The three stepped into the mountain valley, as if triggering a hidden switch.
The gray-black mist churned violently, and distorted figures emitting intense malice emerged from the twisted architecture.
Leading them was a figure enveloped in a power originating from the same source as Lu Jingming, with vacant eyes—it was the dark Lu Jingming.
Behind him followed the ominous-looking dark Castorice, holding a dark flower scythe.
The jet-black dark Firefly, whose armor was burning with corrupting flames.
And a host of other distorted mirrored existences, including the dark March 7th, dark Robin, and dark Jinhsi.
"Proceed according to the plan."
Gu Yuena spoke coldly and took a step forward.
"Elemental Tide."
Seven-colored elemental light burst from her body, surging like a tidal wave.
She unleashed her full Dragon Might, forcibly suppressing the twisted, defiled aura from the opponents, aiming directly at the dark Lu Jingming.
Simultaneously, a sharp glint flashed in Firefly's eyes.
Blazing white flames soared into the sky.
Firefly transformed into a white shooting star, carrying the resolve to burn everything to ashes, and slammed directly into the dark Firefly, who had also activated her armor and was burning with black flames.
"Boom—!"
The two streams of fire, one white and one black, collided fiercely—fist to fist, foot to foot. Each clash unleashed terrifying energy shockwaves, instantly vaporizing the surrounding remnants of the twisted architecture.
This was the most direct and violent confrontation between Molten Knights.
Meanwhile, Castorice faced the dark Castorice, who held the dark flower scythe.
"The other me, is it."
Castorice sighed softly, but there was no ripple of emotion in her eyes.
"Styx, manifest."
A phantom, serene dark domain rapidly unfolded around her—the World-Severing Underworld.
Within the domain, the boundary between life and death blurred.
The dark flower scythe swung by the dark Castorice, upon entering the domain, had its death aura cleansed by an invisible current, becoming sluggish and dim.
Castorice tapped her finger. Invisible Styx tentacles reached out from the void, wrapping around the dark Castorice's limbs and weapon.
"Your 'death' is false. Allow me to grant you... true slumber."
On the other side, the battle between Gu Yuena and the dark Lu Jingming was already in full swing.
Although the dark Lu Jingming inherited the abilities of the original, due to the deliberate limitations by the Spirit Hall, the strength of this defilement point was incomparable to the one faced by the dark Kevin.
Furthermore, because too many negative energy entities were birthed, the individual combat strength was not as overwhelming as the dark Kevin's.
That was why Lu Jingming was at ease letting Gu Yuena, Castorice, and Firefly handle the cleanup; with the Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena commanding, it was sufficient.
The dark Lu Jingming's Abyss White Flower was tricky, but Gu Yuena's command over the elements had reached the peak of perfection. She steadily suppressed her opponent with absolute power and control.
The battle between Firefly and the dark Firefly was the most intense.
Both entered the "Total Combustion" state, their white Flame of Will and black Flame of Corruption frantically consuming each other.
Firefly's gauntlets gathered immense energy; every straight punch carried the will to shatter stars.
One heavy punch finally broke through the dark Firefly's defense, and the blazing white flames drilled into her armor, triggering a series of violent explosions.
The dark Firefly was ultimately annihilated completely in the pure white flames.
Almost simultaneously, Castorice's Styx tentacles had completely bound the dark Castorice.
"Return to... silence."
Castorice chanted softly. The power of the Styx began to purify the negative emotions.
The dark Castorice's figure blurred and dissipated like an ink painting soaked in water, eventually leaving behind only a wisp of pure negative energy, which was swallowed and transformed by the Underworld Domain.
Under the absolute suppression of Gu Yuena, a god-level combatant, the remaining duplicates like the dark March 7th and dark Robin were also completely torn apart and purified by the surging Elemental Tide.
As all core negative energy entities were eliminated, the colossal defilement energy accumulated in the entire valley lost its core support. It began to violently ramp up, thrashing like a dying giant, attempting a final counterattack to drag everything into destruction.
The next moment, a world-shaking dragon roar sounded.
Gu Yuena soared into the sky, revealing her true form as the Silver Dragon King.
Her massive dragon wings overshadowed the sky, and her scales, gleaming with seven-colored light, flowed with the laws of heaven and earth.
She opened her dragon mouth, and an overwhelming elemental torrent—containing the seven fundamental powers of earth, water, fire, wind, light, darkness, and space—poured down like the Milky Way from the Nine Heavens, indiscriminately bombarding the entire valley.
Wherever the elemental lights passed, the defiled energy was forcibly torn, decomposed, and recombined.
