Versatile Mage: Starting with the White Tiger Pendant

Bo City, transitioning from summer to winter, saw leaves swirling in the wind. In the blink of an eye, a semester had passed—half a year gone by.

Since awakening his magic, Lu Jun had immersed himself in relentless practice. The looming pressure of future calamities, the desire for extraordinary power, and the tempered steadiness from his past life, along with his pursuit of fame and fortune, had all transformed into a driving force for self-improvement.

The world where effort directly translates to strength was truly marvelous.

In the first semester, aside from teaching basic knowledge about demons, the school primarily focused on meditation courses, leaving little to no other tasks.

At this moment, Lu Jun sat cross-legged in his bedroom, immersed in meditation. The white tiger pendant on his chest emitted a platinum glow, its gentle power soothing his entire body. His pores relaxed as though he were soaking in a hot spring.

In his spiritual world, both the blue and platinum stardust had grown significantly. Under the nourishment of this mysterious energy, they were rapidly developing—even without meditation.

Recently, the white tiger pendant had given Lu Jun another pleasant surprise. As expected of a top-tier auxiliary magic tool, even in its damaged state, it retained the ability to nurture stars on par with Stardust Magic Tools and Starcloud Magic Tools.

Stardust Magic Tools are a type of specialized magic equipment designed to assist in cultivation. Normally, a person can only meditate for ten hours before becoming mentally fatigued and needing to rest.

Even the weakest Stardust Magic Tools can extend this duration by several hours and restore mental energy. The most powerful ones can allow users to cultivate without actively meditating, automatically nurturing their stardust and increasing their magical strength.

These tools are incredibly precious and are graded by tiers: elementary, intermediate, and advanced, corresponding to Stardust, Starcloud, and Starsea levels.

The white tiger pendant was comparable to the finest intermediate Starcloud Magic Tools. Even intermediate mages bathing in its energy could rapidly reach their peak, let alone a newly awakened elementary mage like Lu Jun.

Swoosh!

"Water Control: Resolve!"

Suddenly, Lu Jun's eyes flashed blue as he gained control over the seven Water Element stars. Water vapor surged around him, and a brilliant azure star path formed.

Countless water particles condensed in the air, creating a water-blue current about ten feet long and two feet wide. It resembled a soft ribbon wrapping around Lu Jun's body, covering most of his area. Its surface glimmered with an ethereal sheen, appearing both flexible and resilient.

Water is soft, but when someone falls from great heights onto its surface, its hardness rivals that of rock due to the principles of non-Newtonian fluids.

Lu Jun felt that this elementary Water Magic was similar. Filled with excitement, he realized he had finally mastered the first-level Water Control spell.

For mages, each of the five realms is further divided into three levels. The spells themselves remain unchanged, but as a mage's level increases, the spell evolves, gaining new variations and enhanced power.

For example, the second-level Water Control: Guardian allows mages to conjure multiple water ribbons, providing nearly seamless protection. At the third level, Water Control: Circulation transforms the ribbons into a dynamic, ever-flowing current, making it virtually indestructible unless destroyed in one go by a mid-tier spell.

"Finally, I can cast Water Control. It took me six months to master both Metal and Water elementary magic. Compared to Mo Fan, I'm progressing even faster. He's probably only mastered the elementary Thunder spell, Thunder Seal, and won't grasp the second Fire spell, Fire Burst, until the end of next semester."

"As for Mu Ningxue, she took eight months to master her first Ice spell. To be fair, though, both of them achieved this entirely through their own hard work without relying on Stardust Magic Tools."

Lu Jun reflected. Both of them had to wait until their second year to receive auxiliary support from their families or schools.

His own rapid progress was understandable, especially since Stardust Magic Tools offered minimal help with star control. Their true value would shine in enhancing cultivation and magical energy.

Moreover, the white tiger pendant was clearly in better condition than Mo Fan's Azure Dragon pendant. At first, Mo Fan's pendant appeared lifeless, only awakening after consuming a school's worth of Stardust Magic Tools during his second year. It only became equivalent to a Stardust Magic Tool at that point.

To reach the level of the white tiger pendant, Mo Fan's pendant would need to consume the Sacred Spring two and a half years later. The Sacred Spring, a treasure capable of aiding mid-tier breakthroughs, was also the cause of disaster in Bo City due to its theft by the Black Vatican.

"I still have two and a half years. By next semester, I'll aim to advance both my elements to the second level of the elementary realm."

Clenching his fists, Lu Jun stood up, the water-blue ribbon swirling gently around him, shrouding him in mist. He looked like an ethereal being emerging from water.

Downstairs, Lu Mei sensed the Water Element's energy fluctuations. When she looked up, she saw a black-haired youth descending the stairs, the water-blue ribbon wrapping softly around him. His skin appeared fairer, rejuvenated by the spell's energy.

She couldn't help but exclaim enviously, "Water mages are so lucky—they come with natural skincare benefits."

Hearing this, Lu Jun felt exasperated. Magic was extraordinary! Shouldn't she focus on its power instead? Among the seven elemental systems, the Water Element was the only one with a defensive skill at the elementary level, making it as popular as Thunder.

Other elements had to wait until the mid-tier for defensive spells. Thunder and Fire were offensive by nature, with Thunder Seal adding paralysis and Fire Burst causing continuous burning. Ice specialized in control, Earth had Earth Wave for semi-control and displacement, and Wind had Wind Track for pure movement.

"I was just joking." Lu Mei chuckled before marveling, "I can't believe you've already mastered an elementary spell in six months. If I didn't live with you daily, I might suspect you've joined the Black Vatican."

Lu Jun ignored his sister's nonsense, dispersing the water ribbon as he retorted, "I've mastered more than just Water Magic. I could cast Metal Magic three months ago. If you'd delivered the alloys you promised, it wouldn't still be so underwhelming."

"Uh..." Lu Mei grew serious, her tone doubtful. "Lu Jun, you didn't actually—"

After a brief silence, Lu Jun raised an eyebrow and said, "Don't overthink it. When the time is right, I'll tell you everything."

The fewer people who knew about the white tiger pendant, the better. Once he grew strong enough, secrecy would no longer matter.

"Fine." Lu Mei sighed, sensing that her brother had been carrying a heavy burden since awakening his magic. His relentless training—over ten hours a day without fail—was frighteningly disciplined for someone his age.

She asked, "So, what about the alloys?"

"Don't worry," Lu Mei replied, her tone pained. "They've been shipped from the lab. You're such a money-burning beast! A million just for elementary materials! And that's only because my friend pulled strings to access experimental products."

Lu Jun was stunned. A million could buy a house in a second-tier city or even a shield strong enough to withstand mid-tier destructive magic.

If Lu Mei had invested that amount in herself, her strength would have increased significantly. Feeling both guilty and touched, Lu Jun was reminded that only family would trust and support him unconditionally.

This had drained their family's savings—their parents' inheritance, death benefits, and all of Lu Mei's earnings over the past two years.

"I hope the Metal Magic's power is worth the investment," he thought.