Chapter 165: Nightmare
"You're talking about Xue Beng, right? I told you I'd get rid of him, and I keep my promises. You don't need to worry about it." Luo Ling sat lazily in a chair, speaking as though it were a trivial matter.
"How do you plan to do that?" Qian Renxue asked, unable to restrain her curiosity.
"Remember when I told you Yu Xiaogang would stage a jailbreak? The royal prison was only the first. The next will be the Spirit Hall's prison."
Luo Ling lightly tapped the armrest with his fingers. "They'll likely act near the end of the promotion tournament. I'll make sure Xue Beng and Yu Xiaogang are together when it happens."
"You have a way to involve Xue Beng in their jailbreak?" Qian Renxue looked at him in disbelief.
"You don't need to worry about the details. Just wait." Luo Ling smiled faintly, offering no further explanation.
Her brows drew together in mild annoyance, but she reluctantly dropped the subject.
"Oh, by the way," Luo Ling continued casually, "can I borrow Elder Cixue? The promotion round's in a month, and I plan to hunt for my sixth spirit ring."
He had been thinking that ever since arriving at the Crown Prince's residence. The beast he sought was no ordinary one—it would likely be seventy thousand years old or more, perhaps even possessing the strength of a hundred-thousand-year creature.
Having another Titled Douluo with him would make things safer.
"You're getting your sixth spirit ring?" Qian Renxue's eyes widened in astonishment. "You've already reached level sixty?"
"Is that a problem?" Luo Ling said with a shrug.
Her mouth opened slightly but no words came out. At twenty-three, she was a Spirit Emperor herself—formidable by any standard. But Luo Ling… he was only fifteen.
"How do you train so fast?" she demanded, incredulous.
Luo Ling's pace defied every principle of cultivation she knew. For a moment, she wondered if he had practiced some forbidden art.
"Just training like anyone else," he said with a chuckle. "You probably heard from my teacher about the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and the immortal herbs. Those alone gave me seven or eight levels."
What he didn't mention was the other sources—his Blue Silver Emperor spirit bone and Yu Xiaogang's sacrifices. Had Tang San's last offering not come before he obtained his sixth ring, Luo Ling's power would've climbed even higher by now.
Qian Renxue still looked skeptical but didn't press. Instead, she changed the subject. "I've heard rumors—people say you possess twin spirits of the same origin, along with a self-fusion ability and even ring fusion. Is that true?"
"Yes," Luo Ling nodded. His secret wasn't as hidden anymore—many among Spirit Hall's higher ranks already knew.
Qian Renxue's eyes gleamed with curiosity, and then a mischievous smile touched her lips. "Fine. I'll allow Elder Cixue to accompany you—and I'll even send Uncle Shelong as well—but only on one condition."
"And what's that?" Luo Ling asked, amused.
"You take me with you!" she said at once. "I want to see for myself how your spirits and rings fuse."
"Fine," he replied without hesitation.
"Really?" She blinked in surprise, quickly adding, "Good! Then it's settled!"
She had expected him to refuse—most spirit masters kept their martial spirits and spirit skills as their deepest secrets.
…
The next day, Luo Ling and Qian Renxue departed together for Star Dou Forest.
It was the ideal hunting ground for spirit beasts nearing the hundred-thousand-year limit—much better than Sunset Forest.
Joining them were Ghost Douluo, Porcupinefish Douluo, and Snake Lance Douluo, all stationed to protect Qian Renxue.
When the three heard that Luo Ling intended to obtain his sixth spirit ring, they were more shocked than Qian Renxue herself.
Ghost Douluo was the calmest—he had seen this boy's impossible rate of growth before. From Soul King to Soul Emperor in such a short time was startling, but not inconceivable to him anymore.
Porcupinefish and Snake Lance Douluo, however, were genuinely astounded.
Still, as old veterans, their composure returned quickly.
After three days of travel, they entered the Star Dou Forest.
Led by the three Titled Douluo, their group advanced straight into the core region—a domain inhabited by spirit beasts of fifty thousand years and beyond, sometimes even hundred-thousand-year monsters.
When Qian Renxue learned that Luo Ling's sixth ring target would be a beast older than fifty thousand years, she felt another wave of disbelief.
Her own spirit ring configuration already slightly exceeded the "recorded maximum" limits, and she'd been proud of that. But Luo Ling's choices disregarded such limits entirely, defying the laws of cultivation.
They spent two days searching within the core zone before finding the perfect target.
It was a Nightmare Beast—an extremely rare spiritual-type creature that appeared only at night.
Shapeless and invisible, a Nightmare's arrival was heralded by an eerie mist. Anyone trapped within it would fall into an endless illusion, their consciousness consumed until death, sustaining the Nightmare's existence.
"Your Highness, something's wrong!" Ghost Douluo was the first to notice the anomaly.
A thick gray fog enveloped the area, ominous and silent, yet devoid of spirit energy fluctuations.
Porcupinefish and Snake Lance Douluo immediately tensed.
Qian Renxue frowned. She had seen descriptions of this phenomenon before—somewhere in her studies.
"It's a Nightmare," Luo Ling said calmly, a hint of amusement tugging at his lips. Encountering one here was sheer fortune. He had been hoping to gain a spirit ring with illusion-based properties, and this was perfect.
Although his spirit skills didn't directly change with the beast's species, a Nightmare's essence suited him well.
At his words, Qian Renxue recalled what she'd read, and her expression grew solemn.
Nightmare beasts were wholly spiritual lifeforms—extremely elusive and potent, their powers impossible to track and even harder to counter.
"Uncle Shelong, Elder Cixue, can the two of you handle this?" she asked.
The two Douluo exchanged uneasy looks.
Neither specialized in spiritual power, and they could barely sense the creature's presence. Their only option would be to rely on defense until sunrise.
But for Qian Renxue, still a Spirit Emperor, even a trace of the Nightmare's vast spiritual energy—likely equivalent to an eighty-thousand-year beast—could be deadly.
"Young Master, we'll protect you. Let's get you out first," Porcupinefish Douluo decided swiftly.
On the other hand, Ghost Douluo observed without alarm. He noticed that Luo Ling showed no sign of worry whatsoever.
The more time he spent around this so-called Holy Son, the more mysterious the young man seemed. Perhaps… he already had a plan.
Sure enough, Luo Ling smiled faintly. "Leave this Nightmare to me."
His tone brimmed with confidence. Among those who wielded spiritual power, his Desire Spirit feared no rival.
Under their astonished gazes, the crimson gleam in Luo Ling's eyes flared. Behind him, the Crow Shadow Puppet appeared, then slowly merged into his body.
Ten spirit rings emerged in sequence, merging two-by-two.
Purple, purple, black, black, black—the impossible color combination glowed intensely around him.
Luo Ling said nothing further. His first ring lit up, and suddenly countless soul threads appeared in his vision, faintly glittering within the mist.
And at the center of the illusion, Luo Ling finally saw it—a dark, shifting shadow.
(END CHAPTER)
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