DD Black White [387-388] (Patreon)

Chapter 387: The Four of Us Together?

The instant Gu Yuena rose on her tiptoes, Lu Jingming understood her intent.

A gentle, knowing smile flashed in his eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, he stretched out his arm, firmly encircled her slender waist that scarcely filled a hand, drew her tighter into his embrace, and took the initiative to answer that kiss—one steeped in trust, reliance, and the first budding of love.

Moonlight spilled like liquid silver, tenderly swathing the two who held each other, tracing a hazy, sacred halo around them.

Even the night breeze seemed to soften its steps, wary of disturbing this beautiful tableau frozen in time.

Their figures intertwined upon the terrace, becoming the most moving scenery in the tranquil night.

Yet this poetic scene did not escape eyes hidden in the dark.

In the shadow of a nearby corridor pillar, Firefly stood alone, no one knew when she had arrived.

Her heterochromatic eyes—blue and pink—stared unblinking at the pair embracing in the moonlight.

She said nothing. Her hands clenched into fists, knuckles whitening with force.

Her face, so often marked by resilience and fiery emotion, wore no obvious expression now, yet the faintly pressed lips and that intent gaze—almost stubborn in its focus—betrayed that her heart was far from calm.

Higher still, on the upturned corner of the eaves, Castorice sat quietly, cradling her beloved book, like a ghostly orchid blooming silently beneath the moon.

Moonlight sketched her gentle, serene profile, bathing her in a cool radiance.

She kept her usual soft, slightly misty smile. But upon closer look, that smile seemed paler than usual; deep in her eyes flickered a subtle, elusive complexity, which was then quietly pressed down by her strong self-control, sinking back into tender silence.

Moonbeams still fell with gentle grace; the night breeze still stroked the treetops with a soft rustle.

Yet beneath this seemingly peaceful, harmonious night, the delicate ripples called emotion had already spread outward with that kiss beneath the moon.

The moonlit warmth, fine as silk, did not dissipate as their steps carried them away. Instead, it warmed between their interlaced fingers, like wine aged in a cellar—fragrant and intoxicating.

Lu Jingming held fast to Gu Yuena's cool, supple hand, leading her through the silent, deserted corridor toward the bedchamber that belonged to him alone.

The heat in his palm was steady and burning, voicing some tacit anticipation—especially clear in the stillness of night.

Gu Yuena followed quietly at his side. Under the corridor's dim lamps, her silver hair flowed with a dreamlike sheen.

Her gaze dipped slightly; her thick lashes like butterfly wings cleverly veiled the shyness swirling in her violet eyes.

With her intelligence, how could she not sense the ever-hotter gaze of the man beside her, and the unsaid depth in the pull of his hand?

Her heart was like a small pool struck by a pebble; ripples fanned out layer by layer—tinged with faint panic, yet more with a peace as of dust finally settling.

She had no intention of pulling away. Instead, her fingers tightened, returning his grip—wordlessly conveying her consent.

It was both an answer to the vow on the terrace that had shaken her heart, and proof that she was laying down her heavy guard, choosing to follow her true feelings into this unfamiliar yet alluring realm of emotion.

For the moment, the weighty thoughts of race, duty, and future were set aside; she only wished to immerse herself in this pure quickening.

However, when Lu Jingming pushed open the carved wooden door, the scene within poured over them like a perfectly timed basin of cold water, freezing the tender mood that had been ripening.

Inside, Firefly sat straight-backed on a pearwood armchair, her posture rigidly upright. Under the lamplight, her blue-and-pink eyes shone even brighter, filled with a serious determination bordering on obstinacy.

By the soft couch near the window, Castorice poured tea with graceful poise. Her motions flowed like clouds and water; misty fragrance quietly filled the air.

At the sound of the door, she lifted her gaze, wearing the same gentle, all-embracing smile as ever.

"...?"

Lu Jingming blinked, then understood; a helpless yet amused curve tugged at his lips.

He knew these two girls' thoughts all too well.

Gu Yuena also paused, the lingering blush on her cheeks fading a little, her usual cool self-possession returning. She waited with poise to see what would happen, even a faint, theatrical glint sweeping through her violet eyes.

Firefly was the first to rise, movements crisp and decisive; with a few steps she stood before Lu Jingming.

She tilted up her small, resolute face; her gaze was clear and unwavering, her tone direct and brooking no refusal: "Xiao Ming, I'm already far behind."

Her voice carried urgency and unwillingness to yield.

"I want to join as well."

Her resolve was fervent and forthright.

Castorice set down the white jade teapot, walked over with light, graceful steps, her voice soft as spring water, yet just as unshakably firm.

