After all, it’s Elysia—Lu Jingming really couldn’t imagine anyone being able to refuse her friendship.

Just like Mobius: outwardly she seems to despise Elysia, but deep down, isn’t she just another Elysia simp?

It’s like in Liyue—there are only Zhongli simps and twisted Zhongli simps. In the Elysian Realm, there are only Elysia simps and twisted Elysia simps.

He could even picture it: if Elysia came back with him to Haiyuan City, it probably wouldn’t take long before she became friends with everyone, no matter how different their personalities were—even people like Jingliu, Herta, and Ji Yingying wouldn’t be exceptions.

“By the way, Shui Bing’er, are you all still planning to participate in the Soul Master Tournament?”

Lu Jingming looked at Shui Bing’er curiously.

Based on the feedback he received from the World Tree’s stigmata, the Douluo Continent was now livelier than ever, with everyone busy with their own matters.

Under these circumstances, would the Spirit Hall and the two empires really still have the energy to hold the Soul Master Tournament?

Shui Bing’er was slightly stunned, then shook her head helplessly and said with a wry smile, “I’m not too sure either, but judging by the current situation, I’m afraid it’s not possible anymore.”

After all, that contamination point had already become a serious threat to Heaven Dou City; the Heaven Dou Empire was struggling to cope—who had the time to prepare for a tournament?

If they didn’t clear the contamination point soon, Heaven Dou City might cease to exist.

“That makes sense.” Lu Jingming nodded thoughtfully.

The tournament was forced to end—the plot had been completely derailed by him.

Without the Soul Master Tournament, Xiao Wu wouldn’t have to reveal her identity; Tang San and the others wouldn’t be hunted by the Spirit Hall. That classic “Revive, my love!” scene—would it even happen now?

…

…

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

With the full support of Skywater Academy, God Wind Academy, and Blazing Fire Academy—the three major elemental academies—the Jade Chamber was quickly built.

Lu Jingming took out a large number of low-level soul tools and simulated universe login devices from his storage-type soul tool and placed them in the Jade Chamber for sale.

Of course, there were also stigmata and some high-level soul tools among them, but those were the star items, to be released slowly.

In this half month, Elysia had fully adapted to this new world and blended perfectly with the girls at Skywater Academy, becoming great friends with them.

Especially within Shui Bing’er’s team, their affection for Elysia had almost reached its peak.

You could say Elysia was thriving at Skywater Academy. Even Huo Wu from Blazing Fire Academy was charmed by her, leaving Feng Xiaotian shedding tears of envy.

As for the Soul Master Tournament, just as everyone expected, it was suspended.

During this half month, the Heaven Dou Empire gathered tens of thousands of troops and invited Thunder Douluo Yu Yuanzhen of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, along with Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and Poison Douluo—such a powerful lineup launched another assault on the contamination point.

They thought, with this stronger formation and their well-coordinated soul master legion, they would surely wipe out the contamination point.

But reality gave them a harsh smack in the face.

Thunder Douluo Yu Yuanzhen and Sword Douluo were severely injured, more than half of the army was lost, and the Heaven Dou army fled in panic.

It turned out that in this half month, the contamination point had spawned even stronger monsters of negative energy—Black Zhang Lexuan and Black Keqing, both with Titled Douluo-level power.

Thunder Douluo’s martial spirit was suppressed by Black Jinhsi’s Jué Dragon and Black Gu Yue’s Silver Dragon, plus the Death Dragon Polyxia, so he couldn’t even use half his strength before being badly hurt.

Sword Douluo had to take a Martial Spirit Fusion Skill—Holy Spear Reversal—head-on, losing an arm but barely managing to survive.

For this, Ning Fengzhi took Sword Douluo to Lu Jingming and offered some of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect’s businesses within the Heaven Dou Empire in exchange for Lu Jingming restoring Sword Douluo’s arm.

After Lu Jingming accepted the businesses, the Jade Chamber instantly became one of the top chambers of commerce in the Heaven Dou Empire.

With the backing of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, plus the three elemental academies not being easy to mess with, no one dared covet the Jade Chamber.

After this battle, the Heaven Dou Empire was in a state of panic.

Some nobles had already packed up, ready to flee Heaven Dou City at any time. In such tense times, who would care about holding a tournament?

The defeated Heaven Dou Empire did consider asking for help from the Spirit Hall, but the Hall was in deep trouble itself.

Black Fu Hua was putting huge pressure on the Spirit Hall, so much so that Qian Daoliu was considering recalling Qian Renxue to let her take the God Trial ahead of schedule.

