Chapter 158: Yu Xiaogang: Luo Ling Will Lose
Seven beams of light shot up toward the sky, enveloping the entire arena in brilliant color. In an instant, the members of Canghui Academy vanished from sight.
"This… could it be the legendary Seven-in-One Martial Spirit Fusion Technique?" Emperor Xue Ye asked in astonishment from the VIP section.
Beside him, Ning Fengzhi's expression was equally surprised, but he soon shook his head. "No, that's not a true Seven-in-One Martial Spirit Fusion Technique."
"However, it seems to be a type of fusion skill. Although it's not a genuine martial spirit fusion, its combined power greatly exceeds the sum of their individual strengths."
As a spirit master with a jewel-type martial spirit himself, Ning Fengzhi saw through the truth at a glance.
Even Luo Ling didn't know this detail. He only had a general understanding of events from the original timeline—many smaller details had never been revealed to him.
For instance, Canghui Academy's ability wasn't truly the Seven-in-One Martial Spirit Fusion Technique, but rather the Seven-in-One Fusion Technique—missing two crucial words that made a world of difference.
As the seven-colored light engulfed Luo Ling, Ning Fengzhi's expression grew serious.
He acknowledged Luo Ling's unparalleled combat power, but when faced with such a powerful illusion-type attack, even he wasn't sure if the boy could withstand it.
Just as Ning Fengzhi's concern deepened, he caught sight of Luo Ling's faint smile.
"Heaven Dou Royal Academy? Soul King? What of it? You'll still perish within our Seven Asura Mirage!"
Canghui Academy's captain laughed wildly, convinced he had ensnared his opponent within their illusion.
The five Heaven Dou Royal Academy spirit masters, who had just prepared to take off into the air, suddenly froze mid-flight. They fell back to the ground and stood motionless.
From the rest area, Canghui's instructor Shi Nian clapped in triumph. "Do you see this? This is the true strength of our Canghui Academy—our Seven-in-One Martial Spirit Fusion Technique!"
Across the stands, Yu Xiaogang also looked stunned, though he quickly composed himself.
"That's not a true fusion of martial spirits, just a Seven-in-One Fusion Technique," he sniffed dismissively.
Tang San frowned slightly. "Teacher, what's the difference?"
Yu Xiaogang smiled faintly and explained, "The difference is vast. A Seven-in-One Fusion Technique is merely a synchronized combination of soul skills. But a true Seven-in-One Martial Spirit Fusion does exactly that—it merges their spirits into one, producing a divine ability. The two are completely different."
Tang San nodded slowly, only half understanding, before asking eagerly, "Then… can Luo Ling resist it?"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head with certainty. "It'll be difficult. Though inferior to the true Martial Spirit Fusion, this illusion-based technique is still powerful. Unless one's spiritual strength is exceptionally high, escaping is nearly impossible."
Tang San turned toward the arena. Luo Ling's weapon spirit was a dark-type scythe, not a spiritual one. That meant only one thing—Luo Ling was doomed to lose.
A grin spread across his face. Even if Luo Ling wasn't losing at Tang San's own hand, the fact that he'd finally fall was enough.
Luo Ling's "invincible legend" would end here!
But just as Tang San was silently celebrating, Luo Ling—standing completely still on stage—suddenly yawned.
"What a boring show," he muttered, shaking his head. He had purposely opened his mental senses to experience this so-called Seven Asura Mirage, only to be gravely disappointed.
The illusion barely had substance—just vague shadows replaying the night Yu Xiaogang tried to have him assassinated, with no background or detail.
All he saw around him was darkness.
"This is your famous Seven Asura Mirage? That's it?" Luo Ling's gaze locked coldly on the stunned Canghui captain.
"H-how are you still able to speak? You should be completely trapped in the illusion!" the captain cried in disbelief.
"I wouldn't have minded indulging," Luo Ling said casually, "but at least make your illusion convincing. I can tell it's fake the moment I look at it—how am I supposed to lose myself in that?"
His tone was calm, but his words bit like frost.
In truth, whether one succumbed to illusion depended entirely on the difference in spiritual power.
The other Heaven Dou members might also sense the falsity of the illusion, but without sufficient spiritual strength, they could not break free.
Luo Ling had already analyzed the construct within mere seconds.
Simply put, the illusion was a spiritual wave designed to distort the target's perception along their "spirit-thread," altering what they sensed of reality.
However, Canghui's Mirage didn't truly interact with those threads—it merely blanketed the area with widespread spiritual interference, producing surface-level hallucinations.
That made the illusion full of flaws.
"Forget it. You clearly don't understand true illusioncraft," Luo Ling sighed.
The Canghui captain gritted his teeth, having his jewel spirit flare with brilliant light once again.
The rainbow glare was bright and constant—too bright. It irritated Luo Ling's eyes.
A split second later, a vast surge of mental energy exploded from Luo Ling's body, sweeping across the arena like a storm.
"Ah!" cried the seven Canghui members simultaneously as their jewel spirits dimmed.
All seven clutched their heads in agony, collapsing in pain.
Up in the VIP section, Ning Fengzhi and the others froze as they sensed the wave.
That single burst of spiritual energy nearly matched the peak of a Spirit Emperor—close to Spirit Sage level—and it had come from Luo Ling, a mere Soul King.
A scythe-wielding Soul King possessing near-Sage-level spiritual power?
They could hardly believe it.
Salas stared intensely at Luo Ling. As the Platinum Bishop of Spirit Hall, he knew certain secrets—Luo Ling was a twin-spirit wielder, and that scythe wasn't even his true martial spirit.
Ning Fengzhi knew similar rumors, but even he was awed by what he felt.
In the rest area, Flender and Zhao Wuji were just as stunned. They, too, had felt that monstrous surge of spiritual energy.
"Teacher… did Luo Ling just win?" Tang San asked, uncertain.
He and Yu Xiaogang couldn't sense the exact magnitude of the spiritual wave, but had seen enough—the moment Yu Xiaogang declared Luo Ling's defeat, the tables turned instantly.
Yu Xiaogang's face darkened. Being proven wrong in front of his own disciple again was humiliating, even for someone as thick-skinned as him.
"Zhao Wuji, you felt that too?" Flender asked quietly.
"Yeah… You did as well?" Zhao Wuji replied, still unsettled.
They exchanged looks—and both saw in the other's eyes the same disbelief.
(END CHAPTER)
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