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Under the frosty glow of the corridor, Ning Rongrong absentmindedly twisted the tassels of her dress hem. Moonlight cast shadows on her butterfly-like lashes.
Zhu Zhuqing leaned against a carved pillar, her obsidian eyes flickering slightly as she tilted her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the other girl's tightly clenched toes beneath her pink skirt.
The two girls exchanged glances but quickly averted their eyes, unable to find words to bridge the awkward silence.
They had only just become friends, and their budding relationship had come to an abrupt halt. There was nothing left to discuss.
As gauzy silver light cascaded from the eaves, the interplay of light and shadow caused them to silently avoid each other.
"Gu La, you jerk!"
The wooden door slammed into the wall as Xiao Wu stormed in like a pink whirlwind, still barefoot. Her thoughts churned with anger as she charged into the room.
Suddenly, Gu La's neck felt a weight press down on him, accompanied by the fresh scent of soap. A braid bounced with the sudden movement, its owner's face flushed—whether from anger or embarrassment, it was unclear.
"Ouch~ Go easy."
Gu La feigned pain, playing the victim. Xiao Wu fell for it, softening her grip and gently supporting his head.
"When did you turn into such a bad boy? Was it Dai Mubai who taught you?"
Xiao Wu's pink eyes widened as she blushed, confronting Gu La.
She couldn't quite define her feelings for him—was it gratitude, admiration, or something more?
But her feminine intuition told her that now was the time to compete. Giving up would be the first step toward becoming a loser.
"It's all fate's doing. How could I give up any of you after meeting you all?"
Gu La spoke the bold truth, causing Xiao Wu to pout and bite his shoulder in frustration. "Then who do you like the most?"
"Of course, it's you… I can swear it to the heavens!"
The plane consciousness trembled faintly. 'Who's speaking?'
---
Spirit Hall.
Bibi Dong convened another elder council meeting.
The seven-colored glass dome of the Pope's Hall fractured the morning light into pieces as numerous Title Douluo elders and venerable figures gathered once again.
Jiang Mo Douluo sighed to his older brother, Qian Jun Douluo, "For over a decade, we barely held any meetings. Lately, they've been happening every two years."
Qingluan Douluo glanced at Bibi Dong. "Is it because Oak has developed new martial soul theories? His simplified draconic secret technique didn't yield much, so what's this about?"
Bibi Dong gestured for Yue Guan to distribute the copied visualization diagrams. "This is Oak's latest research—eighteen visualization diagrams. By regularly meditating on them, soul masters can train their spiritual power. If constructed perfectly within the Sea of Spirit, they may even manipulate elements using spiritual power alone, without relying on martial souls."
"What?! Does that mean these are equivalent to eighteen self-created spirit-type soul skills?"
Xiongshi (Mighty Lion) Douluo unfolded one of the diagrams and immediately gravitated toward the Blazing Sun Visualization Diagram, which resonated with his attribute. In an instant, a blazing sun descended into his Sea of Spirit, burning away the stagnant spiritual energy and birthing new vitality amid intense heat.
He was deeply moved, envisioning the possibility of further advancement. Lost in thought, he forgot he was in a meeting and focused solely on visualizing the Blazing Sun.
Other Title Douluo also found diagrams suited to their attributes. Only Guangling Douluo, who wielded Ice and Light, and Qian Daoliu, along with others specializing in light and darkness, struggled to find perfect matches among the eighteen diagrams.
Over twenty ripples of soul power surged. Xiongshi Douluo's crimson beard fluttered without wind as his fingertips traced the fiery patterns on the edge of the Blazing Sun Totem. Beneath Gui Douluo's black robe, the joints of his bones clicked softly as ghostly flames from the Spectral Scroll resonated with his martial soul.
An hour later, thanks to their Title Douluo-level spiritual strength, they had preliminarily constructed the visualization patterns within their Sea of Spirit. One by one, they awakened, seeing others still immersed in meditation, and maintained silence to preserve the rare opportunity.
