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--- Chapter 72 ---
After Liu Erlong's emotional state is over, she slowly frees Han Yuan, but her eyes never leave him.
Han Yuan carefully observed Liu Erlong's eyes and nodded, "You should be calm now."
"Mm, thank you." Liu Erlong replied with a weak smile. "You saw another bad side of me again..."
Han Yuan shook his head gently, "It's fine."
"Isn't this why we have agreed to become partners?"
"Partners, huh?" Upon hearing this, Liu Erlong felt complicated feelings in her heart. She buried these feelings and chuckled helplessly, "You're right, Xiao Yuan."
Han Yuan knew Liu Erlong was doubting herself. After all, her Love Brain Syndrome is no weaker than the most 'powerful' love brain in the Douluo Continent, Bibi Dong.
Even then, Liu Erlong needed this step to be reborn. She must solve her obsession, even if she has to replace it with someone else.
Han Yuan glanced at the big, red spirit ring in the air and changed the topic, "Are you ready to absorb your 8th spirit ring?"
Liu Erlong replied before cheering, "The 100,000-year-old spirit ring? Hell yeah!"
Everyone approached them as Dugu Bo advised, "While Young Master can cleanse the resentment of the 100,000-year-old spirit ring and make it easier for others to absorb, you still need to have the quality of Title Douluo to make it yours."
"After all, the soul shock and spirit energy are still massive."
"So, Dean, you must not get distracted, or the sequel will be dangerous."
Liu Erlong nodded in understanding, "I know."
"Well, then, let's get started." Han Yuan walked to the 100,000-year-old spirit ring and used Sky Poison Pearl to purify it this time, though masked with his purple-silver lightning.
At the same time, Han Yuan also confirmed a theory that the spirit beasts at this stage could save their soul by sealing it inside the spirit ring's energy body, making it possible for a rebirth.
Sure enough, Han Yuan caught a weak soul in the spirit ring and used Sky Poison Pearl to seal it immediately.
'ROAR!'
'Damned human! Release me!'
'Yeah, yeah, keep yapping.' Han Yuan couldn't care less about this soul and imprisoned it deep inside the Sky Poison Pearl's infinite space.
Soon, the red spirit ring lost some of its ferocious aura.
Han Yuan glanced at Liu Erlong, "Go for it."
"Mm." Liu Erlong nodded as she sat down and meditated, drawing the 100,000-year-old spirit ring into her "Magma Armored Dragon" martial soul.
Liu Erlong's face gradually twisted into pain because of the sheer mass of energy inside the 100,000-year-old spirit ring, but she endured all this pain and focused on absorbing it.
She suddenly appeared in a white world and saw herself standing beside the Magma Armored Dragon. Someone actually stood before her, and it was none other than Yu Xiaogang!
"Erlong, do you still love me?" asked Yu Xiaogang. He looked haggard and emotional.
Liu Erlong wanted to reply yes, but the word stuck in her throat as she saw another figure standing before her. It was Han Yuan, who appeared cold and indifferent.
"Come on, answer him, Erlong." Han Yuan said coldly. "Return to your old love, and we will cut off our "partnership" immediately."
"NO!" Liu Erlong shouted instinctively. She doesn't want to lose Han Yuan from the deepest part of her heart. This feeling is not love but more of a dependence.
If Liu Erlong lost Han Yuan, she felt she'd lose everything.
She doesn't want that to happen.
"Erlong, I miss you so much~!" Yu Xiaogang approached Liu Erlong and tried to hug her.
Liu Erlong's body shuddered as she dodged to the left. She stood blankly and looked at Yu Xiaogang, "W-Why did I dodge?"
"Xiaogang. I love Xiaogang. He's my beloved, so..."
"So, why did I dodge his hug?"
Yu Xiaogang looked hurt, "Erlong, you don't love me anymore?"
"I..." Liu Erlong doesn't know how to reply to that question. Her heart was confused.
"Why, why, why, why, why, why I felt like this?"
"No, this is not right. It is just an illusion!"
"Hehehe, keep saying that, and you will never exit this place." An amused laughter echoed in the white world.
Liu Erlong turned around and saw herself but in a darker fashion, whether it was clothes or temperament. "Who are you?" She asked cautiously.
