The Heaven Dou City Great Spirit Arena was a boiling cauldron of voices, with the clamor reaching the heavens.
The massive circular stands were packed to capacity, with countless spectators fervently watching the brightly lit Spirit stage below, shouting and cheering for the Spirit Masters they had bet on or supported.
The debut of Ling Xin and Ling Mou did not attract much attention. They were just two unremarkable newcomers among countless others, holding the lowest-level Iron Spirit Combat Badges.
"Next up, please welcome contestant No. 17, 'Corroding Heart,' to face off against contestant No. 9, 'Mad Wolf'!" The host's voice echoed through the amplification spirit tool. "Contestant Corroding Heart is a newcomer who just registered today, while her opponent, Mad Wolf, has already achieved an impressive four-match winning streak in our Spirit Grandmaster level combat! With the frenzied suppression of his attack system Beast Spirit, he rarely meets his match at the Spirit Grandmaster Rank! Let us wait and see if the newcomer can create a miracle?!"
A cacophony of whistles, boos, and sporadic cheers immediately erupted from the stands. Clearly, the vast majority of people did not favor the unknown newcomer, 'Corroding Heart.'
Ling Xin took a deep breath, calming her slightly quickened heartbeat, and turned to look at Yu Qing beside her, her gaze clear and firm: "Master, I'm going."
Yu Qing gave her a warm and encouraging smile, nodding gently: "Go on. Remember, actual combat is the best way to test the results of your Cultivation. Let loose and show me your progress."
"Mm!" Ling Xin nodded heavily, turned, and walked toward the contestant passage with steady steps.
On the Spirit stage, her opponent, 'Mad Wolf,' had long been waiting. He was a burly young man with knotted muscles, his face wearing undisguised arrogance and contempt. He looked at Ling Xin as if looking at a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
"Hehe, little girl, you're quite lucky to run into Lord Mad Wolf in your first match!" Mad Wolf grinned, revealing forest-white teeth. "Don't worry, I'll take it easy on you so you don't lose too badly!"
Ling Xin's face beneath the mask remained expressionless. Only her cold gaze swept over him indifferently through the eyeholes, as if looking at an inanimate object. She adjusted her breathing, and the spirit power within her body circulated quietly. Beneath her skin, faint, eerie purple-black patterns emerged, writhing slightly like living creatures.
Being so ignored, Mad Wolf immediately felt he had lost face, and a flicker of anger flashed in his eyes.
"The match—begins!" the host commanded!
"Roar!" Mad Wolf instantly let out a roar, and two bright yellow spirit rings suddenly rose beneath his feet! His body expanded by a size, his hair became coarse and stiff, and his hands turned into sharp claws as a violent aura spread—Spirit: Blood Wolf! Possession!
"First Spirit Ability: Blood Wolf Assault!" Mad Wolf showed no mercy. His first spirit ring shone, and his entire being transformed into a bloody afterimage. With a piercing sound of breaking air, his claws lunged straight for Ling Xin's face! His speed was extremely fast, and his offensive was fierce!
A series of exclamations rose from the stands, as if they could already foresee the scene of that graceful figure being splattered with blood on the spot.
However, facing this rapid pounce, Ling Xin remained where she was, not even releasing her Spirit! At the moment the bloody claws were about to reach her, her body twisted slightly at an extremely eerie and tricky angle, as if she were boneless, narrowly avoiding the sharp edge! Simultaneously, her seemingly slender arm shot out like lightning, her five fingers slightly curved with faint black Qi swirling around her fingertips, accurately gripping Mad Wolf's wrist!
"What?!" Mad Wolf only felt a massive restraining force from his wrist, as if locked by a cold iron hoop, and his forward momentum came to a sudden halt! He was greatly shocked and tried to break free, only to find that the other party's strength far exceeded his imagination!
Ling Xin flicked her wrist, sending out a burst of clever force that actually caused Mad Wolf's burly body to stumble! She took the opportunity to sidestep, her other hand striking out like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, hitting the opponent directly under the ribs!
Bang! A muffled sound rang out.
Mad Wolf groaned, feeling a cold force penetrate his body, causing his blood and Qi to surge. He hastily retreated several steps, looking at the still calm Ling Xin with uncertainty.
"You... you won't even open your Spirit?!" Mad Wolf was both shocked and enraged, feeling greatly insulted.
Ling Xin remained silent, merely beckoning him with a finger. That gesture was filled with disdain.
