Word Count: 2,839 Words
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Ling Luochen sat cross-legged on the ground with the emerald-green Ice Jade Scorpion left arm spirit bone, channeling her spirit power to guide its fusion with her body.
Under the influence of her spirit power, the Ice Jade Scorpion spirit bone melted into a pool of emerald liquid that gradually seeped into her left arm.
Everyone waited silently for Ling Luochen's fusion. Ma Xiaotao tucked a strand of fiery-red hair behind her ear and gazed at Ling Luochen with unreadable emotions. She asked Ling Bai in a low voice:
"Do you think her Ice Element could evolve into Ultimate Ice after fusing with this Ice Jade Scorpion spirit bone?"
"Impossible."
Ling Bai replied decisively. "The gap between her Ice Element and true Ultimate Ice is far too vast. A spirit bone from a 50,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion isn't enough to elevate her Martial Spirit to that level. Absorbing a 100,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion spirit ring and spirit bone might give her a chance, but not this."
"Oh."
Ma Xiaotao averted her gaze. Her feelings toward Ling Luochen were exceedingly complex. She disliked Ling Luochen because the latter had previously refused to help her suppress her Evil Fire Phoenix.
But she didn't want to see Ling Luochen meet such a tragic end if the spirit bone fusion failed, which would cost her at least a left arm. Despite everything, they were comrades who had fought side by side. She could only silently pray for Ling Luochen to successfully fuse with the Ice Jade Scorpion while also hoping she would remain just a tad weaker than herself.
On the other side, Huo Yuhao stood ready, convinced by Skydream's boastful words. He waited for the moment Ling Luochen would fail so he could step forward and guide the Ice Jade Scorpion left arm bone into himself.
And, just as Skydream had predicted, when the emerald liquid from the Ice Jade Scorpion spirit bone entered Ling Luochen's body, it initially felt refreshingly cool, as though her entire arm were encased in a gentle chill. She even let out a soft moan of comfort. But within seconds, that coolness transformed into scorching heat. Ling Luochen's spirit power surged tirelessly, yet it couldn't gain the upper hand in the bone's fusion process. The sensation quickly escalated from heat to boiling.
Everyone looked on with wide eyes and hearts in their throats. Ling Luochen's condition was clearly abnormal. Her left arm had turned emerald green from the Ice Jade Scorpion spirit bone, and a faint silhouette seemed ready to burst forth from it.
The sensation felt like plunging her hand into boiling oil. Beads of sweat gathered on Ling Luochen's smooth, fair forehead as her delicate body began to tremble slightly.
Time ticked away, and with each passing moment, she shook more intensely. Every observer could clearly sense the frantic will and enraged roar of a spirit beast emanating from her left arm.
"Puh!"
Ling Luochen suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Her face instantly drained of color, becoming as pale as paper. Emerald light erupted violently, and her left arm began to swell at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Spirit bone backlash! Ling Luochen can't withstand the Ice Jade Scorpion left arm spirit bone!"
Wang Yan exclaimed in alarm but was powerless to help. Though his knowledge was vast, his abilities were limited. The embarrassing limitation of a theorist was made painfully clear.
At that moment, Shadow Dragon Douluo Xie Qin swiftly emerged from Ning Tian's shadow, flashed to Ling Luochen's side, and pressed a palm against her left shoulder, barely managing to seal the mass of emerald light within her arm.
Yet her left arm had expanded to nearly five times the size of her right. If the Body Sect Master were to see this, he would surely beam with pride at discovering another potential Body Sect member.
In a grave voice, Xie Qin stated, "Absorbing a spirit bone rests entirely upon the Spirit Master. I have temporarily sealed the power of the Ice Jade Scorpion spirit bone to prevent this girl's left arm from being crippled, but ultimately, this is but treating the symptoms and not the root cause.
She must concede defeat. Let that young man with the Ice Jade Scorpion Martial Spirit come forward and guide the bone away. Fusion with the same species has always been the smoothest; doing so would be a blessing for both of you."
