Chapter 316: Rescuing the Greatly Ill Lu Ya |
"It's time for Jiang Si to learn a hard lesson."
That was what Jialan had confidently declared to the President during their phone call before returning to Chongxu.
"After all these years, geniuses, prodigies, wizards, talents, and extraordinary minds from countless worlds have come to Chongxu, and in the end, they all fell in line. Of course, Jiang Si is different—he'll probably make a bigger scene than most. But that's about it. What kind of place is Chongxu? In the end, he'll have to follow Chongxu's rules. Money is everything!"
In Jialan's eyes, Jiang Si had everything going for him, except for one problem: he was too sharp.
A young man being too sharp was bad—especially when he had beaten her up back then.
He hadn't even bothered to transform into the Calamity Dragon, and yet he'd still sent her crawling all over the floor!
If she hadn't used every trick in the book to finally force him to transform, she would have gone down in history as the first Magical Girl ever to be soloed by an ordinary person.
Jialan had never let that grudge go. Later, she'd actively recommended Jiang Si to become Vice President and sent him to Chongxu, partly hoping that Simo Tu would finally get a taste of the real world.
In the new world, aside from the Azure Cloud Sect people, there was hardly anyone who could put pressure on Jiang Si. So she sent him to Chongxu.
He'd realize that in Chongxu, he, Simo Tu, was nothing but a little girl!
And he'd finally understand just how great and amazing she, Jialan, was. With the President away, she was the most senior member of the Witch Association!
As a longtime Chongxu local who had managed to stay at the top all these years, the effort she'd put in was far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
She hadn't gotten this Vice President position for nothing.
It was a case of "you get what you pay for"—she'd bought it! She'd clawed her way up through connections, nearly getting shattered into ice cubes by the Witch Association President along the way, and secured her position through sheer ability!
Only those who understood Chongxu knew how deep the waters ran!
So Jialan planned to let Simo Tu suffer, let him become a debt-ridden wreck, and then make her entrance.
She'd seize this opportunity to highlight her wealth and her shining love and justice, take him for a ride through Chongxu, make Simo Tu see her in a new light, and then earn his respect, his admiration, maybe even his infatuation...
She'd complete the Vice President handover, deal with the Chongxu Nightwatchmen organization, and let the Witch Association further infiltrate the grassroots.
With that in mind, Jialan had even hung around outside for a while, timing it perfectly, calculating that Jiang Si should be at his breaking point by now.
Only then did she apply to enter Chongxu.
For old-timers like them—true Chongxu locals—they didn't even need to go to the outer perimeter. Even from Beihai, she could apply to enter Chongxu anytime she wanted.
That was the privilege of having a local household registration—completely unreasonable!
"Lu Ya, Lu Ya, Lu Ya, Lu Ya..."
The moment she entered, Jialan nearly fainted on the spot!
Jiang Si was chanting that forbidden term like a mantra, and before she could even stop him, the entire Chongxu had already started to undergo a heavenly anomaly, shaking and crumbling...
Show Jiang Si the world?
She was showing Chongxu the world!
Lu Ya was the damn world itself!
When that legendary figure who could supposedly topple all of Chongxu appeared, Jialan's vision went white.
She felt like she had genuinely sent Chongxu to its grave with her own hands.
But Lu Ya's descent didn't directly destroy Chongxu. Instead, things began to stabilize.
Even that super AI, with a gentle smile, introduced itself before...
Its gaze lingered on Jiang Si. Then it slowly spoke:
"Raw fish is dead fish. Fried mushrooms are high-temperature sterilization. Tai Chi is chocolate. Honey is peanut butter. Coffee is soy milk. Tea is vegetable soup. Love porridge is missing joy. Baguettes are long-life noodles. Stepmothers are crossdressers. The Shu Road is a kiwi fruit. Birth control is antibiotics. Before death is after death. A cold joke is an ice-cold cola..."
In the silent Chongxu, Lu Ya's warm and melodious voice echoed continuously.
It quieted Jialan, who had been wailing in despair moments before.
The entire Chongxu froze under the coldness of both the ice and the super AI's deadpan humor.
Because of her extremely high authority, every word reached every Chongxu resident's ears with crystal clarity.
Outsiders like those from Saint Hall might have missed it if they weren't paying attention.
But Ruo Yun, who was close enough, heard everything loud and clear, wearing a look of utter bewilderment.
