The previous one-on-one duels had suddenly mutated into a three-on-one scenario. The Dark King was now wreathed by the Eightfold Heavenly Dragons, each shrunk to less than a thousand meters in length. However, as the saying goes, concentration breeds essence; though reduced in size, the Eightfold Heavenly Dragons, bolstered by the Dark King's close support, fought with even more ferocious intensity.

The Yellow Dragon and Black Dragon pressed the attack on Hatsune and her Absolute Domain. Although Hatsune remained mysterious and unpredictable, her close-combat ability seemed somewhat lacking. Perhaps it was because the Dark King was currently radiating supreme power, making Hatsune unwilling to engage in a direct clash, opting instead to maintain a defensive posture. Under the Yellow Dragon's relentless assault, her Absolute Domain was also significantly weakened, appearing unable to exert the terrifying suppression it once possessed.

The Purple Gold Divine Dragon and the Green Dragon focused their full strength against Haruhi Suzumiya. This particular engagement was lively, to say the least. Hatsune fought with purpose, possessing her own distinct combat style. Haruhi Suzumiya, however, was simply reveling in chaos. Forget about a fighting style; the entirety of her being was a whirlwind of randomness.

Even with the Purple Gold Divine Dragon and the Green Dragon giving their utmost, they could not suppress Haruhi's miracles. Instead, they showed signs of being toyed with. At least Haruhi had taken an interest in them, which managed to tether her attention for the time being.

As for the Dark King herself, she wielded the remaining four Heavenly Dragons, launching deadly, fierce assaults against the Evil King.

The Evil King, while disdainful of engaging in an unfair, outnumbered brawl that tarnished her status, was not one to cling to rigid notions of fairness due to her indifferent nature. Even facing three opponents, she unleashed the full extent of her power... the Cosmic Map, the Heaven-Piercing Divine Tower, the Nebula Waterfall, and the Golden Armored Giant all converged in a ferocious attack on the Dark King.

"Damn it! You bastards..." The Dark King gritted her teeth, feeling immense pressure from the tripartite encirclement. She didn't mind the Evil King's savage attacks; after all, she had provoked her. She understood Hatsune's persistent harassment, recognizing them as kindred spirits. But what truly infuriated her was Haruhi Suzumiya, who had never troubled a host before, yet this lunatic... she was utterly detestable!

Despite the Dark King's heaven-defying combat prowess, she hadn't yet reached the transcendent tier. Facing three quasi-Heavenly Rank opponents simultaneously, she gradually began to fall behind.

Lin Luo had harbored a grand aspiration: once Hatsune and Haruhi, and the Dark King and the Evil King, had battered each other into mutual exhaustion, he would strike with his full might, seizing them all in one swoop. At that point, not only stopping the fight but even dominating and humiliating them at will would be possible. But dreams are lovely; reality is harsh.

This aspiration was ruthlessly shattered the moment Hatsune and Haruhi jointly attacked the Dark King. He could no longer remain a mere spectator. After all, the Dark King wasn't as nigh-invincible as he was; if he didn't intervene now, she stood a real chance of being eliminated.

With resignation, he tossed aside the peanuts and melon seeds he was holding. Gripping a Sword of Destruction in each hand, he charged toward the battlefield. "Ganging up on the few—you guys are truly bullying others! Even I, the righteous companion, cannot stand by and watch... I shall punish you in the name of the universe!"

With a cry brimming with moral integrity, Lin Luo raised both hands high, merging his twin blades. The two Destruction Swords, each tens of meters long, instantly fused into one exceeding a hundred meters. Fierce black flames burned in the void, radiating a chilling aura of annihilation, seemingly proclaiming itself the true focal point!

Sensing the destructive energy descending from above, the four combatants in the fray immediately tensed. The Dark King and the Evil King recognized the attack that had obliterated their white vortex and quickly retreated, unwilling to sustain a direct blow. Although the Dark King heard Lin Luo’s words suggesting aid, she certainly wasn't going to be fooled!

Hatsune and Haruhi had not experienced the terror of true Destruction, but at their level, even mere perception was enough to gauge its potency. Hatsune immediately evaded the edge of the Destruction energy. Haruhi, fearless, attempted to grab the black flames of Destruction. She found it intensely painful, and immediately ceased playing with the dragons, swiftly withdrawing.

For the Black Flames of Destruction—capable of burning space and time, and even threatening existence itself—to register as merely "a bit painful" for Haruhi Suzumiya was utterly speechless-inducing.

Having neutralized the offensive momentum of all four individuals with a single strike, Lin Luo did not press the attack. Instead, he stood at the center, surveying everyone with an expression of pity and benevolence. "Must you continue this meaningless battle? Lay down your blades and cease this conflict."

"Hmph, tiresome!" The Evil King scoffed immediately, her face etched with disdain.

"..." The Dark King remained silent. Although she didn't know Lin Luo's true intentions, his intervention had undeniably helped her. There was no need to contradict him for the moment. Her gaze swept warily across the other four, her mind on high alert.

"I knew you'd show up to meddle in my affairs. How irritating! I shouldn't have helped you back then!" Hatsune glared at Lin Luo, thoroughly displeased that he was siding with an outsider!

