Chapter 345: Ten Spirit Douluos, A Hunt Like Years Ago
"Any last words before you die?"
The Second Elder's words cut through the air as he stared down at Dai Yao. Despite his composed appearance, a flicker of unease passed through the elder's mind. Yet with ten Spirit Douluos on their side, they felt unbeatable. Not even a Titled Douluo would dare to face such a lineup without caution, so what threat could a mere Dai Yao pose? The impending elimination of this long-standing family threat filled him with triumph.
"For those who defy the clan's rules, there is only one fate—death!" he declared.
Dai Yao's expression remained calm as he replied, "Oh? How merciful of the White Tiger Clan, to offer me a chance for final words. Yet, I wonder, why was I never given a chance to live?"
Hearing this, the other Spirit Douluos surrounding him exchanged curious glances, as if questioning whether there was more to Dai Yao's story.
The Second Elder scoffed, "A chance to live? If you had followed clan rules and competed for the throne as you were supposed to, the clan would have provided you with that chance. But at the end of the day, you are simply rebellious by nature, with no respect for your elders or your lineage!"
"Hahaha!" Dai Yao erupted into laughter, a wild sound that echoed across the city, startling the residents of Gengxin City as well as the Spirit Douluos.
"What's so funny?" the Second Elder demanded.
Dai Yao's laughter subsided, but a smirk remained as he replied, "Funny? It's absolutely ridiculous! You hypocrites dare to speak of opportunity when you know full well that you gave me none. You were all aware of the blood feud between me and the current Empress of Xing Luo. If not for my spirit awakening, I would have perished, alone and unnoticed, in that cold palace."
He continued, his voice laced with anger, "Even as the Fourth Prince, the Empress's schemes against me were endless. I barely escaped death several times. And when I hunted my first and second spirit rings, my supposed protection was mysteriously withdrawn, forcing me to fend off spirit beasts alone in the perilous Beast Garden. Then there were the days at the Xing Luo Royal Academy when the First and Second Princes conspired against me, trapping me within palace walls. Where were you then?"
"When even a Spirit Elder was sent to assassinate me, did you care? If not for my own skill and luck, I would have died long ago. And now, you dare speak of the so-called 'opportunities' you gave me?! Where were they?" Dai Yao's voice rose in fury.
Silence fell over the Spirit Douluos, and some cast sympathetic glances at Dai Yao. A genius of his caliber, tormented to this extent, it was no wonder he had turned against the clan. How could the White Tiger Clan be so blind?
The Third Elder sighed heavily, stroking his beard, while the Fourth Elder smirked, showing a glint of sympathy in his gaze. The Fifth Elder's lips moved as if he wanted to speak, but ultimately, he too sighed, weighed down by complex emotions.
The Second Elder's face turned a shade darker, his beard trembling with rage. "Enough! A traitor to the clan has no excuse for his actions. You are as despicable as you are deceitful, trying to place the blame for your twisted thoughts on the family!"
Dai Yao sneered, his eyes turning cold. Trying to reason with this elder was futile; in his mind, the clan could never be wrong. Blame always lay elsewhere.
Cold, murderous intent poured from him, as intense as the aura he'd cultivated in the City of Slaughter. "Talking with you is meaningless. In the end, strength is the only thing that matters. You want to kill me? Then come and try! I'm curious to see if you can."
Before ascending to face them, Dai Yao had already prepared himself to escape. Spirit power surged through him as he launched into the air.
Zip!
A sharp, piercing sound accompanied a flash of white light as Dai Yao shot into the distance, racing towards the depths of Xing Luo Empire. His sudden burst of speed took the Spirit Douluos by surprise.
Only recently, he had matched his speed with Bai He of the Sensitive Clan, and when he combined the transformations of his spirit, his speed was only marginally slower.
"So fast!" This thought flashed through each Spirit Douluo's mind.
"Three of you, stay and finish off any of his allies left in Gengxin City. The rest of you, follow me!" the Second Elder barked, his face dark with anger. Somehow, Dai Yao had managed to break through their soul power suppression and escape their encirclement, despite the formation of eight Spirit Douluos surrounding him.
He didn't have time to think about it further. With a roar, he and six others shot off in pursuit of Dai Yao, leaving three Spirit Douluos stationed in the city.
Seven streaks of light tore across the sky as they gave chase.
Feeling the gust of wind whip through his hair, Dai Yao glanced back, his expression hardening as he saw the seven dots of his pursuers in the distance. Though he'd managed to lure away seven Spirit Douluos, three had remained in Gengxin City. Lou Gao, though a Spirit Douluo himself, wasn't adept in combat, but with Ning Rongrong's support, they might be able to hold off the remaining three.
