The Demon Emperor's arrival was sudden, and his retreat was even more decisive.
Watching the Demon Emperor withdraw so resolutely, Bibi Dong, who was shielded behind Qian Renxue, had eyes of purple-black that churned with a hatred and cold malice that was almost tangible.
She tightly gripped the Rakshasa Scythe in her hand, her knuckles white from the exertion.
Almost.
She was almost successfully ambushed by the Demon Emperor. This shame, this score, she would absolutely not let it go easily.
If her current state was not poor and the current situation was not so complex, with powerful enemies surrounding them, she would definitely pursue him at all costs and tear that beast who dared to offend divine majesty into ten thousand pieces.
However, the reality was that she had just been saved by her daughter, and the depth of the power of Lu Jingming, who had driven the Demon Emperor back with a single phrase, secretly left her alarmed.
An unprecedented sense of grievance and loss of control gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake.
She had triumphed and schemed throughout her life; when had she ever suffered such continuous defeat and... "charity"?
Lu Jingming didn't even spare a glance for the departing Demon Emperor. His gaze slowly swept over the people in the field, finally resting on Bibi Dong, whose aura was unstable and whose eyes were filled with complexity. A hard-to-detect curve seemed to lift his lips.
He retracted his gaze and shifted it to Qian Renxue, maintaining his serene and easy smile:
"Sister Xue, our Empress is entrusted to you now."
Qian Renxue glanced at Lu Jingming, nodded slightly, and then turned to the inwardly unstable and sullen-eyed Bibi Dong behind her.
The eyes of the mother and daughter met in the air, devoid of warmth, containing only the frost and estrangement accumulated over twenty years, and an ineffable complexity in this moment.
"Come with me."
Qian Renxue's voice carried a sense of calm, yet underlying it were deep ripples.
"It is time for the matters between us to be settled."
Bibi Dong was momentarily stunned, a flash of surprise in her eyes, which quickly turned into mockery.
She gave a cold sidelong glance at Jing Yuan, Xiao Wu, and Huo Yuhao, whose body had just been returned by Electrolux and whose condition was clearly abnormal.
Reason told her that with her current injured state, facing three God-level powerhouses and the unfathomable Lu Jingming and his group simultaneously, she had absolutely no chance of victory.
Moreover, Qian Renxue's attitude was clear: she would not stand on her side.
More importantly, Qian Renxue's phrase "be settled," like a needle, pricked the tightest string in her heart.
A complete reckoning was indeed needed between them, whether for hatred, indifference, or the forcibly suppressed, twisted feelings they shared.
"Fine."
Bibi Dong's voice was ice-cold, carrying the arrogance of the Rakshasa God and a hint of reckless abandon.
"I'd like to see what exactly you intend to do."
Having received Bibi Dong's consent, Qian Renxue said no more, giving Lu Jingming a slight nod.
Immediately, golden divine light surged around her. The Angelic Sacred Sword sliced an illusionary arc, effortlessly tearing open a stable spatial tunnel.
She did not look at Bibi Dong again and stepped directly into it.
Bibi Dong snorted coldly, forcibly suppressed the turmoil of energy and blood in her body and the numbness caused by the electromagnetic corrosion of her soul, gripping the Rakshasa Scythe, and followed without hesitation.
The purple-black evil aura and the brilliant golden light disappeared together into the end of the spatial tunnel, leaving only slowly closing spatial ripples.
The grievances between this mother and daughter were beyond external interference or judgment.
Regardless of whether the final outcome was a reconciliation or a complete rupture, one thing was certain: the paranoid and insane Rakshasa God, Bibi Dong, would no longer be able to rule the Spirit Empire as the Empress.
This was not only because Lu Jingming would not allow it, but also because Qian Renxue already possessed the strength and determination to take her place.
Watching the two deities depart, Lu Jingming acted as if he had only handled a trivial matter, easily turning his attention to the remaining few people in the field.
His gaze first fell on Jing Yuan, a playful smile appearing on his face, and he asked, "Should I call you General, or Senior Brother?"
Jing Yuan was visibly stunned by the question.
A flicker of surprise crossed his golden eyes, which usually held a hint of lazy amusement. He instinctively glanced at Jingliu, who stood beside Lu Jingming with a cold and snowy expression.
