DD2: Glory of the Unrivaled Angel

Word Count: 2,045 Words

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Ling Luochen barely had time to raise her Ice Staff before a golden sword light flashed past. A thin crack appeared at the center of the staff, and half a second later, it spread like a spiderweb. The Ice Staff shattered into tiny blue ice crystals that sprinkled over both of them.

Ling Luochen collapsed to the ground with a thud. Her cold and aloof face stared blankly up at the angelic youth before her and the radiant golden Angel Sword in his hand. The boy's expressionless face appeared almost inhumanly handsome under the backlit glow.

"Do you still want to fight?"

At this moment, a sudden gust of wind blew, causing his red school uniform to flutter like a large flag. The dazzling light emanating from him was like a scorching sun that made Ling Luochen's eyes sting. She couldn't help but turn her head away and softly said:

"I admit defeat..."

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister."

Ling Bai extended his hand and helped the disheartened Ling Luochen up, then turned and left.

"Ling Bai wins this match! Since a White Badge has defeated a Yellow Badge, battle spirit points are doubled!"

The referee announced the result.

"What... it's over already?"

The situation had reversed in the blink of an eye. Ling Luochen's 'Ice Sky Fury' had led the audience to believe the battle was already decided, but in the time it took to yawn, Ling Bai had effortlessly turned the tables and defeated her!

The Inner Courtyard students fell into a deathly silence as they watched Ling Bai's figure return to the resting area, pondering two questions.

Could I handle Ling Luochen, one of the current Shrek Seven Monsters?

If it were me, how many moves could I last under that Seraphim's sword?

Wu Ming was among those lost in thought. After a long while, she leaned close to Han Ruoruo's ear with a complicated expression and said, "Sister Ruoruo, I'm starting to sweat a bit..."

"What's wrong? Did Little Junior Brother's performance get to you?"

Han Ruoruo was very perceptive and instantly grasped Wu Ming's inner turmoil.

"Sigh..."

Despite a thousand unwilling thoughts, Wu Ming couldn't deceive herself. She clung to Han Ruoruo's arm and said bitterly:

"Young people these days are too scary. Ling Bai is still so young, but by the time he's twenty, I have a feeling that no one in Shrek Academy, including you and Big Senior Sister, will be a match for him. He'll suppress the entire Inner Courtyard!"

Wu Ming felt deeply troubled. By that time, she, one of the Inner Courtyard's 'Active Volcanoes,' would likely turn into an 'Extinct Volcano.' As long as she dared to erupt, someone would come knocking with the Angel Sword to put out the fire!

"It's not that exaggerated, is it..."

Han Ruoruo didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but she understood Wu Ming's current emotional rollercoaster.

A genius who had always been arrogant and looked down on others had suddenly discovered that there were higher mountains beyond mountains. It was hard to adjust to such disparity.

At this moment, all the Inner Courtyard students were silent, except for one.

Chu Qingtian!

He was grinning broadly as he looked around, showing a mouthful of gleaming white teeth. There was no need to ask why this guy was so happy.

If even Inner Courtyard Senior Sister Ling Luochen had been beaten to the point of losing her bearings by Ling Bai, what was the big deal about losing to him yesterday?

What! Was! Wrong! With! That!

"Student Ling Bai, please wait a moment."

Just as Ling Bai was about to step into the exit tunnel, a voice suddenly called out from behind.

It was the Spirit Dueling Arena referee!

"What is it?" Ling Bai asked.

The referee held a spirit guidance screen in his hand and showed Ling Bai the information displayed on it. "A student has challenged you to a duel. Do you wish to accept?"

Ling Bai looked puzzled. He was just a new student in the Inner Courtyard, yet someone was already challenging him? How unexpected!

"Challenger: White Badge, Dugu Lin."

"Her?"

Ling Bai frowned slightly as the image of the alluring green-haired woman came to mind.

Dugu Lin had witnessed him easily defeat Chu Qingtian and Ling Luochen, yet she dared to challenge him?

Was she looking for a beating...

Or did she have something up her sleeve?

"I accept."

Others might fear the Jade Phosphor Serpent poison, but the Seraphim did not. He had no reason to refuse battle spirit points delivered to his doorstep.

The referee nodded and announced loudly:

"Next duel: White Badge Dugu Lin challenges White Badge Ling Bai. Both participants, please enter the arena!"

The audience erupted in surprise. A White Badge indicated a freshman, and freshmen were typically at the Spirit Ancestor rank. Having witnessed the 4-ringed Seraphim easily defeat the 5-ringed Ice Element, they couldn't help but admire this unfamiliar student named Dugu Lin!

What a brave soul!

"Dugu Lin, huh..."

High above, Elder Xuan let out a long sigh. "The last remaining descendant of the Dugu Clan. If it weren't for the Jade Phosphor Serpent poison affecting her body, she would undoubtedly become one of the Shrek Seven Monsters."

"Her condition... even the academy is powerless to help..."

Yan Shaozhe clasped his hands behind his back, his voice filled with regret. Dugu Lin's Jade Phosphor Serpent poison was no less troublesome than Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire Phoenix!

A graceful figure soon emerged from the opposite of the Spirit Dueling Arena. Neither participant was in a hurry to start; they stood at opposite ends of the arena, observing each other from afar. Dugu Lin lifted her fair chin slightly and was the first to break the silence:

"Ling Bai, we meet again."

Her slender fingers brushed across her swan-like, smooth neck, and a captivating smile spread across her face. "Since this is a challenge, there should be some stakes. How about we make a bet?"

"No bet," Ling Bai refused decisively.

"Why not?"

"Someone has ulterior motives."

