Douluo Unrivaled: The Beginning Materializes the Black Abyss and White Flowers

Chapter 383 Ruan Mei
At that moment, the automatic door to the laboratory slid open silently, and a graceful figure walked in.

The newcomer wore a variation of the ink-wash style cheongsam, with elegant lines faintly visible at the slit in the skirt, and a light black veil over it, adding a touch of hazy beauty.

Her hair was loosely styled into a bun and secured with an exquisite gold plum blossom hairpin. The openwork design on the shoulders was adorned with tassels. The gloves, bracelets, leg rings, and even the decorations on the side waist all incorporated plum blossom elements, showcasing her unique taste in every detail.

She possesses a gentle and quiet temperament, like a refined lady from Jiangnan who has stepped out of an ancient painting. However, what flows in her deep eyes is an endless curiosity and wisdom about the laws governing the universe.

She is none other than Ruan Mei, seat #81 of the Genius Club, who was manifested here by Lu Jingming using the power of [Reality].

"Black Tower."

Ruan Mei's voice was as gentle as water. She walked lightly to the edge of the incubation chamber, her gaze instantly drawn to the mark between Shangguan Weier's eyebrows.

"Is this the lady who needed help? Hmm... the formation of these wounds is quite interesting."

Her humor is quite different from the somewhat interesting connotations of the Black Tower.

What shines in Ruan Mei's eyes is the burning light of a pure researcher seeing a rare sample, an instinctive desire to explore unknown life forms and abnormal states.

"Ruan Mei, you've arrived."

Black Tower glanced at her sideways, speaking casually as if he were greeting a regular business partner.

"I'm leaving it to you. You're better at this kind of work that requires patience and delicate manipulation of life. I've always lacked patience for this kind of meticulous operation that requires the skill of embroidery."

She makes no secret of her attitude towards areas she is not interested in or finds tedious, and naturally entrusts tasks to more specialized geniuses.

Ruan Mei nodded slightly, already used to Black Tower's directness.

She extended her slender fingers, clad in delicate gloves, and at her fingertips, threads of pure life energy, barely visible to the naked eye, gently reached out to the walls of the cultivation chamber. She did not make direct contact, but rather, through the specially made material, she meticulously sensed the energy fluctuations and inner rules of the destructive mark.

"It is indeed an atypical form of pollution."

Ruan Mei closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, speaking softly as if she were savoring a new type of tea snack with complex layers.

"It is not a brutal destruction, but more like a kind of... forced directional distortion, forcibly leading the orderly life force and soul structure towards a pure anti-life structure, leaving this mark. This existence has its own unique insights into the concept of destruction."

"How could it not be unique?"

Black Tower curled his lip.

"This is a masterpiece left by Huanlong herself. The understanding of destruction by the Great Lord of Annihilation is so profound that, apart from Nanuk himself, there are probably few in the universe who can surpass her."

Ruan Mei opened her eyes, looked at the Black Tower, and made a request that was consistent with her researcher nature.

"Before we begin treatment, may I have a more in-depth analysis of this lady's current condition? I am very interested in the mechanism of interaction between this exotic energy and native life forms."

Even when faced with patients she was trying to treat, Ruan Mei's innate genius for exploring the unknown still prevailed, driving her to seize every opportunity to acquire new knowledge.

"up to you."

Black Tower waved his hand dismissively.

"This guy isn't that important to me, and he's not an irreplaceable key figure to that little guy either, but..."

She subtly changed the subject, her tone remaining calm yet carrying a hint of warning.

"You'd better take it easy, don't actually lose her."

Despite saying that, Black Tower wasn't really worried.

She understood Ruan Mei's capabilities; unless Ruan Mei did it intentionally, given her achievements in the field of life sciences, a mere research-based exploration would have absolutely no chance of causing irreversible damage.

Black Tower is essentially a typical example of someone who is tough on the outside but soft on the inside. It is absolutely impossible for her to sit idly by and watch a life perish in her laboratory due to unnecessary research.

Ruan Mei smiled faintly and said no more.

Just as she understood the Black Tower, the Black Tower also knew her limits.

She concentrated, and her hands began to dance gracefully in the air, as if she were playing an invisible and priceless ancient zither.