"Xiao Ming, this time—"

She paused slightly, meeting his eyes.

"I won't retreat again."

The words were light, yet bore the weight of a thousand pounds.

Looking at the two girls before him—their ties to him deep, and at this moment clearly allied—then feeling Gu Yuena's increasingly calm, even faintly teasing gaze beside him, Lu Jingming couldn't help the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. Exasperated and amused, a headache stirred.

He raised a hand to rub his brow, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes as he deliberately drew out his tone and smirked: "Oh? This is what you asked for yourselves—'together'? Keep your word. No backing out later."

The effect was immediate.

Firefly and Castorice's pretty faces flushed scarlet at once, like the brightest rouge.

They instinctively glanced at each other. The courage that the moonlit scene had stirred up in them popped like a punctured balloon under Lu Jingming's blunt, suggestive retort, leaving only mortified shyness and fluster.

It took courage to face him alone—let alone the three of them together... Their move just now had indeed been more impulse than anything.

Gu Yuena's ears burned even hotter. She couldn't help but reach out her slender fingers, pinch the soft flesh at his waist with precise accuracy, and give a gentle twist. She lifted her eyes and glared at him, shy and reproachful, wordlessly chiding his loose tongue.

"All right, all right—just kidding."

Sensing it was time to stop, Lu Jingming quickly yielded. The teasing faded from his face, replaced by warmth and gravity.

"Tonight, we'll all meditate and cultivate together. Firefly, Castorice—you both need to focus on comprehension as well. Strive to condense your second soul cores soon and break through the bottleneck to Title Douluo. The road is long—strength is the foundation."

He knew his limits.

However close they might be, he would not trifle so absurdly with the first time of three young women.

For a woman, the first time is always special and worth cherishing. Even without forced romance, it ought to be treated solemnly, one-on-one.

Starting off with such an intense scene would be far too aggressive for them—and not what he desired.

What had just happened with Gu Yuena arose from genuine feeling, water flowing where it willed; he naturally went with it.

Firefly and Castorice's appearance had interrupted the process, but he wasn't truly angry.

How could he not know their hearts?
Besides, the four of them sharing a room tonight—even if only to cultivate—was, in a sense, a step forward in their relationships. As for his distant dream of all sleeping under the same quilt... perhaps this counted as a subtle, tiny step toward it?

The thought brought a flicker of amusement to his eyes.

…

Star Luo Empire, Imperial Audience Hall.

Within the towering hall, the high dome loomed; carved beams and painted rafters were steeped in the pressure of an approaching storm.

The assembly gathered was once-in-many-millennia, encompassing nearly all core powers capable of resisting the Spirit Empire on the Douluo Continent.

The air felt congealed; each breath carried weight. Representatives sat in separate ranks, their gazes interlacing with scrutiny, wariness, and the complicated emotions of those forced to join hands under the shadow of a mighty foe.

On one side sat the Star Luo Emperor Dai Yutian, imperial aura vast.

Beside him were Dai Weisi, Zhu Zhuyun, as well as the increasingly steady Dai Mubai and the ethereally cold Zhu Zhuqing.

Near them were the remnant forces of the Heaven Dou Empire led by Prince Xue Xing and Prince Xue Beng. Though dispossessed of their lands, the flame of restoration still burned in their brows.

Ning Fengzhi, Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, sat at ease; beneath his gentle exterior lay unfathomable wisdom. Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong stood like two guardian mountains at his side, power restrained but palpable.

Poison Douluo Dugu Bo lounged lazily, or so it seemed; beneath half-lidded eyes, his gaze cut through the hall like a viper's, warning all to keep their distance.

Yu Yuanzhen, Thunder Douluo and master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan, looked pale from unhealed wounds, yet his spine remained ramrod straight.

Tang Xiao, Howling Sky Douluo and Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, sat in stern silence, a mountain's weight in his aura, embodying the prestige of the number-one sect under heaven.

Shrek Academy's core, led by Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, Liu Erlong, and Flender, were also present.

Behind them, Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and the other leading youths sat upright, youthful immaturity shed, solemnity remaining.

Opposite this grand alliance sat a smaller group who could not be ignored.

Xuan Zi, Ma Xiaotao, Han Ruoruo, Xu Sanshi... these mysterious figures had thwarted the Spirit Empire's schemes. They sat quietly, yet a naturally emanating pressure made hearts thud.

Xuan Zi's eyes, seemingly clouded, would flash with sharp light when they opened; the soul power of a level-98 peak Douluo surged like deep currents beneath a placid sea.

A blazing aura flowed faintly around Ma Xiaotao—noble and domineering like the phoenix, pure and powerful—stirring in Ma Hongjun a blood-deep quiver and kinship through their shared fiendish phoenix line.

