Lin Luo was no stranger to Guardian Beasts; there was Misaka’s Unicorn, and Lei’s Wind Spirit God. In truth, their proper title was the Seal of Protection.

Once a host's World Heart reached the Fusion Stage, a guardian entity would manifest from their power. This could be a mythical creature, an elemental construct, or even a common animal, or perhaps just a weapon...

Naturally, in a more frustrating twist, it might even manifest as a person. Well, none of that really mattered.

What mattered was the sheer power of these Guardian Beasts. Mikoto’s Unicorn could conjure sealed spaces and generate infinite possibilities, while Lei’s Wind Spirit God possessed strength nearly equivalent to the Wind Gods found in certain Xuanhuan novels. Either one of these Guardians could contend with several early-stage Earth Tier masters. Sano Tomoyo’s Emperor Bear might not surpass them, but it certainly wouldn't be far behind.

Lin Luo felt that while Yao Yao was usually meticulous in her planning, sometimes her words were less than reliable… This wasn't a minor inconvenience; this was a catastrophe!

Staring up at the massive brown bear, easily four or five meters tall, Lin Luo felt a sharp pang of dread. Compared to fighting this Emperor Bear one-on-one, he'd rather take on a stronger Emperor—at least Emperors were beautiful, pleasant to look at, and might show a shred of mercy. But this Emperor Bear? Who knew. If he messed up, the consequences would be dire!

"Wait, I actually have to fight that thing?" Lin Luo pointed at the Emperor Bear, looking at Sano Tomoyo with utter confusion.

"Of course. There's only one chance, for both of us. My word is final. If you defeat it, I am yours." Sano Tomoyo stood with her arms crossed, her tone as relaxed as if she were remarking that bentos were half-price if he won.

"Even if you say that, I don't think beating it is even remotely possible." Lin Luo’s eyesight was good. Although the Emperor Bear stood motionless like a statue, the latent aura of dominance it exuded was no less potent than Tomoyo's own. He knew his limits and didn't believe he could win right now.

"Don't worry. I’ve accounted for it. Given your current strength, to ensure fairness in this bout, I have suppressed the Emperor Bear's power below the Earth Tier. As for you, your strength is now infinitely close to the peak of the Spirit Tier. While there’s a gap, it isn’t insurmountable..." As she spoke, Tomoyo’s eyes suddenly sharpened, and she announced in a loud voice, "I challenge you now as a martial artist. If you cannot overcome such an obstacle, you are unworthy of signing a contract with me! Remember, my stake is the future of a young woman!" My stake is the future of a book...

The gap between near-peak Spirit Tier and below Earth Tier was still considerable, but Tomoyo’s declaration showed how resolute she was. Lin Luo felt that refusing now would be unmanly. With a sigh, he nodded. "Fine, I accept this battle." "Excellent. Let's begin." Tomoyo nodded, wasting no time, and pointed forward. "Wild Roar—LOU!"

"Kuma!" Following Sano Tomoyo's command, the Emperor Bear, previously in standby mode, snapped online. The pressure-cooker-like paw slammed down towards Lin Luo.

Before the strike even landed, Lin Luo felt a sharp wind tearing through the air rush toward him. Alarmed, he instinctively recoiled backward. But as his toe lifted, propelling him mid-air, the massive silhouette of the Emperor Bear suddenly materialized behind him, launching a sweeping side kick!

Damn it! Instant teleportation plus a spinning kick—this bear is overpowered!

Even Lin Luo was stunned. His Creation Rule manifested with his will, causing the air to fill with a hazy white glow, like a mirror. He sensed that his current Creation Rule was the complete version, yet this complete version was also an evolving entity; meaning, the Creation Rule could level up. Currently, despite his World King ability allowing him to activate the Creation Rule at one hundred percent, its power wasn't significantly greater than the previous iteration. All it could manage was defense, resistance, and instantaneous movement.

The moment the Creation Rule deployed, Lin Luo had already blinked behind the Emperor Bear, summoning the Mist Rain Sword and slashing down like a dart.

Boom!

The Emperor Bear’s attack was incredibly sharp. A spinning heel strike shattered the white mist formed by the Creation Rule, while simultaneously, its forelimbs blocked forward. Its five claws, tough as steel cables, managed to halt the descending Mist Rain Sword dead in its tracks. Then, with both claws sweeping out, it unleashed a torrential storm of attacks on Lin Luo.

Much like Sano Tomoyo herself, this Emperor Bear possessed no mystique or esoteric rules. It relied solely on pure, brute physical combat skill. But this did not make it weak; on the contrary, in terms of raw combat ability, its absolute force—capable of shattering absolute rules—placed it even above the Wind Spirit God. This was the true essence of Martial power!

Masters who walk the path of dominance often advance slowly, and their journey is arduous. But once they reach the pinnacle, their destructive potential often far exceeds that of masters on the path of Mysticism.

