DD Black White [214-216] (Patreon)

Chapter 214: Firefly's Proposal

The Body Sect was overwhelmingly strong—a Soul Emperor paired with several Soul Kings. Even when the three Elemental Academies tried to gang up on them, they were crushed with ease, losing several teammates in the process.

Now, none of the three Elemental Academies' teams were at full strength. Many members had been eliminated by the powerful Body-type soul masters during the fight.

Huo Wu helped the injured Huo Wushuang, whose left arm was broken, to sit down. She took out some recovery potions they'd collected to restore both soul power and heal wounds.

Thinking back to the battle, Huo Wu couldn't help but recall the golden-haired girl. That girl had claimed to be a Body Martial Soul user as well and even invited Huo Wu to join the Body Sect.

Huo Wu's martial soul was the Fire Shadow, a mutated version of the Shadow martial soul with a focus on fire attributes. Calling it a Body Martial Soul wasn't entirely wrong.

However, Huo Wu had never even heard of the Body Sect before and flatly refused the invitation. Predictably, her refusal was followed by a brutal beating.

If not for the selfless sacrifice of her teammates, everyone but Shui Bing'er from the three academies would have been eliminated. After all, only Shui Bing'er had reached the Soul King rank, and with the help of her Stigmata, she was barely able to stand against the Body Sect's strong fighters.

Of course, even she wasn't a match for that Body Sect Soul Emperor. In the end, Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu had to use their fusion skill to temporarily restrain the Soul Emperor, allowing everyone else to escape.

However, in their rushed retreat, they failed to recover their teammates' revival chips. That area was now covered by the poison zone, making retrieval impossible.

"This tournament is way too hard. There's even a Soul Emperor!" Shui Yue'er grumbled, leaning against Shui Bing'er.

She had high hopes for this tournament, believing Skywater Academy could shine thanks to Shui Bing'er's strength. But right out of the gate, they'd run into such formidable foes, shattering all her confidence.

Just then, a roaring fire shot up from the direction they'd just fled; waves of hot air swept their way.

"Someone's fighting?" Huo Wu and the others looked back, immediately thinking of the Body Sect team that had crushed them.

"I'll go check!" Feeling the intense energy fluctuations, Shui Yue'er guessed the Body Sect had run into a tough opponent. She quickly took out a soul tool telescope, climbed a tree, and looked toward the battle.

Soon, she could see—through the telescope—a Body Sect Soul Emperor fighting a silver-white mecha.

At the sight of the mecha, Shui Yue'er's pupils shrank in shock. It looked exactly like the one from that filth point which had almost taken her aunt away, only a different color.

Clearly, she was seeing the real deal this time.

"Guess who I just saw!" she exclaimed, jumping down excitedly.

…

Meanwhile, in the Body Sect's camp, Long Aotian was sent flying like a broken kite, smashing through several trees.

"So strong!" Long Aotian emerged from the dust, eyes blazing with fighting spirit as he stared at the silver-white mecha, ablaze with fire.

The opponent's strength, defense, and speed were all far above his own. As the Body Sect's young master, his physical power surpassed even top-tier Beast Martial Soul users of the same rank—he could even take on a Soul Sage. Yet before Firefly, he'd been completely overwhelmed in just a few moves, especially by that deadly fire.

"That's enough, Aotian, Firefly, stop it!" Weina hurried between them, looking exasperated.

Long Aotian always loved challenging the strong, so seeing Firefly ignited his battle spirit. Firefly didn't refuse, and their fierce fight had just erupted.

"Firefly, are you alone?" Weina turned to ask after calming Long Aotian.

She remembered Firefly normally stuck close to Robin and March 7th.

"We're not interested in the championship—just wandering around." As the flames faded and the mecha vanished, Firefly landed lightly.

She'd just happened to pass by and stopped to greet Weina, whom she barely considered a friend.

"Not interested in the championship?" A glint flashed in Weina's eyes.

She was sharp; from this short sentence, she sensed a lot. The prize for this first simulated universe tournament was unprecedented—ten-thousand-year soul bones and Stigmatas. She'd thought Haiyuan City must have rigged things for St. Freya Academy to win. But now it seemed they really intended to give away these top prizes.

Weina had interacted with Robin and knew how strong they were. With teammates just as powerful, Weina couldn't think of any team that could beat St. Freya Academy.

But since when did Haiyuan City get so rich? Even among the Body Sect or the empire's royal family, a ten-thousand-year soul bone was a priceless treasure, unthinkable as a competition prize.

Still, with Snow Moon Douluo and Lady Herta backing Haiyuan City, maybe it wasn't impossible.

