DD Black White [409-410] (Patreon)

Chapter 409: Lu Jingming's Objective

The Demon Empress arrived abruptly and departed even more decisively.

Watching him withdraw so resolutely, Bibi Dong—shielded behind Qian Renxue—had purple-black eyes roiling with hatred and chill so intense they seemed nearly tangible.

She clenched the Rakshasa Scythe in her hand so hard her knuckles went white.

So close.

She had almost been taken by the Demon Empress's sneak attack. This humiliation—this debt—was something she would never simply let go.

If not for her own poor condition at this moment, the tangled situation before her, and powerful enemies on all sides, she would have chased him at any cost and hacked into pieces that wretch who dared profane divine might.

Yet reality was that she'd just been saved by her own daughter. And that Lu Jingming—who with a single sentence had forced the Demon Empress to retreat—left her quietly alarmed by his unfathomable depths.

An unprecedented sense of frustration and loss of control gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake.

All her life she had strode across the world, calculating all beneath heaven—when had she ever suffered such repeated setbacks and… charity?

Lu Jingming didn't spare the departing Demon Empress another glance. His eyes swept the gathered crowd and finally settled on Bibi Dong, whose aura was unstable and eyes were complicated. The corner of his mouth seemed to lift in an almost imperceptible arc.

He drew his gaze back and turned to Qian Renxue, that same light, unruffled smile on his face:

 "Sister Xue, I'll leave the Empress to you."

Qian Renxue looked at Lu Jingming, nodded slightly, then turned to the unstable, cold-eyed Bibi Dong behind her.

The mother and daughter's eyes met in the air. There was no warmth in it—only the frost and estrangement of over twenty years, and emotions too tangled to put into words.

"Come with me."

Qian Renxue's voice was calm, yet hid deep undercurrents.

"It's time we settled things between us."

Bibi Dong's expression paused; a flash of astonishment crossed her eyes, then turned to mockery.

She cast a cold glance at Jing Yuan, Xiao Wu, and Huo Yuhao—who had just had his body returned by Electrolux and was clearly unwell.

Reason told her that in her injured state there was no chance of victory facing three god-level beings at once, plus Lu Jingming's inscrutable group.

What's more, Qian Renxue's stance was already clear—she would not take Bibi Dong's side.

More importantly, that one word "settle" from Qian Renxue was like a needle piercing the tautest string in Bibi Dong's heart.

Between them, there did indeed need to be a final reckoning—be it hatred, neglect, or those forcibly repressed and twisted feelings.

"Fine."

Bibi Dong's voice was ice-cold, bearing the pride of the Rakshasa God and a hint of burn-the-boat resolve.

"I want to see just what you intend to do."

Receiving her assent, Qian Renxue said no more and inclined her head to Lu Jingming in a slight nod.

Then golden divine light surged around her. With a casual sweep of the Angelic Holy Sword, she tore open a stable space passage.

She didn't look back at Bibi Dong and stepped straight through.

Bibi Dong snorted, suppressing the churning of her blood and the numbness in her soul inflicted by electromagnetic force. Gripping the Rakshasa Scythe, she followed without hesitation.

Purple-black malice and resplendent golden light vanished together into the end of the space corridor, leaving only ripples that slowly sealed.

The grievances between these two were beyond others' intervention and judgment.

Whether the result would be reconciliation or a complete break, one thing was certain: the paranoid, frenzied Rakshasa God, Bibi Dong, would no longer rule the Spirit Empire as its Empress.

Not only because Lu Jingming would not allow it, but because Qian Renxue already possessed both the strength and resolve to take her place.

Watching the two deities depart, Lu Jingming treated it as a trivial matter and easily turned his gaze to the remaining few.

His eyes fell first on Jing Yuan. With a faintly playful smile, he spoke: "Should I call you General, or Senior Brother?"

Jing Yuan was clearly taken aback.

