Chapter 81 – The Law-Mirror and the Shattered Hammer
Lakan did not hunt a beast for his eighth ring. He did not seek a sacrifice. Following the logic of his Bloodline Chaos Core, he reached into the ambient energy of the world.
"The world is a law," Lakan whispered, his double-pupils spinning with terrifying velocity. "And I am the ink that write the law."
He began to draw in the leftover Chaos Qi from his own bloodline, spinning it into a high-density vortex around his body. The air screamed. Seven rings—prismatic and dark—manifested, but they were pushed outward by a new, emerging force.
From the center of his chest, a Translucent Gold energy began to leak. It wasn't the solid gold of a Million-Year ring, nor the yellow of a centennial. It was clear, like a diamond, yet carried the weight of the sun. This was the Eighth Ring: The Law-Mirror (Salamin ng Batas).
As it snapped into place, Lakan felt his consciousness explode. Without the Nirvana Spiritual Core (his third core, yet to be formed) to act as a CPU, the raw data of the universe flooded his brain. He saw the math behind the wind; he felt the frequency of the stones.
"Simulation... initiate," he groaned, his jaw tightening.
He tested the Environmental Simulation. Around him, the stone floor didn't just break; it re-wrote itself. One half of the room became a bubbling lake of Chaos Fire, while the other half became an Abyssal Void that ate the light. He wasn't just changing the temperature; he was forcing the Chaos Qi to mimic the fundamental laws of these elements.
But then, the side effect hit.
A sharp, searing pain lanced through his skull. Because he lacked a mental buffer, his brain began to overheat from the data. His eyes—the Eyes of the Origin God—began to glow with a blinding, silver intensity. A thin trail of silver blood leaked from the corner of his left eye, staining his cheek.
"Tch... a double-edged sword," Lakan smirked, even as he wiped the silver blood away. "The hardware can't handle the software yet. I need the second core. I need the Seven-Tone Lotus Flame to bridge this gap."
•••••••
While Lakan was transcending the laws of physics, Tang San was scaling the iron-chain bridges of the Clear Sky Sect.
The atmosphere was not one of a hero's welcome. It was a funeral for pride. Tang San, now at Rank 66, stood before the five Great Elders. Their faces were etched with bitterness. To them, Tang San wasn't just Tang Hao's son, he was the reason they had been forced into hiding for twenty years.
"You want to recognize your ancestors?" the Seventh Elder roared, his Clear Sky Hammer trembling. "Your father's arrogance nearly destroyed us! And now, the Spirit Hall has a Genius Holy Son who treats Titled Douluos like children! Why should we accept the son of a traitor when the world is burning?"
"Because I am the only one who can stop him," Tang San replied, his voice cold.
The trial was a slaughter of endurance. Tang San was forced to fight the five Elders simultaneously. He used the Death God Domain, the Blue Silver Emperor, and the Exploding Rings his father had taught him. He fought like a man possessed, his hammers clashing against theirs in a rhythmic thunder that shook the mountain.
But the humiliation came not from the fight, but from the words of the Elders during the pauses.
"You think you are a genius, Tang San?" the Second Elder spat, wiping blood from his lip. "We have spies in Heaven Dou. We know what happened in the Palace. We know the Holy Son didn't even draw a blade to stop you. You are a chosen one of a God, yet you are a beggar compared to him. To accept you is to invite his gaze upon this mountain!"
Tang San's heart burned. Every strike he landed was fueled by the memory of Lakan's mocking smirk. He eventually won the right to stay, but the victory tasted like ash. The Sect didn't follow him out of respect, they followed him out of a desperate, cowering hope that a Sea God could protect them from a Phoenix.
•••••
While the Clear Sky Sect bickered over their shattered legacy, Lakan had already vanished from Wuhun City. He didn't take an entourage. He didn't take the Dreadnought.
He used The Path of the Abyan, folding space in successive leaps until he reached the familiar, sulfurous air of the Sunset Forest.
As he descended into the hidden valley of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, two figures emerged from the mist.
Yue Guan (Chrysanthemum Douluo) and Dugu Bo (Poison Douluo) bowed deeply. Both had grown significantly under Lakan's guidance, their soul power now stabilized and refined.
"Sovereign," Yue Guan said, his voice fluttering with excitement. "The herbs are at their peak. The well is pulsing. It's as if the springs themselves are waiting for you."
Dugu Bo looked at Lakan's eyes—the faint silver stain still visible. "You look like you've been fighting a ghost, kid. You sure you're ready for the second core? Your second soul core... it might cause another worldly Phenomenon."
Lakan walked to the edge of the vermilion and milky-white springs. He began to strip off his shirt, revealing the Batong-Pilak muscles and the glowing Baybayin script etched into his skin. The Eighth Ring—that translucent gold halo—hovered behind him, casting a divine light over the water.
"The first core was the foundation," Lakan said, his voice echoing in the valley. "The Bloodline gave me the body of a God. Now, the second Core will give me the engine. Condition the perimeter, old men. If the sky starts to turn seven colors, don't look directly at it. I'd hate for you to go blind before the show even starts."
He stepped into the seam where the fire and ice met, his body instantly becoming a conduit for the most volatile energies on the planet. He closed his eyes, his mind focusing on the Law-Mirror to shield his vitals, preparing for the agonizing birth of the Seven-Tone Lotus Flame Core.
He plan to create a flame that never existed in the world of Douluo. The Heavenly Phoenix Flame.