The entire Shrek group remained silent. Everyone, including Ma Xiaotao, watched Ling Luochen with concern. She was in such agony that she could no longer maintain her cross-legged position. She collapsed forward onto her knees, her swollen left hand clutching the white jade floor. The Ice Jade Scorpion's chilling aura surged wildly as ice spread in all directions.
Ning Tian couldn't bear to continue watching Ling Luochen's miserable state and half-hid behind Ling Bai. But suddenly, she noticed Ling Bai rising, stepping on the ice layer, and striding through the cold toward Ling Luochen. Huo Yuhao's eyes gleamed slightly; just as he thought it was his turn to step forward and receive the Ice Explosion Technique, Ling Bai's figure flashed past him!
Ling Luochen, now kneeling on the ground with sweat-soaked clothes, gritted her teeth to preserve the last shred of dignity. She refused to cry out in pain before such a crowd. Her face, twisted in agony and stripped of its usual coldness, blurred as she glimpsed someone approaching—someone who ignored the frigid aura of the Ice Jade Scorpion.
Buzz—
The Angelic Domain unfolded, its dazzling golden light shielding them from prying eyes and blocking Huo Yuhao, who had arrived a step too late with his outstretched hand.
Ling Luochen's teeth dug deeply into her red lips. Realizing who had come, she desperately tried to muster her remaining strength to sit upright, but a palm pressed her down without ceremony.
"You..."
Just as she began to speak, an icy chill far surpassing the 50,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion surged from that hand into her body.
The soul of the 50,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion resided within the spirit bone. It had been rampaging unchecked, destroying the body of the audacious Spirit Master who dared absorb its spirit bone. Suddenly, it noticed another figure ahead.
"Roar—"
The Ice Jade Scorpion charged forward excitedly, its massive pincers poised to strike. A second before its attack landed, an overwhelming chill descended like divine wrath. Primal fear and reverence surged from its very bones. The Ice Jade Scorpion skidded to an abrupt halt and dropped to its knees before the figure.
Snow Empress, ruler of the Extreme North!
The Snow Empress looked down at the 50,000-year royal Ice Jade Scorpion and transmitted a simple message into its mind:
You, fuse with her, understand?
Yes, Your Majesty!
The Ice Jade Scorpion nodded repeatedly. The pride of the Ice Jade Scorpion clan and the rule that only those with Ultimate Ice could fuse with its spirit bone—all meant nothing before the sovereign of the Extreme North.
Even the king of the Ice Jade Scorpions, the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress, spent her days fawning over the Snow Empress. What, then, was a mere 50,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion by comparison?
As the figure of the Snow Empress gradually faded, the Ice Jade Scorpion displayed a human-like, obsequious smile. It respectfully said 'Farewell, Your Majesty' in the spirit beast language and kowtowed three times for good measure.
With the Ice Jade Scorpion's active cooperation, the absorption process proceeded smoothly. Ling Luochen's hulking, emerald left arm gradually returned to normal size. The earlier swelling had torn half of her clothing away, revealing her entire left arm's smooth, snow-white skin and a tantalizing glimpse of her ample curves.
After a quarter hour, Ling Luochen completed the fusion with the Ice Jade Scorpion spirit bone. She retrieved a long robe from her Storage Spirit Guidance Device to cover herself and softly addressed Ling Bai, who was gazing skyward:
"An Ultimate Ice left arm spirit bone with an ice attribute even stronger than the Ice Jade Scorpion's... No wonder I've always felt something special about your left arm."
Ling Bai smiled faintly without offering an explanation. Ling Luochen seemed to open her heart as she continued, "Do you remember? The first person you defeated upon entering the Inner Courtyard's Spirit Dueling Arena was me."
After brief reflection—defeating Chu Qingtian during the Inner Courtyard entrance examination, battling Evil Fire Phoenix Ma Xiaotao at night, then beginning his path of dominance in the Inner Courtyard's Spirit Dueling Arena the next day—the first victim did indeed seem to be Ling Luochen.
