Rumble—!!
The Sea King Skeleton stood immersed within the boundless ocean, every movement of its limbs raising towering waves tens of thousands of meters high that swept across heaven and earth.
From time to time, High-Tier Mage legions failed to retreat in time and were swallowed by the raging tides. After a deafening explosion, the pitch-black seawater receded, leaving behind only fields of bleached bones and countless corpses.
Likewise, the Super-Tier Mages surrounding it and attempting to restrain it suffered casualties as well. Quite a few who made a single mistake were horrified to see an enormous skeletal hand blot out the sky and descend from above. A crimson flower of blood would bloom in the air, and nothing remained of them, not even their bones.
Seeing such devastating losses and the deaths of so many Mages, Ding Yumian abruptly stood up.
She wanted to take action.
However, a Forbidden Curse Mage beside her immediately stopped her and said in a deep voice,
"You must remain calm. This is a battle at the Super-tier Monarch level. The strength of us Forbidden Curse Mages must be used where it matters most. Besides, the reason the Sea King Skeleton is acting so arrogantly is because an Emperor is waiting behind it."
Hearing this, Lu Jun gazed toward the Sea King Skeleton within the endless black curtain of rain.
He had to admit that the Ocean Demons had chosen an excellent candidate.
With its ability to remain immortal while submerged in water, even a Forbidden Curse bombardment would only have a certain chance of killing it.
Chairman Hongwu spoke up at this moment.
"This creature is acting far too brazenly. If this continues, it will undermine the resolve of the military and civilians of the Nine Provinces to resist."
"We must send someone to deal with it."
"Who should go?" everyone discussed among themselves.
Finally, Hongwu made the decision.
"Send those Pinnacle Mages stationed at the Oriental Pearl Tower."
Just as the operation was about to be approved, Lu Jun suddenly spoke.
"Wait."
The moment those words fell, everyone's gaze turned toward him.
Lu Jun said coldly,
"If you send Pinnacle Mages out there, what happens when an Ocean Demon Emperor makes its move after the Sea King Skeleton is defeated?"
The dozen or so Forbidden Curse Gods present fell silent.
How could they not know that whoever took on this mission would likely be walking into a life-or-death situation?
Yet none of them could openly admit it, leaving the room in an awkward silence.
At that moment, the hot-tempered Fire Mage spoke irritably.
"Then what do you propose?"
"The disparity in manpower between the Nine Provinces and the Pacific Empire is not something that can be overcome through combat alone."
"We only have a dozen or so Forbidden Curse Mages. At best, we can restrain two Emperors."
"As long as we remain alive, there is still hope. Even if we retreat step by step, the Pacific Empire will not dare push us too hard."
"At the very least, we can still preserve the western regions of the Nine Provinces."
"But if we die, then both the people and the land will be lost."
Lu Jun interrupted him.
"Why not fight a battle where we stake our lives against theirs?"
"That would also make the Pacific Empire think twice."
He swept his gaze across everyone present and said,
"I know exactly what you are afraid of."
"But what if I told you I have a way to kill an Emperor?"
The Forbidden Curse Mages exchanged glances.
Frankly, they did not quite believe him.
However, Principal Xiao immediately voiced his support.
"Lu Jun, what are you planning?"
Lu Jun remained calm.
He knew someone had to take up the banner and show a path toward victory before these Forbidden Curse Mages would be willing to move.
In the original timeline, the First Battle of Magic City had involved both the Sea King Skeleton and the Dragon King Ant Queen, who had been lying in wait.
Both had ultimately failed and even suffered retaliation from the Nine Provinces.
First, Mo Fan fought all the way to Mount Fuji in Japan and slew the Sea King Skeleton.
Then Chief Hua risked his life to penetrate deep into the center of the Pacific Ocean and assassinate the Emperor-level Dragon King Ant Queen.
They became symbols of hope.
Their victories greatly boosted the morale of both Mages and civilians while also making the Ocean Demon Empire wary.
As a result, during the Second Battle of Magic City, the enraged Cold Moon-Eyed Demon God personally led a gathering of Emperors against Magic City.
Only then, when Mo Fan's Demon Element, the Azure Dragon Holy Beast, and numerous Totem Beasts temporarily elevated to Emperor level joined the war—did the Forbidden Curse Mages finally become willing to risk their lives.
By now, Lu Jun had long since stopped placing his hopes in these Forbidden Curse Mages.
They were only capable of fighting when victory was already assured.
With a trace of mockery, he said, "You don't need to send anyone. Let my people make the move."
"As for the Emperors that appear afterward, I will handle them."
"You can simply stand by and watch."
The moment those words were spoken, the faces of all the Forbidden Curse Mages flushed red.
His words had essentially painted them as self-serving bureaucrats concerned only with their own interests.
Many immediately glared at him in anger.
At that moment, the Psychic Forbidden Curse Mage from Lingyin Temple sensed that the opportunity had arrived.
