DD Black White [139-141] (Patreon)

Chapter 139: Xu Jiujiu’s Provocation

The morning after the round of sixteen had ended, gentle dawn light crept across the sky as the sun slowly rose above the horizon.

Soft rays of light bathed the earth, draping all of Haiyuan City in a golden glow.

The sea breeze rustled lightly, carrying strands of moist air.

After these days of competition, apart from Robin, the other members of St. Freya Academy’s team had more or less won some support and affection from the audience.

After all, the members of St. Freya Academy were all handsome men and beautiful women with outstanding looks, naturally attracting audience favor.

Indeed, humans are mostly visual creatures—beautiful things always more easily catch the eye.

And so, as soon as Lu Jingming and his teammates set foot on the Eye of Abyss competition field, a wave of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the stands.

The cheers surged like a stormy tide, one wave after another as if they might overturn the entire arena.

Of course, when the Star Luo Royal Academy team took the stage in their golden uniforms, they drew a thunderous cheer of their own.

After all, this was Star Luo Empire’s home turf, and Star Luo Royal Academy’s supporters were numerous as well.

The format for the quarterfinals remained the same as the previous round: first a team battle, followed by individual elimination matches.

As time passed, the sky grew brighter. Today’s weather was exceptionally clear, the sky as blue and flawless as a jewel, uplifting everyone’s spirits.

No one knew if this was due to Haiyuan City’s soul tool climate control or simply a stroke of luck that brought such a beautiful, sunny day.

Soon, amid the audience’s eager anticipation, the match finally began.

Lu Jingming led Robin, Firefly, Gu Yue, Castorice, March uth, Jinhsi, and the rest of the team onto the field.

Across from them, Xu Jiujiu had changed into a sharp, fitted outfit and strode confidently to the stage at the head of her team.

Compared to her usual noble and elegant image, she now exuded a touch of heroic spirit—a unique charm that made Lu Jingming’s eyes light up.

Xu Jiujiu was not only the Star Luo princess but also the captain of the Star Luo Royal Academy team.

This was her first appearance in the tournament, and her very first match was against her lover, Lu Jingming.

The situation amused her, and as she looked at Lu Jingming, an unmistakable hint of provocation flickered in her eyes.

“Xiao Ming, Sister Jiujiu is provoking you!” March 7th said excitedly, sidling up to Lu Jingming with a mischievous grin as if she couldn’t wait to see some drama.

“You’re not going to go easy on her, are you? You’ve never shown mercy to us,” Gu Yue said, giving Lu Jingming a sideways glance.

If Lu Jingming hesitated because of his relationship with Xu Jiujiu, Gu Yue would definitely have a serious talk with him.

After all, back when they trained in the simulated universe, Lu Jingming had never held back against her!

“It’s a competition—it should look like one. No personal feelings, I won’t go easy,” Lu Jingming replied coolly.

This was, after all, a match. Even if he accidentally roughed up Jiujiu on the field, she surely wouldn’t hold a grudge.

Besides, as Lu Jingming glanced again at the provocative glint in Xu Jiujiu’s eyes, he thought: Since she’s the one provoking me, she must be ready for a beating!

“St. Freya Academy, Star Luo Royal Academy, prepare for the team battle!” Dan Heng announced from the center of the stage, his voice steady.

The two teams quickly lined up facing each other, yet the atmosphere was unexpectedly calm and without animosity.

March 7th stood behind Lu Jingming, playfully winking at Xu Jiujiu, looking absolutely adorable.

Meanwhile, the members of the Star Luo Royal team glanced curiously between their princess and Lu Jingming, intrigued by the rumors of their relationship.

As Star Luo Academy’s elite, they would all swear allegiance to the royal family upon graduation, so it was natural they’d heard bits about Xu Jiujiu and Lu Jingming.

“Both sides, fall back,” Dan Heng said calmly.

Xu Jiujiu and Lu Jingming exchanged a glance before each led their teams back a hundred meters.

Unlike Xu Jiujiu, who retreated to the very back of her team, Lu Jingming, as always, stood tall at the very front, like an indomitable spear.