Finally, Gui Douluo awoke last. He exhaled slowly. "Alas, a lifetime of effort, and yet my research on my martial soul is surpassed by a stranger."
As his words faded, the shackles binding him for twenty years shattered, pushing him to level 96.
The Spectral Visualization Method incorporated knowledge of the spirit world from the Pokémon universe, embodying some essential laws of Ghost-type Pokémon. For Gui Douluo, whose martial soul was his own soul, it was akin to a profound self-analysis.
Even during the Spirit Hall meeting, he habitually wore his black hood. Now, however, he reached up with his emaciated hand, removing the hood to reveal his pale, sunken face.
'What a pity. The soul isn't a ghost. One misstep, and everything goes wrong. Level 96 is my limit.'
Gui Douluo lamented inwardly. If only he hadn't pursued extreme Yin-attribute soul rings or been severely injured by Tang Hao...
Alas, regret couldn't undo mistakes.
Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes flashed green. He sensed resonance with both the Divine Wood and Metal Visualization Diagrams, though the former felt more familiar. He realized he had strayed from the right path.
But his willpower was strong—he hadn't been frightened by Tang Hao—and after some adjustment, he felt redemption was within reach. A breakthrough wasn't far off.
Gui Bao (Ghost Leopard) Douluo let out a soft scoff. He and Mo Xiong (Demon Bear) Douluo were considered the most promising candidates to break through to level 96 and become the next venerable elders. To be surpassed by Gui Douluo, who had long been considered hopeless, was unexpected.
Yue Guan seemed to have gained something as well. However, their martial souls were common beast-type ones, with deeper potential already mined, so their gains were less significant than Yue Guan's.
Qian Daoliu set aside the visualization diagram. "This cultivation method holds immense value, surpassing even soul force meditation techniques. Could Oak truly have created all eighteen diagrams alone?"
Everyone pondered thoughtfully.
Golden radiance flickered in Jin'e Douluo's eyes. He had gained significantly—the draconic secret technique tapped into bloodline potential, while the visualization method refined spiritual power. He saw hope for breakthrough.
Suppressing his excitement, he said, "Regardless, twice—no, three times, including the Bone-Fortifying Ointment—each paper has revolutionized the soul master world. This proves Oak's importance, rivaling any Title Douluo, save perhaps our eldest brother."
He glanced around. No one opposed him; some even nodded in agreement.
"And She Long's (Snake Spear) report mentioned that Oak saved Emperor Xue Ye of Tian Dou, showcasing mastery over four elements and unique spirit-based soul skills. We must take him seriously."
Qingluan Douluo raised an eyebrow. "Four elements require mastering four visualization methods to perfection... No, using spiritual abilities to repel She Long and Ci Xue (Porcupinefish Douluo) suggests he avoided exposing his true strength by not using his martial soul."
"To achieve mastery over elements purely through visualization methods is impossible without reaching perfection... Is it possible that all eighteen visualization methods were indeed created by him?"
The hall fell silent. Even Title Douluo had to acknowledge the difficulty of the visualization methods.
Without decades of effort, none of them could reach perfection. From this, they deduced that Oak's expertise in visualization methods surpassed everyone else's. The most plausible explanation was that he had created them, allowing him to achieve perfection directly.
"It's possible. But since Oak is willing to cooperate with the Spirit Hall, we might still bring him over. He saved Xue Ye but didn't meet him."
"If he truly wants to avoid continental turmoil, perhaps he fears war interfering with his publication of papers."
Jin'e Douluo chuckled, amused by his own deduction.
Those around him reflected carefully and found some merit in his reasoning.
Bibi Dong tapped the table. "Back to the matter at hand. Everyone recognizes the significance of these visualization diagrams. Should we release them to the public?"
"Go ahead."
Qian Daoliu nodded, knowing Bibi Dong didn't want to bear responsibility. "You already knew this—Oak has already connected with major factions by selling blueprints for Mega Evolution devices. If we don't release them, he'll do it himself."
Thus, the next day, a new issue of the Spirit Hall Newspaper was published.
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