In Changkong City, Ling Feng and Sha Wu looked in one direction, sensing a warship rapidly approaching. At that speed, it would arrive within half a minute.
"This is troublesome."
Ling Feng's brows furrowed. A great battle was likely imminent.
[Unawakened] Herrscher of Thunder vs. Murata Himeko.
If he still possessed his former strength, he would be qualified to participate in this battle. But with his current cultivation, he was truly outmatched. Although he possessed the Law of Fire, he had not fully mastered it, only able to exert about thirty percent of its power.
Could he resort to the Heavenly Fire Unleashed maneuver again? However, he wasn't worried about self-immolation. With the Law of Fire, even at the zeroth rated power of the Judgment of Flame, he not only wouldn't be harmed but could even enhance its might. It was as if he himself was fire; why fear flames?
Still, even if he were fine, Changkong City might be destroyed, and Mei, Kiana, and the others could perish under the Heavenly Fire, which made no distinction between friend and foe.
Should he try to reason with the Herrscher persona of Mei? He decided to try.
"Sha Wu, go protect Future and Bronya."
With that, Ling Feng soared into the sky and flew towards Mei.
Mid-air, Herrscher Mei looked at Kiana in her arms. "To get injured protecting that coward, how unsightly! Kiana!"
"Wake up quickly, I won't allow you to die so easily."
"Only I am permitted to take your life!"
Although Herrscher Mei's tone was scolding Kiana, it was also laced with concern. Sensing an approaching presence, Herrscher Mei turned and saw Ling Feng, the one who had intrigued her last time.
"You can fly?"
Looking at Ling Feng, who stopped less than a meter in front of her, Herrscher Mei's eyes once again gleamed with interest.
"Can you return Kiana to me? Her injuries are severe and require treatment."
"Oh? Why should I listen to you?" Herrscher Mei instinctively retorted, but then, seeing Kiana in her arms, a hint of tenderness surfaced. "Fine... I'll listen to you this once, but only this once."
Herrscher Mei moved closer and handed Kiana to Ling Feng. Ling Feng hadn't expected Herrscher Mei to be so accommodating this time. However, Kiana's injuries were indeed very serious. Ling Feng quickly used his internal energy to stem the bleeding. Herrscher Mei watched this, her curiosity about Ling Feng deepening.
"If that's the case, can you return Mei as well?"
"Man, don't mistake my..."
Before Herrscher Mei could finish her sentence, a massive shadow enveloped them.
Damn, they're here so fast. I can't expose myself yet!
Ling Feng quickly used his spatial abilities, taking Kiana with him and disappearing from their original spot, reappearing beside Sha Wu and the others.
"Oh? What kind of ability is this?"
"Hmph, who gave you permission to tower over me!"
Herrscher Mei looked up at the Hyperion.
On the Hyperion, Murata Himeko looked at Herrscher Mei on the screen with a hint of disdain. "This creature is the Herrscher?"
"I thought it would be something more terrifying, not something covered in tentacles or slime?"
Her secretary's mouth twitched slightly. She truly marveled at her superior's imagination.
"Major, your imagination when you're... thirsty... is indeed quite terrifying," Murata Himeko retorted.
"Then don't interrupt my date!" Joking aside, serious matters needed to be addressed.
"All cannons locked! Commence suppression fire!"
With Murata Himeko's command, most of the Hyperion's weapons deployed, all aimed at Herrscher Mei.
"Annoying insect!"
With a roar from Herrscher Mei, fierce lightning erupted from her body. Centered on her, an area spanning hundreds of meters was decomposed into ruins! Ling Feng and Sha Wu quickly erected a protective shield to withstand the force.
Murata Himeko was shocked. This was terrifying!
"Quick! Full defensive field!"
Despite deploying defenses in time, they had underestimated the Herrscher Mei's might. Not only from below, but a torrent of lightning also struck from the sky.
