DD Black White [142-144] (Patreon)

Chapter 142: Live to fight, fight to live!

The Guardian of the Stars was not only astonishingly defensive but also cleverly divided the battlefield.

Outside the golden barrier were Gu Yue and the other team members from St. Freya Academy, while inside the barrier were Lu Jingming, who was sealed within the golden cube, and Firefly, who was left to face five enemies alone.

At this moment, Yichen rapidly formed seals with her hands in front of her. In an instant, a blazing ring of fire appeared out of thin air, quickly enveloping Firefly.

At the same time, Wang Shiying was not to be outdone. She also released a ring of cyan light, which accurately landed on Firefly.

The blue and red halos overlapped, erupting with tremendous power at the same time.

As the saying goes, wind fuels fire. The powers contained in the two halos rose together, and a series of deafening shrieks and booms erupted in the air.

Centered on Firefly, a giant pillar of wind and fire shot skyward. The blazing flames, with the help of the raging wind, grew even more violent and explosive as if they would devour everything.

However, just as it seemed the wind-fire pillar would completely engulf Firefly, an even stronger, hotter flame suddenly surged up.

This flame was wild and scorching, instantly dispersing the fierce wind-fire pillar.

Immediately after, a silver-white mecha, wreathed in flames, roared out from the pillar of fire.

The mecha, surrounded by violent air currents, shot like a high-speed projectile straight at Xu Jiujiu.

Seeing this, Shengyi did not hesitate to step forward.

His wings, as strong as steel, instantly transformed into a sturdy shield, blocking in front of Xu Jiujiu.

Soul rings glimmered on Shengyi's body, golden mist swirling around him. He focused all his attention on the charging Firefly.

"Boom!"

Firefly punched fiercely, her powerful force exploding in the air with a crisp cracking sound.

Violent flames, carrying scorching shockwaves, swept outwards like a raging tide.

Dust flew, and smoke filled the air.

As the smoke gradually dispersed, a huge pit appeared before everyone's eyes.

In the pit, Shengyi was kneeling on one knee. On his wings, which were as hard as steel, there was a deep fist mark.

Nevertheless, Shengyi barely managed to block Firefly's attack. Taking advantage of this gap, Xu Jiujiu quickly moved away from Firefly.

Meanwhile, Huang Heyun, Dugu Shangshan, Yichen, and Wang Shiying quickly surrounded Firefly.

Clearly, Firefly was about to face a five-on-one siege.

The audience erupted in loud cheers at this dramatic scene—they loved this kind of contest full of twists and turns.

Originally, everyone thought St. Freya Academy would dominate the match, but things turned out completely unexpectedly: St. Freya Academy was placed at a great disadvantage.

Lu Jingming was temporarily sealed in the golden cube, Firefly besieged by five enemies, and the rest of the team cut off outside the Guardian of the Stars, unable to help.

To the audience, this meant St. Freya Academy was in an unprecedented crisis.

Yet, March 7th and others showed no sign of worry. They clearly understood their teammates' strength and were not panicked.

Besides, they were not idle; they were methodically taking action to deplete the Guardian of the Stars energy reserves.

In a short time, five of the eighteen golden stars on the shield had already gone out—the situation was subtly changing again.

"Fourth Soul Skill, Combustion!"

Firefly shouted, and as she faced the five-enemy encirclement, the crimson flames on her body instantly turned into strange emerald green.

On the silver-white mecha, intricate emerald green patterns spread as if given life.

"Boom!"

A shockingly strong aura exploded, centered on Firefly, shattering the ground several meters around her feet.

Terrifyingly high temperatures instantly ignited the surrounding air. In the blink of an eye, the inside of the Guardian of the Stars became a sea of raging flames.

The blazing fire spread wantonly, and the temperature soared wherever it went, making it feel like purgatory.

Xu Jiujiu and the others instantly felt their breaths catch as if invisible hands were tightly choking their throats, making it almost impossible to breathe.

The extreme heat seemed to evaporate all the oxygen in the air, making every breath agonizingly difficult.

Huang Heyun and Dugu Shangshan looked at each other and saw determination in each other's eyes.

They roared and charged at Firefly, while Yichen and Wang Shiying pressed their palms together and once again unleashed their Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

In an instant, the wind and fire elements merged, blue and red lights intertwining, finally converging into a thick energy cannon.

