiple soul cores, Ding Yumian solemnly divided and reshaped this magic energy.

No one knew how much time passed. Lu Jun suddenly felt the pressure loosen. His consciousness surged out of the corner and retook control. Opening his eyes, he saw Ding Yumian's beautiful, delicate face across from him, filled with exhaustion.

She said, "It's done. But this only shapes Mind Element Magic. It doesn't include the origin of your consciousness and soul, so I'm afraid the actual effect will be considerably weaker."

Chapter 99: White Moonlight, Red Rose

Hearing this, Lu Jun did not mind. He knew perfectly well that it could never reach the level of Ding Yumian's Calamity Bringer talent and create multiple soul cores.

In the end, it was merely the effect of an Elementary Level 4 spell. If it could be accomplished so easily, wouldn't that mean another Mind Calamity had appeared, allowing every Mind Mage to copy that talent?

He did not ask for too much, but the insights fed back by the Mind Element still pleasantly surprised him.

Mind Element Elementary Level 4 Magic [Ling Yi Personality Mask].

Its effect was similar to [Multiple Soul Cores], except that it did not truly split the origin of the soul into several parts. It had neither independent personalities and minds nor any special divinity. It merely used magical effects to construct a series of "illusory souls."

In essence, it was worlds apart from a Calamity Bringer's talent. Yet the effect it displayed was exactly what Lu Jun wanted.

These virtual souls were like blank sheets of paper, allowing anyone to scribble on them and fill them with "content."

For example, after controlling his stars and releasing magic, he could put layer after layer of disguises over his soul. When another Mind Mage extended their will inside, they would not see a platinum, azure, dark green, and transparent four-element Intermediate-level Spiritual World with four star clouds shining within it.

Instead, they would see a virtual soul fabricated by Lu Jun. It could be an Elementary-level Stardust, an Intermediate-level Star Cloud, or one, two, or three Magic Systems. It could be Fire Element, Ice Element, Water Element, and so on.

From then on, he would be safe. As long as his mental realm was high enough, even if he visited Holy City and was inspected by several Archangels, he would still be a "perfectly innocent man"!

Moreover, when Lu Jun fought a Mind Mage, even if high-level Soul Control struck him, without a sufficient mental realm, the opponent would not discover that it was a virtual soul. They would only control the superficial virtual personality while he hid in the deepest depths, coldly watching and gathering strength for a fatal backstab.

He could even deliberately edit memories and stories. After someone read his mind, they would find a body full of false identities—or nightmares disguised with Curse Element Magic—to trick and harm the Mind Mage.

Overall, this skill's surface effect was unremarkable. It was specifically meant to deal with Mind Mages.

At the very least, after obtaining it, Lu Jun would no longer be so helpless when fighting Ding Yumian. He could finally cross wrists with her. Even if she painstakingly broke through layer after layer of mental barriers, she still would not know which soul disguise was the real him.

Seeing the boy's delighted expression, Ding Yumian pursed her lips. A hint of gentleness entered her eyes as she said, "As long as you think it's okay."

She had also gained some insights of her own and sank into thought. Her soul was special, after all, and the talent of a Mind Calamity originated from the soul.

If her soul entered Lu Jun's body every day, wouldn't it gradually transform his body and Spiritual World, forming soil suited to a Calamity Bringer's talent?

Combined with Lu Jun's own efforts, perhaps he could even elevate his Innate Talent after birth.

In any case, this was her first time entering someone else's body, and she could clearly feel her soul constantly exchanging with the Mind Element star cloud, slowly permeating it. She did not know whether this was a good sign.

"Hahaha, sorry for the trouble. You even have to accompany me in tempering my will."

Lu Jun sincerely thanked her, then scratched an itch in his heart and said, "How about we do it once more?"

Don't misunderstand. The two of them were purely engaging in a battle of the mind.

This time, after releasing Mind Element Elementary Level 4 Magic, the effect was immediate. Although he was still powerless to counterattack, he could barely protect himself.

Time passed without either of them noticing.

At sunset, a man and a woman lay side by side at the edge of the lawn, staring blankly at the evening clouds. The red glow illuminated both their faces, and a hard-to-describe tacit understanding and ambiguity spread through the air.

Since their souls had exchanged bodies, their relationship seemed to have broken through another barrier, becoming even closer than that of superficial lovers.

After a while, Lu Jun stood and patted his backside. With a smile, he said, "I'll be leaving first."

The woman in the white dress slowly stood and nodded warmly. "I'll see you off."

The two strolled through the campus. Fiery clouds filled the background, while crowds flowed endlessly around them. Noise and tranquility coexisted, painting a moving scene.

