Han Feng panicked.
He had invited the Gold and Silver Elders precisely to guard against the possibility that his opponent was a Dou Zong.
With his own considerable combat strength added to theirs, even a Dou Zong below three stars would have to leave something behind.
Against such a formidable lineup, even Su Qian of Jia Nan Academy would have had to flee in panic.
Yet this man named Shen Luo kept rewriting his understanding of a Two-Star Dou Zong.
"Don't panic, everyone! No matter how powerful he is, he can't possibly kill us all!"
Han Feng shouted fiercely.
Shen Luo had injured the Gold and Silver Elders with a single palm strike, then raised his hand and killed three Dou Wangs. The people present were already thinking of retreating.
Aside from Han Feng, Maple City had one Three-Star Dou Emperor and two Dou Wangs. Everyone else had been invited by Han Feng.
They had only come for the pills. There was no need to risk their lives fighting this Dou Zong of unknown origins to the bitter end.
Their opponent's target was Maple City-Han Feng.
If anyone should be panicking, it was Han Feng.
Besides, looking at this fellow, how could he be an ordinary Dou Zong?
"Everyone, I'll double the pills I promised you. This man may be powerful, but he isn't without weaknesses!"
"On the contrary, if we let him escape today, he'll settle accounts with every one of you in the future!"
Han Feng calmly analyzed the situation.
Shen Luo froze.
"Weaknesses?"
He blinked, staring curiously at Han Feng, his face full of anticipation.
I have weaknesses?
Where?
How come I don't know about them? Let's hear it, so I can build on my strengths and shore up my shortcomings.
A man has to grow through battle.
Take Old Man Shennong. His cultivation may be high, but he's hardly ever fought anyone. He spends all day fiddling with his flowers and plants. If he actually faced an opponent at the same level, he'd definitely lose.
I can't make that mistake.
"The Gold and Silver Elders and I will coordinate close- and long-range attacks. Don't clash with him head-on. Just keep him occupied while everyone else attacks that little girl from a distance!"
Han Feng's urgent voice rang throughout the estate.
Shen Luo smacked his lips.
That's it?
That's the weakness you were talking about?
I thought you'd spotted a flaw in my Dou Qi circulation or a shortcoming in my heavenly tyrant body!
After all that, you're just using Zi Yan to threaten me.
Han Feng, oh, Han Feng. You really are a fucking genius.
The others considered it and realized he had a point.
That little girl only had the strength of a Dou Wang. She would be easy to handle.
Shen Luo wouldn't dare leave her side. They only needed to unleash Dou Techniques from a distance, attacking what he was forced to protect, and that Dou Zong would have no choice but to stand there and endure it.
Besides, they still had Han Feng and the Gold and Silver Elders.
They had a fighting chance.
"Blazing Flame Palm!"
"Earth Flame Fist!"
"Primordial Force!"
"Great Blood Bodhi!"
Dou Techniques came pouring in from afar, blotting out the sky. Shen Luo raised a barrier of Dou Qi light around Zi Yan.
He could only defend passively.
He had to admit, this tactic really worked.
Especially those two wind-attribute Dou Emperors. They spread their Dou Qi Wings and moved around constantly, retreating far away immediately after unleashing a Dou Technique, then catching their breath briefly before launching another.
Shen Luo's gaze followed their paths as he silently memorized their faces.
Wind attribute, speed types, hit-and-run pests. Once I get an opening, I'll cripple those two first.
The Gold and Silver Elders and Han Feng posed the greatest threat to Shen Luo, so his attention was focused on guarding against them.
But these people grew increasingly cunning. They simply gave up attacking Shen Luo and aimed every Dou Technique at Zi Yan instead.
That cost Shen Luo dearly.
He darted forward, but Han Feng saw the danger and immediately abandoned any thought of meeting him head-on, turning to flee instead.
Naturally, Shen Luo didn't dare pursue him, because the Gold and Silver Elders had already unleashed earth-rank Dou Techniques at Zi Yan.
He quickly turned back and blocked the wave of attacks.
Then came high-grade Profound Tier Dou Techniques from two more Dou Emperors.
