Imperial Capital, within a courtyard.
Seeing Hua Zhanhong's determined and enterprising demeanor, Lu Jun sighed inwardly with emotion. The intelligence he had been holding onto for so long had finally been delivered to the right person.
In truth, he also had some personal motives.
That was to rescue the mother of the mermaid girl.
In addition, he had not forgotten that a Water Element Heavenly Seed existed within the territory of the Water Elemental Holy Spirit race, the Mariana Trench!
That place was close to the Pacific Empire, and it was not safe. It was possible that even Supreme Demons might be lying in ambush there.
Since the Nine Provinces had not yet obtained information about the Holy Spirit race, they would most likely choose to first investigate the Mariana Trench.
If a Forbidden Curse Mage led the expedition, it would undoubtedly be much safer. At that time, with the contributions he had made, obtaining that Water Element Heavenly Seed would be effortless.
Hua Zhanhong examined the mermaid girl for a moment, then nodded.
"Very well. Once I verify some details, I will decide whether to send people to the Pacific."
This was only natural. Hua Zhanhong carried the fate of the Nine Provinces on his shoulders, so he could not move lightly. Moreover, he had to remain cautious and could not trust blindly.
Lu Jun was not in a hurry. With the Water-Avoiding Pearl and the River-Suppressing Pearl in his possession, any expedition into the sea would inevitably require him.
As for whether the truth would be exposed once they found the Water Elemental Holy Spirit race, there was no need to worry. After all, they lived in the Pacific and knew far more about the various Emperors than he did.
And if things truly became troublesome, he could even disguise himself as a member of the Demon Trench Sea Ghosts, invade their clan's mental network, and obtain information.
The brains of the Sea Demon Prophet race were all linked together, layer by layer, ultimately reaching the highest level where the Sea Demon ruler controlled everything.
Afterward, Lu Jun casually brought up the matter of the Red Cardinal Nine Infant, asking curiously,
"Back then, he managed to escape from a Forbidden Curse Mage. Which Forbidden Curse Mage was responsible for monitoring him?"
Hearing this, Hua Zhanhong looked at him with a half-smile and replied, "The Ice Emperor."
Lu Jun immediately understood. Before coming here, he had already learned about it. When Pang Lai assigned him the mission to capture the Red Cardinal, he had casually mentioned it.
At that time, Lu Jun had already become suspicious. No wonder Nine Infant had managed to escape. Apart from the negligence of the Nine Provinces' upper echelon and assistance from the Sea Demon ruler, the Ice Emperor had probably also deliberately let him go.
The Ice Emperor of the Mu Clan had recently joined several other Forbidden Curse Mages to explore the Antarctic Continent. In the end, all the Forbidden Curse Mages died there, leaving only the Ice Emperor to escape alive. Immediately afterward, the sea levels across the world began to rise.
The truth was that they had encountered the Antarctic Emperor, one of the Three Great Roofs of the World.
The Ice Emperor had survived by begging and kneeling like a dog, willingly allowing himself to be controlled by the Antarctic Emperor. He had long since become its puppet.
Hua Zhanhong looked deeply at Lu Jun and said, "We are aware of the Ice Emperor. When only he returned from Antarctica, we already had our suspicions. The incident with Nine Infant revealed a flaw. We merely wanted to use it to catch a bigger fish."
"In that case, I have spoken too much."
Lu Jun smiled and brought up another matter.
He wanted to establish a power base in the Ancient Capital, manufacturing Stardust Magic Tools, Nebula Magic Tools, Galaxy Magic Tools, and so on, as well as researching Fusion Magic.
Hearing this, Hua Zhanhong looked at him with appreciation.
"This is a good thing. The Nine Provinces clearly possess the raw materials and production sites, yet we lack the relevant technology. Every year, the various magic universities and high schools spend countless billions purchasing magic tools."
"The same goes for Fusion Magic. If it can be successfully researched, the combat strength of the Nine Provinces' Forbidden Curse Mages and those below would increase several times over. Forget ten Emperors, even twenty Emperors, we would dare to fight them."
Hua Zhanhong pondered for a moment before saying,
"Lu Jun, the matters you mentioned today carry tremendous merit. You must be greatly rewarded, otherwise it would be difficult to convince the public."
Then he waved his hand decisively—land would be granted if land was needed, policies if policies were needed, authority if authority was needed. Essentially, everything was approved.