With a piercing sound, the cannon streaked past Huang Heyun and Dugu Shangshan like a brilliant meteor, blasting towards Firefly.

Facing this torrent-like attack, Firefly did not retreat.

Emerald flames quickly gathered in her hands, instantly forming two emerald green flaming swords radiating cold light.

"I will fight for myself, until everything... burns to ashes!!"

As her words fell, the green sword light suddenly burst forth, sword energy crossing like sharp lightning, slashing through the air straight towards the blue-red energy cannon.

"Boom!"

The two forces collided, triggering a massive blast and shockwave.

The violent energy storm ravaged everything nearby. Within dozens of meters, the stage was pulverized, debris flying like rain, raising a thick cloud of dust.

Fortunately, the stage was made of a special memory metal and would automatically repair itself afterward, so there was no need for special repairs from Haiyuan City.

Amid the explosion, Huang Heyun and Dugu Shangshan charged out, aiming straight for Firefly.

"Live to fight, fight to live!"

Firefly clenched her right fist, bent low, and with all her strength, punched the ground beneath her.

"Boom!"

The moment her fist struck the incredibly hard stage, time seemed to freeze within the Guardian of the Stars, everything falling silent.

Then, like a dormant volcano erupting, an earth-shattering roar exploded out.

Flames, mixed with shattered metal fragments and violent shockwaves, surged toward Huang Heyun and Dugu Shangshan.

The two were instantly knocked back by the massive force, crashing heavily to the ground.

At this moment, everyone in the audience stared at Firefly in shock and awe.

They could hardly believe that beneath the tall silver-white mecha was a beautiful, lovely girl as pure as moonlight.

Yet at this moment, she was like a war goddess descended, single-handedly suppressing five opponents, displaying unmatched strength.

After a brief daze, the audience erupted in thunderous applause, wave after wave resounding throughout the arena.

Lu Jingming was floating leisurely within the golden cube, shaking his head slightly. Dragging Firefly into the Guardian of the Stars was undoubtedly a huge mistake by Xu Jiujiu.

Among the seven from St. Freya Academy, Firefly had the richest combat experience and unmatched destructive power.

In terms of strength, apart from himself, Firefly was probably the strongest.

Though all were Soul Kings, Firefly's power was worlds apart from that of the Soul Kings from Star Luo Royal Academy.

After repelling her opponents, Firefly immediately locked eyes with Xu Jiujiu.

The next moment, fire exploded, and she turned into a blur, charging toward Xu Jiujiu.

She hadn't forgotten her goal—to help Lu Jingming out of trouble.

"Fifth Soul Skill, Stellar Radiance!"

The moment Firefly erupted, Xu Jiujiu was already prepared; now she finally unleashed her fifth soul skill.

Her soul power surged, with 90% siphoned away and transformed into dazzling golden light, falling like rain over her five team.

Bathed in this golden light, their previously depleted soul power was instantly restored, and they received Xu Jiujiu's soul power boost, greatly enhancing their strength.

At the same time, the five quickly lined up. In addition to the golden light, a layer of soft white light gradually covered them.

The white light gathered behind them, forming a disc that resembled a turtle shell.

Starting from Yichen at the back, she placed her hand on Wang Shiying's back, who did the same to Shengyi, then to Dugu Shangshan, and finally to Huang Heyun at the front.

They were tightly linked by this mystical white light.

Huang Heyun, at the front, felt the surging soul power from his teammates and instantly grew larger.

With the Dark Demon Tiger's possession, his aura soared like a rocket, and he let out an earth-shattering tiger roar.

The roar was deafening as if breaking through the clouds, announcing his strength to the world.

Facing Firefly, Huang Heyun no longer had any fear—only confidence.

He clenched his fists tightly, dark energy swirling madly in his hands, then fiercely struck out.

Firefly, unafraid, chose to meet him head-on, punching forward with both fists.

"Boom!"

Their fists collided, detonating the air with a thunderous blast.

A violent rush of air radiated from the collision, shattering the ground and leaving a massive crater in the stage.

In the pit, Firefly showed a hint of surprise.

This time, her opponent did not collapse instantly as before, but instead grimly withstood her powerful blow.

"Ninefold Soul Converter!"

In the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's lounge, Xiao Hongchen's voice grew sharp in surprise.

He never expected Star Luo Royal Academy to be so skilled in using soul devices.

Even their own academy hadn't brought such a high-end soul device as the Ninefold Soul Converter.

