DD Black White [283-284] (Patreon)

Chapter 283: Hyperion

For the commoners of the Douluo Continent, becoming a soul master is almost the only chance to change their fate.

The Sun Moon Empire may also have institutions for free martial soul awakening, but those are only for native citizens of the Sun Moon Empire, not for the former three kingdoms of Douluo.

Haiyuan City is different. As long as one comes to Haiyuan City—regardless of birthplace or faction—the city will provide a free martial soul awakening, and upon registration, they can receive corresponding subsidies.

Although this policy consumes an enormous amount of money and resources and shows no obvious returns in the short term, Lu Jingming has never thought of stopping.

He values a far longer future.

Invest a bit more now in money and resources, and the returns in the future will be immeasurable.

In time, as long as Haiyuan City can control more than half of the continent's soul master resources, then no matter what new power rises, none will be able to shake the foundations of Haiyuan City.

What's more, his Haiyuan City is by no means comparable to the Spirit Hall.

Haiyuan City's presence has already permeated the very fabric of the Douluo Continent like a fine spiderweb.

The Stigmata System reshapes the path of soul master growth; the Simulated Universe expands the boundaries of cognition; soul tool technology revolutionizes the landscape of productivity; top-tier combat power breaks the old balance of forces—Haiyuan City, this stone cast into the lake of Douluo, has already stirred layer upon layer of ripples, rewriting the continent's trajectory in subtle ways.

Its influence reaches deep like roots spreading underground. Only a handful standing at the top of the pyramid can glimpse, beneath the shifting winds and clouds, a hint of something that shakes the era's foundations.

…

An invitation from the Sun Moon Empire lay quietly on the desk, the embossed gilt seal gleaming coldly under the lamp.

Lu Jingming tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, let his gaze sweep over the myriad lights of Haiyuan City outside the window, then rose and summoned all current Masters and Servants of Haiyuan City.

A grand event destined to shake the continent was about to begin. They were ready to head to the stage called Mingdu.

Wang Qiuer stood shoulder to shoulder with Durandal, golden hair and silver armor shining in harmony.

Ye Guiyi inclined her head to whisper to Lemuen, a soft radiance flowing around them both; Zhang Lexuan's expression was calm, while Cerydra stood by her with imposing dignity.

Gu Yue's eyes were deep; Istaroth still wore that lazy, bored look, crouched on the floor yet unsullied by dust.

Lu Jingming stood at the center; Raiden Mei's violet hair cascaded like a waterfall, a katana at her waist.

Not far off, Xu Jiujiu walked in alongside Hysilens; they would join the Haiyuan City group for the journey.

Six pairings thus took shape.

Judging by the Servant lineup alone, they were anything but weak.

Durandal, Cerydra, Hysilens, and Istaroth were each comparable to demigods.

Even Raiden Mei and Lemuen—called slightly weaker—were such only in relative terms; in the past of Douluo, they were still top-tier combatants.

Because of this, the Holy Grail War to be staged in Mingdu had already surpassed mundane imagination—this would be a true battle of gods.

If ordinary Titled Douluo were to rush in, they would be nothing but cannon fodder, turned to dust in a flick.

One misstep, and the entire imperial capital of the Sun Moon Empire could be flipped or flattened by the clash of these apex forces.

This also indirectly confirmed Xu Tiantian's near-manic confidence—daring to set the battlefield in Mingdu meant he believed he could control the situation: defeat all Masters and Servants while protecting the imperial heart.

"A Lord Ravager…"

Lu Jingming's lips curved slightly as he thought, "If there isn't an opponent of equal standing to pin him down, he might actually pull that off."

Such is the terror of a Lord Ravager. For the Douluo Continent, it is undoubtedly a dimensionality-reduction strike.

Even if it's merely a memory-body of a Lord Ravager and not the true body, it's the same.

Clearly, the power of Antimatter Legion had completely inflated Xu Tiantian's ambition.