In those golden eyes that always held a lazy smile, a hint of surprise flashed. His gaze drifted instinctively to Jingliu, whose expression was as cold as falling snow, by Lu Jingming's side.

In an instant, he seemed to understand; surprise turned to realization, and then to a more genuine smile.

The formation-blade in his hand faded away. He waved with nonchalance. "So it's Junior Brother."

His tone was light, natural.

"No need to get hung up on the Xianzhou's formalities. Just call me Senior Brother. In this world, there's no Divine Strategist General—only Jing Yuan."

That simple exchange revealed their connection—disciples of the same master.

With that link, much of the potential estrangement due to unclear stances dissolved.

Xiao Wu, however, felt none of that ease.

Her pink eyes were full of vigilance, especially fixed on Jingliu and Gu Yuena.

Jingliu felt like a peerless murderous blade sheathed in invisible scabbard—unstated, but with a hint of ultimate edge and killing intent that set Xiao Wu's very soul trembling.

Even more oppressive, at the level of life's instinct, was Gu Yuena.

That was suppression from the source of bloodline itself—absolute dominance of a superior over an inferior.

Though Xiao Wu had become a god and her life level had transformed, her root remained tied to soul beast blood.

Gu Yuena, the Silver Dragon King—the half of the Dragon God and sovereign of soul beasts—bore a bloodline representing the supreme authority and majesty over all soul beasts under heaven.

Before that draconic might, Xiao Wu felt as if stripped of her divine raiment, reverting to that weak little Soft Bone Rabbit. Instinctively she tensed up and edged closer to Huo Yuhao, seeking a shred of safety.

As for Electrolux, after confirming the greatest threat—Bibi Dong—had left, the god-level power he'd forced into motion via the Herrscher core finally reached its limit.

Control of Huo Yuhao's body was returned silently; Electrolux's exhausted spiritual sense sank once more into the depths of Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea to repair and slumber.

With his body his own again, Huo Yuhao's eyes were a blank, bewildered void.

Though sealed by his second personality deep within, he had perceived all that had happened outside as a bystander inside his own mind—clear as day, viscerally felt.

He saw himself join the evil Holy Spirit Cult, pitted against his former companions and Shrek Academy.

Saw himself command an Undead, slaughtering the living.

Saw himself lure and coerce his senior brother, Bei Bei—who had treated him like a younger sibling—using the Blue Silver Emperor soul bone, forcing Bei Bei to betray his principles, soil his hands with blood, and fall into endless darkness… Each act was a red-hot dagger sawing at his soul, bringing endless pain and self-loathing.

Though the second personality killed Dai Huabin—indirectly avenging his mother, bringing a twisted flicker of satisfaction to his darkest corner—this was immediately drowned by a greater surge of guilt and self-negation.

Huo Yuhao was momentarily mentally adrift.

Lu Jingming's calm gaze fell upon the desolate Huo Yuhao. The corner of his mouth lifted in an ambiguous smile, breaking the silence.

"Long time no see, Huo Yuhao."

"From the look of you, you're lost—can't find a way between your sins and yourself, can you?"

Huo Yuhao slowly raised his head. Focus finally returned to his empty eyes. He recognized the man before him and answered hoarsely, "Lu Jingming…"

They hadn't crossed paths much, but Huo Yuhao knew well this man's mystery and power.

Lu Jingming ignored the complexity in his tone and dropped words that shook Huo Yuhao to the core:

"I know you're lost right now. But if I told you your mother, Huo Yun'er—her soul still exists, and you have a chance to revive her—would you still be lost?"

The words exploded like thunder in Huo Yuhao's skull.

"What did you say?!"

His eyes flew wide; his body trembled violently with extreme emotion.

Guilt toward Bei Bei and Tang Ya, guilt for what his second personality had done, confusion about the future—all of it was blown to pieces by that earth-shattering news, thrown beyond the ninth heaven.

His mother—that eternal pain and longing in his heart—still had hope of revival?!

"You heard me right."

