Lu Jun had been in seclusion in Ancient Capital for a while. After stabilizing his cultivation, he bid farewell to Feng Zhoulong.
As for a Heaven Seed, it wasn't something he could obtain at the moment. Only after advancing to Super Tier would he be qualified to roam the world, venture into those life-forbidden zones, and seek a Heaven Seed.
Take the three Water Soul-Seeds for instance if not for the Zhao family's sponsorship, there was no way he could've afforded them. Without a good ten or twenty billion, it would've been impossible.
"So poor... I'm starting to look forward to the arrival of the Sea Monster Empire—a flood of Water Element resources. Maybe Water Element Heaven Seeds really will appear there."
Lu Jun glanced at his funds. After handing over the corpses of those Black Vatican members and selling off their remaining belongings, his account had finally risen to 600 million.
At first glance, it seemed wealthy. But in reality, it was a drop in the ocean when it came to enhancing his current cultivation.
His strength had already reached a bottleneck. Throwing more money into his Water and Curse Elements wouldn't have much effect.
Both elements were already fully cultivated at High Tier, and even compared to most Super Tier mages, his configuration was top-tier.
So, all he could do was stockpile cash—either to buy rare Metal Element materials for a third Enhancement, or a high-quality Thought Stone to enhance his spiritual realm, feeding back into his Psychic and Space Elements, or serving as reserve funds for cultivating the Summoning Element.
Once he made a contract with a summoned creature, it wouldn't be as carefree as the Night Thunder Dream Beast, which freeloaded off human civilization's sacred grounds to level itself up.
Take a Water Element Spirit for example—its daily snacks would have to be Spirit-Seeds or Soul-Seeds. Only such rich nutrition could accelerate its growth phase and create an obvious gap between it and regular Water Element creatures.
Lu Jun was even unwilling to sell the Sea Fiend Clan's Soul Essence—it was simply too perfect for nurturing a Water Element Spirit.
"Damn... this is starting to feel like raising a kid. Don't even think about having one without at least a million in savings."
He rubbed his chin and muttered. His next plan was to head to Magic City, meet up with Mo Fan, and return to the National Team together.
That's right—Mo Fan had recently defeated another strong opponent while guarding the national museum, this time the powerful UK team, who were favorites to win the world championship. The victory caused an international stir.
As a result, Mo Fan was immediately promoted back into the National Team.
As for Mu Ningxue, she could've joined too, but she felt that having no backing would actually hinder her growth if she did. Instead, she planned to head to Tianshan for further cultivation.
Lu Jun sighed, "Tsk, tsk. Zhao Manyan got a Totem Tool, Mu Ningxue is heading to Tianshan. The two late-bloomers finally have the financial support to grow."
At Ancient Capital Airport, just as he was about to board the plane, he suddenly received an urgent piece of intelligence. His expression changed slightly.
The Zu family, using the images he had provided and their own channels, had finally locked onto the existence of a Water Element Spirit located on the southeastern coast of Australia, right beside Sydney.
"We finally found one."
Lu Jun was excited at first, but then troubled. "Of all times... why now?"
He was supposed to be heading to meet the National Team, but this intel came at the worst possible moment.
The National Team's next training ground was already in Peru, South America—a country deeply tied to the ancient Inca civilization, with unfathomable magical heritage. There was a place Lu Jun absolutely had to visit there. Unfortunately, the timing clashed.
"Wait a second... If I fly from Ancient Capital to Australia, then transfer to Peru, I can make it as long as I find the Water Spirit within two days."
After calculating the itinerary, Lu Jun's face firmed with resolve. He immediately called Mo Fan to reschedule and changed his flight to Australia without delay.
After about twelve hours, the flight landed in Sydney.
Upon arrival, Lu Jun glanced at the bustling metropolis and couldn't help but marvel.
Due to the vast differences in the magic world compared to his past life, Australia, occupying an entire continent by itself, had far more powerful natural and magical forces than one would expect.
One of the world's five major magic associations was located here—the Shrine of Saint Cape—and its magical prowess and mage population placed it firmly among the superpowers.