"You're looking for death! Second Spirit Ability: Blood Wolf Gale Claw!" Mad Wolf was completely infuriated. His second spirit ring flared with light, and bloody spirit power condensed frantically on his claws, turning into streaks of incredibly sharp bloody claw shadows that enveloped Ling Xin like a torrential gale! The offensive was several times more ferocious than before!
The spectators in the stands also held their breath, their eyes wide.
However, a shocking scene occurred once again!
Facing this violent storm of claw shadows, Ling Xin still did not release her Spirit or spirit rings! Her figure flickered through the sky full of claw shadows like a ghost, her footwork agile, always managing to evade the attacks at the critical moment.
Occasionally, when evasion was impossible, she would use her palms, fingers, or elbows—all entwined with black Qi—to parry or counter-attack. That black Qi seemed highly corrosive; when it collided with the bloody claw shadows, it actually made a faint'sizzling' sound, constantly wearing down the opponent's spirit power!
She was actually relying entirely on her Physical Body strength, movement techniques, and that corrosive poison to fight a Spirit Grandmaster of the attack system who had activated two major Spirit Abilities, even... gradually gaining the upper hand!
The more Mad Wolf fought, the more alarmed and frustrated he became! He felt as if all his attacks were hitting a slippery loach with nowhere to apply force, while the other party's seemingly light counter-attacks always managed to find his openings precisely. Every contact sent a surge of cold, bone-eroding energy trying to drill into his body, forcing him to divert his attention to resist it, which consumed a massive amount of spirit power!
"How is this possible?! What on earth is her Spirit?!" Mad Wolf roared inwardly.
Finally, during a fierce exchange, Ling Xin found a perfect opportunity. Her entire right hand instantly became pitch-black like ink, as if condensed from the deepest venom. Black droplets even seeped from it, and when they fell to the ground, they actually corroded small pits into the hard floor of the Spirit stage!
"Your attacks are too weak." The cold voice emerged from beneath the mask for the first time.
In the next moment, that pitch-black palm ignored Mad Wolf's hurriedly blocking claws and, as if piercing through a thin layer of paper, accurately imprinted itself upon his chest!
"Pfft—!" Mad Wolf felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow. He spat out a mouthful of blood and his body flew backward uncontrollably! He felt an extremely domineering and sinister corrosive toxin surge frantically into his body, wreaking havoc on his Meridians, and intense pain instantly swept through his entire being!
Ling Xin did not let up. Her figure followed him like a shadow, her pitch-black hands grabbing Mad Wolf's ankles. She spun once on the spot and then exerted sudden force!
"Off you go!"
Mad Wolf's burly body was like a cannonball fired from its barrel, tracing a graceful parabola. Under the stunned gazes of the entire audience, he slammed hard outside the bounds of the Spirit stage, crashing onto the protective soft mats below. After struggling twice, he completely lost consciousness.
The entire Great Spirit Arena fell into an eerie silence.
A moment later, the host finally snapped out of it and excitedly announced at the top of his lungs: "The... the winner! Corroding Heart!!"
"Waaaah—!!!"
Deafening cheers and gasps of amazement erupted instantly like a tsunami! Everyone was going wild for this dark horse that had appeared out of nowhere! A newcomer, without opening her Spirit or using a Spirit Ability, had defeated a four-win streak attack system Spirit Grandmaster so cleanly using only her Physical Body and eerie methods! This was simply a miracle!
Ling Xin stood in the center of the Spirit stage, calming the churning spirit power within her body. She looked up toward the stands where Yu Qing was located. Although separated by a mask, Yu Qing seemed to feel her gaze seeking approval.
He smiled and gave her a thumbs up.
The corner of Ling Xin's mouth beneath the mask finally couldn't help but turn up slightly, forming a very shallow but joy-filled curve.
The subsequent solo battle for Ling Mou was of a completely different style.
Her opponent was a defense System Spirit Master whose Spirit was a heavy Rock Shield.
After the match began, Ling Mou likewise did not release her Spirit immediately. She directly stepped forward, charging at her opponent like a wild bull.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
She used her fists to directly strike the opponent's Rock Shield! Every collision produced a dull roar and sparks flew! That terrifying power made the opponent's arms go numb, forcing him back repeatedly, his eyes filled with horror!
In just three punches! That defense System Spirit Master didn't even have time to fully deploy his Spirit Abilities before he and his shield were blasted off the stage by Ling Mou's punch, clean and simple!
