From Su Ming's tone, it seemed like he was meeting Qian Renxue for the first time, though Xiao Wu and the others couldn't help but silently comment on his acting skills. On the other side, Hu Liena and Xie Yue, aware of the circumstances, moved to the edge of the stage, leaving the two opponents at the center.
The Cardinal referee hesitated for a moment, wondering if this counted as a voluntary surrender, but decided he'd deal with it after Su Ming and Qian Renxue's duel. As a Cardinal, it wasn't his place to interfere in their fight.
"Su Ming, prepare yourself; this is my true power, something you don't yet possess!" Qian Renxue said, as her seventh spirit ring lit up—a ten-thousand-year ring, or so it appeared to onlookers.
In reality, thanks to her extended time with Su Ming and the rewards she'd received, including spirit ring age enhancements and divine spirit rings, her seventh and eighth spirit rings were both actually one hundred thousand years old. She was ecstatic when she'd unlocked this power, especially after Su Ming had told her that her Angel God trial was relatively stingy. Unlike Tang San's original journey, hers wasn't likely to come with excessive rewards, with only one divine spirit ring at the end. But, to keep her strength discreet, she had camouflaged her spirit rings as ten-thousand-year rings.
"Seventh Spirit Ability, Angelic True Form!"
In an instant, Qian Renxue's body shone with a brilliant golden light. A spectral six-winged angel appeared behind her and fused with her, cloaking her in a radiant, holy aura. Her powerful presence caught everyone's attention; her spirit essence now radiated a pressure equivalent to that of a 93rd-level Titled Douluo, as Su Ming estimated internally. He was shocked by how greatly her true form boosted her power. Without even activating her Angelic Domain, her strength felt close to a 95th-level Douluo.
After pondering for a moment, Su Ming decided to scale down his Wood Golem to match Qian Renxue's height. He didn't need excessive size, which would only drain his spirit power; a more compact form would allow for better concentration and efficiency.
"Angelic Domain, activate!"
Golden light erupted from Qian Renxue, rapidly expanding to cover thousands of square meters in the blink of an eye. Nearly everyone on the battlefield was enveloped within her domain.
Su Ming raised his eyebrows. "Wow, you're really not holding back—true form and Angelic Domain, both at once!" But something didn't feel right. His overall power was reduced by half within her domain. If his memory served him correctly, Angelic Domain typically reduced an opponent's power by up to 30%, not 50%. This didn't add up.
Recent events seemed increasingly suspicious to him. First, there was Hu Liena's unusual spirit bone, and now Qian Renxue's enhanced powers, which didn't align with the limitations of her supposedly ten-thousand-year spirit rings. The discrepancy bothered him deeply. Could it be that her spirit rings were, in fact, one hundred thousand years old?
A growing suspicion formed in Su Ming's mind regarding the system. While he had previously chalked up changes to this being a parallel universe, he'd reached a point where he could no longer ignore the irregularities. In the past, when he'd noticed deviations from the original storyline, he had pushed the thoughts aside, convincing himself that these variations were just the nature of a parallel world. Minor power adjustments for characters like Xiao Wu, Hu Liena, and others seemed harmless and even beneficial, as their increased abilities allowed them to keep pace with him.
But now, Su Ming couldn't keep lying to himself. His suspicions had compounded to a point where he felt compelled to investigate. Could it be that the system had been deceiving him all along? What if the supposed privacy of his diary wasn't as absolute as he had been led to believe?
It dawned on him that while he could view his diary, others might have access to copies of it—maybe Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, or even Bibi Dong. The idea was unsettling. What if those with diary copies were gaining system rewards based on his entries?
The system was indeed considerate in granting his companions boosts to keep pace with him, which he appreciated. But if his theory was correct, he was in for a humiliating revelation.