Versatile Mage: Starting with the White Tiger Pendant-Chapter 130: Water Institute Ranking Battle

Lu Jun had been back for a few days, and his sister had moved in with him.

Although they were technically living together, they still slept in separate rooms. However, their rooms were adjacent, sharing the same bathroom and living room.

In simple terms, their common areas overlapped, and over time, they would get used to each other, naturally developing a closer bond.

During this period, Lu Mei's attitude became increasingly gentle. Eventually, she almost returned to how she was in the beginning—gentle and caring, occasionally even displaying intimate gestures between siblings.

Of course, the two of them tacitly avoided mentioning the matter involving the third person. The timing wasn't right yet.

After Lu Jun's return, Ding Yumian bid farewell and went back to the academy.

When she looked at Mu Nujiao, there was a trace of envy in her eyes. However, the academy knew about her status as a Calamity Afflicted, meaning she couldn't leave Pearl Academy for too long, let alone move out.

Seeing this, Lu Jun felt a pang in his heart. He recalled Ding Yumian's fate—graduating yet still being unable to leave the academy, forever staying in Pearl Academy, burning herself out for others.

Would she regret never getting the chance to go out and see the world?

Before she left, Lu Jun escorted her part of the way. His sister, Lu Mei, said nothing, silently approving of his actions.

After spending a few days indulging in warmth and comfort, washing away his exhaustion, Lu Jun began muttering the words "Holy City" under his breath, his body filled with renewed strength and determination.

He was still not strong enough. One day, he wouldn't just live openly under the sunlight, freely wielding his Metal Element and his natural Dual Elements. He would also ensure that Ding Yumian—and many other good people—could live normal lives.

Thus, Lu Jun aimed to obtain the Galaxy Vein and break through to the Advanced Level. However, achieving this required accumulating at least a billion yuan.

Fortunately, after half a year of refinement, Lu Mei had perfectly mastered her Wind Element at the Advanced Level. Her self-created magic had also reached the second stage—Whirlwind in the Palm, greatly enhancing both mobility and lethality.

With the two of them hunting demons together, they could now attempt to take down warriors in their Advancement Phase, or even some weaker Commander-Level creatures, selling their Soul Essences and special bones for money.

Apart from that, there were also Pearl Academy's resources.

Lu Jun first set his sights on the ranking battle!

Anyone ranked in the top 300 of the Water Institute's rankings would receive Spirit Seed Fragments as rewards. The higher the ranking, the greater the rewards. If he could reach the top, claiming first place in the Water Rankings, he could amass at least tens of millions in resources.

Currently, he had Spirit Seeds, Cursed Materials, Special Metals, Magic Tools, and his White Tiger Pendant—everything he needed. He had already maxed out his Intermediate Level, so he didn't require anything else.

Any Spirit Seed Fragments and Nebula Magic Tools he obtained could be traded for pure funds.

Not to mention, the top 50 on the rankings would receive one day of training in the Three-Step Tower.

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Both his Mind Element and Curse Element were still hungry for more power.

"I'll set a small goal—before the year ends, I'll break through the Main Campus and become the Water Institute's number one!"

With burning determination in his eyes, Lu Jun stepped out of Golden Source Apartments and headed straight for the Water Institute, issuing challenges to everyone.

Having remained silent for so long, it was time to remind these students of his legendary reputation.

But what Lu Jun didn't know was that his return wasn't as quiet as he had imagined. The entire Main Campus' Intermediate-Level students were shaken—three times a day!

"Holy crap! Wasn't the exchange training supposed to last three months? I was just starting to enjoy some peaceful days!"

"Sigh, the Butcher of Lu was bound to return and reign supreme over the Main Campus."

Some scoffed: "Don't be so dramatic! You're overhyping him. We're all at the Intermediate Level now. There's no way he can dominate like he did in the Beast Duel Tournament."

"Unless... he's reached the Advanced Level? No way, right? If his cultivation speed is that fast, isn't he basically the Black Church?"

"Fun fact—there's a huge gap even within the Intermediate Level. The power difference between each tier of spells is much larger than in the Basic Level. Whether or not you have Spirit Seeds, Magic Tools, and full equipment also makes a massive impact."

The moment Lu Jun returned to campus, the student forums exploded. Both new and senior students participated in the heated discussions. Some even started placing bets, wagering on how far Lu Jun could climb in the rankings in a single go.

Would he make it into the top 300 of the Water Institute?

Top 100?

Or even top 50?

Most people agreed that, based on Lu Jun's performance during the Beast Duel Tournament, he could likely make it into the top 300. However, his cultivation gap was too significant, and at best, he could push into the top 100.

