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The journey was unexpectedly peaceful, and ten days passed in a flash. The mighty convoy had already covered more than half the distance, getting closer and closer to Spirit City.
The escort team, composed of five hundred elite Royal Knights, was resplendent in silver armor with banners fluttering, their grandeur comparable to an imperial tour. Wherever they passed, the cities along the way were on high alert, and local officials personally greeted them, receiving this team of Spirit Masters, representing the future of the Heaven Dou Empire, with the highest honors.
During the day, the Royal Knights stood in formation as escorts, their silver helmets shining like snow in the sunlight; at night, the campfires blazed brightly, and the crisp clang of patrolling knights' armor could be clearly heard. Under such strict vigilance, even the boldest bandits dared not approach, and they encountered no trouble whatsoever along the way.
Throughout the journey, Feng Xiao played his Fuxi Zither daily without cease, his melodious music drawing the frequent attention of teams from other academies, who cast inquisitive glances at the Huang Dou Battle Team. However, on this particular day, as the music flowed, Feng Xiao's fingertips suddenly hovered above the strings.
"They're here," he murmured to himself, his eyes slightly narrowed.
At this moment, the convoy was traveling through a narrow pass between two low hills. This was a shortcut to Spirit City, saving dozens of miles. Although the mountain path was narrow, it was flat and open, and should have been a safe passage.
Suddenly, a cold aura spread down from the ridges on both sides. The captain of the Royal Knights shouted sternly, "All units, be on alert!" The well-trained knights instantly formed ranks, their long spears like a forest. In contrast, the young Spirit Masters from various academies looked relaxed—the most elite Spirit Master forces of the Heaven Dou Empire were gathered here, with over a dozen mentors at Spirit Saint and Spirit Douluo ranks. Such a lineup would not fear even an army of ten thousand.
However, an unexpected change occurred. From the cliff above, countless falling rocks suddenly poured down like a torrential rain, each one accurately aimed at the convoy. The Royal Knights remained calm in the face of danger, immediately contracting their formation, with five hundred long spears forming an iron defense line. Although the knights were not Spirit Masters, they displayed astonishing military discipline, their spears flying to deflect each falling rock, forcefully carving out a safe passage in the stone rain.
Feng Xiao held his Fuxi Zither, his gaze like lightning piercing through the carriage window to scan the cliff. In the shadows, dozens of dark figures could be vaguely seen lurking.
Just as the rocks plummeted, Feng Xiao and the members of the Huang Dou Battle Team flashed, leaping out of the carriage. The Fuxi Zither in his hand glowed faintly with a green light, its strings vibrating without a breeze.
"Your Excellency."
As the Royal Fight members bowed in unison, a dark green figure appeared like a ghost at the front of the convoy. Dugu Bo stood with his hands behind his back, a sinister sneer appearing on his aged face. In an instant, the pressure of a Titled Douluo surged out like a tide, and the enormous phantom of the Jade Phosphor Serpent solidified behind him, its emerald scales gleaming with a deadly, eerie light in the sunlight.
"Courting death."
Dugu Bo snorted coldly, and the Jade Phosphor Serpent's massive tail swept across. In an instant, a series of dull sounds of bones shattering came from the cliff, and dozens of black-clad figures were sent flying like broken kites, smashing against the rock face and leaving splashes of blood. Those black-clad figures who narrowly dodged the serpent's tail had no time to celebrate before a sky full of poisonous mist enveloped them, turning them into a pile of withered bones in an instant.
In a flash, the entire valley was illuminated by brilliant spirit power light. Teachers and students from various academies released their Spirits, and yellow, purple, and black spirit rings intertwined, creating dazzling streaks of light in the mountains.
Although there was no coordination between the various academies, each academy spontaneously formed a battle formation. Faced with the sudden attack, these young Spirit Masters not only did not retreat but were instead spurred by their fighting Spirit, charging towards the enemy in unison.
However, what happened next shocked everyone. When over two hundred teachers and students clashed with more than fifteen hundred black-clad bandits, these seemingly disorganized enemies displayed astonishing tactical proficiency. They attacked individual Spirit Masters in groups of three or four, coordinating seamlessly, their clean and decisive attack methods catching the students, who were accustomed to fighting alone, off guard.
Just as the battle was in a stalemate, the Godly Zhuge Crossbows in the hands of the Shrek Seven suddenly unleashed their power. The seven moved in perfect unison, the crisp clicking sound of crossbows being strung echoing. After a round of dense arrow rain, a swath of black-clad figures surrounding them instantly fell. Immediately after, Tang San's wrists flickered, and countless Hidden Weapons poured out like a storm, each one precisely hitting the enemy's vital points, tearing bloody gaps in the black-clad crowd.
"How formidable!"
Seeing this, the students from the surrounding academies had battle intent ignite in their eyes, and their morale was boosted. Even the members of the Huang Dou Battle Team involuntarily clenched their fists, eager to join the fray.