Eventually, they reached the campus entrance. Lu Jun waved and left, while Ding Yumian stood quietly in place, gazing after him like a pure-white chrysanthemum—peaceful and gentle.

Not long afterward, he returned home and opened the door to his room. The first person he saw was Lu Mei. She wore a conservative yet grand black evening dress. The thin, silky gown clung tightly to her mature, voluptuous body, outlining her slender and graceful figure.

His sister seemed to have dressed with great care. Her gorgeous, charming face was wreathed in a flowerlike smile. Holding up her skirt, she spun once, then elegantly extended her jade-like hand, wrapped in a black glove.

"My little prince, I've been waiting for you."

Lu Jun froze. Astonishment flashed through his eyes. His sister looked exceptionally beautiful today—mature, elegant, and full of charm, like a black epiphyllum, mysterious and noble.

Who could withstand an older beauty reaching out to invite them?

He curled his lips. "Are you seriously doing something this cheesy?"

Even so, Lu Jun still took his sister's hand, now covered by a black silk glove. He gave it a slight squeeze. It felt soft and boneless, with delicate, smooth silk against his fingers.

Lu Mei revealed a broad smile and raised her hand in demonstration. "Where's my hand-kissing ceremony?"

Hearing this, he felt slightly awkward. Then he heard his sister give a delicate hum, tinged with a trace of dissatisfaction.

"Fine, fine, fine. You're the main character today."

Lu Jun hurriedly nodded. Holding his sister's slender hand, he lowered his head and lightly kissed the back of it. Smiling, he said, "Good evening, my beautiful Princess Royal."

At this sight, Lu Mei's face flushed red. The moist sensation on the back of her hand made her feel ticklish.

She withdrew her hand and hid it behind her back, pretending not to care. Stepping out in cool high heels, she said, "Let's go. I reserved a restaurant. Today, your sister is taking you out for a proper meal."

After finally reaching the high level in Wind Element, the two went out to celebrate, treating it as a chance to relax between cultivation.

Lu Mei drove her off-road vehicle and took Lu Jun straight to a famous high-end restaurant. That evening, the siblings ate happily.

Lu Jun simply no longer remembered what the food had tasted like. The only thing deeply engraved in his memory was his sister's every frown and smile.

On the way home, Lu Mei also awakened Fire Element, allowing her to cultivate all three simultaneously.

The night passed peacefully.

In the days that followed, Lu Jun lived a routine of three points and one line: studying magic theories at the academy to enrich himself, cultivating with Ding Yumian, discussing Wind Element control with his sister at home, and, whenever he had time, standing watch for the City Demon Hunting Squad and hunting Demon Beasts in rivers, lakes, and seas.

Facing two great beauties with completely different temperaments every day, he lived an extremely comfortable and nourishing life.

In the blink of an eye, two months passed, and the first semester of his freshman year ended.

Every year around midsummer, Pearl Academy held a large-scale assessment known as the Promotion Assessment, through which students advanced from Green Campus to the [Main Campus].

Strictly speaking, Pearl had no distinction between school years, only two major campuses.

Green Campus was merely a transition. The Main Campus was where the competition lay. Students could remain in Green Campus for some time, with no fixed limit—it depended on the individual. If they stayed for more than four years, they would receive a completion certificate and end their student careers.

Most of these people were Elementary Mages. The Main Campus, however, was composed entirely of Intermediate Mages. Even an ordinary large Magic Institute, such as Water, Fire, or Wind, had more than a thousand young Intermediate Mages.

Chapter 100: End of the First Semester, Direct Promotion to the Main Campus

Over the past two months, Lu Jun had not worked hard on Metal Element or Water Element. Instead, he had focused on tempering Curse Element and Mind Element, and both had reached the peak of Intermediate Level One.

His three major Magic Systems were on the verge of breaking through to Level Two. It was time to use the [Three Step Tower] to advance.

Naturally, he had no intention of remaining in Green Campus. There was no fun in crushing beginners. Competing in the Main Campus was more interesting, especially the "ranking competition," which offered abundant resources.

The top fifty of each institute could enter the [Three Step Tower] to cultivate for one day. The top one hundred received a Nebula Magic Tool and exclusive cultivation with an attribute-based magic tool. The top three hundred received "Spirit Seed Fragments."

Ten Spirit Seed Fragments could be combined into one standard Spirit Seed. With a Spirit Seed worth twenty million, one ranking competition awarded fragments worth two million each.

Once they reached the threshold of the top one hundred, every student would have cultivation at the peak of Intermediate Level Three and possess a Spirit Seed.

If Lu Jun wanted to maintain a powerful competitive edge, he needed every Magic System to reach Intermediate Level Two, along with top-grade Spirit Seeds, the third spiritual realm, and Curse Substance.