"Firefly, want to team up with us?" Weina schemed. If she could bring Firefly and Long Aotian together, the Body Sect would basically have the championship in the bag.

Firefly fell silent. She'd already toured the island once, and not a single opponent had piqued her interest. It was too boring—she'd considered quitting the tournament outright.

But Weina's invitation sparked a new idea. The other teams were no match, but her own friends—Castorice, Jinhsi, Lu Jingming—were all worthy opponents. Why not split up and compete against each other?

With this thought, Firefly agreed to Weina's invitation and sent her plan to Lu Jingming and the others.

…

"Did I spoil Firefly?" Lu Jingming thought wryly on receiving the message. It was hard to imagine Firefly suggesting such a mischievous for fun competition.

But it was a good idea. Rather than muddle through as bystanders, why not compete with each other? Only equally powerful teammates could truly challenge one another.

"Firefly!" 

On the beach, Jinhsi looked surprised at the message. If this had come from Lu Jingming, she wouldn't be shocked—he always liked to mess around. But for Firefly to suggest it was a real surprise.

The prize: the final winner could ask Lu Jingming to grant a reasonable wish. Jinhsi smiled knowingly—Firefly's intentions were obvious to everyone.

Even Firefly couldn't resist stirring up a fight as Lu Jingming's coming of age approached. Jinhsi felt her own fighting spirit ignite—first, she needed to pick a reliable team to support.

"This sounds fun. Robin, let's support Guyi and Qiu'er!" March 7th was instantly excited. She loved games, and Firefly's proposal was right up her alley.

Robin, however, saw deeper. She looked at March 7th seriously, "This time, we absolutely cannot lose!"

March 7th blinked innocently. Since when did Robin care so much about winning?

…

Elsewhere, Qian Renxue watched Castorice warily, with Hu Liena and the others not daring to breathe. Even if they didn't recognize Castorice, their soul master instincts screamed at them to stay away.

Qian Renxue, who did recognize her, was deeply cautious. Castorice's power was a huge threat. She recalled how even the formidable Clear Sky Douluo met his end after taking just one soul skill from the black Castorice—a move imbued with the power of death.

So, Qian Renxue was extremely vigilant. Against Castorice, only she might survive.

"Want to team up? I don't want the prize." Castorice's soft, sweet voice contrasted sharply with her deathly aura, completely catching them off guard.

Hu Liena and the others nearly stumbled. You blocked us just to talk about teaming up?

Qian Renxue, both helpless and curious, asked, "Why?"

Chapter 215: Clear Sky Sect and Wang Dong'er

Ten-thousand-year soul bones and rings—rewards even Spirit Hall would covet. But neither March 7th, Robin, nor Castorice seemed to care.

Castorice was straightforward. She honestly explained the internal bet: after winning, they could make Lu Jingming grant a reasonable wish. She believed in being frank with her allies.

"So, that's it—you're doing all this for a wish from him," Qian Renxue sighed, covering her forehead. Hu Liena and the others were incredulous. Because they were too strong, they split into different teams to turn the tournament into a playful internal competition.

"This simulated universe—this is your doing, isn't it?" Qian Renxue said with certainty, connecting the dots. Castorice didn't answer, but her silence was as good as confirmation.

Qian Renxue sighed again, "I agree. We'll give it our all. Even without your bet, we won't give up on the championship easily."

"I'll help you." Castorice nodded, smiling faintly. She sensed Qian Renxue was strong—maybe not as strong as her, but close to Gu Yue.

With that, Castorice felt a renewed sense of motivation for the sake of Lu Jingming.

While Castorice and the others threw themselves into this special competition, Lu Jingming himself wasn't planning to participate. He'd grant their wishes anyway, bet or no bet.

His attention was on a blue-pink-haired girl wielding the Clear Sky Hammer, leading six Clear Sky Sect disciples to help Xiao Xiao's group fend off the Holy Spirit Church.

"You are… Wang Dong!" Xiao Xiao wasn't too surprised to see Wang Dong'er's true form—she'd already had her suspicions. Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan weren't surprised at all, more familiar with the Goddess of Light Butterfly martial soul than the juniors.

Wang Dong'er's disguise had only fooled the newbies. Shrek Academy had always known, but didn't interfere. After all, the Clear Sky Sect had deep ties with Shrek.

Wang Dong'er's cultivation had soared. She'd thrown herself into training, realizing only strength mattered—if she'd been strong enough, Huo Yuhao wouldn't have been abandoned or taken away by the Snow Empress.

Her body had the bloodline of a God King, but she'd always been lazy about cultivation, which was why she'd lagged behind her peers at enrollment. Now, fully dedicated and with the Clear Sky Sect's ample resources and the guidance of Titled and even Ultimate Douluo, her progress was rapid.