"All of you, stop right there!" Dugu Bo snapped coldly, a chilling light flickering in his emerald serpent eyes. "There must be a mastermind behind these small fries. You few, stay put and don't be fools." He exuded a cold spirit power fluctuation, his gaze vigilantly sweeping the battlefield. As a Titled Douluo, he knew too well how deep the waters were behind this attack.
Dugu Yan wanted to argue defiantly, but Feng Xiao gently stopped her. "Sister Yan," he whispered, subtly pointing to a few faint figures on the high cliff, "the true masters are still in the shadows. If we act rashly, we'll only draw their firepower. With Senior here, nothing will happen."
No sooner had Feng Xiao finished speaking than the battlefield situation changed dramatically.
In front of Tang San, who had just displayed great skill, three black figures appeared like ghosts. The spirit rings rising from beneath their feet flickered with heart-pounding light—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black; yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black; and the central figure, emanating terrifying pressure, had two yellow, two purple, and four black spirit rings circling beneath his feet!
"Seven, seven, eight," Feng Xiao's pupils contracted slightly, his voice almost inaudible. "Two Spirit Saints, one Spirit Douluo. What a grand scheme."
Upon seeing this, the Royal Fight members all gasped in unison. Their previous eagerness instantly vanished, and everyone instinctively moved closer to Dugu Bo. The Poison Douluo snorted coldly, the phantom of the Jade Phosphor Serpent flickering behind him, shielding everyone.
A rare look of solemnity appeared on Dugu Bo's aged face. From the Spirit characteristics displayed by those few black-clad figures, he had already recognized their origin. But with the situation unclear, this usually cautious Poison Douluo chose to remain still.
When he saw that all of the black-clad figures' attacks were concentrated in the direction of Shrek Academy, a hint of understanding flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes. He narrowed his serpent eyes slightly, silently shielding the Royal Fight members behind him.
"Grandpa, aren't we going to help them?" Dugu Yan asked in a low voice, a flicker of unbearable emotion in her purple eyes.
Dugu Bo glared at his granddaughter, annoyed. "Yan Yan, you truly are my good granddaughter. Your grandpa still wants to live a few more years." He looked meaningfully at the sky. "Don't worry, someone will act."
The Royal Fight members exchanged glances. From Dugu Bo's attitude, they had already guessed the background of these black-clad figures. Feng Xiao noticed that the leading teachers from the surrounding academies also maintained a subtle silence, with not a single person daring to expose the truth behind this ambush.
Indeed, just as the black-clad figures were unable to break through, a sharp, piercing eagle cry suddenly ripped through the sky. Golden Eagle Lord Diara flapped his wings and shrieked, the sound waves tearing through the clouds like sharp blades.
Immediately after, ripples appeared in the void, and a figure in white, like snow, with a veiled face, slowly emerged. That person stood in mid-air, robes fluttering, surrounded by a faint golden spirit power fluctuation.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo's mouth twitched as he cursed under his breath, "That Chrysanthemum Pass, even when launching a sneak attack, he has to dress so flamboyantly, as if he's afraid people won't recognize him, that old eunuch." He waved his hand dismissively, as if trying to dispel the cloying floral scent in the air.
As the white-clad figure appeared, a rich chrysanthemum fragrance instantly permeated the entire battlefield. The Shrek members were caught off guard and found themselves unable to move amidst the rich floral scent. Flender and Liu Erlong and other teachers desperately urged their spirit power to resist, but they saw the white-clad figure lightly raise his jade hand, and countless golden chrysanthemum petals, like sharp blades, revolved around the Shrek members, forming a deadly cage.
However, just as the golden chrysanthemum petals were about to crush Tang San, a vast, ocean-like, chilling killing intent suddenly erupted!
Boom—
The violent killing intent swept across the entire scene like a tangible force, instantly tearing the sharp golden chrysanthemum petals to shreds. A long sword broke through the air, embedding itself deeply into the ground in front of Yue Guan with a clang. The vibrating sword body stirred up ripples of spirit power, completely dispelling the chrysanthemum fragrance within a thirty-foot radius.
"Watch closely," Dugu Bo's eyes blazed with light, and the phantom of the Jade Phosphor Serpent flickered behind him. "This is a true Titled Douluo battle."
The Royal Fight members held their breath, watching. In the dust in the distance, a burly figure approached, riding on a sword.
Dugu Bo narrowed his serpent eyes, a playful smile playing on his lips. "Watch carefully. This level of battle will be of great benefit to your future cultivation."
The battle between Chen Xin and Yue Guan was on the verge of breaking out, and the entire battlefield was instantly divided into two distinct Domains.
Chen Xin stood with his hands behind his back, his Seven Kill Sword suspended before him. As the sword hummed, sharp sword qi materialized, forming a silvery-white sword Domain around him. Every strand of sword qi was as condensed as frost, and wherever it passed, even the air was sliced with fine cracks.
Yue Guan snorted coldly, his Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum blossoming in his palm. Golden petals danced everywhere, refracting a dazzling halo in the sunlight. The rich floral fragrance solidified, transforming into a pale golden mist that enveloped the surroundings. Those seemingly delicate petals, in reality, contained terrifying cutting power, gently drifting past and carving deep furrows in the ground.
