Chapter 111: Pearl’s Number One

When Mu Tingying and Nanrong Ni emerged from the water, drenched like soaked chickens, all the male students were "boiling with excitement," whistling and teasing them.

At that moment, their soaked clothes outlined their graceful figures, accentuating their curves. The wet fabric clung tightly, making their bodies appear even more alluring. This bunch of beasts finally got a taste of their own medicine.

Sizzle!

Mu Tingying's face turned pale as an icy white flame erupted around her, instantly evaporating the water from their clothes. Nanrong Ni, with her pure and innocent face, blushed deeply, adding an extra layer of charm. Many students from Pearl Academy began to wonder had Lu Butcher gone too far this time?

"What are you all standing around for? Start jeering!"

But soon, under the lead of the female students, the entire arena erupted in boos

"Is this all the so-called Imperial Capital Academy has to offer? Arrogant weaklings pretending to be kings! Pathetic scum with no integrity!"

"Almost forgot these dogs have a record of disgraceful deeds. They deserved the beating!"

Seeing this, Mu Tingying looked at Zu Jiming with disgust. If not for his inaction, they wouldn't have been suppressed so thoroughly.

She possessed dual-element spirits Seed, Coldflame and Glacial Ice two elements that were highly compatible. The flames didn't melt the ice, and the icy environment actually strengthened her Coldflame, making her a pure destruction-type mage.

Yet, she couldn't unleash her full potential.

In essence, Mu Tingying was on the same path as Mo Fan a year later dual destructive elements.

The downside? Low mobility, weak defense, and a need for teammates to cover her.

As for Zu Jiming, he felt fortunate he hadn't stepped onto the battlefield. If he had, he probably would've been brutally tormented physically as well. He made up his mind to steer clear of Lu Jun and his people in the future

After Imperial Capital Academy's defeat, the news spread like wildfire across school forums nationwide. Everyone was shocked. The nation's leading academy had suffered a crushing defeat at Pearl Academy!

Looking at Imperial Capital Academy's team roster, people saw elite students with mid-tier level 2 mastery, fully equipped with magical artifacts and spirit seeds. Their strength was terrifying. This led to widespread curiosity who was the warrior that crushed these prodigies?

The answer quickly surfaced Lu Jun.

"It's Lu The Butcher Lu Jun! No wonder… Looks like Imperial Capital's luck ran out this year!"

"A natural-born talent with magic amplification. While it doesn't significantly enhance cultivation speed or spell potency, he's ranked 10th on this year's innate talent list. But when it comes to actual combat, he's the undisputed number one powerhouse!"

"I watched the footage hilarious! Imperial Capital's team got wiped out in a few moves. Lu The Butcher barely used any mana. They couldn't even force him to reveal his natural-born ability!"

At the Coliseum, Mu Tingying and the others had no face left to stay. Their next match was a friendly exchange against Southern Academy. Fueled by anger, they completely annihilated their opponents, swiftly securing victory before retreating to their dormitories.

Li Kaifeng and Zhou Xu remained silent, deeply feeling the gap in strength yet unwilling to accept it. Among their team, only the strongest like Jiang Yu and Nanrong Ni could compare to Pearl's elite.

The others weren't even in the same league.

In the final match, Lu Jun led his team and effortlessly defeated Southern Academy.

Seeing Zhou Xu and Li Kaifeng looking

dejected, Lu Jun shook his head. Although these two had been chosen for the National Academy Team, over time, they fell behind in the brutal selection process. By the time of the Venice Magic Tournament (held every four years), they had been reduced to mere substitutes.

Regardless, the exchange matches concluded with Pearl Academy securing first place. Even then, Lu Jun had concealed two of his elemental powers.

After the battle, Ding Yumian stretched lazily. Her white dress accentuated her slender waist and full chest, giving her the graceful allure of a delicate branch bearing heavy fruit.

Throughout the matches, she had barely exerted herself only focusing on neutralizing a single opponent. No one suspected anything unusual, assuming she was just a regular Mind Element mage.

Lu Jun had single-handedly defeated two top academies without breaking a sweat. His hands remained in his pockets, his face exuding an aura of absolute dominance.

The National Academy Team's seven members had all been beaten by him before. When they met again, who among them would dare challenge him? They'd have no choice but to acknowledge him as their leader!

He turned to his teammates and said, "That's a wrap. Let's go to Dean Xiao's office and claim our rewards."

Dongfang Ming and Bai Zhengfeng exchanged relieved smiles.

Meanwhile, Dean Xiao was on a phone call, listening to the envious voice of Imperial Capital Academy's Headmaster:

"You've got a real prodigy this year! I assume you're preparing for the National Battle three years from now?"

Dean Xiao chuckled, playing along:

"Oh, it's nothing. Your academy also has some promising talents. Some of them will probably make it to the National Team as well."

"Sigh." Imperial Capital's Headmaster sounded frustrated. "Don't even mention it. Not a single student from a humble background made the cut only nobles and heirs of powerful families. And you saw their character firsthand. If this continues, our academy will become a playground for the elite."

Dean Xiao fell silent. Pearl Academy wasn't much better.

Magic cultivation required talent, but resources played an equally critical role. These resources were monopolized by noble families, creating an ever-widening gap between them and ordinary students. One day, this imbalance would inevitably erupt into conflict.

After wrapping up the conversation, he heard a knock at the door Lu Jun and his teammates had arrived to claim their rewards.

Seeing them, Dean Xiao smiled kindly and said, "You did well, securing first place for Pearl Academy. Tell me what reward do you want?"

Dongfang Ming and Bai Zhengfeng opted for large amounts of spirit seed fragments. Combined with their family rewards, they'd soon be able to synthesize a complete spirit seed. Others chose practical mid-tier magical artifacts.

When it was Lu Jun's turn, he immediately requested a rare metal to forge a high-damage Demon-Slaying Weapon.

After careful consideration, he aimed to enhance his Metal Element. His Zhenjin already provided immense durability, constantly improving with his cultivation. Now, he sought a second metal to maximize Metal Element's offensive potential perhaps one that dealt true damage, penetrated defenses, or pushed sharpness to the extreme.

Dean Xiao, surprised by the unusual request, asked, "Are you sure? Rare metals are mostly useless to ordinary people. If you want a custom-made magical weapon, I can connect you with some skilled craftsmen."

"That's exactly why I need the raw material. I'd rather get something precious within the academy's budget than waste it on an average artifact."

Seeing his determination, Dean Xiao agreed.

Coincidentally, due to Zu Jiming's disgraceful incident, the Zu family had provided compensation to Pearl Academy, including a rare metal used for forging cursed weapons perfectly aligning with Lu Jun's needs.

A few days later, exchange students from Imperial Capital Academy and Southern Academy officially settled at Pearl Academy for a three-month training program.

The Southern Academy students blended in quickly, but Imperial Capital's students faced constant hostility. Whenever Zu Jiming, Guan Yu, or Jiang Yu appeared, students would mockingly clutch their chests, repeatedly implying they were perverts.

This was their version of the "finger universe" gesture at first a joke, but when everyone did it, it became a deeply humiliating insult.

Zu Jiming and Guan Yu couldn't stand it, desperately wanting to leave.

Jiang Yu, on the other hand, looked like he was about to cry. "I didn't even do anything! Why am I getting treated the same?!"

Meanwhile, Imperial Capital's visiting professor Professor Yuan was widely welcomed, especially among Water Element students.