Chapter 838: Star Sky Martial Arts Ceremony (I)

He suddenly recalled the conversation that had taken place on the train earlier.

Walter and Kiz were going to search for the remains of some ancient beast, as a favor. Hayakawa Aki wondered inwardly, could the true purpose of the remains be to resurrect Ting Yun?

"Why are you so happy? That woman called Ruan Mei is a fanatical evil scientist! I, the Great One, bet that Ting Yun has definitely been altered by her!"

Denji curled his lip: "So what if she's altered? I'll like her no matter what she becomes!"

"Tch, your liking is cheaper than the bra pads I picked up," Pawa spread his hands, "That woman loves insects so much, she might turn Ting Yun into an insect, right? A real beetle with Ting Yun's face… *tch tch tch*, my imagination is truly genius!"

"You bra‑pad demon, you have the nerve to speak!" Denji glared fiercely at Pawa, "You may doubt Ruan Mei's experimental results, but you cannot doubt her taste! Someone so good‑looking can't have poor aesthetics!"

Honkai 3.

"Heh… interesting." Upon hearing Rosha Na's wildly insane plan, Otto showed no trace of worry; his emerald eyes shone terrifyingly, as if he'd discovered a perfect experimental subject, his words dripping with zeal, "Truly… too interesting!"

Inside the Central Observation Tower of Destiny Headquarters, Otto was holding a glass of red wine, watching four generals in the sky evaluate "himself"'s plan. The feeling was uniquely uncanny; Rosha's face was identical to his own, even the tone after shedding the disguise matched his perfectly… as if he himself were in the cosmos, stirring the murky waters personally.

He wasn't at all worried that the other "himself" would fail to control the power of Breeding; Otto was utterly convinced that if another "himself" truly existed in the universe, he would be plotting everything behind the scenes. From Otto's knowledge of his own methods, he could even make a simple conjecture: Rosha's real aim was probably not to truly kill Abundance, but to use the tools of Hunt and Breeding to forever usurp Abundance's power.

Becoming a god… that may seem an impossible scheme to ordinary eyes. Yet only Otto knows how many "impossible to mortals" feats his Destiny leadership has accomplished over the past centuries.

Perhaps only divine power is worthy of another "self"'s covetous desire.

"The remnants of Breeding, obedient Rosha folk… ah no, Rosha's methods are truly wild… more thrilling than our fight against Honkai," Su Shang smacked his lips, casting a meaning‑laden glance at the blond man beside him.

"Too dangerous," Yulan Dair furrowed his brows, shaking his head lightly, "…later we might end up playing with fire and burning ourselves."

"Exactly." Otto turned, his gaze sweeping over the Valkyries, "Even if it's self‑immolation, we must set countless stars across the universe ablaze together, a flame that once lit can make the whole cosmos feel its heat."

"The re‑opened Martial Arts Ceremony is being prepared in full swing; many contestants have already stepped onto the arena and gathered in the rest area. Xing, holding the backstage staff pass obtained from March Seven, decided to wander inside while the main matches hadn't started yet."

"But as soon as he entered the backstage lounge, he saw a familiar face being interviewed inside."

Camera reporter: "Why do you want to join the Martial Arts Ceremony?"

Lu Ka was clearly uneasy, hesitating, "Because… because… because I earned a spot in the competition?"

(Isn't that Lu Ka? How did he end up at Luofu?)

Xing sprinted over, greeting Lu Ka warmly. Lu Ka was also surprised, not expecting to see an old friend on the Celestial Ship.

"Xing? Why are you here?"

"I'm here to watch the matches."

Lu Ka smiled faintly, "What a coincidence, I'm here to compete! Um… although I really have no confidence in winning right now, haha."

The intelligent mech with a massive camera perched on its head interjected, "Are you a friend of Mr. Lu Ka? Let me introduce myself: I'm Ka Mei Li, an intern reporter for Interstellar Peace Entertainment."

"I was originally supposed to cover the ceremony together with Mr. Na Ta Sha, but Na Ta Sha is swamped with countless duties, so the task of interviewing top contestants and producing special segments fell to me."

Finishing, Ka Mei Li let out a deep sigh, "Alas, the responsibility is huge… I've been an intern for so many years; if I mess this up, my chances of becoming permanent are even slimmer."

"The company is really harsh…"

"No need to worry, these are just trials given by the leadership! As long as I capture enough breathtaking footage this time, I'll surely secure a permanent position this year!" Ka Mei Li angled her head toward Lu Ka, "…I sense great program potential in contestant Lu Ka!"

Maze Meal.

"Lu Ka is coming for the Martial Arts Ceremony?"

Marusil couldn't help glancing at Lu Ka repeatedly, confirming that the kid looked exactly the same as when Xing first met him not long ago—no upgraded, more powerful prosthetic arm, no sturdier physique. He was coming to the ceremony, and truly didn't seem to have much chance of winning.

Lu Ka is pretty strong in Beloberg, though he can't beat Swarrow, and he's not necessarily Xi Er's opponent, but aside from him, does Beloberg have anyone stronger? Leios asked from the side.

"…I'm not sure. If Lu Ka is entering on his own, that's fine, but if he's representing Beloberg, Xi Er would be a more suitable choice, right?" Qierchak crossed his arms, and thinking of Xi Er's speed that could shatter bullets into fragments gave him an inexplicable bragging feeling, "…We could also let Yan Qing and Yun Li see the top‑tier combat skills of the ice‑world girl; with her speed, she might even trade blows evenly with the two geniuses."

"You're hyping Xi Er so much, she probably can't handle it herself," Marusil snapped at Qierchak, "But it does prove that Lu Ka can trade blows with Xi Er; if Lu Ka can also trade blows with Yan Qing this time, it indirectly shows the skill gap between Xi Er and Yan Qing."

"…But there are so many masters in the universe, Lu Ka might never get a chance to face Yan Qing."

"Really? I don't have much confidence…" Lu Ka's voice gradually faded.

"Why did you come to the Martial Arts Ceremony?" Xing asked.

"Why am I joining the Martial Arts Ceremony? That's a long story… You two, let's walk together. On the way I'll tell you why I'm here."

…

A few weeks earlier, Beloberg, Panrock Town.

Lu Ka stared solemnly at Na Ta Sha, "Big sister Na Ta Sha… how much time do I have left?"

Na Ta Sha sighed lightly, "Not much. Prepare yourself mentally, Lu Ka."

"Then, is there anything else I can do?"

"It's come to this… just eat whatever you want."