Lu Jingming's gaze swept over the four individuals—Jiang Nannan, Xiaoxiao, Qingque, and Songque—and finally rested on Songque and Qingque, an imperceptible smile tugging at his lips. Grandma Songque and General Qing, he could recognize them instantly.
After all, these were beings summoned based on his own memories.
"Are you all alright? Why are only a few of you here?" Lu Jingming asked, slightly puzzled.
Shrek Academy's delegation was formidable, backed not only by Title Douluo like Xuan Zi but also by several powerful Servants. It shouldn't be possible for students like Jiang Nannan and Xiaoxiao to be left isolated.
"Phew, so it's one of us! You scared me half to death!"
Songque dramatically patted her chest, her golden hair swinging with the motion.
"You suddenly spoke out, and it truly startled me!"
She really was frightened. The nuclear-level shockwave hadn't fully dissipated, and coupled with the current perilous situation, any slight disturbance could make her heart jump.
"Ah, well, I apologize for that!"
Lu Jingming twitched his mouth. True to her character, Grandma Songque was certainly familiar and forthright.
Jiang Nannan stepped forward and concisely recounted the events: how they were scattered by the shockwave, how they regrouped under the protection of Qingque and Songque, and how they saw Siegfried unleash his Noble Phantasm, deducing that something serious had happened on Dai Huabin's side.
Her delivery was logical and clear. She subtly conveyed all the known information about Shrek Academy's Servants, as well as the presence of Hoolay and Borisin, to Lu Jingming.
"I see."
Lu Jingming nodded, a ripple in his heart.
Shrek Academy had been quite lucky to summon a Pathfinder of the Hunt like Jing Yuan—the General of the Luofu, who was theoretically an equal of the Lord of Extinction, Celenova.
As for Hoolay and Borisin, he didn't pay them much mind.
Since the Lord of Extinction, Celenova, had been summoned, having another Borisin Chieftain only made the melee more exciting.
Moreover, when he gazed into the distance earlier, he distinctly saw a silvery-white meteor streaking across the sky, and vaguely glimpsed the figure of the 'Three-Mute' General—no regrets, no doubts, and invincible. Her combat power was certainly greater than that of his nominal 'Senior Brother'.
And the thought that Jing Liu was also in Mingdou, combined with Hoolay once being defeated by the former Swordmaster of the Luofu, brought a playful smile to Lu Jingming's lips.
His teacher, Jing Liu, had once captured Hoolay alive and imprisoned her in the Luofu Xianzhou's dungeons. Now that these old rivals were reunited in another world, he wondered what storms they would brew.
"Vanish into the Void!"
While he pondered, heavy footsteps suddenly echoed from the alley entrance.
Lu Jingming's eyes narrowed. He slowly raised his right hand, pointing distantly toward the street corner.
A cloud of black mist materialized out of nowhere, instantly spreading out to envelop three Trampler and hundreds of Void Soldiers that had just turned the corner.
The monsters, which should have been charging and roaring, couldn't even manage a single sound in the black mist.
With a clenching motion from Lu Jingming's hand, the black mist abruptly contracted and then burst!
A blinding flash of black light vanished, leaving behind only a few wisps of smoke. Whether it was the Trampler' hardened shells or the Void Soldiers' energy cores, everything was broken down into its most fundamental particles by the power that disintegrates all things, leaving no trace behind.
Qingque subconsciously tightened her grip on the jade plaque in her hand. Songque quietly shrank further behind Xiaoxiao.
That effortless, reality-warping move to disintegrate matter was more unnerving than Siegfried's Noble Phantasm—it lacked spectacular fanfare but carried an irresistible, absolute authority, as if one could decide life and death with a mere wave of the hand.
"Let's go. I'll take you to a safe place."
Lu Jingming withdrew his hand as if merely brushing dust from his fingertips, then turned and walked out of the alley.
The setting sun's afterglow pierced the clouds, casting a long shadow behind him. His voice was as calm as if he were discussing the weather: "I have people over there who can safely escort you out of Mingdou."
Jiang Nannan and Xiaoxiao exchanged a look, both seeing an indescribable sense of relief in the other's eyes.
Lu Jingming's calm presence was too dependable; it was as if any terrible disaster could be resolved as long as he was there.
Jiang Nannan lightly patted Xiaoxiao's hand, signaling her to relax. She then quickened her pace to follow Lu Jingming's retreating back.
Qingque watched Lu Jingming's back, quietly rotating the jade plaque between her fingers, murmuring inwardly, "So this is the 'Auspicious' sign from the divination earlier..."
