Meanwhile, in a hidden, secluded corner of the towering Statue of Liberty.
A fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy with violet eyes stepped out from the shadows, tossing a prism up and down in his hands, chuckling softly, whispering, "Lure the tiger away from the mountain… the Triangular Dimensional Mirror is mine."
The boy's face was handsome and soft, appearing completely harmless. Passersby greeted him politely, unaware that he was one of the seven ruthless Red Cardinals on the international stage.
Cold Prince gazed at the distant commotion, which kept drawing numerous temple mages over. He smiled slightly, deciding there was no time to waste, and soon departed.
Just as he was feeling pleased, a piece of bad news arrived mid-journey: Pelly had failed his assassination attempt on Mo Fan and was captured on the spot.
Hearing this, Cold Prince's anger surged, smoke seemingly rising from his seven orifices as he cursed, "Useless!"
All he had done was steal the Triangular Dimensional Mirror, and he hadn't even escaped New York yet. He needed Pelly to divert attention, but the target had proven so fragile.
In truth, the assassination of Mo Fan was merely a ruse, using the deceased Salan as a pretext; he had never intended to actually kill Mo Fan.
Although this plan had originally been devised with Salan, by now it was entirely Cold Prince's solo operation.
"Fine, it doesn't matter. I'll leave and deal with it later."
Cold Prince forced himself calm, though an inexplicable sense of foreboding rose in his chest.
Sure enough, shortly after the Liberty Temple captured Pelly, they discovered the Triangular Dimensional Mirror had been stolen.
The temple's higher-ups were thrown into chaos, launching a swift investigation and preparing to lock down New York.
At this moment, the resting Chinese National Institute team finally realized it was a diversionary tactic.
Mo Fan said, "Ah, this isn't something we can interfere with."
A few days passed, and New York was in turmoil. Many Black Vatican members were captured, countless gangs were crushed, and the city's gray underworld was thoroughly cleansed.
Unfortunately, the mastermind remained elusive.
As for the city lockdown, the plan was abandoned—New York was an international hub, and the consequences would be too severe. Even the magical capital hadn't succeeded in such a plan before; the same principle applied here.
Moreover, the grassroots framework of the United States was already fractured—there was intent but no real power.
Cold Prince had easily hidden until now, planning to board a flight today.
"The time has come."
Lu Jun, having heard some rumors of the turmoil, sat quietly at the airport early in the morning, waiting.
Soon, he noticed the violet-eyed boy and a man in a red robe entering together, immediately locking onto their targets.
Beyond Cold Prince's distinctive appearance, the key was that the Lifan Flower Faith Mark in Lu Jun's Star River resonated—a scent of a kindred spirit.
He sensed that beneath the refined and gentle exterior of the violet-eyed boy lurked a frenzied, twisted, indescribably evil entity, screaming hysterically at all times—an evil faith!
"The Black Vatican's dark arts are terrifying. A mere fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy, not yet awakened to magic, wields such immense power."
Lu Jun quickly assessed the situation. In his normal state, he wasn't a match. Even if he burned magical energy, transforming into a Ascension comparable to an official Monarch, he still wouldn't contend well.
That dark faith had already reached above the level of a conventional Monarch. How could a brief surge compare to long-term stability?
Don't be deceived by the image of Cold Prince being beaten by Mo Fan after becoming the Evil Monarch a year later—he appeared weak, easily bullied.
At that time, Mo Fan had demonized to absolute Monarch level, severely wounding the Sphinx, also a Supreme Monarch, and even withstanding a blow from Pharaoh Khufu. That didn't mean Cold Prince was weak.
"Cold Prince's dark arts must have a cost; they can't be wielded recklessly, or he would be invincible."
Lu Jun pondered, deciding to act opportunistically. He had no real fear, and wouldn't waste Time Liquid to evolve the Mermaid Spirit to maturity unless absolutely necessary.
Woo woo woo!
Suddenly, noise erupted at the airport. A gust of wind swept through as a plane docked. At the boarding gate, a delicate little girl with two long ponytails slowly dragged a piece of luggage up the stairs.
The escalator had temporarily malfunctioned. Her luggage was somewhat heavy, making it a bit of a struggle to lift.
Coincidentally, Cold Prince was descending. He politely asked, "Need some help?"
Lingling glanced at him, about to reply, when Lu Jun arrived just in time. He casually lifted the suitcase with one hand, patted the little girl's head with the other, and chuckled, "Long time no see, Lingling."
"Ah?" Lingling exclaimed in surprise. "Lu Jun? Did you come specifically to pick me up?"
"No!"
Lu Jun was always honest with people he wasn't interested in, speaking candidly.
Hearing this, Lingling's delicate face darkened. She shifted the topic, feigning annoyance, "Where's that guy Mo Fan? He didn't even come."
Seeing the two of them interacting so smoothly while he was left aside, Cold Prince's expression stiffened. He forced himself to suppress his anger, putting on a polite and humorous front, teasing, "Looks like I was imagining things. You two know each other? Are you one of your family's elders?"
"Hahaha."
Lu Jun feigned a hearty laugh, taking the opportunity to ruffle the violet-eyed boy's hair, sincerely saying, "No, no, in any case, I appreciate you. You have a kind heart, young man."
Cold Prince's hair was being tousled by a stranger, leaving him completely dumbfounded. Ever since becoming a Red Cardinal… no, ever since birth, no one had dared treat him like this!
Anger flared within him, wishing he could kill Lu Jun on the spot.
However, Cold Prince knew his current situation was unfavorable and couldn't act recklessly. He could only settle the score later, secretly sneering, "Kid, your life won't be long. Kind-hearted? Hahaha, what a joke from hell."
Outwardly, he spoke gently, "It's fine. One should be helpful when out in the world."
At this, Lu Jun's hands became even more vigorous. He even boldly pinched the violet-eyed boy's cheeks, grinning roughly, "Alright, alright, I admire you. You're just my type. According to American custom, how about I become your godfather?"
Upon hearing this, Cold Prince exploded in anger. Who the hell is whose father!?
Nearby, the man in the red robe—Chigu, the leading Inquisitor—sensed something amiss. As he approached, he suppressed a smile and exchanged a glance with Cold Prince, silently asking if he should eliminate this person.
Cold Prince gritted his teeth, swallowing his fury. "Cast the delayed curse. Once we leave, let him drop dead. Consider him lucky."
Chigu smiled lightly. Simple enough.
At this moment, Lu Jun sensed a strange, chilling aura invading his body. Before it could act, it was swallowed whole by the ancient kingly armor in his Curse Star River, leaving him completely unharmed.
He secretly chuckled, recognizing it as Cold Prince's hidden hand. Unbothered, his movements grew bolder and stronger, nearly turning Cold Prince's fair face red and swollen.
This was exhilarating—a Red Cardinal being toyed with like this.
Creak creak creak!
Lu Jun's rubbing caused the violet-eyed boy's face to emit creaking sounds, and he prompted, "Good boy, call your godfather so I can hear it."
Cold Prince's polite smile could no longer be maintained. Lowly groaning in pain, he shook his head to escape Lu Jun's grasp, his expression overtaken by anger and murderous intent, gritting his teeth, "You're looking for death!"
For additional chapters
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