The battlefield instantly shifted from a one-on-one sparring match to a double dance.
This felt like a signal.
Immediately afterward, Keqing, whose face was flushed with a rare blush but who still strived to maintain the dignified demeanor of the Yuheng Star, also stepped into the room.
Her addition made this "battle" even more complex and heated.
Just when Lu Jingming thought this was the limit, the air in the room suddenly gained a few degrees of coolness and nobility.
Gu Yuena gracefully entered, silver hair and purple eyes, her Dragon Might faintly visible.
She said nothing, but with one unmistakable glance, she declared that the Silver Dragon King also demanded her share this night.
And this was far from over.
The truly "heavyweight" combination made their joint appearance deep into the night.
Changli and Jinhsi, master and disciple, one charming and clever, the other cool and poised, walked in with the same determination.
Changli wore a smile of deep significance on her lips, and though Jinhsi was somewhat shy, her eyes were exceptionally firm.
"Master and disciple united, their strength cuts through gold"—this night, Lu Jingming profoundly experienced what it meant to be "Dragon and Phoenix in Harmony," and what constituted a double trial and... pleasure.
They seemed to have planned it beforehand, following one after the other, giving Lu Jingming no chance to catch his breath with their unspoken synergy.
Even though his physique was superhuman and his recovery far exceeded the ordinary, under such high-intensity "fierce battles," which were poured with deep emotion and power, he felt exceptionally strained.
This night, the symphony of battle played non-stop until dawn.
The following morning, when the rising sun shone through the window into the corridor, Lu Jingming's door was finally pushed open.
Our City Lord, who was usually invincible and could talk and laugh while powerful enemies turned to ash, was now seen slowly walking out, leaning against the wall.
His face showed a clear trace of fatigue, his steps were even somewhat unsteady, where was the slightest trace of his usual calm composure?
It was at this moment that a fragrant breeze swept toward him.
Yae Miko, who had been waiting for quite some time, clearly enjoying the spectacle, was leaning against a nearby pillar. Her slender jade finger lightly concealed her cherry lips, and her seductive fox eyes were full of teasing and playful smiles.
"Oh dear~~"
She stretched out her tone, her voice so sweet it could drip honey.
"Isn't this our brilliant and mighty City Lord, whose power shakes the world? Why do you look so... 'overworked' today? Could it be that you secretly cultivated some peerless divine technique last night, causing your... vitality to be damaged?"
She bit off the word "overworked" with particular clarity, full of sarcasm.
Lu Jingming was already somewhat embarrassed due to the intense "battle conditions," and now being mocked publicly by this troublesome fox, he immediately grew angry with shame.
"You mischievous fox, how dare you mock this City Lord."
He gritted his teeth, a dangerous light flashing in his eyes.
The next moment, before Yae Miko could react, Lu Jingming activated the power of the Black Abyss White Flower, the aura of life circulated slightly, instantly driving away part of his fatigue. His body flashed, and he was already in front of Yae Miko.
Under Yae Miko's slightly surprised and playful gaze, he scooped her up by the waist and turned straight back into the room, slamming the door shut with a bang.
"Hmph, today I'll let you know what 'a cornered beast will still fight,' and what it means... a true man must not be insulted."
Soon, the room echoed with Yae Miko's initial yelp, which then turned into a delicate laugh, along with certain indescribable sounds.
It seemed the troublesome fox's taunt successfully drew fire upon herself, inviting a "cruel" retaliatory demonstration.
This long night and the "explosive" morning temporarily ended with Lu Jingming's overtime to defend his "dignity," drawing a voluptuous and chaotic conclusion.
A few days later, in the afternoon, the sun was just right. The garden of Deep Sea City was filled with the fragrance of grass and flowers, a scene of tranquility and peace.
Lu Jingming sat on the soft lawn, holding little Lu Mingyin in his arms.
The little one was awake, neither crying nor fussing. Her big eyes, which inherited her mother's emerald base color and seemed to be dotted with starlight, blinked curiously, watching her father make funny faces at her, emitting clear, "giggle" laughter. Her small hands and feet also waved restlessly.
"Look, how well-behaved our little Mingyin is."
Lu Jingming's face was brimming with a satisfied, fatherly smile. He gently poked his daughter's delicate cheek with his finger, eliciting more joyful laughter.
He had to admit that human infants, especially one as sweet and lovely as his daughter, were simply the most interesting "toys" in the world, easily soothing all anxieties and bringing the purest joy.
March 7th watched from the side, itching to hold her, continuously snapping pictures with her camera.
