Chapter 223: The Shadow Devouring Beast
Luo Ling had read about this kind of spirit beast before in the archives of Spirit Hall.
The Shadow Devouring Beast resembled a feline in shape, its entire body shrouded in black mist, with eerie blue light glowing in its eyes.
Its body could contract freely, its limbs long and agile, and at the end of its tail was a pulsating black energy core.
It could devour any form of energy—even light itself.
Its strongest ability was to consume all illumination, creating a zone of absolute darkness where no light could exist. Within that darkness, the beast could move freely, as though capable of teleportation.
"That beast is but one step away from becoming a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast," said the Azure Bull Python, leading the way. "Even I could only drive it off, not kill it."
He glanced at Luo Ling. "You clearly know of the Shadow Devouring Beast. I'll take you to it, but whether you can slay it or not will depend on you."
"Remember, we will not fight. You asked only for guidance," the serpent added, glancing at the Titled Douluos following behind.
Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo were powerful, yes, but compared to a creature that powerful, they would be hard-pressed to survive. Still, escorting Luo Ling to safety wouldn't be a problem.
Shaking its massive head, the Azure Bull Python continued forward.
Soon, they arrived at an ominous forest cloaked in gloom.
Even though it was broad daylight, the surroundings appeared as dark as night. The deeper they went, the darker it became—as though all light was being consumed.
Qian Renxue felt discomfort twist within her; her six-winged angel spirit trembled faintly, reacting against the oppressive energy ahead.
"The Shadow Devouring Beast hides within," said the Azure Bull Python, halting beside the Titan Giant Ape. "We won't intervene. If you want its ring, you'll have to go in yourselves."
Luo Ling stared into the blackness, narrowing his eyes.
He could see countless threads of spirit essence weaving through the dark—a web of energy patterns invisible to normal sight. Somewhere within them, a faint shadow stirred.
"Your Highness, should we enter?" Porcupinefish Douluo asked, face tense.
"Let's go," Luo Ling said simply, taking the first step into the darkness.
The silence of the forest was suffocating. The farther they walked, the blacker it became. Qian Renxue summoned her spirit, the holy light from her angel wings barely illuminating a few steps ahead before being swallowed by the oppressive void.
For the others, visibility grew close to nothing.
But Luo Ling's eyes were unaffected. His Spirit Threads allowed him to perceive the world differently—even through darkness, every movement resonated vividly before his gaze.
He stopped abruptly, his aura flaring. A surge of dark energy erupted around him as his Martial Spirit possessed his body.
Deep within the black forest, a pair of glowing blue eyes flickered open.
"Your Highness, be careful!"
Both Titled Douluos sprang forward instantly, spirit rings flashing beneath their feet as they launched twin attacks toward the eyes gleaming in the dark.
Their attacks struck—but hit nothing.
Through Luo Ling's spiritual vision, he could see the creature's Threads shifting, darting through dimensions themselves.
Above him, the Shadow Devouring Beast appeared silently, moving faster than thought.
"Luo Ling, behind you!" Qian Renxue cried as her angelic senses flared—she could see the black shadow descend toward him like a wraith.
The beast's claws slashed down.
A resounding boom tore through the air.
But the impact struck only empty space.
The Shadow Devouring Beast froze mid-motion, confusion flashing in its glowing eyes—followed instantly by terror.
A chilling sensation rippled through it. The air thickened; space itself seemed to slow around it.
Not far away, Luo Ling stood calmly, eyes gleaming with crimson light. His Spirit Threads had already infiltrated the creature's body—the red glow spread rapidly across the beast's essence, overtaking it.
Its resistance was fierce. Its mental power, nearly that of a hundred-thousand-year beast, was greater than Luo Ling expected.
Man and beast locked in an invisible struggle of will.
But Luo Ling's mental power rivaled that of a Titled Douluo—it was only a matter of time.
The Titled Douluos behind him reoriented instantly, sending new waves of force at the creature. Their combined assault shattered the balance the beast had been clinging to.
Realizing it could no longer control its body, the Shadow Devouring Beast let out a silent cry of despair. It didn't know what this strange human had done, only that its strength—and its freedom—were slipping away.
Minute by minute, its will was consumed.
Fifteen minutes later, the forest was silent again. The beast lay motionless on the ground.
Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo exchanged horrified glances.
That monster—so close to a hundred-thousand-year level—had been subdued by Luo Ling alone.
Completely.
The stories whispered through the halls of Spirit Hall flashed back through their minds: the tales that Luo Ling could control other souls—even fellow Titled Douluos—for brief periods.
But that was supposed to last less than a minute.
Now, this creature had been subjugated for fifteen—and its resistance utterly erased.
And they had no idea how he'd done it.
If Luo Ling ever turned such a power on them, could they resist?
Their eyes filled with quiet fear as Luo Ling approached the fallen beast.
"Thank you for your assistance, elders. Without your distraction, I might not have subdued it so easily," Luo Ling said mildly.
He could sense their unease but offered no explanation. There was no need.
He had once hidden the danger of his Spirit Threads out of prudence. Now that he had grown, there was nothing left to fear.
In his hand, dark energy coalesced—forming a black scythe of pure malevolence.
Without hesitation, Luo Ling swung it downward.
The Shadow Devouring Beast twitched once, its life-force vanishing instantly. Its eyes dimmed into emptiness as a black-red spirit ring rose slowly from its corpse, pulsing with ominous light.
The nearly hundred-thousand-year beast was dead—slain without even a final roar.
Hu Liena and Qian Renxue stood frozen, the unreality of what they'd witnessed leaving them speechless.
With the monster's death, the suffocating shadows of the forest began to fade. Sunlight pierced through the canopy once more, scattering the lingering darkness.
"Please stand guard," Luo Ling said calmly, then sat cross-legged beside the corpse.
Three hours passed.
A terrifying surge of power burst from his body, spreading through the forest. Luo Ling's eyes snapped open, the glow within them sharper than ever.
One by one, his spirit rings rose—and atop them now hovered his seventh ring.
Unlike the others, it shimmered with a strange, ethereal quality—half real, half illusion.
(END CHAPTER)
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