"Divine Sacred Dragon!"
Above the city lord's manor in Vast Sea City, Yu Xiaogang's trash martial soul, Luo Sanpao, once again staged an underdog's comeback, transforming into a gleaming golden dragon.
Nearly thirty meters long, it split the scales along its back and unfurled enormous dragon wings like clouds, casting a vast shadow below. Its endlessly circulating golden radiance mingled with its searing aura, forming an even wider field in midair. Although it was not a domain, it came infinitely close to the Golden Sacred Dragon's "breath," and its might surpassed the fields of ordinary Titled Douluos.
Every Shattered Fang Slash Ren Tao had unleashed earlier had been blocked by the golden light of the Golden Iron Triangle's Sun and Moon Radiance Golden Turn. Power of this caliber stirred his instinct to devour for the first time in a long while.
This was power beyond the mortal realm. Although the limitations of their bloodline made it exceedingly thin, it was fundamentally different from worldly power, just like that wisp of the Sea God's power.
A dragon's roar shook the heavens. Bolts of golden lightning coiled around the golden dragon, making it resemble a deity at that moment.
"All bluster!"
Ren Tao gave a cold smile and abruptly vanished from where he stood, taking Xue Beng with him!
Although the Golden Iron Triangle's martial soul fusion skill was powerful, it had a fatal weakness: Luo Sanpao's attacks all required time to charge, and they lacked a preemptive lock-on effect that restricted the target. Against Ren Tao, who possessed Spatial Jump, the golden dragon could never hit him unless he allowed it.
Now, he had unexpectedly abducted Xue Beng-and, of course, Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, who had been closest to him.
As someone at the very bottom of the Titled Douluo ranks, Dugu Bo naturally could not compare to Ren Tao in either soul power or spiritual power. Thus, he was the first to come under attack.
A powerful beam struck his shoulder with such savage force that he could not resist it. Before he could even summon his Martial Soul Avatar, Dugu Bo was kicked out of the sky.
"Your Majesty!"
Ning Fengzhi turned pale with fright. His anguished cry was louder than anyone else's, but he pressed himself even more tightly between Bone Douluo and Sword Douluo, terrified that Ren Tao might give him the same treatment.
The Heaven Dou Empire's escort immediately descended into chaos.
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong casually blocked Dai Rong's attacks and still had the leisure to glance toward a certain spot in the sky, where Ren Tao was hiding. At that moment, she had only one thought:
Should I abandon this coward Dai Rong and go fight Ren Woxing again?
Isn't that brat having a little too much fun?
Yu Xiaogang had naturally seen what was happening over there, and panic rose in his heart. All his dreams of glory and riches rested on Xue Beng, who now put food on his table. If anything happened to the emperor, wouldn't all his efforts be like drawing water with a bamboo basket?
He desperately wanted to get up and rescue him immediately. Unfortunately, the Trinity Martial Soul Fusion Skill did not allow free movement. While performing it, the Golden Iron Triangle was also locked in place-another major drawback. He neither dared nor was able to make any rash move, and could only lure Ren Tao out for a fight to the death.
"Ren Woxing, if you dare harm His Majesty, you will become the enemy of the entire Heaven Dou Empire! Vast as this world is, there will be nowhere left for you!"
"That feeble threat is a joke. Who cares about your precious Emperor Xue Beng? Take him!"
Ren Tao appeared in the air and actually responded, casually tossing down a huge cocoon wrapped in golden threads toward Yu Xiaogang and the others.
"Your Majesty!"
Although Yu Xiaogang, Flender, and Liu Erlong were protected by golden light and had nothing to fear from attacks, the thing hurtling toward them was "Xue Beng"! People nearby were already shouting in unison.
"Blue Lightning King, do not harm His Majesty!"
"Ah!"
Panicking, Yu Xiaogang hurriedly directed the golden dragon to turn aside, making room for several soul masters who leaped forward so they could safely catch "Xue Beng."
An abrupt change followed. The golden cocoon burst apart, and golden threads shot out madly like arrows. Not only were the soul masters riddled with holes, but even the golden dragon was left with several black marks.
Yet the golden cocoon had been completely empty. There was not a soul inside!
"A pack of idiots!"
Bibi Dong could not help laughing out the insult. At the same time, she increased the force of her attacks, intending to kill Dai Rong quickly and enter Ren Tao's battle.