"At that time, I asked Big Senior Sister about your identity and background. Even though you possess the Seraphim Martial Spirit, I had a seven-year age advantage and superior spirit power. I couldn't accept losing so thoroughly, so afterward, I waited for you in the Spirit Dueling Arena every day. I've always wanted to beat you just once."
Facing Ling Bai's surprised golden eyes, Ling Luochen suddenly laughed, a laugh truly radiant as a hundred blooming flowers. "Why that look? Do you think I'm overestimating myself?"
"No."
Ling Bai shook his head and sincerely pointed to his chest. "A competitive spirit is essential for any Spirit Master aspiring to reach the pinnacle. I just never expected that beneath your cold, distant exterior lies such a passionate heart."
Ling Luochen let out a light snort before changing the subject. "Repaying kindness is a basic principle of being human. You saved me, so I'll follow you after graduation. With the Ice Explosion Technique as my spirit skill, I'm not inferior to that Angel Martial Spirit user, Yu Mengdi."
"Then welcome to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan."
Ling Bai was about to habitually extend his right hand but then switched to his left. This small gesture didn't escape Ling Luochen's notice, and a hint of a smile curved her rosy lips.
She extended her left hand as well. The 700,000-year Snow Empress spirit bone connected with the 50,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion spirit bone; the aura of Ultimate Ice blended and lingered between them. In a tone that mixed sincerity with teasing, she said:
"It's not the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan that I value—it's you alone."
"The feeling is mutual."
From that moment on, Ling Luochen, Xi Xi, Gongyang Mo, and Yao Haoxuan—all members of this generation's Shrek Seven Monsters except for Dai Yueheng, who would inevitably return to the Star Luo Empire, and Ma Xiaotao, the direct disciple of the Martial Spirit Department's Dean—promised to leave Shrek Academy upon graduation and join Ling Bai.
In her day, Ning Fengya was known as the Enchantress, yet she only enticed away two of the Seven Monsters: Ning Tian's father and Shadow Dragon Douluo Xie Qin. Ling Bai had doubled that number, boldly recruiting four potential Titled Douluo, and continued his relentless efforts to poach more talent.
Han Ruoruo, Chu Qingtian, Wu Ming, and Dugu Lin were all outstanding individuals worth considering.
Adding the Angel Yu Mengdi, the Outer Courtyard's Xie Huanyue, and the Lan sisters, a formidable team of young talents was gradually taking shape.
As the Angelic Domain dispersed, the two saw the delighted Shrek group surrounding them, eagerly inquiring about what had transpired.
"Brother Skydream!"
Huo Yuhao practically squeezed these words from his throat: "Didn't you say only someone with Ultimate Ice could absorb the Ice Jade Scorpion spirit bone?!"
"The memories of that 10,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion did indicate that, but who could have expected that kid to possess an Ultimate Ice spirit bone surpassing even the Ice Jade Scorpion?"
Skydream twiddled its fingers. Its spiritual power had detected traces of the Snow Empress spirit bone's aura. It said helplessly, "An Ice Jade Scorpion that awakens the Ice Explosion Technique must be a Scorpion King. To suppress a 50,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion King... Could it be a 100,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion King? A Heavenly Snow Woman? An ancient Ice Dragon?"
Having never personally encountered the Snow Empress, Skydream could only speculate. Unlike spirit rings with colors revealing their age, spirit bones didn't easily display their years. In another timeline, Huo Yuhao had publicly used the Ice Empress spirit bone's two major techniques multiple times, yet neither Yan Shaozhe, Elder Xuan, Elder Lin, nor any Star Luo Titled Douluo ever discovered it was a 400,000-year spirit bone.
"It's over! We really miscalculated this time!"
Huo Yuhao lamented. The duck that was nearly in his mouth had flown away; both the favor and the spirit bone were lost!