Xiaoxiao followed closely. Lu Jingming had no reason to harm them, and given his power, if he had wanted to ambush them, Songque and Qingque wouldn't have been able to react, and if the Masters died, the Servants wouldn't last long.
Songque was happy to be relieved of the tension. She quickly scampered into the middle of the group, quietly checking for danger around them, and whispered to Qingque, "It really is different with a boss covering us. My legs were like jelly back there..."
She truly feared encountering nuclear-level combat. With Lu Jingming leading the way, she could finally catch her breath.
The group walked over streets covered in shattered bricks, hearing crisp "crunching" sounds underfoot.
Behind them, Mingdou was still burning. The towering flames stained half the sky, and explosions and roars rose and fell, like a purgatory on earth.
But led by Lu Jingming, the path ahead seemed to grow clearer, and even the smell of blood in the air felt faintly diminished.
"Hahaha, what a thrill!"
Tartaglia's (Childe's) wild laughter echoed through the ruins. Brilliant blue water blades flipped deftly in his hands, sometimes transforming into sharp daggers, sometimes extending into a long spear.
His figure darted through the Void Soldiers of the Antimatter Legion like a fish. Every swing of his blade carried a sharp whistle that tore the air, and any Void Soldier he struck instantly disintegrated into scattered negative particles.
High-pressure water constantly shifted shape in his palms, sometimes coalescing into a dense rain of water arrows that riddled charging Reavers, and other times transforming into rotating whirlpools that sucked in and shredded nearby Tramplers.
The battle-proficient Childe, with his masterful martial arts, cut through the Antimatter Legion again and again, yet his eyes still betrayed excitement and intense battle intent.
On the other side, Hoshimi Miyabi stood still atop a broken wall, her demonic blade gleaming with cold light.
Her movements were far more concise than Tartaglia's. In the instant her blade flashed, it seemed as if time itself froze—neither the Reavers, capable of tearing steel, nor the Tramplers, skilled in spatial transfer, nor even the Trampler, who could contend with Title Douluo and rival 100,000-year Soul Beasts, could withstand her effortless strike.
Where the blade sliced, icy energy ripples spread outward. The bodies of the Antimatter Legion were frozen, then cleaved by the sharp blade light, dissipating into negative particles in the air.
The two top-tier Servants were like tigers in a flock of sheep, devastating the Antimatter Legion in their sight.
Without top-level opposition of equal caliber, these endlessly numerous killing machines were merely a persistent bother to them.
"Grandpa, what do we do? We can't keep this up."
Meng Hongchen stood within a hastily constructed Soul Tool defense structure, her brows tightly furrowed, her pretty face etched with worry.
Her gaze frequently swept toward the distance. Her heart was constantly tied to Lu Jingming and the others. Although she knew Lu Jingming was immensely powerful and protected by strong Servants, the chaos far exceeded expectations, and she couldn't help but worry.
Jing Hongchen's eyes were locked on the direction of the Imperial Palace, complex emotions flickering within them.
As his disciple and co-conspirator, he knew that Kong Deming had gone to the palace to confront Xu Tianran.
He still couldn't fathom why Xu Tianran chose to abandon Mingdou—after all, the Regent had previously constructed underground Soul Tool defense facilities capable of holding millions of civilians, even personally inspecting every detail, claiming to ensure that the aftermath of the Holy Grail War would not affect the populace after the Soul Master Tournament.
The Antimatter Legion's surprise attack was sudden, but with the Sun Moon Empire's resources, if Xu Tianran had only given the order, the Mech Corps and the Five Hands of the Nation's Protection could have been fully mobilized, coupled with the city's defense Soul Cannons and Soul Tool arrays. They could have saved at least thirty percent of Mingdou and rescued far more civilians.
But the truth was that the Regent chose to watch from the sidelines, letting the Antimatter Legion rampage through the city, abandoning even the pre-prepared evacuation facilities.
What frightened Jing Hongchen even more was that the four Beast King-level Soul Tool Legions stationed outside the city—the Terrorclaw, Evileye Tyrant, Imperial Dragon, and Fire Phoenix—remained motionless. Even the strongest Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Legion was holed up in the palace with no movement.
Kong Deming had originally controlled the Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Legion. Now, it seemed Kong Deming had also lost control of this strongest legion, with Xu Tianran seizing control through unknown means.
Furthermore, the Antimatter Legion had deliberately avoided the palace area and hadn't attacked it. The two sides seemed to have reached a silent understanding, even though one side had already broken their alliance, they hadn't completely fallen out yet.