"What's with this guy? Is he cosplaying a fully enlightened monk?" Haruhi Suzumiya couldn't help but mock Lin Luo's compassionate facade. "Hey, even if you're going to cosplay a bald donkey, you should be a bit more dedicated! Where's the kasaya? The prayer beads? The staff? And most importantly, the shaved head?"... Wait, strange!

As Haruhi teased, she suddenly realized this man looked somewhat familiar. She felt like she had seen him somewhere before, yet also like she had never seen him at all... Lin Luo chose to ignore Haruhi Suzumiya, even with her sharp critiques. His utmost priority right now was discretion; he absolutely could not attract the interest of the Group Leader, lest the consequences be unimaginable.

Thus, Lin Luo remained composed, addressing the other three. "I know you all have grievances, big or small, but these are not irreconcilable hatreds. Why fight to the death? Why must women trouble other women? We should remember that our true enemy is the Proxy God. While we fight amongst ourselves here, aren't we simply handing them an easy victory? Why not sit down, have a cup of tea, and discuss things calmly..."

Lin Luo felt his words were reasonable and logical. Seeing the subtle softening in the expressions of the other three, he knew they had internalized at least some of his counsel. Just as he was preparing to deliver another potent blow, Haruhi Suzumiya, whom he had been deliberately ignoring, let out a sudden, loud roar.

"Ah! I finally remember who you are!" Haruhi Suzumiya pointed at Lin Luo, her face alight with excitement and fervor. "Six months ago, Yuki was reading a book. The male protagonist in that book looked exactly like you! You are that protagonist! Haha! Characters from a book actually appearing in reality—this is far more interesting than any aliens or time travelers! Haha! Protagonist, Protagonist, be my friend!" "Pfft!" Lin Luo coughed up a mouthful of old blood, tears streaming down his face. Why? Why was this happening! He had been so low-key, yet he still managed to capture Haruhi Suzumiya’s interest? And when had he ever entered a book? Gods, this simply couldn't be real!

Lin Luo suddenly felt an urge to smash his head against a wall, but he had no time to spare. The moment Haruhi discovered his "true identity," she flew toward him excitedly, even ignoring the Black Flames of Destruction swirling in the void. She passed through them unscathed, reaching out to grab Lin Luo.

"Protagonist, date me!" If this had happened under normal circumstances, he might have happily accepted. But now, Lin Luo flashed backward, chastising her with righteous indignation, "Stop joking! Aren't you pursuing Hatsune? Two-timing is not good behavior!"

"Why focus on such trivial details? Having both a boyfriend and a girlfriend makes for a more exciting and interesting life—I'm coming for you!" Haruhi laughed, reaching out her demonic claws toward Lin Luo again.

At the very instant Haruhi made her move, the Dark King seized the opportunity to attack the Evil King. Hatsune saw an opening and struck at the Dark King, while the Evil King turned passive into active, launching a full-force counterattack against her enemies... In a flash, the three were locked in battle once more.

Lin Luo frantically shook off Haruhi and charged toward the trio. "Everyone, stop fighting! Harmony! Harmony is the ultimate way!" "Go to hell!" The Evil King couldn't stand Lin Luo’s "righteousness." Her Cosmic Map and Nebula Waterfall smashed toward him directly, while simultaneously activating the Law of Reversal, summoning countless planets from the Outer Domains.

"Bastard! I told you not to help outsiders when you should be helping me!" Hatsune was equally exasperated with him. With a wave of her hand, her Absolute Domain suddenly unleashed divine might, enveloping a massive swath of nebulas and hurling them toward him.

"Stay away from me!" The Dark King didn't trust Lin Luo, fearing he might use the pretense of aid to launch a killing blow. She manipulated the Eightfold Heavenly Dragons; though not intentionally aimed at him, most of the planets hurled her way were redirected toward Lin Luo.

"Haha, this is fun! I'll join in too!" Haruhi Suzumiya immediately became interested when she saw the glittering sky full of nebulas. She thrust her hand toward the heavens and commanded, "Meteor Shower!" Boom! Boom!

This caused an absolute catastrophe. The lifeless planets of the Outer Domains were uncountable in the billions. Under Haruhi’s command, hundreds of thousands of planets suddenly seemed to gain sentience and hurled themselves toward their location. Even more terrifyingly, these planets were all compressed down to a certain range. The force of an entire planet was condensed into an object the size of a boulder; the destructive potential unleashed upon impact from such compression was enough to freeze the blood.

"Holy crap!" Suddenly bearing the brunt of ninety percent of the combined firepower from four quasi-Heavenly Rank powerhouses, even Lin Luo’s expression shifted. Looking at the dense swarm of planets rocketing toward him, he abruptly recalled Fujibayashi Ryo’s earlier divination: On a romantic night, you will meet several girls. They will be very important to you, and they will pluck the stars from the heavens for you.

Indeed, it was a romantic night—stars, light, a stage, dragons—and the girls were important to him in a sense. But he absolutely did not want this kind of romance!

Lin Luo was on the verge of a breakdown. This wasn't "plucking stars"; this was accompanying him through a meteor shower on a stellar scale! Even if he was unparalleled in offense and defense, even if he was a bug in the system, facing ninety percent of the total firepower of four quasi-Heavenly Rank experts simultaneously... please, he was going to die!

: I was occupied today and only had time to write in the afternoon. Then I was harassed by a scammer posing as an Alliance Leader for over an hour, which completely broke my flow of inspiration. The next chapter might be very late, apologies.