"Even that is insanely impressive! I remember the best ranking for a newly promoted student was 278th place, right? I bet the Butcher of Lu will break that record."

As a result, beyond just ranking bets, people also began placing win streak bets and time limit bets, turning the whole thing into a spectacle on par with the World Cup.

All sorts of thrill-seekers and gamblers jumped in, creating an unprecedented buzz across the campus.

Meanwhile, in the Water Institute's Student Council Hall

On the elevated chairman's platform, two distinct women overlooked the crowd below, their presence commanding.

One had a cold, refined appearance with delicate features. She wore a traditional cyan qipao, outlining her slender and graceful figure, making her resemble an elegant piece of blue-and-white porcelain. Her beauty carried an air of dignity, exuding a soft Jiangnan charm that made people instinctively feel she was unattainable.

Few women wore qipaos in the modern era, and even fewer could perfectly embody the aesthetic.

The other girl wasn't as unique in comparison. She dressed like a modern university student, wearing a black short skirt and blazer, making her seem like a young elite secretary. However, her youthful demeanor still shone through.

That said, in terms of looks alone, she was still easily a 9 out of 10.

Chen Yu, holding a small notebook in her arms, glanced at the calm and composed woman seated on the chairman's platform. Though her qipao slit revealed long, pale legs, and her jade-like arms were exposed, there was nothing vulgar about her. Instead, she exuded an ethereal, untouchable aura, making Chen Yu's eyes flash with admiration.

Yes, this was none other than Qing Yu, the number one ranker of the Water Institute—the highly respected and revered chief among her female peers.

In truth, Qing Yu wasn't that much older. She was only one year ahead of Lu Jun, her face still carrying traces of youthful innocence.

In a soft voice, she said, "Chief, that Lu Jun who transferred into our Water Institute is making a huge stir. Many students from other institutes have started gambling on him. Should we intervene?"

Qing Yu, as calm as ever, lifted her gaze slightly and replied, "Let them be. As long as it's within the school rules, they can do as they please."

"That Lu Jun..."

Chen Yu hesitated slightly.

Before she could finish speaking, the first seat, Qing Yu, raised her cold, perceptive eyes and said calmly, "Are you worried that he will cause trouble and disturb the peace of the Water Institute?"

"T-That's not it." Chen Yu tensed slightly and quickly explained, "Chief, don't misunderstand. It's just that we dislike his aggressive nature. If he stirs up too much trouble on campus and our Water Institute ends up taking the blame, wouldn't that be unfair?"

Qing Yu's gaze remained indifferent as she replied, "So what? Having a genius in our institute is something to be welcomed. If I can suppress so many strong challengers to claim the top spot, do you think I can't handle one Lu Jun?"

"Besides, he's just a freshman. If he wants to shake things up, he'll have to defeat me first. That's still a long way off—at least a year of refinement before he even reaches our level."

One must understand that the main campus gathered elite students from multiple years, and each batch had a few prodigies who entered as Intermediate-level mages. Over time, these accumulated talents made the top ten of the Water Institute nearly all mages on the verge of reaching the Advanced level.

For Qing Yu to stand at the pinnacle at an even younger age and hold her position so steadily proved just how formidable she was.

After all, no one would go easy on her just because she was younger. The so-called "competing within one's age group" didn't exist—Qing Yu had crushed opponents two years her senior who had been training longer than she had.

To her, Lu Jun was not worth much consideration.

Chen Yu had wanted to say more, but upon noticing the First Seat's slightly impatient demeanor, she chose to remain silent.

Her main concern was that Lu Jun did not belong in the Water Institute.

For years, the Water Institute had been a place full of kind and gentle female students, to the point that it had practically become an all-girls' academy. The ranking battles had little animosity; most duels were brief, and the students embraced a laid-back, peaceful attitude.

Now, suddenly, a ruthless, battle-hardened individual with no regard for unspoken rules had barged in. Naturally, this upset many people. The atmosphere had changed.

To put it simply, it was like a company full of relaxed office workers suddenly getting an overly ambitious employee obsessed with competition—an absolute nightmare!

Unfortunately, the First Seat simply didn't care.

Just as Qing Yu was about to dismiss this minor issue from her mind, a student council officer—whom she recognized—rushed over.

The two women looked on in surprise as the officer nervously handed over an envelope.

With a hesitant voice, the girl said, "Chief, this is Lu Jun's challenge letter."

Upon hearing this, both Qing Yu and Chen Yu fell into silence.