Yet what most unsettled the peak experts present were the two absent existences—Jeanne and Aglaea.

All knew: if not for those two mysterious powerhouses releasing an aura at a critical moment strong enough to make the newly ascended Angel God Qian Renxue hesitate and hold back, there was no way the Heaven Dou core could have slipped the Spirit Empire's net and transferred safely to Star Luo.

Those two were the true trump cards who could balance divine threats—the invisible foundation letting this alliance sit and negotiate here.

As host and sovereign, Emperor Dai Yutian understood the alliance's fragility.

He drew a deep breath; his steady, resonant voice shattered the suffocating silence and rang through the vast hall:
"Honored sect masters, seniors, allies."

His gaze, sharp as a torch, swept each face, finally resting on Xuan Zi. His tone was grave and candid.

"Today we set aside past grievances and gather in Star Luo's hall because we all face an unprecedented cataclysm—the Spirit Empire and the two who serve beneath it and have already ascended the divine thrones."

He paused, letting the oppressive weight of those two deities settle on every heart, then continued:

"Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue—either alone has the strength to overturn the continent's balance. Two gods upon the throne, momentum like a tidal wave—any single force among us, before divine might, is but a mantis blocking a chariot. The situation is clear: united, there is a chance at life; divided, we perish. This concerns our survival—and the continent's future."

His words laid bare the necessity of alliance.

He then shifted the point, eyes sharpening to the crux:

"Alliance demands sincerity; its root is trust. Before we discuss plans to resist the foe, some matters must be clarified."

He locked his gaze on Xuan Zi, his tone solemn.

"Senior Xuan Zi, and the... friends you have brought—your identities, your purpose, and those two seniors who have yet to show themselves... all of this concerns whether the pact we are about to forge can hold, and whether we dare entrust our backs to one another. For the trust required to fight side by side, we ask... for candor."

At once, every gaze in the hall—curious, appraising, grateful, or still steeped in doubt—focused on the unremarkable, even slightly slovenly old man.

Xuan Zi—one of the most unfathomably powerful present—and in many minds matched only by Sword Douluo Chen Xin.

Though he and his people had rescued Thunderclap Douluo, exposed Qian Renxue's stunning disguise, and escorted Heaven Dou's core to safety, their origin—too mysterious, too strong—was a blade hidden in fog. Even as they relied on that strength, many could not help but feel wary and hesitant.

That unknown was the first and most critical hurdle before this fragile alliance.

Without knowing Xuan Zi's origins and goal, they could not fully trust him.

Chapter 388: News from the Future

Xuan Zi grabbed the wine gourd at his waist and took a deep swig. The burning liquid slid down his throat, as if only that could tamp down the turmoil in his heart.

His seemingly clouded eyes swept slowly over faces familiar and strange. When his gaze passed Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun—youths who, in the history he knew, had left bold strokes—something like inexpressible emotion and age-worn sighs flashed deep within.

He lowered the gourd; his voice was loud, yet could not hide the fatigue that came from crossing time and space:
"I am Xuan Zi, title Taotie. I am not of this world. I come from ten thousand years ahead—from another Douluo Continent whose broad history is similar to yours, yet whose details long ago diverged."

He paused, as if weighing how to explain a notion beyond imagination to ancients.

"In our era, Shrek Academy has stood for ten millennia, recognized as the continent's number one academy. The Clear Sky Hammer of the Clear Sky Sect still awes the lands. The light of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda has not dimmed. The roar of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon still shakes the skies."

He pointed to Ma Xiaotao, Han Ruoruo, and the others beside him.

"They are elites of Shrek Academy of our age."

"Ten thousand years later?!"

"Another world?!"

"Shrek Academy... became number one on the continent?"

Even veterans of many storms were shaken to their core, unable to suppress their exclamations.

It upended their very frame of the world.

Yu Xiaogang sprang to his feet, body trembling with the clash of shock and thought; his voice rasped with disbelief:
"Parallel worlds... I—I've theorized about this in my research... How—how can this be..."

He tried to fit the fact into the framework of his life's study, only to find his proud system of knowledge pallid and powerless, unequal to a living example.

Tang San's brows knit tight; his Purple Demon Eye ran unconsciously as he scrutinized every detail on Xuan Zi and his companions.

Of all, he accepted the claim of visitors from another world the fastest—after all, was his own soul not from another world? But coming from a future parallel world—this carried meanings far more complex.