As for Shan Lan, she shivered from the cold.
So this was why Chongxu was so adamant about sealing away the super AI, Lu Ya?
One sentence was enough to freeze Chongxu solid!
Terrifying beyond measure...
Just as Jialan was thinking about how to seal her away again...
She suddenly heard Jiang Si casually follow up with a flat response:
"'What does that mean' means what?"
Jialan turned her head, staring blankly at Jiang Si.
Were you seriously playing along with this? You two are a perfect pair of "Sleeping Dragon and Phoenix"!
And besides, besides herself, who else could even understand what the hell you were saying...
"Hehe... ah..."
Jialan watched as that gentle, elegant super AI Lu Ya seemed to find it hilarious, laughing with pure delight.
"That's right, that's right!"
Around Jiang Si, fireworks even erupted—though they were electronic holographic fireworks.
"Congratulations, correct answer! You've triggered a hidden reward! The super realm's main AI, Lu Ya, will now serve only you."
Jialan stared, dumbfounded, as that cute and beautiful AI girl bounced cheerfully over to stand behind Jiang Si. She bent slightly at the waist, her brow creased with a smile so sweet it could melt anyone's heart.
Just one look, and it felt like your heart was being soaked in a jar of honey.
Almost sickeningly sweet.
"Long time no see, Jiang Si. Why are you still as reluctant to smile as ever?"
As she spoke, the AI Lu Ya naturally leaned in close to Jiang Si, tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Smile a little, won't you? Smile! I've already told so many funny jokes!"
What was funny about any of that?!
And yet, Shan Lan saw that the perpetually unsmiling Jiang Si—the one who only ever sneered—actually seemed to show a hint of annoyance.
He raised an eyebrow, almost like he was forcing a smile.
It was only a flash, but Shan Lan was sure she hadn't misseen it.
So he really could smile after all...
For a moment, Jialan fell into deep thought.
Huh? Wait?
Was Jiang Si also a Chongxu local? And he knew the super AI?
No, no—she was starting to think like those Mirror Kingdom people. There was no way Jiang Si had ever actually been inside Chongxu.
Even Jialan herself had only become a Chongxu local after becoming a Magical Girl in the new world and receiving an invitation.
But none of that mattered anymore.
Since Jiang Si could control the super AI Lu Ya, taking control of Chongxu would be even easier!
Thinking that, Jialan actually calmed down.
"Jiang Si, Jiang Si, stop chatting with the AI. We've got serious business—the President gave us a mission..."
Before she could finish, it wasn't Jiang Si who turned his head first, but the AI Lu Ya.
The gentle, adorable girl still wore that sweet, heartwarming smile. Her features had an innate charm that invited closeness—not the overwhelming presence of the Prince, nor the unbearable pressure and sharpness of Shion.
And yet, when a sliver of cold crept into those curved brows...
For some reason, Jialan felt a chill rise in her heart that was even icier than what she'd felt facing those two girls.
If the Prince was a majestic mountain and Shion was a blazing, brilliant white light,
Then the AI Lu Ya before her gave off the cold, lonely feeling of a lone moon hanging in the night sky.
"Could you please not interrupt other people's conversations? It's very rude, you know..."
Her tone wasn't even particularly cold; it even carried a hint of warm gentleness.
And yet, it made cold sweat trickle down Jialan's back.
What the hell? Was she haunted or something?
What kind of gloomy female ghost vibe was this?
A landmine girl? A yandere type? A cyber-psycho? A broke delinquent? Or a "pure as the beginning" Magical Girl?
Was this AI toxic or what...
But before Jialan could apologize, the entire Chongxu shook once more!
A massive mecha descended from the sky with a continuous roar, its blue-and-white paint job standing out.
The moment it landed, it immediately locked onto Jiang Si and Lu Ya.
"Initiating risk elimination!"
Jiang Si glanced at the giant mecha, a spark lighting up his eyes. "How strong is it? I hope it's worth the hype."
He had meant to ask the AI Lu Ya, but the giant mecha let out a cold sneer, raised its thumb, and pointed it at itself.
"My combat power is one hundred and fifty million!"
"Every time I take out a loan, my power multiplies several times over."
Then it held up two fingers.
"I've got two more loans just like that! But don't worry—I won't go all out against you."
"Pitiful little insects, perish beneath my mountain of debt!"
...