The converter could change soul power attributes, outputting balanced energy regardless of input.

With it, soul masters could easily transfer soul power between each other with minimal loss.

Clearly, Star Luo Royal Academy was channeling five people's soul power into Huang Heyun.

With Xu Jiujiu's Stellar Radiance and Stellar Brilliance boosts, Huang Heyun's combat strength had reached Soul Emperor level, and not a low one at that.

Apart from lacking one soul ring and skill, he could be considered a high-level Soul Emperor.

That's why he could temporarily withstand Firefly's stormy onslaught.

Though he succeeded, Huang Heyun's face unavoidably flushed.

As the converter's key link, he bore tremendous pressure and would need at least three months to recover after the match.

But just holding on wasn't enough—he knew he had to end this quickly.

With another roar, a giant black tiger phantom appeared behind him.

With terrifying soul power, the black tiger became corporeal, vivid and lifelike.

It raised a massive paw, claws tearing through the air with a shrill howl, striking fiercely at Firefly.

Huang Heyun planned to use his vast power to suppress Firefly and defeat her in one go.

Firefly would not just sit and wait. She compressed and condensed her flames, then unleashed them in a sudden burst.

Explosions rang out one after another.

Huang Heyun and Firefly clashed repeatedly in the firelight, each collision triggering violent energy shocks, as if the whole arena trembled with their battle.

Chapter 143: I Will Ignite the Sea of Stars

"Enough, it's time to end this." Lu Jingming stretched lazily inside the golden cube. Suddenly, the Black Abyss Spear appeared in his hand.

A dark spear tip rapidly condensed its power—the decomposition force of Black Abyss focused at a point.

His gaze sharpened, his aura exploded, and he stabbed the spear fiercely at the golden shield.

Black and red lightning exploded in the air, dazzling the eyes.

"Crack!"

With a sound like glass shattering, black cracks appeared on the golden cube's surface.

From the cracks, endless darkness streamed out, as if the power of darkness was breaking free.

Meanwhile, outside the Guardian of the Stars, Jinhsi floated quietly in midair, hands elegantly forming seals, her fourth soul ring glowing with black light.

"Fourth Soul Skill, Benevolent Grace!"

At her soft invocation, a platinum dragon phantom slowly appeared behind her.

At the dragon's head, the power of light frenziedly gathered and compressed, as if gathering all the world's light.

"Zzzzt!"

A golden beam of light slashed through the sky like a sword.

This dragon breath, formed from ultimate light, carried a holy and powerful purifying force, blasting the Guardian of the Stars like a flood.

In an instant, the eight remaining golden stars dimmed, losing their brilliance.

The shield of the Guardian of the Stars shattered like fragile glass, falling in countless fragments.

"Poof!"

With the shield broken, Xu Jiujiu suffered fierce backlash, spitting blood.

Her body, carried by the shockwave, flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

Lu Jingming flashed behind her, catching her waist and steadying her.

Seeing the blood at her lips, he felt a trace of pity.

He gently wiped away the blood and said helplessly, "Why push yourself so hard, Jiujiu?"

"Well, I can't let you look down on me!"

Xu Jiujiu leaned into Lu Jingming's chest, her voice soft but stubborn from exhaustion and injury.

"Well, you've succeeded. The Star Crown Martial Soul's power—I see it now," Lu Jingming said sincerely.

It truly was strong. The Guardian of the Stars alone, with its attribute-isolating power, was enough to make it a top-tier support martial soul.

Not to mention its offensive power.

"I will ignite the sea of stars!"

After repelling Huang Heyun again, Firefly's flames blazed, lifting her mecha into the air.

She hovered briefly, then, using gravity and the thrust of her flames, launched a flying kick at Huang Heyun.

The roaring flames, rubbing fiercely against the air, let out a "whoosh."

The audience saw a dazzling fire meteor strike downward at lightning speed.

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion rocked the entire stage.

At the center, a massive fireball surged up like a newborn sun.

The powerful shockwave, with its scorching heat, swept the arena.

The temperature in the arena rose sharply, making everyone feel the terrifying power.

As the dazzling fire faded and the smoke cleared, a scene of devastation appeared.

Huang Heyun, Dugu Shangshan, and the others lay motionless in the ruins.

They were all injured and clearly unable to continue fighting.

"Sigh, we still lost," Xu Jiujiu sighed, unwillingly.