Violence! Absolute violent aesthetics!
The audience boiled over again! The name 'Star-Shatterer' was instantly branded into the hearts of many.
In the following two-on-two team battle, 'Corroding Heart' and 'Star-Shatterer' made their debut as partners. Although some minor mistakes occurred during the process due to a lack of rapport, they still resolved the battle within three minutes by virtue of their individual strengths, which far exceeded those of the same Rank.
Yu Qing nodded slightly from the stands, thinking to himself: "Their individual strength is powerful enough, but their coordination still needs a lot of polishing. It seems they will have to stay at this Great Spirit Arena for quite some time."
From then on, Ling Xin and Ling Mou began their career of tempering themselves at the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena.
Yu Qing set a strict 'coursework' for them: at least one solo battle and one double battle every day.
From the initial Spirit Grandmaster level to later actively challenging Spirit Elder level experts, their combat experience grew at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Eerie toxin erosion and domineering metallic eruption—two completely different combat styles, yet both achieved astonishing results.
Ten days later, the two sisters achieved a perfect record of ten wins in ten battles in their respective Ranks! Their iron spirit emblems were upgraded to Copper Spirit Badges! The 'Corroding Heart' and 'Star-Shatterer' duo also began to rise to fame in the lower-tier matches of the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena.
However, tonight, they encountered an unprecedentedly powerful opponent.
This was an over-Rank challenge; their opponents were a veteran Spirit Elder duo with a high spirit power of Rank 39. They were formidable and possessed extremely rich combat experience.
From the start of the battle, Ling Xin and Ling Mou were plunged into a bitter struggle. The opponents had clearly studied their battle recordings, as they deliberately avoided direct confrontation with Ling Mou and used their speed and ranged Spirit Abilities to constantly harass and wear down Ling Xin.
The sisters were completely suppressed.
"Haha! You two little girls! Did you really think you could be so arrogant just because you won a few matches?" A tall, thin Spirit Elder laughed triumphantly, constantly releasing wind blades to cut down Ling Xin's range of movement. "The Rank gap is a chasm! Just surrender obediently!"
"Big brother is right! You haven't even released your Spirits, yet you want to challenge us brothers across Ranks? You're dreaming!" The other short, fat Spirit Elder kept hurling giant rocks, forcing Ling Mou to dodge continuously and preventing her from providing effective support.
Most of the audience in the stands also believed that the 'Twin Stars' duo's defeat was certain.
Ling Xin and Ling Mou stood back-to-back, breathing slightly hard. Their eyes met, and they instantly understood each other's intent.
They couldn't hide it any longer!
In the next moment, both girls shouted simultaneously!
Buzz! Buzz!
Two powerful surges of spirit power suddenly erupted from their bodies!
On Ling Xin's body, the previously faint purple-black patterns instantly became incredibly clear, like eerie vines coming to life, rapidly spreading to cover her entire body! Her eyes turned into a pure ink-black, emitting a heart-palpitating, cold aura! Beneath her feet, one yellow and one purple spirit ring—a configuration that defied common sense—slowly rose!
Ling Mou's body emitted a series of metallic 'clack' sounds! Her skin instantly turned bright silver, and countless brilliant golden patterns surfaced on her body. She looked as if she were cast from silver and inlaid with gold thread! Her figure seemed to expand, filled with an unparalleled sense of power! An identical configuration of one yellow and one purple spirit ring surrounded her body!
"Wha... What?!"
"Pur... Purple?! A second spirit ring?!"
"A Thousand-year spirit ring?! How is this possible?!"
The entire Great Spirit Arena instantly fell into an uproar! All the spectators stood up in shock, looking at the scene on the stage that violated the common knowledge of the Spirit Master's world in disbelief! Even the two arrogant Spirit Elder opponents were dumbfounded, their movements freezing in place!
"Second Spirit Ability: Neurotoxin · Paralysis Spiderweb!" Ling Xin's cold voice rang out. The purple spirit ring beneath her feet shone brightly as she slammed her hands onto the ground!
Sshhh—!
Countless purple-black spider silks, as if they had a life of their own, spread frantically from her as the center, instantly covering more than half of the arena! These silks were not only incredibly tough but also emitted a spine-chilling neurotoxin!
The two Spirit Elders turned pale with fright and hurriedly tried to jump away, only to find that their feet had been entangled by several strands of spider silk at some point! The toxin spread rapidly, and their bodies began to feel numb and stiff, causing their speed to drop drastically!