Lu Jingming's gaze swept across those present and landed on the seemingly uninterested Istaroth lounging to the side. He then glanced at Durandal, who was stretching, her golden hair tied into a neat single ponytail.

These two were anything but simple.

Even if they couldn't compare to the Lord Ravager, making them submit quietly would be no easy task.

Moreover, Lu Jingming also knew that Skirk was similarly formidable and by no means easy to handle.

He had a faint premonition that this Holy Grail War would be full of surges and surprises.

He even began to imagine what kind of expression would be on Xu Tiantian's confident face when his grand plan fell apart.

Taking a step back, even if things exceeded expectations and Xu Tiantian truly held a trump card, Lu Jingming wasn't without his own.

His gaze turned to the figure who always wore an eye mask—Jingliu.

An indescribable sense of reassurance filled his chest in an instant. With the Sword Master of the Luofu present, even if the opponent was Aeon, could a mere memory-body possibly stop that blade which could shatter the stars?

Not only that—above their heads, in the Cosmic Juggernaut Inverted Horizons, Herta was sitting in command.

Relying on the spatial authority of Key of Infinity, Herta could provide support at any time, and could even transfer Haiyuan City's army to Mingdu in an instant. This trump card was enough to make any opponent wary.

Beyond Herta and Jingliu, Lu Jingming had specially summoned Mobius, the Snow Empress, and the Ice Empress, instructing them to act covertly in the name of World Serpent.

Their presence was to ensure the Holy Grail War's course always remained under his control and did not deviate from the preset track.

Alongside Wang Qiuer and the other Masters and their Servants, Lu Jingming also brought Firefly and Castorice.

As for March 7th and Elysia, they were left in Haiyuan City.

Robin did not come either; after all, she was pregnant and truly unfit to travel to the volatile Sun Moon Empire.

March 7th wanted to join the fun, but she was closest with Robin, and ultimately chose to stay and take care of her friend.

Elysia acted true to her nature: she disliked war and wished not to take part.

With all preparations complete, Lu Jingming led Wang Qiuer, Gu Yue, and the others aboard the long-waiting behemoth—the Hyperion.

This personal flagship of Lu Jingming perfectly replicated the appearance in his memories: a streamlined hull brimming with speed; a silver-white and deep-blue primary palette, accented with delicate strokes of gold or red. Every line was knife-sharp, exuding a cold technological feel along with a spine-chilling aura of battle.

Hundreds of meters long, it cast a massive shadow on the ground like a dormant steel behemoth.

The many top-tier soul tools mounted aboard proclaimed its terrifying combat capability.

Most eye-catching was the giant main cannon at the bow: a genuine level-10 soul tool. At full power, a single beam could level a prosperous city; its destructive force was in no way inferior to a demigod's full strike.

The bridge, set on the upper front of the hull, used a panoramic viewport design. In the center of the command room floated an advanced holographic tactical panel with data and maps clearly displayed.

On both sides of the hull were stellar system thrusters, granting the warship unparalleled high-speed mobility.

Its outer armor was covered with a high-resilience alloy developed by Herta, a memory metal with both ultra-high strength and self-repair capabilities, making its defenses as solid as a fortress.

The Honkai-energy engine at the stern allowed the Hyperion to break free from planetary gravity and reach outer space.

Inside, it had everything: a command room, living quarters, training rooms, recreation rooms, laboratories, armories… as complete as a mobile miniature city.

Energy shields, stealth mode, missile arrays, space warp… it lacked neither defense, offense, nor support functions.

Lu Jingming had meticulously crafted this imitation of the Hyperion from the Honkai world. Although its internal core used the Douluo world's soul tool technology and even integrated a Honkai-energy furnace—and its materials and weapon systems differed from the original—that identical exterior was enough to evoke his deepest nostalgia.

After all, he was once the deck cleaner on that warship and had a special feeling for it that others could not understand.

Now that he had the chance to recreate it in reality, he naturally wouldn't miss it.

One can only say, Lady Herta is peerless; Lady Herta is drop-dead gorgeous; Lady Herta can do anything!

