Versatile Mage: Lord of Space

Lintong Military Region.

As dusk fell like blood, the setting sun stained the yellow dust on the training ground a deep crimson. Feijiao, the Kuomintang special agent in charge of training special operations officers, leaned against a towering flagpole, letting the banners flutter overhead. The cigarette between his fingers had burned to the end, ash falling softly onto his dust-covered military boots.

"The source of the information?" Feijiao raised his bloodshot eyes, his voice hoarse as if sandpaper was being rubbed.

The intelligence officer unconsciously took a half step back: "Report from Weiju Village and Hua Village. They said they found dismembered bodies scattered all over the wasteland. Judging from the fragments of military uniforms, they were our men." He swallowed hard. "All of them... not a single one survived."

“Rescue team?” Flying Horn suddenly let out a chilling chuckle, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists. “This is a death squad! Which bastard gave the order?!” He abruptly stood up, kicking up a cloud of dust from the hem of his uniform.

"Instructor, please calm down."

"Calm down? Those are soldiers I personally trained!" Feijiao kicked over an ammunition box beside him, the clanging of metal startling crows roosting in the distance. "What did Zhan Kong say when he handed the students over to me? How am I supposed to explain this now?!"

A furious roar echoed across the parade ground, and several Kuomintang agents hiding in the office building instinctively shrank back. At that moment, Fei Jiao was like a wounded beast, ready to bite anyone in its path.

"Organize a search and rescue team immediately!" Feijiao grabbed the intelligence officer by the collar. "We need to find them alive or dead!"

"Head Instructor!" the intelligence officer shouted, struggling to speak. "It's Sha Yuan! Only Sha Yuan could instantly kill the entire wind mage squad!"

Feijiao suddenly released his grip and staggered back two steps: "Sha Yuan?" He mechanically repeated the word, his pupils contracting violently, as if all his strength had been drained away in an instant.

The Abyss of Death. These two words carry immense weight. It is a deathly wasteland where even high-level mages fall without leaving a trace; it is a true hell on earth.

“Zhang Xiaohou’s file.” The intelligence officer cautiously broke the silence. “An orphan from Bocheng, raised by his grandmother. The old lady is quite old and can’t withstand any more shocks. He also has a childhood friend…”

“Zhan Kong is nowhere to be found. Who can I tell?” Fei Jiao wiped his face, his palms damp with a mixture of sweat and tears. “Let’s keep it from the old lady for now. As for that childhood friend…” He gazed at the darkening sky, his voice trailing off, “we’ll talk about him when we find Zhan Kong.”

"Instructor! A place like Sha Yuan..."

"Get lost!" Flying Horn suddenly sprang to his feet, slamming his fist into the flagpole. "Just seeing you makes me angry!"

The iron flagpole hummed and trembled, startling the last few crows returning to their nests. Dusk completely swallowed the towering figure, leaving only the flickering red glow of his cigarette butt in the darkness…

……

Magic City.

A cold front has recently swept through the city, and the constant coughing on the streets signals the arrival of flu season. However, these minor illnesses are nothing to mages, especially fire and ice mages, whose constitutions far surpass those of ordinary people. Ordinary people can only rely on medicine to try and cure their ailments.

"I never expected a savage like you to care about national affairs." Ai Tutu leaned closer, looking at Lin Lan's computer screen with a puzzled expression.

The screen was filled with news reports about the ancient capital. Lin Lan seemed lost in thought, her expression unusually focused. Was he going to go to the ancient capital again, leaving the two beautiful women alone in the empty room?
"A handsome young mage like me, so devoted to his country, is a rare find." Lin Lan scrolled through the webpage, browsing the sensational reports about the ancient capital. "Things haven't been peaceful there lately."

The catastrophe of the ancient capital is about to begin
Lin Lan hadn't yet decided how to respond, or whether he should remain neutral. He wasn't a saint, powerless to care for the masses. But the place was teeming with the dead, filled with spirits, and more importantly—there was the ancient royal armor!

"Wow, the sun's risen in the west!" Ai Tutu scoffed. "If I didn't know you, this savage, spend all your time fooling around in the wild, I almost would have believed you."

Lin Lan shut down the computer and turned her gaze to Ai Tutu, subtly sweeping over her alluring curves: "Where's Mu Nujiao? Long time no see." "She's in seclusion cultivating. Do you think everyone's a pre-selected contestant like you?" Ai Tutu rolled her eyes.

Lin Lan remained noncommittal. Mu Nujiao's dedication was indeed admirable; he had hardly seen her since his return. Clearly, the powerful family behind Mu Nujiao had finally decided to support her in the World University Competition.

Not only does she possess an exceptionally high-quality spirit seed, but all her magical artifacts are also top-tier. According to Ai Tutu, Mu Nujiao also has a trump card that she has never shown to anyone before, which will shine brightly in the competition for the spots.

This is understandable, as Mu Nujiao is backed by the Mu family, the most powerful of the four great families in Shanghai.

Similarly, the Zhao family, a conglomerate-level family...
Lin Lan heard from Mo Fan that Zhao Manyan, the playboy, had also changed his usual ways and was undergoing special training in a mysterious manner.

Zhao Manyan did not follow the college recommendation route, but even if he obtained a spot through other channels, he would still need to put in several times the effort.

Whether from aristocratic families or ordinary geniuses, the competition is fierce. Without exceptional talent, it's simply impossible to stand out.
It can be said that all the mages who aspire to participate in the World University Competition have now become cultivation fanatics.

And Ai Tutu
This well-endowed young lady, with her large breasts and lack of ambition, lived a carefree and leisurely life. Unfortunately, her best friend's dedication to asceticism bored her to no end. However, she certainly had the right to be—she came from a military family, her brother was a captain in the National Guard, and as the only daughter in the family, she was naturally pampered.

Lin Lan looked at Ai Tutu and realized that he did indeed have the financial resources to back it up.

At this point, Lin Lan suddenly wondered if Ai Tutu might impersonate her and participate in the competition out of boredom. She had to be careful about this, otherwise she would definitely become a laughing stock.

As a pre-selected contestant, Lin Lan was exempt from even the nomination round. While everyone around him was diligently cultivating, he was the only one leisurely spending his days. No wonder Ai Tutu always came to him for fun.

Mo Fan is also taking on the challenge relentlessly; with his advanced cultivation level, securing a nomination is practically guaranteed.

Ultimately, Lin Lan was the most at ease.

"A five-vote contestant is definitely different," Ai Tutu said sourly. "While others are fighting tooth and nail, you're here cultivating your mind and body. But, Great Demon King, you could easily sell that extra vote; four votes are enough. Quite a few people have been asking about you these past few days, and I wonder how many people are willing to pay a fortune for that crucial vote."

Lin Lan had considered the suggestion, but the key was who the buyer was and how much they would offer.

"Why don't you go and ask around for me, and I'll sell to whoever offers the highest price?" Lin Lan said.

Ai Jiangtu can deliver tickets, and he has no problems selling tickets himself.

They euphemistically call it: acquiring resources to better enhance their own strength.

"Lin Lan, you seem to have so much free time. Why don't you help Sister Mu play? Anyway, you're a pre-selected player, so you don't have to play," Ai Tutu suddenly said, her eyes lighting up.

Lin Lan felt a wave of dizziness upon hearing this. Instead of impersonating someone else, she decided to hire thugs.

Wasn't that like hitting a child? A high-level mage descends upon the battlefield of mid-level mages.

The mage trembled with fear during the battle for the nomination of the Pearl.

(End of this chapter)