Defeated and driven back

Ren Tao could not unleash any Soul Skills at that moment, and the Asura Sword was already right before his eyes.

"King of Slaughter!"

Of everyone present, only Bibi Dong recognized the newcomer, and only she still had the power to turn the situation around. She moved, charging toward Ren Tao.

Bang!

The King of Slaughter merely swung his sword, as simply as swinging a massive door, and blocked the two Half Moon blades of light.

"He has something I want. Leave him alone!"

Bibi Dong's aura erupted. As she charged, she manifested the true form of her Second Martial Soul, the Soul-Eating Spider Emperor. Ren Tao possessed a Million-Year Soul Bone. Besides, even out of nothing more than her appreciation for him, she did not want to see him die at the King of Slaughter's hands.

"Bibi Dong, why go to such lengths?"

Yu Xiaogang now put his "Grandmaster"-level abilities to use. Speaking in a low voice, he held Bibi Dong back. "He started this game, so he should be prepared to see it through. What you want is the Million-Year Soul Bone. If he's killed, do you really think there won't be a Soul Bone?"

"Well..."

Bibi Dong had still been wavering, but Yu Xiaogang's low voice and tender gaze instantly carried her back into her memories.

How many years had it been since Yu Xiaogang had looked at her like that? Ever since...

"No! A powerful warrior may die on the battlefield, but not in such a wretched way!"

Bibi Dong quickly regained her clarity. As she had said, the dignity of a peerless powerhouse could not be disgraced by a despicable sneak attack. Besides, looking at it that way, she herself had been used.

"Hmph!"

The Asura God's voice rang out in Bibi Dong's mind at the same time. "Rakshasa, admit that you arranged all this..."

Two dreamlike figures began another contest, using Bibi Dong's realm of consciousness as their arena.

With that, Bibi Dong's plan to rescue Ren Tao ended in complete failure.

Blood dripped freely from the enormous Asura Sword, flecked with a golden sheen. "I will savor your blood, and then..."

As the King of Slaughter swung his sword, his gaze inevitably met Ren Tao's. Only then did he discover lightning dancing in the other's eyes, along with fantastic scenes of whales leaping and dragons soaring. A dragon's roar seemed to echo in his ears.

The strand of divine sense sent over by the Asura God inevitably froze for a moment as well.

A third eye appeared on Ren Tao's forehead, pulsing with faint violet light. It actually broke through the Magic Suppression Domain and ignored the distance between them. A pointed, spindle-shaped object wrapped in violet patterns of light abruptly shot out.

"What?!"

The Asura God was aghast. He did not understand why Ren Tao's response had exceeded his expectations. What should have been certain death had taken another unexpected turn.

Could he truly be Tang San's nemesis, an even greater variable in this world after Tang San?

Pop~

A soft sound rang out, like a pebble passing through the surface of water and stirring up ripples.

The Asura God's phantom split in two. One half blocked Ren Tao's Soul Breaking Spear, only to be pierced in an instant. The other returned to the Asura Sword, turning the flat of the blade across its path faster than the King of Slaughter could react, once again blocking the lingering force of the Soul Breaking Spear's attack.

This time, a deafening clang rang out.

The King of Slaughter was sent crashing down, even harder than Ren Tao had fallen earlier.

Bibi Dong regained her clarity at the same time. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the King of Slaughter fall into the ruins on one side. On the other, the waves of the sea of blood swiftly contracted, gradually gathering into a single point of red light. It then jumped repeatedly through the air before finally vanishing.

That was merely what she perceived through her divine sense, giving her the impression that Ren Tao had escaped with that point of red light. In physical space, however, as far as the naked eye could see, Ren Tao had used Spatial Jump the instant the King of Slaughter was knocked away and the Magic Suppression Domain dispersed.

The domain surrounding him gradually contracted as he fled the scene, which was why Bibi Dong sensed the red light moving.

Bibi Dong collected herself slightly. With no time to bother with the King of Slaughter, she let out a long cry and sprang into the air. She rapidly climbed skyward, flying with the aid of six wings as she pursued Ren Tao's trail.

She sensed that point of red light darting first south, then north, moving at an inconceivable speed along an illogical course. It was so fast that even Bibi Dong could not catch up.

After more than a dozen consecutive Spatial Jumps, the red light plunged into the water.

Ripples shimmered across the surface, but Bibi Dong's divine sense could no longer find Ren Tao.

"Ah..."

Bibi Dong exhaled, feeling both disappointed and somewhat relieved. She stopped searching and flew toward the outskirts of the city.

The city lord's mansion in Vast Sea City.

Ren Tao had vanished, Bibi Dong had followed close behind, and the King of Slaughter had spread his enormous bat wings and soared into the sky.

Yet not a single person from either empire showed any intention of pursuing them.

A quarter of an hour later, peace finally returned.