Lu Jingming sighed once more.

He remembered the first time he saw this Hyperion: he was so excited he picked Herta up and spun several times on the spot. Although he was then thrashed by an indignant Herta, he felt it was worth the ticket price.

Of course, he would never tell anyone that Herta's body was actually soft and light, very easy to carry.

"This is… the Hyperion?"

When the blue-and-white giant slowly descended from the clouds and disengaged its stealth, Raiden Mei and Durandal's faces showed unmistakable surprise.

However, after boarding and taking a closer feel, they discovered this was not the Hyperion of their memories.

Though the exterior was identical, the internal soul tool technology was completely different from the Hyperion they knew. Even with a Honkai-energy furnace, the materials and weapons installed were quite different.

Even so, seeing something so familiar in another world still filled them with warmth and delight.

"Hyperion, set out! Target: Sun Moon Empire, Mingdu!"

Standing at the center of the command room, Lu Jingming waved. The ready AI immediately responded, piloting the floating battleship into a gentle ascent.

A detailed map of the Douluo Continent had long been uploaded to the AI's database. Without manual operation, it could precisely deliver everyone to the destination.

With a slight tremor, the Hyperion climbed to several thousand meters. The stern flared with dazzling blue-violet particles, a streak of light that tore across the sky, quickly disappearing from Robin and March 7th's sight.

On the ground in Haiyuan City, watching the ship depart, March 7th did not show much envy.

After all, the Astral Express is much higher-end than a floating battleship.

And Robin had already seen countless cosmic warships; this did not strike her as unusual.

"Let's go back, Sister Robin."

March 7th turned, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Robin.

"I found an amazing clothing store before. The designer there is top-notch. Let's go make some beautiful clothes for the baby!"

Her gaze fell on Robin's belly, which showed no clear bump yet, but the fresh current of new life could already be sensed. Even without life-type abilities, March 7th could feel that vigorous vitality clearly.

"Yes, she's a cute little girl. We must dress her up beautifully."

Elysia smiled and chimed in, her tone full of tenderness.

As for how they could be sure the child was a girl, credit went to Mobius and Herta.

One was a top authority in biology; the other, a genius scientist on a cosmic level. Determining the sex of an unborn baby was as easy as lifting a finger for them.

"Hey, has Xiao Ming thought of a name for the child?"

March 7th hopped up to Robin, asking expectantly.

"If the name doesn't sound good, I'll be the first to object!"

Robin gently stroked her belly, her face glowing with happiness. It was an incomparable maternal radiance that made her seem especially soft and gentle.

"Mm. Xiao Ming said, since it's a girl, she'll be called Lu Mingyin."

"Ah! A girl about to be a mother is indeed the most beautiful!"

Seeing Robin at that moment, Elysia praised sincerely.

Robin now was different from her usual intellectual gentleness. When maternal light bloomed on her, that beauty, soul-stirring and radiant, shone no less brilliantly.

"Lu Mingyin…"

March 7th muttered it a few times, then grinned.

"Xiao Ming really phoned it in with this one—but it sounds pretty good!"

The "Ming" character came from Lu Jingming, and "Yin" (sound) came from Robin—the renowned songstress known for her music.

"Little Mingyin, you have to grow up quickly!"

March 7th spoke to Robin's belly in a cheerful tone.

"Sister March 7th has prepared lots and lots of fun toys for you, and lots and lots of pretty dresses!"

"Yes, yes, Sister Elysia has prepared a one-of-a-kind gift for you too!"

Elysia added with a smile, eyes full of expectation.

Looking at these two sisters more excited than herself, Robin shook her head helplessly, but her heart was warm.

With so many people genuinely looking forward to the child's birth, little Mingyin would surely be happy in the future.

It's just… she looked at March 7th and Elysia and couldn't help muttering internally. These two were calling themselves sister now, but…

Given what she knew of Lu Jingming, there was no way March 7th and Elysia could be sisters to little Mingyin—they could only be mothers.

