Lu Jun waited for a few seconds, letting the "curse mark" seep deep into the eighteen targets.
The dark green web crisscrossing the beast arena grew taut, leaving the summoners and their summoned beasts without any room to resist. Their spiritual stardust was completely sealed.
In addition, the dark green curse marks on their foreheads spread to cover half their bodies. From their faces down to their necks and collarbones, eerie spider patterns emerged, grotesque and terrifying, exuding a menacing dark aura.
Their skin burned painfully, as though their muscles were dissolving. Their organs convulsed, leaving them in unbearable agony, wishing for death.
Fortunately, Lu Jun knew his limits. He used a torment curse rather than a lethal one, merely inflicting suffering without unleashing the full destructive potential of the curse marks.
Lu Jun slowly spread his fingers, each fingertip faintly glowing with a trace of dark green light. Like a puppet master controlling strings, he manipulated everyone with ease.
Snap! He snapped his fingers, gracefully turning his back on the arena and facing the audience. Bowing slightly like a magician at the end of a performance, he placed a hand on his chest in a grand gesture.
In that instant, the curse marks on the nine summoners and their beasts exploded. The ferocious summoned creatures collapsed, their massive bodies rigid as blood splattered across the arena. The nine summoners themselves fell unconscious, their bodies manipulated by the spider webs into peaceful, death-like postures.
Everything unfolded silently, as if a silent puppet show was performed in the shadowy, flickering light of the arena—resembling a monochrome scene from an old silent film.
Lu Jun's shadowed face was indistinct, but against the grand backdrop behind him, he appeared eerie and nightmarish.
The entire student body fell into complete silence. Breath held, they were immersed in the oppressive stillness, their hearts filled with terror.
From Lu Jun's bow, they sensed no friendliness, only an intensification of his reputation as a ruthless madman.
He was an untouchable taboo.
Brutes were easier to handle, but if he was also a schemer weaving traps in the dark, one wouldn't even know how they met their end.
Viewers in the livestream had an even clearer view. Military-grade special cameras captured the cursed soul threads, terrifying even those watching from the safety of their homes, making their hands tremble.
The livestream chat exploded:
"666! I've watched beast tournaments for years, but this is the first time I've seen a summoner group wiped out like this."
"So elegant! Truly elegant!"
"Hey, where's the guy who said the curse student would lose? Get down on your knees and apologize right now!"
"Apologize! Apologize!"
"This is insane. 'The pinnacle of magic, standing above the world.' What's the next line again?"
In Jinyuan Apartments, Lu Mei was also stunned by the spectacle. Then, she smiled indulgently. "That little brat still loves showing off."
Meanwhile, backstage in the arena, Dongfang Ming was startled at first, then complained, "What's wrong with this year's summoners? Even with an advanced-stage servant beast, they still got wiped out."
In truth, he knew that even though his fire magic had reached the intermediate level, achieving what Lu Jun had done was impossible—unless he had an exceptional fire elemental seed.
Ding Yumian shook her head, uninterested in Lu Jun's moment of glory. Her quiet personality was like a lotus in the dark, blooming silently, waiting for someone to approach and admire her—or perhaps fading away unnoticed.
Gu Han and Ruan Ya, along with other instructors, carried the nine unconscious students offstage. After a check, they found no major issues; their spiritual realms needed some time to recover, and the corrosive effects on their bodies could be easily treated by healing mages.
The summoning department head remained silent. Lu Jun had truly humiliated him.
Moments later, Dean Xiao stepped onto the stage, announcing the summoners' defeat and the transfer of half their resources to the victors. He also invited Lu Jun to say a few words, as was customary for the winner.
Typically, winners would make some polite remarks, acknowledging their opponents' efforts and emphasizing their own struggle—demonstrating high emotional intelligence.
Even the livestream audience had started leaving, uninterested in the usual empty words. Today's performance had already been worth the watch. Though short, it was spectacular.
Many viewers began opening forums or platforms like Tieba and Hupu, preparing to rate the event and discuss Mingzhu University, magic, and Lu Jun.
But then, Lu Jun smiled, paused, and said something utterly shocking:
"My thoughts? All of you are trash."
Dean Xiao chuckled softly, realizing Lu Jun intended to stir things up. He supported this attitude—universities should embrace diverse groups and clashing values to foster new ideas.
The summoning department head, who was about to leave, turned back with a dark expression and questioned, "What did you just say? Young man, you need to understand that there's always someone better than you!"
Lu Jun responded with a bright, cheerful smile: "Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not just talking about the summoning department. I mean everyone here—you're all trash!"
The statement spread throughout the arena, shocking the 10,000 students present. They erupted into whispers, their suppressed anger flaring despite Lu Jun's fearsome reputation.
"Damn it! How can anyone tolerate this? Beat him down!"
The summoning department head's face turned grim. His own response seemed clownish in comparison to Lu Jun's audacity.
The livestream, which had mostly dispersed, reignited as viewers flooded back. Some clever users quickly took screenshots, turning the moment into a meme and uploading it online.
The internet community, ever sensitive to such iconic moments, immediately recognized the significance of the scene.
"Classic! This is going to be a famous moment."
"So ruthless! I knew Lu Jun was destined for greatness."
"'Everyone here is trash!' Hahaha!"
"He understands the art of entertainment!"
"You shouldn't be a mage—go stream instead. The entertainment industry just lost a star."
"But seriously, this kind of mage shouldn't waste his potential streaming. Becoming a top-tier mage is the way to go."
"Livestream chat, everyone here is my dad! (laughing.jpg)"
"Alright, alright, good son, I acknowledge you."
The livestream's popularity surged, bringing back viewers who had left. Soon, new audiences from platforms and forums joined, causing the originally niche event to gain broader attention.
At least in the Magic City, everyone now knew about the rookie known as "Lu the Butcher," who had been making waves even before entering university.
"Who is this guy, and why is he in the same school as me?"
Lu Jun continued fanning the flames, saying, "So many useless people hogging resources is a waste. Dean Xiao, if defeating the summoners means taking half their resources, what happens if I defeat everyone? Can I take all their resources?"
Dean Xiao pondered for a moment. "There's no precedent, but it's not impossible."
"Great!" Lu Jun turned to the audience, grinning wildly. "I'll guard this stage today and take all your resources after I beat you all!"
The entire crowd of new students erupted in anger, shouting:
"Arrogant bastard! If it's a one-on-one, I might fear you, but in a group fight, who's afraid of who?"
"Exactly! Thousands of us can take turns. You'll run out of magic energy eventually!"
The atmosphere in the arena grew tense, with anger and defiance spreading like wildfire.
[For additional chapters....
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
Patreon. Com/ALLISWELL123]
Also can you guys a leave Review and maybe few Power Stones