Hunted by Titled Douluo
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As the Nan Feng swept through the northwestern mountains and forests until the early hours of the third day, a sudden burst of brilliant, scarlet light exploded in his mind, a flash of Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light.
The light approached from the southeast, its speed more than three times faster than his Shrinking the Ground to an Inch. A rich chrysanthemum-scented Soul Power fluctuation Entanglement around it, and the pressure of a level 94 Titled Douluo, even from dozens of miles away, rippled through the morning mist in the forest. At the same time, a second light approached from the east, its Soul Power fluctuations even colder and more unpredictable than the Chrysanthemum Douluo's, resembling a formless shadow, appearing as a translucent gray-black in the Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light.
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan. Ghost Douluo Gui Mei.
Nan Feng kept moving, his Shrinking the Ground to an Inch operating wildly through his meridians. His brain completed calculations in an extremely short time— Chrysanthemum Douluo was coming from the southeast, and Ghost Douluo was coming from the due east, forming an encirclement. The northwest was the only gap, but that direction led to Abyss frozen abyss, where the deeper one went, the stronger the Soul Beast became and the more treacherous the terrain. He had no choice but to continue advancing northwest, venturing into the complex terrain of the Abyss's outer perimeter before the encirclement was complete.
"Old Huai." Nan Feng's voice echoed in the Tower Spirit Space.
The remnant soul of the Old Huai locust tree rose from the immortal tree, its semi-transparent face bearing a solemn expression. "I saw it. Chrysanthemum Douluo was in front, Ghost Douluo behind, about forty miles apart. They locked onto you with their Soul Power; the tower spirit fluctuations on your body were too unique to be concealed."
How much longer?
"At their speed—" Old Huai paused for a moment, "Chrysanthemum Douluo one incense stick to burn. Ghost Douluo takes two. You can't outrun them."
Nan Feng brought the tower to life from his palm. The nine-story bronze tower slowly rotated in the morning light, and the sixth and seventh layers of the tower's surface, marked with the patterns of the Void Return to the Void Nothingness and the Samsara Cycle, lit up simultaneously, their black and silver-blue lights intertwining and spreading outwards. Peng Eye scanned the terrain ahead, Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light unfolded a Spiritual Power map of a thousand paces in his mind, clearly showing every tree, every rock, and every stream. Three miles ahead lay a deep ravine with steep walls and the sound of flowing water at its bottom. Dense forests lined both sides of the ravine, filled with the aura of numerous Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
"Enter the deep ravine," Nan Feng decided. The ravine's narrow terrain could restrict Ghost Douluo's Gui Mei movements. The aura of the Soul Beast in the dense forest could interfere with Chrysanthemum Douluo's Soul Power lock. Although it was only a temporary measure, every moment gained was precious.
He turned northwest, his Shrinking the Ground to an Inch as he moved through the rocks at the edge of the deep ravine. Forty miles behind him, a golden pillar of Soul Power from Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan rose from the forest. When a level 94 Titled Douluo unleashed his full Soul Power, the entire forest bowed down under his pressure. Golden Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum bloomed behind Yue Guan, each of their nine petals containing Soul Power comparable to Soul Douluo's full-force attack.
Nan Feng leaped into the deep ravine. Using the steep ravine wall for leverage three times, he landed on a smooth boulder at the bottom of the ravine, polished smooth by the stream. The ravine was dimly lit, and the stream rushed between the boulders, its roar echoing. The Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light detected more than a dozen fluctuations of Spiritual Power from Soul Beast on the ravine wall. The strongest, about five thousand years old, was a rock pangolin, coiled in a cave in the middle of the ravine wall.
He continued northwest, advancing deeper into the ravine. Sure enough, the Soul Power lock behind him shifted slightly in the deep ravine terrain. Chrysanthemum Douluo's Soul Power lock was interfered with by the aura of Soul Beast on the ravine walls and in the dense forest, reducing its accuracy by about 10%. However, Ghost Douluo's gray-black light spot became even clearer in the Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light — the Gui Mei Martial Soul thrived in this dark terrain.