*Boom!!!*
*Crack!!!*
The attack caused a section of the Hyperion's bridge to erupt in flames, thick black smoke billowing.
"Warning, warning! External armor severely damaged!"
"Output down by 40%, recommend immediate return!"
Inside the Hyperion, the system's alarms blared. Murata Himeko slammed her hand on the conference table, her expression grave, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
"We won't survive the next attack like this."
"Tch! That damn girl, do you know how expensive this warship's repairs are!"
Murata Himeko flicked her coat and barked orders.
"Activate nuclear furnaces 5 and 6, maintain their output, and switch the warship's power to auxiliary energy!"
"Two minutes from now, the warship will descend to the Herrscher's altitude!"
The secretary beside her gasped in alarm.
"Wait, are you planning to use that!?"
Murata Himeko grinned. "There's no time to consider other options now."
"But the order from command is to capture the Herrscher alive..."
"It's too late for that now!"
Murata Himeko said as she began to shed her formal attire.
"Once I take off my clothes, I go all the way!"
"I'll entrust the warship's command to you for now!"
With that, Murata Himeko had already hurried away. The female secretary looked at her superior's alluring figure and couldn't help but sigh.
"Oh dear."
[Auxiliary power system switched!]
[Preparing for descent!]
Murata Himeko was being assisted by robotic arms to put on her exoskeleton armor. Nearby on the deck, a black, lacy piece of intimate apparel lay quietly.
Meanwhile, the satellites above Changkong City had been disrupted by the strong electromagnetic field generated by Herrscher Mei.
On the Hyperion's bridge, Murata Himeko, fully armed, faced Herrscher Mei with her blade.
"How dare you draw a sword against me, you suicidal insect!"
"Turn to ash before me!"
Herrscher Mei, displeased, roared. She gathered immense electrical power in her hand, then unleashed a terrifying wave of lightning energy.
*Boom—*
"Sorry! I won't die until I find a good man!"
"Nexus System activated!"
Murata Himeko swung her greatsword horizontally in front of her, slicing the terrifying energy wave into two. The immense energy impacted the bridge, shaking violently, except for the Hyperion itself. Centered on their engagement, a radius of ten miles was annihilated into ruins by Herrscher Mei's energy.
"Warning! Nuclear furnace overheating, will shut down forcefully in ten seconds!"
The combat system's voice warned Murata Himeko, who was struggling to hold on.
"Shut up! Don't you dare shut down! Keep going!"
Although with the assistance of the armor, Murata Himeko had temporarily reached a state where she could contend with the Herrscher's power, Herrscher Mei was still releasing energy with only one hand, appearing effortless. The gap between them was evident.
"I must commend you for holding on this long. However, you are merely a slightly stronger piece of trash."
"I'm already growing tired of this. Disappear!"
Just as Herrscher Mei was about to exert more force, a figure suddenly appeared beside her and pushed her arm down.
"Oh, it's you again, man."
"Stop it!"
The newcomer was Ling Feng. He had learned from Future that the satellites were jammed, and virtually no one could monitor them now, so he had to intervene. Ling Feng grabbed Mei's right wing of light with one hand.
"What do you want to do to me?"
"Do you think a mortal body can tear off a god's wings?"
*Crack!*
With a slight sound, Herrscher Mei was startled. Her wing of light was indeed showing signs of shattering! Herrscher Mei panicked.
"Wait! How is this possible!"
"How can a human hand damage a god's wing!"
Ling Feng's lips curved into a slight smile.
"Sorry, I'm resistant to lightning."
"Moreover, my body has long since transcended the mortal realm!"
"Return Mei!"
Ling Feng gritted his teeth and exerted force. Herrscher Mei's wing of light shattered.
"To be defeated by you twice again."
"Remember me! Ling Feng!"
"I will return!"
Thus, the Herrscher persona retreated, and Mei's consciousness regained control. Holding the unconscious Mei in his arms, Ling Feng's lips twitched. He had heard Herrscher Mei's words. Did she think she was like the Big Bad Wolf from cartoons?
