Chapter 106: The Disgraced Yu Xiaogang
The instant the sinister shadow appeared, the entire Great Spirit Arena fell into momentary silence—then erupted in noise.
Countless waves of spirit power spread out, probing toward the figure on the stage.
Luo Ling stood motionless on the battle platform.
A thick, oppressive aura of darkness completely blocked every probing attempt.
From the commentary booth, Dou Dou's face flushed with excitement as she exclaimed:
"Let us welcome, the Warlock!"
"Tonight, the Warlock will face the holders of the Silver Team Spirit Battle Badge—the Shrek Team—in a one versus seven match!"
"I believe this is what everyone has been waiting for!"
"Of course, all of you must already be familiar with the legendary Warlock…"
Dou Dou continued energetically, delivering a detailed introduction of both sides to the roaring crowd.
Not everyone knew much about the Shrek Team, especially those who weren't from Soto City.
When they learned that Shrek's formation consisted of only five Spirit Elders and two mere Spirit Masters, disappointment spread among the audience.
"What's going on? This Shrek Team seems weak."
"Two Spirit Masters? Are they supposed to be comic relief?"
"Has Soto City's arena standards dropped this low? Can't they find stronger teams?"
The crowd buzzed with contempt and jokes.
Still, some of the more discerning spectators—members of major factions—knew better. They were aware that Shrek's team was composed of young talents who had earned the Silver Team Badge in just over a month.
That, by itself, was already an extraordinary achievement.
On the platform, both sides had taken their positions.
Luo Ling's eyes flickered when he saw the Shrek Team walking toward him—and at the front stood Yu Xiaogang.
In the shadows, Luo Ling raised an eyebrow.
What was that useless man doing stepping onto the stage of a fight like this?
Yu Xiaogang soon gave the answer.
"Warlock, it's an honor for the team I've trained to fight you. My name is Yu Xiaogang—you may call me Master," he said confidently.
Luo Ling's face twisted slightly.
Was this man an idiot?
"You must have heard of me. In the spirit master world, they call me the Master. I suppose I'm rather well-known…"
Yu Xiaogang rambled on proudly.
Luo Ling immediately understood—this fool was clearly trying to show off in front of a huge audience to boost his reputation.
But the crowd didn't play along.
"Who the hell is this guy, yammering on up there?"
"Can he get off the stage? Nobody cares who he is."
"'Master'? I think I've heard of him—wasn't he the one who wrote the so-called Ten Core Theories of Martial Souls?"
"Oh, that fraud? I heard his theories turned out to be plagiarized—from Spirit Hall's own research!"
The voices spread quickly. Yu Xiaogang's face flushed green, then white—he looked like a clown on display.
Even the Shrek Seven Devils looked embarrassed, though Tang San glared angrily toward the audience, his expression cold and murderous.
"Enough talking. Leave," came Luo Ling's raspy voice from the darkness, flat and emotionless.
"Yeah, get off! No one came to see you!"
"Stop wasting time up there!"
Luo Ling's words only encouraged the crowd's jeers.
Yu Xiaogang's face twisted, his fists clenching tight.
Bastards! I am a theoretical genius, a true Master! You dare to mock me?!
Just wait. Now that I have the blessing of the Original God, one day—all of you will crawl at my feet!
His inner fury burned, but outwardly he forced himself to stay calm. Nodding stiffly toward Luo Ling, he stepped down from the stage.
In the VIP viewing boxes, the powerful guests watched him leave with sneering amusement.
Bibi Dong's cold eyes showed nothing but disdain. She had long lost all interest in Yu Xiaogang. If not for Luo Ling's insistence that the man's downfall be made public, she wouldn't have bothered keeping him alive this long.
Within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's private room, Yu Luomian scowled.
"That useless Yu Xiaogang has completely disgraced us! Fortunately, we expelled him years ago—otherwise it'd be our entire clan's name in the dirt!"
Yu Yuanzhen's face darkened. Though unhappy with the words, he could not deny them.
He stared down at Yu Xiaogang's retreating figure with visible disappointment.
On the platform, Yu Xiaogang's exit signaled the start of the real battle.
The Shrek members spread out, each summoning their martial souls.
Luo Ling stood still. The raven perched on his shoulder suddenly took flight, and to everyone's shock, it slowly transformed midair into a humanoid figure.
He did not use his Shadow Scythe—it risked revealing his identity. Instead, he had summoned his Crow Shadow Puppet to fight in front of him.
Dark energy shimmered within his eyes as imperceptible threads of shadow spread across the battlefield.
With Luo Ling's current power, these shadow threads were invisible to almost anyone. Only individuals far stronger than him, with exceptional spiritual perception, could detect them.
In the entire Great Spirit Arena, fewer than five could see them.
Among Shrek's members, only Ning Rongrong and Tang San had witnessed Luo Ling's puppet before. They immediately grew tense.
The oppressive aura radiating from the puppet was overwhelming.
Standing at the back, Ning Rongrong hesitated. Though she didn't want to fight against Luo Ling, the duel had begun—she had no choice.
Reluctantly, she summoned her Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Three beams of light shot toward Tang San, Yu Tianheng, and Xiao Wu.
Under the boost of the Nine Treasures, the three immediately felt their bodies surge with energy. Tang San's confidence strengthened.
Controlling his Blue Silver Grass, he launched it directly toward Luo Ling. He knew the figure ahead was only a puppet—the real body had to be behind it!
The sprawling vines surged forward like a tidal wave.
But halfway through the attack, they began to darken—then crumble, decaying into black dust before disintegrating entirely.
Tang San froze. The connection between him and his martial soul vanished abruptly—his Blue Silver Grass had been obliterated, and he couldn't even see how it happened.
Meanwhile, Yu Tianheng and Xiao Wu both charged forward, only to be intercepted by the Crow Shadow Puppet.
The black figure faced Yu Tianheng head-on. The dragonized Yu Tianheng unleashed punch after punch, each strike wrapped in violent lightning.
The audience gasped at the fierce sight. Thunder flashed, shaking the air itself.
But the puppet didn't flinch. The bolts of lightning struck its body, only to vanish into writhing darkness that warped for an instant before returning to form.
The contrast was clear—Yu Tianheng was losing ground rapidly, pushed into retreat again and again.
(END CHAPTER)
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