The situation in the Sun Moon Empire was currently quite delicate.
Although the imperial throne had not formally changed hands, and Xu Tianran was still nominally just the Crown Prince, the reigning Emperor's illness had left him bedridden. As such, Xu Tianran had seized control of the government as the Regent Prince.
With the full backing of the military, Xu Tianran wielded immense power. He had virtually taken over the Sun Moon Empire's five great Protectors of the Nation. At this point, no one could stop Xu Tianran's ascent to the throne.
Even if the current Emperor were to miraculously recover, it would likely not alter the established state of affairs, as given Xu Tianran's character, he would never give his father a chance to regain power.
Now, even Kong Deming—undoubtedly the Sun Moon Empire's number one Soul Engineer—felt powerless against Xu Tianran's frenzied expansion and iron-fisted methods. He had no choice but to temporarily lie low and secretly cooperate with Lu Jingming.
In fact, Lu Jingming already knew the identity of the Servant summoned by Ju Zi (Orange) due to their past connection.
It was Celenova, one of the seven Annihilation Gang leaders, the favorite vanguard general dispatched by the Aeon of Destruction, Nanook. Celenova was also a central figure commanding the entire Antimatter Legion and the undisputed visual leader among the Annihilation Gang.
Celenova was originally the Infinite Marshal under the Aeon of Harmony, Xipe, an Emannator of Harmony, before being poached by the Aeon of Destruction, Nanook.
As one could see from Robin, the individuals chosen by the Aeon of Harmony are all exceptionally beautiful. Celenova was naturally no exception.
Xipe's top picks are, after all, trustworthy.
If Lu Jingming were in the Star Rail universe, he would not hesitate to flee from a terrifying existence like Celenova.
However, in this universe, Celenova was summoned due to Lu Jingming's memories combined with a large amount of Negative Energy.
Although Celenova remained dangerous, with Herta backing him up, Lu Jingming was not overly worried or afraid.
Of course, initially, Lu Jingming hadn't anticipated that an entity like Celenova would be summoned, as Douluo Star originally lacked such a massive quantity of Negative Energy.
But after recently making contact with Herta, Lu Jingming finally learned the full story, and his confusion vanished.
The Negative Energy contained within a single planet was indeed insufficient to support the summoning of an entity as powerful as Celenova.
But what about the black hole that devoured countless Divine Realms?
That place, known as the Gods' Graveyard, contained the resentment of fallen gods and a massive amount of negative energy. Calling it the Darkness of the Universe would be no exaggeration.
The current situation arose only because Herta had detonated the black hole, attracting a fraction of that negative energy.
If a direct connection were established with the Gods' Graveyard, the summoned Servants' power level would skyrocket. The true bodies of these Annihilation Gang leaders are incredibly powerful.
With enough Negative Energy to support them, it might be possible to truly recreate their terrifying power from their peak, a level where igniting entire star systems would be trivial for them.
However, as things stood, Celenova was far from unbeatable.
At least Lu Jingming felt he had the situation under control.
Otherwise, he would have been unable to sit still. He would have immediately activated the Holy Grail to gain an omniscient perspective, rather than having the leisure to enjoy himself and cause trouble.
Yet, Lu Jingming truly hadn't expected Xu Tianran to be so insane.
He not only threw many common people of the Sun Moon Empire into the Antimatter Furnace to convert them into Void Soldiers, but also ruthlessly annihilated the Soul Beasts of the entire Jingyang Mountain Range.
The Soul Beast population across the entire Douluo Continent had always been in decline. Soul Masters were consciously trying to limit their slaughter of Soul Beasts.
Xu Tianran's reckless actions clearly showed that he completely disregarded future development. To realize his ambitions, he had descended into utter madness.
Of course, Xu Tianran's actions might also stem from his perception of the limitations of the Soul Master profession compared to the power from other worlds. He might be foolishly attempting to force the entire Douluo Continent to completely change its professional system.
Lu Jingming didn't know Xu Tianran's true intentions.
But he clearly recognized that the Sun Moon Empire's current strength was vastly different from before. Whether it was the terrifying Antimatter Legion, the ambitious Holy Spirit Church, or the newly formed Mecha Corps, they all possessed an overwhelming, crushing advantage over the original three great empires, like the Star Luo Empire.
However, Lu Jingming knew things wouldn't be so simple.
