Mu Tingying didn't care in the slightest.
She stood before the Pearl Institute's team, casually playing with her phone as if the competition had nothing to do with her.
Song Jie glanced at her. From their brief exchange earlier, he had already guessed that the short-haired girl was none other than Mu Tingying.
Mu Lei clenched his fists angrily. The Imperial Capital Academy clearly doesn't take us seriously!
Even Bai Liang and Dongfang Ming were seething with frustration.
Old Man Deng's chest heaved with suppressed fury. He couldn't tolerate such blatant humiliation.
He said in a deep voice, "Song Jie, this time, don't hold back. Hit them with everything you've got."
"Leave it to me, Teacher. You can rest assured," Song Jie replied with a firm nod.
Moments later, Lu Yiming, Shangguan Hong, and the rest of the Imperial Capital Academy's team arrived.
Lu Yiming quickly explained, "I'm sorry, Teacher Deng. They ran into some issues outside, which caused the delay."
As representatives of the Imperial Capital Academy, they couldn't afford to let this embarrassment stain their reputation.
Lu Yiming turned to call Shangguan Hong over, but the latter had already walked toward Mu Tingying.
With a strained smile, Lu Yiming apologized again. "We truly didn't expect such an incident. My apologies."
Old Man Deng only shot him a cold glance. "Enough talk. Let's start the competition."
Lu Yiming nodded quickly. It was better that the other side wasn't pressing the issue.
He returned to his team, his tone low but sharp. "Shangguan Hong, I'm warning you—don't cause any more trouble."
Shangguan Hong didn't respond. His gaze stayed locked on Song Jie.
Lu Yiming sighed inwardly. No matter what, they still needed Shangguan Hong for the upcoming match.
"Who's going first in the opening round?" Lu Yiming asked.
"I will," Shangguan Hong said immediately, stepping forward.
Lu Yiming thought for a moment. "Alright, Shangguan Hong, you'll go—along with Li Feng, Mu Tingying, and Liang Shujun. The four of you will take the first round."
"Teacher Lu, isn't that a bit much?" Shangguan Hong asked in surprise.
He was a Summoner, and his contracted beast had already reached Warrior-level strength! Facing a Warrior-level summon alone was enough to crush the Pearl Institute team!
Moreover, their side also had an Intermediate Lightning Mage who had reached the Second Stage!
Lu Yiming said firmly, "Your mission is to make the Pearl Institute understand the strength of our Imperial Capital Academy right from the start."
"Understood."
Shangguan Hong could only nod. No matter what, he had to obey the teacher's arrangements.
—
On the Pearl Institute's side, Old Man Deng was also finalizing the lineup. Everyone wanted to go, but there were only four spots.
"Song Jie, who do you think should go?" Old Man Deng asked, trusting his judgment.
"Ding Yumei has the Psychic Element, which can provide strong support. She should definitely go," Song Jie said.
Mu Lei immediately shot him a knowing look.
"Stop winking," Song Jie said flatly. "You're coming too, slacker."
Mu Lei grinned, unbothered by the scolding—he was actually thrilled.
"I won't have time to protect everyone," Song Jie continued, "so we'll need a defensive mage as well. That'll be Lu You."
Old Man Deng nodded. "Then the first round will be Song Jie, Ding Yumei, Mu Lei, and Lu You."
Though Bai Liang and Dongfang Ming were disappointed, they didn't protest.
Soon, both teams entered the arena.
When Shangguan Hong saw Song Jie among the competitors, a cruel, mocking smile curved his lips. His eyes then shifted to the stands—where Mu Ningxue sat watching.
"Just you wait," he muttered darkly, turning his gaze back to Song Jie.
"Song Jie, how should we coordinate later?" Mu Lei asked.
"I'll handle the main offense. You just support me when I call for it," Song Jie replied calmly.
Just as they were preparing for the match, Shangguan Hong unexpectedly walked straight toward them.
The referee froze.
The crowd murmured in confusion.
Liu Xiaoxiao frowned. "What's that guy trying to do now?"
Then, Shangguan Hong stopped right in front of Song Jie. Leaning close, he whispered coldly, "I don't care what relationship you have with Mu Ningxue, but after this match, don't show your face in front of her again."
Song Jie turned his gaze toward Mu Ningxue's direction.
So that was it.
This guy was targeting him just because of her.
However…
He had definitely picked the wrong opponent.
"Go back to wherever you crawled out from," Song Jie said loud enough for everyone to hear. His voice echoed through the arena.
Gasps rippled through the audience.
Shangguan Hong's face twisted with rage. He clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth as he suppressed his fury.
"Very well," he growled before turning away sharply.
"Song Jie, what did he say to you?" Mu Lei asked, curious.
"Nothing," Song Jie replied with a smirk. "You'll see soon enough."
Shangguan Hong, still fuming, returned to his teammates.
"You men are all hopeless," Mu Tingying said lazily. "Can't you go a day without drooling over pretty faces?"
Shangguan Hong ignored her. As a core member of the Mu Family, she had a special status—he didn't dare argue.
"Don't interfere," Shangguan Hong told the others coldly. "I'll deal with them myself."
"Do you think you're in charge here?" Mu Tingying sneered.
"After this match, you can be captain if you want," he snapped.
Hearing that, Mu Tingying just crossed her arms and leaned back, clearly not planning to put in much effort.
"They're just a bunch of clowns. Beating them will be effortless," Shangguan Hong said coldly, glaring at Song Jie and his team.
The referee looked between both sides, saw that they were ready, and blew the whistle to start the match.
Shangguan Hong didn't rush to form his Star Trail. As a Summoner, he had the advantage—he could finish a Basic Star Trail with ease anytime he wanted.
But just as he prepared to move, a sudden burst of Light flashed from Song Jie's side!
"Light Magic?" Shangguan Hong scoffed. "That's it?"
He laughed dismissively—until the light detonated in front of him!
BOOM!
The explosion hurled him backward, dust and debris flying.
Before he could recover, another blast followed—then another!
Consecutive Burst!
The continuous explosions engulfed the entire field. The Imperial Capital Academy mages were thrown into chaos, dodging frantically with no chance to counterattack.
Every time they tried to cast a spell, another explosion interrupted their Star Trails, sending them tumbling again!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Song Jie's magic rained down relentlessly. Sometimes he even switched to Dual Burst, launching simultaneous explosions from both hands!
Shangguan Hong, who had been so arrogant moments ago, was now ducking, rolling, and scrambling for cover—his previous pride shattered completely under the relentless assault.
...
Author's Note:
The first half (completed version) of Versatile Mage: My Magic Has Gone Beyond Limits! is now available on Patreon!
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you all for your continued support! 💙