Chapter 49: The Phantom Magus of the Great Spirit Arena
"How did you absorb a ten-thousand-year spirit ring? And your second one—wasn't it a thousand-year ring? Doesn't the theory of spirit ring limits say that—"
Ning Rongrong couldn't understand at all.
Ruo Ling turned to her, smiling faintly. "You're referring to Yu Xiaogang's so-called spirit ring age limit theory?"
She nodded.
"As the princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, I thought you'd know better than to believe everything that man says."
"What's wrong with it?" she asked, puzzled.
"Plenty," Ruo Ling replied, shaking his head. A glimmer of red passed through his eyes. "Let me share a secret with you."
"In truth, all of Yu Xiaogang's so-called 'theories' were taken from our Spirit Hall's archives—summaries written by predecessors far more capable than he'll ever be."
"The so-called maximum age limits on spirit rings are merely averages compiled from ordinary spirit masters our Hall has studied over centuries."
"These limits apply only to common folk. But in this world, there will always be those who rise above the limits, won't there?"
Ning Rongrong's mouth opened slightly, unsure whether she was more shocked that Yu Xiaogang had stolen Spirit Hall's research—or by Ruo Ling's self-assured tone.
"So what you're saying is—the Grandmaster's age limit isn't actually the true ceiling for spirit rings?"
"Of course not," Ruo Ling said curtly. "For rings below ten thousand years, compatibility depends on physical endurance. The stronger your body, the higher you can climb beyond the theoretical limit."
"For ten-thousand-year rings, the obstacle isn't strength but spiritual pressure—the shock of the beast's dying soul. That's why only Soul Kings and above can usually withstand the impact safely."
Ning Rongrong nodded slowly, deep in thought. This perspective was completely new to her.
"Still, isn't that considered a classified secret? Why tell me so casually?"
"You're studying in Spirit Hall now," Ruo Ling replied with a dismissive wave. "There's no need for secrecy. And besides—what good is knowledge like this? Easy to say, difficult to achieve. How many can truly surpass the natural limit?"
His tone was calm, almost aloof. The truth was, even after explaining this theory to Bibi Dong, none of Spirit Hall's gifted students had succeeded as he had.
Even Hu Liena's third ring, though it exceeded the limit, had only done so by a mere hundred years.
Ning Rongrong stared at him quietly. As he spoke, his confidence radiated with effortless poise.
Here was the man who had forced her to leave her home and live among strangers—arrogant, yes, but undeniably mesmerizing.
His demeanor, his elegance, his sheer strength—all of it exuded the kind of charm that commanded attention.
Unconsciously, she found herself staring, lost in thought.
Ruo Ling noticed her dazed expression and smiled faintly.
She was a noble princess, raised among brilliance, surrounded by powerful figures—but all it took was for him to show her a strength that shattered her understanding of genius, and the impression would be carved deeply into her heart.
"I've reached level 40!"
"I hit level 40 too! And it feels like I still have soul power leftover!"
"I hit 39!"
Excited shouts erupted from the next room.
Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan had awakened from absorbing their herbs, marveling at their own leaps in strength.
The noise snapped Ning Rongrong out of her thoughts. She listened, a twinge of envy flickering through her eyes.
"There's no need to envy them," Ruo Ling said with a small smile. "I heard your father plans to give you the Golden Threaded Amber Tulip."
"When you return home after three years, your improvement will far surpass theirs. The tulip is one of the highest-grade immortal herbs in existence."
Without waiting for her reply, he walked ahead and opened the door.
Inside, Hu Liena and the others looked ecstatic.
"Xiao Ling! That herb you gave us is ridiculous!" Yan shouted, still brimming with energy.
Then a thought struck him, and he turned sharply. "Hey, wait—your third ring's a ten-thousand-year one, right? Does that mean we can handle a ten-thousand-year ring for our next one?"
The moment he said it, Xie Yue and Hu Liena's eyes lit up expectantly.
Ruo Ling raised a brow. The gap between a thousand-year and a ten-thousand-year ring was enormous.
In the original story, Tang San had managed only because of the Icefire Immortal Body and the Autumn Water Dew granting him unnatural resistance.
As for these three…
"It's better to play it safe," Ruo Ling advised, shaking his head. "A ten-thousand-year ring carries the imprint of the beast's soul. Even with the herbs strengthening your bodies, your mental power is still only at the Soul Ancestor level."
"In my case, my spirit's nature is mental—I could endure it. But you may not."
Hearing this, their excitement faded somewhat.
Seeing their expressions, Ruo Ling chuckled lightly. "Still, you should easily handle rings one or two thousand years stronger than normal. That alone is an incredible advantage."
That comforted them somewhat.
Later that day, Ruo Ling took Hu Liena and Ning Rongrong back to their residence.
On the way, they ran into Dugu Bo and Chrysanthemum Douluo.
"Your Highness, Holy Son!"
"Ah, little friend Ruo Ling!" they greeted warmly, both stopping short upon noticing the girl walking beside him.
"You… you're Ning Fengzhi's daughter, aren't you?" Dugu Bo asked, eyes widening.
"Yes, greetings, Elder Dugu," Ning Rongrong said politely, bowing slightly.
She was shocked—Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, a figure of legend in the Heaven Dou Empire, was now in Spirit Hall.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan has agreed to support Spirit Hall in secret," Ruo Ling explained. "Miss Ning is here to study and exchange knowledge."
The two older spirit masters exchanged knowing looks. Veteran schemers that they were, they immediately understood her presence for what it was—leverage.
Chrysanthemum Douluo sighed inwardly at the Pope's cunning, while Dugu Bo simply chuckled, secretly wondering if he should send his own granddaughter here too.
"Elder Dugu," Ruo Ling suddenly said with a faint smile, "since you've joined Spirit Hall, it might be best to avoid further dealings with the Clear Sky Clan or the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
Dugu Bo blinked, then carefully studied the boy's expression. Slowly, he nodded.
Ruo Ling smiled and nodded in return before walking off with Hu Liena and Ning Rongrong.
...
Three days later, having fully adapted to his boosted soul power and refined control of his abilities, Ruo Ling made his way to Spirit City's Great Spirit Arena.
The brim of a black top hat shadowed half his face, while the other half was obscured by a faint aura of darkness.
The Great Spirit Arena—a place where soul masters fought for glory and experience. Fighters here were seasoned, skilled, and ruthless—a perfect proving ground.
Even Tang San and his companions had once trained in an arena like this under the so-called Grandmaster's guidance. Despite that man's many flaws, Ruo Ling admitted—the environment was ideal.
He was here for the same reason: to refine his combat talent and test his Split Mind Control under pressure.
After all, mastery only came through practice.
"I'd like to register for a solo battle."
At the front desk, his voice was calm but direct.
The staff member eyed his unusual attire but made no comment. In the Great Spirit Arena, eccentricity was commonplace; anonymity was often preferred.
"Please, sir, we'll first need to confirm your spirit rank."
Ruo Ling complied. Moments later, the crystal orb glowed brightly.
"Rank 37—Soul Lord," the clerk read aloud. "Please provide a battle codename."
Ruo Ling paused for a few seconds, a faint grin curving his lips.
"Call me… the Phantom Magus."
(END CHAPTER)
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