Chapter 198: Soul Scythe Reaping
"For a mere tournament match… was breaking such a taboo really worth it?"
Luo Ling spoke softly, wearing an expression of deliberate regret.
The evil power Tang San had gained through his sacrificial Blood Demon Ritual—the gift from the so-called Original God—had already seeped into his soul, corrupting him entirely. Now, that poison was driving him to madness.
Power born from blood sacrifice always exacted its price.
"Luo Ling! Stop pretending to pity me! I'll kill you today!" Tang San snarled, the faint red veins in his eyes deepening, glowing like seething magma.
The next instant, his soul power detonated beneath his feet as he charged. The Clear Sky Hammer blazed with light—the might of the world's strongest weapon spirit bearing down with unstoppable force.
Luo Ling didn't back away.
His Ghost Scythe shimmered into existence, and beside him, his Crow Shadow Effigy moved in perfect harmony.
Two scythes swung together, intercepting the hammer's path.
When they clashed, the result was immediate—Tang San was forced back.
Luo Ling's soul power was already at the Soul Saint level in quality if not rank, and with his puppet possessing strength nearly equal to his own, Tang San was hopelessly outmatched two against one.
"Borrowed strength born of dark rituals will never truly be your own," Luo Ling said coldly. "No matter how much power you steal, you'll never surpass me."
Tang San's eyes blazed with fury, his sanity almost gone. All five of his spirit rings erupted with light.
He unleashed everything—his Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique, his strength amplifications, and the Destruction Hammer skill.
The Clear Sky Hammer roared through the air. One strike. Two strikes. Three strikes… until—
Eighty-one hammers!
Tang San's Chaotic Cloak Technique had broken its limit!
That final blow surpassed the might of an ordinary Soul Saint.
And yet—it wasn't over.
As the last hammer swung down, Tang San's body blazed with crimson energy. He raised the Clear Sky Hammer high, and soul power surged upward, coalescing into a monumental phantom hammer hanging in the sky.
The arena fell absolutely silent.
A Martial Soul Avatar.
A power only Soul Saints could attain—the transformation of one's martial soul into an embodiment of pure essence.
Only those who achieved it truly stood atop the continent.
Between Soul Emperors and Soul Saints—just one spirit ring separated them, yet the gulf was immeasurable.
It was a qualitative leap.
Seeing it, Luo Ling's eyes finally held a flicker of surprise.
In the original story, Tang San had only reached this form through the collective amplification of the Seven-in-One Fusion. But now, without that technique, through only the devouring of his teammates' energy and life force via the Eight Spider Lances, he had still reached this form.
"As expected of the protagonist… utterly absurd," Luo Ling muttered, shaking his head—but not a trace of fear crossed his face.
In the VIP stand, Bibi Dong frowned. This was beyond even her control. Her calm crown-like composure wavered as she glanced toward Luo Ling in concern.
Even Ning Fengzhi, graceful and steady as ever, had risen to his feet, astonished at the phantom hammer looming above the arena.
Tang San, staring up at his weapon's avatar, trembled with exhilaration. By instinct, he had synchronized his hammer and soul power—and this was the result.
The revelation that he had achieved a Soul Saint's ability filled him with ecstasy.
"Luo Ling! You're dead!" Tang San shouted hysterically, his laughter harsh and manic. But what he saw was Luo Ling's faint, knowing smile.
That smirk—that confident, dismissive smirk that seemed to treat him as nothing.
Grinding his teeth, Tang San snarled inwardly. This was a Martial Soul Avatar! How could Luo Ling still have the audacity to laugh?!
"Destruction Hammer!"
He roared and swung—bringing the colossal hammer avatar crashing down like a falling mountain.
The fifth spirit ring's rule of inescapable accuracy ensured Luo Ling couldn't dodge.
But to everyone's shock, Luo Ling didn't even move.
The Avatar Hammer struck true.
Clang!
A sharp metallic resonance rang out. Violent waves of energy exploded outward, and a shroud of dust engulfed the battlefield.
The red-robed cardinals of Spirit Hall reacted instantly, unleashing barriers of light to protect the stands from the shockwave.
Up in the VIP section, Bibi Dong's breath caught—she almost surged down herself to rescue Luo Ling.
But she restrained the impulse, recalling the countless miraculous techniques her disciple possessed.
Especially that one—the Specter Shroud, an invincible skill that rendered him immune to all attacks.
"Luo Ling! Even with a hundred-thousand-year ring—you're dead all the same!" Tang San's manic voice shouted from amid the dust.
In Heaven Dou Academy's section, panic spread among the girls. Ning Rongrong's face went pale, while in Shrek's corner, Yu Xiaogang's lips curved into a trembling smile of triumph.
And then, a calm, mocking voice echoed through the haze.
"Tang San… aren't you celebrating a little too early?"
The dust parted.
Luo Ling stood unscathed.
A faint red barrier shone before him, the Clear Sky Hammer's gigantic shadow pressing futilely against it, unable to penetrate even an inch.
He hadn't even used his invulnerability technique—his Desire Soul Garment, born from his merged martial spirits, was more than enough.
That mystical armor could absorb any fatal strike once.
In Tang San's disbelieving eyes, the crimson barrier began to crack and fade. The lingering veil of Luo Ling's clothes dissolved into shimmering motes of light as he shook it off like dust.
"You're finished," Luo Ling said quietly.
He tilted his head slightly. A glint of crimson flickered in his eyes—a dangerous, mesmerizing red.
And then—he vanished.
At the same time, so did the Crow Shadow Effigy.
A whisper swept across the stage—cold, deep, final.
"Soul Scythe Reaping."
The Ghost Scythe's signature ability—evolved after merging his spirits—transcending simple physical destruction.
This power ignored all defenses, striking directly at the very soul.
Before Tang San could even perceive movement, Luo Ling was upon him.
The scythe shimmered with deathly hues of black and gray, exuding the oppressive chill of mortality itself.
Every powerful spirit master present felt it—the trembling of their souls, the creeping dread of something that could kill even them.
Even the veteran Contras and Titled Douluos couldn't maintain composure; their faces grew grave.
They could feel it—this was death incarnate.
A technique that could threaten even them.
Impossible as it sounded, all of them trusted their instincts.
A Soul Emperor… possessing strength enough to slay Contras and more.
Luo Ling swung his scythe—the first time he had ever invoked this evolved technique from his third spirit skill.
"Soul Scythe Reaping"—an attack that completely disregarded all forms of defense to carve directly into the essence of one's being.
If his spiritual power was strong enough, it could even end the life of someone far stronger than himself.
But he wasn't after Tang San's soul—not yet.
His target was the Clear Sky Hammer itself.
The scythe, wreathed in gray deathlight, sliced effortlessly through the air.
Before the audience's unbelieving eyes, the Clear Sky Hammer—the glorious, indomitable weapon spirit—shuddered.
With one fluid motion, a chunk of it was cut clean off.
(END CHAPTER)
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