The Dark Forest

At this moment, Mo Fan had no idea what he was about to face. He happily stepped into the Magic Battle Hall and took his seat on a spacious stage.

The teams from both Mingzhu and Didu arrived, and everyone sized each other up, especially focusing on the several mages who were ranked high on the Talent Ranking.

At the same time, Mo Fan also saw Mu Ningxue in the Imperial Capital team.

Under the parasol, a silver-haired woman stood gracefully. After not seeing her for several years, she had grown up again, with a slender figure, a perfect image of an ice queen.

Mo Fan was already stunned, swallowing hard. It had been a year and a half since Bo City, and his first wife had completely shed her naivety and become mature and alluring.

Beside him, Zhao Manting, with his discerning eye, exclaimed in admiration, "Wow, the capital truly lives up to its reputation as a land of outstanding people and beautiful women, producing beauties with perfect and outstanding temperaments, even surpassing our school's Goddess Mu, Mu."

Old Zhao, with a flamboyant air, tossed his hair and said, "This Mortal World a rare gem, not to be missed. Gentlemen, watch me capture her and bring glory to Mingzhu."

Before he could even walk over, Mo Fan, his face full of black lines, kicked Old Zhao in the butt and yelled, "Get lost! She's my wife, my childhood sweetheart! Don't you dare lay a finger on her!"

Zhao Manting fell face-first into the dirt, scrambled to his feet, and stared at Mo Fan in astonishment, asking incredulously, "You? You have a wife?"

That silver-haired woman opposite me looks like an iceberg; she won't be easy to defeat.

Luo Song and Shen Xiaoming also looked over with suspicion.

At this moment, Lu Jun interjected with a laugh, "Oh, Mo Fan, the person you like seems to be your rival. What are your thoughts?"

Upon hearing this, Mingzhu and her group finally believed it. They glanced at Mo Fan, then looked at Mu Ningxue in the distance, and realized that the two were not a good match at all.

Mo Fan was speechless. No one believed what he said, but Lu Jun believed everything he said. What a difference in credibility!

"Wow, it really is your childhood sweetheart!"

Zhao Manting exclaimed in surprise, "Are all three of you from Bo City?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Mo Fan replied casually, his feelings complicated, unsure how to respond.

Soon, this little incident was forgotten, and everyone discussed the order of appearance. Next up was the four-person team battle, divided into two rounds.

Unlike Lu Jun's time, this year's exchange competition is no longer an unrestricted magical battle; the use of any external force is restricted.

Luo Song was the most enthusiastic, eager to try, and said, "Chief Lu, why don't I go first?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jun glanced at the extras and curled his lip in disdain. He wasn't as foolish as the original author, who would randomly send ordinary people to get beaten up.

What's that saying again? If you have Mo, choose Mo; if you have Mu, choose Mu; if you have neither Mo nor Mu, choose Lao Zhao.

So he named four people: Mo Fan, Zhao Manting, Mu Nujiao, and Song Xia.

The appearance of these four people caused Huge Wave among Luo Song and his group, who complained, "Lu Zhenghe on the other side has a General-level Summoned Beast. How can we win if we don't fight him?"

"It doesn't matter," Lu Jun waved his hand and said, "Let's pass the buck to Mo Fan."

The group looked at Mo Fan, their eyes lighting up. "Does your Summoning System have any Summoned Beast that have reached the General-level?"

Mo Fan scratched his head, remembering his own Ghost Wolf Beast, and said awkwardly, "No, it's still an Advancement Period Servant-level."

"Then what's there to say?"

Luo Song, Zheng Xiaobing, and the others were full of resentment, but Lu Jun only glanced at them indifferently, and they immediately deflated like punctured balloons, falling silent. They were all secretly determined to step in and turn the tide when Mo Fan failed.

Having settled the team, Lu Jun nodded in satisfaction, turned around, placed his hands on Mo Fan's shoulders, and gazed at him affectionately, saying, "You are the absolute core of our team, so I'm entrusting you with the reins!"

Mo Fan got goosebumps from Lu Jun's stare and quickly pushed his arm away, yelling, "Pah! You old dog, stop with the nonsense! I'm doing my best!"

Lu Jun smiled and said, "You said that leaving everything to the core leadership is a tactic, isn't it?"

He also instructed Zhao Manting and Mu Nujiao, "Mo Fan is the top damage dealer for the entire team. Just protect him and stick to the core tactics."

Zhao Manting gave an OK sign; in terms of defense, he believed he was second to none.

As the four of them went on stage, Lu Zhenghe from the Imperial Capital Academy sneered and was about to lead his teammates onto the stage when suddenly Mu Ningxue behind him moved.

Everyone, including the teacher in charge, was slightly taken aback.

Lu Zhenghe eagerly leaned closer and asked, "Captain, are you going to make a move? Are there any opponents on the other side that you should be wary of?"

