Just then, Xuan Zi seemed to be roused by the surrounding commotion, and he struggled to open his murky eyes.
He heard the conversation among the crowd, and the last sliver of hope in his heart vanished, replaced by a deep despair.
He struggled, using his last bit of strength, his voice weak and hoarse:
"Xiaotao... Ruoruo... No need, no need to worry about me anymore... I know my own condition..."
He gasped a few times with difficulty, his gaze filled with a final hope as he looked at the two juniors:
"You... you must return to the academy... Shrek... Shrek's future, it... it rests on you..."
He still didn't know that the Shrek Academy and Shrek City he cared so deeply about had already been reduced to ruins and existed in name only, following the arrival of the Extinction Overlord, Phantylia.
His final entrustment was destined to be in vain.
Xu Sanshi turned his head away, unable to watch any longer.
Ma Xiaotao and Han Ruoruo's eyes were red. They tightly held Xuan Zi's icy hand, nodding through their sobs.
Xuan Zi looked at them, trying hard to pull out a comforting smile, but ultimately his strength failed him, and his eyes completely dimmed.
That remaining breath finally dissipated.
The aura of slaughter within him, having lost its last suppression, erupted violently for a moment, and then, along with his last life imprint, returned to nothingness.
A Level 98 Super Douluo, the pillar of Shrek Academy, had fallen here in a foreign world, without a sound.
The atmosphere became heavy and solemn.
Xuan Zi's demise cast an insurmountable sorrow over Ma Xiaotao and the others.
In this world, Shrek Academy now only had a handful of people left: Ma Xiaotao, Han Ruoruo, Xu Sanshi, and Ning Tian, appearing particularly withered.
Lu Jingming did not delay. In front of the spatial-temporal passage opened by the Herta with the "Cosmic Juggernaut," he sent everyone through one by one.
Ma Xiaotao and Han Ruoruo took a last look at this parallel world from ten thousand years ago, and then gazed deeply at Lu Jingming, their eyes complex. Finally, they resolutely turned and stepped into the passage, their figures disappearing into the swirling starlight.
Xu Sanshi and Ning Tian followed closely behind.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong, guarding Ning Fengzhi and a large number of Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School disciples who wished to leave, also nodded slightly in acknowledgment to Lu Jingming before stepping into the passage.
As the last person's figure was swallowed by the starry sea passage, the entrance slowly closed, as if it had never existed.
With this, the disturbances in this world were temporarily quelled.
He did not leave immediately but found Qian Renxue, who had initially stabilized the situation of the Spirit Empire.
Golden Angelic divine light flowed around her, her majesty increasing daily.
Lu Jingming looked at the Empress who was about to truly unify the continent and warned: "The matters here are concluded, and we are about to leave, but there is one thing you must be careful of—guard against threats from the parallel world."
He briefly explained the potential risks brought by the two 'troublemakers,' Sparkle and Vita, who had shattered the spatial-temporal channel, especially the highly developed and aggressive Sun Moon Empire in that parallel world, as well as the two Extinction Overlords, Phantylia and Celenova.
"The barrier between the two worlds has been weakened. It's hard to guarantee that new troubles won't cross over," Lu Jingming calmly reminded Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue nodded solemnly, the Angelic Sacred Sword humming slightly in her hand: "I understand. If the troops come, we will block them; if the flood comes, we will cover it with earth."
With her, the Angel God, and the Rakshasa God Bibi Dong, who had nominally become the 'Supreme Empress,' presiding over the Spirit Empire, they indeed possessed the confidence to deal with most crises.
"Rest assured."
Lu Jingming added, his tone carrying a sense of having everything under control.
"The Herta will continuously monitor the state of both worlds. If there is any unusual activity, she will know instantly."
What needed to be said had been said.
Lu Jingming said no more, turning to walk towards Firefly, Castorice, Jingliu, Cerydra, Hysilens, and the others waiting for him.
A new spatial-temporal passage opened before him—the path leading back to his original world.
"Let's go."
He smiled slightly at his team.
"It's time to go home."
Everyone nodded, stepping into the passage one after another.
Lu Jingming took one last look at this Douluo Continent, utterly transformed by his intervention and about to usher in a new era, before also stepping into the starlight.