"Not good! Break free quickly!" the tall, thin Spirit Elder shouted in terror.
But it was too late!
"Second Spirit Ability: Broken Star Heavy Armor! First Spirit Ability: Metal Berserk!" Ling Mou roared, silver and golden light reflecting off each other! She was like a God of War clad in heavy armor, her body filled with violent power! She stomped hard on the ground, making the arena tremble! She transformed into a silver-gold meteor, charging at her sluggish opponents!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Boom!
The following scene was simply unbearable to watch... it was a completely one-sided, violent crushing! Ling Mou, having activated her strongest state, contained a terrifying power in every punch and kick that could crumble mountains and shatter rocks! The two Spirit Elders were like sandbags, beaten without any power to fight back. Their protective spirit power shattered instantly, and the sound of breaking bones was clearly audible!
Screams and pleas for mercy soon rang out... Ling Mou only stopped her hands with lingering excitement when the host hurriedly intervened to announce the end of the match. The two Spirit Elders were already slumped in the corner with bruised and swollen faces, barely breathing.
After a moment of dead silence, the entire arena erupted into unprecedentedly wild cheers! The shouts of "Corroding Heart! Star-Shatterer! Twin Stars! Invincible!" were deafening!
Back in the stands, Ling Xin took off her mask, her face carrying a hint of unease and self-blame: "I'm sorry, Master... we were forced to expose our spirit rings..."
Yu Qing looked at them and, instead of blaming them, smiled gratifiedly. He reached out and ruffled their hair: "You did very well. Knowing how to assess the situation and hesitating not at all to use your full power to turn the tide at the critical moment is true combat wisdom. Whether you exposed them or not isn't important; your safety comes first."
Receiving their master's affirmation and comfort, the two sisters' hearts were instantly filled with warmth and emotion, and their gaze toward Yu Qing was full of reverence.
However, on the way back, Yu Qing and A Rou almost simultaneously sensed several faint and malicious auras quietly locking onto them and following them as they left the Great Spirit Arena.
"It seems we've attracted some annoying flies," Yu Qing said calmly.
A cold light flashed in A Rou's pink eyes, and she revealed a chilling smile: "A Qing, feel free to take the children back. I'll go 'clean up' a bit."
With that, her figure disappeared from the spot like a ghost.
After just a short while, several brief thuds and screams came from the dark alleys in the distance, followed by complete silence.
A Rou's figure reappeared beside Yu Qing. She clapped her hands and said in a relaxed tone, "All done~ I left one alive, by the way, to let him go back and tell his master that some things are not for them to covet." She had "accidentally" shown her spirit rings just now, which was enough to intimidate the people behind the Great Spirit Arena.
Yu Qing nodded and led everyone safely back to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
In the following days, Ling Xin and Ling Mou continued to go to the Great Spirit Arena every day to hone themselves. Yu Qing, while watching their growth, also enjoyed the regular special cultivation with A Rou and Fox Consort. Life was fulfilling and peaceful.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, another two months passed.
The chill of early spring had not yet completely faded, but the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was already filled with warmth.
On this day, as Yu Qing was guiding Ling Xin and Ling Mou in combat training, his expression suddenly shifted. He sensed two extremely faint yet incredibly familiar life fluctuations, sending a strange throb through him!
"They're about to give birth!" Yu Qing reacted instantly. His figure flashed and disappeared from the training ground, reappearing the next moment outside the courtyard where Duan Xin and Zi Ruyi lived.
A Rou, Fox Consort, Father Duan, Father Zi, and the others also sensed the movement and rushed over, their faces filled with tension and anticipation.
Yu Qing stood outside the door, his powerful mental force enveloping the room, sensing the situation inside at every moment. His heart was filled with tension, excitement, and a trace of undetectable worry. Although he had long used various methods to condition his two wives' bodies to their best state, childbirth always carried risks.
From inside the room came the suppressed groans of pain from Duan Xin and Zi Ruyi, as well as the gentle encouragement of the midwife.
Time seemed to pass exceptionally slowly.
Yu Qing held his breath, his fists unconsciously clenching.
Finally... "Waaah—!"
"Waaah—!"
Two crisp and loud cries of infants, filled with vigorous vitality, came from the room almost one after another! That sound was like the most beautiful music in the World, instantly dispelling all the anxiety in Yu Qing's he
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