Ling Bai returned to the sofa. Unlike orphaned and destitute Huo Yuhao, he had the backing of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and Jianmu Douluo. With the Death Abyss Bone Dragon at his side, what did it matter if the Snow Empress spirit bone was exposed? Besides, no one on the Douluo Continent had seen the Snow Empress's true form or her Three Ultimate Techniques. As long as he remained silent, they would at most assume it was a 100,000-year Ultimate Ice spirit bone.
He leaned over and whispered to Ning Tian, who then said to Wang Yan, "Senior Sister Ling has promised to join the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. We'll pay Shrek Academy the 30 million spirit gold coins for the Ice Jade Scorpion spirit bone after the tournament concludes."
Wang Yan sighed regretfully. With the Ice Explosion Technique, Ling Luochen's future achievements would definitely not be low. Shrek had lost yet another outstanding talent.
The final auction item then took the stage with great fanfare. It was the core of Slaughter City, the Bloodsea Heart, with a starting price of 100 million spirit gold coins.
Upon hearing that the Bloodsea Heart contained legendary divine power, the guests immediately abandoned all reason and began bidding frantically. Wang Yan participated for two rounds before withdrawing. He dared not make decisions involving more than 100 million spirit gold coins on his own.
The Bloodsea Heart had replaced the Snow Empress embryo's role as the key item in the Star Luo imperial family's scheme to plot against the Illustrious Virtue Hall and the Body Sect. Ling Bai transmitted a message to stop Ning Tian, who was determined to compete with the neighboring Sun Moon Imperial Academy over who was the richest on the continent. Thus, the Bloodsea Heart was successfully obtained by the Sun Moon Empire, and the Starlight Auction House's once-in-twenty-years Starlight Grand Ceremony officially concluded.
…
The next day.
Standing by the window of the Star Emperor Hotel and gazing into the distance, one could see Star Luo Plaza packed with people—a vast sea of heads moving about, their excited chatter audible even through the open windows.
In the round of sixteen advancement matches, Shrek Academy, as the defending champion, would once again be the first to take the stage against their opponent—the formidable Dou Spirit Imperial Advanced Academy with its lineup of five Spirit Kings and two Spirit Ancestors.
Compared to the bustling audience stands, the contestants' rest area had become noticeably quieter. The vast majority of participating teams had been eliminated. The remaining sixteen teams represented the most outstanding young talents of the present-day Douluo Continent.
"First match of the round of sixteen advancement matches: Shrek Academy versus Dou Spirit Imperial Academy! Will both teams please enter the waiting area!"
As soon as the referee finished speaking, waves of cheers erupted from the audience, each louder than the last. The atmosphere instantly reached a fever pitch, prompting the soldiers maintaining order to heighten their vigilance against potential chaos.
Ling Bai, Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen, Ning Tian, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong followed Wang Yan into the waiting area.
Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng, who had never appeared during the round-robin matches, immediately drew attention from both spectators and the various academies.
In the Sun Moon Imperial Academy's resting area, teachers pulled out two brand-new notebooks, eagerly waiting to record the specific abilities of these newcomers.
At the highest point of the spectator stands, Star Luo Emperor Xu Jiawei gazed contentedly at Dai Yueheng. Gently stroking the Empress's hand, he said, "That's Dai Hao's eldest son, Dai Yueheng. Dai Hao wrote that Dai Yueheng has already broken through to the Spirit Emperor rank."
The Empress replied softly, "Like father, like son. The White Tiger Duke and his son will surely become pillars of the empire."
Before stepping onto the stage, Wang Yan gave final instructions, "In a moment, Dai Yueheng will be in charge of the main offense. Ma Xiaotao, limit your attacks. Ling Luochen, you'll take the role of main control but keep the Ice Explosion Technique hidden. Ling Bai, avoid revealing your fifth spirit skill, spirit bone abilities, and Angelic Domain if possible. Ning Tian and Huo Yuhao, perform as usual. Wang Dong, decide whether to activate the Golden Road with Huo Yuhao depending on the situation."
"Understood, Teacher Wang!"
The group stepped onto the competition stage. Ma Xiaotao took the lead while secretly thinking to herself:
'Limit my attacks…? As if!'