Chapter 170: A Promise to Xiao Wu
"Second Spirit Skill, Phoenix of Rebirth!"
"Third Spirit Skill, Soaring Flame Wings!"
Right from the start, Ma Hongjun used his full strength. Though he bore no ill will toward Luo Ling, he was still a member of the Shrek team.
He accepted Yu Xiaogang's strategy—one word: drag.
He needed to consume as much of Luo Ling's spirit power as possible.
Scarlet flames engulfed Ma Hongjun, a pair of blazing wings forming behind his back. With a powerful beat, he rose into the air, hurling a column of phoenix fire straight at Luo Ling.
But Luo Ling didn't move. He simply stood there, quietly watching the display.
The crimson fire sliced across the arena, hitting Luo Ling squarely in the chest.
Ma Hongjun froze in surprise.
In the spectator area, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang were equally stunned—then delighted.
For the first time, Luo Ling had been struck. The Evil Fire Phoenix was a top-tier beast spirit; its flames were scorching enough to melt steel.
Even if the attack didn't seriously injure Luo Ling, it had to have hurt him.
Or so they believed.
On the stage, flames surged wildly, but Luo Ling walked through them calmly, untouched.
The black scythe in his hand gleamed faintly with a sinister aura. His clothes didn't even have a single burn mark—there wasn't the slightest hint of damage.
The entire grand arena went silent.
"What happened?"
"Why isn't he hurt?"
"His fire didn't do anything!"
…
The Royal Knights in the stands began whispering in disbelief.
Over in the Blazing Academy's section, Huo Wu's eyes widened.
Every single one of their academy's students was a fire-attribute spirit master, their flames fierce enough to rival Ma Hongjun's.
And yet Luo Ling emerged from the phoenix fire completely unharmed.
"How is this possible?" Huo Wu muttered in shock.
Even above, Ma Hongjun hesitated midair.
"Sorry," Luo Ling's voice echoed faintly across the arena, "I'm fire immune. Fire doesn't affect me."
A stunned silence followed.
Fireproof—completely? That meant any fire-based spirit master was essentially powerless against him!
The students from Blazing Academy looked at each other in speechless disbelief. Huo Wu's temper flared.
"So that's why he didn't fight us in the preliminaries… that bastard! Who the hell is immune to fire itself?" she snarled through gritted teeth.
Ma Hongjun could only laugh bitterly.
But he didn't forfeit. His task was to waste Luo Ling's energy, not to win.
"Are you sure you want to keep going?" Luo Ling asked casually, gazing up at him.
"Brother Ling, even if you're immune to fire, I'll never admit defeat. You'll have to beat me first," Ma Hongjun said through clenched teeth.
Luo Ling shrugged. "Alright, if you insist."
He activated his Desire Aura, a shimmering veil wrapping around his body. In the next instant, he soared into the air.
His speed was several times faster than Ma Hongjun's flaming wings.
The Desire Aura amplified all of his attributes by sixty percent at his current rank as a Soul Emperor—including an additional sixty percent increase in speed.
Even an agility-type Spirit Sage couldn't match him in full flight.
In the blink of an eye, Luo Ling appeared beside Ma Hongjun. His fist, shrouded in black energy, slammed into the phoenix spirit master's chest.
The impact felt like a mountain crushing down. Ma Hongjun shot backward like a cannonball, crashing into the ground as his flames extinguished instantly.
He collapsed, foam spilling from his mouth, completely unconscious.
The crowd fell silent once more.
Those who had only heard about Luo Ling's feats now fully understood what kind of monster he was.
A top-level fire‑attribute spirit master had been defeated instantly—and Luo Ling hadn't even used his scythe.
In the stands, Flender stared at the fallen Ma Hongjun. The raw speed Luo Ling had displayed surpassed even his own—and he was a Spirit Saint specialized in agility. The thought left him momentarily speechless.
After several seconds, he rushed to the arena, checking Ma Hongjun's pulse. When he confirmed it was only unconsciousness, he sighed with relief and carried the boy off the stage.
The referee, recovering from his daze, announced enthusiastically, "The third match—Heaven Dou Royal Academy wins! Shrek Academy, send out your next contestant!"
Xiao Wu immediately jumped onto the stage.
She and Zhu Zhuqing hadn't participated in the preliminaries, so the audience was eager to finally see them fight. Beautiful competitors always drew attention.
As Xiao Wu approached, Luo Ling raised an eyebrow and said softly, "You shouldn't still be with Shrek, should you? Even with my help, showing yourself so openly… aren't you worried?"
Her expression flickered with turmoil. She had entered the human world to cultivate and avenge her mother—until she met Luo Ling.
Through him, she had learned about her own "fate."
Tang San's father, Tang Hao, now knew her true identity as a transformed soul beast. Logically, she should have left Shrek and gone into hiding.
Yet she stayed.
"You promised me," Xiao Wu said quietly, biting her lip, "that with your help, no one would discover me."
Luo Ling was momentarily stunned before sighing helplessly. He could feel the affection Xiao Wu held for him—feelings born from the future he had described.
But that "future" was a lie, a fiction he had created to destroy Tang San and take revenge on Yu Xiaogang.
Still, Luo Ling spoke earnestly. "I think I understand why you stayed. If I had to guess—it's because of me, isn't it?"
Xiao Wu froze, her cheeks flushing bright red as her mouth opened and closed soundlessly.
"Don't deny it," Luo Ling interrupted with a faint smile. "You know my spiritual perception is strong—I can sense emotions as well as thoughts. You can't hide them from me."
He met her gaze steadily. "You can stay with me. I'll keep you safe.
"As for anything else, I can't promise more than that. But if the day ever comes that you resent me and want to leave, I'll still make sure you do so safely."
His voice was calm but sincere. It was a promise—and perhaps a form of atonement for the lie he was living.
(END CHAPTER)
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