Lu Jingming's tone was firm, each word crisp.

"Your mother's soul hasn't dissipated. It still exists, intact."

As he spoke, his gaze flicked—perhaps intentionally—toward Xiao Wu.

In this world, death isn't an absolute end. As long as the soul exists, life and death can be reversed.

Xiao Wu standing there was the most vivid example.

"My mother… Where is she? Tell me—where is she?!"

Huo Yuhao could no longer suppress the tide inside. He forgot the disparity in strength, forgot potential dangers. Like a drowning man seeing the only light in the darkness, he lunged toward Lu Jingming, desperate to seize that hope.

He had heard the story of Seagod Tang San and longed for those words. Now that longing burned into a blazing thirst.

Shing!

In the next moment, a purple scythe wreathed in deathly silence and a long green sword burning with tranquil fire crossed before Huo Yuhao.

Castorice and Firefly stood like two insurmountable walls, silently restraining his impulse.

Their cold killing intent and blazing warning snapped Huo Yuhao back to his senses.

He halted, drew a deep breath, forced himself to calm down—but the urgency and pleading in his eyes did not fade. He stared fixedly at Lu Jingming:

 "Tell me. As long as you tell me where my mother's soul is, I'll do anything—pay any price."

Lu Jingming's answer once again caught him off guard.

"Price? I don't need any price from you."

Lu Jingming's lips quirked with a lightness bordering on mischief.

"Your mother's soul is in the hands of Seagod Tang San. Want to get her back? Simple. Go to the God Realm, find Tang San, and… take her back from him."

"Seagod… Tang San?!"

Huo Yuhao was thunderstruck, stunned.

He had imagined countless possibilities—a wicked soul master, some hidden faction—but never that the soul of his mother had been taken by the legendary Seagod.

Seeing his shock and confusion, Lu Jingming lobbed another heavy bomb:

"Huo Yuhao, have you really never wondered? How someone like you—an ordinary person—had such heaven-defying luck? A million-year soul beast delivered to your door. A spiritual consciousness from another world... It's like every good thing under the sun fell on your head."

"You… What do you mean? And how do you know so much?!"

Huo Yuhao's doubts peaked. Lu Jingming's words seemed to peel back a veil he'd long ignored.

"Why I know isn't your concern."

Lu Jingming's tone carried a hint of imperious detachment. At this point, why should he explain himself?

 "What you should really care about is why Seagod Tang San took your mother's soul."

"Why?" As expected, Huo Yuhao followed the lead at once. Anything concerning his mother eclipsed all else.

"Because you were originally the child of fate for the Douluo Continent, all but destined to become a god."

Lu Jingming unveiled the truth.

"But Tang San's position in the God Realm is not as secure as it appears. He needs helpers—but ones who obey absolutely, under his control. Your mother's soul is one of the shackles he uses to bind you and ensure you follow his every command."

He paused, took in the sudden pallor of Huo Yuhao's face, and added:

"Of course, due to certain variables, you are no longer the favored child of Douluo's fate. But that's meaningless to you. What matters is that to save your mother, you must have power enough to storm the God Realm. In your current state you can't even unify your own strength—deification is a long shot, let alone taking someone from a God King."

Lu Jingming's eyes deepened:

"So accept reality, Huo Yuhao. Sit down with the other you—your second personality—and with Electrolux. Learn to coexist, even integrate. Unite your powers. And… the bloodline power Hoolay left you—use that as well. I want to see how far you can go."

"Why tell me this? What's your goal?"

Huo Yuhao looked up at Lu Jingming, trying to read his face.

Lu Jingming smiled with a detached, almost amused interest:

"I just think that if you take this surprise and charge into the God Realm to stand before that calculating Seagod, the scene… will be very entertaining."

His gaze swept over Xiao Wu again, pointedly.

Perhaps this surprise could be made even bigger.

He bore no malice—he merely wanted a good show.

Chapter 410: Angel and Rakshasa

Huo Yuhao stood dazed, Lu Jingming's words echoing in his mind.