The Dou Wangs stood even farther away, harassing Shen Luo relentlessly.
Shen Luo silently weighed the situation.
They're determined to fight a war of attrition. My heavenly tyrant body can withstand it, but having Zi Yan with me really leaves me on the back foot.
That old bastard Han Feng has read the situation clearly. Zi Yan is my Achilles' heel. As long as they keep targeting her, I can only stand here and take a beating.
Before long, Shen Luo suffered a minor injury.
To protect Zi Yan, he used his tyrant body to take a Fireball Projectile formed from Han Feng's heavenly flames head-on.
The fireball exploded against his chest. Scorching waves of heat burned a large hole through his black robe, while purple threads of blood surged wildly over his charred skin, repairing it.
Shen Luo staggered back two steps, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, yet he stubbornly refused to give any ground.
"Shen Luo, forget about me! They'll wear you down until you die!"
Zi Yan's eyes were red as she huddled behind Shen Luo.
Shen Luo lowered his head and glanced at her.
This girl usually runs wild without a care. Who knew she could cry, too?
Her eyes were as red as a rabbit's, her lips bitten white. Both hands clutched the hem of his robe so tightly that her knuckles had turned bluish.
"What are you afraid of? At worst, we'll die here together!"
Shen Luo spat out a mouthful of blood, his chest heaving violently.
"No... no, I don't want you to die!"
Looking at Shen Luo covered in blood, Zi Yan's bottled-up emotions finally collapsed.
Her tears at last began to fall, landing one by one on the wounds on Shen Luo's back, burning hot.
Shen Luo could have left. He could have dodged. Yet for her sake, he stood his ground and endured the relentless bombardment of more than a dozen powerful fighters.
Those fireballs, palm blasts, and Dou Techniques-every single one could have crushed her. Shen Luo had blocked them all with his body.
He was a Dou Zong. He could easily have abandoned her.
But he hadn't.
"You bastards! We only took a few things! What's the big deal?"
Zi Yan screamed until her voice was raw, already choked with sobs.
She regretted it.
She shouldn't have brought Shen Luo to the Black-Corner Region to hunt for treasure. Now, not only was she going to lose her own life, she had dragged Shen Luo down with her.
If Shen Luo truly died here protecting her, she would never forgive herself for the rest of her life.
She might usually be willful and spoiled, but she had never thought about dying.
She didn't want to die, and she wanted Shen Luo to die even less.
Shen Luo ignored Zi Yan's words and swept his gaze across the battlefield instead.
He's coughing up blood.
He's nearly done for.
A hint of delight appeared on Han Feng's face.
They had kited him for an hour, and it was finally having some effect.
"High-level earth-rank Dou Technique, Blazing Inferno!"
Raging flames filled the sky, lighting up more than half the heavens above Maple City. Under Han Feng's control, the sea heart flame transformed into an ancient ferocious beast and charged toward Zi Yan.
The Gold and Silver Elders also shouted, mighty Dou Qi surging out of their bodies like a tide.
The other Dou Emperors and Dou Wangs were no slower, frantically hurling their signature techniques and trump cards at Zi Yan.
Zi Yan's face turned deathly pale, panic filling her expression.
Watching the sky-blotting radiance of Dou Techniques pour toward her, she instinctively closed her eyes.
She knew perfectly well that any one of these attacks could blast her to pieces. No matter how strong Shen Luo was, he couldn't possibly block so many at once.
She was going to die.
The instant that thought flashed through her mind, a broad back appeared in front of her.
Shen Luo turned to face the Dou Techniques filling the sky and spread his arms.
He drove his heavenly tyrant body to its limit, purple threads of blood covering his entire body. The Devouring Ancestral Symbol spun madly within him, black light shining out through his flesh.
He used no Dou Technique to counterattack, instead devoting all his strength to defense.
The ancient ferocious beast formed from the sea heart flame slammed into his chest.
Countless Dou Techniques struck his body.
Shen Luo was swallowed whole by the light.
"Shen Luo!"
Zi Yan's anguished cry rang through the night sky.
Before you continue