Ling Feng slowly landed on the bridge, breathing a sigh of relief. This matter was now concluded. However, the next step was to find a way to join St. Freya Academy. He couldn't teach Mei and the others. His cultivation methods were unsuitable for them, so they needed to attend a specialized academy. Mei had to learn to control her power, otherwise, if she became a Herrscher again, he would have a headache.
Speaking of which, he was also curious to visit St. Freya. He needed a safe place. The Feather of Resurrection had fully restored his strength. Yes, he was at the peak of the Core Formation stage. This was the consequence of burning his Nascent Soul, causing him to drop two major realms. Fortunately, the power of the Feather of Resurrection gave him a chance to re-condense his Golden Core and then form a Nascent Soul. Otherwise, burning his Nascent Soul would have resulted in death or severe injury, and without extraordinary opportunities, he might never have reached the Golden Core realm again. These were all matters he had to resolve.
...
A few days later, Ling Feng and the others successfully joined St. Freya Academy. However, unlike Sha Wu and the others, Ling Feng was no longer a student but a combat instructor, specifically assigned to Mei's class.
In his independent teacher's dormitory, Ling Feng sat on the soft mattress, deep in thought. In fact, their joining St. Freya had been remarkably smooth, so smooth that Ling Feng suspected someone was helping him from behind the scenes. But this was his first time in the Honkai Impact 3rd world; how could anyone he knew be here? After thinking for a while, Ling Feng let it go. Why bother with so many things? He would deal with whatever came his way. If he truly unleashed his power, very few in this world could stop him. After all, with the Judgment weapon in hand, coupled with the Law of Fire, he feared very few enemies. Even if his cultivation was not yet at the Golden Core stage, he dared to face Herrschers.
Ling Feng looked at the quiet dormitory and sighed. Due to the gender separation, Sha Wu and the others were all assigned to Murata Himeko's dormitory. He was left alone... Damn it! The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Fortunately, he didn't have to worry about exposing anything. His internal energy and Honkai energy were almost the same origin, and instrument detections showed normal readings. However, for some unknown reason, Future also seemed to be able to absorb Honkai energy. Well, one was better than none.
"Right, I need to hurry back to the Grotto-Heaven, or something bad will happen!"
Ling Feng suddenly remembered something, a flicker of panic crossing his face. He soon vanished from the room.
In the White Stone Grotto-Heaven, by a stream in a dense forest, there was a clearing that had been artificially created. In the clearing stood a Siheyuan courtyard, decorated with some flowers and plants. To the right of the courtyard was a large empty space, a spiritual medicine field, where Ling Feng had planted spirit herbs and elixirs obtained from lotteries. At this moment, a white creature, about a meter tall and several meters long, was stealthily rummaging in the spiritual medicine field.
As if sensing Ling Feng's return, the white creature quickly tried to escape.
"Ah!!! Taibai! My spirit herbs and elixirs!"
"Damn it! Are you a dragon or a husky?!"
"You even picked the high-quality, aged ones!"
"Crap, I'll kill you!"
Ling Feng's face darkened as he looked at the devastated spiritual medicine field. The next moment, Judgment appeared in his hand. Ling Feng stomped heavily on the ground, furiously chasing after Taibai, who had fled into the sea of trees.
Yes, Taibai was the true dragon egg Ling Feng had drawn more than half a year ago. This creature was silvery white from birth, so Ling Feng named it Taibai. Initially, Ling Feng thought it would become his capable subordinate. Who knew... it had already destroyed his spiritual medicine fields three times! To make the blessed land and grotto-heaven more spiritual and the soil quality of the spiritual fields better, he had specifically placed several spirit stone veins directly beneath them. Indeed, the spirit herbs and elixirs in the spiritual medicine field grew rapidly and thrived. Some of exceptional quality were centuries old, yet this husky true dragon! It had secretly eaten several, nearly driving Ling Feng to death on the spot.