His confusion was replaced by a goal nearly impossible—become stronger, become a god, ascend to the God Realm, and wrest his mother's soul from Seagod Tang San.

An unprecedented resolve began to gather in his eyes; deep within those long-silent spirit-pupils, a storm was brewing.

Lu Jingming no longer looked at Huo Yuhao, whose inner world was turning upside down. He turned to the relaxed Jing Yuan with an easy smile and said:

"Senior Brother, the Holy Grail War is over. Your contract with Bei Bei is finished. You're free. What do you plan next?"

After the battle of Mingdu, the Holy Grail War was effectively over. Lu Jingming had not immediately released the contracts between Bei Bei and the Servants, but now he had decided to lift their bonds and set them free.

Whatever they did next was up to them. These figures from his memories carried a special sentiment for him.

As long as they did not become his enemies, he was happy to grant them maximum autonomy.

Jing Yuan's golden eyes—always holding a trace of a smile—flashed with a glint. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then grinned with an easy air:

 "Free, huh? Good. I'm not the original, after all. Given this opportunity, experiencing life in this other world as a Galaxy Rangers sounds just right."

His role as the Xianzhou's Divine Strategist General was a responsibility, not a dream.

Now, having put down that burden, he could taste that long-desired, unrestrained life—traveling the star sea as a ranger—which suited him well.

"A Galaxy Rangers?"

Lu Jingming smiled, too. He understood this Senior Brother's dream.

"This universe is likewise vast and brimming with the unknown and the marvelous. I expect before long, on the far side of the stars, I'll be hearing of the famed Galaxy Rangers Jing Yuan."

"Mm."

Jing Yuan's smile turned even lazier, his eyes teasing as he glanced at Lu Jingming.

"Junior Brother, that said, this world's tech level is still quite behind. To truly roam the star sea, we'll need you to pick up the pace."

His gaze drifted meaningfully over Jingliu and Firefly.

With a powerhouse like Jingliu and The Herta's beyond-era technology, this civilization's level would likely be forcibly elevated to a whole new tier by this Junior Brother. Reaching a spacefaring era in short order was no pipe dream.

Lu Jingming only smiled, tacitly acknowledging.

Then Jingliu, who had been silent, fixed her cool gaze on Jing Yuan and spoke two simple words:

"Take care."

Jing Yuan's levity softened. He offered Jingliu a solemn Xianzhou salute:

 "Teacher, you take care as well. I'm off."

He nodded to Lu Jingming and Gu Yuena and the others, then turned into a streak of golden light, soaring into the sky and vanishing in an instant—dashing and free—to begin his new journey in this world as a Galaxy Rangers.

With his departure, Lu Jingming could clearly sense invisible contract threads snapping and dispersing in the void.

All across the land, Servants—whether with their Masters or acting alone—felt the Holy Grail's shackles vanish completely in that moment.

Jing Yuan's golden streak stirred Huo Yuhao from his thoughts.

He looked toward where Jing Yuan disappeared, a trace of regret in his eyes.

If someone with Jing Yuan's strength helped, the path to saving his mother would be far smoother.

But he quickly suppressed the feeling. He understood: reliance on others could never last. True strength and hope must come from oneself.

He drew a deep breath and turned to Lu Jingming, more solemn and resolute than ever, his voice low:

"Lu Jingming, whatever your motives in telling me this—whether to use me or simply for amusement—thank you. Thank you for letting me know my mother's soul still exists. You've given me a reason I must live and must grow stronger."

He paused, then pledged: "You may not care, and my repayment may be trivial to you, but I, Huo Yuhao, will remember this favor. If I can save my mother in the end—if I'm still alive then—I will repay what I owe today."

He had already set life and death aside.

To seize a soul from a God King was all but courting death.

The road ahead would be full of thorns, with slim hope, but he would not retreat.

His mother was the first and only light in his dark life. For that light, he would burn everything—including himself.