Chapter 284: Vita and Sparkle

Sun Moon Empire, Mingdu.

Skyscrapers rose like bamboo shoots after rain, piercing the clouds. Glass curtain walls refracted dazzling sunlight, reflecting this wall-less super-megacity like a mirage.

On the crisscrossing rails, soul-guided trams roared past, their car bodies flowing with dim-blue soul energy halos, echoing the assorted floating soulcraft in the skies.

Between the towers, massive soul-guided screens flashed nonstop, looping promos for the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament. Stirring music and commentary blared through soul-guided speakers into every corner, pushing the pre-tournament fervor to its limit.

Even compared to Haiyuan City, Mingdu's prosperity was in no way inferior; after all, Mingdu covered a larger area and had a larger population.

If not for Haiyuan City's deep foundations and era-transcending geniuses in residence, Mingdu would undoubtedly be the continent's unchallenged number-one city—whether by astonishing land area, tens of millions of residents, or its era-leading soul tool tech—all towering above any city of the former three kingdoms.

What's more, thanks to the advent of the Simulated Universe, Mingdu's development was accelerating at a visibly breakneck pace.

All kinds of civilian soul tools were springing up: from automatic cleaning units to thermal regulators—greatly easing people's lives and indirectly driving the Sun Moon Empire's rapid growth in national power.

Already a leader, its soul tool technology, empowered by the Simulated Universe's vast data and experiments, saw doubled R&D efficiency. The gap with the former three kingdoms kept widening.

Even if the former three kingdoms leveraged the Simulated Universe to chase hard, the gap remained. It could not be closed in a short time.

This is the logic of the strong getting stronger and the weak getting weaker.

The Hyperion hovered silently dozens of kilometers up, its stealth blending it into the clouds.

Lu Jingming led Gu Yue and the others down slowly from high altitude, concealing their auras, and walked toward Mingdu like ordinary travelers.

Though Mingdu had no walls, it had strict entry protocols.

Especially with the tournament imminent, everyone had to enter via designated official roads, complete registration, and receive entry permits. Otherwise, if discovered by patrolling soldiers, they would be arrested on the spot for illegal entry.

Naturally, Lu Jingming's group chose to go in openly.

Their stated purpose was to participate in the tournament. If they skulked at the gate, they would seem inferior and invite ridicule.

By coincidence, the Shrek Academy convoy in the distance had the same plan.

As a top academy faction on the continent, they always acted aboveboard. If caught sneaking in, that would be a disgrace.

Mingdu Avenue, the aorta of the whole city, was wide enough to accommodate ten soul-guided trams abreast and was the only way for outsiders to enter Mingdu.

In front of the entry registry, beyond armed soldiers and busy staff, Lu Jingming sensed a hidden life aura belonging to a rank-nine soul engineer.

With a portion of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's authority, few lifeforms could hide from him.

"They've spent heavily," he thought.

During the tournament, with mixed factions gathered, the Sun Moon Empire, to prevent accidents, had stationed a rank-nine soul engineer at the gate—evidence of how tautly they'd strung every nerve.

As Servants formed of negative emotion, figures like Raiden Mei were energy beings but not spirits. They had actual bodies, and thus had to follow registration rules.

This was exactly one of the Sun Moon Empire's aims—use entry registration to trace Servants.

After all, Servants were almost indistinguishable from regular people in daily life. If they didn't reveal their powers, they could easily pass as human.

Even the Empire's most advanced detection soul tools were inadequate against these powerful beings from other worlds.

Those detection features designed for local soul masters and soul beasts did little to Servants.

Registration was surprisingly simple.

Staff worked a special soul-guided camera, taking an image of each entrant, then noted their name and allowed them through.

The process was astonishingly fast. To put it bluntly: snap a photo, leave a name. As for the truth of the name, the Sun Moon officials didn't seem to care; what couldn't be faked was the clearly recorded visage.

