<3rd Pov>
6 months passed. In Star Duo Forest, in a small cleaned space, free of any of the typical tall trees, two humans could be seen facing each other.
One of them was a young man of 22 years old, he had a handsome face and his most characteristic feature were his golden eyes and snow-white hair. The other one was a beautiful girl with a rosy face who seemed to be around 20 years, she had her long brown hair braided in a scorpion tail and had a pair of charming and intelligent red eyes. Her most characteristic feature should be a pair of long rabbit's ears and a rabbit's tail.
The young man had a strange sword in his hands that shined with 9 different colors, with a white aura covering it. Around him, 5 white spheres orbited around him.
Suddenly, the girls disappeared and appeared at the young man back. She tried to kick him but one white sphere interposed between both, before crashing with the white sphere and without stopping her kick, the girl disappeared yet again appearing at the young man's right side.
The young man seemed to have read her as his sword already was on guard, the kick striking it. A short shine from the sword and the girl was pushed away by an invisible force. The girl recuperated in the air landing safely.
"I hate your style! I want to hit you hard!" shouted the girl.
The young man smirked "Try it" teased at the girl.
From the girl, 6 spirit rings appeared surrounding her, showing that this young girl was a genius, a Spirit Emperor so young. The most shocking was her ring configuration, yellow, purple, purple, purple, black and the most shocking one, red.
Her rings started shining as she dashed to the young man, increasing her overall speed and strength. From the young man's sword 6 spirit rings appeared, purple, purple, black, black, black. The first 3 rings shined brightly and the girl movements turned slower.
The girl clicked her tongue and started teleporting around the young man, making difficult to pinpoint her position.
Just as the girl appeared at the young man's back, she found herself surrounded by the five white spheres. The sphere shined and a white aura linked the 5 of them, this caused for a white sphere to be created around the girl, this was a domain! The spheres then shot toward the girl.
One purple ring shined brightly and her body started shining with a pink glow. The sphere stroke to the girl without causing any damage to her. The pink aura around the girl exploded in the form of a pink rabbit pushing the spheres aside and breaking the domain.
The girl then teleported again at the young man's side. Her red ring shined brightly and a pink aura focused on her hands and feet. Just as she was about to hit the young man, a black ring of the young man shined and a white sword appeared from air stopping the girl. The young man moved at a tremendous speed, his sword piercing at the girl's stomach without her being able to evade.
Just as the sword was about to pierce the girl's body turned a translucent pink and the sword pierced her without any damage. The girl tried to kick the young man, but before she could, a powerful white aura shot from his sword, coating it. The young man swung his sword upwards, cutting the translucent body of the girl from her stomach to her right shoulder. A bloody cut appeared at the girl's shoulder that immediately healed itself.
"Tch!" clicked her tongue the girl teleporting 5 meters away.
The young man smiled "It's my win again, Wu"
The girl scratched her head pissed "It's not fair! Your skills cancel mine, immobilizing you won't stop your spheres and you could even damage Nullity! I want to fight other people! It's not fair, Bai!"
Of course, these pair were Ning Bai and Xiao Wu
"Don't be mad, Wu. You really become a lot stronger. I doubt there are other Spirits Emperors able to fight against me like you and you're only at rank 61"
These months Xiao Wu didn't stop training and her effort produced great effects. Her spirit rank increased to rank 61, finally arriving at the mature state of a spirit beast, assimilating her own spirit ring. Being able to use her 100.000 years old ring had greatly increased her strength and affinity with her other skill, plus the fact that she was blessed by the Star and was trained by a lot of spirit beasts, she was able to use her spirit skills almost limitless, at least while she was at Star Dou Forest where could quickly absorb the spirit energy of her surroundings.
Now that she is a matured spirit beast, she would be undetectable as such even when faced with a Titled Douluo, so there won't be any problem while she hid her image, as was already recognized, and she didn't use her spirit. From now on, she would need to obtain her new spirits from beast unable to self-create them. This could sound bad, a spirit beast killing other spirit beasts for its strength, but usually, there were a lot of spirit beasts close to dying for age so it's not unusual for one to sacrifice for another spirit beast.
For her new spirit rings, her 5 was 12.000 years old one that could lock down her opponent, the problem was that she was also unable to move and it was only a physical block, so useless against me that I could move my sword intent with my will.
Her own spirit ring, and her 6th ring, was a 100.000 years old ring with 2 skills. The first one, Nullity, permit her to become an ethereal existence, blocking any physical damage and lowering spirit damage a lot. The second one was a chained attack of 8 attacks, each one with a stunning effect. If you received one it would be difficult to evade the others.
For me, my comprehension of Life had increased so much that it finally arrived at the Protection level. With lots of training, I could finally fusion both intents, Life and Protection, in what a called Retaliation. I could control it completely being unable to use a continuous Sword Heart of Retaliation, one use would exhaust myself. For now, I can use Life and Protection Sword Hearts supporting each other without any problem.
