A few days passed in the blink of an eye.
The competition organizers finally arranged the top eight. Traditional powerhouses like the British team, the American team, the Greek team, and the German team all advanced to the Grand Duel stage.
The last vacant spot was filled by the Egyptian team, which had quietly developed in the Treasure Hunt Plane.
As the day of the Grand Duel drew nearer with each passing day, a major event occurred beforehand: Essendale was caught by the Holy Judgment Court and subjected to the Dark Judgment!
The symbol of death for the Greek Grim Reaper, under the command of the Dark King, the Supreme Monarch Hai'la, descended and directly executed the Dark Supreme Essendale.
Immediately after, one of the four Saint Maidens of the Parthenon, Yan Qiu, fell from a high peak, committing suicide.
When Lu Jun received the news, he murmured internally, "It has begun — the Parthenon Chaos is unfolding."
He opened his phone, watching countless videos spreading across the internet. A black revolving wheel dominated the sky. A towering shadow tore Essendale apart and dragged him into the dark abyss to be devoured. Lu Jun couldn't help but reflect deeply.
According to various regional myths, each had its own Grim Reaper — the European Grim Reaper Hai'la, the Egyptian Grim Reaper Sphinx, and so on.
In reality, these Supreme beings did not truly wield the authority of death. They were merely symbols granted by the power of death. The terrifying part lay behind them.
Lu Jun realized that every region's Undead Emperor had gatekeepers under them: Pharaoh Khufu of Egypt for the Sphinx, the Dark King for Hai'la, and even his own subordinates had Mountain Corpses to maintain order.
At his peak, Hai'la likely had the strength of an Sub-Emperor. His previous descent was to execute Wen Tai, but after being heavily injured, he had fallen to the Supreme Monarch level.
Even so, Lu Jun couldn't help but comment mentally — Essendale truly was the weakest Forbidden Spell, easily taken out by a Supreme Monarch.
Of course, he also understood that a Forbidden Spell, if unable to independently cast magic and without mastering Divine Gift, would have combat power not far above a peak-level Half-Forbidden Spell.
Only peak-level casters could even hope to fight a Supreme Monarch.
"Hai'la…"
Lu Jun whispered. In the original story, after the National Institute Competition ended, Xin Xia faced the Dark Judgment, and Mo Fan transformed into a demon to battle her.
While the National Institute members were discussing the deaths of Essendale and Yan Qiu, their mentor, Feng Li, suddenly entered the room with a serious expression.
Feng Li approached Lu Jun, lowering his voice. "Step outside for a moment. There's something I need to tell you."
Lu Jun was puzzled. Following Feng Li outside the conference room, he saw Shao Zheng standing at the doorway.
Shao Zheng said gravely, "You need to go to the Holy City to give a statement regarding the death of Cardinal Salary. This is a request from the Holy Judgment Court."
Hearing this, Lu Jun frowned. "Is there no way to avoid going?"
"I'm afraid not," Shao Zheng sighed. "The Holy City is not to be offended lightly. This time, it was specifically requested by a High Judge."
"Moreover, if you don't go, they may announce that your killing of Salan is unrecognized, which would damage both your and Kyushu's honor."
Lu Jun continued, "What did Han Ji say?"
Shao Zheng replied, "He went as well, reporting all the details. Unfortunately, Salan was killed so thoroughly that his soul, body, and all items were reduced to dust. It's difficult to produce decisive evidence."
"That's why they might want you as a witness."
Seeing Lu Jun's serious expression, Shao Zheng reassured him, "Don't worry. I'll notify them. The Holy City won't make things too difficult for you. Besides, the Cardinal's crimes are immense — they need to confirm 100% that he is dead before they can rest easy."
"Otherwise, if people ignore it and she suddenly appears again, it would be catastrophic for the world."
Lu Jun asked one final question, "Which judge is it?"
"Dulanc!"
After Shao Zheng left, Lu Jun remained standing, unusually unsettled. A bad premonition rose in his heart.