As for whether Lu Jingming was lying?

After the first rush of emotion, Huo Yuhao had already thought it through calmly.

With the power Lu Jingming had shown and the unfathomable force under him, if he intended harm, Huo Yuhao would already be a corpse.

For someone he could erase at any time, why weave a lie that time or facts would inevitably puncture? Meaningless.

Thus, he chose to believe.

Leaving that earnest promise, Huo Yuhao hesitated no longer.

He looked at Xiao Wu, who had silently stood guard at his side. Their eyes met; understanding was reached.

He had to return to his original world. His mother's soul was imprisoned in that world's God Realm. His target for vengeance—the White Tiger Duke—was there too.

Dai Huabin's death alone could not begin to quell the hatred and pain pent up within him.

They said no more. Their figures became a streak of light, racing toward where a space-time passage might exist, vanishing into the horizon.

Watching Huo Yuhao's departing back, Lu Jingming drew his gaze back, that meaningful smile never leaving his face.

"Repay me?"

He murmured, lightly amused.

"Interesting. A pity you don't understand: from the moment you learned the truth and chose this path to save your mother, your fate no longer belonged to you."

He saw it clearly.

For Huo Yuhao to obtain power to rival a God King in short order, the only fast, effective path was to mine deeply and rely on the Herrscher core within him.

And though that core's power seemed boundless, it already bore Lu Jingming's brand.

As long as Huo Yuhao did not abandon that power, he would never truly escape Lu Jingming's grasp.

"I must say, Huo Yuhao, your luck isn't so good."

Lu Jingming shook his head slightly, his tone carrying a touch of almost cruel pity.

In the original track of fate, Huo Yuhao had been the child of destiny carefully selected, guided, and controlled by Seagod Tang San.

Now, freed from Tang San's chessboard, he had unwittingly fallen into Lu Jingming's game.

Lu Jingming's gaze seemed to pierce layers of space, following Huo Yuhao's vanishing silhouette.

"But that is reality—the barest and fairest truth in the universe."

His voice was calm and cold, stating the law of the world.

"The strong control the fate of the weak."

"Blame yourself… for not being strong enough yet."

His faint words drifted on the wind.

Not long after Huo Yuhao left, two vast, opposing divine auras erupted on the distant horizon like dormant volcanoes, stirring heaven and earth for a thousand miles around.

One was brilliant and resplendent, like a sunrise at dawn, bearing righteous power that purifies all and judges all sins—the divine power of the Angel God, Qian Renxue.

The other was cold and filthy, like a rift in the abyss, filled with spite, curses, and malice that sought to destroy everything—the divine power of the Rakshasa God, Bibi Dong.

The two divine powers crashed together in midair like primordial beasts, unleashing a soundless detonation that shook the soul.

Space twisted and collapsed at the point of impact, as if unable to bear the clash of two utterly opposing laws.

Lu Jingming didn't even need to look. The opposing auras, crystal clear to his soul-sense, told him everything.

"So it's a fight after all."

His tone was flat, as if expected.

"That pair of mother and daughter—one proud as the sun, the other obstinate down the demonic path—words are powerless for them. Only strength can make them truly face each other and settle the grudge of over twenty years."

With a faint, elusive smile at the corner of his lips, he nodded to Jingliu, Gu Yuena, and the rest:

"Come. Let's watch this battle of… justice and evil."

In a flicker of light and shadow, they stood atop a lone peak several miles from the battlefield, watching from afar.

At the center, the two gods had unleashed their power to the utmost.

Qian Renxue hovered in the sky, enveloped in pure golden radiance.

She wore a magnificent, awe-inspiring Angelic God set; six massive golden wings were fully spread behind her, each feather flowing with the brilliance of the sun's true fire.

The Angelic Holy Sword was in her grip, its blade burning with an eternal sacred flame.

Seven resplendent god-rings rotated slowly behind her head, exuding a divine might that inspired reverence and worship.