Dai Yao's only hope was that the three remaining Spirit Douluos were not particularly powerful. If not, he would have to reveal his Chaos Green Lotus and return to aid Lou Gao and the others.
To buy them time, he refrained from unleashing his full speed, maintaining a safe distance to keep the Spirit Douluos' attention on him and away from Gengxin City.
It was a dangerous balancing act. If he made a single mistake, his only options would be to either reveal the Chaos Green Lotus or face certain death. After all, he was merely a Spirit Emperor up against seven Spirit Douluos.
Seeing Dai Yao ahead, constantly just out of reach, the Second Elder grew restless. If he couldn't capture Dai Yao, it would disgrace not only himself but also the entire White Tiger Clan.
He turned to one of the Spirit Douluo women and commanded, "Elder Zhu, it's time you join the chase."
Covered in shadows, the Spirit Douluo woman wore a black, tight-fitting suit that accentuated her shapely figure. With a soft "hmph," she activated her seventh spirit ring. The black spirit ring transformed into an inky liquid that enveloped her, and a moment later, a black spirit cat shot out, racing toward Dai Yao at breakneck speed.
Sensing imminent danger, Dai Yao dodged attacks from the rear and glanced back, only to see a black spirit cat rapidly closing in.
"A spirit avatar? A Black Spirit Cat—could she be from the Zhu family?!"
Dai Yao clenched his jaw in frustration. "The Dai family won't spare me, and now the Zhu family joins the hunt. Fine!"
Though rage simmered within him, he knew he couldn't afford to use his full speed just yet. If he lost the pursuit, the Spirit Douluos would return to Gengxin City, potentially dooming Lou Gao and the others. He had to keep their focus on him.
With a loud roar, Dai Yao activated his Holy White Tiger spirit.
White wings unfurled and melded with the eight white wings already on his back, giving him an extra burst of speed. The Black Spirit Cat's approach slowed noticeably.
The Zhu clan woman controlling the Black Spirit Cat narrowed her eyes, her expression slightly alarmed. "What kind of terrifying spirit is this? It's as if something surpassing the White Tiger exists!"
Although Dai Yao's spirit power level was lower than hers, she sensed a deadly energy radiating from him, one that seemed to attract her with an irresistible force—a force far stronger than that of the ordinary White Tiger spirit.
"No wonder that girl Zhuqing is so taken with him," she thought, a pang of regret mixed with determination. "But Zhuqing, I can only apologize. I can't let this boy live."
Her Black Spirit Cat activated its second and third spirit rings, accelerating as if chasing the stars and closing the distance.
As Dai Yao entered her attack range, the Spirit Cat's eyes narrowed with a fierce glint. Letting out a piercing screech, its claws gleamed like blades, and it pounced, aiming straight for Dai Yao's back.
This was a killing blow, delivered in her spirit avatar state. Countless Spirit Masters had fallen to this attack, including some powerful Spirit Sages who could barely react in time. The mournful whistle of the air slicing past his ear sent Dai Yao's heart into a pounding frenzy—this was an attack that could end his life.
With gritted teeth, he twisted his body mid-air to face the oncoming strike.
The Zhu Spirit Douluo's eyes widened in surprise as she saw Dai Yao's left hand extend razor-sharp blades, deflecting her attack just in time.
Schiiing!
The clash of blades emitted a high-pitched, teeth-gritting sound, and sparks flew.
"What is this? An external spirit bone?" she thought, her eyes fixated on the sudden appearance of the blades in Dai Yao's hand, her arms straining from the force of his counter.
The pair of wings sprouting from his back was clearly another external spirit bone. External spirit bones were exceedingly rare, yet here was Dai Yao wielding two of them—this was beyond luck.
"Oh, poor sister of mine, how unfortunate that you provoked such an enemy. I doubt you've had a peaceful night's sleep in years," she mused with a sneer. After all, as members of the Zhu Clan, true closeness between sisters was rare.
"If I could, I'd let him escape just to keep you awake at night, sister. But the Dai Clan has ordered his capture or death in Xing Luo Empire," she thought, her mouth curling into a grim smile. Just as she was about to strike again, Dai Yao rocketed away from her, using the rebound force of her attack to propel himself downwards.
"He used my attack as a launch? The nerve of him!" she thought, astonished.
By deliberately taking her attack, he'd redirected the recoil to send himself further away, leaving her momentarily rooted in place from absorbing the recoil herself. Though difficult, his bold maneuver had temporarily turned the tables in his favor.
The Black Spirit Cat looked down at her own trembling paw, stunned. Dai Yao's strength had surprised her. Although she was a sensitive attack Spirit Master, she was still a Spirit Douluo. To think that a Spirit Emperor like Dai Yao had blocked her strike so easily—it was hard to believe.
Her body tensed again, and she sprang after him.