"Chen Xin, are you also getting involved in this mess?" Yue Guan's effeminate voice carried a hint of sarcasm.
Chen Xin's gaze was like a sword, and he said lightly, "You still talk too much. Tang San is a friend of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School."
Before his words finished, the Seven Kill Sword suddenly erupted, a brilliant sword light pouring down like a galaxy, directly aimed at Yue Guan's throat. Yue Guan remained unhurried, the Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum in his hand spinning rapidly, countless petals condensing to forcefully block this earth-shattering sword strike.
"Boom—"
"Fifth Spirit Ability, Gathering of Cold Blossoms!"
Sword qi and flower blades collided, erupting in a deafening roar. Violent spirit power fluctuations swept out, sending all the surrounding black-clad figures flying. Chen Xin remained still, but the Seven Kill Sword had already split into thousands of sword shadows, pouring down on Yue Guan like a storm.
"Sixth Spirit Ability: Myriad Swords Return to Origin!"
The overwhelming flying swords, like a cascading galaxy, shocked the hearts of all the Spirit Masters present.
The sky full of sword shadows interwoven into a vast net, each beam of sword light as condensed as a physical entity, reflecting a soul-stirring cold glint in the sunlight. The myriad sword shadows separated from the Seven Kill Sword were like falling stars, transforming the entire sky into an ocean of swords. The sharp sword qi sliced through the air, emitting a piercing whistle, and even the distant mountain rocks were shaken by the aftermath, sending gravel crumbling down.
Dugu Yan's purple eyes sparkled with brilliance, and even the usually silent Ye Lingling rarely showed a look of shock.
Feng Xiao's Fuxi Zither trembled lightly in his arms, its strings spontaneously emitting a clear resonance. He gazed at Chen Xin's god-like, demon-like figure, a flash of understanding in his eyes—this was the true peak of a Spirit Master.
"Did you see clearly?" Dugu Bo's hoarse voice sounded in the ears of the Royal Fight members. "This is the power at the pinnacle of the Spirit Master's world. Your path is still long."
The battlefield was silent, everyone still immersed in this breathtaking confrontation. Those young Spirit Masters who had once considered themselves geniuses now deeply understood the meaning of "there's always someone better, there's always a higher heaven." This battle was destined to become an indelible memory on their cultivation path.
A hint of solemnity flashed in Yue Guan's eyes. In an instant, countless golden chrysanthemum petals transformed into streaks of light, fiercely colliding with the sky full of sword shadows. The clanging of metal resounded through the sky, and the blinding light forced the spectators to squint their eyes.
Feng Xiao held his Fuxi Zither, keenly sensing every change on the battlefield. The clash between the two Titled Douluos seemed evenly matched, but he noticed that Chen Xin's sword momentum was gradually compressing Yue Guan's range of movement.
Just as everyone was still immersed in the afterglow of Chen Xin's earth-shattering sword momentum, a ghostly black figure suddenly appeared!
That figure was incredibly fast, moving through the crowd like a phantom, leaving only a blurred afterimage in its wake. In the blink of an eye, the black figure had appeared beside Yue Guan, and their spirit rings strangely began to resonate—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black, nine spirit rings intertwined, outlining a mysterious trajectory in the void.
"Polaris Static Domain!"
"He's here too," Dugu Bo's serpent eyes narrowed, and an unprecedented look of solemnity appeared on his aged face. The phantom of the Jade Phosphor Serpent swam restlessly behind him, indicating the Poison Douluo's inner turmoil.
"It's over," Feng Xiao sighed softly in his heart, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the Fuxi Zither strings.
At some point, Ning Fengzhi had quietly arrived near the Huang Dou Battle Team. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda rotated in his palm, and as the seven-colored light flowed, countless amplification beams shot through the air. "Seven Treasures turn out with Glazed Tile, first: Strength! Second: Speed! Third: Spirit!"
Under the dazzling colorful light's enhancement, Chen Xin's sword momentum suddenly changed dramatically. The Seven Kill Sword transformed into a silver lightning bolt, stabbing at the juncture of the two Titled Douluos at an incredible angle. This sword was so fast it surpassed the limit of human eye capture; wherever the sword's edge passed, the air was torn with sharp explosive sounds.
"Break—"
Chen Xin pointed his fingers like a sword, drawing a line in the air. A sword light that spanned heaven and earth suddenly erupted, its brilliant silver glow illuminating the entire battlefield as if it were daytime. Where the sword's edge passed, fine black cracks appeared in the space, as if even heaven and earth had been severed by this single sword. The balance of the Polaris Static Domain was instantly shattered, and Yue Guan and Gui Mei both groaned, a trace of fresh blood spilling from their lips.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei steadied themselves, wiped the blood from their lips, and swept their cold gaze across the entire scene: "Today, we admit defeat, old ghost, let's go!"
With that, the two also flashed away into the distance. Seeing this, the black-clad figures also retreated one after another, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Chen Xin sheathed his sword and stood, his gaze deep as he looked into the distance: "They ran quite fast."