"Yu Xiaogang, is this all the strength the Soul Master World's Grandmaster possesses? Is running your mouth your only ability?"
Ren Tao appeared. With a flash of light in midair, he suddenly charged toward the golden dragon, releasing a dragon's cry. It was deeper and more resonant than the golden dragon's roar. Ripples of vibration linked together across the sky, shimmering with faint golden light, as though a glittering sea had opened in the heavens.
"Farting Like Thunder, Earth-Shattering Luo Sanpao!"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes nearly split with rage. He could no longer hold back the skill he had charged, and thick smoke blossomed in midair as it finally collided with Ren Tao for the first time.
Bang!
As though struck by a massive hammer, the golden dragon was blasted backward again and again. Its enormous claws stamped against the air, producing a dense succession of explosive bursts.
Yu Xiaogang's face abruptly paled. Mentally linked to the golden dragon, he too suffered the impact. His soul power was obstructed, and a breath lodged in his chest, unable to rise. In an instant, his pale face turned purplish red.
"Yu Xiaogang, what are you doing? How dare you harm your emperor!"
Xue Beng appeared behind Ren Tao, his face pale. Although Ren Tao had repelled most of the attack, he had deliberately allowed Xue Beng to suffer its shock waves as well, making him take a dose of the golden dragon Luo Sanpao's fart.
His soul was somewhat unsettled now, and he sank into a dazed, numb state.
"You, you, you... You're nothing but a useless piece of trash! If your disciple Tang San weren't useful, do you think you could have become the Blue Lightning King? How dare you raise a hand against your emperor! Are you plotting rebellion?"
What...
Yu Xiaogang could not react in time. He was instantly dumbfounded.
Has Emperor Xue Beng gone mad?
After saying those words, Xue Beng's eyes shifted, as though he too realized something was wrong. Regret flashed across his face, and he was about to make amends, but Ren Tao would never give him the chance. He casually tossed him away like a battered rag doll.
"Catch your emperor! If he dies, none of you will escape responsibility!"
"Your Majesty!"
The Heaven Dou Empire's soul masters gathered like stars surrounding the moon to receive their emperor, while Ren Tao turned toward Yu Xiaogang.
"Do you understand now? In Xue Beng's eyes, you're nothing but useless trash!"
Using the Dragon Blood Soul-Control Art to stir up the fear in Xue Beng's heart had merely been an "improvised performance" on Ren Tao's part. Yet he had not expected that, despite seemingly relying on Tang San as his impregnable bulwark, Emperor Xue Beng's greatest fear was Tang San rebelling. He feared master and disciple would join forces to seize his throne.
"Are you still not finished over there?"
Ren Tao had barely finished speaking when, before Yu Xiaogang could react, Bibi Dong answered first. The Spider Spear in her hand twisted, sweeping like a sharp blade and spraying blood as it severed Dai Rong's tiger head, its fur standing on end.
Dai Rong died just like that?
An intense sense of unreality rose in his heart. Something felt wrong. Dai Rong knew he was no match for her, yet he had still stepped forward to die. Was he an idiot?
Ren Tao's thoughts raced, and he wanted to go examine the body. Neither Bibi Dong nor Yu Xiaogang would give him that chance, however. As though they had arranged it beforehand, the two attacked simultaneously.
Unlike when she had fought Dai Rong, Bibi Dong immediately switched to her Soul-Eating Spider Emperor martial soul, unleashing her Sixth Soul Skill, Eternal Wound, in a flash.
According to the original Douluo story, this was currently Bibi Dong's strongest single-target attack. Physical defenses were useless, and energy defenses were reduced by fifty percent. Once it struck, the wound would spread endlessly, and the victim could only resist it with soul power until that power was exhausted and their life burned out.
Of course, that final effect-the wound spreading endlessly-was ineffective against Ren Tao.
With his forbidden power and the immense energy in the Sea of Inheritance, a move that damaged genes like this was useless against him.
At the same time, however, the golden dragon also attacked. This time, it was no longer Earth-Shattering Luo Sanpao, but Luo Sanpao's fourth soul skill, Farting Like Bone Spikes-Heart-Piercing Deathblow Luo Sanpao.