"Ahhh, she's too cute, let me hold her, just once, please."
She eagerly reached out her hands, yet acted cautiously for fear of being clumsy, her face full of excitement and anticipation.
"This one, this one must be printed out! Little Mingyin's first smile collection."
Not far away, Robin and Herta sat at a white, carved iron table.
Robin's complexion still showed a trace of postpartum weakness, but her spirits were high, and her eyes were filled with happiness and serenity.
She looked toward her daughter and Lu Jingming, a gentle, faint smile on her lips, softly humming an ethereal and soothing melody.
Herta, meanwhile, produced a delicate small violin from somewhere, placed it on her shoulder, and gently drew the bow. A melodious and elegant tune flowed out, perfectly harmonizing with Robin's humming, like a small, private concert played only for the family.
The notes danced in the garden, adding a touch of elegance and softness to the warmth.
The entire scene resembled a captured warm oil painting, full of the meaning of peaceful years.
Lu Jingming stretched his body, feeling the warmth of the sun.
It must be said that his superhuman physique and powerful recovery ability were fully displayed at this moment.
Despite the "brutal" series of battles in the previous nights, where he was almost completely drained by the rotation of several "warriors," his recovery speed was astonishing. He quickly recovered about seventy to eighty percent. Aside from the vivid memory of that night's "madness," his body was fine.
However, in stark contrast to him were Keqing, Gu Yuena, Castorice, Firefly, Changli, and Jinhsi.
The surge of excitement provoked by Robin, and the immense courage that followed, quickly receded like a tide after being thoroughly vented that night, leaving behind only endless shyness and embarrassment.
In the past few days, they have all tacitly started "avoiding" Lu Jingming.
That night, they were "warriors" who cast aside all reservations and took the initiative to attack.
But now, with the passion faded and rationality returned, recalling their audacity and... as well as the "synergy" among a few "comrades-in-arms," they felt their cheeks burning, wishing they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
When they encountered each other, they were even too awkward to greet one another, their eyes meeting only for a brief second before darting away. The air was filled with a subtle, unspeakably shy atmosphere.
Lu Jingming took all of this in, finding it both amusing and helpless.
Sigh, just give them some time to adapt.
After all, from ambiguity to a breakthrough, it always takes a little time to digest the burden brought by the change in status.
He shook his head, continuing to focus on teasing his precious daughter in his arms.
In the garden, the clear laughter of the baby, the melodious violin and humming, and March 7th's camera clicks collectively formed a vivid and real family portrait.
Just as Deep Sea City was enjoying this rare moment of peace, a dramatic change was unfolding deep within the Demonic Forest, at the headquarters of the Holy Spirit Cult.
Inside the gloomy great hall, a dense aura of blood and darkness permeated the air.
Huo Yuhao's figure slowly walked in, followed by Xiao Wu, as well as the complicated-looking Bei Bei and Tang Ya, who had recovered her memory.
Seeing Huo Yuhao's return, the Holy Spirit Cult Master, Zhongli Wu, who was seated on the main throne, immediately showed unconcealed joy.
The Holy Spirit Cult had suffered too tragically in the Battle of Mingdou City in the Sun Moon Empire.
The Supreme Pontiff Ye Xishui and Supreme Enshrinement Long Xiaoyao had both perished. The loss of a large number of elite Evil Soul Master disciples severely reduced the cult's strength and left it severely weakened.
Huo Yuhao's return now was, in his eyes, nothing short of a godsend.
Especially since Huo Yuhao had inherited the bloodline of Borisin Battle Chief Hoolay.
This meant that even though Hoolay was dead, they could still rely on Huo Yuhao to continue creating those resilient and astonishingly combat-effective Borisin soldiers.
This was exactly the weapon of war the currently frail Holy Spirit Cult desperately needed.
Huo Yuhao was fully capable of becoming the new Borisin Battle Chief, leading the Holy Spirit Cult to rise again.
"Yuhao, your return is timely. Our cult is in desperate need of talent..."
Zhongli Wu stood up, a fervent smile on his face, and walked toward him.
However, before he could finish his sentence—
Pfft!
A faint yet chilling sound of a sharp weapon piercing flesh rang out.
Zhongli Wu's smile instantly froze, replaced by an expression of unimaginable pain and shock.
He looked down and saw a blood-red ice sword, entirely condensed from unbearably dense negative emotions and extreme cold, had already pierced his heart with precision and ruthlessness.
Blood spurted out like a fountain, staining the dim floor a shocking crimson.
The one who struck was Huo Yuhao, who was standing right in front of him.
