Chrysanthemum Douluo's Pursuit

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The night breeze at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest carried the scent of pine resin and damp earth. Nan Feng stood on a low hill where the grassland met the dense forest, his dragon wings slightly folded, the dark golden wing bones gleaming coldly in the moonlight. Ye Lingling had been gone for half a month. The Return to Origin Power had repaired ninety percent of the hidden injuries in her body. Her broken ribs had completely healed, and the fine cracks in her meridians had also been smoothed out by the Return to Origin Power. Her level 56 Soul Power remained stuck at a non-multiple of ten, but the liquid Primordial World Power in her dantian was more condensed than before. The Return to Origin Power on the fourth level of the tower circulated smoothly, and the Space-Time Power on the fifth level was being released stably in the Tower Spirit Space.

Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light suddenly shone in his mind. Within a radius of five hundred paces, more than a dozen points of Soul Power converged from three directions simultaneously. Seven from the east, five from the south, and three from the northwest, each point of light possessing Soul Power concentration far exceeding that of ordinary Soul Master, with the weakest being at the Soul Saint level. The point of light at the very front from the east had Soul Power concentration like a dark golden Blazing Sun, distorting the spectrum of the Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light light.

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan.

Nan Feng's pupils contracted sharply. He had seen that dark golden Soul Power light once before, in the VIP section of the Soul Master Tournament, where Chrysanthemum Douluo sat beside Bibi Dong, staring at his tower and Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring the entire time. Nan Feng remembered that Soul Power aura clearly—a level 94 Titled Douluo, with the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum Martial Soul, and an elder of the Spirit Hall.

"It's faster than expected." Old Huai's voice came from the Tower Spirit Space, more solemn than ever before. "Bibi Dong has issued a kill order, and Chrysanthemum Douluo is personally leading the team. The Soul Saint and Soul Emperor he brought are just a search net; the real killing move is yet to come. Your current Soul Power is level 56. Even with the Primordial World Power and the Tower fully activated, you can't withstand Titled Douluo's full-force attack. Run."

Nan Feng did not hesitate. His dragon wings suddenly unfurled, their dark golden wingspan reaching three zhang, star patterns and shadow patterns intertwining into a deep curtain of light under the moonlight. He pushed off with both feet, soaring into the sky and skimming the treetops towards the due north. His flight speed far exceeded that of running on the ground; each flap of his dragon wings allowed him to glide hundreds of steps, the wind whistling in his ears.

But Chrysanthemum Douluo is faster.

Nan Feng had barely flown two thousand steps Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light suddenly accelerated, slanting in from the east, rapidly closing the distance. Chrysanthemum Douluo didn't possess a flying Martial Soul, but with his level 94 Titled Douluo's Soul Power infused into his legs, his running speed surpassed that of most flying Soul Master. The four Soul Saint following behind him spread out in a fan shape, attempting to block Nan Feng's turning route.

"There's Soul Beast's nest to the left front!" Old Huai shouted.

Nan Feng Dragon Wings swerved, diving to the left front. A dense den of thousand-year-old Shadow Wolf Wolves appeared below, at least thirty Shadow Wolf howling under the moonlight. Nan Feng swept low over the wolf pack, and the Tower Realm instantly unfolded, a cyan-gold light membrane covering an area of a hundred paces, the Shadow Wolf being suppressed and forced to lie prostrate on the ground. When Chrysanthemum Douluo caught up to the wolf pack, he had to pause briefly. The Martial Soul soul pressure of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum dispersed the wolf pack, but in that pause and dispersal, Nan Feng had already created a distance of five hundred paces.

"You're pretty fast, kid." Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice came from behind, unhurried, like a cold arrow grazing the back of the head. "Your Soul Ring Configuration is even more interesting to Her Majesty Bibi Dong. Stop obediently, and I might spare your life."