It was said that the Shrine of Saint Cape possessed a sacred cultivation ground, similar to the Three-Step Tower, but with even stronger effects. The Nirvana breakthrough rate for High Tier to Super Tier mages who trained there was astonishingly high.
However, Lu Jun was on a tight schedule. He didn't have time to look around. He quickly got in touch with a member of the Zu family and headed straight to the beachside near Sydney.
The contact was a quiet and serious middle-aged man a typical Zu family square-jawed face, polite in manner and swift in action. The moment Lu Jun said he wanted to head out to sea, the man didn't hesitate—he immediately summoned a helicopter, flying them over the ocean.
Clearly, this had been arranged in advance. The Zu family wanted to mend relations, and if they pulled any tricks now, it would only backfire.
As the Zu Family member piloted the helicopter, he explained, "That Water Elemental Spirit appeared by the Sydney coastline about a month ago. It seems to have run into some trouble and has now left the coastal waters. If we wait a few more days and it slips into the deep sea, you'll miss it."
Hearing this, Lu Jun felt relieved. Luckily, he had made it just in time.
It had to be said—this Water Elemental Spirit was incredibly fast. A few months ago, it had appeared near the Japanese coast and drifted along the ocean currents until it reached the Australian shoreline.
After all the searching, detours, and mobilizing of various forces and networks, they had finally locked onto its location.
The armed helicopter continued flying deeper into the ocean when suddenly something abnormal happened ahead.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!
At some point, thick black clouds had gathered, lightning cracked the skies, demonic winds howled, and the sea rose up in a terrifying waterspout, drawing billions of tons of seawater into the sky. The waves surged so high, they nearly touched the clouds.
It was as if the sky had been torn open. A vortex swirled, deep and black like a cosmic hole, with vast swathes of gray-black sea mist rising from its depths, accompanied by a storm that swept across the ocean with apocalyptic force.
The strange phenomenon spanned nearly a hundred kilometers.
The Zu Family member exclaimed in shock, "How did the weather change so suddenly? The meteorological monitoring points all reported this area as perfectly clear!"
BZZZZZZ! Even at a distance from the towering sea wall that stretched across the sky and ocean, the helicopter was being tossed violently by the wind.
"This won't do," the Zu Family member said uneasily. "Such a sudden change in oceanic weather… there must be a great demon appearing. It must be a Monarch-level creature."
He paused, then spoke solemnly, "We must return immediately."
Lu Jun, sitting in the co-pilot seat, stared into the endless horizon of pitch-black sea and sky, with torrential rain falling like a curtain. He recalled the intelligence about the Sea Fiend Clan.
This Water Elemental Spirit was very likely being hunted down by the Sea Monster Empire's army—there was even a Monarch creature involved.
Should he go?
He asked himself silently.
If he missed this chance, who knew when—if ever—he'd encounter another Water Elemental Spirit? It might not happen again in this lifetime.
After careful thought, Lu Jun made up his mind. He turned to the Zu Family member beside him and said, "Let me down right now."
"Huh?" The pilot was stunned. He was a High Tier mage himself and knew that encountering this kind of extreme weather over the sea along with the suspected presence of a Monarch-level sea monster would spell certain death for even a Super Tier mage.
He double-checked, "Are you sure you want to jump straight into the water? It's extremely dangerous."
Lu Jun remained firm, "I'm sure. Do it. Now!"
"…Alright then." The Zu Family member gave a helpless sigh. "You maniac. Let's get one thing straight you dying has nothing to do with the Zu Family. I'm recording everything."
"Doesn't matter."
Lu Jun took a deep breath. He dared to parachute straight into this madness because he had the confidence to back it up—his Water Element cultivation had advanced rapidly, and he had mastered North Underworld Heavy Water, making him nearly invincible in the ocean.
Plus, after his Blood Abyss had undergone Ascension, he could enter his Divine Ascent state, where his Water Element magic would match the power of a proper Monarch. With the ocean as his home ground, his combat power would spike even higher. At the very least, the chance of rescuing the Water Elemental Spirit and escaping right after was very high.
It was a gamble worth taking.
He steadied his state of mind, walked to the edge of the helicopter door, and prepared to jump from the sky into the raging, violent sea below.
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
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