Ren Tao's expression grew grave. Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang shared an unusual relationship, and there was some tacit understanding in their coordination. More importantly, Yu Xiaogang was indeed deeply calculating. Ren Tao had repeatedly battered him, trying to drive a wedge between him and Xue Beng and lay the groundwork for later. Yet Yu Xiaogang had likewise endured until the very end, waiting for Bibi Dong to free her hands before unleashing his killing blow...
Ren Tao took a deep breath. A sea of blood surged behind him, the Wisdom Halo revolved above his head, and the Devouring Golden Threads in his hand rapidly formed a spear. With this strike, he would clash head-on with Bibi Dong, defeat the Golden Iron Triangle, and end today's battle.
In any case, Dai Rong had left the stage, and Xue Beng had thoroughly disgraced himself. Today's objectives had been achieved. All that remained was to wait for the grand finale five days later.
Fierce winds howled as the golden spear thrust forward. It tore through the air, drawing increasingly dense flashes of lightning. By the end, the spear was surrounded by a dazzling mass of lightning as it crossed space and met the green, crisscrossing ripples Bibi Dong had unleashed.
Boom!
The earth shuddered. Every building in the city lord's manor trembled and collapsed as though made of paper. An enormous spatial storm formed a hurricane over the square and swept in every direction. As far as the eye could see, no one escaped its effects, and everyone retreated more than a hundred meters away.
Ren Tao was also hurled backward by the force of the collision. He tumbled violently, using the momentum to evade Luo Sanpao's attack. Then his figure flickered through a succession of Spatial Jumps, bringing him close to Yu Xiaogang's side.
Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He had already been injured, but Bibi Dong certainly could not have fared much better. The two were essentially evenly matched, and at this point neither had absolute confidence in defeating the other.
But Ren Tao intended to seize the opportunity to complete his plan for Yu Xiaogang-or, more precisely, his plan to devour the golden dragon. This was the bloodline of a primordial divine dragon. It would be a shame to miss it.
The Devouring Golden Threads burst forth, instantly piercing the protection of the golden pillar of light and puncturing Yu Xiaogang's skin.
How could this be? The invincible golden light was ineffective?
Yu Xiaogang's eyes conveyed that question.
Indeed, the invincible golden light was power beyond the mortal realm. But who had said power beyond the mortal realm was invincible?
With the purple qi obtained from devouring the Sea God's power and the Red Crystal gained by devouring the White-Haired Woman's energy, even god-level power could be worn down and eroded. They were precisely the bane of the invincible golden light.
Using the Wisdom Halo, Ren Tao cut off his shared sensations with Yu Xiaogang. He needed only three seconds to finish devouring it. Then he could slip away and begin the next phase of his plan.
His conception was sound, but reality was always full of unforeseen accidents.
In the very first second after he began devouring, Ren Tao suddenly shuddered. An intense sense of danger enveloped his entire body, and he felt as though he had plunged into an ice cavern.
A figure wrapped in red light abruptly descended into his consciousness.
"Did you truly think you could escape this God King's judgment?"
Asura God!
Ren Tao turned pale with alarm. His golden threads abruptly retracted, halting the devouring process. He unleashed the Blood Sea Pagoda Domain at full power, raising a tide of blood, and simultaneously pushed Spiritual Detection to its limit... At last, he saw a red figure descending from the sky.
It was not a figure, but a sword's phantom, as chilling to behold as a streak of bloody light. It expanded endlessly as it came toward him.
None of Ren Tao's domains could stop it. The sword pierced the sea of blood just as his Devouring Golden Threads had pierced the Golden Sacred Dragon's invincible golden light. In a single flash, it was upon him.
Only then did the Asura God Phantom finish speaking that sentence.
Golden light shattered, and the sea of blood churned. Ren Tao shot sideways through the air for dozens of meters before crashing to the ground amid the ruins of a building.
"It's you!"
Feeling the agonizing destruction the Asura divine power wrought inside his body, Ren Tao could barely breathe. He struggled halfway to his feet, then fell heavily to the ground again.
At that moment, the Asura Sword's second strike arrived!
The Slaughter Domain's characteristic: magic suppression, rendering all of an opponent's soul skills ineffective!
Only now did Ren Tao remember just how outrageously powerful the King of Slaughter's domain was!
I've received all your reviews and comments, fellow readers, and gained a great deal from them.
So far, my handling of the plot and characters has remained fairly steady. What follows will unfold layer by layer, bringing you even more exciting moments!
Before you continue