Dulanc was connected to Izisha, and in the original story, he did everything he could to slander Xin Xia as Salan's ally. He was also the one who decided to execute Xin Xia with the Dark Judgment, and his cultivation was fully at the Super Level.
"Hopefully, it's just my imagination. I have nothing to do with Parthenon anyway."
Lu Jun scratched his head, thinking perhaps the coincidence of Yan Qiu's death and this matter was causing him to overthink.
Meanwhile, in Magic City, Hangzhou, and the Tarim Basin…
The three people closest to Lu Jun had already learned that the National Institute Competition was about to enter the Grand Duel stage.
Unfortunately, each of them was tied down with their own affairs, unable to travel to Venice.
Ding Yumian in Magic City could not leave the Pearl Academy. Running to the Holy City as a calamity-bearer would be far too risky caution was the real priority.
As for Tang Yue, she frequently participated in trials and missions across various regions, keeping her constantly on the move.
Lu Mei, meanwhile, had become a training fanatic, repeatedly venturing into the Tarim Basin, seizing great opportunities and remaining in seclusion for cultivation. If it weren't for the occasional oversight by Jiuyouhou, she might have died several times.
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, the day of the Grand Duel arrived.
The third-stage schedule was complex. Each of the top eight nations had to fight three rounds, and based on the outcomes, teams were classified into the one-win group, two-win group, or three-win group.
If there was a team in the three-win group, it automatically advanced to the finals, waiting for another team from the two-win group to emerge and face them. If two teams existed, they would directly contest the finals.
Lu Jun recalled that in the original story, only the Egyptian team achieved three wins. The Chinese, Greek, and American teams each lost one match, resulting in a tie in the two-win group. A three-way skirmish ensued to decide Egypt's final opponent.
"This time, it's different!"
He murmured and led the National Institute team onto the arena.
The first match: China vs. Germany.
When Zhao Manyan saw the German team's core members — Josen, Parker, and Reddy — enter with grim expressions, he couldn't help but laugh: "Old Lu, they're clearly traumatized from your earlier attacks."
Lu Jun's expression remained indifferent. There was nothing to say about defeated opponents. He only wanted to finish the schedule quickly and claim the championship, earning the Parthenon's divine seal.
At that moment, the referee announced, "The match begins."
Instantly, the five starters of the Chinese team surged forth, brilliant magical light illuminating half the sky. A massive aura of destruction rampaged across the arena, tearing through forests and shattering rocks.
Soon, Lu Jun noticed something amiss. Although the German team seemed aggressive and defensively solid, in reality, their magic was shallow. Their clashes were impressive only in appearance — flashy effects with no real power.
"I see…"
Lu Jun gazed at the opposing team captain, Josen, who sensed the stare and gave a wry smile.
Soon, even Mo Fan, Mu Ningxue, Ai Jiangtu, and Zhao Manyan within the team noticed.
Mu Ningxue slowed her attacks, worried she might accidentally harm the German members who were faking it. She asked puzzled, "What are they doing?"
"Ningxue, you just don't get it," Mo Fan said gloomily. "They're trying to lose, but want to save face. They deliberately cast flashy magic as a cover, leaving themselves defenseless to show sincerity."
"That way, if we decide to strike, we could seriously injure them at any moment."
Mu Ningxue didn't understand. She felt competitors should give their all regardless of winning or losing; this behavior seemed weak.
Mo Fan shook his head and muttered, "Fighting only matters when there's a chance of victory. As for Lu Jun, that pervert, it's just hopeless."
He was a bit puzzled. Having refined his Thought Stones, his spiritual realm had leapt from peak Third Realm to Fifth Realm, ready to display his power and make a mark. (Progress differs from the original.)
Yet Lu Jun, as the ultimate boss, intimidated all national teams. The Grand Duel was truly just a formality.
The battle didn't last long. One by one, the German team members pretended to be severely injured and exited the field.
The Chinese team calmly and indifferently secured the first victory.
For additional chapters
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