As for the Star Luo Empire, things were a bit better—no contamination points of such strength had appeared, but they were still busy fighting against them.

With no other choice, the Heaven Dou Empire could only send troops to clear negative energy monsters at the periphery to slow the spread of the contamination point.

As long as they didn’t go deep into the contamination point, they wouldn’t trigger attacks from those powerful clones. That was the only bit of good news.

Though this was only treating the symptoms, not the root cause—unless the core was destroyed, the contamination point would keep expanding. But the Heaven Dou Empire had no other choice.

They had already gathered their top forces for one assault; if not for a timely retreat, it would have meant total annihilation.

What’s more, the contamination point was constantly growing stronger—no one knew how powerful it would get over time.

So, all the Heaven Dou Empire could do was suppress its spread and prepare to abandon Heaven Dou City if needed.

By this point, Lu Jingming was considering returning to Haiyuan City.

He had only come to this parallel Douluo world to watch the Soul Master Tournament for fun.

But that idea had fallen through.

Even if the tournament continued, Tang San probably wouldn’t participate.

After all, his father Tang Hao was at death’s door—how could he have the heart to compete? He was now hiding with Tang Hao at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, racking his brain to remove the death energy from Black Castorice.

Without Tang San, the tournament lost all appeal for Lu Jingming—his interest vanished.

So, Lu Jingming said his goodbyes to Shui Bing’er and the others, left Elysia in this world, and went home.

Returning to the alternate space where Cosmic Juggernaut Inverted Horizons was, he patted the Herta doll on the head as he passed, quickly escaping before she could pull out her giant crystal hammer from under her skirt.

“You! You have an annoying aura on you!” As soon as Lu Jingming left the alternate space, Mobius appeared and blocked his path.

She eyed him up and down, frowning.

“You summoned her?” Mobius asked, though from her expression, she clearly already knew.

Lu Jingming’s mouth twitched. That was some real simp energy! He had just gotten back, and Mobius had already tracked him down by aura.

“The scary Elysia harem! Oh, I’m the same, so never mind,” he muttered to himself.

“You’re just in time—here, this is a gift she asked me to give you.” Lu Jingming smiled and took a pink dress from his storage tool.

Judging by the size, it would fit Mobius perfectly.

Mobius’s mouth twitched too when she saw it, and she gritted her teeth: “Keep it for yourself.”

Then she turned and left. But Lu Jingming keenly noticed a fleeting smile on her face.

“Such a tsundere! Snake, being a tsundere isn’t trendy anymore!” Lu Jingming shook his head helplessly.

Clearly, Mobius was happy inside, but had to put on a disdainful facade.

She probably already guessed Elysia was in a parallel world, but didn’t seem in a hurry to meet her.

To her, just knowing Elysia was in this world was enough.

Returning to St. Freya Academy, Lu Jingming saw Jingliu sitting alone in a pavilion, holding a jug of wine.

He walked up, snatched the jug from her hands without hesitation, and drank straight from it, unconcerned about indirect kisses.

Jingliu’s fingers twitched, barely resisting the urge to draw her sword.

She didn’t actually care about things like indirect kisses, but this disciple was just too brazen, making no effort to hide his rebellious thoughts.

Compared to him, even Jing Yuan was a model student—although, to be fair, even Jing Yuan once tried to cut her down when she fell into demonhood.

“Teacher, drinking alone is boring. Let me keep you company.” Lu Jingming wiped the wine from his mouth.

He wasn’t a big drinker, but had to admit Jingliu’s taste in wine was excellent.

“By this world’s standards, you’re still underage!” Jingliu said as she took back the wine jug.

This wine jug was actually a soul tool—it could hold a huge amount of wine and even improve its quality.

A soul tool with such unique effects could only have come from Herta.

Of course, it was only after much begging and pestering from Lu Jingming that Herta made it, as a gift for Jingliu.

The way Lu Jingming and Herta got along was rather unique: sometimes he’d ask her for help, sometimes she’d ask him, and both seemed to compete to see who could get the other to owe a favor.

It had become their little game.

“Teacher, it’s really great to have you all with me!” Lu Jingming rarely drank, so his tolerance was low.

He didn’t use soul power to clear the effects, letting the tipsy feeling wash over him.

Jingliu’s lips curled in a faint smile. She had drunk far more than Lu Jingming but showed no sign of drunkenness at all.

