Chapter 194: Luo Ling's True Power (Part One)
Time passed quickly, and by afternoon, the losers' bracket match had officially begun.
Yu Xiaogang's injuries had mostly healed under Xiangzhu's treatment; what had been raw, torn flesh on his backside was now mostly patched and mended.
The Shrek team returned once again to the plaza before the Pope's Palace, led by Liu Erlong.
When her eyes swept over Yu Xiaogang, lying face-down on a cushion, a strange light flickered within them.
After learning the truth—that Yu Xiaogang was a eunuch—her first reaction, surprisingly, had been a sense of satisfaction, as though some suppressed resentment had finally lifted.
Meanwhile, both the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and Spirit Hall Academy returned to the arena as well.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire audience, the losers' match officially began.
The teams from Shrek and Heaven Dou Royal Academy faced each other—fourteen spirit masters locked in mutual tension, their stances sharp and brimming with hostility.
"Luo Ling, I've been waiting for this day for a long time." Tang San glared across the stage, his body trembling with excitement and anger.
"Oh? You're that eager to get beaten again?" Luo Ling said with a light laugh, his tone utterly casual, as though Tang San wasn't even worth acknowledging.
Tang San's face twisted with rage. "Luo Ling! Do you still think I'm the same as before?"
All the humiliation he had suffered—every defeat, every moment of scorn—boiled over at once.
"Ever since Soto City, you've been crushing me underfoot! You're powerful, yes—but I'm more talented than you! I'm a twin spirit user! Today, I will bury you beneath me!"
Tang San's sudden outburst sent ripples throughout the arena. Even before the match began, both sides radiated hostility thick enough to taste.
Luo Ling remained expressionless, his calm eyes fixed on Tang San's distorted, furious face. "Have you finished talking?"
That same detached tone. That same faint, effortless look, as if nothing in the world mattered.
Tang San hated that about him—the indifference, that sense of superiority that dismissed everything and everyone.
The fire in his chest burned even hotter.
And then, Luo Ling merely lifted his hand.
Instantly, Dugu Yan and the rest of the Heaven Dou team understood and quietly stepped off the stage, leaving Luo Ling standing alone.
Tang San froze mid-breath, astonishment slicing through his rage—only for it to ignite again, burning fiercer than ever.
Gasps rippled through the crowd as people realized what was happening.
He was going to fight alone?
Was this another one-against-seven challenge?
Those who remembered his performances during the preliminary rounds were stunned—but this was no qualifier.
This was the Grand Finals.
And the last elimination match before the championship. Lose here, and you were done.
Was Luo Ling really planning to fight all seven members by himself?
Most watchers thought it insane, even arrogant.
From a power standpoint, Luo Ling and Tang San were both at the Soul King level; perhaps Luo Ling was stronger, yes—but one versus seven? Impossible.
In Shrek's rest area, Yu Xiaogang and his companions were equally wide-eyed.
But then Yu Xiaogang began to smile.
Arrogance. Luo Ling's arrogance might just hand them victory on a silver platter.
Back on the stage, Tang San regained his focus, his voice trembling with rage. "Are you mocking me?"
Luo Ling shook his head, smiling faintly. "Mocking you? Sorry—you're mistaken. I've never even considered you worth mocking."
Confidence—no, dominance—curved his lips into a soft smile. "Those who fall beneath my hand never enter my mind. I give them time to chase me… until they can only watch me fade into the distance."
The entire arena fell silent.
Such arrogant words — combined with that calm, graceful demeanor — created a shocking dissonance. And yet, the sheer certainty in his voice sent a thrill down every spine.
Even Bibi Dong, sitting high above, stared in quiet surprise. She had never taken Luo Ling for an arrogant disciple, but now she wasn't so sure she knew him as well as she thought.
Tang San was livid. His Clear Sky Hammer materialized in his grip, the air around him shaking as spirit power surged.
He wanted to crush Luo Ling—shatter that smug calm into dust.
"Oh? You think I insult you?" Luo Ling's voice floated lazily across the silence.
He looked at Tang San with faint disdain. "You believe your twin spirit talent surpasses mine? I've never once used my real power against you."
Murmurs rippled through the stands.
Never used his real power?
The strength Luo Ling had already shown was nearly godlike—was that still not his full strength?
For the first time, a flicker of fear passed through Tang San's heart.
"Xiao San, don't listen to his nonsense!" Yu Tianheng called out. "He's bluffing! He's just another Soul King!"
Yes, a Soul King, Tang San reminded himself. Even the strongest Soul King couldn't be that far ahead. And now that Luo Ling had chosen to face him alone—they had seven. Numbers were on their side.
The referee raised a hand. The crowd held its breath.
"Teams, summon your spirits!"
Tang San instantly summoned his Blue Silver Grass. His plan was simple—use it to restrain Luo Ling, then unleash the Clear Sky Hammer for the killing blow.
One man alone couldn't possibly stand against seven coordinated attacks. Victory was certain. Or so he thought.
But across the arena, Luo Ling still hadn't summoned his scythe.
Instead, his body shimmered. And before the stunned audience, another figure stepped out from his own form—an exact duplicate of Luo Ling, indistinguishable in every detail.
At the same time, six spirit rings arose from beneath his feet.
Purple.
Purple.
Black.
Black.
Black.
Red.
Six rings in total.
When the last ring shone—a crimson ten-thousand-year ring—the entire coliseum went dead silent.
"Ten-thousand-year spirit ring?"
"No… that's a hundred-thousand-year ring!"
"Impossible! The sixth ring—a hundred-thousand-year?!"
"Wait… does that mean he's a Soul Emperor?"
"This exceeds every known limit!"
Shock overtook the stands like a tidal wave. Even Ning Fengzhi, calm and refined as ever, shot to his feet in disbelief. He had known Luo Ling was strong—but this level of power was completely beyond reason.
"No way! You can't be a Soul Emperor! You can't have a hundred-thousand-year ring!" Tang San's voice bordered on hysteria.
"There's no such thing as impossible," Luo Ling said quietly. "I told you—I've never taken you seriously."
And then his third spirit ring ignited with light.
Before Tang San's stunned eyes, Luo Ling's signature black scythe appeared—not in his own hand, but in the hands of his identical clone.
(END CHAPTER)
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