After a stick of incense had burned, Nan Feng stopped in front of a waterfall at the bottom of the ravine. The waterfall cascaded down from a cliff thirty feet high, creating a misty spray and a deep, dark pool. His Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light spotted a piece of aquamarine mineral at the bottom of the pool—a ten-thousand-year-old cold jade marrow—but now was not the time to mine it. He turned back to face the way he had come, and the Tower Realm Light Membrane formed three layers of protection around him, the tower itself hovering in front of his chest, while the Samsara Power gathered in his meridians.
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan emerged from the mist.
The golden, Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum bloomed fully behind him, its nine petals releasing Soul Power that shattered the waterfall's curtain of water. Yue Guan's face appeared calm and cold in the golden light, his gaze fixed on Nan Feng's tower, a flicker of greed and apprehension flashing in his pupils.
"Tower Master." Yue Guan's voice wasn't loud, but it drowned out the roar of the waterfall. "Her Majesty Bibi Dong wants you to go to the Spirit Hall alive. Her exact words were 'capture her alive for research.' If you cooperate, I can only cripple your Soul Power and spare your life."
Nan Feng remained silent. He sensed that Ghost Douluo's gray-black light had circled around to the top of the cliff behind the waterfall, waiting for an opportunity to strike. The two Titled Douluo formed a pincer attack, and the roar of the waterfall masked the sound of Ghost Douluo's movement, but the Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light clearly detected the Spiritual Power fluctuations at the top of the cliff.
"Not going to speak?" Yue Guan took a step forward, and Ju Xiang's Soul Power surged forth like a tide. "Your tower is special, and your soul is even more special. But the gap between Titled Douluo and Soul Emperor cannot be bridged by a single Martial Soul. I'll ask you one last time—will you leave on your own, or shall I do it?"
Nan Feng spoke up, "Chrysanthemum Douluo, you've been in the Spirit Hall for so many years, you should know how much Bibi Dong made Yu Xiaogang steal. You risked your life for her, and what did she give you in return?"
Yue Guan's eyes turned cold for a moment. "Sowing discord won't work."
"I'm not trying to sow discord," Nan Feng said. "I'm just telling you the truth. Bibi Dong sent you to capture me because she herself was too afraid to come. She feared my Soul Power could suppress the divinity of the Rakshasa God, and she feared I would discover the secrets of her soul."
Yue Guan's brows furrowed slightly. Nan Feng seized this moment of hesitation, and the tower suddenly enlarged— the Samsara Power poured into the tower, and the nine-story pagoda transformed into a giant phantom tower three zhang tall in front of the waterfall. The Samsara patterns burst forth with silver-blue light, and a suppressive force poured down from the bottom of the tower.
"Tower Suppression - Samsara!"
A glint flashed in Yue Guan's eyes, and two of the nine chrysanthemum petals condensed into a golden shield in front of him, blocking the suppressive power of Samsara. But Nan Feng's target was not Yue Guan —the tower spun, Samsara Power transformed into a silver-blue beam of light that shot towards the cliff top.
Just as Ghost Douluo had been in Gui Mei form, materialized and prepared to dive down from the cliff top, the pillar of Samsara struck his chest. The Samsara Power did not harm the physical body, but directly impacted the soul— Ghost Douluo's Martial Soul was Gui Mei, and when his soul was suppressed by Samsara, it let out a shrill scream. His Gui Mei form twisted violently in the silver-blue light and fell from the cliff top into the waterfall.
"Gui Mei!" Yue Guan roared, unleashing all nine chrysanthemum petals, and golden Soul Power swept in like a tsunami.
