Chapter 247 Saving Duke White Tiger? Bai Yuhao's Choice.
[In the scene depicting the sky.]
The battle cries were sharp and piercing.
The air was filled not only with the stench of earth, but also with the scorching smell left by the clash of soul forces.
The White Tiger Duke staggered amidst the relentless attacks. His longsword was riddled with nicks, his armor was torn in several places, and blood gushed from his wounds, seeping into the soil below.
Huo Yuhao stood in the shadows not far from him.
His hands hung at his sides, his palms bearing bloody marks from excessive force.
His gaze locked onto the man being attacked. That man was the person he hated most.
Images of his mother's cold hands before her death, the dilapidated woodshed, and the inhuman abuse he suffered in the Duke's mansion surged through his mind like a tidal wave.
Although he wasn't the abuser, he never fulfilled his responsibilities as a father and husband.
So, in that instant, he did have a thought: if he didn't save him, Duke White Tiger would die. If Duke White Tiger died, all the pain of his childhood would seem to find its end. He could even imagine the feeling of that sharp blade piercing Duke White Tiger's chest.
But this impulse was quickly extinguished by reason.
He looked up at the layer of grayish-white mist above the sky.
The being known as "Cupid" is not only a supreme deity, but also a manipulator capable of altering the rules at will.
Even now, with his two-word battle armor and having reached the Soul Saint level, he is still unsure if he has the ability to forcibly break through this barrier.
"I can't just focus on my own hatred; I need to find a way to break this deadlock," Huo Yuhao silently chanted to himself.
He took a deep breath, forcibly stripping away the memories of his mother and the resentment towards the Duke's mansion from the core of his mind.
He didn't want to save anyone, but he also needed to protect Wang Dong'er, so he began to ponder deeply.
He turned to look at Wang Dong'er beside him. Wang Dong'er's eyes were filled with worry, but even more so with unconditional trust in his decision.
Huo Yuhao remained silent. He simply nodded slightly, responding to the trust placed in him.
Beyond the sky, the Soul Masters of the Underworld were discussing things in the square.
Many people are now feeling more than just worried about the current progress. Those who were already skeptical of this "test" are now even more suspicious.
"Another difficult choice." A Soul Master slammed his wine glass heavily on the table. "This is not a test, it's an insult. Asking Huo Yuhao to save someone who ruined his childhood is more painful than killing him."
"Who says otherwise?" someone chimed in, their expression full of distrust. "The most crucial point is that the news of Huo Yuhao going to meet them only just came out. How could those two old monsters, Titan and Niu Tian, be captured at such a precise moment, and just as they sent out their distress signal? I have a feeling this was all a setup from beginning to end."
"Feeling? Do you even need to feel?" An older Soul Master sneered. "Look at the timing, it's perfectly timed. Bai Xuanzi didn't make a move, and just as Huo Yuhao was about to take action, trouble came knocking. This isn't just targeting Titan and Niu Tian, it's targeting every move Huo Yuhao makes. In this valley, no matter what Bai Yuhao does, he's walking into a trap set by the rules."
The atmosphere in the square grew increasingly heavy. The discussion surrounding the conspiracy theories sent a chill down the spines of the Soul Masters from the Underworld. Seeing Huo Yuhao from the White World trapped in such a desperate situation, they felt a sense of powerlessness.
"If Bai Yuhao saves Duke White Tiger this time, do you think he will be tamed?" Someone suddenly posed this chilling question.
Silence fell over the scene. Many people stared at the screen, their eyes filled with fear. What they feared most was not Huo Yuhao's death, but that in order to pass the test, Huo Yuhao would be forced to make choices against his conscience, gradually losing his "self" and becoming yet another puppet in the hands of the gods.
In the realm of the gods in the dark world, within the Temple of the Sea God.
Xiao Wu frowned, looking at the sky and then at Tang San, who sat silently on the throne.
"This is too strange." Xiao Wu's voice was low, carrying a suppressed anxiety. "In Douluo Continent, Titan and Niu Tian are at the top of the power rankings. Unless it's divine intervention, who could take them away silently? And why the Sun Moon Empire of all people?"
"Third Brother, what do you think?" Xiao Wu looked directly at Tang San.
Tang San did not answer, but simply tapped the armrest of the throne lightly with his fingers.
The God of Destruction, standing to the side, let out a mocking laugh. He slammed his purple scepter heavily on the ground, producing a deafening sound.
"What are you still guessing?" The God of Destruction's tone was full of amusement. "Isn't it obvious? This is Tang San's doing from the White World. He needs Huo Yuhao to leave Shrek Academy's protection, otherwise why would he target Huo Yuhao from the White World?"
The God of Destruction looked at Tang San with contempt in his eyes: "Doesn't this trick look familiar to you? Although the process is slightly different, wasn't it pretty much the same as in the future in the underworld? He was testing Huo Yuhao, testing where Huo Yuhao's bottom line was, testing whether Huo Yuhao would choose to submit or resist when that hatred was forcibly placed in front of him."
Xiao Wu's heart sank. If that were truly the case, then this so-called "test" was nothing short of a slow, agonizing torture of Huo Yuhao's soul.
[In the scene depicting the sky.]
Huo Yuhao didn't hesitate any longer. He reached out his right hand and firmly grasped Wang Dong'er's hand. It was a gesture of transferring strength, but also a signal confirming their mutual feelings.
Instead of immediately charging into the battlefield, he swiftly summoned the deep purple "black hole" armor.
As the two-word battle armor materialized, a pale purple energy barrier instantly unfolded around him. This wasn't a soul skill, but rather a passive defensive mechanism provided by the battle armor.
His gaze remained fixed on Duke White Tiger, his cold, analytical demeanor unchanged by the appearance of the armor. He adjusted the power of the battle armor's thrusters to the lowest possible level, minimizing fluctuations in soul power to avoid revealing his tactical intentions to the Cupid who might be lurking in the shadows.
"Are you ready?" Huo Yuhao asked in a low voice.
Wang Dong'er nodded, the light of her Light Goddess Butterfly martial spirit faintly shimmering at her fingertips.
["Walk."]
As Huo Yuhao's voice faded, the two launched their attack simultaneously.
Instead of charging in from the ground, he used his battle armor's flight capabilities, taking advantage of the complex terrain, to glide low and directly penetrate the heart of the battlefield. His speed was incredible; to the fighting soldiers, he was merely a blurry afterimage.
He precisely avoided all obstacles that might obstruct his view, his gaze never leaving the White Tiger Duke's retreating figure. He was rescuing someone, but he was only rescuing the one who absolutely had to survive.
This almost ruthless professionalism allowed him to maintain absolute composure even when facing the figure he loathed so intensely.
He passed through an assassin's sword net. The sharp blades grazed his armor, making a grating sound. But his eyes remained unmoved; the carving knife in his hand was already anticipating his opponent's next move.
He didn't look back, because he knew this was just the beginning.
At this moment, he was like a sophisticated combat machine, searching for the only gap to survive in this imposed mission.
(End of chapter)