Nan Feng didn't look back. He sensed that Chrysanthemum Douluo was accelerating, and after the dark golden light swept over the wolf pack, its speed increased again. Titled Douluo's Soul Power reserves are several times that of Soul King, and its endurance far surpasses Nan Feng's. If they continued running like this, they would be caught up before dawn.

"Heaven Dou City," Old Huai said, "Run towards Heaven Dou City. No matter how arrogant Chrysanthemum Douluo is, he wouldn't dare to make a move in the Heaven Dou Imperial City. After Xue Beng ascended the throne, the Heaven Dou Empire and the Spirit Hall have already broken off relations."

With a flap of its wings, Nan Feng Longyi turned due south-southwest. Heaven Dou City was located northwest of the Star Dou Great Forest, and at the speed of the dragon wings, it would take two hours to travel there at full speed. But Chrysanthemum Douluo wouldn't give him two hours.

The dark golden light behind him drew ever closer. Four Soul Saint flanked Chrysanthemum Douluo from both sides, the closest of whom had already closed to within three hundred paces. That Soul Saint's Martial Soul was a pair of wind wings, granting him immense speed. He conjured a cyan wind blade in his hand and slashed it toward Nan Feng's back.

Nan Feng didn't turn around. Tower Return to Origin to Origin suddenly exploded in the path of the wind blade. A tower shadow appeared out of thin air in front of the wind blade, and the gravity suppression instantly reduced the speed of the wind blade by 70%. The wind blade deflected and flew past the edge of Nan Feng's dragon wing, leaving a shallow white mark on the wing membrane. The Wind Wing Soul Saint was suppressed by the tower shadow for a moment, his speed decreased sharply, and Nan Feng widened the distance.

"Impressive move!" Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice suddenly drew closer. Nan Feng's hair stood on end as a dark golden light shot from behind him. The illusory petals of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum spun into a golden blade of light, slicing through the air with a sharp whistling sound. Nan Feng used "Shrinking the Ground to an Inch" to move three steps to the side, the blade of light grazing his left shoulder, cutting a gash in his outer robe and leaving a burning line of blood on his skin.

Chrysanthemum Douluo had already closed to within a hundred paces. With a level 94 Titled Douluo pursuing him with all his might, Nan Feng's dragon wings, no matter how fast, couldn't shake him off. He gritted his teeth and continued flying forward. The outline of Heaven Dou City was faintly visible on the distant horizon, but it was still at least a hundred miles away. Chrysanthemum Douluo wouldn't give him those hundred miles.

"Kid, you can't escape." Chrysanthemum Douluo's tone was mocking, as if he were toying with a dying prey. "Your tower is indeed interesting, and your Soul Ring Configuration is outrageous. But the difference in Soul Power is obvious—level 56 against level 94. What do you have to fight me with?"

Nan Feng didn't answer. He was calculating the distance. The lights of Heaven Dou City were getting closer and closer, but Chrysanthemum Douluo was also getting closer. Eighty steps, sixty steps, forty steps— Chrysanthemum Douluo raised his hand again, and another dark golden petal-shaped light blade condensed.

Just as the light blade was about to strike, a signal firework suddenly lit up in the direction of Heaven Dou City. The red flames exploded in the night sky, and then several auras erupted simultaneously from the dense forest beneath Nan Feng's feet.

"Senior Chrysanthemum Douluo." A young male voice came from the dense forest, carrying a deliberate composure, "Within the territory of Heaven Dou City, shouldn't the Spirit Hall give a heads-up before making their move?"

Chrysanthemum Douluo paused. He hovered in mid-air, the dark golden light blade of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum slowly dissipating in his palm, his gaze fixed on the depths of the dense forest. Several Soul Master dressed in the uniforms of the Heaven Dou Royal Guard emerged from the forest, led by a lean-faced, sharp-eyed youth with Soul Power at approximately the initial stage of Soul Douluo, and a Heaven Dou Imperial Family Token hanging from his waist.