Nan Feng didn't take the hit head-on. The Tower Realm Light Membrane expanded at full power. Under the impact of the golden soul Soul Power, the first layer of protection shattered instantly, the second layer cracked after three breaths, and the third layer barely held on. Nan Feng was pushed into the pool by the impact, and the icy pool water rushed into his mouth and nose. He opened his Peng Eye underwater. His golden pupils could see even underwater, Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light locked onto the direction of the undercurrent at the bottom of the pool.
Ghost Douluo reformed from the waterfall, his face deathly pale. His Gui Mei Martial Soul was temporarily unable to use the Gui Mei Movement Technique due to the impact of the Samsara Power. Yue Guan swept across the surface of the pool, his chrysanthemum petals exploding in the water, each petal containing the full force of a level 94 Titled Douluo's attack.
Nan Feng navigated the undercurrents at the bottom of the pool. His ability to Shrinking the Ground to an Inch was useless underwater, so he could only propel himself forward with his Soul Power. The explosions behind him grew closer, and the pool water churned violently from Chrysanthemum Douluo's Soul Power. One of his ribs had snapped in the impact, and his left arm had been grazed by chrysanthemum petals, the flesh torn open.
Just as Chrysanthemum Douluo's second wave of attacks was about to hit, a loud shout came from the cliff above the waterfall.
"Yue Guan! That's enough!"
A turquoise poisonous mist cascaded down from the cliff, like a green waterfall crashing into the pool. The moment the mist touched the water, the entire pool turned turquoise, and all the fish and Soul Beast in the pool were instantly paralyzed by the poison. Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan's expression changed, and he used his golden Soul Power to protect himself from the poisonous mist, but his attack was forced to stop.
Nan Feng sensed a familiar Soul Power fluctuation within the poisonous fog— the Jade Phosphorus Snake. Although his Tower Realm Light Membrane couldn't block the poisonous fog at the Titled Douluo level, his Primordial World Power automatically circulated within his body, devouring and transforming the toxins that had seeped into his body. He leaped out of the pool and landed on the gravel beach beside it, looking up to see a green-haired old man standing atop the cliff.
Poison Douluo Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo leaped off the cliff, landing in front of Nan Feng. His Jade Phosphorus Snake Martial Soul condensed behind him into a ten-zhang-long emerald python phantom. His gaze swept over Nan Feng's injuries, then turned to Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, who had climbed out of the waterfall.
"Two Titled Douluo chasing after a Soul Emperor, the Spirit Hall is really going downhill." Dugu Bo's voice was filled with undisguised sarcasm. "Yue Guan, Gui Mei, if you touch him today, you're touching me, Dugu Bo."
Yue Guan's face darkened. "Dugu Bo, are you sure you want to make an enemy of the Spirit Hall for the sake of a Soul Emperor? Can you bear the wrath of Her Majesty Bibi Dong?"
Dugu Bo laughed loudly, "Laozi 've lived in Sunset Forest for decades. When has the Spirit Hall ever dared to enter my territory? I can't care if you commit murder and arson elsewhere, but this kid—he saved my granddaughter. I, Dugu Bo, owe him a life."
Ghost Douluo, Gui Mei, reformed behind Yue Guan, his cold gaze shifting between Dugu Bo and Nan Feng. "Poison Douluo, you can't stop the two of us by yourself."
"Then let's try it." Dugu Bo took out a jade bottle of emerald green from his robes. When he opened the bottle, an even denser cloud of poisonous mist billowed out. "This is my ' Jade Phosphorus Nine Absolutes Poison,' which I refined using the venom of the Jade Phosphorus Snake and the poisonous herbs of the Ice and Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Even Titled Douluo would suffer a severe burn from just one breath. If you want to fight, I'm ready, but before we're done, this kid will be long gone."
Yue Guan's gaze passed over Dugu Bo and landed on Nan Feng. Nan Feng had already stood up, the tower body was once again suspended in his palm, and the seventh layer of Samsara patterns was still operating. His ribs were broken, and his left arm was bleeding, but his eyes remained calm.
