North African Coast.
Lu Jun and Euryale battled for several hours, the battlefield constantly shifting. Wherever they passed, it was as though mountains were shattered and the earth torn apart.
For most of the time, Lu Jun was at an absolute disadvantage, forced to sacrifice Monarch-level meat shields to block lethal blows.
Fortunately, as time passed, Lu Jun gradually finished digesting Skeleton Monster, causing the might of his Curse element to surge. This nourished the two Heaven–Earth Fiendish Ghosts, allowing them to advance to orthodox Monarch level.
Boom rumble, wuuuu! The white-robed female ghost stood tall in the sky, apricot-yellow earth-patterns spreading across her body. On her back appeared an image of Mount Tai, the Underworld, and a hundred ghosts, granting terrifying augmentation—every movement multiplying gravity countless times.
On the other side, the black-robed fierce ghost expanded violently, standing upright across the wilderness, towering into the heavens. Its pitch-black ghostly body was like a curtain of night, shrouding several kilometers. Blue-black tattoos were etched across it, easily summoning one sky-piercing hurricane after another.
Lu Jun was overjoyed. The two Heaven-Earth Fiend Ghosts instantly became his main damage dealers.
The greatest difference between a Sub-Monarch and an orthodox Monarch lay in whether they possessed exclusive special abilities, and the combat forms derived from them.
The Kun Earth Ghost's Mount Tai Underworld was almost equivalent to an Earth Element Heavenly Seed, while the Qian Heaven Ghost's blue-black ferocious inscriptions allowed it to wield the power of a Wind Element Heavenly Seed.
As a result, neither side could gain the upper hand over the other.
Euryale sensed the profound curse within her body spreading rapidly. Her expression grew increasingly ferocious, like a madwoman, every move adopting a life-and-death posture. Her noble golden-pink serpent pupils gleamed as her combat power skyrocketed.
Seeing this, Lu Jun's expression turned solemn. He knew the Winged Medusa was about to enter her next phase and release her battle form—her danger and combat strength would at least double.
Suddenly, he transmitted a mental message to Apas, who was locked in a stalemate with five direct-line Medusas.
Immediately afterward, Lu Jun recalled his four Monarch summons. A Triangular Dimensional Mirror hovered above his head as silver radiance flickered around him. Countless brilliant star particles traced the outline of a constellation.
Blink!
Lu Jun unleashed vast spiritual will, wrapping Apas within it as they vanished from their original location.
In the next moment, their figures appeared several kilometers away.
Not only that, Heaven-Earth Ghost Possession! Lu Jun transformed into a fierce ghost, blue-black tattoos carved into his face, gray-white ghost patterns spreading across his skin. A blue-black gale swept up as he fled rapidly into the distance.
That's right—he ran!
Lu Jun cast spells without pause. Among his eight elements, aside from Life and Death—which recovered continuously thanks to his Calamity Bearer talent—the remaining six major elements were nearly exhausted.
There was no helping it. His cultivation was only dual-element Super Tier Level One, while Summoning and Water, two of his main combat elements, were still at High Tier Level Four, unable to sustain prolonged combat.
To be precise, Lu Jun's current combat power far exceeded his cultivation level, resulting in massive energy consumption. If he were fighting opponents of the same tier—Sub-Monarchs or Lesser Monarchs—he wouldn't fear his magic running dry at all.
For a moment, even Euryale was stunned. After reacting, she hesitated and did not choose to pursue.
She coiled in place, gritting her teeth as she said, "Once I remove this curse, it will be the end for you two."
However, Euryale did not sit idly by. She recalled her allies and immediately contacted them, attempting to force the two into constant pressure.
Buzz buzz buzz! In the distance, Lu Jun drove the gale as he fled, repeatedly using Blink in continuous jumps. At last, he left the Winged Medusa's territorial range and shook off her perception.
Lu Jun slowly descended onto an unfamiliar stretch of wilderness, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes to recover his magic energy.
A Great Monarch was not so easily slain. He planned to repeatedly harass Euryale, using her as a whetstone to continuously hone his own strength.
He had considered activating the Ascension state. While it could grant combat power infinitely close to that of a Great Monarch, what could one minute accomplish? It certainly wouldn't be enough to kill her.