One Day Later
"Damn it, does this kid have endless spirit power?" The Second Elder's venomous gaze was fixed on Dai Yao, now just a distant speck, as he cursed aloud.
They had been chasing Dai Yao for an entire day without success. It felt as though the seven of them had become his playthings.
Their spirit power was running low, yet Dai Yao's seemed inexhaustible; his speed hadn't dropped in the slightest.
Initially, they'd relied on the Zhu Spirit Douluo's advantage in sensitive attacks to hinder him, but each of her strikes was either dodged by Dai Yao or leveraged to aid his escape.
At her wits' end, she tried feints to lure him into a trap, but Dai Yao always read her intentions and slipped away, leaving her fuming with frustration. She vowed that if she ever caught him, she'd kick him senseless.
Finally, she began a pattern of interference to hinder his progress. This tactic nearly led to his capture several times, once almost ending with him encircled by the seven, barely escaping with minor injuries.
The portly Third Elder, visibly worried, transmitted telepathically to the Second Elder:
"Second Brother, this kid is too slippery. If we don't change tactics, we'll lose face even if we do catch him. We need a decisive, unified assault to restore our honor."
The Second Elder nodded after a moment's thought. "No more delays. Activate your spirit avatars and spread out. He's entered Xing Luo Empire; let's compress his escape routes, preventing him from veering south or north."
The Spirit Douluos' expressions grew serious. Dai Yao's performance had far exceeded their expectations. If they let him escape, it would disgrace not only the royal family but everyone involved in the hunt.
In an instant, black lights shot up to the sky as one colossal spirit beast after another materialized around him. The mounting pressure around Dai Yao intensified.
"Finally getting serious, are we?" Dai Yao sneered as he looked back.
In a direct confrontation, he would have no chance. But running? As long as his wings carried him, he could escape even the mightiest pursuer.
But then he noticed a shift in their formation; the seven spirit beasts had spread out, closing in from all directions like a tightening net. It was clear their intent was to corner him without leaving him any route for escape.
Ordinarily, if a single Spirit Douluo held him, the others could surround and overwhelm him. Even a Titled Douluo would struggle to escape such a trap.
But was Dai Yao ordinary?
As the forest and fields blurred past below, Dai Yao thought, "I've been leading them on for a full day and night. Lou Gao and the others should have escaped by now. No more hiding—I can run at full speed."
With a single powerful beat of his wings, he halted mid-air and turned toward the Zhu Spirit Douluo, whose eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he moved toward her.
"Realizing he's cornered, he's making a last-ditch effort?" she scoffed.
Currently, she was the only one directly behind him, maintaining the closest pursuit. The others had spread out to form a net around him, ready to close in as soon as she held him.
Her eighth black spirit ring flared to life, and the sky seemed to dim around her as a menacing aura coalesced in her palms. Dai Yao had played her for a full day; she had no intention of holding back now.
Yet in the next instant, her expression froze.
Dai Yao's image grew larger in her vision, and six spirit rings encircled him, rotating in silence. Among them, a scarlet ring glowed with an intense crimson light that left her questioning her sight.
A blood-red spirit ring…on a Spirit Emperor?
Her heart skipped a beat. This was an instinctive warning, a primal survival sense common among high-level Spirit Masters, triggered only when death was imminent.
"Impossible—a Spirit Emperor can't be a danger to m—" Her thought was cut short.
In a flash, Dai Yao's third and fifth spirit rings blazed, and his figure vanished, reappearing directly in front of her. The vivid scarlet of the ring burned in her sight.
The Black Spirit Cat's pupils shrank in horror. Its fur stood on end as she swung her eighth spirit skill downward, cutting off the attack before it could even fully charge. She could no longer afford the time to complete her move; the feeling of impending death was suffocating.
But to her utter shock, her attack passed through him as if he were nothing more than a phantom.
"This must be his hundred-thousand-year skill…" she thought, bewildered.
Dai Yao's voice, icy and mocking, reached her: "After chasing me all this time, did you enjoy yourself?"
Behind her, Dai Yao's form solidified. His right fist, already coiled with energy, clenched as thunder roared through the sky. Lightning like countless silver snakes crackled down from above, concentrating in his fist.
For a moment, the world was blindingly white.
"Thunder Strike—Eightfold Destruction!"
Dai Yao's furious shout accompanied his downward punch, crashing into the Black Spirit Cat's back with all his might.
The lightning split the sky, her spirit avatar disintegrated on the spot, and her human form reappeared, face deathly pale, as she spat blood from the force of his blow.
With a single powerful beat of his wings, Dai Yao's figure vanished, soaring toward the borders of Xing Luo Empire at speeds several times faster than before. Within the blink of an eye, he had completely disappeared from sight.
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