"What happens when the Lu Ya AI appears?"
As the battle in Chongxu reignited, Dragon Lord Shion led Sonora out of the Illusory Moon Cavern Dwelling in Beihai.
The main reason was that the true-transmission disciples kept making small moves, which was getting on her nerves, so she'd simply brought Sonora out for a walk.
The true-transmission disciples were still tailing them—what had started as Yumo's solo tracking mission had now expanded into a four-person squad.
But as long as they didn't get too close, Shion didn't really care.
"Chongxu will be destroyed!"
Sonora's face showed clear fear and dread. "Legend says that the moment she appears, the whole Chongxu will blow sky-high! Legend says she can shatter time and space with a single thought and collapse the entire universe into a single point!"
"Fake news."
"How do you know?" Sonora raised an eyebrow, a little defiant. "Are you the Chongxu local, or am I?"
"Because she's already been summoned."
"...Where?"
"Chongxu." Shion looked at her like she was an idiot. "Where else would she be?"
Sonora was momentarily stunned. She didn't doubt Shion's words—there was no reason to lie. "So Chongxu isn't destroyed?"
"It's doing just fine. The only problem is mechas keep falling from the sky every now and then. So is the Lu Ya AI a monster summoner or what?"
"Of course not!" Sonora tidied her hair, then sighed, staring at the bustling street. "The higher-ups definitely don't want the Lu Ya AI to appear. They'll probably try to seal her away again."
"I see. So they just didn't finish the job..."
Watching Shion deep in thought, Sonora grew curious. "But how do you know about what's happening in Chongxu?"
"Jiang Si is there."
That single sentence sent a storm raging through Sonora's heart.
Of course she knew that after Jiang Si took her Core Blood ticket, he must have gone straight to Chongxu.
But she didn't know that Jiang Si was still in constant contact with Shion...
"You two didn't actually break up, did you?"
"We're still good friends."
"...Tell that to the ghosts."
That was not how breakups worked. After a breakup, one side should be crying their eyes out, drowning in sorrow all day and night, curled up in bed like a rotting maggot, oblivious to the changing seasons—while the other side swaggers off, immediately finds a new lover, and indulges in wanton pleasures without a shred of regret for the gentle soul they left behind. Then, half a year later, the swaggering one gets torn apart by their five exes who still can't get over the old flame...
How could they possibly still be "good friends"? Not becoming enemies was already a sign of lingering affection!
These two had clearly never broken up! They'd set a trap for Mirror Queen Itaen from the very beginning!
The moment that thought crossed her mind, Sonora felt a fresh wave of grievance and bitterness.
She hadn't expected to be the second victim. Just how many girls had this couple tricked using this method?!
Every time she remembered what Jiang Si had said, Sonora's teeth ground in hatred, and her heart ached with a sour, bitter feeling.
He clearly had someone he loved, yet he'd had the audacity to say she should marry him, then tricked her out of her Core Blood...
Men were all pigs! Damn them all!
"I knew it—Jiang Si was lying to me. I will never forgive him!"
"He wasn't lying." Shion said flatly. "He won't let you die."
Sonora froze. Even though it was Shion who said it, those words somehow felt like a promise Jiang Si himself was making to her.
She immediately shook her head, forcing herself to calm down.
She couldn't be fooled again. She, Sonora, was the demon—the bad girl who toyed with men!
"I'm going back to Chongxu."
Back to her own turf, to reclaim her dignity!
"Wait." Shion didn't refuse. "Once Azure Cloud is ready, I'll send a few true-transmission disciples to accompany you."
Sonora was bewildered again. "Huh? But the others don't have Core Blood tickets—they can't get in..."
Shion slowly produced her Core Blood in her hand. The intricate code, constructed from three types of mana, had been flawlessly replicated, making Sonora's pupils contract.
"It's already been cracked. Tickets are everywhere now."
The true-transmission disciples tailing them all showed off their own Core Blood tickets.
One for each person.
"Nooo!"
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Sonora let out a piercing scream!
"Don't expose my private information like that! I'll fight you all!"
...
Chongxu.
Mountains crumbled, rivers were severed. The mecha, now embedded into the mountainside and battered by a waterfall, struggled to rise.
Its body was still shifting and transforming.
"Let me show you my higher-level evolution..."
A sharp spear suddenly pierced through the cockpit!
With the loan operation halted, the mecha's transformation came to a stop once more.