Mu Ningxue ignored him, gazing at Mo Fan from afar, a competitive spirit rising within her. How much had that once boastful young man, who had sworn to make a name for himself, improved after all these years?

Finally, it was time for the two sides, the Imperial Capital and the Pearl River Delta, to take the stage.

Lu Jun, sitting in the audience, pulled up a small stool, cracked sunflower seeds, and watched the show with great interest.

After that, the two engaged in a fierce battle, with various dazzling magic spells flying back and forth, making for a thrilling spectacle for the spectators.

The General-level Demonic Beast was severely injured by Mo Fan with a single Intermediate Level 3 spell. His strength was even greater and more monstrous than before, truly displaying the spirit of one man holding off ten thousand.

As teammates from both sides were eliminated one by one, only Ice Mu Ningxue and Mo Fan, Innate Dual Elements, remained on the field.

The two Ice and Fire Double Heaven, both exuding murderous intent and showing no mercy.

In the end, Mo Fan decisively defeated Mu Ningxue.

Lu Jun was applauded by the crowd; beating someone up might feel good for a moment, but chasing after his wife would be a nightmare.

Thus, under the stern gazes of the school leaders in the capital, Pearl Academy won the championship on the road, securing first place for the second consecutive year.

Having dealt with these trivial matters, Lu Jun decided to leave everything to the others, taking Dean Xiao's letter of recommendation and heading to the Forbidden City to find Chief 'Pang Lai'.

At the side entrance of the magnificent and solemn palace complex, a thin boy stood far away and waved.

Lu Jun approached and smiled, "Long time no see, Jiang Yu."

He had messaged the other party before he arrived.

"Mmm." Jiang Yu said somewhat shyly, "Master already knows why you've come. I'll take you to Master now."

A moment later, led by Jiang Yu, the two entered the mysterious Forbidden City and met an old monk with gray hair in a simple courtyard.

Pang Lai spoke kindly and gently, "Old Xiao's disciple, so young yet already at such a high level, truly remarkable."

"You flatter me," Lu Jun said modestly. "It's thanks to the teacher's excellent instruction, and Jiang Yu is also very capable."

"Haha, you're really good with words."

After a short exchange of pleasantries, the old man got straight to the point. "What type of Demon Beast do you wish to summon? I'll provide the appropriate secret technique to guide you in the summoning."

Chapter 168 The Dark Forest

Lu Jun pondered for a moment and said, "I want an assassin-type Demon Beast, preferably with Wind Element shadow abilities, so it can serve as a mount."

To be honest, his system is now complete. He can withstand Commander-level in close combat, and is invincible in the metal and water elements at long range, as well as being able to withstand destructive magic baptisms.

If we had to find a flaw, it would be in wound treatment and reinforcement.

However, the two correspond to the Healing System and Blessing Element respectively, and these two systems are rare even in the human world, let alone Demon Beast.

Anyway, Lu Jun had never seen Demon Beast with these two abilities, so he dared not hope for it.

Therefore, as a second choice, it compensates for the shortcomings of the Shadow Assassin. The main reason is that this type of Demon Beast does not require Lu Jun to take care of it. Its high agility allows it to roam the edge of the battlefield and will not be easily torn to pieces in the chaos of battle.

In critical moments, it can even help its owner escape from the battlefield.

In addition, Lu Jun was originally somewhat interested in tank-type Demon Beast, but considering his high defense, he thought that if he could unlock high-level Space Magic, his fighting style would be more flexible and diverse.

There's no need to leave a target to be shot at; it could easily get killed if you're not careful.

"I see." Pang Lai pondered for a moment, "I understand your request, it's something like Xiao Yu's Night Rakshasa, right?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jun suddenly perked up and stared at the other person with great interest, saying, "Really? Really?"

That's Monarch Level bloodline! Although it's a bit lower than Flame Princess's, it's still truly terrifying. Why bother with a low-level Dimensional Summon position when we can directly sign a contract at Intermediate Level Contract Summoning position?

Pang Lai chuckled and said, "You wish! Monarch Level bloodline Summoned Beast are extremely rare. I don't have any either. Jiang Yu just got lucky and found one."

"Such treasures are the darlings of the Magic Plane; only one can be born in a single region: the Night Rakshasa of the Dark Forest, the Flame Princess of the Wildfire Horn of Dunhuang."

Lu Jun understood, but felt a little regretful.

"However, I often use primary- Dimensional Summon to travel to [Summoning Plane], and have been to many places."

Pang Lai changed the subject, saying proudly, "Even my master, and countless Summoner from the lineage that has existed in China for thousands of years, accumulated experience, drew maps, found many special locations, and marked them down. This is the origin of the exclusive secret techniques."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jun exclaimed in surprise, "So that's how it is! The Summoning System is very complex, and it's indeed difficult to deal with someone like Mo Fan who uses unorthodox methods."