Firefly maximized the output of her Sam armor, transforming into a Pillar of Purifying Fire that pierced the heavens and the earth, assisting with the burning and purification.
Castorice, in turn, fully maintained the World-Severing Underworld, guiding the pre-purified energy flow like the most precise filter, stripping away the last trace of madness and impurities.
This process lasted for a long time, and the entire valley seemed to undergo a baptism.
When the last wisp of gray-black mist was transformed into bright, warm light specks, dissolving into the depths of the earth like a sky full of stars, the world became clear.
The oppressive atmosphere, which had been suffocating, suddenly vanished. The natural energy in the valley and the wider area became unprecedentedly fresh and abundant, even carrying a faint sweetness.
The formerly dead and scorched earth sprouted lush green shoots at a speed visible to the naked eye, brimming with vigorous life.
The haze in the sky was completely cleared, and the long-lost warm sunlight shone through, dispelling all coldness.
A subtle, yet undeniably joyful and relaxed heartbeat came from deep within the earth beneath their feet.
The source of the Douluo Planet had once again received a precious enhancement and nourishment.
Gu Yuena, Firefly, and Castorice exchanged glances, seeing a hint of fatigue in each other's eyes.
"It's finally cleaned up."
Firefly deactivated her armor and let out a long sigh, fine beads of sweat on her forehead.
"The 'death' of this place has returned to peace."
Castorice said softly. The phantom Underworld Domain slowly dissipated. A small white flower quietly bloomed on her fingertip, no longer carrying any sadness.
Gu Yuena reverted to human form. She looked towards the direction of the Slaughter City, sensing the terrifying energy fluctuations that had now subsided, and a subtle, cold arc lifted at the corner of her mouth.
"It seems his side is also concluded."
She retracted her gaze and looked at the valley that had been renewed.
"Let's go back. It's time for this continent to welcome a new order."
With the thorough elimination of the two largest defilement points—Slaughter City and the valley near Heaven Dou City—it was like excising the two most malignant tumors parasitic on the Douluo Planet's surface.
The gloomy and chaotic aura permeating the continent was cleared. The Heaven and Earth elemental energy became unprecedentedly active and pure.
The immediate changes were significant.
Spirit Masters' cultivation speed generally increased, and the bottlenecks that plagued countless geniuses became loose. That once-unattainable boundary, which separated mortals from the realm of gods, seemed to have quietly lowered its height.
This world was now capable of accommodating god-level powerhouses to reside permanently, without being forced to ascend.
This was a key part of Lu Jingming's plan.
The ingrained rule of the God Realm—that those who achieve godhood must ascend—ran counter to his blueprint.
Therefore, even at the beginning of his planning, he had instructed the Herta, using technology beyond the understanding of this realm, to quietly shield the Douluo Continent from direct contact with the God Realm.
This was why the Shura God's divine sense in the Shura Demonic Sword and the Sea God's divine sense on Sea God Island, despite knowing about the upheaval on the Douluo Continent, had no reaction from their main bodies in the God Realm—the information had been completely blocked.
Coupled with the time differential of "one day in the God Realm is one year in the lower realm," by the time the God Realm Committee noticed the anomaly, the Spirit Empire, led by Qian Renxue, would have already grown strong, and the Douluo Planet would inevitably birth a sufficient number of god-level combatants.
At that point, the balance of power—the roles of offense and defense—would be completely reversed.
With the major affairs here concluded, it was time for Lu Jingming to step back.
He prepared to take his core team—Firefly, Castorice, Jingliu, Cerydra, Hysilens, and others—and leave this world to return to his own universe.
But before leaving, he still needed to find the "guests" who had also been accidentally drawn into this world.
Using the authority of the World Tree, he quickly locked onto their targets.
When he found Hoshimi Miyabi, the Section Chief of the Aerial Defense 6th Division was under a secluded waterfall, training by swinging her sword against the torrent of water.
She viewed this unexpected transmigration as a rare "journey of cultivation in another world," maintaining a composed attitude, even enjoying it.
Finding Artoria was a scene of bloodshed.
The golden King's Sword was stained with blood; she had just thoroughly annihilated a band of bandits who had occupied a mountain and preyed on the populace.
After retrieving these two retainers who were "chasing justice" and "cultivating diligently" all over the world, Lu Jingming then sequentially found Aglaia, Jeanne, Ma Xiaotao, Han Ruoruo, as well as Ning Tian and Ning Fengzhi.
Their reactions to Lu Jingming's sudden visit varied.
Ma Xiaotao and Han Ruoruo, who had a good relationship with him, were naturally overjoyed.
Ma Xiaotao even stepped forward, patted his shoulder unceremoniously, and chuckled:
"You old chap, I knew you'd find a way to get us back."