"One of Xue Beng Prince's men." Chrysanthemum Douluo narrowed his eyes.

The young man clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute. "His Highness Xue Beng of the Heaven Dou Empire invites Senior Chrysanthemum Douluo to come into the city for tea. However, His Nan Feng Nanfeng has said that the Spirit Hall cannot take action within the territory of Heaven Dou City."

Chrysanthemum Douluo remained silent for a moment. He glanced at Nan Feng, who had already flown hundreds of steps away during the brief moment, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes, but ultimately he did not continue to attack. The Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire had completely fallen out over the Jialing Pass incident. To kill Heaven Dou Immortal Master at the gates of Heaven Dou City was tantamount to a direct declaration of war. Bibi Dong wanted him alive, not dead, and certainly not an excuse to provoke a full-scale war.

"Tell Xue Beng," Chrysanthemum Douluo withdrew his Martial Soul, giving the young man a cold look, " that the Spirit Hall is hunting down people. The Heaven Dou Empire can protect them for a while, but not forever."

The dark golden light vanished into the night. The four Soul Saint also retreated.

Nan Feng landed in a dark alley outside the Heaven Dou City. His dragon wings folded and nestled against his spine, his outer robe concealing the bulges of his wing bones. As soon as he steadied himself, the young Soul Master emerged from the shadows with his entourage, whispering, "Immortal Master, His Highness is waiting for you in the secret passage. Follow me."

Nan Feng followed the young man through a secluded alley near the South Gate and into an inconspicuous spice shop. Behind the shop was a hidden door, leading to a downward stone staircase. The passage was narrow and deep, with a luminous pearl embedded in the walls every dozen steps. The cold white light illuminated the ancient reliefs on the stone walls— Nine-Layer Tower, a halo of the Divine Realm light, Primordial World Fragment. The patterns on these reliefs were strikingly similar to those on Nan Feng's pagoda.

"The royal secret passage," Old Huai whispered in the Tower Spirit Space, "The Heaven Dou Empire's royal family knows some ancient secrets. Xue Beng chose this secret passage to meet you intentionally so you would see these reliefs."

At the end of the passage was a stone chamber. The chamber was small, its walls inlaid with luminous pearls. In the center was a stone table, on which lay a map of the Heaven Dou Empire. Xue Beng stood before the table, dressed in a black casual robe, without a crown. His face was thinner than during the Soul Master Tournament, his jawline much more defined, and his eyes held a sharp, honed quality. His Soul Power aura was considerably stronger than when they last met, indicating he had likely reached the initial stage of Soul Douluo.

"Immortal Master." Xue Beng turned around, his gaze lingering on Nan Feng for a moment, a slight smile playing on his lips. "You escaped alive."

Nan Feng looked at him. "Your men arrived just in time."

"The moment Chrysanthemum Douluo chased you into Heaven Dou City, the message was sent from the shadows." Xue Beng walked to the stone table and pointed at the map. "I've taken out three of the Spirit Hall's spies outside the South Gate. I deliberately left the remaining two, just waiting for this day."

Nan Feng's gaze fell on the map of the territory. The map marked all the Spirit Hall's spies, outposts, and supply routes within the Heaven Dou Empire with vermilion. Xue Beng's intelligence network was much deeper than he had imagined.

"You were prepared long ago," Nan Feng said.

Xue Beng raised its head and looked directly into Nan Feng's eyes. In those eyes were ambition, hatred, and a long-suppressed waiting. Nan Feng remembered what Old Huai had said before— that Xue Beng's soul contained ambition, patience, and something that had been suppressed for too long. Now he saw it.

"You know more about the Spirit Hall's collusion with Prince Xue Xing in the coup than I do." Nan Feng walked to the stone table and pointed to the Spirit Hall's mark within Heaven Dou City on the map. "Chrysanthemum Douluo's pursuit of me today was ordered by Bibi Dong herself. She wants the Primordial World Power within my soul, so she sent Titled Douluo to capture me alive. Who do you think will be her next target after she captures me?"

