Tang Hao let out a desperate scream, blood spurting out of his mouth. In a flash, it felt as if he had aged several centuries. The eyes that always brimmed with dominance now held only the gray silence of death. They had come to seek out Xiao Wu, to investigate the changes in the lower realms, bearing Tang San's instructions and expectations. But now? Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing had been captured, their fate unknown—alive or dead. Ning Rongrong and Oscar, their juniors, had died to protect them. As for themselves, they were gravely injured, their divine power exhausted, left like fish on a chopping board, powerless to resist.
Ah Yin was in shock. She held onto Tang Hao, gazing at the scattered points of colorful light drifting across the sky, tears streaming silently down her cheeks. A sense of helplessness and fear, deeper than anything she'd ever known, seeped into her very bones and swallowed her whole. Suddenly, she recalled the scene Lu Jingming had once performed: a woman happily dancing in the embrace of a man, her face full of joy. She had firmly believed it to be an illusion, the enemy's scheme. But now, faced with a demon-like man who could sweep away two second-class gods with ease and even devour a God King power in a single blow… her faith began to waver. Perhaps… perhaps it was all real? This thought left her with a dread and despair worse than death.
Lu Jingming stood quietly, gazing at the spot where Oscar and Ning Rongrong had vanished. He did not feel happy. In fact, he'd never intended to kill them at all. After all, Ning Rongrong and Oscar were full-fledged gods. If he captured them and handed them to Ruan Mei, she would surely be delighted—they would be invaluable experimental material. He had not expected the power of the Black Abyss White Flower, in Conquest Mode, to be so terrifying. He glanced at the spear in his hand; from its black-and-white barrel came a satisfied hum.
The Black Abyss White Flower had multiplied his power a hundredfold… The effort and energy output in that instant would have scared even a true God King away. Oscar… in the end, was still only a second-class god. He had borrowed the might of a God King-level attack, but his own essence, his fragile divine body and soul, could not withstand the Black Abyss White Flower's power and died quietly, too late to resist. It had been an accident.
As for Ning Rongrong… Lu Jingming's gaze lingered on the spot where the last flecks of light had faded, a hint of unknown pity flashing in his eyes. Ning Rongrong's death was inevitable. Her love had vanished before her eyes, and in that moment, her heart was already dead. All that remained was a body driven by hatred, rushing toward death. This… this was simply her own accomplishment.
Lu Jingming withdrew his gaze, the turmoil in his heart settling. After all, he had no deep personal enmity with Ning Rongrong and Oscar. They merely stood on opposite sides. Right and wrong, good and evil, had nothing to do with it. This grand chess game swept across all dimensions and worlds; they stood at opposite ends of the board, natural enemies. For enemies, life and death are all that matter. The victor becomes king, the loser a bandit. History is always written by the winners.
Thinking this, Lu Jingming put away the Black Abyss White Flower and slowly turned around, his gaze landing on Tang Hao and Ah Yin, who had lost all will to fight. A gentle smile, as if nothing had happened, returned to his face.
…
A month after the clash with the Divine Realm investigation team, the hustle and bustle of Haiyuan City gradually faded. In a completely isolated, characteristic space, Lu Jingming appeared together with Gu Yuena and Ye Guyi. This was Ruan Mei's exclusive laboratory.
There were no bottles, cans, or dizzying diagrams here. Instead, the entire space exuded an extreme, futuristic simplicity and cleanliness. The dome was made of special energy crystals, mimicking a soft and uniform skylight. Beneath this light, intricately crafted machines of unknown purpose moved quietly, emitting subtle, rhythmic humming sounds. The air was filled with a faint, fresh scent reminiscent of wet grass after rain—the natural fragrance of a high concentration of life force.
Yet, scattered throughout this nearly sterile and orderly sci-fi scene, were countless lively and out-of-place elements. Multiple fluffy, round, yellow electric mice—Pikachu—chased and frolicked on the smooth floor, occasionally sparking from the red electric pouches on their cheeks and crying out adorable "Pika Pika"s. Six-tailed creatures with large, bushy fox-like tails lounged elegantly atop the shell of a temperature-controlled device, their six tails splayed like blooming flowers as they napped. Several Eevee, with large ears and brown fluffy manes, rubbed against the light curtains, seemingly interested in the complex symbols and data being analyzed.
These cute little creatures were Ruan Mei's small creations. Lu Jingming had once summoned Pikachu on a whim, and he recalled giving Ruan Mei basic information about Pokémon. Ruan Mei had always been curious about life in all worlds. He'd thought she would merely research Pikachu's genetic structure, but as a genius in life sciences, she had not only perfectly reproduced and optimized Pikachu's gene sequence in a short time, but also extrapolated from one case to another, creating creatures like Eevee and the six-tailed Vulpix from scratch. Lu Jingming suspected that, with enough time and cell samples, Ruan Mei could mass-produce even legendary Pokémon.
"Pika~ Pi!"
A Pikachu, having just noticed Lu Jingming's entry, immediately squeaked cheerfully and scampered over on its short legs. This was the one originally summoned by Lu Jingming, with the most primal contractual bond to him. The creature skillfully tugged at Lu Jingming's pant leg, climbed onto his shoulder, and affectionately nuzzled his cheek with a gentle current from its red cheeks, expressing joy and longing. As an Electric Pokémon, it instinctively felt close to Lu Jingming, the master of thunder and lightning. Lu Jingming smiled and scratched Pikachu's chin; the little fellow narrowed its eyes in contentment.