“The match begins!” At Dan Heng’s command, his figure vanished from the platform.

Simultaneously, members of both teams released their martial souls and soul rings with blinding speed.

With a melodious song, Robin released her martial soul for the first time in the tournament and activated her soul skill.

In an instant, a pair of pure white wings unfurled behind her, shimmering gently in the sunlight like clouds.

At the same time, a glowing white halo appeared above her, radiating holy light.

Her first soul ring shone with bright purple, and as her song lingered in the air, Lu Jingming and his teammates were quietly encircled by a white aura.

Simultaneously, their previously steady soul power suddenly surged.

This was Robin’s first soul skill—White Winged Melody, which temporarily enhanced the entire team’s soul power level, providing a powerful boost.

Just as Robin displayed her martial soul and soul skill, a dragon’s roar suddenly echoed.

Golden light flashed on Jinhsi’s forehead, and a pair of small golden dragon horns slowly grew, beautiful and exquisite.

A faintly translucent platinum dragon appeared out of thin air, coiling protectively around Jinhsi, exuding a potent aura of light and the passage of time.

In Shrek Academy’s rest area, Bei Bei’s expression changed as he subconsciously clutched his chest, his face full of shock.

At that moment, he clearly felt his blood boiling like magma.

He frowned deeply and said gravely, “Such a powerful light attribute—stronger than my Radiant Holy Dragon!”

Hearing this, Ma Xiaotao’s expression changed as well.

Others might not know, but she was well aware: Bei Bei was the great-grandson of Dragon God Douluo Mu En and inherited the mighty Radiant Holy Dragon bloodline.

The light power contained in the Radiant Holy Dragon was among the very best in the soul master world, second only to the legendary Ultimate Light.

Could it be that this young dragon girl, Jinhsi from St. Freya Academy, actually possessed an Ultimate Light attribute?

Ma Xiaotao bit her lip, feeling uneasy. In her experience, ultimate-attribute soul masters were exceedingly rare. How could one just appear out of nowhere?

Back on the stage, Xu Jiujiu was not to be outdone. She released her martial soul.

A dazzling golden light flared from her forehead, as brilliant as a star.

Next, a golden rhombus-shaped gem slowly emerged from her forehead, shining with brilliant light.

The gem detached and floated upward, encircled by dreamy golden light as a magnificent crown quietly formed above her head.

The crown, seemingly composed of countless twinkling stars, each emitting a soft golden glow, centered on the rhombus gem and stretched backward in a flawless arc.

Eighteen large stars protruded upward, arranged in a beautiful ring, exuding a noble and elegant aura.

This was the Star Crown—Xu Jiujiu’s martial soul and the Star Crown Clan’s legacy soul.

Though an auxiliary-type martial soul, the Star Crown was as powerful as the famed Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, with even fewer shortcomings.

Its only real limitation was that it could only absorb starlight for cultivation at night.

The Star Crown, in this generation, had only three inheritors—rarer than the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

At this moment, two yellow, two purple, and one black soul rings appeared on Xu Jiujiu—she was a powerful Soul King at level 59, just one step from breaking through to Soul Emperor.

After Xu Jiujiu, the other Star Luo Royal team members released their martial souls:

Huang Heyun, vice-captain, had the Dark Demon Tiger martial soul, a level 57 power attack Soul King exuding a dark aura.

Yi Chen, Fire Element martial soul, level 55 control-type Soul King.

Wang Shiying, Wind Element martial soul, level 54 control-type Soul King.

Chen Xiaojie, Lightning Falcon martial soul, level 56 agility attack-type Soul King.

Sheng Yi, Giant Winged Vulture martial soul, level 56 defense-type Soul King.

Dugu Shangshan, Nether Savage Lion martial soul, level 56 power attack Soul King.

The Star Luo lineup was luxurious—everyone was a Soul King, most high-level and powerful, even more formidable than Dou Ling Royal Academy.

As for Xu Jiujiu, if not for the slower cultivation speed of auxiliary-type martial souls and the Star Crown’s reliance on nighttime starlight, she might already be a sub-twenty-year-old Soul Emperor.

