The arena was encased in silence.
Above the tournament stage, ten floating array disks rotated slowly—each one carved with divine patterns, infused with peak-tier soul formation stabilizers, and reinforced by the combined spiritual power of seven Rank 98+ Titled Douluo. This wasn't just a battlefield—it was a sealed world.
The grand final had begun.
Tang Clan vs Spirit Hall.
On one side, seven members clad in deep blue robes with black sashes stood proud. The Tang Clan's banner, bearing the sigil of a spiraling spear crossing a flying dagger, flew above them. Their leader stood slightly ahead—Tang Wei, the captain.
He was calm. Serene. Unassuming.
But only fools underestimated him.
Each of his six visible spirit rings pulsed rhythmically—four over 10,000 years, and two crimson 100,000-year rings—but no one had seen his true soul essence. Not even the Tang Clan. His twin spirit souls had never been revealed.
Because Tang San never trusted the world.
Even within the Tang Clan, the legacy techniques were handed out piece by piece, and secrets were buried under blood oaths and memory seals. Tang San had created an elite among elites—loyal, talented, and deadly—but he trusted only one truth: power invites betrayal. Especially divine-level power.
And Tang Wei's trump card… was divine.
---
Across the Arena – Spirit Hall's Team
They stood tall in golden robes, each a young master cultivated with unlimited resources. At their center stood Qian Rui, Spirit Hall's chosen heir and final legacy of the Qian bloodline. His body glowed faintly, and six spirit rings floated around him—three of them crimson, one dark gold. At his back hovered a ghostly spirit projection: a golden spear forged of condensed holy light.
The contrast was brutal: discipline vs arrogance, legacy vs supremacy.
The Grand Judge, a neutral elder from the Neutral Council of the Ancient Pavilion, stepped forward.
"—Begin."
---
First Movement: Lightning Clash
Spirit Hall opened with speed.
Their two speed-type specialists vanished into flashes of holy light, striking from left and right. Meanwhile, Qian Rui raised his hand, channeling an overwhelming light-based suppression field. Tang Clan responded instantly—their defensive trio forming a five-pointed barrier that absorbed the first strike, then countered with a triple dagger explosion.
But it was a feint.
The real danger wasn't Spirit Hall's opening volley.
It was their Saint-Rank Fusion Technique—a forbidden combination that allowed three members to fuse spirit energy and manifest a miniature divine entity. As the battlefield surged with light, a six-winged phantom descended. The entire arena trembled.
Spectators gasped.
"Spirit Hall used it this early? That's their strongest fusion!"
But Tang Wei didn't react.
His hands remained at his side, eyes calm.
Then he whispered, "Formation Delta-7. Drop the pressure."
The Tang Clan team instantly shifted. Two members drew out Hidden Tang Weapons, while the rear trio shifted into a flexible stance. Only now did Tang Wei step forward, as though brushing aside the entire Saint-Rank technique.
And then—it appeared.
Behind him, a second spirit projection flared into view.
The audience froze.
One moment: Tang Wei had one spirit—the Darksteel Feather Blade.
The next: a second spirit rose—Celestial Ice Phoenix, its wings blazing with freezing light.
A Twin Spirit Soul user.
The battlefield rippled violently.
Even the Spirit Hall elders stood in shock.
"Tang Clan has… a twin spirit soul user? That wasn't recorded…"
Bibi Dong's expression turned cold in the VIP viewing platform. "So Tang San still plants seeds behind the world's back."
She wasn't wrong.
Tang Wei was a seed. A calculated legacy hidden for over two decades, trained by Tang San personally, shaped through near-death experiences and soul-memory compression. No one had ever seen his full strength.
Because Tang San had kept it hidden from everyone—including his clan.
---
Second Movement: Unveiling the Divine Path
Tang Wei's first spirit activated. Darksteel Feather Blade shot forward, then looped through the air as thousands of shadow blades formed a massive ring of death. At the same time, the Celestial Ice Phoenix ignited above him. The temperature in the arena dropped drastically—Spirit Hall's barrier formation began to crack.
Qian Rui roared, summoning his golden spear. His god-level bloodline surged forward, eyes glowing white.
But Tang Wei moved without hesitation.
"Five-in-One Strike."
He whispered it so softly the wind nearly swallowed it—but the impact shattered the heavens.
His spirit rings rearranged themselves—three from each spirit lined up vertically, resonating with a violet-gold thread running through them. A unique evolution—Tang San's greatest creation—was about to be fully unleashed.
The Five-in-One Strike activated.
But this wasn't just five rings resonating. It was five from two different spirits, synchronized through a twin-core soul center created by Tang San's forbidden technique: Heaven's Meridian Chain.
A divine technique not one step, but half a step from the divine realm.
A thunderous spear of light, ice, and shadow blasted forward—ripping through the Spirit Hall fusion like a blade through paper.
BOOM!
The explosion cracked the entire arena's outer formation. The Saint Fusion shattered. Three members of Spirit Hall were flung unconscious, vomiting blood.
The crowd rose to their feet.
What… had they just witnessed?
A twin-spirit resonance technique?
A five-in-one fusion strike… that used two different spirits?
That wasn't just unheard of. It was unthinkable.
Even gods would be cautious before attacking such a technique directly.
---
Aftermath: Silence and Reverence
Qian Rui tried to rise.
He couldn't.
A spear tip hovered at his throat. Tang Wei looked down, his expression unchanging.
"No shame in loss," he said quietly. "But next time, come prepared."
Qian Rui looked up, eyes full of confusion. "Who are you really?"
Tang Wei turned away.
"I am the blade forged by shadows. You… are the flame consumed by pride."
---
In the Shadowed Hall of Tang Clan
Tang San watched it all unfold through a mirror of ice-light.
He smiled.
"He's ready."
His aura pulsed again—this time surging into the divine spectrum.
Level 98. Peak compressed.
The next step: Supreme Godhood.
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