After all, Ju Zi wasn't the only one with good luck, and the Annihilation Gang leaders were not invincible.
Although choosing a Master primarily depended on luck/destiny, summoning a Servant was purely a matter of chance.
The luck/destiny of Douluo Star simply couldn't influence Lu Jingming's World Tree.
Masters were chosen by the planetary will based on their destiny, while Servants originated from the World Tree's memories and were not affected by destiny; everything relied on pure chance.
Lu Jingming's own luck in summoning Servants wasn't particularly good.
If he could have summoned Herrscher of Origin Mei, that would have been ideal, as she was a top-tier combatant just below the Emmanators.
But the one summoned was a matured Mei who had lost most of her power. In Lu Jingming's eyes, this Mei could truly only be a chef now.
But Lu Jingming didn't particularly care.
If he truly needed the formidable combat power of the Herrscher of Origin Mei, he could entirely use his True Power to summon her.
With the Servant Mei as an anchor point, the power consumed to summon the Herrscher of Origin Mei would be significantly reduced.
His original intention in summoning Servants was not merely to acquire powerful combatants, as even the strongest Servants were subject to various limitations.
However, if he used his True Power to summon, he could make the summoned person descend at their full strength, provided he was willing to pay the price.
If things truly spun out of control, Lu Jingming had one last trump card: he could pour all his long-accumulated True Power into one go and directly summon Acheron.
With Acheron's immense power, just one slash would be enough to cut all destabilizing factors into nothingness.
Therefore, although Lu Jingming's recent behavior seemed somewhat inflated, as if possessed by Gilgamesh, engaging in various schemes and seeking fun, in reality, he was steady as an old dog.
No matter how powerful Celenova was, she was merely a memory construct, not the original body. Summoning Acheron would be enough to slay her.
Even if Ruan Mei, the combat leader among the Annihilation Gang, were to appear, as long as it wasn't her original body, Acheron could still cut her down with one stroke.
Given the current situation, there wasn't even a need for Acheron to act. Herta was sufficient to handle the current situation.
After all, Herta was also a genuine Emmanator, on equal footing with the Annihilation Gang leaders.
Even Jingliu, an existence at the strongest tier below the Emannators, could influence the situation. There was no need to worry excessively.
Lu Jingming possessed an incredibly deep foundation, one that could not be easily shaken by a single unexpected event.
This was the fundamental reason why he confidently opened his memory bank and wasn't worried about others summoning troublesome characters.
In his view, no matter how troublesome a character appeared, they would ultimately become nourishment for this world to ascend to a higher level.
The arrival of various Servants would bring unprecedented changes to this world, leading it towards diversification.
Both the power system and the racial composition would undergo earth-shattering changes.
Lu Jingming yearned to create a world full of excitement, not just a monotonous planet ruled solely by him.
For him, a rich and colorful world, with development full of variables and challenges, was what he truly aspired to.
Of course, no matter how many variables and challenges, the prerequisite was that they must remain within his control.
Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen left one after another, and Hoshimi Miyabi and Childe followed suit.
However, before they left, Lu Jingming keenly noticed that Hoshimi Miyabi's gaze was somewhat shifty when she looked at him, and this time, she didn't invite him to train together again.
This subtle change made Lu Jingming feel a bit weary. He understood that Hoshimi Miyabi was indeed outside the door that night.
Given her unique personality, she might genuinely have stayed there all night, treating it as some strange form of training.
Lu Jingming, as the Lord of the Abyss City, was somewhat unqualified.
After all, he spent most of his time either immersed in cultivation, busy courting the girls around him, enjoying life, or stirring up trouble everywhere.
However, the entire Abyss City was able to develop in an orderly and thriving manner, all thanks to Changli.
Although Keqing and Jinhsi contributed significantly to the construction of Abyss City, and Yae Miko also helped, Changli was undoubtedly the greatest contributor.
On the top floor of the towering skyscraper in Abyss City, Changli was, as always, dressed in her gorgeous, phoenix-like attire.
She wore heels and black stockings, exuding a mature, fiery, and seductive charm.
She stood quietly by the floor-to-ceiling window, her gaze soft as she watched the surging crowds below.
Abyss City had now become the most advanced modern city on the entire continent, with its population rapidly expanding.
It housed not only citizens of the Star Luo Empire but also tourists drawn from other empires. Even people from the Sun Moon Empire were welcomed without any prejudice based on their identity.