Countless threads of life energy, finer than a strand of hair, flowed from her fingertips like self-aware serpents, penetrating the walls of the cultivation chamber and beginning to carefully peel away and neutralize the destructive mark that clung to her like a malignant tumor with astonishing precision.

The entire process was like a magnificent micro-art performance, full of an indescribable sense of rhythm.

Rather than performing medical rescue, it would be more accurate to say that Ruan Mei was creating a miniature work of art about life, or deconstructing an exceptionally complex equation about existence and death.

During the process, Ruan Mei would occasionally pause and mutter to herself, both analyzing and expressing a touch of wonder at the unknown:

"The life forms in this world, especially those individuals known as Soul Masters, have a rather unique and close coupling between their life energy and soul..."

"The Soul Power System... Is it an evolutionary path that tends to tap into the potential of one's own bloodline? It leads to the same destination as the Fate Walker or those who undergo technological modification, but the path seems more... primitive and quite unique."

"Hmm, the way this destructive mark is entangled with the soul power core, especially with the so-called martial soul origin... the conflicts and adaptations contained therein are worth recording in detail."

These whispers perfectly showcased her qualities as a member of the genius club.

No matter what unfamiliar environment she is in or what unknown things she encounters that defy common sense, she can quickly immerse herself in them and find the inherent regularity and mysteries worth exploring in depth.

The treatment lasted for quite some time.

When Ruan Mei finally completely dispelled the last stubborn trace of destructive energy from Shangguan Weier's soul essence, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Because Lu Jingming consumed a lot of true power when he manifested the Yellow Springs, Ruan Mei's power level was not at its peak when she was summoned. This delicate operation was also a considerable drain on her.

At this moment, the terrifying mark between Shangguan Weier's eyebrows had completely disappeared, her face had returned to calm, and her breathing was even, as if she had simply fallen into a deep sleep.

"finished."

Ruan Mei withdrew those invisible life threads, her tone remaining as gentle and calm as ever.

"The efficiency is good."

Black Tower glanced at all the vital signs data on the instruments next to her, which had quickly returned to normal, and gave her evaluation.

"It seems that it was worth it for me to persuade that little guy to summon you. Otherwise, given his... well, subconscious fear of you, you wouldn't have had the chance to come to this interesting world."

"You seem to be wary of me, yet you seem to trust me more. This is indeed a bit troubling." Ruan Mei frowned slightly, her index finger lightly touching her lower lip, revealing a hint of confusion.

Compared to Black Tower, whose temperament was eccentric but whose behavior was relatively predictable, Ruan Mei knew that her way of thinking and research interests were sometimes more unsettling, and it was to be expected that she would not be fully trusted by others.

But Lu Jingming is different. He is surrounded by too many unknowns that Ruan Mei longs to explore. Therefore, she is seriously considering how to build a more harmonious and deeper relationship with this young summoner.

"Don't worry."

Black Tower casually fiddled with another experimental instrument.

"Since he finally agreed to summon you, it represents a preliminary trust. Aren't you good at communicating with people using that gentle and harmless appearance? Moreover, based on my observation, your intellectual and mysterious type is probably on his list of preferences."

She knew Lu Jingming's personality and hobbies inside and out.

Ruan Mei's furrowed brows slowly relaxed.

Indeed, she is good at communicating, but she usually dislikes meaningless social interactions.

But if the target is Lu Jingming, she is willing to invest enough patience and skill.

However, there are things that attract her more right now.

"Black Tower."

Ruan Mei turned her gaze to the huge data screen in the center of the laboratory, her eyes sparkling with a thirst for knowledge.

"Do I have the current access level to access more information about this world, especially detailed research data on unique life forms such as martial spirits, spirit rings, and spirit beasts?"

For a genius who has dedicated his life to exploring the origins, evolution, and mysteries of life, the Douluo Continent, a world with such a unique power system and creatures, is simply a newly discovered secret realm containing endless treasures.

After all, in her original world, she had already studied most of the life forms in the universe, which led her to ultimately set her sights on the Star God.

In this other world, all life is unknown and interesting to her. Even if it cannot compare to her yearning for the Star God, it is enough to arouse her attention.

In particular, Lu Jingming himself was even more attractive to her than the Star God, after all, the power to turn illusion into reality was too special.

By manifesting her here, Lu Jingming, in a way, opened a door for her to an unprecedented field of research.