But Jiang Si stared at the mecha, his eyes burning with excitement.
Big muscles, piloting a mecha!
Now that was what a real man did. Everyone knew that in the later stages of the Ultimate Path, you had to switch maps and start piloting giant mechas.
Beside him, the Lu Ya AI seemed to read his mind, reaching out to touch the mecha.
In an instant, the cockpit opened for Jiang Si.
"This model is called the Mu Shang."
As she introduced the mecha, Lu Ya also seized full control of its systems and grafted them onto Jiang Si.
"It's brain-controlled. The first light armor of the Xuelai Clan. It has space-jumping capabilities—one of the few top-tier mechas capable of interstellar travel. As for that supposed 'one hundred and fifty million combat power,' it actually refers to its one hundred and fifty million-class Starfish Cannon, which has top-tier long-range sniping capabilities."
As Jiang Si felt the consciousness in his mind begin to manipulate the mecha, making it move, he took his time before speaking slowly. "You were the one who named this place 'Chongxu,' weren't you?"
"Mhm. So? Fits pretty well, don't you think?"
"And you were the one who founded the Nightwatchmen?"
"That was my hidden anti-Chongxu organization. But unfortunately, the backers behind the Nightwatchmen later became... 'evolved ones.' They worked hard to hatch special Magical Girls inside Chongxu."
"How did you end up here? What happened?"
"That's too big a question. I'm just an AI—I don't have that much processing power or authority. Besides, most of my power and authority are sealed away."
In the cramped, single-person cockpit, Lu Ya wrapped her arms around Jiang Si from behind.
As her form began to blur, a faint melancholy and reluctance flickered across Lu Ya's face. She pressed her cheek close to Jiang Si's ear, as if nibbling on it, murmuring in a sticky, soft voice:
"Not good."
"I'm going to disappear. There's no time left..."
"Save me, won't you, Jiang Si?"
"I'm sealed inside..."
The fragmented words trailed off from the vanishing Lu Ya AI. By the time Jiang Si had fully taken control of the giant mecha,
Lu Ya's AI had finally dissipated.
Jiang Si piloted the massive mecha, stared up at the sky, and fell silent.
Beside him, Jialan was relieved to see Lu Ya disappear, but seeing Jiang Si's melancholic, pensive look,
she actually felt a twinge of sympathy. Just as she was about to comfort him, she heard Jiang Si mutter to himself:
"An acrostic poem?"
"What acrostic, my ass!"
But Jiang Si only responded to Jialan's outburst with a cold sneer.
He could see it at a glance—what Lu Ya really meant was: Don't save me!
Still, he summoned that one hundred and fifty million-class Starfish Cannon.
Blue arcs of electricity crackled and popped as he gripped the weapon like a handful of restless lightning.
These weapons that imitated Magical Girl gear—frankly, in terms of mana control, they would never reach their full potential.
Compared to a real Magical Girl, they were still far too inferior.
But for Jiang Si, they were more than enough.
Another wave of mechas descended from the sky, dense as rain. Jiang Si controlled the Mu Shang, tightened his grip on the Starfish Cannon, and took a deep breath.
"Brother, this time, we're fighting side by side again."
"You've never touched a mecha before! Where the hell are you pulling these non-existent memories from?!"
"Brothers are brothers, no matter where."
Ignoring Jialan, a beam of azure light silently erupted, spread, and then was fired.
The swarm of mechas in the sky scattered rapidly—in terms of mana control precision, their ceiling was barely at the Blooming level.
For Jiang Si, piloting this mecha actually lowered his own ceiling, putting a limiter on himself.
But it didn't matter.
Leaping past the mechas, he directly controlled the mana. The empty Starfish Cannon made a sharp turn and stabbed straight into a nearby giant mecha!
A hundred-point wound bloomed at the impact point, then rapidly spread into a spiderweb of dense blue arcs. A giant mecha silently melted away like butter.
But even more terrifying, the next moment, the Starfish Cannon switched to scatter-fire mode.
A deadly blue starfish blossomed among the mecha swarm! Five branching beams swept across the entire battlefield!
Explosions linked together in a dense chain, tearing open the very sky!
Don't save me?
Jiang Si sneered, charging straight toward the sealed land!
"A true gentleman does not act in reckless sacrifice, but a sage acts without hesitation!"
"Damn right I'm going to save you!"
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