With the body of a Xianzhou Native, this bit of alcohol couldn’t get her drunk, even without soul power.

She was nothing like a certain general who couldn’t hold her liquor, nor like the newbie Lu Jingming, who rarely drank.

Lu Jingming was a bit drunk, but still lucid—the words he spoke now were heartfelt.

He could only be his true self in front of Jingliu or big-sisterly figures like Changli.

Alone in a foreign land—as a transmigrator, he always felt estranged from this world, lacking a sense of belonging.

If he hadn’t been able to summon Jingliu and the others with the Authority of Reality, he couldn’t imagine what he’d have become—maybe even someone he wouldn’t recognize.

He wasn’t exactly a pure good guy now, but at least he had kept his bottom line.

Those summoned with him, like Robin, with their principles and kindness, also kept him in check, preventing him from losing his humanity.

For example, in his experiments in the parallel world—if not for the presence of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and Raiden, he wouldn’t have bothered giving those who died to contamination a second life.

Outsiders might see it as fake, but for those experiencing it, it was their real life.

Even if they learned it was all false, many would gladly immerse themselves and convince themselves it was real.

With the wine emboldening him, Lu Jingming became bolder.

He moved closer to Jingliu, his gaze falling on the black cloth covering her eyes.

“Teacher, you’re free from your cute Mara form now—why are you still wearing the blindfold?”

He asked, perhaps intentionally, or perhaps drunkenly, calling it the cute Mara form instead of demonic form.

Jingliu’s mouth twitched. She’d wanted to correct him, but seeing him drunk, couldn’t be bothered and just replied calmly, “Habit.”

“Can I take it off?” Lu Jingming tentatively asked.

“Go ahead,” Jingliu replied indifferently. She had worn the blindfold for so long, she was used to it, and even after the Mara form was gone, she never took it off.

With her permission, Lu Jingming carefully reached out and untied the black blindfold.

Seeing Jingliu’s beautiful red eyes, Lu Jingming couldn’t help but be mesmerized.

The combination of white hair and red eyes was just as deadly to him as Elysia’s charms.

“Teacher, your eyes are so beautiful.” While complimenting her eyes, his gaze naturally drifted to her peerless face.

Jingliu looked helpless. She always knew this disciple had feelings for her, and now, emboldened by drink, he made no effort to hide it.

She regretted letting him drink.

Suddenly, taking advantage of Jingliu’s momentary distraction, Lu Jingming tried to make a move. He leaned in swiftly, his lips mere inches from hers, his breath hot against her skin.

Jingliu, ever sharp, narrowed her eyes—a surge of formless force erupted like a stormy wave. But not before their lips brushed for the briefest, electrifying moment.

Lu Jingming shot out like a cannonball, the lingering warmth of that almost-kiss still tingling on his mouth as he smashed straight into an artificial hill.

The shock instantly sobered him up.

Lying in the rubble, he stared blankly at the clear blue sky, touching his lips—smiling as he realized that he had just felt something soft, if only for a moment. He was sure he hadn’t imagined it.

This sneak attack was a failure in one sense, but he did get a little reward.

As footsteps approached, a figure blocked his view of the sky.

“Xiao Ming, you’re getting bolder. Aren’t you afraid your teacher will really cut you down one day?” Zhang Lexuan crouched and gently brushed the dust from Lu Jingming’s face, smiling.

“Teacher couldn’t bear to,” Lu Jingming chuckled. He realized Jingliu had already left—clearly not wanting to see her bold disciple for a while.

“You must have been planning this for a while, huh? But you failed in the end,” Zhang Lexuan teased, tapping his forehead.

She had seen the whole thing and judged Lu Jingming’s sneak attack a failure.

“No worries, there’ll be more chances. Besides, I still have you, Sister Lexuan,” Lu Jingming said breezily, abruptly pulling Zhang Lexuan into his arms.

Before she could speak, he kissed her. His lips pressed against hers urgently, his tongue seeking entrance. Zhang Lexuan parted her lips, welcoming him in. Their tongues danced and twined together in a passionate, sensual embrace. Lu Jingming explored every corner of her mouth, savoring her sweet taste.

After all, they hadn’t seen each other in a while. Zhang Lexuan responded warmly—they’d already gone further than a kiss, so there was no shyness. She matched his fervor, her tongue battling playfully with his as she pressed her body closer.

Their kiss deepened, growing more heated by the second. Soft moans escaped Zhang Lexuan’s throat as Lu Jingming’s skilled tongue stroked hers. The wet sounds of their mouths moving together filled the air.