Xue Beng was silent for a moment, then spoke, "When Prince Xue Xing staged the coup, two Soul Douluo from the Spirit Hall entered the palace. It was you who stopped them in the secret passage, giving me the opportunity to draw my sword and hold it to Xue Xing's neck." His voice was calm, but each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. "The Spirit Hall's influence in the Heaven Dou Imperial Family has been growing for quite some time. Even after I ascended the throne, Xue Xing's remaining forces continued to operate in the shadows, backed by the Spirit Hall."

Nan Feng said, "You need me to help you remove these hidden moles."

Xue Beng did not deny it. He reached into his robes and took out a token, placing it on the stone table. The front of the token was engraved with the Nine Heavens Emblem of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, and the back was engraved with a line of small characters: "Heaven Dou Immortal Master". He pushed the token in front of Nan Feng.

"I need your help to seize the throne—to completely eliminate the remaining forces of Xue Xing and the Spirit Hall in Heaven Dou." Xue Beng said, his voice turning somber. "The coup only cleared the surface. Prince Xue Xing has been operating in Heaven Dou for thirty years, with his influence spreading throughout the court and the country. The Spirit Hall controls most of the officials and Soul Master through him. I wanted to deal with them after I ascended the throne, but Chrysanthemum Douluo's pursuit of you today shows that the Spirit Hall can't wait to make its move."

Nan Feng looked at the token but did not immediately take it.

What can I get in return?

Xue Beng turned and walked to the corner of the stone chamber, pressing down on a stone brick. The stone wall silently cracked open, revealing a smaller secret chamber. The secret chamber was empty, except for a yellowed silk scroll placed on a stone platform in the center. Xue Beng took out the silk scroll and unfolded it on the stone platform. On the silk scroll was a line of hastily written black characters, with dark golden specks of light mixed in with the ink. The texture of those specks was exactly the same as the dark golden patterns on the Nan Feng Pagoda.

"There are three things in the royal treasury," Xue Beng said, "Ten Thousand Year Soul-Tempering Stone, Starfall Iron Staff, and half of the second volume of 'Annotations on the Annotations on the Tower Body Inscriptions.' This is the list. The key to the treasury is behind a sealed door deep within the secret passage; that seal requires Primordial World Power to open."

Nan Feng's heart skipped a beat. The Annotations on the Tower Body Inscriptions, Lower Volume — Old Huai had said that the first half, located in the Tower Spirit Space, contained the method for deciphering the tower inscriptions. If the second volume were obtained, more secrets of the tower would be revealed.

"There's one more thing," Xue Beng pointed to a line of tiny characters at the bottom of the silk scroll, "The Chaos Stone. Hidden in the deepest part of the treasure vault, not on the list. I dug it out of a crack in the rock while repairing the secret passage. There's no written record of what it is. But your tower... should recognize it."

Old Huai was suddenly jolted in the Tower Spirit Space: "Chaos Stone! Primordial World material! That's a supreme treasure that can strengthen the spatial laws of Shrinking the Ground to an Inch!"

Nan Feng took a deep breath. He looked into Xue Beng's eyes—the ambition in those eyes was real, the hatred was real, and the bargaining chips were real. Chrysanthemum Douluo was hunting him down today, Bibi Dong wanted to capture him alive for research, and the Spirit Hall's noose was already around his neck. He needed an ally who could shield him from both open and covert attacks.

"Access to the treasure vault." Nan Feng reached out and picked up the "Heaven Dou Immortal Master" token, weighing it in his palm. "Three items. Plus Chaos Stone."

Xue Beng's lips curled into a smile, and he held out his hand. "Deal."

Nan Feng grasped his hand. Their hands clenched tightly in the cold light of the luminous pearl, then released simultaneously.