His eyes were ice cold, without the slightest hesitation. The move he used was his self-created ultimate technique—the Sword of Extreme Grievance—which condensed countless hatreds and despair.
This sudden betrayal and assassination were lightning-fast and utterly decisive, leaving everyone in the hall unable to react.
"Huo Yuhao, what are you doing?!"
A shriek of fury and alarm rang out.
The Vice Cult Master, and Zhongli Wu's wife, the Evil Phoenix Douluo Feng Ling, glared with bloodshot eyes. Terrifying dark soul power erupted around her, locking fiercely onto Huo Yuhao.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the great hall became dangerously tense.
The Holy Spirit Cult's Elder faction, headed by the three brothers Zhongli Tian, Zhongli Di, and Zhongli Ren, who were absolutely loyal to Zhongli Wu, had several Title Douluo-level Evil Soul Master Elders whose bodies surged with violent and sinister soul power fluctuations. Their Soul Rings flashed, instantly encircling Huo Yuhao and the others with chilling killing intent.
However, in stark contrast to their fierce reaction were the Holy Spirit Cult's Enshrinements standing on the other side of the hall.
The Third Enshrinement Scarlet Douluo Fei Yan, Fifth Enshrinement Evil Moon Douluo Yue Ming, and Sixth Enshrinement Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng, though similarly surprised, maintained steady soul power. They showed no intention of striking, instead observing the sudden internal conflict with cold detachment, like bystanders.
The Holy Spirit Cult's Enshrinement and Elder systems were distinctly different.
The Elders were mostly Evil Soul Masters nurtured by the Holy Spirit Cult from a young age, with natural loyalty to the Cult Master's lineage.
The Enshrinements, however, were mostly powerhouses who joined later for various reasons. They were generally stronger in power, but their loyalty was more limited.
Previously, with the two Ultimate Douluo, Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao, present, they could barely suppress these Enshrinements with their differing agendas.
Now that these two pillars had both perished, Zhongli Wu, whose strength alone couldn't completely suppress the many Enshrinements, had long been unable to truly convince them or command their obedience.
At this moment, facing this sudden turn of events, these Enshrinements were likely calculating their own interests and future, rather than involving themselves in this internal strife.
Huo Yuhao coldly observed Zhongli Wu, whose life force was rapidly draining and whose face was frozen in an expression of disbelief. His voice was utterly devoid of emotion:
"I'm sorry, Cult Master, but you... blocked my path."
The moment he struck, he had quietly used the power of the Herrscher of Sentience to distort and weaken Zhongli Wu's perception of fatal danger.
Otherwise, with Zhongli Wu's cultivation as a Level 98 Super Douluo, no matter how much he trusted Huo Yuhao, he would never have been caught completely off guard and struck through the heart with a single blow.
The current Huo Yuhao was no longer the person he used to be.
He had reconciled with his inner dark alter-ego, openly accepting the ruthlessness required to save his mother.
While Electrolux felt helpless, Huo Yuhao's initial intention was to save his mother's soul, so he could not find a strong reason to stop him. He could only try his best to guide him in the dark, preventing him from completely falling into darkness.
The Heavenly Dream Iceworm also gave its full support, allowing Huo Yuhao to accelerate the absorption of its vast spiritual origin, causing Huo Yuhao's spiritual power and soul power to surge again. Coupled with the further integration with the Herrscher of Sentience core, his strength had achieved a qualitative leap.
This was the fundamental reason why he was able to successfully ambush and instantly kill Zhongli Wu.
"Thud."
Zhongli Wu's corpse fell heavily to the ground. The sound was like a death knell ringing in the hearts of Feng Ling and the others.
"Charge! Avenge the Cult Master!!"
The eyes of the three brothers, Zhongli Tian, Zhongli Di, and Zhongli Ren, were bloodshot. They were not only Zhongli Wu's confidants but also of the same bloodline.
Zhongli Wu's death drove them into madness and fear. The three of them burst out with soul power and charged fiercely toward Huo Yuhao.
However, they failed to even get within three steps of him.
Xiao Wu, who had been standing quietly behind Huo Yuhao, moved like a phantom.
Omm—!
A vast, majestic, and prison-like divine might suddenly permeated the entire hall.
A blue divine light flashed and disappeared, accompanied by three simultaneous dull explosions—
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Zhongli Tian, Zhongli Di, and Zhongli Ren, three Evil Soul Masters at the Soul Douluo level, were instantly crushed as if by an invisible giant force, exploding into three dense pools of bloody mist, leaving no bones behind.
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