I finally accomplished Paul's weapons, I am sure that he would have improved and that I'm not in par with him, but at least I arrived at his level, obtaining a Sword Intent capable of facing against his Slaughter. I was rank 68 so no much time until I arrive at rank 70 and our fight.
Having finished the spar I cleaned myself a little. Just as I finished I sensed someone coming, she was Lingling.
Lingling approached us "Hello" she said with a smile and her eyes shined with a green glow "You both really have improved".
"Of course. I'll need to become stronger if I want to be with San" said Xiao Wu puffing her chest.
Lingling smiled at her, then turned serious "Xiao Wu, could you leave me a moment alone with Bai?"
Xiao Wu realized that it was serious and nodded leaving us alone.
"What will it be, Lingling?" I asked.
"You asked me multiples times about my spirit and I always evade answering, I would explain it now," she said seriously "First of all, what do you think of my strength?"
"It improved a little, but only in its quality and utility. It didn't improve in strength, to tell you the truth is may be a little lower than at the Continental Tournament" I explained.
"You have good sense. As it could be expected from the Seven Treasure Clan" she said, "Are you able to tell my spirit rank?"
"No" I answered "I tried before but I was unable. It's strange, there some powerful people that cultivate in a manner that it would be difficult for me to detect, but in your case is like something is missing"
Lingling took a transparent sphere from her pocket, I immediately realized what it was, it was a spirit energy rank detector. She infused her spirit energy and showed it to me.
"49?!" I opened my eyes wide "This is exactly the same as when the tournament, what happened to you"
"Follow me" She turned around and started walking away. I decided to follow her.
After some time walking, we were approaching the Star Lake. She guided me to one of the Portals, this time instead of entering the Star Lake we continued walking longer along the path.
After walking some time more Lingling stopped, she turned to me and hugged me. I sensed a warm feeling coming off her and I noticed a little empowerment of my body. When she broke the hug I was surrounded by a green aura that I could recognize as Lingling's.
Lingling took my hand and brought me to cross a wall. We crossed like it didn't exist in the first place, the wall opening as we passed without letting even a millimeter between us and the wall.
Crossing the door I found myself in a small open space, sunlight illuminating it and a little river crossing across. At the center stood a small young tree, its trunk was white while his leaves were green, it was a meter and a half tall with two branches and 10 leaves.
I was shocked at this place. The Life aura here was incomparable to any place I stayed, even greatly surpassing the Star Lake or the Flowery Garden.
"What is this place?" I asked shocked.
Lingling approached me, stood on tiptoed and joined her lips to mine, her tongue invading my mouth, my own tongue acted om reflex answering her.
I closed my eyes while we kissed. It wasn't my first kiss and I had experience with Mayi and Chenxiang, but this one was totally different. I sensed a warm feeling but it wasn't the usual if I just said I would say that it was similar to when I was cultivating at the Star or Black Rose.
After 10 minutes we separated, leaving a trace of saliva between us. "Don't take it wrong, Bai" Lingling warmly smiled at me "You really become stronger" She then approached to the tree. She lifted her hand directly touching the trunk. Her hand glowed green and the tree seemed to be absorbing her aura. The tree reacted and started growing to be 2 meters tall.
"Impressive, it is more than what I expected" She turned to me "Thanks, Bai"
"What the meaning of all this?" I shouted bewildered.
Lingling signaled the tree "This is my spirit. It's an outside cultivating, making it grow with my own Life concept absorbing pure heaven and earth energy, making it purer, causing an evolution. When it bears fruit, I will be able to return it as my spirit, until there, I do not have any spirit, my spirit rank locked at 49. Please, Bai."
Before I could ask about she made a forced smile "Please, Bai. Do not ask any more question, it is a secret"
"BOOOM!" I great sound interrupted our conversation followed by a great earthquake.
Lingling made a scared face "Something bad happened" Both of us ran, Lingling first showing the exit.
When we were outside at the Inner Area of Star Duo Forest, lifting my head I saw giant thorny roots standing still like making a tower. They were like 5 meters wide and were over a kilometer long. I recognized its position as the Flowery Garden.
"Mei had a great problem, her energy is unstable," said Lingling worried.
At that time the root started moving, they were shot towards the ground, crashing to it and causing great destruction. Then they started madly moving around, increasing the destruction.
"I need to stop her," said Lingling resolutely.
"I will hel-" Before I finish my storage bracelet started shining "This is..." This showed an alarm of my clan. Not an individual one, this was a danger to the clan, a crisis capable of destroying it.
I stood a moment still, thinking about both problems.
[IDIOT!] For 3 years it was the first time Paul talked [There's no need to think. Hurry return to the clan! Spirit Hall is attacking! Our family is in danger!] shouted Paul with panic.