The disciples she brought—five Soul Kings and one Soul Emperor—were all elite, and all took her commands seriously.

"Xiao Xiao, are you all right?" Wang Dong'er managed a rare smile. Her anger was for Shrek's current leadership, not her old friends.

"Wang Dong—no, Dong'er, I saw Yuhao. But he's completely changed, I don't know what happened…"

Xiao Xiao quickly shared news of Huo Yuhao and his transformation. Wang Dong'er was thrilled—she'd searched for him for a long time. She could understand his personality change, given the betrayal he'd faced.

But she hadn't realized just how much he'd changed.

The Clear Sky Sect disciples stopped Yan Feng and the others from the Holy Spirit Church. With these reinforcements, Xu Sanshi decided not to retreat but to join forces against the Holy Spirit Church.

Before long, Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya arrived.

At the sight of Wang Dong'er, Huo Yuhao frowned, feeling a wave of strange familiarity.

"Yuhao, it's really you!" Wang Dong'er was overjoyed.

"Who are you?" Huo Yuhao asked, confused. He suddenly realized why she felt familiar—her appearance was so similar to their Goddess of Light fusion skill.

"I'm Wang Dong! This is my true form; I'm Wang Dong'er now," she hurried to explain.

"Wang Dong!" Huo Yuhao was surprised, but quickly calmed down. So what if Wang Dong was now a beautiful girl? He felt no joy, only anger.

"You're Wang Dong. You've been lying to me!" he said coldly.

Wang Dong'er was at a loss, panicking, "No, Yuhao, let me explain—"

"I don't need an explanation. You're Wang Dong, but I'm no longer the old Huo Yuhao. All of you… must die!"

Scarlet light shot from Huo Yuhao's eyes, hitting Wang Dong'er before she could react and sending her flying, spitting blood.

With the amplification of the evil Gem, his spiritual power was overwhelming—far beyond what a Soul King like Wang Dong'er could withstand.

"Miss, you dare!" The Clear Sky disciples were enraged. They knew how much Wang Dong'er had sacrificed to find Yuhao.

"Attack! Kill them!" Huo Yuhao's face was cold, his body covered in a blood-red soul tool armor—an upgrade from the Death God Douluo Ye Xishui, boosting both his spirit power and melee ability.

"Dong'er, he's not the Yuhao you knew anymore. No matter what, get up!" Jiang Nannan caught Wang Dong'er, comforting her softly.

Everything had changed so much in so little time.

"Thank you, Senior Nannan. I know what I need to do." Wang Dong'er wiped the blood from her mouth, her eyes resolute.

She realized in that moment—this Yuhao would have never attacked her if he were still himself. If not for her own strong spirit and the mysterious force protecting her mind, that blow could have left her a vegetable.

It shattered any hope she had. This Huo Yuhao was truly no longer the boy she once knew.

"No matter why you changed, Yuhao, I'll bring you back!" Wang Dong'er summoned her martial soul, luminous butterfly wings spreading, and the heavy Clear Sky Hammer appearing in her hands.

She shot toward Huo Yuhao in a flash of golden light, hammer swinging.

"Hmph." Huo Yuhao snorted. Within his mind, the sealed main personality began to stir; Wang Dong'er's appearance had agitated it, threatening his control.

In order to destroy the main personality, Wang Dong'er had to die. Only then would the main personality lose hope, allowing Huo Yuhao's current self to take over completely.

To him, friendship and love were just obstacles to efficiency. The first order of business—kill Wang Dong'er.

Chapter 216: Alliance of Offense and Defense

In a flash, battle erupted!

The Clear Sky Sect and Shrek Academy joined forces to attack the Holy Spirit Church. Though they had a numbers advantage, the Church had Yan Feng and Tang Ya—two Soul Emperors—with Huo Yuhao's spiritual detection support, so they weren't at a disadvantage.

Yan Feng alone could hold off a Clear Sky Soul Emperor and two Soul Kings; Tang Ya suppressed Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and He Caitou. The other Church members—Skeleton King Tang Dai, Lich King Xiao Lei, Abomination Lu Genggeng, and Bone Staff Gu Yu—were all formidable, each able to fight two opponents at once.

The wicked soul masters' strength was on full display—they were all elite, with the potential to become Titled Douluo.

While the battle raged, Zhu Zhuqing and the others slipped past unnoticed and reached the revival point. They quickly recovered Tang San and Xiao Wu's revival chips and brought them back.

A pillar of blue light shot skyward as Tang San was revived. His eyes were bloodshot, face grim and silent, but the killing intent he exuded was chilling.