The passage silently closed.
Qian Renxue stood alone on the terrace of the former Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, now the core of the Spirit Empire's power. Her golden eyes gazed at the empty sky, her expression complex and difficult to decipher.
Just then, a somber but no longer frantically aggressive aura quietly appeared behind her.
Bibi Dong, dressed in a dark purple long dress, slowly emerged from the shadows and stood beside her, also looking in the direction where Lu Jingming had disappeared.
After a moment of silence, Bibi Dong's voice rang out, with less of the usual fanaticism and more of an almost unfamiliar calmness and... a faint, undeniable trace of concern?
"They're gone."
She stated the obvious, then changed the subject, turning her head to look at her daughter's perfect yet stern profile.
"Have you truly made this decision? That man is never short of women. With your pride, can you truly endure sharing a husband with others?"
These words were almost unprecedented, carrying a mother's consideration for her daughter's lifelong happiness, rather than a Rakshasa God's hostility towards the Angel God.
Qian Renxue's body stiffened imperceptibly.
She had never experienced true motherly love. This belated, awkward concern from Bibi Dong made her extremely uncomfortable, even harder to deal with than facing her hatred.
She remained silent, not answering immediately, nor could she naturally utter the word "Mother" like an ordinary daughter.
Spanning between them were decades of coldness, misunderstanding, harm, and power struggles. That chasm could never be filled overnight.
After a long time, Qian Renxue finally spoke, her voice cool and firm.
"Feelings?"
She gently shook her head, her golden hair swaying in the light breeze.
"I can't even fully clarify how much I like him, but I know his future will far exceed yours and mine. It was he who tore open the curtain of this small sky for me and the Spirit Empire, letting me see the vastness of the cosmos and infinite possibilities."
Her eyes became sharp and profound, the look of a ruler and a deity.
"Whether it's for the future of the Spirit Empire to move towards the stars, or for me to break through the shackles of my divine rank and pursue a higher level, choosing him and attaching myself to him is the optimal path right now. In this, benefit far outweighs vague feelings."
She paused, her tone carrying an unquestionable resolution.
"As for his private life... I don't care, at least not right now."
She thought of her grandfather Qian Daoliu's dying wish: to pass down the Angelic bloodline.
Instead of choosing just anyone, Lu Jingming was undoubtedly the more "superior" choice. Whether in terms of influence, strength, or bloodline, Lu Jingming was the most outstanding man she had ever seen.
Emotions could be cultivated later, but a ticket to the future, once missed, would be gone forever.
Seeing that Qian Renxue's mind was made up and her thought process so clearly separated her personal emotions from political interests, a complex emotion flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes: relief, and a hint of indescribable sadness.
She said no more.
Now, after having devoured Qian Xunji, witnessed Qian Daoliu's sacrifice, and seen the deaths of Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong, the obsessive hatred that fueled her frantic revenge and destruction seemed to have suddenly lost its target.
She wanted revenge on the Angel Clan, but her enemy was dead, and the sole bloodline successor was her own daughter. She couldn't bring herself to harm her.
The thought of destroying the Spirit Hall along with herself was also rendered less firm by the existence of her disciple, Hu Liena.
She was like a broken ship that had lost its direction and barely survived a storm, floating on a calm yet hollow sea, her heart filled with immense confusion and emptiness.
If not for Qian Renxue and Hu Liena, the two people whose destinies were closely tied to hers, she might truly have chosen to end her life, concluding this painful and absurd existence.
"Since you've thought it through... then follow your heart."
Bibi Dong ultimately said only this, her voice faint. She turned, her figure merging into the palace shadows once more, her retreating back seeming somewhat lonely.
Qian Renxue watched the direction her mother had vanished, her lips pressed tightly, eventually turning into a barely audible sigh.
Qian Daoliu had told her everything about Bibi Dong's past before his sacrifice, including the fact that her father, Qian Xunji, was killed by Bibi Dong.
Initially, she couldn't accept it, but later she gradually came to understand Bibi Dong.
As a woman, losing the right to be with the person she loved and giving birth to the child of her enemy—anyone would go mad.
While Bibi Dong's path was partly due to her own choices, she could not be blamed entirely.