For now, the only options were to raise his cultivation, or wait a few more days for the Tai'a Sword to finish refining the Tai Bai Xin Metal, freeing him to leave.
Apas said displeasedly, "You didn't fulfill your promise. You clearly said we would kill Euryale."
Hearing this, Lu Jun opened his eyes, then closed them again, saying calmly, "Don't misunderstand. The one who holds the initiative in our cooperation is me, because I can leave at any time. Watch your attitude."
As the words fell, Apas's pretty face filled with anger, yet she could do nothing.
Lu Jun continued meditating to recover his magic energy. He could feel that, through the tempering of battle, his digestion of Skeleton Monster was nearing completion—the awakening of his Curse element Transcendent Power was right before his eyes.
At that time, his combat strength would leap forward once more.
Not to mention that after multiple bloody battles, his Water element had become extremely stable. The Stellar Ocean Heavenly Vein he had purchased from Pang Lai for two billion should also be ready for refinement, he was ninety percent confident he could advance his Water element to Super Tier.
The Water element was different from Curse and Psychic. It was the element Lu Jun had cultivated the longest and used the most. Once it broke into Super Tier, he would immediately grasp its Transcendent Power.
Thinking of this, Lu Jun trained even harder. His aura grew sharper and sharper, as though under the hammering of a Great Monarch like Euryale, he was becoming increasingly integrated as one, his eight elements' accumulation reaching their limit.
Half a day passed.
Lu Jun's magic energy across all eight elements had fully recovered to its peak. Just as he was preparing to break through to the Water Element Super Tier, his expression suddenly shifted. The moon-white Summoning Galaxy trembled, and a strange throbbing sensation was transmitted.
"What is this…?"
Frowning, he carefully examined his body and quickly discovered that the disturbance originated from [Dimensional Summoning].
"The Night Thunder Dream Beast is calling me?"
Lu Jun froze for a moment, then immediately extended his vast spiritual will, passing through a moon-white summoning gate and arriving in the otherworldly [Summoning Plane].
With his soul leaving his body, what entered his vision was a vast expanse of dark forest, stretching endlessly. Dense Shadow energy surged skyward, converging into an effect similar to [Night Dominion]. This domain enveloped the entire forest, as though night itself had descended.
It was a familiar scene—the very place where he had first encountered the Night Thunder Dream Beast.
It was also the coordinate Pang Lai had pointed out when guiding him in Summoning Element cultivation, a location passed down through Pang Lai's lineage.
Looking into the distance, at the center of the dark forest stood a gigantic tree resembling a towering black spire that pierced the heavens. The surroundings were exactly the same as before.
Beneath the lofty canopy stood the native ruler: a Lesser Monarch–level Lord of Night Shadow. Roughly three meters tall, it possessed a humanoid form, exuding an overbearing and majestic aura of dominance.
By now, Lu Jun could clearly discern the nature of this special kind of demon. It was similar to an elemental wraith, except its Shadow Element origin leaned toward the Shadow Tribe, lacking the possession abilities of true Elemental Holy Spirits.
Beside the dark forest's ruler, a handsome giant beast that looked part lion and part deer rested lightly upon a branch. Its fur was black and white, and it was none other than the Night Thunder Dream Beast.
The two stood side by side, on equal footing. Back then, the latter had once been hunted by the former.
Lu Jun gave the humanoid dark ruler a slight nod, then turned his puzzled gaze toward the Night Thunder Dream Beast. Why had it suddenly sought him out?
Yoo~ yoo~ The Night Thunder Dream Beast let out a soft cry, signaling that it was the other party who had summoned him.
Soon after, the Lord of Night Shadow produced a pile of crystal-clear silver stones out of thin air. With a clatter, they fell onto the leaves, piling up into a small mound nearly half a person tall.
"This is…" Lu Jun was first confused, then shocked. "Thought Stones?!"
"Holy shit, you can even do this?!"
Quick-witted as he was, Lu Jun immediately connected this to who had sent them. This coordinate was controlled by Pang Lai—there was no doubt it was Pang Lai transmitting items to him across space.
No wonder the Summoning Element was also categorized under the Dimensional system, it truly possessed the ability to transport objects across space.
Still, he believed there had to be a limit to such a technique. Otherwise, it could be exploited in all kinds of outrageous ways.
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