Chapter 140: Jinhsi’s Ability

Lu Jingming’s lips curled into a faint smile as he prepared to greet his opponents.

A sacred brand quietly appeared on the back of his hand, blue lightning gathering rapidly around his Black Abyss Spear.

“That’s… a Stigmata! So Haiyuan City really does have Stigmata—but what grade is it?”

Compared to the match with Zhengtian Academy, this time, with many attentive eyes watching, Lu Jingming’s left hand Stigmata was quickly noticed.

At last, people realized the source of his sudden command of lightning.

Clearly, Lu Jingming had not only fused with a Stigmata but had awakened its power, gaining special abilities.

Unlike the Mountain-Moving Ape Stigmata, which granted gravity control, Lu Jingming’s was obviously lightning control.

Lightning continued to gather, gradually transforming the Black Abyss Spear into a dazzling lance of light.

Truthfully, Lu Jingming did this intentionally—to weaken the spear’s overwhelming power of disintegration.

He used lightning to insulate against the Black Abyss Spear’s deadly force, which, if unleashed in full, could seriously injure or even kill opponents in the tournament.

That’s why he used the Lightning Stigmata’s power.

His own strength was already too great and dangerous, so he had to self-limit and seal his power appropriately.

Otherwise, if touching him meant instant death, the match would lose all meaning!

It was the same for Castorice, who always suppressed her own deathly powers, as death-type abilities were inherently dangerous and hard to use in competition.

Even though the tournament rules didn’t explicitly ban killing, it was not encouraged. The tournament was about growth and exchange, not a life-and-death battlefield.

Besides, March 7th and the other girls were kind-hearted; if they killed someone in a match, even if they didn’t show it, it would bother them inside.

Lu Jingming understood this well—he didn’t want unnecessary rifts with the girls over such matters.

So, he would not kill on the field.

At that moment, his arm muscles tensed like a drawn bow, ready to throw.

In a flash, the lightning lance in his hand shot through the air like a meteor, shining brightly as it streaked toward the other side.

The air split with a shrill whistle as the lightning lance flew.

Xu Jiujiu, knowing Lu Jingming’s strength, grew serious at this attack.

Her Star Crown flared, dazzling gold illuminating one corner of the arena.

At the same time, her third spirit ring shone brightly as she released her third soul skill—Stellar Radiance!

A blazing golden pillar shot skyward, swirling with dreamy golden mist and starlight, as if the universe’s stars had gathered here—mysterious and breathtaking.

The golden mist spread, enveloping all members of the Star Luo team.

Empowered by the Stellar Radiance, the Star Luo members were shrouded in golden mist, their aura surging.

Wang Shiying, cloaked in golden mist, stepped forward as wild winds gathered, forming a sharp wind lance.

Her second soul ring glowed, and the wind lance became a raging vortex, hurtling toward the incoming lightning lance.

“Boom—!”

Lightning and wind collided violently, exploding in midair as a brilliant orb, the shockwave spreading outward.

Lu Jingming raised an eyebrow—though he’d struck casually, Wang Shiying shouldn’t have been able to block it alone.

Clearly, Xu Jiujiu’s Stellar Radiance was stronger than he expected.

No wonder the Star Crown, once the empire’s salvation, possessed such potent augmentation.

Seeing his probing attack blocked, Firefly burst into flames and shot toward Xu Jiujiu like a meteor.

Thoughtful Firefly wanted to help Lu Jingming, lest he go easy on Xu Jiujiu and get nagged by Gu Yue.

But just then, two figures blocked her way—Huang Heyun and Dugu Shangshan, both shrouded in dark and golden mist, transformed into their beast forms and worked together to intercept her.

Firefly’s fists blazed like twin suns as she unleashed powerful punches.

“Bang—!”

A wild shockwave blasted out, knocking Huang Heyun and Dugu Shangshan back, carving deep grooves in the ground.

The two exchanged shocked glances—empowered by the Princess’s skill, even Soul Emperors would fear them, yet Firefly forced them back with a single punch.

They were relieved for the augmentation—otherwise, a girl under fifteen would have floored them.