Hei Ta raised an eyebrow, not at all surprised that Ruan Mei got into the zone so quickly.

"You've been granted advanced access to the database. Feel free to browse it as you like. The only requirement is..."

She pointed to the tidy laboratory.

"Just don't make this place look like it's been ransacked by the antimatter legion."

After saying that, she ignored Ruan Mei and turned to immerse herself in another experimental project, as if everything that had just happened was just a minor episode.

Ruan Mei then slowly walked to the huge data screen, tapped her fingertips, and brought up a massive amount of data about life forms in the Douluo Continent collected and organized by Haiyuan City.

She browsed the pages with great eagerness, a satisfied and expectant smile unconsciously spreading across her lips.

For her, this unexpected journey to another world has already unveiled its most fascinating prelude—a magnificent research feast has only just begun.

The Sun Moon Empire's manifesto, which forcibly pinned the blood feud of destroying Mingdu on Shrek Academy and the three great empires, was like a spark thrown into a boiling oil pan, instantly igniting long-suppressed conflicts and panic across the entire continent.

The atmosphere of war permeated every inch of the air, carrying a suffocating smell of rust.

Within the territory of the Three Kingdoms, which originally belonged to the Douluo Continent, a sense of oppressive anxiety and powerlessness spread from top to bottom.

The highest levels of the Star Luo Empire, the Heavenly Soul Empire, and the Fighting Spirit Empire had considered launching a preemptive strike while the Sun Moon Empire's new capital was still unstable and its internal integration was incomplete.

However, this tempting idea was quickly suppressed by harsh reality.

First, there is the moral passivity.

The Sun and Moon Empire has successfully portrayed itself as a tragic victim. If the three kingdoms take the initiative to attack, they will confirm the crime of aggression, which will not only thoroughly enrage the people of the Sun and Moon Empire who are already united in their hatred of the enemy, but may also put them in an extremely unfavorable position in terms of public opinion.

Secondly, and more importantly, was military apprehension.

The Sun Moon Empire's massive Soul Master Legion still has a solid foundation, and its border defenses remain impregnable.

What's even more chilling is that the existence of those two Annihilation Lords and the remaining antimatter legion is like a Damocles' sword hanging over our heads.

A hasty attack could have disastrous consequences if it leads to a stalemate or a counterattack by the enemy's high-end forces.

Therefore, the three great empires could only adopt the most conservative and helpless strategy: to prepare for war on all fronts and to passively defend themselves.

The monarchs of various countries issued the highest-level mobilization orders. Along the border, fortresses were reinforced, soul-guided barriers were activated, and countless supplies of food, weapons, and rare metals were continuously transported to the front lines.

Young Soul Masters were conscripted into the army and underwent rigorous pre-battle training. The air was thick with sweat, steel, and unease.

In the city, the topic of war became the sole theme in all teahouses and taverns. Prices began to fluctuate, especially the price of strategic materials, which soared. A sense of impending panic quietly spread among the common people.

All they could do was to forge the border defenses as strong as possible, and then wait with trepidation for the storm to come from the direction of the Sun and Moon Empire.

In stark contrast to the tension and panic of the three great empires, there was an almost fanatical yet orderly war preparation within the Sun and Moon Empire.

The new emperor, Xu Tianran, quickly quelled the internal turmoil that might have been caused by the destruction of the Ming capital and the change of the throne by using his iron-fisted methods and the noble cause of avenging the empire.

The empire's war machine was running at an unprecedented pace.

The newly rebuilt Mingdu served as the new political and military center, operating day and night.

Vast resources were prioritized for the military field, and the soul tool factory was brightly lit all night long, with the latest fixed-load soul-guided shells and single-person soul tools being produced on the assembly line.

Young people from all over the country enthusiastically joined the army under the impassioned propaganda of revenge, and the recruit training camps were overflowing. The spy networks hidden in the three empires were fully activated, and intelligence on the enemy's troop deployment and resource allocation was continuously transmitted back.

Xu Tianran and his advisors clearly understood the principle that sharpening the axe before chopping wood is essential.

Instead of immediately marching eastward, they used this precious time to thoroughly digest their internal affairs, consolidate their forces, and transform the grief and anger that the empire felt due to the destruction of the Ming capital into a more pure war potential.

(End of this chapter)