The reason for this was that Abyss City was making long-term plans for its future development.
Suddenly, Changli frowned slightly. A red light flashed over her body, and she instantly vanished from her spot, deftly dodging a pair of hands that abruptly reached out from a black mist.
The black mist seemed to possess the power to decompose everything, even decomposing the space around it, which gradually expanded.
Then, Lu Jingming's figure leisurely emerged from the black mist.
"Tch, failed!" Lu Jingming pouted, a hint of annoyance on his face.
He had just developed a new ability: using the decomposition power contained within the Abyss to analyze and break down spatial structures, thereby achieving spatial transference.
Surrounded by numerous experts like Jingliu and Herta, who could offer guidance, and even Gu Yue who had exquisite control over spatial power and could teach him a deeper understanding of space.
With these unique advantages, Lu Jingming didn't spend much time successfully analyzing the spatial properties of the Douluo Continent. He was already proficiently using decomposition power for spatial transference.
He was merely conducting an experiment and simultaneously attempting a sneak attack on Changli. He hadn't forgotten that Changli had once promised him that if he could surpass her, he could do whatever he wanted.
"Although I don't reject sneak attacks as a tactic, I won't easily acknowledge it."
Changli slightly narrowed her beautiful phoenix-like eyes, speaking with a half-smile.
She could accept losing to Lu Jingming and being possessed by the boy she had watched grow up—no, Lu Jingming had matured into a man now.
But to lose due to a sneak attack, even she would feel a sense of unfairness.
"Just kidding! I just wanted to test out a new skill. Sister Changli is as sharp as ever."
Lu Jingming quickly raised his hands in surrender. He knew he couldn't seriously think of defeating Changli through a sneak attack and making her fulfill her promise.
He would have to rely on his own strength to defeat Changli in a frontal confrontation. Only then would he be truly qualified to have Changli fulfill that seemingly jesting promise.
"With your current strength, my position is truly a bit precarious!~ Should I find a place to hide?"
The corners of Changli's mouth curved slightly into a captivating smile. She delicately tapped her red lips with her fingertip. That alluring and妩媚 (enchanting) posture instantly made Lu Jingming's heart tremble.
She truly is a mature older sister. Every move she made exuded a soul-stirring charm, easily stirring Lu Jingming's heart.
However, Lu Jingming had, after all, gained experience now, and his self-control was far from what it used to be.
He immediately shook his head slightly, trying to calm his mind.
A hint of surprise flashed in Changli's eyes, followed by a gratifying smile.
Watching Lu Jingming grow from a small child into a mature man, she, too, held a special affection for him.
"Sister Changli, the Sun Moon Empire really went all out this time! The Mecha Corps, the Antimatter Legion, plus their already formidable Soul Engineer Corps—we need to prepare in advance."
Lu Jingming said, flopping down onto the sofa behind Changli's desk.
This was a leather sofa made from the hide of some rare Soul Beast. It was not only soft and comfortable but also had a just-right warmth and a faint, subtle fragrance.
Clearly, these characteristics were deeply imprinted with Changli's scent, as this was her exclusive office chair.
"We've been prepared for a long time. Over these years, the number of Fusion Warriors born is quite significant. Your little girlfriend provided a lot of valuable Soul Beast genes!"
Changli looked at Lu Jingming, who was casually occupying her seat, without any blame, but rather with a hint of gentle indulgence.
In her eyes, although Lu Jingming was now an adult and a true man, he was still the little rascal she cherished.
Just as Lu Jingming looked on in surprise, with a fragrant breeze, Changli actually sat directly on his lap.
Her soft, delicate body emitted a refreshing scent that captivated Lu Jingming's attention in every detail.
Yet, Changli remained composed. With serene grace, she extended a slender finger and lightly traced the air. A holographic screen instantly lit up before them.
The screen displayed the military base located to the east of Abyss City, divided into several distinct areas, which were the camps for different corps.
Changli lightly tapped one area, and the screen zoomed in. What appeared on the screen were the Golden Guards, fully armed in black Soul Engineer armor.
Their number had now surpassed ten thousand.
Every Golden Guard was a Fusion Warrior who had integrated Soul Beast genes. Combined with the perfect blend of Soul Engineer armor and Soul Tools, their combat power was exceedingly formidable.
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