Inside the underground factory, the deafening hum of machinery filled the air. Countless mecha and cybernetic constructs stood in neat formation, the red light in their eyes flickering with cold, murderous intent. In the darkness of the night, they resembled a dormant tide of steel, a terrifying sight to behold.
Jing Liuli hid behind a pile of discarded mechanical parts, her purple Dream Power silently spreading out as she carefully sensed the movement around her. She gripped her mobile terminal tightly; the screen was still stuck on the photo she had just taken of the ventilation duct entrance, but she had long since lost the heart to worry about her vlog.
In the depths of the factory, the energy fluctuations of the core control system grew increasingly intense. The sound of violent Star Power collisions from the battle between Tie Jin and Caroline drifted down through the overhead ducts, causing Liuli's heart to tighten.
"Caroline, hold on! I'm about to crack the control system!" Liuli whispered to herself. She took a deep breath, suppressing her nervousness as the pale purple Star Power around her grew denser.
Under the shroud of her Dream Power, Liuli moved like a nimble purple butterfly. With light footsteps, she wove flexibly through the gaps in the mechanical ranks. Occasionally, when she encountered small patrolling units, she used faint traces of Dream Power to interfere with their programming, causing them to stall momentarily as she perfectly evaded their sight.
Meanwhile, the battle outside had reached a fever pitch. Caroline's silver-white Star Power was gradually dimming, and the wound on her arm bled continuously. To cover Liuli's retreat earlier, she had taken a direct hit from Tie Jin, causing her Star Core to vibrate slightly from the shock.
The faint light surrounding the Spirit Fox had also weakened. A trace of Star Power crystals leaked from the corner of its mouth, yet it remained stubbornly in front of Caroline, letting out an undying low growl at Tie Jin.
Tie Jin, despite his own scars, saw his mechanical energy become increasingly frantic. Every strike he dealt carried the momentum of total annihilation.
"Give up." Tie Jin looked at Caroline expressionlessly, as if staring at a cold corpse. He then condensed his frigid mechanical energy, reshaping it into a massive warhammer, and swung it violently toward her.
Caroline's eyes narrowed. Gritting her teeth, she propped up a Star Power barrier to block the blow. The barrier shattered instantly, and she staggered back several steps, coughing up a mouthful of Star Power essence.
Yet, unexpectedly, there was no panic in Caroline's eyes. Instead, they were filled with mockery, as if Tie Jin was the prey currently caught in a heavy encirclement.
Before Tie Jin could figure out the situation, a streak of azure light pierced the sky. Tendo's figure arrived like a bolt of lightning, his azure Star Power transforming into a sharp blade that slashed toward Tie Jin's back.
Tie Jin spun around, raising his hand in a hurried parry. Mechanical energy clashed with Star Power, resulting in a violent explosion. He stumbled back a few steps, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes. Although he knew that mere high-level machines couldn't stop a monster like Tendo, the fact that Tendo had arrived in such a short time far exceeded his expectations.
Either Tendo had hidden his strength previously, leading to a miscalculation of intelligence, or Tendo's power had increased again in this short interval.
Ignoring Tie Jin's contemplative expression, Tendo landed beside Caroline. Azure Star Power gently swirled around her, soothing some of her injuries. Then, Tendo looked toward Tie Jin and slowly raised his hand. Azure Star Power condensed around him, forming an invisible vector field.
This vector field appeared violent but was actually restrained. Compared to his previous all-out efforts against Tie Jin, he was clearly holding back. He even deliberately slowed the rhythm of his attacks, subtly guiding the center of the battlefield toward the underground factory.
Watching Tendo's actions, Caroline's heart stirred, and a flash of realization crossed her eyes. Having fought alongside Tendo for years, she knew his strength well. If he went all out, Tie Jin's mechanical legions would be trivial, and he certainly wouldn't have allowed her to fall into such a pathetic state.
Therefore, Tendo clearly had no intention of ending the fight quickly from the start. He was holding back and allowing Tie Jin to extend the battlefield specifically to create an opportunity for Liuli. Liuli's Star Power had already reached the threshold of the Calamity Class; she only lacked a catalyst to complete her advancement. This life-and-death struggle and the pressure of this desperate situation were the perfect catalysts.
"On purpose?" Caroline looked at Tendo and said softly, "You want Liuli to use this battle to complete her advancement?"