Yue Guan weighed his options for three breaths. Dugu Bo's Jade Phosphorus Nine Absolutes Poison were renowned throughout the Soul Master World; the title of Poison Douluo wasn't given lightly. If he were to fight Dugu Bo head-on here, Ghost Douluo's soul had just been impacted by the Samsara Power, leaving him weakened. A two-on-one fight might not be enough for him to win quickly. Meanwhile, Nan Feng had already created distance and could continue to escape at any time.
"Let's go." Yue Guan finally made his decision. He glanced at Nan Feng one last time. "Tower Master, you're lucky this time. Next time the Spirit Hall makes a move, it won't just be two Titled Douluo."
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo disappeared into the mist of the waterfall.
After confirming that the two had left, Dugu Bo turned to look at Nan Feng. His gaze fell on the tower on Nan Feng's chest, a complex light flashing in his emerald green pupils. "You've gotten yourself all injured again, kid."
Nan Feng retracted the tower, coughing up a mouthful of blood. "Senior Dugu, thank you very much this time."
"No need to thank me." Dugu Bo took out a medicine bottle from his pocket and tossed it to him. "Take this. Your ribs are broken, and your internal organs are injured. If your tower hadn't blocked most of the impact just now, you would be dead."
Nan Feng took the medicine bottle and swallowed the pill. The lingering effects of the Jade Phosphorus Snake circulated within his body, merging with the Primordial World Power to accelerate the repair of his internal injuries. He sat down against a boulder by the pool, catching his breath for a few moments.
Dugu Bo stood before him, silent for a moment before speaking, "I said before that I would intervene to save you when you were captured by the Spirit Hall. Now I've repaid that favor. But remember—" Dugu Bo squatted down, his emerald green eyes staring directly at Nan Feng, "Bibi Dong's interest in you is not a good thing. She wants something from your soul. Next time you're being hunted, I might not be able to get there in time."
Nan Feng nodded. "I know."
Dugu Bo stood up, his gaze turning northwest. "You're going to the Abyss?"
"Um."
"The Nine Netherworlds Dark Python is a 120,000-year-old Soul Beast. You're only level 77 now, and your ribs are broken. Going there now is just suicide." Dugu Bo's tone left no room for argument. "Sunset Forest with me to recover. Three days. I'll let you go after three days."
Nan Feng hesitated for a moment. Ah Yin's remnant soul only had three months left, but Dugu Bo was right. In his current state, his success rate in hunting the Nine Netherworlds Dark Python was less than 30%. He would need three days.
"Okay," Nan Feng said, "Three days."
Dugu Bo turned and walked south, then turned back after three steps. "There's one more thing—that Samsara Power you just used, was it an ability from the seventh level of the tower?"
"Right."
A strange light flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just shook his head. "Let's go. Tell me on the way, how many floors does your tower actually have?"
Nan Feng stood up, activated the Shrinking the Ground to an Inch to an Inch technique, and followed behind Dugu Bo. The red ribbon on his left wrist fluttered in the wind, Hu Liena's secret letter floated quietly next to the Ice Crystal Amulet in the Tower Spirit Space, its dark fox tail pattern glowing slightly in the cyan-gold immortal light.
Three days later, the Abyss. Nine Netherworlds Dark Python. Seventh Ring.
Nan Feng clenched his fist, the Primordial World Power flowing slowly through his meridians, repairing his broken ribs. The sound of the waterfall behind him gradually faded away, and the Sunset Forest unfolded in his vision ahead. Dugu Bo's figure stopped at the edge of the forest, and he turned back to look at him.
"Young man, your soul and your tower are both extraordinary. But what's most extraordinary is—there's something about you that even I can't see through," Dugu Bo said. "There's a reason why Bibi Dong is afraid of you."
Nan Feng did not answer. He looked up at the northwest sky, towards the direction of the Abyss permafrost. The morning light spread across the horizon, turning the clouds golden.
Three days. He only needs three days.