Xue Beng turned and walked to the stone chamber door, pausing before pushing it open. "Nan Feng."

Nan Feng looked at him.

"The news of Chrysanthemum Douluo hunting you down will spread throughout the continent tomorrow. The Spirit Hall's kill order is at the Titled Douluo level; you can't hide your face anymore." Xue Beng turned his head, his profile particularly clear in the cold light. "But you're lucky. The Heaven Dou Empire is currently the only force on the continent that dares to openly challenge the Spirit Hall. As long as you bear the title of Heaven Dou Immortal Master, Chrysanthemum Douluo won't dare to make a move within Heaven Dou territory."

The Nan Feng nodded.

Xue Beng emerged from the stone chamber, his voice echoing from the passageway. "Stay here for now. The sealed door to the treasure vault needs preparation. I'll take you to open it in three days."

Only Nan Feng remained in the stone chamber. He stood before the map, his gaze sweeping over the Spirit Hall's hidden agents marked with cinnabar. The red ribbon on his left wrist swayed gently in the cold light of the luminous pearl. In the Tower Spirit Space, Old Huai's voice carried barely suppressed excitement. "The Chaos Stone, the Starfall Iron Staff, and the Annotations on the Tower Body Inscriptions, Lower Volume —these three things are exactly what you need right now. Xue Beng is ambitious, but his ambition doesn't conflict with your path. You help him remove the hidden agents, and he'll shield you from the Spirit Hall. It's a win-win situation."

Nan Feng stored the token in the Tower Spirit Space. He reached out and pressed his hand on the ancient reliefs on the stone wall, his fingertips tracing the patterns of the Nine-Layer Tower, sensing the dark gold patterns within the pagoda resonating slightly. A very slight vibration came from deep within the stone wall of the secret passage, as if something was responding to his Primordial World Power.

"The seal will be broken in three days," Nan Feng said softly. "Until then, make sure your injuries are fully healed. You're stuck at level 56, but there are no bottlenecks in Immortal Dao cultivation."

He sat cross-legged, his dragon wings folded and pressed against his spine, his outer robe covering his wing bones. The nine lotus Soul-Suppressing Azure Lotus -Suppressing Green Lotus in the Tower Spirit Space pulsated steadily, perfectly synchronized with his heartbeat. The Return to Origin Power the origin continuously flowed out from the fourth-level tower gate, repairing the last bit of hidden injury from the battle. The liquid Primordial World Power in his dantian slowly rotated, and the nascent Golden Core core became more solidified through compression.

The ground of Heaven Dou City lay far overhead, and Chrysanthemum Douluo's dark golden light had vanished into the distance. But the kill order had been issued, Titled Douluo Chrysanthemum Douluo n't be the only Title Douluo-level hunter. Ghost Douluo, Golden Crocodile Douluo, and even Bibi Dong herself might be among the possibilities Old Huai had anticipated.

Three days. Nan Feng closed his eyes. Within three days, he would heal his injuries, master the Shrinking the Ground to an Inch technique to the third level, and solidify his foundation at level 56. Then he would open the treasure vault, retrieve the Chaos Stone, and use the Starfall Iron Staff and the Annotations on the Tower Body Inscriptions, Lower Volume to complete the tower's secrets, making final preparations for his journey to the Far North to hunt the Frost Giant Dragon.

The Space-Time Power of the fifth floor of the tower continued to be released in the Tower Spirit Space, and the flow of time inside the tower was twice that outside. Nan Feng immersed himself in cultivation, and three days was equivalent to six days inside the tower. Six days was enough for him to reach the third level of the Shrinking the Ground to an Inch.

The red ribbon on her left wrist swayed gently in the cold light of the luminous pearl. Deep inside the secret passage outside the stone chamber, the dark gold patterns on the sealed door echoed the patterns on the Nan Feng Pagoda, as if an ancient artifact that had been sleeping for too long had finally found someone who could awaken it.