The Emperor Bear effortlessly pulverized Lin Luo’s Creation Rule and blocked his attacks without exertion. The strikes it threw seemed capable of tearing apart any opponent; the myriad claw shadows were sharper than any blade light... Engulfed in this onslaught, Lin Luo felt like a solitary skiff on a raging ocean, facing annihilation at any moment.

"Kuma!" "Kuma!!" "Kuma!!!"

Lin Luo wasn't surprised by the overwhelming combat power of the Emperor Bear. Even suppressed below the Earth Tier, as an owner of absolute power, it could fight an average Earth Tier master. Conversely, the fact that he had held out this long without being defeated was a miracle in itself.

What Lin Luo found truly unbearable, however, was that the Emperor Bear punctuated every move with a bellow of "Kuma! Kuma!" It was practically a sonic attack.

"Blast it! At this rate, there's no way I can win!" Barely defending against the Bear’s savage onslaught, Lin Luo grew anxious. If he tried to meet force with force, he wouldn't even survive a single exchange. The only reason he lasted this long was thanks to his Heart Eye ability and the Creation Rule—two nearly absolute skills. But that wasn't enough. His goal wasn't stalemate; it was victory.

But how does one win against an opponent so far superior?

"Kuma!"

With another great roar, the Bear’s forelimb swept down. Its hardened, steel-like claws sliced the air, seeming to cleave space itself, emitting a piercing shriek.

Lin Luo couldn't help but grit his teeth. He pushed his Heart Eye ability to its limit, attempting to manipulate the flow of energy, but the gap in their tiers was too vast. The changes he could enforce were minimal. Then, with a loud clang, the Mist Rain Sword was violently knocked aside by the Emperor Bear’s attack.

Immediately following, the Bear’s other forelimb clenched into a fist and drove straight toward Lin Luo.

Crap!

Lin Luo’s heart lurched, but it was too late to retreat. He could only desperately try to condense a defensive layer of white mist.

Crash!

Against absolute power, rule-based force had no chance of winning. While the Emperor Bear's power wasn't yet absolute, Lin Luo’s rule manifestation wasn't particularly strong either. Inevitably, the hastily conjured white mist was insufficient to withstand the attack.

The punch struck, shattering the white mist instantly, and the massive fist hammered directly into Lin Luo’s chest.

Pfff... Whoosh!

A spray of crimson mist painted the air as Lin Luo was flung backward like a lightning bolt. Though the Bear’s attack had been weakened by the mist, the residual force was still something his current self couldn't endure. His insides churned violently, countless bones likely fractured, and even his consciousness began to scatter.

The Emperor Bear would not stop without a command from Sano Tomoyo. It bent its waist and launched itself upward, executing a movement similar to a Flash Step, flickering rapidly through the air in pursuit.

Tomoyo remained rooted to the spot, her brow furrowed. Despite her earlier words, she knew this fight was profoundly unfair to Lin Luo. His chance of victory was less than one percent, and judging by the last exchange, he was severely wounded while her Guardian Beast was entirely unscathed. That one percent chance had evaporated. The ending seemed sealed; if the fight continued, Lin Luo might die. But!

Tomoyo had no intention of stopping!

Just as she had stated, her stake was the future of a young woman.

Her worth wasn't so easily dismissed. If she couldn't be that person's sole focus, then she would discard her own position. She wouldn't be bound by the Divine War; instead, she demanded conquest through combat!

To reverse the tide in this unwinnable battle, to create a miracle—that was what she needed to see.

Exchanging a miracle for her acceptance was the only path for her to reconcile with her own feelings.

Whether Lin Luo could achieve this miracle—a man choosing death for the sake of the one he loved, facing death again with the same resolve—wasn't just about capability; it was about the weight he assigned her in his heart!

If he succeeded, she would dedicate herself to him completely.

With his consciousness fading and his body growing weak, Lin Luo despaired over his predicament. Through his blurry vision, he saw the Emperor Bear charging toward him at top speed. His immobilized limbs told him he couldn't possibly block this final blow. If Tomoyo didn't call it off, he would surely die!

Yet, while his situation was desperate, his fighting spirit was not.

As Tomoyo had said, if he couldn't overcome this hurdle, what right did he have to earn her recognition?

This was no longer merely a contest of strength; it was a confrontation of resolve.

Without the resolve to sacrifice oneself, one should never attempt to gain something more important than oneself.

And that kind of resolve, he had forged long, long ago!

His body could already feel the sharp wind of the approaching palm strike. The Emperor Bear’s frantic roar seemed to blast right beside his ear. But in Lin Luo’s eyes, there was neither confusion nor fear. He simply closed his eyes gently, and then, he transformed his deep-seated resolve into reality.

"Burn, Obliterate!"