In an instant, he seemed to understand something. The surprise on his face turned into enlightenment, followed by a more genuine smile.
The formation blade in his hand silently vanished into thin air. He waved his hand casually: "So it's Junior Brother."
His tone was relaxed and natural.
"There's no need to adhere to the rigid etiquette of the Xianzhou. Just call me Senior Brother. In this world, there is no Divine Foresight General, only Jing Yuan."
This simple exchange revealed the connection between the two—they were fellow disciples from the same master.
This shared origin instantly melted away much of the potential distance that might have existed due to uncertain standings.
However, Xiao Wu, who stood on the side, felt none of this ease.
Her pink eyes were filled with vigilance, her gaze primarily fixed on Jingliu and Gu Yuena.
Jingliu gave her the feeling of an unparalleled fierce weapon sheathed in an invisible scabbard. Though not drawn, the faintly emanating extreme sharpness and cold killing intent made her soul tremble.
But what caused her an even greater sense of suppression and discomfort, originating from her primal life instinct, was Gu Yuena.
It was an absolute suppression from the bloodline origin, an absolute dominance of a superior being over a subordinate.
Although Xiao Wu had become a god, undergoing a transformation in her life level, her roots were ultimately tied to the Soul Beast bloodline.
And Gu Yuena, as the halved body of the Dragon God and the co-sovereign of all Soul Beasts, the Silver Dragon King, her bloodline represented the highest authority and majesty to every Soul Beast in the world.
Faced with this Dragon Might, Xiao Wu felt as if her divine mantle had been stripped away, returning her to the weak, initial Soft Bone Rabbit. She subconsciously tensed her body, silently moving a step closer to Huo Yuhao, seeking a semblance of security.
As for Electrolux, after confirming that the greatest threat, Bibi Dong, had left, his God-level power, forcefully activated by the Herrscher of Reason core, finally reached its limit.
The control of Huo Yuhao's body was silently relinquished. Electrolux's weary consciousness once again sank into the depths of the Sea of Spirit, falling into repair and slumber.
Huo Yuhao, who had regained control of his body, had eyes that were empty and bewildered.
Although he had been sealed deep within his consciousness by his second personality, everything that happened externally was clear to him, like an immersive spectator, and he felt it deeply.
He "saw" himself join the evil Holy Spirit Sect, becoming an enemy of his former comrades and Shrek Academy.
He "saw" himself controlling the undead catastrophe, slaughtering living beings.
He "saw" how he used the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone to tempt and coerce his Senior Brother Bei Bei, who treated him like a younger sibling, to betray his principles, staining his hands with blood and descending into endless darkness... Each and every one of these events was like a red-hot dagger, repeatedly cutting his soul, bringing endless pain and self-loathing.
Even though the second personality killed Dai Huabin, indirectly taking some revenge for his mother, a twisted sense of gratification flashed through the darkest corner of his heart, followed by a more turbulent feeling of guilt and self-denial.
This caused Huo Yuhao to be somewhat dazed for a moment.
Lu Jingming's gaze calmly settled on the dispirited Huo Yuhao, a half-smile curling his lips, breaking the silence.
"Long time no see, Huo Yuhao."
"By the look of you, you must be very confused right now, unable to find a way out between guilt and self-identity?"
Huo Yuhao slowly raised his head, a focal point finally appearing in his empty eyes. He recognized the person in front of him, and his voice was hoarse as he replied, "Lu Jingming..."
Their interactions were few, but Huo Yuhao knew the mystery and power of this person.
Lu Jingming didn't mind the complexity in his tone and threw out a phrase that was enough to shake Huo Yuhao's entire mind:
"I know you are confused right now, but what if I told you that your mother, Huo Yun'er, still has her soul and you still have a chance to resurrect her? Are you... still confused now?"
This sentence was like a clap of thunder from the Nine Heavens, roaring in Huo Yuhao's mind!
"What did you say?!"
Huo Yuhao's eyes widened sharply, his body trembling violently from the extreme excitement.
All the guilt towards Bei Bei and Tang Ya, all the feelings of sin arising from the second personality's actions, and all the confusion about the future were, at this moment, completely scattered by this earth-shattering news, thrown to the back of beyond.
His mother, the eternal pain and longing in his heart, still had hope of resurrection?!
"You heard right."
Lu Jingming's tone was certain, his words clear.
