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Tang San stood frozen as he stared at the scene unfolding before him. The situation had changed so quickly that he barely had time to think. He immediately used the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to retreat, moving with fluid, blurring speed to put distance between himself and his opponent. Realizing he had no way to counter what had just happened, he shouted out, "I admit defeat. I can't win this."
Flender stood by the side of the training field, unable to react for a long time. His eyes were wide with shock. Beside him, Zhao Wuji was the first to snap out of it. He reached over and patted Oscar on the shoulder to get his attention. "Little Ao, stop staring. Hurry up and make some sausages for Tang San to help him recover. After that, go find someone to bring a healing Spirit Master back here quickly."
"Oh, right! On it!" Oscar replied as he shook his head to clear his mind. His brain felt completely blank from the shock, but he quickly began chanting his spirit incantations to produce sausages for Tang San.
In the mysterious Group Chat that connected masters from across the continent, the conversation was exploding with confusion and awe.
Su Yan: Did anyone actually understand what just happened?
I Am an Orphan: ...
Liu Erlong: What kind of rogue Spirit Ability was that? Immunity to all damage? Isn't that a bit too exaggerated for a Spirit Grand Master level?
Bo Saixi: It also allows the user to swap positions at any time. Doesn't this mean the owner of the shadow can fight while being completely immune to damage? If they can just switch whenever they are in danger, they are basically invincible.
Bibi Dong: I think I understand it a little bit. The shadow follows Zhu Zhuqing's own actions perfectly. This applies to both her basic physical attacks and her Spirit Abilities. But what is the actual principle behind it? How does a shadow gain physical mass?
Call Me Her Majesty the Empress: Right? Whatever Zhu Zhuqing does, her shadow does too. It's just as well-behaved as my own shadow! Come on, someone praise me for being smart enough to notice that!
Ma Xiaotao: Being able to swap positions is truly a rogue ability. It breaks the balance of a normal fight.
Su Yan laughed as he read the messages flashing through his mind.
Su Yan: Is it really that rogue? I think it's alright. If you're smart enough and observant, there's actually a chance to crack it. You have to remember that a shadow is just a shadow; it cannot receive any attacks because it has no physical body to hit. However, the Spirit Ability grants that shadow the owner's attack capabilities. Everything the shadow does is synchronized with the owner.
Su Yan: This means that the one actually performing the attacks is still Zhu Zhuqing standing in the distance. The shadow is just a projection of her power.
Everyone: ???
Inside the grand halls of Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong was also stunned by the explanation. She paced slightly, her mind working through the logic of the ability. She seemed to understand the secret behind the power now.
Bibi Dong: It's just a shadow, and the shadow is synchronized with the owner. Since there is no mental control or spiritual link being used to move the shadow, it is immune to all mental force severance attacks. You can't cut a connection that isn't there.
Bo Saixi: So, at the moment the Spirit Ability is used, the shadow separates from the owner. After that, everything the shadow does is like what you see when you move in front of a mirror?
Call Me Her Majesty the Empress: I still don't understand any of this! It sounds too complicated!
Nine Treasures Little Princess: If you don't understand, then just stop looking. Next, let this Young Miss show you all what simple and straightforward invincibility looks like!
After Ning Rongrong finished typing her bold declaration in the Group Chat, she walked straight out toward the center of the clearing. She looked at Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar, pointing a finger at them confidently. "The three of you, come at me together!" she shouted.
"What?" Dai Mubai blurted out. He and the others hadn't even finished processing how Zhu Zhuqing's Spirit Ability worked, and now they were hit with Ning Rongrong's heaven-defying statement.
"You want to fight the three of us alone?" Ma Hongjun asked, his jaw dropping. "Wait a second. Isn't your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda a support spirit? How are you going to fight us without a teammate to protect you?"
Flender and Zhao Wuji were also completely bewildered. Flender stepped forward, asking with a deep frown, "Do you mean you want to have a three-on-three team battle next? That would make more sense."
"That works too!" Ning Rongrong said, waving her hand dismissively as if it didn't matter. "But no, I meant what I said. It's just me, this Young Miss, who wants to fight the three of you. I don't need help."
"Wait a minute!" Dugu Yan and Xiao Wu shouted at the same time. Neither of them looked happy about being left out.
"Rongrong, you're taking all the spotlight for yourself," Xiao Wu complained. "What are we supposed to do if you fight everyone? Leave Fatty and Oscar for us to beat up!"
Ye Lingling turned to look at Dugu Yan and Xiao Wu with a calm expression. "What about me?" she asked softly.
Dugu Yan looked at her crossly. "You're a healing Spirit Master, Lingling. How are you going to fight in a duel? You'll just get targeted immediately."
Ye Lingling thought for a moment, her expression remaining steady. "In a team battle, I'll provide treatment for them," she suggested.
"Huh?" Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong were dazed. They looked at her as if she had said something crazy. Did she just suggest healing the enemy?
"Eh?" Dugu Yan's eyes suddenly lit up with a mischievous spark. "Wait, I changed my mind. I'll back out of this one. Let Lingling, Xiao Wu, and Rongrong fight the team battle against the boys."