Tendo nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the direction of the underground factory. "Yes. Her Dream Power talent is extraordinary, but she lacks the tempering that comes from a desperate situation. Tie Jin's mechanical energy and the Law of the Miracle Stone of the Iron Dome family can stimulate and force out her hidden potential. Only then can she truly break through her bottleneck, reach the Calamity Class, and possess the strength to protect herself."
Hearing this, Tie Jin instantly understood Tendo's intent.
"Using me as a stepping stone for Liuli's advancement? Tendo, you seem to have too little respect for other Calamity Class powerhouses." As he spoke, he attempted to turn and rush toward the underground factory, only to be firmly entangled by Tendo and Caroline.
Tendo's vector fields stacked layer upon layer, trapping Tie Jin's body. Caroline, enduring her injuries, transformed her silver-white Star Power into countless blades, continuously attacking Tie Jin's openings. The Spirit Fox also reignited its fighting spirit, its surrounding light surging as it cooperated with the two to interfere with Tie Jin's movements.
At the same time, Liuli had finally found the core of the mechanical control system. It was a massive metal console surrounded by a blue energy shield, with countless wires connecting to every machine in the factory. In the center of the console sat a small "Quantum Fragment." It was its presence that allowed the factory's control system to operate smoothly.
"This is it!" Liuli's eyes flashed with excitement. She immediately stepped forward, slowly injecting her purple Star Power into the console in an attempt to crack its programming.
However, the moment her Star Power touched the console, it suddenly erupted with a powerful energy fluctuation. The blue energy shield tightened instantly, trapping her within. Countless threads of cold mechanical energy followed her Star Power back, lashing out at her Star Source.
"Ugh!" Liuli let out a muffled groan, her face turning pale instantly. Her purple eyes were filled with pain, and her Star Core throbbed with a sharp ache, as if it were about to be torn apart. Her body trembled uncontrollably, her Star Power began to turn chaotic, and her Dream Power became unstable, threatening to collapse at any moment.
Simultaneously, the machines in the factory seemed to sense the anomaly in the control system. They all turned their heads and charged toward Liuli. The red light in their eyes flared, and the energy cannons on their arms locked onto her.
Worse still, Tie Jin's mechanical energy surged through the wires, pouring into the energy shield and intertwining with the power of the Quantum Fragment. It suppressed Liuli's Star Power ruthlessly, seeking to completely devour her Star Core.
Liuli grit her teeth, holding on desperately. Memories of her fans' blessings, the faces of her partners, Caroline's instructions, Tendo's care, and Yun Meng's gentleness flashed through her mind. An intense obsession ignited in her heart like a spark, sustaining her against the backlash of energy.
She forced her chaotic Star Power to stabilize and poured all of her Dream Power into her Star Source, allowing Tie Jin's mechanical energy and the Quantum Fragment's power to continuously stimulate it.
What she didn't know was that this was exactly what Tendo wanted. Only in such a desperate situation, only when pushed to the absolute limit, could her hidden power truly be awakened.
Under the stimulation of the two forces, "Star Source: Daydream" and "Star Core: Eternal Night Phantom Butterfly" began to vibrate violently, emitting a faint purple light. The light grew brighter and brighter until it eventually enveloped her entire body.
Liuli's body began to undergo subtle changes. Her pale purple hair became more brilliant, the tips shimmering with a faint gold. In her purple eyes, a dazzling luster appeared. Her surrounding Star Power also shifted from pale purple to a deep, dark purple, and its energy fluctuations grew far stronger than ever before.
Now!
Liuli snapped her eyes open and let out a crisp cry. This shout possessed both the agility of a young girl and the resolve of a powerhouse, like the most dazzling highlight on a stage.
The power within her erupted completely. Countless waves of deep purple Star Power gushed from her body, instantly shattering the shackles of the energy shield and spreading outward in all directions.
The light of advancement illuminated the entire underground factory. The deep purple Star Power surged like a tide. Wherever it passed, the charging machines froze, their core circuits interfered with by the Star Power, causing them to collapse instantly. The Miracle Stone fragment in the center of the console was enveloped by the Star Power; its light dimmed until it lost all energy and fell to the ground.
The mechanical energy that had been attacking her was instantly swallowed and converted by the deep purple Star Power, becoming her own strength.
Liuli slowly stood up, surrounded by deep purple Star Power. Dazzling light flickered in her eyes, and a confident, radiant smile graced her face. She looked like a superstar bathed in light on a stage, yet she possessed a powerhouse's aura that her stage persona lacked.