His gaze passed over the lively Pokémon and landed on the two core devices at the deepest part of the lab: two massive cylindrical incubators. The chambers were made of translucent crystal, filled with a soft green life-glow nutrient medium. Countless subtle energy points floated within the liquid, like miniature galaxies. Two figures hung suspended in these cultivation chambers.
In the left chamber lay Shangguan Wei'er. The once-ordinary leader of the Alliance now wore a peaceful expression. Her captivating face was free of past pain and struggle. The body once corroded by the power of Destruction was now fully restored, her skin smooth as new, and with an almost otherworldly allure. The traces of destruction—black and purple—flowed over her body like fish in the green medium, no longer harming her, but instead forming a miraculous symbiosis and balance with her spiritual power.
The right cultivation chamber was even more striking. Inside lay the Beast God, Di Tian. The former Black Dragon King with golden eyes had now returned to human form—an imposing middle-aged man with a cold face, black hair, and golden eyes. Yet his aura had undergone earth-shaking change. Initially, Phantylia of the Lord Ravager had possessed his body, and Di Tian's soul and body had suffered far more from the eroding power of Destruction than Shangguan Wei'er. Shangguan Wei'er had been unfortunate, forcibly injected with pure, extreme darkness and destructive power. Now, in his chamber, the power of Destruction no longer ran rampant, but condensed into countless deep purple divine patterns, visible to the naked eye, flowing slowly along his meridians like living things, inscribed upon his skin. This made his entire aura more powerful and dangerous than ever.
At this moment, Lu Jingming could tell that even if Di Tian had not fully condensed a godly position, his life force and energy intensity alone could go head-to-head—or even surpass—a true god of the God Realms. This was the power of Destruction. Even a trace of it was enough to fundamentally alter life. But then again, Destruction is the sharpest double-edged sword. It grants the wielder enormous power, but also affects the mind, dragging them inexorably down a path of destruction. Whether destroying others or oneself, it is part of the road of Destruction, which ultimately leads to heat death and the end of all things.
"Di Tian, is he..."
A worried voice spoke at Lu Jingming's side. Gu Yuena had come to his side at some point, her always-cool, noble violet eyes now fixed unblinking on the right chamber, her beautiful face filled with complex emotion. Since Di Tian had been ensnared by Phantylia, his mental state had become extremely unstable. When awake, he suffered greatly from the uncontrollable power of Destruction within his body, and had kneeled before his lifelong lord, Gu Yuena, begging her to kill him and set him free. But how could she bring herself to kill the Beast God who had always been loyal to her and protected the Beast Clan? In desperation, she had sought out Lu Jingming, pinning her last hope on him.
Next to Gu Yuena, Ye Guyi also stared anxiously at the left chamber, where Shangguan Wei'er was recovering.
"Don't worry."
Sensing the tension of the two women, Lu Jingming smiled reassuringly. "It's alright. You can take them back later." His tone was full of confidence, stemming from his absolute trust in Ruan Mei's abilities. "Never doubt the abilities of the greatest genius in life sciences. For Ruan Mei, fixing Di Tian is no problem at all."
Just then, someone approached from the other side of the laboratory. It was Mobius. The great serpent of this world, famous for her achievements in life sciences, had rarely appeared here. For Mobius, Ruan Mei's presence was an irresistible temptation: the excitement of meeting a peer, the desire to climb higher peaks, and a subtle sense of rivalry and identity. Unfortunately, while Ruan Mei was familiar with human affairs, at heart she was an introverted scholar, absorbed only in her own research. Except for Herta and Lu Jingming, almost no one could truly get close to her. Even Elysia had little luck; she'd barely seen Ruan Mei a few times. Although Herta could be mischievous, she was actually very chatty, making it even harder to get along with Ruan Mei.
Mobius had failed to meet Ruan Mei several times. When she'd first heard that a universe-class genius as famous as the Herta had come to Haiyuan City, also researching life sciences, her pride and competitive spirit as a top scientist were instantly ignited. She'd tried to visit and exchange academic ideas, but, like Elysia, had been turned down. Mobius's arrogance made her unwilling to keep putting herself out there. But the works Ruan Mei had displayed since arriving in Haiyuan City had deeply shocked her. Whether it was new life forms created from thin air or radical planetary ecological transformation plans, they showed a god-like creative power she still could not fully comprehend.
Now, Mobius ignored Lu Jingming and the others, her emerald serpent eyes fixed unblinkingly on the two cultivation chambers, especially Shangguan Wei'er's. After all, when Shangguan Wei'er was first rescued, she had been delivered to Mobius. Mobius knew better than anyone how terrible Shangguan Wei'er's condition had been under the power of Destruction. But lacking a deep understanding of Destruction, she had not been able to treat the problem, only using life science technology to constantly repair Shangguan Wei'er's damaged body and prolong her life, anxiously awaiting Ruan Mei's arrival. Now, as she gazed at the perfectly healed Shangguan Wei'er in the chamber, Mobius's eyes flickered with extremely complex emotions, as if she were seeing a lifeform that had surpassed the ordinary.