Su Yan couldn't help but burst out laughing at the suggestion. He knew exactly what was about to happen. He thought to himself, "Good, very good. Ye Lingling, you 'Old Six' player, are you finally going to show your true terror to the Douluo Continent?"
"Then let's have a team battle!" Yu Xiaogang stood up, his expression solemn and serious. He wanted to see how these students handled a coordinated group fight.
Flender also nodded heavily, agreeing with the plan. "Fine, a three-on-three team battle it is. On our side, it will be the trio of Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar. On your side, besides Zhu Zhuqing who just fought, just pick three others to come out."
Flender and Yu Xiaogang were not stupid. They knew that in individual matches, Oscar was bound to lose, and Ma Hongjun was only in the twenties, so he would most likely lose against the girls as well. Only a team battle offered them a tactical chance to win through cooperation.
Su Yan had a look on his face like he was trying very hard not to laugh. "It doesn't matter to us how we do it. Everyone in our academy is a genius; we can win no matter how we fight. Go ahead and set it up."
At the thought of the shock Ye Lingling was about to bring to everyone, Su Yan could hardly contain his amusement.
Dugu Yan also suppressed a laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. "I won't fight this time. Let Lingling play with you boys to give you a big surprise."
Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu were a bit confused by the change in plans, but they didn't mind. They were confident. With Ning Rongrong's current strength, fighting three opponents by herself would have been easy anyway. Having teammates just gave them a sense of participation in the victory.
Back in the Group Chat, the observers were sensing that something was wrong.
Liu Erlong: Why do I feel like something isn't quite right here? The girls are acting too confident.
Tang Yuehua: Su Yan and Dugu Yan clearly look like they're up to no good. Could it be that Number Nine isn't just good at lurking in the chat? Maybe her Spirit Ability also has something special we don't know about?
Ma Xiaotao: I'm begging you all, please don't hit my ancestor Ma Hongjun in the face. The injuries on his face from the last fight have only just healed. It would be a shame if he got bruised again so soon.
Bibi Dong: Number Nine was the first to obtain a system spirit ring, which means her ability is also a self-created Spirit Ability. Wait...
Bibi Dong suddenly remembered a crucial detail about the girl's identity.
Hu Liena: Teacher, what's wrong? Why did you stop?
Bibi Dong: This Number Nine is Ye Lingling! She is from the Nine Heart Begonia family. Their family's spirit is famous because it only ever has a single healing Spirit Ability, no matter how many rings they have!
I Am an Orphan: Yes, and that makes this situation even more fishy. If she only heals, why is she so confident in a fight?
Dark Avenger: Big sister, you're a healing Spirit Master. Why are you joining the fun of a combat match? You're just going to get hurt.
Wang Dong: I've never heard of that spirit. Is the Nine Heart Begonia spirit really that powerful?
Yanzi is not a Swallow: The Nine Heart Begonia is known as the strongest healing spirit on the entire continent. And my sister, Ye Lingling, is the strongest healing Spirit Master in history.
Su Yan: Bar none. She is the best.
Everyone: ???
Now everyone was extremely curious about what was going to happen. Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar walked out to the center of the field, looking a bit nervous. Ma Hongjun looked at Su Yan and said, "Hey... we agreed beforehand that this is just a normal match. If we win, you can't get mad and take your anger out on us later!"
"Mhm," Su Yan nodded slightly, not saying much. He just watched with a smirk.
Dai Mubai took a deep breath and looked at his opponents with a solemn expression. "If you let that Dugu Yan take part, you might have had a real chance to win. But without her poison, you're going to lose today. Brothers, release your spirits!"
"Dai Mubai, Spirit: White Tiger. Level 37 Battle Spirit Elder!" A powerful golden light erupted from him as his muscles expanded.
"Ma Hongjun, Spirit: Evil Fire Phoenix. Level 28 Spirit Grand Master!" Purple flames flickered around the fat boy as he prepared for battle.
"Oscar, Spirit: Sausage. Level 31 Spirit Elder!" Oscar held out his hands, ready to provide support.
Ye Lingling stepped forward calmly. She reached out her hand, and a beautiful, deep pink Nine Heart Begonia flower bloomed in her palm. "Ye Lingling, Spirit: Nine Heart Begonia. Level 44 Healing Spirit Ancestor."
As she spoke, her spirit rings rose from beneath her feet. When everyone saw the colors of her four spirit rings—black, yellow, purple, and black—shocked expressions instantly appeared on their faces.
"How is this possible?" Flender gasped, his glasses nearly falling off his face.
"The first spirit ring is a ten-thousand-year spirit ring? And the fourth spirit ring is also a ten-thousand-year spirit ring?" Zhao Wuji shouted in disbelief.
Dai Mubai and the others were frozen in place. Even Flender and Zhao Wuji turned their gazes toward Yu Xiaogang, looking for an explanation. Their eyes seemed to ask, "Yu Xiaogang, what happened to your theories about spirit ring limits?"
Zhu Zhuqing and the other girls also looked at Su Yan in confusion. They remembered clearly that Ye Lingling had only received a reward system spirit ring once. How were there two ten-thousand-year spirit rings on her body now?
"Hehe," Dugu Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud. She really found it hilarious whenever she thought about the absolute mischief and chaos Ye Lingling was about to cause for the boys. They had no idea what kind of monster they were facing.