"Your mother's soul has not dissipated; it still exists, completely intact."
As he spoke, his gaze purposefully or inadvertently glanced at Xiao Wu beside him.
In this world, death was not an absolute end. As long as the soul existed, there was a possibility of reversing life and death.
Xiao Wu herself was the most vivid example of this.
"My mother... where is she? Tell me, where is she?!"
Huo Yuhao could no longer suppress the inner turmoil. He completely forgot the difference in strength between them, forgot the potential threats, rushing towards Lu Jingming like a drowning person who saw the only light in the darkness, desperately trying to seize this sole hope.
He had once heard the story of the Sea God Tang San and longed for the phrase "Resurrect, my love," which now transformed into an incomparably burning desire.
"Zheng!"
In the next moment, a purple scythe entwined with the aura of death and a bright green long sword burning with serene flames crossed, blocking Huo Yuhao.
Castorice and Firefly, like two insurmountable barriers, silently restrained his impulsive movement.
The icy killing intent and the scorching warning instantly cooled Huo Yuhao's feverish mind.
He stopped, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down, but the urgency and pleading in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest. He stared intensely at Lu Jingming:
"Tell me, as long as you can tell me the whereabouts of my mother's soul, I will do anything, I am willing to pay any price."
However, Lu Jingming's answer once again exceeded his expectations.
"Price? I don't need you to pay any price."
The corners of Lu Jingming's mouth lifted with an almost mischievous lightness.
"Your mother's soul is in the hands of the Sea God, Tang San. Want to get your mother back? It's simple. Go to the God Realm, find the Sea God Tang San, and then... snatch her back from him."
"Sea God... Tang San?!"
Huo Yuhao was struck as if by lightning, utterly dumbfounded.
He had imagined countless possibilities—perhaps some evil Soul Master, or some hidden power—but he never expected that the one who had taken his mother's soul was the legendary Sea God.
Seeing Huo Yuhao's shocked and confused expression, Lu Jingming continued to drop bombshells:
"Huo Yuhao, have you never wondered? How could an ordinary person like you have such heaven-defying luck? A million-year Soul Beast delivered automatically, the consciousness of a powerful being from another world... It's as if all the good things in the world have been thrown at you."
"You... what do you mean? How do you know so much?!"
Huo Yuhao's confusion reached its peak. Lu Jingming's words felt like they were peeling back a layer of mist that he had always ignored.
"Why I know is not a concern for you."
Lu Jingming's tone carried an undeniable indifference. The current him did not need to explain his actions to anyone else.
"What you should truly be concerned about is why the Sea God Tang San took your mother's soul."
"Why?" Huo Yuhao was predictably guided and immediately pressed the question. Anything related to his mother surpassed all else.
"Because you were originally the destined Son of Destiny of the Douluo Continent, almost guaranteed to become a god in the future."
Lu Jingming revealed the truth.
"And the Sea God Tang San's position in the God Realm is not as stable as it appears on the surface. He needs helpers, but they must be absolutely obedient helpers under his control. Your mother's soul is one of the... shackles he uses to bind you and ensure your absolute obedience to him."
He paused, looking at Huo Yuhao's suddenly pale face, and added:
"Of course, due to some variables, you are no longer favored by the destiny of the Douluo Continent, but none of that matters to you. What matters is that to save your mother, you must possess enough power to ascend to the God Realm, and in your current state, you can't even integrate your own power, making it unlikely you'll even become a god, let alone snatch someone from the hands of a God King."
Lu Jingming's eyes deepened:
"So, accept reality, Huo Yuhao. Have a good talk with the 'him' inside you—your second personality—and Electrolux. Learn to coexist, or even merge. Integrate all your strength, and also... the bloodline power of the Borisin left to you by Hoolay. I want to see how far you can go."
"Why are you telling me all this? What is your purpose?"
Huo Yuhao looked up at Lu Jingming, trying to discern his intentions.
Lu Jingming smiled, an expression of detached interest on his face:
"I just think that if you can take this 'surprise' with you, ascend to the God Realm, and stand before that scheming Sea God, the scene... will surely be very interesting."
His gaze swept over Xiao Wu again, with a pointed meaning.
Perhaps, this "surprise" could be even greater.
He harbored no ill intentions; he simply wanted to watch the show.
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