"Wait a little longer."
Jing Hongchen said gravely, "You and Xiao, organize the civilians and move everyone to the underground facilities. Hurry!"
He was waiting for a result—the final choice between Kong Deming and Xu Tianran.
If the two completely broke ties, he would have no choice but to lead the Hongchen Clan out of Mingdou. But if there was still room for maneuver... Before he could finish, a silver ripple suddenly emerged from the void, spreading outward like concentric circles on water.
Kong Deming's figure materialized from it, accompanied by a young girl, Xu Tianzhen, the Princess of the Sun Moon Empire.
Utilizing the power of the Tenth-grade Soul Tool, Silver Moon Divine Light Barrier, the Super Douluo had achieved the spatial transfer feat usually only manageable by Limit Douluo, manipulating space at his whim.
"Teacher!"
Jing Hongchen's face instantly lit up with joy, and the massive stone weighing on his heart finally dropped.
Truthfully, he didn't want to sever ties with Xu Tianran right now. The change had happened too abruptly. The Hongchen Clan's roots were entirely in the Sun Moon Empire, and a rushed evacuation would result in catastrophic losses. He needed time to prepare.
Kong Deming gently set Xu Tianzhen on the ground. The little princess was quiet and subdued, lacking her usual liveliness.
No matter how naive, the upheaval in Mingdou had forced her to understand many harsh realities.
"Take Tianzhen and your grandchildren and leave Mingdou," Kong Deming's voice was hoarse and weary. "When everything is over, if Mingdou remains, you may return."
In the end, he didn't strike at Xu Tianran, choosing instead to withdraw with the Imperial Family's last "clean bloodline."
Jing Hongchen's heart tightened. He instantly understood his teacher's intent.
Caught between the Imperial bloodline and millions of civilians, the old official who had spent his life safeguarding the Sun Moon Empire ultimately chose the former.
His position dictated his choice—even furious at Xu Tianran's cold-bloodedness and pained by the fate of the dead civilians, he made the most "rational" decision.
"But Teacher, you..."
Jing Hongchen hesitated, his voice trembling slightly.
Kong Deming's expression suddenly turned cold, a look of resolute determination in his eyes: "For the future of the Sun Moon Empire, it is time for this old man to move his bones."
Since he chose to tolerate Xu Tianran, he would see it through. He would help Xu Tianran clear all obstacles, ensuring that the people of the original three Douluo Empires and Shrek Academy remained in Mingdou, burying them alongside the millions of civilians.
After this battle, no one on the Douluo Continent would be able to withstand the Sun Moon Empire's iron hooves.
As for the alliance with Haeundae City, it was merely the fallback he chose.
If Xu Tianran won, the alliance was void. If Xu Tianran failed, the Imperial bloodline could still be continued thanks to Zhang Lexuan's standing in Haeundae City.
Kong Deming never put all his eggs in one basket, and now he could gamble everything without restraint.
As long as the Imperial bloodline endured, there was still hope for everything.
Kong Deming turned to face the battle, the Silver Moon Divine Light Barrier illuminating around him. Within the brilliant silver light, a small silver moon space was faintly visible.
Jing Hongchen was silent. Kong Deming could not let go of the Imperial Family, could not let go of the Sun Moon Empire. Despite his conflict with Xu Tianran and his momentary desire to kill him, his lifelong ideals ultimately prevailed.
Jing Hongchen was different.
While he was equally loyal to the Sun Moon Empire, this loyalty was always tempered by a clear bottom line: the family's survival always came before the Empire.
He wasn't ungrateful, but he understood the principle that "without the skin, where can the hair attach?" If the Hongchen Clan itself was gone, what did the power of any empire matter to him?
Compared to the completely deranged Xu Tianran, he was more optimistic about Haeundae City's potential. This fundamental difference in perspective meant he and Kong Deming could not see eye-to-eye.
"Since Teacher's mind is made up..."
Jing Hongchen took a deep breath, turning to face his grandchildren, "Meng, Xiao, let your Servants assist your Teacher. After all, this is also a war between Servants."
This was the last contribution he could make to the Sun Moon Empire. The combat power of the two top-tier Servants would grant Kong Deming a greater chance of victory, thus honoring their bond as teacher and student.
Hearing the instruction, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen simultaneously looked at their Servants, their eyes asking for consent.
A Master does not have absolute control over a Servant; the relationship is one of equals, demanding sufficient respect.
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