In the dense forest behind the Dugu Bo's Mansion, the battle reached its climax.
High in the sky, Bibi Dong's massive Death Spider Emperor form was pulling Lin Yu closer to her with a flurry of webbing, entangling him in countless sticky threads, effectively turning him into a human-sized cocoon.
As her eight legs pulled the webs taut, Bibi Dong prepared to deliver the final blow, raising her enormous black scythe-like limb. Once Lin Yu was in range, the sharp blade would hover by his neck, signaling his defeat.
Bibi Dong believed the outcome was sealed. Once Lin Yu was within reach, the match would be over.
Sighing internally, Lin Yu mused, Indeed, Bibi Dong lives up to her reputation. I suppose it's time to stop holding back.
Although the battle had been intense, with Lin Yu appearing to be on the defensive, in reality, he had not yet unleashed his full power.
Up until now, he had only used his Golden Dragon Martial Spirit, combined with his Dual Pupils Martial Soul, Godslayer Spear, Earth Element Yellow Flag, and his external spirit bone, the Wind and Thunder Wings, along with his martial arts abilities. This was merely his "first gear" in combat strength.
But Lin Yu had plenty of hidden cards yet to play.
If he were to activate the true power of his Dual Pupils Martial Soul, with its three main spirit abilities and divine powers, that would elevate him to "second gear," giving his strength a considerable boost.
Beyond that, Lin Yu had the option of summoning the full array of spirit abilities from his Chaos Green Lotus Martial Spirit, including artifacts like the Red Lotus Fire, Heaven and Earth Cauldron, and the Destruction Black Lotus.
The Red Lotus Fire, for instance, was a natural counter to Bibi Dong's web-based techniques. The Destruction Black Lotus, with its power to manipulate emotions and desires, would be a perfect weapon against someone with psychological weaknesses like Bibi Dong. But Lin Yu chose not to use them just yet.
After all, battling in his first gear allowed him to refine his combat skills. Already, he could feel the benefit of fighting Bibi Dong's expert techniques.
Using his other innate treasures from the Chaos Green Lotus would bring him to "third gear," where his power would increase significantly. But there was still one final form, the strongest of all: his fourth gear, the Fusion Technique of the Chaos Green Lotus and Golden Dragon Martial Spirits, transforming him into the Chaos Ancestral Dragon. In that form, a single dragon claw would be enough to end the fight.
But there was no need for that level of power—not yet.
For now, all he needed was to push himself into third gear to deal with Bibi Dong's final assault.
"Second Spirit Ability: Spirit Replication Eye!"
"First Spirit Ability: Violet Spirit Weakness Halo!"
As Bibi Dong yanked him closer, Lin Yu suddenly activated his second spirit ability from his Dual Pupils Martial Soul—Spirit Replication Eye—and his first spirit ability, Violet Spirit Weakness Halo.
The Spirit Replication Eye allowed him to copy the spirit abilities of others, including those he had already encountered in battle. The Violet Spirit Weakness Halo was a debuff ability, capable of weakening the physical condition of an opponent by up to 50% at the same rank.
Though Bibi Dong was a Limit Douluo, two levels above Lin Yu, the ability still managed to reduce her overall strength by around 10%. With a replicated Violet Spirit Weakness Halo layered on top, Bibi Dong's physical abilities were weakened by nearly 30%.
As the twin purple halos settled over Bibi Dong, she felt a wave of weakness wash through her body, slowing the pull of the webs as Lin Yu neared.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lin Yu summoned the Chaos Green Lotus Martial Spirit and split off a portion of its power, manifesting the Red Lotus Fire.
Crimson flames began to flicker around Lin Yu, and in a matter of moments, the sticky spider webs that bound him were reduced to ashes. With a swift beat of his Wind and Thunder Wings, Lin Yu burst forward in a flash of lightning, appearing right in front of Bibi Dong, his Godslayer Spear now poised at her throat.
"Your Holiness," Lin Yu said calmly, "you've lost."
For a moment, Bibi Dong remained silent, feeling the deadly chill of the spear's tip near her neck. After a brief pause, she sighed in resignation. "I have lost."
With her spirit power nearly depleted, Bibi Dong deactivated her Death Spider Emperor Martial Spirit, returning to her original form—a regal woman in a purple pope's robe, crowned with a majestic Nine-Curved Purple Gold Crown, holding the jewel-encrusted scepter of the Pope. Despite her defeat, she retained her dignified beauty and commanding presence.
"Lin Yu, your strength is remarkable. It has only been two years since the emergence of the Live Stream Arena, yet you've already climbed to the rank of Titled Douluo through the rewards you've earned. Truly impressive for someone so young," she remarked.
"As agreed, since I have lost, I will no longer concern myself with your Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well or the immortal herbs within it. You need not fear the Spirit Hall coveting your treasures any longer."
Having spoken, Bibi Dong turned to leave, ready to gather the injured Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.
"Wait!" Lin Yu's voice halted her in her tracks.
Bibi Dong furrowed her brows slightly but turned to face him again.
"Your Holiness, there's no need to depart so hastily. I have long admired the Spirit Hall," Lin Yu said, his previously defiant demeanor softening into a respectful smile. "After all, it is your organization that provides free spirit awakenings for the common folk, supports low-ranking spirit masters with stipends, and continually dedicates resources to hunting down evil spirit masters, maintaining order in the spirit world."
Bibi Dong's expression flickered at Lin Yu's unexpected praise.
"I understand the importance of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well to me, and I apologize for any offense my actions may have caused earlier," Lin Yu continued. "While I can't offer the immortal herbs to your Hall, I am currently working on refining pills using various medicinal ingredients, including some immortal herbs. When I make progress, I will notify you, and your Hall can send representatives to inspect the results."
"And, as a token of goodwill, please accept these gifts," Lin Yu said, retrieving two long rectangular jade boxes from his storage ring and tossing them toward Bibi Dong.
Catching them with ease, Bibi Dong opened the boxes to find two rare treasures nestled within—a peculiar white flower in one and a vibrant purple Ganoderma in the other.
"What are these?" Bibi Dong asked, intrigued.
"The white flower is the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox Flower," Lin Yu explained. "It can enhance the Martial Spirit of anyone with a fox-type spirit, triggering an evolution. As for the purple herb, it's called the Ten-Rank Purple Immortal Ganoderma. While it won't induce a Martial Spirit evolution, it can restore vitality and energy, potentially increasing the cultivation of a Spirit Master at the Spirit Ancestor level directly to the Spirit King level."
Lin Yu's words hung in the air as Bibi Dong studied the treasures in her hands.