No one knew what horrors Tang San had just endured. Though the simulated universe didn't allow real death, the experience was psychologically and spiritually damaging.

Tang San seemed rational, but in truth, he teetered on the edge of madness. If Huo Yuhao reappeared, he might completely lose control.

Xiao Wu, revived, felt guilty and heartbroken, knowing all too well what Tang San had suffered—and that she'd unwittingly helped cause it.

"Xiao San, we need to get out of here. The poison zone's closing in," Dai Mubai reminded, glancing at the shrinking boundary.

"Right. Let's find supplies and avoid other teams for now." Tang San's voice was hoarse, but he forced himself to stay rational. Revenge would have to wait for the right moment.

The closer to the island's center, the fiercer the fighting. He believed he'd get his chance for revenge there.

…

"This is getting more interesting. Whoever wins those ten-thousand-year soul bones and rings will boost their power—and their backers'—to a whole new level. That's what makes it fun," Lu Jingming mused.

This tournament was just as he'd hoped—a showcase of uniquely talented teams, a splendid drama.

As his power grew, Lu Jingming found the authority of reality easier to wield. True power came from changing the world. A lifeless, stagnant world—or one strictly controlled by the divine—wasn't what he wanted.

He wanted a world full of diversity and possibilities. So, he was happy to provide opportunities and resources for others to grow. Otherwise, the future would be boring and dull.

The annual battle royale was just the beginning; his grand plans went far beyond this.

Even as others grew stronger with his help, his Haiyuan City would grow even more powerful.

In his vision, the world would become one superpower, many strong powers—and his force would be that unique superpower.

He recalled that before being swept into a black hole by the time-space storm in the Douluo God Realm, six other god realms had been drawn in. If he released them, how much more reality power could he gain? Would it be enough to summon the full might of Acheron?

With his collector's obsession, he already possessed Raiden Makoto. If he could gather Raiden Mei, Raiden Ei, and Acheron—the scene would be quite amusing.

But he needed vast amounts of reality power. Stirring up trouble on Douluo Star alone wasn't enough; he had to look further.

Among the many worlds he'd observed, there was a parallel "Throne of Seal" world, where he'd seen the fledgling Saint Cai'er. In that world, becoming a god meant the body dissolved, the consciousness merged with the plane, and one's power aided the world's growth.

That world was rich in divine and super-divine artifacts, especially the legendary Divine Throne of Eternity and Creation. If he could get those, it would be amazing.

But those were plans for the future; for now, his focus remained on the two Douluo Continents.

…

As time passed, most of the 100 teams had been eliminated. The poison zone continued to shrink toward the island's center, forcing the remaining teams to gather.

Only the best survived—some through sheer power, some through cunning alliances or luck.

Among the surviving teams, those chosen by Firefly and her peers all had a real shot at victory.

Firefly chose the Body Sect; Castorice picked the Spirit Hall; Robin and March 7th backed St. Freya Academy's second team; Jinhsi picked up Dou Ling, Mingdu Academy, and even roped in Star Luo Royal Academy, forming a powerful alliance.

Gu Yue took a similar approach, gathering Skywater, God Wind, Blazing Fire, Thunder, and Nature Academies into an Elemental Academy Alliance. She armed them with soul tools and supplies, making them quite formidable.

These were the main contenders for the championship, though the Holy Spirit Church, Clear Sky Sect, and Shrek Academy's main and second teams shouldn't be discounted.

As the map shrank, chaos and fighting intensified. Jinhsi's alliance and Gu Yue's alliance even clashed, with both leaders joining in. Both knew their numbers advantage wouldn't guarantee victory against Firefly or Castorice's chosen teams—or Robin and March 7th's St. Freya second team, especially with Robin's unrivaled support.

So, after initial skirmishes and casualties, Jinhsi and Gu Yue tacitly withdrew to revive their teammates, knowing they couldn't cooperate—if they did, it would be too unfair, and Lu Jingming might intervene himself.

Robin's support was accepted; Jinhsi and Gu Yue's alliance was too much.

If Firefly and Castorice were forced to team up, things would get truly tricky. Among the seven of them, aside from Lu Jingming, Firefly and Castorice were the strongest fighters.

With Long Aotian and Weina from the Body Sect, and Qian Renxue from Spirit Hall, the situation would be even tougher. Not to mention Hu Liena and Xie Yue's martial soul fusion technique, which could let them fight at almost Soul Sage level.

Unable to cooperate, Jinhsi and Gu Yue focused on strengthening their own teams, fighting fiercely over every high-level supply spot, and the elimination rate soared.