Versatile Mage: Starting with the White Tiger Pendant

Before long, the two slowly walked out of the Beast Battle Hall.

The freshmen were dispersing, yawning as they returned to their dormitories to cultivate. The path was somewhat congested, but thanks to Lu Jun's well-known reputation, no one dared to approach him, leaving a wide-open path in his vicinity.

By the time they left the Beast Battle Hall, the spectators had thinned out.

However, just as Lu Jun was about to ask Ding Yumian to make a call, a sleek, black off-road vehicle drove up the campus road. Its engine roared low, resonating through the quiet morning campus.

The dense crowd of students along the road parted to make way for the vehicle, exclaiming in curiosity. Despite the abundance of luxury cars at Pearl University, seeing one drive into the campus was rare. This ordinary-looking off-road vehicle, being allowed entry, hinted at an extraordinary background.

Lu Jun's sharp eyes immediately recognized the car, his brows twitching slightly. It was a vehicle his family had purchased for city demon-hunting duties. Could his sister have arrived so quickly?

Under the watchful eyes of many curious freshmen, the off-road vehicle came to a halt in front of Lu Jun and Ding Yumian. The driver's door opened, and first to emerge was a pair of long, shapely legs wrapped in sheer black stockings, with feet encased in tall black boots.

Following that, a mature and charming woman stepped out of the car. She wore a black suit skirt with matching stockings, paired with a white blouse and a long black trench coat. Her alluring face and crimson lips radiated confidence, while her tall and curvaceous figure exuded an overwhelming aura.

Beside her, Ding Yumian seemed like a delicate little girl in comparison.

Lu Jun's eyes widened as he observed this version of his sister. Lu Mei usually dressed plainly at home, where her fair and smooth legs were often exposed. Having grown accustomed to seeing them, he never gave it much thought.

Now, the addition of sheer, seductive stockings provided just enough concealment to enhance their allure.

Unbeknownst to him, the students around were already in shock, their eyes brimming with envy and jealousy. Ding Yumian's presence alone was enough to draw admiration, but the sudden appearance of a domineering and mysterious elder sister pulling up in a luxury car and stopping in front of Lu Jun was like a scene straight out of a dream, movie, or novel.

Simultaneously, some students reveled in schadenfreude. Ding Yumian, on one hand, and the off-road-driving goddess, on the other—surely the two women would clash!

The onlookers relished the idea of a drama-filled love triangle. "Bring on the bloodbath!"

Lu Jun felt a twinge of guilt as his sister's sharp gaze swept over him. Though there was no reason to feel guilty—nothing inappropriate had happened—he had planned to have Ding Yumian call Lu Mei to explain everything calmly.

Yet, here she was in person, witnessing the supportive gesture between him and Ding Yumian firsthand. Under ordinary circumstances, people of opposite genders would not act so intimately unless they were close.

But that guilt quickly subsided, replaced by a sense of warmth and security. This showed that Lu Mei had been keeping an eye on him. At his weakest moment, her presence made him feel safe.

Ding Yumian, on the other hand, felt somewhat uneasy. Her keen psychic senses picked up on a faint hostility from the woman before her—a mix of protective love and possessive control.

She realized she had been misunderstood. The woman's deliberate outfit and demeanor were clearly intended as a display of dominance.

"Big Sister…" Lu Jun disentangled himself from Ding Yumian's support and stepped forward to embrace Lu Mei, his hands wrapping around her slender waist and resting on her full, rounded hips. Exhausted, he collapsed into her arms.

He buried his face into her shoulder, taking a deep breath, his cheek resting against her softness as he felt sleep overtaking him.

When Ding Yumian had supported him earlier, he had been tense, mindful of the differences between men and women and their unfamiliarity. Yet, in Lu Mei's arms, he felt completely at ease, letting his guard down entirely.

Seeing this, Lu Mei's heart ached. Whatever discomfort or displeasure she had felt earlier evaporated at the sight of her brother in this state, replaced entirely by love and concern.

She hugged him tightly and smiled warmly at Ding Yumian. "Thank you so much."

"It's no trouble."

Ding Yumian shook her head, though she felt slightly strange and awkward. Still, her kind-hearted nature dismissed it, and she didn't dwell on the situation.

Together, they helped Lu Jun into the car. The sleek black off-road vehicle slowly exited the campus grounds.

Those observing from the shadows were dumbfounded. Such harmony! What a masterstroke!

Back home, Lu Jun had already fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion.

Getting out of the car, Lu Mei carried her brother in her arms, carefully laying him on the bed. She then fetched some warm water and gently wiped his body with a damp towel.

She pursed her lips, softly muttering, "Honestly, why push yourself so hard?"

Three days and nights had passed since the Beast Battle Tournament ended. Though it was mainly discussed within circles of junior and intermediate mages within the university, its online buzz remained strong.

At least within the confines of the Magic City, Lu Jun's name had become widely recognized. Of course, it didn't yet compare to national-level events, so it wasn't a major disruption to his daily life.

On the campus forums, someone started a thread assigning scores to prominent freshman talents like Bai Zhengfeng, Dongfang Ming, Huang Xingli, Ding Yumian, and Lu Jun—all intermediate mages. Junior mages weren't even in contention.

Posts rolled in rapidly.

First up was Bai Zhengfeng, who received a score of 7.

"Bai really made me laugh, but he does have courage."

"Exactly, ignorance is bliss."

"If he hadn't stepped up first, all the freshmen might've frozen on the spot, too embarrassed to act."

"Lu the Butcher—who wouldn't be afraid? He's actually taken down fellow students and even Black Church members. Scary stuff. Any of you keyboard warriors willing to try?"

"Bai Zhengfeng: 'Failure is a recurring theme in life, so I thought I'd just leave first.'"

Then came Dongfang Ming, scoring a high 8.

"Our Dongfang family heir—how about that? Didn't lose face against Lu Jun!"

"Not bad for a family scion. Born with talent. Sigh, such an advantage."

"For ordinary mages, it's hopeless. Pay-to-win meets insane luck—how do you even compete?"

When it came to Ding Yumian, she earned the highest score among Lu Jun's opponents: 9!

"MVP of the losing side! Anyone disagree?"

"She's amazing. Women truly hold up half the sky. The only one to go toe-to-toe with Lu Jun using intermediate magic. One of the twin stars of water and fire!"

"Honestly, Ding Yumian is already incredibly strong. She just happened to meet Lu Jun."

"Powerful and gorgeous. The best of both worlds."

"Beautiful mage—slurp, slurp! Wife material—slurp, slurp!"

"Ha! She's already taken. You probably don't know, but after the Beast Battle Tournament, she personally helped Lu Jun off the stage. Heh-heh-heh."

"Helped him?! (Alerted) Which 'him' are you talking about?"

"Waaah, I'm dying here. This hurts so bad. Can't sleep at night."

"And that's not the juiciest part. Lu Jun has another beauty—a goddess in a luxury car. Both of them left together, side by side."

"True, I saw it too. But this rumor's getting out of hand. Ding Yumian didn't get in the car."

The thread quickly devolved into gossip. Perhaps any figure who reached a certain level of fame couldn't escape being the subject of rumors.

In the girls' dormitory, Huang Xingli angrily pointed at her phone and said to Ding Yumian, "These people are too much! They're spreading lies when there's nothing between you two. Who knew that brat Lu Jun already had someone else!"

Her friend, upon learning the truth, was indignant on her behalf.

Ding Yumian, however, calmly shook her head and continued quietly reading her book, exuding an air of grace and elegance. Having had a few days to reflect, she'd regained her composure.

[For additional chapters....

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