She was fiercely competitive. Otherwise, knowing Lu Jingming's team's strength, she wouldn't have used precious soul devices and all her trump cards.

Even so, she did her best but still lost.

Though unwilling, she had to admit St. Freya Academy was stronger, and she accepted her defeat.

Just then, Dan Heng quietly appeared on stage.

He solemnly announced, "Quarterfinals: Star Luo Royal Academy versus St. Freya Academy. St. Freya Academy wins."

With the result announced, the audience's applause surged like a tide.

This match was a visual and sensory feast—truly spectacular.

Unexpected events, twists, and fierce combat kept everyone enthralled.

The quarterfinals lasted two days.

In the individual elimination round, Star Luo Royal Academy chose to forfeit.

After the tough match with St. Freya Academy, Xu Jiujiu knew the gap between them and Lu Jingming's team.

And since St. Freya represented the Star Luo Empire, they decided not to make more trouble for St. Freya.

Of course, to Lu Jingming, Star Luo Royal Academy wasn't much trouble anyway—but he wouldn't say that to Xu Jiujiu's face.

With the quarterfinals over, the Soul Master Academy Tournament neared its end.

After many fierce rounds, the final four were St. Freya Academy, Sun & Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Shrek Academy, and Dou Ling Academy.

The audience widely agreed these four deserved it.

Throughout the tournament, each academy had revealed their full strength.

Sun-Moon had a formidable Soul Emperor; Dou Ling Academy also had one; Shrek and St. Freya were beyond question.

Any of these would be contenders in any previous tournament—except perhaps the last one.

Chapter 144: Möbius's Experiment

Those scenes that triggered his negative emotions included not just his mother, but also moments of disdain from Wu Feng, open provocation, humiliation by Dai Huabin, and the unfair treatment after winning the rookie championship.

There was the trauma of assassination by the Wuchang Division, being left disabled, and the injustice of Dai Huabin escaping punishment—these memories haunted Huo Yuhao's mind, refusing to fade.

All these painful memories constantly tormented Huo Yuhao, fueling his anger, hatred, and other negative emotions.

Fortunately, under Electrolux's guidance, Huo Yuhao gradually learned to control his emotions.

With strong willpower, he managed to suppress them, and his life was getting better: friendship with Wang Dong and others, growing strength, and hope filled his heart. Those negative emotions could no longer shake his will.

"Oh? His mental will is so strong—unexpected. I heard he was full of hatred and thought he'd soon be consumed by negative emotions!"

Möbius's slender finger tapped her crimson lips, her snake-like eyes showing Huo Yuhao's meditating figure in the hotel room.

"What are you thinking? He's a child of destiny, and even Tang San is watching him!" On the rooftop of a skyscraper, Lu Jingming sat beside Möbius, looking curious.

"That's what makes it fun, doesn't it? Don't worry, you told me about the God Realm, right? That Sea God can't descend easily. The God of Destruction won't allow it. It's just a wisp of divine sense. Are you afraid?"

Möbius smiled meaningfully, full of teasing.

Lu Jingming shook his head. Sea God Tang San's true body couldn't descend at will. The God of Destruction wouldn't allow it.

Unless their actions truly threatened the God Realm.

But given Möbius's wild, unrestrained personality, it was only a matter of time before she targeted the God Realm.

"Fine, just don't go too far!"

By now, Lu Jingming was much more confident than when he first arrived in this world.

He was cautious then; now, he no longer saw the God Realm or Tang San as insurmountable obstacles.

If the worst happened, he could always escape to a parallel universe.

He didn't believe the God Realm could chase him across worlds, and he doubted he'd ever reach that point.

He didn't stop Möbius from experimenting on Huo Yuhao.

To him, Huo Yuhao's fate wasn't his concern.

On the contrary, he was curious what would happen next.

Möbius was unpredictable and eccentric, but she always produced interesting results.

Lu Jingming sometimes thought he was a bit of a fun-seeker too; if he went to the Star Rail Universe, Aha should give him a mask to join the party.

Even if he couldn't be a Joyful Envoy, he could sneak into the tavern for some fun.

…

At dawn, warm sunlight shone between the skyscrapers.

Reflected by the glass walls, it painted Haiyuan City with rainbow hues, making it look like a dreamland.

At this time, the St. Freya Academy team, dressed in white and purple uniforms, appeared by the sea.

Their appearance instantly drew massive attention and thunderous cheers from the crowd.