Qian Xunji's shamelessness and Yu Xiaogang's incompetence and weakness were all catalysts that drove her to the extreme.
Do not judge others until you have walked in their shoes.
Qian Renxue turned to face the rising sun, golden divine light flowing around her.
Haiyuan City, core living area.
Unlike the cold, technological fortress one might imagine, this place had been technologically renovated by the Herta to have an environment as pleasant as a spring garden.
Sunlight filtered softly through the simulated canopy, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance of flowers and fresh grass.
Lu Jingming's figure quietly appeared at the garden entrance. His gaze immediately locked onto the figure sitting on the white swing in the center of the garden.
Robin, dressed in a loose and comfortable light purple long dress, was still elegant and graceful, but her originally slender waist had been replaced by a rounded curve.
She slightly tilted her head, one hand gently resting on her visibly swollen belly, the other holding a music score. She hummed a soft melody—a lullaby she had composed for her soon-to-be-born child.
The sunlight cast a warm halo over her silver-purple curly hair, and her entire being exuded a serene and sacred maternal glow.
Lu Jingming softened his footsteps, slowly walking up behind her. He didn't speak to disturb her, just quietly watched her, his eyes filled with tenderness and a faint, subtle guilt.
As if sensing his presence, Robin's humming gradually ceased.
She raised her head, her emerald-lake green eyes looking at him. First, a flicker of surprise, then a hint of playful grievance appeared.
"Oh my, who is this rare guest?"
She put down the music score, her voice carrying a playful complaint.
"I thought a certain heartless person wouldn't bother to come back until our little Yin Yin could call him Daddy."
Lu Jingming immediately put on a flattering smile, went around the swing, and crouched down, gently holding the hand resting on her abdomen, feeling the vigorous life force within.
"It's my fault, my fault. The moment the matter there was concluded, I rushed back immediately, not daring to delay for a second."
His voice was low and gentle, full of sincerity.
"It's been hard on you this past while."
Robin looked at his travel-worn but obviously caring appearance, and the slight complaint in her heart instantly dissipated by more than half.
She reversed her grip on his hand, her fingertip gently scratching his palm, and sighed:
"I know you're busy, having to deal with so many important matters... The baby and I are fine here. Miss Elysia and Little March are taking very good care of me, but..."
She slightly pouted, a small woman's way of teasing:
"It's just that sometimes, when the baby kicks particularly hard, I really miss having you here. And I've gained so much weight, I've become ugly..."
"Nonsense."
Lu Jingming immediately interrupted her, his tone incredibly serious. He reached out and very gently stroked her abdomen, as if touching the most precious treasure in the world.
"My little bird is the most beautiful in the entire universe, no matter when. You are even more beautiful now than before, so beautiful that I can't take my eyes off you."
His words were straightforward and passionate, making Robin's cheeks flush slightly, but her heart felt as sweet as if she had drunk honey.
Enjoying this doting affection that belonged only to her, she seized the opportunity to make a request:
"Then... I want to eat the cake you personally baked. It has to have double frosting. And tonight, you have to sing to me and the baby. Sing that lullaby from your hometown."
"Okay, whatever you say."
Lu Jingming agreed without hesitation. Forget cake and singing; at this moment, even if Robin wanted the stars in the sky, he would probably try to pluck them down.
He stood up, carefully helped her up from the swing, held her in his arms, and dropped a light kiss on her hair.
"In the future, I will try to spend more time by your side."
The two embraced and strolled slowly through the garden, talking in low voices. Their conversation revolved around the baby's movements, future hopes, and everyday trifles.
The air was filled with an unbreakable warmth and affection, as if even the surrounding flowers bloomed more beautifully.
Just then, an exaggerated "wail" came from nearby.
"Ahhh, I can't take it, my eyes, my eyes!"
March 7th held up her camera, looking as if she had been flashed by a bright light, hiding behind Elysia.
Elysia smiled sweetly at the beautiful couple, lightly tapping her chin with her finger, and said in her characteristic sweet, yet teasing tone:
"Oh my, such a sweet scene, it makes one's heart melt~ But, my dear Ah Ming, have you forgotten that there are two lovely girls here being overfed by your public display of affection?"
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