But quickly, their eyes grew determined—they absolutely could not let Firefly near the Princess.

“Third soul skill, Dark Power!”

“Second soul skill, Nether Frenzy!”

They roared and released their augmentation skills, growing even more formidable, and charged Firefly again.

On the other side, Chen Xiaojie transformed into lightning and sped toward Robin.

He was nervous—Robin had many fans, and attacking her would earn their ire, but for victory, he had to target the opposing support.

After all, with a super-support like Xu Jiujiu on their own team, he knew how crucial supports were.

So, despite his worries, he went for Robin.

Jinhsi remained calm, her fingers conjuring a long blade—her soul tool crafted by Herta, which would grow stronger with her.

With a flick, the blade transformed into a brilliant arc, slashing at Chen Xiaojie.

Chen Xiaojie was prepared, his fourth soul ring gleaming.

His body split into four identical bolts of lightning, each darting in a different direction—his fourth soul skill, Lightning Clone.

Jinhysi’s attack missed, but she stayed calm, flicking her fingers again as her first soul ring glowed—her first soul skill, Floating Light and Chill.

The blade flashed again, aiming at all four targets.

Chen Xiaojie smiled confidently, thinking the blade hit a clone, but in the next instant, blood spurted as he fell, dazed.

“How…?”

He gazed in disbelief at the wound on his chest, blood soaking his clothes. Hadn’t it just hit a clone? Why did his real body get cut? He vaguely saw four slashes—what was going on?

The blade returned to Jinhsi’s side. She shook her head slightly—her first soul skill compressed time, allowing four simultaneous attacks. She didn’t need to distinguish between clones and the real one—she’d simply strike them all.

Xu Jiujiu frowned—her team was at a disadvantage right as the fight began.

Determined not to let her little boyfriend look down on her, she raised her hand gracefully, pointing to the sky.

A golden light shone from her fingertip as her Star Crown flashed again, sending a thin golden beam arcing toward Lu Jingming’s team.

Lu Jingming sensed its power but felt no threat, so he let the light fall on him.

The golden light seemed to add only a visual effect, but it was actually her first soul skill—Star Guidance, which locked their position for follow-up attacks.

Xu Jiujiu clearly planned to use it in combination with another move.

Chapter 141: One Sky’s Finale

Xu Jiujiu’s Star Guidance was a setup for her next skill—Stellar Fall.

Her second soul ring shone as she smiled confidently, soul power surging.

Dozens of streaking stars appeared high above the arena, falling like meteors.

If not for the sunlight, the scene would have been stunningly beautiful.

Guided by Star Guidance, the falling stars homed in precisely on Lu Jingming’s team—a unique, lock-on attack strategy, showcasing the Star Crown’s incredible versatility in both support and offense.

“Watch this!” March 7th cried out, pulling her pink bow as her fifth soul ring glowed, icy blue soul power pooling into a chilling arrow.

She released the string, and the arrow split into seven streaks, falling on Lu Jingming’s team.

In an instant, icy blue shields formed around them, and the golden glow from Star Guidance was purified away.

Freed from the lock, they easily dodged the meteor attack—or, if not, the shields would have blocked it.

This was March 7th’s fifth soul skill—Pure White Wish, a powerful group cleanse and defense.

Xu Jiujiu was taken aback—her carefully planned attack nullified by March 7th.

A powerful Ultimate Ice soul master, using defense and support rather than offense or control. What a surprise.

On the field, the sound of a thousand birds chirping—in reality, the roar of lightning—erupted as Lu Jingming, wrapped in lightning, dashed toward Xu Jiujiu at lightning speed.

He’d already said he wouldn’t hold back—he really meant to knock Xu Jiujiu out.

“Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Wind and Fire!”

Seeing Lu Jingming approach, Wang Shiying and Yi Chen exchanged glances and acted together.

Blue and red auras merged behind them, wind and fire fusing into a massive blue-red beam, blazing with heat, shooting at Lu Jingming.

This fusion skill, empowered by Xu Jiujiu’s Stellar Radiance, was as deadly as an all-out Soul Sage attack!

