Chapter 66: Invisibility Means Invincibility
Everyone stood frozen, shocked beyond words.
Moments ago, they had still been marveling at Tang San's bizarre hidden weapons—but now, Luo Ling had shown them what true power looked like.
Unlike Tang San's strange, underhanded contraptions, Luo Ling relied purely on his own strength.
Completely unaffected by their stares, Luo Ling walked calmly to where Tang San lay collapsed.
"So those things are what you call your hidden strength?" he asked lightly, looking down at him.
He bent to pick up a steel needle from the ground, rolling it between his fingers.
"Clever design. Well concealed, laced with venom, too."
"A truly vicious weapon. Anyone caught unprepared might actually die to this," he said slowly; his words sounded like praise, but the mocking curve of his lips made the sarcasm unmistakable.
"What do you mean by that?" Tang San shot back. He wasn't a fool—he could clearly hear the ridicule in Luo Ling's tone.
"Nothing much," Luo Ling replied with a smile. "Only that you've got some skill for creating these deceitful little toys."
The others finally processed what had happened.
Tang San's hidden weapons were undeniably lethal—but what did that say about the one who had made them?
Silently, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and even Ning Rongrong began to feel uncomfortable, their opinions of Tang San dropping sharply.
Dai Mubai's gaze held something else—wariness.
Even if he was stronger, one of those poisoned darts to the neck could end him easily. The very thought sent a chill down his spine.
"You're looking down on my hidden weapons, aren't you?"
Tang San didn't notice their change in attitude.
He stood up stubbornly, anger burning in his chest. The Tang Sect's hidden weapons were his pride—and now this man dismissed them as "sly little tricks." How could he not be furious?
"My hidden weapons are forged from the finest steel! The poisons are my own formulas! When used in battle, even someone stronger than me wouldn't survive a single hit!"
"How dare you look down on my craft!"
Tang San's raised voice echoed across the field. Luo Ling watched him like one would watch a child throwing a tantrum.
The hidden weapons were indeed ingenious, yes—but in the end, they were underhanded.
To the common eye, they were not a mark of skill but of deceit.
And the more Tang San boasted of them now, the worse he looked. The others' eyes on him grew colder, shifting from curiosity to distrust.
Luo Ling gave a faint smile. "You're right. They're not bad at all."
Tang San blinked, confused by the sudden agreement.
Before he could reply, Zhao Wuji approached, his expression sour.
"You two brats! The test isn't over yet!" he bellowed.
At the edge of the arena, the stick of incense continued to burn—just a little remained.
Zhao Wuji's sixth soul ring flared to life beneath his feet.
Seeing that, Dai Mubai's expression changed drastically. He quickly turned to warn the others:
"Get back! Away from Teacher Zhao, now!"
He almost shouted the warning to Tang San and Luo Ling too, but then he remembered Luo Ling holding Zhu Zhuqing earlier, and his face darkened.
"Hmph. You may be strong, but let's see how you handle Teacher Zhao's sixth soul skill. Let's watch you fail miserably."
Hatred glimmered briefly in Dai Mubai's eyes.
Tang San didn't even notice, but Luo Ling did. He simply pretended not to and focused on Zhao Wuji, whose power was climbing rapidly.
The sixth soul skill—Luo Ling remembered something about a Vajra Roar.
A tremor rippled through the ground.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing felt the surge of danger and retreated to a safe distance. Hidden far away, unseen, Ning Rongrong stayed even farther back.
Only Luo Ling and Tang San remained where they were.
Pebbles rattled around their feet as the air grew thick with energy.
Zhao Wuji's eyes turned bloodshot. He stomped the ground, roaring—
"Vajra Roar!"
The entire area erupted. A shockwave of soul power blasted outward, rattling trees and shaking the earth. Leaves scattered like rain.
He was, after all, a Soul Saint.
Even Luo Ling's face hardened under the pressure. His blood churned within him, skin flushing red.
As for Tang San—he coughed blood from every orifice and dropped to the ground unconscious.
Slowly, Luo Ling crouched down—not out of necessity, but to play the part. He wanted Zhao Wuji to think he was at his limit.
He could have resisted in countless ways—his fusion state's Ghost Concealment or the immunity from his Desire's Soul Garment—but revealing those now would be unwise.
When Zhao Wuji saw Luo Ling kneeling, he finally relaxed, easing the flow of energy.
"Hah! Looks like you've lost, boy!" Zhao Wuji let out a booming laugh, satisfied to vent his frustration.
Luo Ling chuckled softly in return, glancing at the incense—it had burned down to its final ember. Just a few more moments.
"Teacher Zhao," he said, smiling faintly, "we haven't lost yet."
"Oh? You still think you can fight?" Zhao Wuji blinked, then waved a dismissive hand, assuming Luo Ling was bluffing.
"Teacher Zhao, earlier you said—if even one of us stands at the end, we pass, right?"
"That's right, but—wait. You mean you can still fight?"
Luo Ling tilted his head slightly. "Did you forget something, Teacher?"
Zhao Wuji frowned, scanning the area. Then his eyes widened in realization.
"You mean… Ning Rongrong?"
"Exactly. Glad you remember," Luo Ling said with a calm smile.
Zhao Wuji looked around, but no sign of her could be seen. He had completely forgotten—she had been invisible since the beginning.
"My first soul skill, Ghost Concealment, is a state-type ability," Luo Ling explained gently. "It won't end unless she attacks or I dispel it. And since it's fueled by her own soul power, attacking me won't help, either."
Zhao Wuji's face darkened as understanding dawned.
Invisibility meant invincibility—and Luo Ling had just proven it flawlessly.
Silence fell over the field. No one had expected him to play his cards this neatly.
For a long moment, Zhao Wuji said nothing, staring at the nearly burned-out stick of incense.
Then Luo Ling smiled faintly. "Teacher Zhao, would you say we've passed now?"
The big man sighed and finally nodded, raising a hand in defeat.
"Kid, I really underestimated you."
"Not at all," Luo Ling replied modestly. "It was all thanks to Rongrong's support."
He reached toward the air beside him.
With a shimmer, Ning Rongrong's form appeared, standing right where she had been the entire time.
Zhao Wuji's eyes bulged—he hadn't sensed even a trace of her presence.
That invisibility skill was far stronger than he had imagined.
He opened his mouth but found himself speechless.
A soul skill that rendered one completely hidden, flight that defied logic, an ethereal cloak that boosted every attribute, and a single attack capable of injuring a Soul Saint—
This boy's power went far beyond any ordinary category.
Zhao Wuji could only mutter to himself, half in awe, half in disbelief.
(END CHAPTER)
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