Not giving anyone a chance to argue, he quickly spoke up in agreement.
"We are not cowards clinging to life."
"If you truly dare to fight an Emperor, then why shouldn't we accompany you and stake our lives as well?"
With a single sentence, he cornered every Forbidden Curse Mage present.
And that was not all.
Chairman Hongwu then revealed his trump card with a meaningful smile.
"Originally, Chief Hua was going to personally oversee this battle. However, he believes Director Lu's strength is no weaker than his own, so he instructed the entire Forbidden Curse Council to follow Director Lu's command."
That settled it.
Lu Jun now possessed the moral authority he needed.
The Forbidden Curse Mages could only agree helplessly. Through allies both inside and outside the council, Lu Jun had successfully seized control of the situation.
The Fire Mage was still dissatisfied and said angrily,"Where are these people you mentioned? Why haven't they gone and slain the Sea King Skeleton yet?"
Lu Jun merely smiled without answering.
He raised his head and looked toward the sky.
"She has arrived."
Shriek—!
Suddenly, a vast mass of dark clouds swept across the western horizon of Magic City, blotting out the sun and sky while carrying fierce winds with it.
A piercing cry echoed through the heavens.
Within the endless clouds, a brilliant moon descended.
In an instant, it arrived above the Pudong battlefield.
Bathed in dazzling white radiance, a noble and supreme six-winged phoenix of light glided forward with majestic wings spread wide. Its awe-inspiring presence was untouchable, accompanied by an aura of supreme authority no weaker than that of the Sea King Skeleton as it swept across heaven and earth.
The Sea King Skeleton raised its head.
Upon sensing a supreme enemy whose strength rivaled its own, it immediately became vigilant.
The Moon Moth Phoenix had arrived.
Standing proudly upon its back was Lu Mei, her peerless figure radiating unmatched elegance.
Through her successful bid for the position of Feather Emperor, she had gained tremendous opportunities. Her Chaos Element had broken through into the Super-tier. She now possessed four Super-tier Elements, while her strongest Wind and Fire Elements had both reached Super-tier Level Two.
The Forbidden Curse Mages atop the Oriental Pearl Tower were astonished.
Their gazes swept over the dozen or so Avian Monarchs following behind the Moon Moth Phoenix.
Every single one of them was familiar.
They were all Demon Monarchs that had once wreaked havoc across various regions of the Nine Provinces.
Yet now, they were aiding humanity.
A smile appeared on Lu Jun's lips.
His spiritual attainments were unparalleled. He had long since sensed his sister rapidly changing positions and rushing all the way from the Qinling Mountains.
He felt gratified.
The Moon Moth Phoenix had managed to arrive in time for the war instead of missing it.
If they defeated the Sea King Skeleton, then thanks to the Moon Moth Phoenix's influence, Lu Mei might have the opportunity to gain the recognition of the Chongming Bird Totem, allowing her Fire Element to obtain a second Heaven Seed after her Wind Element.
As for Mo Fan, there was nothing that could be done.
His strength was still insufficient to participate in a battle of this level.
The Ocean Demon invasion had ultimately occurred far earlier than expected.
That said, Lu Jun had already taught him Fusion Magic ahead of schedule, which was more than generous enough.
Furthermore, Lu Jun possessed Zhao Jing's corpse. Through his profound mastery of the Life and Death Elements, he had successfully separated the Lightning Element Heaven Seed, Crimson Mountain Red Lightning.
If Mo Fan distinguished himself in this war, then as the supreme commander of the campaign, Lu Jun would not mind awarding it to him as a reward for meritorious service to the Nine Provinces.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Lu Mei instantly fused with the Flame Belle, Jiang Feng.
Then she activated Fusion Magic.
The combat power she unleashed shocked everyone present, soaring directly to the level of a Supreme Monarch.
The pair descended like the sun and moon falling from the heavens.
Mountains were incinerated.
Seas were boiled dry.
Vast quantities of black seawater evaporated instantly.
Hundreds of millions of skeletons shattered inch by inch.
With the Moon Moth Phoenix and Lu Mei, two combatants possessing Supreme Monarch-level power joining the battlefield, the situation reversed in an instant.
The Sea King Skeleton suffered severe injuries.
Inside the Pearl Tower, many exclaimed in amazement.
"This woman's strength is no weaker than that of a Half-Forbidden Curse Mage."
The reason Forbidden Curse Mages were so overwhelmingly powerful was because once one stepped into the Forbidden Curse Realm, all magic underwent a qualitative transformation.
Even a mage who had fully cultivated four Super-tier Elements would still find it difficult to contend against one.
However, Pinnacle Mages possessed a similar transformation.
Even without ascending to the Forbidden Curse Realm, they could still rival Forbidden Curse Mages.
The only difference was that they could not cast Forbidden Curse Magic.
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