Xuan Zi ignored the shock and continued in a deep voice:
"We did not come by choice. A great accident swept us into a temporal rift. We intervened here only because, in the records we know, the Spirit Hall's soul hunt led to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's destruction and left the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect gravely wounded—countless lives cut short. Since we have the power, we could not watch the same tragedy repeat."

His gaze turned to the pale Yu Yuanzhen and the grave Ning Fengzhi.

"Saving the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragons, helping the Seven Treasure Glazed Tiles repel the ambush—that was our intent."

Yu Yuanzhen, forcing himself upright despite his injuries, cupped his fist and spoke, voice weak yet sincere:
"Senior Xuan Zi and honored friends—your righteous aid saved my clan from annihilation. Yu Yuanzhen and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family will never forget."

Ning Fengzhi inclined his head with elegant gravity. "This debt, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will remember."

Just then Ma Hongjun could hold back no longer. He leapt up, finger trembling as he pointed at Ma Xiaotao standing quietly aside. His round face was full of surprise, excitement, and an ineffable sense of kinship:
"W-wait! You... your name is Ma Xiaotao? Your martial soul is... a phoenix? And... this feeling—it's so much like my Evil Fire Phoenix, but also different—purer, stronger, without that restless turmoil. Senior Xuan Zi said you're Shrek students from ten thousand years later. Are you... are you really..."

He gaped, a wild guess pounding in his chest—absurd, yet beating with a blood-deep resonance.

Ma Xiaotao rose, poised and elegant.

Tall and stunning, she, too, felt a strange emotion at meeting the earliest recorded ancestor in her family line.

She smiled faintly. Without even releasing her martial soul, the crimson phoenix aura naturally coursing around her grew clearer—pure and noble, like one bathed in sacred flame. Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire Phoenix answered in strong resonance; unable to help himself, red flames rose from him as well. Two phoenix forces of one origin but different quality echoed in the hall.

Like Ma Xiaotao, his evil fire had long since been cleansed by immortal herbs. But due to the gulf in cultivation—and because his martial soul was not the extremity of fire—he was a step below her.

"That's right."

Ma Xiaotao's voice was clear, tinged with feeling.

"According to our family records, the source of my bloodline is the first Evil Fire Phoenix soul master—ancestor Ma Hongjun. As for my martial soul, it underwent an evolution. The curse of evil fire has fallen away; it became the Truefire Phoenix."

"You... you're really my... descendant?!"

Ma Hongjun pointed at his own nose, then at the peerless, clearly far-stronger woman before him, then reflexively touched his chubby face—stunned silly. The flood of information made his brain nearly short out.

Oscar, amused, pinched his arm hard. Pain made Ma Hongjun yelp, jolting him back. He scratched his head, looked at Ma Xiaotao, and broke into a goofy grin—pride, shyness, and disbelief all mixed together.

Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong couldn't help leaning together, eyeing Ma Xiaotao curiously while whispering in wonder.

Dai Mubai pulled his gaze from the dramatic scene and returned to Xuan Zi. As a Star Luo prince, he cared more about the looming crisis. He asked in a low voice:
"Senior Xuan Zi, you're from the future and must know the Spirit Hall—no, the Spirit Empire—far better than we do. What are their moves to come? Facing two divine beings, how can we respond? Is there a way to break the game?"

Xuan Zi's face grew heavier. He shook his head slowly, voice somber:
"That is the most crucial—and troublesome—part. The history we know has already diverged drastically from what is happening here; one could even say it's unrecognizable."

His gaze swept the hall and finally settled on Tang San's tightly knit brows. With a trace of reluctance, he nonetheless spoke:

"According to the trajectory we know, there was no large-scale outbreak of filth points in this era. Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong should not both have ascended to godhood at this time. And Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao... should not have fallen now."

"Father!"

Tang San went ashen. He gripped the armrest until his knuckles whitened, eyes filling in an instant with boundless grief and seething fury.

Beside him, Xiao Wu felt his trembling and clasped his hand tightly, giving silent support.

Not only Tang San—Tang Xiao, Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, also clenched the armrest; wood cracked under his grip.

Though Tang Hao had caused the death of the previous Clear Sky Sect Master—their father—Tang Xiao had never blamed Tang Hao. In his eyes, Tang Hao was not wrong; the fault lay with the Spirit Hall.

Yet for the safety of the sect, he had been forced to expel Tang Hao, giving the Spirit Hall an explanation.

When news of Tang Hao's death reached him, his grief was no less than Tang San's. After the Spirit Empire's founding, it was also he who defied opposition to reopen the mountain gates and ally with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sects against the Spirit Empire.

For he knew: once the Spirit Empire defeated all opponents and unified the continent, the Clear Sky Sect—once number one under heaven—would never be spared.