"You're so unromantic. At least hear me out about the bet!" Dugu Lin pouted, her enchanting figure exuding endless allure. "If you win, I'm yours. If you lose, I'm still yours...

So what do you say? Are you in?"

Three question marks seemed to pop up over Ling Bai's head. "You're quite generous, but what's the difference between winning and losing?"

"Of course there's a difference. It concerns who will be on top between us in the future."

"... Can you keep it appropriate?"

"Playing and joking during the day, kissing and cuddling at night. Isn't that your kind of thing?"

Dugu Lin's delicate tongue lightly licked her red lips. Her seductive manner caused many of the male students with lower self-control in the audience to look like lovesick puppies, their eyes turning into bouncing pink hearts.

Noticing the sudden surge of hormones around her, Wu Ming frowned as she turned to Chu Qingtian and said bluntly:

"Hey, what's up with this Dugu Lin? She doesn't seem like a decent person at all!"

"Huh?"

Chu Qingtian jolted as if caught daydreaming by a teacher. After a brief moment of confusion, he replied, "Dugu Lin, Martial Spirit: Jade Phosphor Serpent, Spirit Power: Rank 49. She entered the Inner Courtyard this year with Ling-ge and me."

"Rank 49? Then Ling Bai is sure to win," Wu Ming said confidently.

She couldn't believe that a mere Jade Phosphor Serpent Spirit Ancestor could defeat the monster who crushed Ling Luochen.

"Senior Sister, forgive me for being blunt, but Ling-ge... might not have as much of an advantage over Dugu Lin as you think. In fact, he might even lose if he is not careful." Chu Qingtian hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and revealing the truth.

"Why?" Wu Ming asked curiously.

Han Ruoruo also turned her inquisitive gaze toward him. As the only person who had fought both Ling Bai and Dugu Lin, Chu Qingtian's evaluation had some reference value.

Chu Qingtian licked his dry lips as he replayed his encounters with the two monsters in his mind:

"Dugu Lin is undisputedly the strongest in the Outer Courtyard. This year, six students, including me, have been admitted to the Inner Courtyard. However, excluding Ling-ge, the remaining four of us together aren't her match. In fact, for her, there's no difference between fighting one of us and fighting all four of us."

Wu Ming was shocked. "I thought the Jade Phosphor Serpent wasn't a top-level Martial Spirit. How did she achieve that?"

"The Jade Phosphor Serpent is a highly poisonous Martial Spirit. Could it be because of the poison?" Han Ruoruo speculated.

"Senior Sister Han is absolutely right," Chu Qingtian said with a wry smile. "Dugu Lin has extraordinary talent in poison. Unlike her ancestors Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan, who specialized in control-type poison techniques, she has developed a different path entirely! Her Jade Phosphor Serpent poison is incredibly potent, and moreover...

Dugu Lin is a complete madwoman!!"

"Playing and joking during the day, kissing and cuddling at night?"

In the arena, Ling Bai stepped forward slowly, finally stopping thirty meters from Dugu Lin. The steel shadow of the arena's dome, limiting the flight height of Martial Spirits, created a chasm between them. Sunlight from either end shone upon them—one alluring like warm sunshine, the other cold like frost.

His golden eyes, like frost-covered mirrors, fixed on Dugu Lin as he spoke:

"Has anyone ever told you that your perfume can no longer mask the stench of snake venom on your body? Judging by the color of your hair and eyes, I am really curious—what flows in your veins now, blood or poison?"

From thirty meters away, Dugu Lin silently lowered her head, her rosy lips curling into a delicate smile. Her exquisite face suddenly exuded a demonic charm. In an instant, a poison arrow glowing with purple light shot fiercely toward Ling Bai!

Ling Bai sidestepped, the poison arrow grazing his shoulder and hitting the ground. In just a few seconds, it corroded a pit over half a meter deep, emitting a nauseating stench. The edges resembled a gaping mouth that continued to expand outward.

"This is a new uniform."

Ling Bai said to Dugu Lin in a reproachful tone. If his clothes got even a bit of Jade Phosphor Serpent poison, they'd be ruined, and he'd have to spend money to buy a new set from the academy.

"If you can walk out of the arena with your clothes intact today, I swear I'll change my family name from Dugu!"

Dugu Lin's allure was innate. With the release of her Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Spirit, her lower body transformed into a snake's tail, making her even more enchanting. Even when uttering harsh words, her seductive manner still captivated people.

"Getting worked up?"

Ling Bai remained unfazed. Dugu Lin had been the one to harbor ill intentions toward him first, and he had merely spoken the truth. Still, his words seemed to have hit a nerve with her!

"Seems you've figured some things out, so I won't bother wasting effort trying to seduce a hopelessly dense man like you!"

Dugu Lin smiled faintly. With her Martial Spirit Manifestation, her peculiar emerald-green vertical pupils exuded a strange charm. She turned her sharp fingertips inward and plunged them into her own chest with a fierce motion!

Ling Bai's eyes narrowed. There was no way Dugu Lin would commit suicide, so there was only one reason for her actions!

Her five fingers withdrew from her body, bringing out droplets of blood that dripped down. Dugu Lin seemed unfazed by pain as she spoke:

"Ling Bai, let me teach you something.

The most terrifying thing in the world is poison. Just like extreme emotions such as ecstasy, fear, anger, and despair, when poison enters the human body, it greatly stimulates the nerves and the body. Therefore, in another sense, poison is... medicine!"

Dugu Lin's face had already taken on a ghastly shade of green!

"The effect of this Jade Phosphor Serpent poison of mine is to obtain strength that surpasses the limits! Are you ready?"

Self-Created Spirit Skill: Bone-Deepening Poison!

Effect: All attributes skyrocket!