Lu Jingming frowned, his fourth soul ring shining as he used his fourth soul skill—Judgment Sky Spear.

Dark energy gathered, forming a spear radiating death, its power to disintegrate everything warping the very air.

He thrust it forward, the tip meeting the incoming beam.

The moment they touched, the disintegration force devoured the beam, snuffing it out instantly.

The crowd was stunned—such destructive power, and such a calm resolution.

Lu Jingming’s Black Abyss power had always hinted at a destructive nature, but seeing it so easily neutralize a fusion attack was chilling.

Xu Jiujiu, seeing her teammates’ strongest attack fail, only winked playfully at Lu Jingming, a hint of pride on her lips.

Then, before Lu Jingming could react, she flipped her hand, producing a golden orb and tossing it at him.

Instinctively, Lu Jingming thrust his spear at it.

But just before his spear made contact, the orb suddenly expanded into a giant golden cube, trapping him inside.

At each corner of the cube, a golden bead spun rapidly, flashing with dazzling light and absorbing energy from the air.

Lu Jingming’s spear struck the cube, but only a faint ripple appeared.

“Huh?” Lu Jingming was surprised—his disintegration power hadn’t instantly broken the cube.

The crowd was stunned—everyone thought Xu Jiujiu was about to be eliminated, but in a twist, Lu Jingming was now trapped.

In the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy’s rest area, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen exclaimed, “Absolute Defense Soul Tool!”

This seventh-level sealing-type soul tool could perfectly imprison someone in a golden cube, with defenses rivaling a Soul Douluo and a duration of up to fifteen minutes.

Its only weakness was the golden beads outside, but breaking them required Soul Sage-level power.

Lu Jingming’s disintegration power battled the tool’s self-repair. Unless he amped up his power, he’d have to wait for rescue or for the soul tool to run out of energy.

Lu Jingming felt a bit speechless—he could break it, but Xu Jiujiu was being so extravagant. Did she really need to use such a valuable soul tool when they were sure to lose? It was worth tens of thousands of gold soul coins!

After all, Xu Jiujiu’s things were his too—if he broke it, wasn’t that wasting his own property?

“Hmph!” Gu Yue snorted—knowing full well Lu Jingming wouldn’t really be trapped. In the simulated universe, she’d been beaten by that black spear countless times.

Wind gathered under her feet, lifting her gently into the air.

Her soul rings flashed as she activated Elemental Control and Elemental Tide, stirring a fierce storm across the arena.

Dragon roars echoed as pure wind formed into a massive blue dragon behind her.

Wind whipped her hair as her eyes flashed cold.

“One Sky’s Finale!” she intoned, and the dragon let out a deafening roar, its wings blotting out the sky.

Dozens, then hundreds of blue magic circles appeared in the air, streaming blue light like a meteor shower toward Xu Jiujiu and her team.

The air split with sharp whistles, the scene spectacular.

Gu Yue’s soul skills mostly enhanced her elemental control, with few direct attack or defense abilities. But as a deity—indeed, a god-king—self-made moves were easy.

This “One Sky’s Finale,” co-developed with Lu Jingming in the simulated universe, was as powerful as a ten-thousand-year soul skill.

Xu Jiujiu’s crown shone, spreading a giant golden shield over her and her team.

On the shield, eighteen golden stars glowed with immense power.

Despite the storm of attacks, the shield merely rippled slightly, with only one star dimming a bit.

Xu Jiujiu smiled confidently—this was her fourth soul skill, Star Guard, the Star Crown’s signature ability.

It possessed attribute isolation and absolute defense—even a Soul Sage would struggle to break it in a short time.

The skill took eighteen days to charge but offered peerless protection.

Even Guyue’s One Sky’s Finale, as powerful as a Soul Emperor’s all-out strike, only consumed one day’s worth of the shield’s energy.

In the VIP stands, Xu Jiawei smiled with satisfaction.

The Star Crown’s true legacy hadn’t been seen for ages—perhaps people had forgotten its strength.

With its attribute isolation, even Ultimate Ice or Ultimate Fire couldn’t breach Star Guard unless their attack exceeded its upper limit.