Imagine this: what kind of Summoner does Primary Magic need? The sect's seniors have already detected it, and all that's needed is to capture them at the corresponding location.

Then Pang Lai added, "I know of a high-level map in the Summoning Plane called the [Dark Forest], whose terrain and environment are similar to the Dark Forest in the Magic Plane."

"The Demon Beast living there are mostly elves like the Night Rakshasa, with very high bloodlines; there must be one you like among them."

Lu Jun nodded in agreement. The most famous Summoning Plane are the three forbidden areas.

[Thousand Elf Tower], [Ten Thousand Dragon Valley], [Tomb of the Fallen Nation]!

These correspond to the level three effects of Super Rank magic.

However, apart from these powerful hidden Emperor, there must be many special environments in the vast Summoning Plane the level of Demon Beast living there is lower, ranging from monarchs to commanders.

Just like Mo Fan's Old Wolf in the future, which conquered a territory in the Summoning Plane, gathered a crowd and howled in the mountains and forests, enough to become [Wolf Valley], producing wolf Summoned Beast.

If Mo Fan has children in the future, and his offspring awakens the Summoning System, with the help of the Old Wolf, then the initial first contract will be with top-tier wolf beast bloodline, greatly increasing their future potential.

Those Summoner who release their Contract Beast and Summoned Beast back into the mountains and forests are also accumulating a hidden wealth.

The secret techniques that Pang Tong possessed were likely accumulated over generations in this way.

Lu Jun even suspected that the three major forces, including the Super Rank Magic Elf Tower, were native forces from the Summoning Plane humanity had explored and were willing to sign contracts with.

There are probably many more Emperor-level forces operating outside.

The field of Summoning System magic is incredibly complex, comparable to Dark Magic. Neither of these two categories belongs to human magic; they correspond to the Summoning Plane and the Dark Plane.

It may have started as Space Element and Mind Element mage, wandering in the void, and unintentionally capturing the opening.

Soon, Pang Lai transmitted a spell to Lu Jun. After mentally reciting it, Lu Jun stepped into the summoning gate and was drawn to that area.

Within the Dark Forest, the spiritual will of our ancestors anchors us, and it is protected by other beings, so we can search with peace of mind.

Lu Jun was grateful, realizing how valuable this was, and that his master must have also contributed something.

After Pang Lai repeatedly warned him not to spread the word, Lu Jun finally returned from the Forbidden City and couldn't wait to start his first location 'card draw'.

Inside the apartments provided by the Imperial Capital Academy.

He sat cross-legged on the sofa, his mind focused. The moon-white Nebula unleashed a surge of magical energy. As the Star Track trails streaked across the sky, a summoning gate appeared above his head. His soul soared, and he leaped into it.

Buzz buzz buzz!

The next moment, Lu Jun experienced a strange sensation as he traversed dimensions. After chanting an incantation, a pulling force suddenly rose from somewhere, and he involuntarily drew into it.

When he opened his eyes and looked down from high above, a dark and dense forest stood tall, stretching endlessly, with abundant shadow energy soaring into the sky, converging into an effect like [Night Ruler].

This area encompassed the entire forest, as if night had fallen.

He was startled for a moment, then came to his senses and carefully observed his surroundings.

The forest was silent and still, appearing lifeless compared to the ruggedness and wildness of the outside world of the Summoning Plane.

But Lu Jun did not underestimate it, sensing a hidden Killing Intent and a pervasive atmosphere of peril.

The Demon Beast of the night are elegant and ruthless, hiding in the dark forest. The hunter and prey switch positions at any time. The demons honed by this environment are natural assassins.

With his Mental Power approaching the Fourth Realm, he could barely detect a few shadow beasts, such as shadow rats, night cats, or shadow lynxes, each of them agile and reserved.

Unfortunately, their ranks range from servant to general. Although they are powerful and have unique attributes, they are still not quite satisfactory.

Suddenly, Lu Jun caught sight of a divine tree in the center of the Dark Forest, resembling a towering dark tower. At the top of the giant tree, a majestic figure stood, vaguely human-shaped, three meters tall, exuding a noble and domineering aura.

He was astonished that in the dark forest where demons were living in fear and trying their best to hide themselves, there was actually a being openly revealing itself.

This is the only example.

After a moment, Lu Jun realized who the other party was—unsurprisingly, the ruler of the Dark Forest! Most likely Monarch-Level Creature.

When the ruler noticed him, he seemed to nod slightly from a distance.

It can see Lu Jun as a spiritual being.

Lu Jun tensed up, not daring to be careless even though it was very likely a backup plan left behind by Pang Lai's sect.

Summoning Plane is fraught with danger. It's not enough for a spiritual entity to be safe; if you encounter Demon Beast skilled in mental manipulation, you'll be in deep trouble.

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the other person 'Lu Jun figure vanished without a trace, leaving no trace of their presence.

To disappear right under his nose—that's a terrifying tactic.