She could clearly feel that her power had become stronger than ever before. The range of her Dream Power had expanded several times over, and more importantly, a brand-new perception had appeared in her mind. It was a power to control her own luck and even influence the fortune of those around her.
"Is this... the power of the Calamity Class?" Liuli lifted her hand gently, the deep purple Star Power flowing between her fingertips. A sweet smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. Then, she felt the brand-new Domain power within her, and a flash of pleasant surprise crossed her eyes.
"This is my Domain—Natural Strong Luck!"
[Domain: Natural Strong Luck]
[Core: Star Source · Daydream, Star Source · Eternal Night Phantom Butterfly]
[Effect 1 · Personal Blessing: Based on the dual Dream Star Sources. When the Domain is active, the user receives extreme luck augmentation. It can automatically evade fatal attacks, energy backlashes, and other dangers. Difficulties such as Star Power chaos or wound healing will be greatly alleviated. Even in desperate situations, a "Fortune Turning Point" can be triggered.]
[Effect 2 · Shared Fortune: The Domain's halo can extend freely to designated allies (range increases with Star Power intensity). It grants allies a "Luck Buff," soothing injuries, increasing Star Power circulation efficiency, and avoiding accidental errors in battle.]
[Special Effect · Misfortune Backlash: Targeted at enemies. Can release the Domain's reverse fortune power to interfere with enemy Star Power condensation and attack precision, causing frequent accidental failures (such as mechanical malfunctions, energy rampages, or missed attacks). Additionally, it can work with Star Source · Eternal Night Phantom Butterfly's dream interference to amplify the enemy's negative emotions and errors in judgment, dismantling their combat effectiveness. Furthermore, the Domain can link with Star Source · Daydream to attach "Lucky Critical Hits" to the Star Power skills of the user and allies, increasing accuracy and destructive power.]
Domain: Natural Strong Luck—Quietly activated.
The pale purple Star Power transformed into a faint halo, enveloping Liuli herself. Simultaneously, this halo followed the connections of her Star Power, extending to Tendo, Caroline, and the Spirit Fox at the underground factory entrance.
Liuli could clearly feel that her luck had become better than ever, and her internal injuries were rapidly recovering. In the distance, the Star Power fluctuations of the fighting Tendo and Caroline also became smoother, and their original injuries were slowly healing.
In contrast, Tie Jin's attacks became increasingly easy to dodge. Several times, Tie Jin's lethal strikes missed entirely due to a "deviation in luck."
"?!"
At the entrance of the underground factory, Tie Jin stared at his missed attack again, his eyes full of disbelief. For a Calamity Class Mechanical Star Apostle, "probability" was integrated into his "instinct." He would subconsciously avoid the occurrence of any low-probability events. Therefore, "errors" were a rare occurrence for a Calamity Class Mechanical Star Apostle.
Yet today, he had committed one error after another. This was clearly abnormal.
Is it that girl Liuli's Domain?
In a flash, Tie Jin arrived at the answer. And Tendo had realized it at the same time. Sensing the changes around him, a knowing smile flashed in Tendo's eyes.
Liuli had succeeded.
He could clearly perceive that Liuli's Star Power had reached the Calamity Class. That brand-new Domain power was warm and powerful, carrying an incredible force of fortune that was not only protecting her but them as well.
"Tie Jin, the game is over." Tendo's tone remained flat, yet it carried an unquestionable pressure. Azure Star Power erupted instantly.
This time, he no longer held back. His vector fields expanded fully, resembling a massive net that firmly trapped Tie Jin. Caroline also felt Liuli's Star Power fluctuations, a gratified smile appearing on her face. Her silver-white Star Power condensed once more; under the blessing of "Natural Strong Luck," her injuries were mostly healed.
Just then, Liuli's figure appeared at the underground factory entrance. Deep purple Star Power swirled around her, bringing a powerful aura. Seeing her, the Spirit Fox immediately rushed over excitedly and rubbed against her ankle, its eyes full of joy.
Liuli leaned down and picked up the Spirit Fox, a dazzling smile on her face. In the next second, the "Natural Strong Luck" Domain erupted again, the deep purple halo becoming increasingly dense as it enveloped the entire battlefield.
Tendo and Caroline felt their internal strength becoming more abundant, and their attacks grew more lethal. Tie Jin, however, became increasingly pathetic. His mechanical energy began to turn chaotic, and the light of the Miracle Stone fragment dimmed completely. Every one of his attacks missed due to various accidents, and several times, he was nearly consumed by his own rebounding mechanical energy.
The tide... had turned.