Victory

The Mental Interference Domain had made Bei Bei and Dai Huabin both make mistakes under its effects. The domain wasn't very effective against opponents stronger than Huo Yuhao, but careful attention could minimize the interference. Its effect was slight; unlike a Mental Attack, it couldn't directly harm anyone. Its advantages were that it could affect multiple people and used little Soul Power. The truly astonishing part was that it gave a One-Ring Soul Master a domain.

Domains were both important and unimportant. They could prove effective and intimidating in battles between Titled Douluo, and having one meant you held a ticket to godhood and might possess a unique trump card. But in battles below the highest level, a domain that lacked direct offensive power and did little to increase one's strength wasn't given much importance. Besides, few people could possess one.

Huo Yuhao's Soul Skill, which came from the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, was the result of the silkworm already possessing divinity. A million-year-old Soul Beast had reached the limit of that realm. It couldn't advance any further, yet its power couldn't stop growing even though the path ahead was sealed. Metabolism was one of the universe's most fundamental laws, leaving it suspended between advancing and retreating.

Advancing meant becoming a god; retreating meant falling back. But it could neither advance nor retreat. This created an error in the universe. Tian Meng shouldn't have existed in the first place. The conflict in the laws of the universe had exhausted his lifespan, but it had also let him glimpse the essence of those laws. That alone was enough for him to ascend, making up for what he'd lacked in cultivation—or, rather, what he'd never had to begin with.

In the end, Tian Meng still couldn't cross that threshold and was forced to merge with Huo Yuhao as his Soul Ring. But in the process, Tian Meng had gained something: he'd acquired divinity. Having it and not having it were two entirely different things, two different levels—heaven and earth apart, even. That sliver of divinity let Tian Meng's soul quality rival Electrolux's. Electrolux was an absolute powerhouse, a ruthless man capable of touching the limits of the world, yet he'd had to contend with a worm whose only interests were eating and drinking.

Electrolux might not have thought of it that way, but this still showed how important divinity was. A Limit Douluo at level 99 might live a few hundred years at most, while a god could live forever. Why? It came down to divinity. Divinity was a power that the laws of the world permitted to exceed those very laws. No matter how tightly the world tried to suppress them, there would always be geniuses who attempted to break through their limits. As those limits were challenged again and again, they loosened, destabilizing the laws.

So why not allow some people to surpass those limits, then become part of the world's laws and help maintain them? That would surely make the universe more stable. No one knew how the laws of the universe changed, but that was what had happened. So the universe had accepted it as natural. Those geniuses were happy to live forever, too, and so they were brought into the fold.

In Electrolux's world, few people had tried to break the laws, so a different set of rules had emerged. They were forbidden from becoming gods; once their strength reached a certain level, they merged with the universe. But if their numbers grew, things would surely change. Absorbing even a little energy that differed from your own would bring about some change. It was impossible for there to be none; it simply remained latent until your power surpassed a certain threshold and underwent a qualitative transformation. All paths led to the same destination. This system was the most stable, proven by experience.

And so Tian Meng had gained something Electrolux hadn't. Tian Meng could be called a god, even if heaven and earth didn't acknowledge him as one. That didn't matter, as long as he could still be useful. His abilities had undergone a qualitative change. Now they could affect anyone, even if the effect was slight. Like this Mental Interference Domain: even a Titled Douluo would feel disoriented, though the impact would be negligible and wouldn't affect the precision of their skills.

But even a small effect made a difference. Anyone at this level would have no impact on a powerful opponent, but as their cultivation improved, the effect would grow. No one knew how far it might go. There had never been a million-year Spirit System skill in history, and no one could say how powerful it would be if its full might were unleashed. Tian Meng hadn't tested it, nor did he have the ability to.

For now, though, the skill was enough for Huo Yuhao. It let him nimbly dodge Bei Bei's attack, then use Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to get out of range and rush behind Xu Sanshi's shield. Only then did he feel a little safe.

Just as Huo Yuhao was secretly pleased, Bei Bei, whom he'd already left behind, seemed unwilling to give up.

His second and third Soul Skills activated. Fury of Thunder enhanced his abilities, and the large-area attack Thunderous Might struck again. The wide-area attack, which hadn't worked the first time, was unleashed once more. But its power was different now. The purple lightning had grown darker, becoming a deep violet streaked with shadow. Its power was more contained, no longer flaring outward as before.

Huo Yuhao was outside the attack's original range, but the lightning still struck him, making his hair stand on end. His body stiffened instantly, leaving him unable to move. This time, Bei Bei wasn't holding back. He'd unleashed his full power. But because he'd extended the attack's range to reach Huo Yuhao, its power had weakened considerably. Even Xu Sanshi, defending with all his might, couldn't withstand the full attack—let alone Huo Yuhao. Still, this weaker version had left Huo Yuhao unable to move.

Bei Bei didn't want to drag things out. In a match, you had to fight with all your strength to defeat your opponent. With a little of his third Soul Skill's effect remaining, he accelerated straight toward Huo Yuhao and prepared to unleash his first Soul Skill, Thunderbolt Dragon Claw. But just as it was about to hit Huo Yuhao, he was stopped. Bei Bei's plan failed again. He'd underestimated Huo Yuhao's abilities and misjudged the situation, ultimately letting Huo Yuhao reach Xu Sanshi's side.

Their side was now at a disadvantage. Xu Sanshi stood in the middle of the battlefield, separating Bei Bei and Tang Ya on opposite sides. That left them vulnerable to being picked off one by one.

A loud crash rang out across the arena, just like in their countless previous clashes: Mystic Tortoise Tremor against Thunderbolt Dragon Claw.

But this time, Xu Sanshi was no longer the same as before. He had a support now. He'd always taken hits without retaliating not because he lacked the ability, but because he couldn't ensure his attacks would land. If one failed to hit, he would lose for sure. He hadn't dared risk those slim odds. Besides, the match would end in a draw anyway. Now the situation had changed. He had to win.

He unleashed his third, second, and first Soul Skills in an explosive burst, without regard for his Soul Power consumption. Using Soul Skills simultaneously didn't cost as little as one plus one; the drain grew exponentially. The more skills used, the greater the cost. It wasn't that this technique couldn't be passed on—it was that few people had the aptitude for it.

Even Xu Sanshi was nearing his limits with this all-out burst. His face had gone bright red.

Bei Bei had already sensed Xu Sanshi's movements and prepared to retreat. But Xu Sanshi seemed able to predict what he'd do and blocked his escape route. The Mystic Tortoise Shield Formation closed around him. That was the price of losing the initiative. If Bei Bei could break through Xu Sanshi's defenses when he struck first, then Xu Sanshi could defeat him by striking first as well.

With his Mystic Tortoise Shield enhanced, Xu Sanshi unleashed an enhanced Mystic Tortoise Tremor. The triple tremor erupted. Its vibrations stacked on top of one another, instantly incapacitating Bei Bei and forcing the safety officer to carry him off.

What else was there to fight for? It was two against one. There was no need for Tang Ya to continue.

Huo Yuhao and Xu Sanshi had won.