Of course, even if faces were disguised, the Empire was prepared. They never expected to collect all intelligence this way; it was more posture—a subtle deterrent to potential threats.

Registration done, just as Lu Jingming was about to lead everyone into Mingdu, a faint gaze fell on him—curious, probing.

He frowned slightly and instinctively glanced back, then couldn't help a twitch at the corner of his mouth.

The owner of that gaze was a girl with long hair of blue and pink, beautiful beyond compare—Wang Dong'er.

But her expression and the aura she exuded were utterly unlike the Wang Dong'er in Lu Jingming's memory—whether Wang Dong in male attire or Wang Dong'er in female form. Though her face was unchanged, her inner spirit was entirely different.

"Tang Wutong?" Lu Jingming immediately understood.

Such a metamorphosis could only be explained by Tang Wutong's awakening.

Though earlier than in the original story, considering the turbulence he had stirred across Douluo lately, Tang San changing plans was to be expected. He wasn't too surprised.

What truly surprised him was the woman standing by Tang Wutong—a lavish peacock outfit with fine gold patterns on the hem, her every move carrying an indescribable allure and danger.

"Good grief—Venus Goddess Vita?"

Lu Jingming almost lost his composure.

Tang Wutong's Servant was her? With Vita here, Mingdu was about to get truly lively.

Given her nature, if she didn't stir up something earth-shaking, it would be unworthy of her bad woman reputation.

Looking further, beside Tang Wutong and Vita were two middle-aged men in gray robes.

Their auras were reined in as ordinary folk, but Lu Jingming could feel boundless life-force within them—clearly unfathomable in strength.

"Da Ming and Er Ming," he nodded to himself. Though deliberately concealed, their fundamental power couldn't escape his senses.

Aside from that was a group of youths under twenty. From their attire and martial soul fluctuations, they were clearly disciples of the Clear Sky Sect—likely the team representing the sect in the tournament.

After only a brief glance, Lu Jingming looked away and led his group into Mingdu as if nothing had happened.

Mingdu Avenue was stunningly wide, its smooth bluestone surface flat enough for dozens to walk abreast.

On both sides, shops crowded each other, shelves packed with soul-guided goods. Hawking and haggling rose and fell, a lively scene of prosperity.

"Interesting. Lots of familiar faces!"

Unlike Tang Wutong, who was focused on Lu Jingming, Vita tapped her lips with a finger. Thinking of the two familiar figures she had just seen—Durandal and Raiden Mei—she looked amused.

"Ah! Beautiful sister, you're here—seeing you makes your little sister so happy, hehe~."

A crisp girl's voice sounded with the jingle of bells. A black-haired twin-tail, clad in fiery red, free and blazing, appeared behind Tang Wutong's group.

"How delightful, little sister Sparkle. We truly are fated—this is so much fun!"

Vita froze briefly, then flashed a brilliant smile. Her half-squinted eyes brimmed with pleasure.

"Right, right. Little sister thinks so too. As the opening of this grand play, meeting sister like this is a golden start, isn't it!"

Sparkle clasped Vita's hand, leaning forward slightly, drawing close with a warm smile.

"Of course, little sister."

Vita was equally cordial, as if she and Sparkle were inseparable confidantes—closer than real sisters.

"Vita, is this your friend?"

Tang Wutong looked in surprise at Vita and Sparkle. Their intimacy showed a close relationship. She knew Vita was a memory-body from another world—a Servant. That they could meet an acquaintance meant the other was undoubtedly a Servant as well.

"Of course. This is little sister Sparkle—my kin and confidante."

Vita introduced her with a beaming smile.

"Ya, so you're sister's Master? As expected of someone who could summon sister—what a pretty little sister."

Sparkle' eyes lit up, and she instantly appeared before Tang Wutong, very friendly and curious.

Tang Wutong wasn't used to this upfront personality and subconsciously took a step back. Beside her, Niu Tian and Tai Tan frowned, locking their spiritual senses onto Sparkle.

"Hehe, don't be so wary, little monkey and little green snake. Lady Sparkle is very friendly—a good person."