Her divine attributes were ultimate light, holiness, judgment, and solar fire. Wherever she passed, evil retreated, and the air itself brimmed with warmth and purification.

Opposite her, Bibi Dong was an image of the apocalypse.

The Rakshasa God set covered her; purple-black armor seemed woven from countless wailing spirits and curses, constantly twisting and writhing, radiating nauseating malice.

A colossal Rakshasa avatar roared behind her, wielding a scythe identical to her own. Its blade was coiled about by filth potent enough to corrode divinity.

Her god-rings were a deep purple-black; as they spun, it was as if innumerable resentful spirits howled.

Her divine power was pure darkness, evil, curses, and death. Her mere presence dyed surrounding space an ominous dark violet. Life on the ground was cut off; grass and trees withered and rotted in an instant.

Angel and Rakshasa were born enemies.

If not for that tangled and severless bond of mother and daughter, this destined duel should have erupted the moment they became gods, not been put off until now.

"Nether Rakshasa."

Bibi Dong struck first. The Rakshasa Scythe swept out; the purple light in the sky answered, becoming hundreds of twisted, serpent-like purple-black scythe-blades, blanketing the heavens as they shredded toward Qian Renxue—so sharp they even devoured light itself.

"Holy Flame: Verdict!"

Qian Renxue's cold cry rang out. With a point of the Angelic Holy Sword, endless golden sacred flame surged forward like a tsunami. The holy fire condensed into innumerable burning blades of light, precisely intercepting each Rakshasa scythe.

Boom! Boom-boom-boom—!!

Gold and violet-black collided and annihilated each other in the air. Sacred flame purified evil; Rakshasa power corroded light.

Every clash burst with brilliance bright enough to blind mortals and deafening thunder.

The shockwaves spread outward in tangible rings, layer by layer, plowing the already-ruined ground anew. Mountains were hewn in half; boulders turned to dust.

"Calamity Curse: Oblivion!"

Madness deepened in Bibi Dong's eyes. She pointed the scythe at the earth; the foul Rakshasa power sank into the ground, stirring the deepest resentments in the leylines.

At once, countless blood-red eyes—congealed from filthy blood and rancor—opened upon the land. Pillars of dark-red light, saturated with curses and decay, shot into the sky and wove a vast net of death, falling over Qian Renxue.

"Angelic Domain: World-Cleansing Holy Light!"

Qian Renxue did not yield. Her six wings beat sharply. Centered on her, a golden domain suffused with sacred aura expanded rapidly.

Within the domain, hymns echoed; golden rain fell. The holy light's ultimate purification met the death-net of Calamity Curse, hissing as it burned. The evil curses melted in the light like snow.

"Rakshasa Scythe: Soul-Cleave!"

Bibi Dong merged with her avatar—body following the scythe, becoming a purple-black slash that tore space, the scythe aiming straight for Qian Renxue's soul-origin.

This strike carried the Rakshasa God's absolute restraint over the soul.

"Angelic Divinity: Solar Holyblade!"

Qian Renxue raised the sword high, as if drawing down the sun's core from the ninth heaven. The holy sword swelled into a golden giant blade spanning heaven and earth, cleaving down with the will to burn seas, rend mountains, and judge all.

CLAAAANG—!!!!

The clash of divine weapons produced a mind-rending roar as if to tear the world apart.

At the point of impact, a swelling orb of mixed energy—golden sacred flame and purple-black malice—ballooned, then detonated.

The sky split with a massive rift, revealing the chaos beyond.

The earth shattered and sank like a fragile eggshell. A ring-shaped crater over ten kilometers wide formed beneath them. Its walls were smooth as mirrors—vitrified by extreme energies in an instant.

Shockwaves swept hundreds of kilometers. Tempest winds howled; clouds were shredded—the end of days made manifest.

The sacred might of the Angel God and the evil force of the Rakshasa God were not merely clashing energies; they strove to seize dominion over the laws of this world.