Xue Beng of the Heaven Dou Empire and his attendants counted their people. Fortunately, they had retreated in time. Aside from a few who had suffered minor injuries and several gravely wounded by the Devouring Golden Threads, the rest were essentially unharmed.

On the other side, however, a jaw-dropping scene unfolded.

Surrounded by his attendants, Star Luo Emperor Dai Rong actually emerged completely unscathed. There was not a wound on his body, and he looked vigorous and full of spirit, nothing like someone who had just been brutally beaten and beheaded by Bibi Dong.

"Uncle Dai, your abilities truly are impressive! You actually slipped away like a cicada shedding its shell. What an eye-opener!"

Eager to escape the shadow cast by his earlier display of incompetence, Xue Beng began shifting everyone's attention to Dai Rong.

Those words did indeed stir most people's curiosity. Everyone looked expectantly at Dai Rong, hoping to hear his explanation.

"The Star Luo Empire fought with everything it had in this battle. You, on the other hand, did nothing but spout empty words and fight among yourselves from beginning to end. Unless you want your nation destroyed and your people wiped out, you'd better think hard about what comes next!"

Dai Rong clearly did not want to explain how he had "returned from the dead," and the Heaven Dou Empire's performance had genuinely disappointed him. He angrily threw out that remark, then strode away with his attendants without even giving Xue Beng a chance to retort.

"Ahem, ahem! We owe today's outcome to everyone's united efforts. Once we return to Heaven Dou City, you will certainly be rewarded according to your contributions!"

After offering those fine words, Xue Beng left as well.

Though the Heaven Dou Empire's officials knew it was all an act, they had long since grown accustomed to it.

Moreover, while both empires had been left covered in dust and disgrace by the day's upheaval, Ren Woxing had not come out ahead either. That was everyone's greatest consolation.

Everyone busied themselves with their own tasks, searching for Ren Tao, discussing the arrangements to follow, or reinforcing the city's defenses. Those matters needed no further mention.

Meanwhile, after several twists and turns, Ren Tao finally returned to the sea.

Here, he drew on the marine creatures around him, absorbing and bringing forth a presence utterly unlike his own. Just as he had once used the Human-Faced Sea Anemone to deceive Tang San, he successfully evaded Bibi Dong's pursuit. He was now sitting on the seabed, concentrating on regulating his breathing while refining the Asura divine power within him.

The King of Slaughter's attack had actually contained two kinds of power. One was dark and fiercely corrosive, presumably belonging to the Rakshasa God. Ren Tao absorbed that portion without any difficulty. The Asura divine power, however, was not so simple. By comparison, its level was even higher than the Sea God's power and the Rakshasa divine power.

The murderous intent that pierced straight into his marrow clung to him like maggots gnawing at his bones. Wearing it away required an enormous expenditure of energy, and naturally much more time.

The main problem was that neither the Rakshasa God's corrosive power nor the Sea God's power had any effect on it. He could only suppress it with forbidden power, then apply the patient work of a watermill, washing it over and over and over...

Since coming to the Douluo World, this was the first time Ren Tao had been injured so severely. Without his surprise weapon, the Soul Breaking Spear, he might well have died with bitter regrets right there today.

Looking at it that way, the Asura God's schemes truly surpassed the Sea God's. He had seized the perfect moment for a sneak attack, while the King of Slaughter's Magic Suppression Domain had effectively dismantled most of Ren Tao's methods. That was what had led to today's defeat.

But there was nothing to fear. He simply needed to be prepared next time.

Bibi Dong's strength was currently restricted by the Rakshasa inheritance, preventing her from fully unleashing it. The other Titled Douluos posed no lethal threat. As long as he handled things properly, the "Soul-Bone King Fishing" plan could still proceed smoothly until it achieved the most perfect result.

As long as that old fellow Qian Daoliu did not appear, everything remained under control.

Now I need to think about how to capture Tang Chen. Yes, the first thing I'll do after catching that bastard is drain his soul power dry and make every last bit of his Asura divine power my own.

Haha!

Ren Tao could not help laughing aloud. After enduring the tragedy of the Evil Spirit Orca Group's near-total annihilation, this little setback was nothing at all.

Ren Tao entered the Sea of Inheritance and began his delicate work as an "Embroidering Woman." Holding golden threads, he peeled away the outer layer of the Asura divine power strand by strand, exposing the core within.

Suddenly, the golden threads seemed to touch something different and were bounced away by a resilient force. Ren Tao thought he had made a mistake because he was too weak. Refusing to believe it, he tried again, only to be repelled once more.

So, what is this?

Nothing like this happened when I analyzed the Sea God's power, did it?

He took a closer look. Damn!

It's actually... you?

I've been picking up the pace lately, building a backlog for when it's needed later.

Once the book goes premium, there will be mass releases and side stories, but I don't want to go premium too early. I'd still like to play it safe a little longer.

Mainly, the plot needs fresh ideas, and the characters need more depth, so everyone can keep enjoying this book.

I'll keep working hard!