For example, Lu Jun originally held the title of Honorary Councilor of the Ancient Capital. Now his status was elevated to a permanent position, second only to Shao Zheng. He was also granted several titles, including Western Military Strategist, Southern Guardian of the Forbidden Palace Court, and General.
If Lu Jun were compared to a great general of ancient times, this meant he could establish his own administrative office, recruit talents, and even grant official positions. If he went to the Ancient Capital, even Han Ji would be subject to his authority.
Lu Jun was delighted. The reason he had discussed these matters with Hua Zhanhong was precisely to obtain such authority and banners.
The power he would establish would be entirely different from the aristocratic clans and noble families. It would belong to the Nine Provinces' platform itself. Attacking him would be equivalent to attacking the Nine Provinces.
Moreover, he would not need to worry about ordinary internal interference. With his titles, his authority to establish his own office would be highly independent, almost equivalent to private control.
Of course, the drawback was that over time it could become difficult to control, similar to the Jiedushi and generals of ancient times. These positions were usually established during wartime and removed afterward. It was rare for someone to hold such authority permanently.
This was largely thanks to Hua Zhanhong's generosity. As for the future, that would be dealt with in the future.
Lu Jun did not mind. This was merely a temporary measure for him. His goal was immortality, why would he cling to fame and wealth?
At the same time, Hua Zhanhong had already decided that even if the International Forbidden Curse Council obstructed Lu Jun on the matter of the Great Earth Core, the Nine Provinces would use their own reserves to give Lu Jun one.
Not long afterward, Lu Jun left with complete satisfaction. With a single step, his status had become extremely prominent.
He stayed in the Imperial Capital for a short period, completing the formal procedures and announcing everything to the world. At the same time, he met representatives from the Holy City and the Five Continents Magic Association, who came to verify the identities of the two Red Cardinals. Everything proceeded smoothly.
Leng Jue himself was the son of the Dark Saintess of the Parthenon, and his dark faith originated from the Parthenon. His identity was investigated thoroughly and left no room for doubt.
Several days later, Lu Jun departed and returned to the Magic Capital.
Pearl Institute.
Lu Jun stayed in Ding Yumian's room. Looking out the window, the weather was still overcast with continuous rain. In a solemn tone, he asked,
"How are things here now?"
Ding Yumian, dressed in a simple and elegant white dress, cast a helpless glance at the man lounging on the bed and said softly,
"The sea level is still rising. It won't be long before Pudong is submerged."
"Along the coastline, many Sea Demons have begun appearing. Among them is a creature called the Carrion Hunter. They are the scouts of the Pacific Empire, extremely numerous. Even High-Tier Mages flying above the water will be surrounded and killed by them."
Lu Jun fell into thought. He knew this was only the prelude. The Sea Demon Empire would soon launch a massive offensive.
The good news was that the Pacific Empire had invaded six or seven months earlier than expected. Their troop deployment was still insufficient. If the Nine Provinces could successfully plant a hidden force within the enemy's core territory now, there was a chance to push the front line close to the Mariana Trench.
Since he had already told Hua Zhanhong, the other party would likely organize personnel and depart soon.
Thus Lu Jun quietly waited in the Magic Capital, enjoying leisure while cultivating his Metal Element, condensing his Metal Element Transcendent Power!
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Inside the Three Step Tower, Lu Jun circulated his Metal Element Calamity Talent Taiyi Golden Radiance. Above his head floated the White Tiger Tally, while his entire body shone with a glass-like metallic luster. An unmatched sharp aura shot into the heavens as black, cyan, red, white, and gold lights flowed around him.
He breathed slowly. Between heaven and earth, countless metallic killing auras surged and gathered. Strands of strange golden qi were absorbed, and his lungs began to glow with brilliant silvery-white light, outlining a clear and distinct shape.
To Lu Jun's delight, receiving the title of Supreme Military Strategist had actually increased the power of the White Tiger Tally by several degrees.
The Metal Element Transcendent Power was on the verge of being born.
Soon, the platinum radiance within Lu Jun's lungs gathered at a central point, which was also the Middle Dantian, the Crimson Palace, also known as the Shanzhong Acupoint.
That's right, his lungs were the place where he cultivated his Transcendent Power. The lungs belonged to metal and were the chief of the five organs, known as the Canopy of Splendor, the central hub of qi.
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