Sparkle pouted, dissatisfied.

Niu Tian and Tai Tan's pupils contracted—she'd seen through their true forms at a glance. This lively, harmless-looking girl had truly startled them.

"Wutong, little sister Sparkle means no harm—just a bit too enthusiastic."

Vita smiled lightly, unconcerned that Sparkle approached her Master.

Under Holy Grail rules, if a Master dies, a Servant's power gradually drains until the negative energy dissipates and the Servant ceases to exist.

Thus, under this rule, Servants generally won't harm their own Masters. This was a safety Lu Jingming built into the Grail's design.

Given how many troublesome figures he remembered, the Master's existence was also a constraint on Servants.

"Hello, I'm Tang Wutong, Vita's Master—Sister Sparkle."

Tang Wutong hesitantly reached out. Though Sparkle looked her age, Tang Wutong instinctively used "sister."

"Hehe, little Wutong is obedient—sister's training has gone well!"

Sparkle' eyes darted, and she giggled.

"T-Training?"

Tang Wutong's mouth twitched. She didn't know how to respond.

"Heh, little sister Sparkle is teasing you, Wutong."

Vita chuckled, but at an angle Tang Wutong couldn't see, her face went cold for a split second.

This mischievous little sister was quietly tripping her up.

"Dear little sister Sparkle, before our stage arrives, we have plenty of time to make merry, don't you think?"

Vita meant: go find other fun and, before the stage is set, don't bother me.

"But of course, sister. Some are pigheaded, some are self-absorbed, some chase pure profit, some are frauds—and the Fool mocks all and delights in it, hehe~"

Sparkle was delighted. There was already plenty of fun, and Vita's appearance made her even more excited.

And the grand feast is usually saved for last. So she was willing to heed Vita's warning for now—go find other amusements to pass the time.

Tang Wutong couldn't follow their conversation, baffled. Instinctively, she felt these two, who called each other sisters, didn't seem quite as close as they claimed.

"Sister, to have fun, you have to nail your entrance timing, hehe~!"

Sparkle saw Ma Xiaotao and the Shrek group approaching from behind and knew it was time to end the reunion.

Vita had also noticed the Shrek group's arrival—many in number and not lacking in strength. Among them was even a presence that triggered her sense of danger, which only pleased her more.

The more strong ones, the better. Then the plot won't be trite; reversals will be all the more delightful.

If it were her true body, she'd consider survival. But as a memory-body, it didn't matter—she'd do whatever was most fun.

"Dong'er, it's really you!"

Among the Shrek team, Xiao Xiao spotted Tang Wutong at a glance and showed unbridled joy.

Wang Dong'er, who had kept in touch with them, had suddenly cut contact. Xiao Xiao feared something had happened and had been very worried.

If she knew the exact location of the Clear Sky Sect, she would have gone looking already. Seeing her safe now, she was naturally overjoyed.

Tang Wutong frowned slightly.

Though she had inherited Wang Dong'er's memories, she hadn't fully accepted them. Out of a vague avoidance, she'd stopped contacting Xiao Xiao and the others.

But now, clearly unable to avoid, she could only face them head-on.

"Xiao Xiao, long time no see."

Tang Wutong tried to recall Wang Dong'er's tone and demeanor and greeted Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao's steps halted, her smile stiffening. She looked at Tang Wutong in uncertainty.

Though the smile and tone matched the Wang Dong'er in her memory, an undercurrent of distance made her feel a stranger—like the person before her was not the Wang Dong'er she knew, but someone completely different.

Not only Xiao Xiao—Beibei, Jiang Nannan, and Xu Sanshi, who came closer, also sensed something amiss.

Outwardly, she was still Wang Dong'er, but inwardly, her aura and feel had changed drastically—becoming unfamiliar and hard to understand.

"Dong'er, what's happened to you?"

Xiao Xiao probed carefully, full of concern. She thought it was all because of Huo Yuhao that Wang Dong'er had changed.