From over a hundred teams at the start, through round after round of fierce competition, only four remained.

The tournament had lasted over a month and was nearing its end.

With its momentum, Haiyuan City was bustling more than ever.

Even after the tournament, the excitement would last.

The semifinals were different from the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, both team battles and individual eliminations mattered. If tied, a third 2v2/3v3 match would decide victory.

On the first day, the team battles were held first.

To ensure fairness, the draw for the semifinals would be public, with all four captains drawing lots themselves.

Soon, Lu Jingming, Ma Xiaotao, Jiang Peng of Dou Ling Academy, and Ma Rulong of Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy stood on the grand podium.

"The semifinal draw will be hosted by His Majesty!" Changli smiled warmly, handing the container with four red balls to Xu Jiawei.

"All right, let me begin the semifinals!"

Xu Jiawei took the four balls and threw them skyward.

As they arced down, Jiang Peng, Ma Xiaotao, and Ma Rulong exchanged glances and leaped up, each catching a ball.

Lu Jingming didn't care who his opponent was—he was confident he could lead St. Freya Academy to victory either way.

When the others landed, he calmly caught the last ball.

He squeezed it, and a slip of paper fell out—marked "1."

Ma Xiaotao revealed a "2" on hers.

Ma Rulong and Jiang Peng's faces darkened.

Because, whichever number they drew, they would inevitably face either Shrek or St. Freya.

As each ball was opened, Ma Rulong's face grew gloomier.

He had drawn "1," and Jiang Peng "2."

"Draw complete. Semifinal, first match: St. Freya Academy vs. Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy," Changli announced.

On the giant soul screen, the matchup was displayed, and the atmosphere grew tense.

"Players, take the stage!" Dan Heng called precisely.

Shortly after, both teams stepped onto the broad stage.

Lu Jingming was already familiar with Sun & Moon's lineup.

Their leader was Soul Emperor Ma Rulong. Behind him were the powerful siblings Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, and teammates Mi Jia, Xiao Xiafeng, Chen Fei, and Lin Xi—a luxurious lineup of one Soul Emperor and six Soul Kings.

Even the normally arrogant Xiao Hongchen looked serious now.

His gaze burned with fighting spirit, while Meng Hongchen's eyes often drifted to Lu Jingming.

The teams lined up face to face.

The audience's eyes were fixed on the screen and stage, filled with anticipation.

After all, the teams couldn't be more different: St. Freya was one man and six women; Sun & Moon, one woman and six men. Such a matchup was a spectacle in itself.

"Hey, take it easy on us in the match, Lu Jingming~!"

Meng Hongchen winked playfully at Lu Jingming as if joking with a friend rather than about to fight.

"I don't mind, but your brother might not like it!"

Lu Jingming smiled faintly, gesturing for her to look at Xiao Hongchen.

Sure enough, Xiao Hongchen's face was dark and veins bulged on his forehead.

If not for the audience, he might have disciplined his lovestruck sister again.

"Xiao Ming, is Meng Hongchen interested in you?" March 7th poked Lu Jingming's waist, whispering teasingly.

"What do you think?" Lu Jingming rolled his eyes.

Maybe Meng Hongchen was attracted to his looks, but he knew it was just on the surface.

Once the fight began, she wouldn't hold back.

Gradually, both teams spread out.

In soul master tournaments, distance mattered for soul engineers—the farther, the better for them.

But the rules capped it at 100 meters for fairness.

Once at the set distance, Dan Heng solemnly waved his hand: "Match, begin!"

Everyone focused intensely.

At Dan Heng's signal, the highly anticipated semifinal began.

Sun & Moon acted immediately.

Lin Xi swiftly took out a unique shield; as he poured soul power into it, a giant golden shield materialized, blocking his team.

Clearly, Lin Xi was a defense specialist, tasked with setting up a wall.

Meanwhile, soul power fluctuations filled the stage, and mechanical noises rang out.

Apart from Meng Hongchen, all Sun & Moon members produced various uniquely shaped soul devices.

In an instant, a dense barrage of soul device shells and rays rained down on St. Freya's side like a meteor shower.

The attacks came in all colors and forms, each with different properties and effects.

This was the soul engineers' fighting style—overwhelming firepower.

Their tactic was clear: use this first salvo to blast St. Freya Academy off the stage.

This strategy had worked in previous matches, rarely failing to overwhelm other academies.