Even if they chose seclusion, the Spirit Empire would not let them go.

The hall's atmosphere congealed again; unease spread.

Then Ning Fengzhi's warm, knowing voice broke the heavy silence:

"As to why history has changed so drastically, I do have a conjecture."

His wise gaze swept the room and settled on Xuan Zi and his companions.

"Have you, by chance, heard of the Jade Chamber?"

Xuan Zi's face shifted; he rumbled:
"Jade Chamber? Heard of it? More than that—we might even be more familiar with them than you are. Back in our world, when the Jade Chamber was first founded, Shrek Academy put in no small effort."

Ning Fengzhi nodded slightly, confirming his guess. He sighed:
"So it is. The Jade Chamber's origins are a mystery. They wield a simulated universe, soul tools far beyond this era, and miraculous stigmata—not technologies of our time. I once thought they were a hidden sect inheriting relics of the ancient past. But before the concept of parallel worlds, that theory seems far too conservative—and laughable."

"Your sense is accurate."

Xuan Zi's voice dropped.

"This Jade Chamber is ninety-nine percent likely to be a subordinate branch of Haiyuan City—from our world. It seems the situation is worse than we thought. We were caught in a temporal accident; they... likely possess a relatively stable method of traveling between the two parallel worlds—and may have been laying their pieces here for a long time."

The inference sent chills up every spine.

To freely shuttle between parallel worlds—what a terrifying capability.

Sword Douluo Chen Xin spoke then, his gaze sharp as a blade, aimed at Xuan Zi and his people.

"Since you hail from the same world, have you heard the names Snow Moon Douluo and Lu Jingming?"

"Snow-Moon Douluo?!"

"Lu Jingming?!"

Han Ruoruo cried out. She traded quick glances with Ma Xiaotao, Xu Sanshi, and the others; their eyes showed shock—but more a dawning certainty.

Ning Fengzhi, quick to catch their upheaval, pressed on: "From your reaction, you do know them?"

Xuan Zi's face had gone so dark it might drip ink. How could he not know?
Back in the Star Dou Great Forest, he had personally tasted that Snow-Moon Douluo's world-crowning sword. The force of that strike had left him gravely wounded; he had needed a long time to recover. Unforgettable.

Ma Xiaotao drew a deep breath, pressed down the storm in her heart, and explained in his stead:

"Snow-Moon Douluo is one of the apex powerhouses of our world—a level-99 limit Douluo. Her swordsmanship has reached perfection. She's called the Sword God of the age."

She paused, her tone growing more complex.

"And Lu Jingming... He's recognized as number one among the younger generation of our era—his talent and strength immeasurable. His true identity is the Lord of Haiyuan City, and... the true master behind the Jade Chamber."

Haiyuan City's lord; the Jade Chamber's hidden ruler. The twin revelations cracked like thunder through the Star Luo audience hall.

In that moment, the scattered clues linked. A vast shadow—spanning parallel worlds, laying deep schemes, with power and forces beyond reckoning—slowly loomed over them, its pressure, for a moment, even eclipsing the Spirit Empire's.

"Ninety-nine, is it?"

Sword Douluo Chen Xin frowned slightly, murmuring.

A level-99 Title Douluo was already a mortal pinnacle—terrifying. Yet as a swordsman who had devoted his life to the blade, he instinctively felt that Snow-Moon Douluo could not be defined by a mere number.

He had once faced Snow-Moon within a simulated universe; that earth-shaking sword realm was anything but worldly.

But instinct was only that; without proof, he pressed the doubt down.

Xuan Zi then recounted the history of their world—a saga like myth—stirring a storm of thought that swept the hall and left every mind reeling.

His loud voice, tinged with the wear of time, told of a chapter like legend:

How Tang San underwent the Sea God's Nine Trials and ultimately inherited the Sea God's divinity, then coupled it with the decisive Asura God's throne—two gods united, aweing the world.

How Xiao Wu became the scabbard to his blade, sharing the Asura throne—life and death as one.

How Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing gained the thrones of War God and Speed God.

How Oscar and Ning Rongrong, despite being food and support types, received inheritances of the Food God and Nine-Colored Goddess.

How Ma Hongjun shed the evil fire and became the Phoenix God, soaring the heavens.

And how, at Jialing Pass—where the continent's fate was decided—Tang San with twin thrones clashed in a heaven-rending three-god battle with Bibi Dong, the Rakshasa God, and Qian Renxue, the Angel God, and finally won—establishing a peace that lasted ten thousand years.

Though Xuan Zi necessarily hid some core secrets, the vivid, clear myth was enough to cast the hall into dead silence, a place where a pin could be heard falling.