And Ning Fengzhi, the former patriarch of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, after hearing Lu Jingming's intentions, exchanged a look with his daughter Ning Tian. While there was complex nostalgia for his homeland in their eyes, there was more of a sense of relief and determination.
He bowed elegantly, his tone calm and resolute:
"Young Master Lu, this world is already the Spirit Empire's domain. Although my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan could submit, we would ultimately be living under another's roof. Please take us with you when you leave."
Hearing Ning Fengzhi's words, Lu Jingming nodded without refusal. However, he would not tell Ning Fengzhi that the other world might not be as wonderful as he imagined.
When Lu Jingming contacted the Herta in Sea Abyss City, preparing to activate the "Cosmic Juggernaut" to open a stable spatiotemporal channel to send Ma Xiaotao, Han Ruoruo, and others away from this parallel world, Han Ruoruo spoke up with a hint of urgency and pleading.
"Lu Jingming, please wait a moment. Could you... could you please help us find Elder Xuan and Junior Brother Xu Sanshi, who got separated from us?"
Hearing this, Lu Jingming's gaze swept across the crowd, and he realized with a start that those two were indeed missing from the group.
He nodded slightly: "I can."
Using the World Tree, which was connected to the planet's ley lines, his perception spread out like an invisible network, quickly locking onto the two faint auras.
However, when he "saw" the current state of Xuan Zi and Xu Sanshi, even Lu Jingming's brow couldn't help but furrow slightly.
The next moment, he raised his hand and sliced open a spatial rift, bringing everyone directly into a desolate mountain hollow.
The scene before them was heartbreaking.
The former Gluttonous Douluo, Xuan Zi, lay emaciated on a large rock, his life force flickering like a candle in the wind, so weak it was almost imperceptible.
He was missing an arm. From the wound, dark-red Slaughter Aura and viscous malice continuously seeped out. This power, like a parasite, persistently eroded his life essence and soul.
This was the injury left by the Shura Demonic Sword.
How could the power of a divine artifact be endured by a Title Douluo of only rank ninety-eight?
Xu Sanshi guarded him, his face pale, his eyes bloodshot and filled with helplessness.
He tried to use the water-attributed spirit power of his Mysterious Turtle Shield to nourish and purify, but that meager power was a drop in the ocean against the Shura God's Law of Slaughter. He could only watch helplessly as Xuan Zi's life ebbed away bit by bit.
"Elder Xuan."
Ma Xiaotao and Han Ruoruo's expressions changed drastically upon seeing this, and they immediately rushed forward.
The accompanying Sword Douluo Chen Xin carefully examined Xuan Zi's condition, slowly withdrew his hand, and shook his head, his tone heavy:
"The Law of Slaughter has already invaded his heart meridian and soul, almost merging with his essence... He cannot be saved."
Even Jeanne, the Saintess, attempted to mobilize her sacred power of purification, but the compassionate and glorious energy, upon touching the dark-red aura, was quickly dissolved and repelled like ice under sunlight.
She sighed, regretfully saying, "This level of slaughter and malice is extremely high, far beyond my purification capabilities. I apologize, I am powerless."
Ma Xiaotao and Han Ruoruo, although grieving, understood what damage from a divine artifact meant. They could only accept this cruel reality, casting their last shred of hope toward the only person present who might create a miracle—Lu Jingming.
Facing their gazes, Lu Jingming simply spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness, his tone conveying sorrowful regret:
"The Shura God is a God King who presides over slaughter and judgment, and along with the Rakshasa God, is a God of Evil Thoughts. The power of his divine artifact contains the most fundamental rules of malice and slaughter. This level of injury, unless a life-type god personally intervenes, or one possesses a counter-balancing authority, is truly beyond saving."
His explanation was reasonable and perfectly concealed his true reluctance to act.
He could certainly achieve this by divinizing with another divine position as a life-type god, but he did not want to. Xuan Zi's survival offered him no benefit.
Xuan Zi was the last of the old generation left in Shrek Academy. With his death, Shrek Academy would truly perish.
The reborn Shrek Academy was the Shrek Academy Lu Jingming needed.
He was merely a Title Douluo; no one could criticize him for being unable to save Xuan Zi, and he had no obligation to save him anyway, as Xuan Zi was neither a relative nor a friend.
Cerydra, who had received the Shura God's inheritance, could also save Xuan Zi, but she wasn't here, and Lu Jingming would not proactively mention her.
Ma Xiaotao and Han Ruoruo, though deeply saddened, understood the implications of a divine artifact's damage and could only accept the harsh reality.