A battle was unavoidable.

Watching Fuling approach step by step, Duo Ling suppressed the panic in his heart and temporarily put aside his hatred and anger towards Feng Bujue.

With a turn of his mind, he launched a surprise attack.

In an instant, a violent and ferocious light burst out from Duo Ling's mouth, bombarding Fuling.

The power of this strike was truly beyond expectation.

Not only Samodir and Talium, but even Zhuan Xie Zun and Dian He Wang were surprised by this.

Logically speaking, with Duo Ling's strength, his instantaneous moves shouldn't contain such astonishing energy.

However... Duo Ling was a rather special NPC. In addition to relying on his own abilities, he was also good at using various external conditions. For example, he would play power tricks and form cliques; also, he would collect legendary items like the *Mo Yao Ling Shu* to enhance his combat power.

From this point of view, he was very much like a player...

At this moment, Duo Ling launched a sudden attack, relying on the help of an item.

[Name: Throat of the Mad Dragon]

[Type: Other]

[Quality: Legendary]

[Effect: When equipped, can release a Dragon's Roar through the mouth (Cooldown time 24 hours, consumes 50% of maximum Spiritual Energy, the power of the Dragon's Roar depends on your Spiritual Energy limit)]

[Note: The legendary physician—Mad Doctor Bai Kajia, in his youth, performed a risky surgery because of a bet. That day, he successfully removed this organ completely from a living, rampaging dragon… Although this surgery was already considered miraculous, in order to show off his skills, Bai Kajia made another bet with the other party, declaring that he could use his original magical surgery to transplant this dragon throat into a humanoid creature and retain some of its original functions. We all know what happened later. The scar-faced man who bet against him refused to accept his loss, so he traveled to other dimensions and became an unlicensed traveling doctor.]

"Hmph... indeed your style..."

Others might be surprised or caught off guard by Duo Ling's sudden onslaught, but Fuling... would definitely not.

The pain and humiliation experienced in the swamps of Chew Demon Island were enough to change any proud creature. If Fuling hadn't learned her lesson after being imprisoned for so many years, Feng Bujue would never have given her this opportunity to compete with Duo Ling for kingship.

"Using a trump card suddenly at the beginning of the battle, attacking the enemy unprepared... to gain a decisive advantage." Fuling, who was prepared, dodged the opponent's attack and said, "Tactically speaking, it is indeed very clever, which is exactly where I am inferior to you..."

"Tch..." Seeing that the other party had avoided the Dragon's Roar, Duo Ling suddenly turned around, intending to retrieve the Necromantic Crown that had fallen to the ground.

"How unsightly... Duo Ling..." Fuling was not impatient because of the other party's actions. She calmly raised her arms, her ten fingers forming a seal. The power of death within her body interacted and converged, gathering an energy at her fingertips that was no less powerful than the Dragon's Roar just now.

"The victor is king, the loser is villain..." Duo Ling picked up the crown and quickly put it on his head, "Failure is ugly..."

At this moment, although Fuling's attack was condensed but not yet released, Wu Xing Mo, Dian He Wang, and Zhuan Xie Zun all knew in their hearts... the outcome had been decided.

*Boom—*

Two seconds later, spiritual energy burst out, heading straight for Duo Ling.

The latter had already put on the crown at this time, and turned around to meet the attack: "I won!"

Duo Ling grinned, using force with one hand to receive the attack.

But...

His ice crystal-like body was shattered into ice shards in the next instant.

"How... is this possible..." This time, Duo Ling was reduced to the state of having only one head again, and a head with a desperate expression, "Impossible... I have already put on the crown... I am the King of the Dead!"

"I said from the beginning..." Fuling stepped forward indifferently, responding as she stepped onto the steps before the throne, "...you are worthy?"

"Duo Ling, it seems you have misunderstood the nature of the 'Necromantic Crown' and severely underestimated the strength of the Netherworld King..." At this time, Wu Xing Mo's gentle voice sounded again, "The crown does contain unparalleled power, but it doesn't mean... that anyone can get this power just by putting it on."

Before his voice fell, Fuling had already arrived in front of Duo Ling.

She unhesitatingly took off the crown from the floating, immobile head, and took over Wu Xing Mo's words: "You must have the will to make the crown submit in order to become its master, otherwise... it's just an ornament."

"How... can this be..." Duo Ling's power was weakening more and more, and he would soon be unable to maintain his existence.

In his long life, he had never been so unwilling as he was at this moment...

He was so close to his goal, within reach, but everything vanished and turned to nothing at this moment.

"If you had gone all out and fought me head-on... the outcome would still be uncertain." Fuling looked at Duo Ling with a contemptuous expression, "Unfortunately... you chose a suicidal approach."

"Alas... that's why self-righteous guys are harder to persuade than complete idiots." Zhuan Xie Zun sighed from the side, "Duo Ling, when I conveyed 'Feng Bujue's words' to you, it was already implied very clearly—'On your road to being crowned king... Fuling is an unavoidable obstacle that must be overcome; you have to get over it yourself.'"

Dian He Wang also continued, "If you can defeat Fuling with your own strength, you will naturally have the will to make the crown submit, but your persistent avoidance of this destined confrontation can only prove... that your capacity is no different from when you used tricks to defeat Fuling back then. A character like you cannot ascend to godhood."

The two's words seemed to be a final verdict on Duo Ling's defeat.

And Duo Ling was unable to say anything to refute...

His ambition ultimately turned into a wisp of dust in the main universe along with him.

Just as he said... the loser is ugly; that this ugliness can be forgotten by the world is already a kind of mercy given by the victor.

"Then..." After Duo Ling disappeared, Fuling looked at Samodir and Talium again, "Do you... want to avenge your companion?"

"Hmph... we are not the kind of naive relationship you imagine." Samodir replied with a cold smile. It seemed that Duo Ling's death did not cause him much emotional fluctuation.

"Duo Ling's fate has been decided, and the facts prove that his capacity is only so-so..." Talium also said, "I can't find a reason to avenge such a guy."

"Very good." After Fuling received their answer, she strode forward and turned around to sit on the throne.

"Then please witness this together..." Fuling said, raising the crown, "...from this moment on, the Necromantic Kingdom will have a new king—a queen."