Only then would he have hope of entering the top fifty of the categorized rankings immediately after advancing to the Main Campus.

One had to know that Pearl Academy also possessed one ticket to the National Prefecture War. Only the first place on the overall ranking could claim it.

Ding Yumian had made the same decision. After reaching the Advanced Level in Mind Element, she focused her energy on Fire Element and planned to join the Fire Institute. Her Intermediate Level One Fire Element was somewhat shabby and needed support from a weaker Magic System.

Her third awakened Magic System was [Shadow Element]. She had currently split off and was controlling a strange soul core. In any case, Lu Jun had interacted with that soul core before, and he simply could not withstand it.

The Shadow Element's strength was still at the Stardust level, but it had finally escaped the awkwardness of being able to output damage only while standing still.

Apart from that, Lu Jun had accompanied his sister on Demon Beast hunts during these two months. As expected, it was completely different from when Demon Beast tribes had actively invaded during the flood season. Their efficiency was mediocre.

There was no helping it. Land Demon Beasts were two-dimensional, while aquatic Demon Beasts were three-dimensional. Given the same area, the space available for movement was several times larger.

This would be fully demonstrated in the future when the Sea Demon Empire invaded the Pacific Ocean. There would be shallow-water zones, deep-water zones, and so on. Every layer would be occupied by different Demon Beasts and different food chains.

Moreover, the Flood Demons were cunning. They could hide and evade. Unlike the pack-dwelling Demon Wolves, they were scattered across the waters. Hunting them was possible, but obtaining a great harvest was extraordinarily difficult. That was why large-scale hunts of Servant-level Demon Beasts were rarely heard of among the Monster Hunting Squads in Magic City.

They usually targeted individual General-level opponents. Servant-level Demon Beasts were beneath their notice.

Fortunately, Lu Jun had unlocked the Elementary Level 4 Water Shield skill. He could move freely through rivers, and with the strange Mind Element Magic, he could often capture one Demon Beast and use it as a guide. One catch could lead him to an entire family, until the corpses formed a chain.

In two months, he had hunted more than three hundred Servant-level Demon Beasts and seven or eight General-level Flood Demons.

This might not look like much, but across the Monster Hunting Squads of Magic City, it was an unparalleled achievement. One had to know that during his two and a half years in Bo City, he had hunted only a total of slightly more than six hundred Demon Wolves.

His only regret was that his funds accumulated rather slowly. After selling the materials and the complete essences that dropped, he had only accumulated about twenty million. He was still far from his next "small goal," the Star River Vein. Sure enough, without the Black Vatican sending him gifts, becoming rich overnight was impossible.

At that moment, inside Jinyuan Apartment, Lu Jun looked inward at his four star clouds. Three Magic Systems had reached Elementary Level 4, leaving only Curse Element. The first three effects were each more extraordinary than the last.

He was looking forward to the effect of Level 4 Fearful Haze. At present, three stars had been completed, and he had already inserted the three combined Servant Essences.

Early that morning, Lu Jun got out of bed and headed straight for Pearl Academy. He encountered Ding Yumian halfway there.

The woman in the white dress was gentle and virtuous. Her smooth, dark hair was woven into a netlike braid. She waved and smiled. "Good morning, Lu Jun. Dean Xiao asked us both to go over."

"Good morning." Lu Jun greeted her habitually, then asked in surprise, "Dean Xiao? What does he want us for?"

"I don't know."

The two walked side by side toward the dean's office, chatting as they went.

Soon, Dean Xiao saw that the distance between their shoulders was no more than two or three centimeters, practically the intimate distance of a couple. He could not help revealing a strange, gratified smile.

Ding Yumian's mind was sensitive, and she noticed Dean Xiao's emotions. Her face flushed slightly.

Lu Jun scratched his head beside her and turned his face aside, pretending nothing had happened.

"Hahahaha." Seeing the shy appearance of the young man and woman, Dean Xiao laughed several times. He sighed that youth was wonderful, then adjusted his glasses and said, "I called you here to approve your assessment review."

"Don't participate in the Promotion Assessment. There's no point. Special talents require special treatment. Yumian's condition is unsuitable for combat, while you would simply be bullying the new students. Go directly to the Main Campus and register."

Hearing this, Lu Jun was delighted. It was good to avoid the trouble. The Promotion Assessment in previous years was nothing more than a Demon Beast-hunting mission, usually involving the pursuit of some troublesome General-level Demon Beast within the city.

He had already casually handled one or two such matters with the City Demon Hunting Squad in Magic City.

But then he remembered something, rubbed his hands, and said with a smile, "Dean, I think I'd better not. Otherwise, people might say I'm relying on connections."

Dean Xiao was astonished. What had gotten into Lu Jun?