"Me? I'm you!" The Dark Erlong chuckled in amusement.
"A bolder, smarter, more beautiful version of you."
"I also love my Xiao Yuan the most, unlike you, who can't make a correct decision? Still getting stuck with that trash who abandoned you like trash on the side of the road."
"Xiaogang is not trash!" Liu Erlong argued back.
The Dark Erlong laughed as if Liu Erlong's words were the funniest shit in this realm, "HAHAHA~!"
"Aww, Erlong, you're so adorable~!"
"Do you really think that sorry excuse of a man would care about you if Bibi Dong was in the same room?"
"Why would he want a feisty woman when he could get his hand on the beautiful female pope?"
Dark Erlong pointed her finger at Liu Erlong's face, "At the end of the day, you're just a replacement for Bibi Dong. You're just a weak, inferior version of his dream woman!"
"YOU'RE FOOLED BY THAT TRASH, ERLONG! FOOLED!"
"No, no, no..." Liu Erlong was on her knees. "Xiaogang wasn't that kind of person."
Dark Erlong shrugged, "Sure, keep dreaming. The more you keep that man in your heart, the more free I could love Xiao Yuan~! Ah, he's such a good boy~!"
"Y-You..." Liu Erlong was shocked. "Xiao Yuan is just a child!"
"How could you, you, you be so vile!"
Dark Erlong scoffed at her, "So what? Xiao Yuan will eventually grow into a better man than Xiaogang!"
"Xiao Yuan might be cold and indifferent, but you knew he was caring and warm inside. Since Han Yuan met us, he always provided us with care that Xiaogang couldn't even dream he could do."
"Your dream academy! Your martial soul! IMMORTAL FUCKING PILLS!"
"He gives us all that without wanting anything in return."
"AND DO YOU KNOW THE BEST PART IS ERLONG?"
"XIAO YUAN IS NOT MY COUSIN! HE ISN'T A LIAR WHO HIDES HIS IDENTITY DESPITE KNOWING WE ARE RELATED!"
"TELL ME?!" Dark Erlong aggressively pulled Liu Erlong's collar. "Tell me which one is better, huh? Xiao Yuan or that trash Xiaogang?"
"Look into my eyes and answer, bitch!"
Liu Erlong stared into Dark Erlong's eyes and saw an extreme clarity in them, plus the pure passionate feeling for Han Yuan. She unconsciously gulped because that passionate feeling was tempting.
Gulp!
Saliva rolled down Liu Erlong's throat as she answered sheepishly,"Xiao Yuan..."
Dark Erlong chuckled, "See, we are the same fucking people..."
"You and I aren't so different."
"So, Erlong..."
"We need to unite and bring that boy down..."
"That one, genius, handsome, lovable boy~!"
"Yes!" Liu Erlong was 'gradually' eroded by her other self. Those whispers sound vivid in her ears, yet each word etched into her heart.
Click!
Dark Erlong grinned and vanished from the white world. Liu Erlong blinked her eyes, and there was a hint of new desire in those windows into souls now. Yes, a sinful, immoral desire.
Liu Erlong found herself in square one again. Yu Xiaogang and Han Yuan appeared one after another, and she had to choose one.
"Erlong, I miss you-!" Before Yu Xiaogang could finish his dialogue, Liu Erlong punched him in the face.
Yu Xiaogang's face twisted into pain and despair as the punch sent him flying to the horizon.
BOOOM!
Liu Erlong's fist emitted smoke as she shouted, "YOU DON'T GET TO SAY THAT AFTER ABANDONING ME ON OUR WEDDING DAY, YOU DAMNED BASTARD!"
"I, LIU ERLONG, MISJUDGED YOU!"
"I WAS BLIND!"
"I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT I DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS!"
Then, Liu Erlong turned around and pounced on Han Yuan, hugging him and inhaling his pleasant scent, though it was an illusion. "Ah, Xiao Yuan, you're indeed my fated soulmate~!"
"Mommy will love you with all of herself!"
"Hehehe~!"
...
...
Meanwhile, Han Yuan suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He looked at the meditating Liu Erlong with a sense of dread.
He hurriedly shook his head because there was no way Liu Erlong could harm him and cursed, "Tch, it must be that guy Asura! What kind of scheme is he planning this time?!"