A few minutes later, they parted, a strand of silver saliva connecting them. Zhang Lexuan was a little breathless, her hair slightly messy. Her lips were swollen and glistening from their passionate exchange. She gazed up at Lu Jingming with desire burning in her eyes, already craving more of his intoxicating kisses.

Lu Jingming licked his lips, stood up, cupped Zhang Lexuan’s face, and, gazing into her dreamy eyes, whispered: “Don’t be impatient, Sister Lexuan. In two more years, I’ll finally be able to have you.”

When he said “have you,” he put extra emphasis on the words.

In two years, his body would be fully mature; then he’d have no more worries.

The thought made him a little impatient—after all, Zhang Lexuan wasn’t the only delicacy waiting for him.

Zhang Lexuan blushed, leaning into Lu Jingming’s arms, also filled with anticipation.

She had waited a long time too.

They cuddled for a while, but, hearing someone approaching—since the earlier commotion had drawn attention—they stood and left, leaving the artificial hill for the academy staff to deal with.

….

Boom!

On St. Freya Academy’s training field, Meng Hongchen darted back like lightning, narrowly dodging a mighty blow.

The hard stone ground didn’t fare as well—her long legs, clad in golden heels, stomped down, sending out a shockwave that shattered the ground into a spiderweb of cracks and left a huge crater.

Clang!

Her ice-blue twin swords blocked a golden spear, but Meng Hongchen’s face grew grimmer.

Her hands trembled, barely able to hold on—she was flung back like a kite with a broken string.

Just as she tried to steady herself, she glimpsed a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye.

She had a flash of inspiration and pretended to be weak, falling from mid-air as if helpless.

If she really crashed, even she’d be bedridden for a while.

But she was sure someone would catch her.

Sure enough, a figure appeared behind her, catching her by the waist.

“Miss Meng, it’s not good to joke with your body like this,” Lu Jingming said helplessly.

He could tell at a glance that Meng Hongchen could have landed safely—she’d just seen him and decided to play helpless.

“I knew you’d catch me,” Meng Hongchen stared at Lu Jingming, happiness and joy written all over her face.

Creak!

Just then, a grating sound of teeth grinding came from nearby.

Lu Jingming and Meng Hongchen turned to see Xiao Hongchen glaring at them, face dark, silent.

“Yo, brother-in-law, you’re here too!” Lu Jingming greeted cheerfully.

“Who’s your brother-in-law, Lu Jingming, you bastard! I’ll never agree to this!” Xiao Hongchen exploded.

He never liked Lu Jingming, but his own sister was head over heels, and even their grandfather supported it. He was helpless.

“Next! Are you up for it?”

On the training field, the golden-haired girl who’d just knocked Meng Hongchen away pointed her golden spear at Lu Jingming, eyes full of open challenge.

“No thanks—if I make you cry, you’ll just complain to Gu Yue,” Lu Jingming chuckled.

“You…!” The blonde girl blushed in anger, wishing she could stab him with her spear.

“I’ll go.” At that moment, Ji Juechen strode onto the field, iron sword in hand.

He looked at the blonde girl with burning fighting spirit; his sword aura blazed.

The blonde girl sensed his fierce intent and grew serious.

She’d been at St. Freya Academy for a while and knew Ji Juechen was a formidable opponent.

Watching Ji Juechen and the blonde girl clash, Lu Jingming fell deep into thought, ignoring the still-clinging Meng Hongchen.

The blonde girl was named Wang Qiu’er—a name Lu Jingming had picked.

He’d simply reused her original fate’s name for convenience.

That’s right—this girl was the Emperor Auspicious Beast.

After Lu Jingming and Gu Yue returned from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Gu Yue went back to the Star Dou Forest.

When she saw the Emperor Auspicious Beast, she immediately noticed something off.

She discovered a wisp of alien divine sense attached to the beast, and it also had a divine weapon—the Golden Dragon Spear.

The spear, like Gu Yue’s Silver Dragon Spear, was a companion weapon of the Golden Dragon King, who was sealed in the God Realm—so the spear’s origin was obvious.

Plus, the divine sense fragment had fused completely with the beast’s soul—Gu Yue instantly knew someone was scheming with the Emperor Auspicious Beast.

Though she had her suspicions, Gu Yue immediately informed Lu Jingming, choosing to trust the man she’d picked.

Lu Jingming didn’t let her down—he knew exactly who was plotting against the Emperor Auspicious Beast.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep