Word Count: 2,962 Words
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"The supreme treasure has appeared!"
The Bloodsea's turmoil sent excitement surging through Du Busi. He turned and barked out his orders:
"We've got the most people here. When the moment comes, we charge in and finish the job!"
"As you command!"
Of the Body Sect's eleven Titled Douluo, two had died at the Illustrious Virtue Hall. The remaining nine had gathered at Blood Desolation Town, for Du Busi refused to let a treasure appearing on his own doorstep fall into anyone else's hands.
The Body Sect was convinced a supreme treasure lay beneath the Bloodsea and was itching for a grand fight. Shrek Academy, however, suspected the anomaly was a disaster stirred up by a Titled Douluo-level Evil Spirit Master. Elder Xuan, Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin Er, and Qian Duoduo stared unblinkingly at the Bloodsea, their nerves drawn taut as bowstrings.
Ning Fengyu let her gaze drift across the Titled Douluo around her. She had no idea what was truly happening beneath the Bloodsea, and a quiet sigh slipped from her lips. Jianmu Douluo stood nearby with his hands clasped behind his back, his Limit Douluo aura flickering faintly at the edge of perception. No powerhouse from any faction dared draw close.
BOOM—
The Bloodsea heaved, hurling up waves a thousand feet high. A massive scarlet throne rose slowly from its depths, as though forged of freshly spilled blood. Its dim, bloody radiance carried a crushing pressure like the descent of the apocalypse.
Across the broad backrest, a carved Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King roared in silent fury. Countless intricate patterns flowed down from the chair's back and spread across the entire throne.
Under that immense pressure, shock filled the eyes of every Titled Douluo present. Only Jianmu Douluo and Du Busi stood untouched by it. Even Elder Xuan felt a heavy unease settle over him.
"There's… someone on the throne…" a Rank 91 Titled Douluo stammered, his voice shaking.
The sky abruptly turned a dull gray. Death and evil became the world's prevailing theme. Ling Bai sat upright upon the throne of blood, his deep, dead-still gray eyes as cold and detached as the Bloodsea beneath him, radiating an overbearing pressure that brooked no equal.
"That brat…"
Du Busi ground his teeth. Long Aotian had been his direct disciple, and the enmity of a slain disciple could not exist beneath the same sky!
"Ling Bai? How can it be him?"
Yan Shaozhe was stunned. The Shrek Guardians had reported the Bloodsea's evil aura was off the charts, and the scene before him confirmed it. Yet for the source to be Ling Bai defied all sense. He was a Seraphim, the natural bane of Evil Spirit Masters, the holiest saint of the mortal world who embodied the light!
"Senior Jianmu…"
With their worldviews shattered, the crowd turned their gazes toward Jianmu Douluo, hoping for some explanation.
Jianmu Douluo's expression remained calm as still water. He had long known of the Death Abyss Spider Emperor's existence. In the past, Ling Bai had always kept that second Evil Martial Spirit hidden, yet now he was baring it without the slightest restraint. Jianmu Douluo was one of the few in the world who understood Ling Bai best, and that had not changed.
A man only endured in silence while he had yet to come into his strength!
Ling Bai was done pretending. He was showing his hand!
Eight Death Abyss Spider Lances burst from his back, their gray tips stained with a touch of piercing crimson. He no longer masked the spirit power aura roiling deep and unfathomable within him. Dazzling spirit rings rose in a brazen procession, one after another, laying claim to the sky!
Gray, Red, Red, Red, Red, Red, Purple-Gold, Red, Scarlet Gold!
Nine terrifying spirit rings dominated the heavens, blazing in concert with the Bloodsea that drowned the earth below!
"Rank 95… Xiao Bai is so incredible."
Ning Fengyu patted her ample chest, taken aback by the sudden surge in Ling Bai's spirit power rank.
A gratified smile crossed Jianmu Douluo's face. From a child first awakening his Martial Spirit to a Super Douluo who could awe the continent, Ling Bai had needed only twelve years. He was proud of this disciple he had taken in during his later years.
Ling Bai brushed a hand along the cold, razor-sharp Death Abyss Spider Lances, his gaze deep and remote. The Holy Spirit Cult's Evil Spirit Masters, the Sea-Swallowing Evil Dragon Whale, the Deep Sea Nether Dragon Emperor, the Blood Bat Clan, the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King… his Yin-Yang Complement Twin Spirit Cores had stored far, far too much spirit power.
All of it had erupted after he absorbed the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King's spirit ring. His spirit power had climbed all the way to Rank 95, planting him firmly within the Super Douluo realm. More than that, the Yin-Yang Complement Twin Spirit Cores had triggered a qualitative shift, compressing every last strand of his spirit power. The Seraphim and the Death Abyss Spider Emperor were now wholly fused. The two Martial Spirits no longer distinguished themselves from one another, and combined in perfect harmony without any conscious effort on his part.
'A gray spirit ring…'
Du Busi had at first been annoyed that no supreme treasure had emerged, but his eyes locked onto that slowly rotating gray spirit ring. It aligned, piece by piece, with a certain Evil Douluo from his memory. Bloodshot lines crept across his eyes, and his voice came grinding out from between his teeth:
"It's you. So it was you all along, Death Abyss Douluo!"
It all connected. Du Busi had connected every last piece of it!
No wonder Death Abyss Douluo had inexplicably targeted the Body Sect ever since the Spirit Master Tournament five years ago, even chasing down a mere Chen Yu all the way to the Rose Hotel to kill him. During the battle at the Illustrious Virtue Hall, he had struck with utter disregard for consequences, singling out Body Sect disciples for slaughter!
If Ling Bai was Death Abyss Douluo, then everything made sense. He had been taking revenge on behalf of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and Jianmu Douluo!
Du Busi pointed at the Seraphim and named him Death Abyss Douluo. The crowd swallowed hard. Once, such a claim would have been impossible to believe, but the sky-blotting evil aura before their eyes could not be feigned. One by one, they turned wary gazes toward Ling Bai.
"What a classic case of a thief crying 'stop thief'!"
Ling Bai's stern shout rang out, his voice booming like a great bell!
"The gray spirit ring is nothing but a secret technique. It just so happens that both Death Abyss Douluo and I know it. As for the other eight spirit rings? Not a single one matches! Identifying me as Death Abyss Douluo on the strength of a single spirit ring is the greatest joke in the world!
Since we've come this far, I'll hide it no longer. I do indeed possess Twin Martial Spirits, but you've already seen with your own eyes what my second Martial Spirit is!
Everyone knows Death Abyss Douluo's Martial Spirit is a Bone Dragon. Pointing at a Spider Emperor and calling it a Bone Dragon… Du Busi, do you take everyone here for fools?!"
"This…"
"He does have a point…"
The Heavenly Soul Empire's Titled Douluo whispered among themselves.
Du Busi was livid, panting like an enraged bull. A Martial Spirit was the very essence of a Spirit Master, and when the Martial Spirit didn't match, everything else rang hollow.
Before he could muster a rebuttal, Ling Bai flung his own finger back at him, his voice striking like iron:
"All of you, do you know why Du Busi is in such a rush to slander me? Because I have uncovered the secret he has buried deep!
Du Busi is Death Abyss Douluo!
Beyond his original Martial Spirit, the Spirit Body, he possesses a second Martial Spirit as well, the Bone Dragon. He has been posing as Death Abyss Douluo, slaughtering and mutilating lives across the land, all to force his way into the Limit realm!"
Pointing at the Body and calling it Death Abyss!
"Utter nonsense! Who doesn't know that Death Abyss Douluo has killed Body Sect members? How could the Sect Master possibly be Death Abyss Douluo!" The Body Sect's Vice Sect Master, the Rank 96 Golden Body Douluo Jin Peng, roared in fury.
"Then who doesn't know that Death Abyss Douluo once hunted me down?!
Shrek Academy has always upheld justice on the continent. Elder Xuan is of high moral standing and reputation, and Dean Yan is a man of noble character. They can testify for me!"
Every head turned in unison toward Shrek Academy the moment those words landed. Elder Xuan, Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin Er, and Qian Duoduo all froze at the same time.
Wait... how did this get pinned on us?!
A complicated look filled Elder Xuan's eyes. He was one of the victims as well, having been knocked from Rank 98 down to Rank 97 by Death Abyss Douluo. He still hadn't emerged from that shadow to reclaim his peak cultivation. How could he not resent Death Abyss Douluo?
Others might not understand Du Busi's temperament, but Elder Xuan, an old fellow from the same era, understood it quite well. Du Busi had once dared to storm Sea God Island by force just to retrieve a two-ringed Huo Yuhao. How could a man like that possibly bear to devour his own Body Sect members for cultivation?
An answer had already formed in his heart. Elder Xuan's lips parted, seemingly about to declare Shrek's stance, but Yan Shaozhe was a step quicker and tugged on his arm.
"Elder Xuan..."
Yan Shaozhe gave him a subtle shake of the head. With Grand Dean Yan's level of shrewdness, could he possibly not know who Death Abyss Douluo was by now?!
Whether Elder Xuan truly deserved the title of 'high moral standing and reputation' was debatable, but Yan Shaozhe had a pretty clear sense of whether he himself merited being called 'a man of noble character.' Ling Bai had already been subtly signaling Shrek with his words!
In Yan Shaozhe's eyes, whether it was Ling Bai or Du Busi, Shrek Academy simply did not have the ability to execute either of them. Who Death Abyss Douluo actually was didn't matter in the slightest!
Greenshadow Douluo Elder Song had fallen in battle at the Western Mountains of Mingdu. Shrek's top-tier combat power now rested solely on Elder Xuan and Elder Lin, two Rank 97 Titled Douluo.
If Elder Xuan sided with the Body Sect and blurted out the plain truth, Ling Bai would inevitably hold a grudge against Shrek Academy. Ma Xiaotao might not even be able to talk him down. A Rank 95 Ultimate Martial Spirit expert's combat power was comparable to a Limit Douluo's. Add Jianmu Douluo and the Bone Dragon King on top of that... If the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's three great Limit Douluo one day descended upon Shrek bearing the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the sheer outrageousness of that scenario made Yan Shaozhe's blood run cold!
Yan Shaozhe held Elder Xuan back, cleared his throat, and spoke in a measured tone:
"Death Abyss Douluo has indeed attempted to assassinate Ling Bai. Lin'er and I can testify to that. Of course, Death Abyss Douluo has also killed Body Sect members.
Regardless of who committed such atrocities, I represent Shrek Academy in strongly condemning them!"
Shrek had never been about absolute justice. The Fire Phoenix Saintess Ma Xiaotao and the Blue Silver Saintess Tang Ya could return to the academy even after devouring lives to cultivate. Huo Yuhao's use of Necromancy hadn't affected his status as a Sea God Pavilion member. Interests above all. Shrek Academy above all.
Ling Bai shot into the clouds. He hovered opposite Du Busi and chuckled:
"Talk is cheap. Everyone who has come here is a powerful figure of the Heavenly Soul Empire, the kind whose stomp could make the empire tremble three times over. Two Death Abyss Douluo stand before you now.
Those who believe Du Busi is Death Abyss Douluo, please come to my side.
Those who believe I am Death Abyss Douluo, please go to Du Busi's side.
You only live once.
Everyone... please."
"This old man truly does not believe that lies can fool the world!" A ferocious glint flashed in Du Busi's eyes. "Come! All of you, pick your sides!"
Hemmed in by the prestige of two super sects, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and the Body Sect, and pressed by both men, the assembled experts had no choice but to begin choosing sides.
The Body Sect garnered slightly more supporters, but several factions still refused to commit. Shrek Academy was among them.
Du Busi nodded in satisfaction. "Kid, you think a few clever words can twist the facts?"
Ling Bai paid this preliminary lineup no mind whatsoever. He simply made a mental note of those people's faces and said coolly:
"It seems everyone still has doubts. No matter. I'll help you uncover...
The true face of Death Abyss Douluo, Du Busi!"
He gripped the Death Abyss Demon Scythe. The blade's mournful, crescent-moon arc was enough to make more than a few eyes sting.
"Teacher, today's matter is between me and Death Abyss Douluo. I'll trouble you to protect the others so they don't suffer collateral damage."
"Naturally."
Jianmu Douluo gave a slight nod. Towering ancient trees erupted from the ground, and countless emerald branches spread outward to separate the three factions of experts.
"Good! This old man will see what you've got!"
Du Busi rolled his shoulders. Two Yellow, two Purple, two Black, three Red. His spirit rings materialized and surged forth to stand against Ling Bai's nine terrifying rings.
Almost simultaneously, Du Busi's 100,000-year seventh spirit ring and the Purple-Gold Dragon King spirit ring flared to life. Ling Bai watched the dark green giant shift into an intercepting stance, and an ice-cold smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
The Death Abyss Spider Emperor's Innate Domain unfolded. Gray swallowed the world, and a torrential rain of blood poured from the sky. After absorbing the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King's spirit ring, the Death Abyss Realm had evolved once more!
The Harbinger Zhen Spirit Bone flashed. Ling Bai stepped into Traceless Phantom, and the Death Abyss Demon Scythe arced upward in a reverse slash. The blade extended rapidly and transformed into a ferocious giant edge!
Blood rain coiled around the scythe. A black streak of light carved through the air. Under Ling Bai's fierce, domineering strike, space collapsed and shattered, opening a rift some forty feet long. The phantom of the Death Abyss Spider Emperor shrieked. Its eight beastly eyes locked onto the dark green giant, radiating a bloodthirsty savagery identical to its master's!
Ling Bai burst through the curtain of rain and closed the distance in the blink of an eye. Du Busi clenched his fist. Currents of water coiled around his knotted muscles as he pushed the Body Martial Spirit's might to its absolute extreme. Fueled by raw physical power and the Gold-ranked Second Awakening, his fist swung down to collide with the upward-slashing Death Abyss Demon Scythe!
BOOM—
The blood rain near them blasted apart under the violence of the clash. Shock flooded Du Busi's eyes. Hot blood poured down in sheets, splashing a half-moon crimson curtain across the sky. A bone-deep gash split the giant's chest. Du Busi retreated over a thousand feet in fury and disbelief, one hand clutched to his chest as he gasped for breath.
Ling Bai watched the battered Du Busi from afar. Du Busi's spirit power might be three ranks higher, but the Yin-Yang Complement Twin Spirit Cores were, in essence, an ability exclusive to Limit Douluo. In an instant, they leveled the three-rank gap!
"Jie jie jie..."
Who's laughing like a villain? Oh... turns out it's me!
Ling Bai hurriedly smoothed his expression into one of righteous dignity:
"Death Abyss Douluo, do you still intend to keep hiding?!
Come! Draw your Bone Dragon Martial Spirit and fight me!"
Du Busi retched out a spray of blood mist. Only the one framing you truly knew how wronged you were. Eyes nearly splitting with rage, he roared:
"Death Abyss Douluo, today I will kill you!"
"Use whatever abilities you have," Ling Bai sent via spiritual transmission. "After today...
The dead man will be Death Abyss Douluo."
"You!!!"
Du Busi's eyes blazed with fury, but a wave of desolation washed through his heart unbidden. That single exchange told him everything. Ling Bai had already grown powerful beyond control.
Douluo Continent was a world where the strong reigned supreme. Ling Bai was fully qualified to point at whomever he pleased and declare them Death Abyss Douluo!
"Body Sect, FUSE!"
Du Busi realized this was the only chance to kill Ling Bai. If he allowed the youth to continue growing, the Body Sect would never again have hope of turning the tables. A golden pillar of light shot skyward, the massive column easily three hundred feet across. The remaining eight Body Sect Titled Douluo performed the same motion as Du Busi. Nine golden pillars of light merged into one, connecting sky and earth!
The giant's body swelled visibly. Beneath its skin, what appeared to be countless pythons writhed and surged. The Body Sect's Titled Douluo vanished. Every ounce of their power poured into Du Busi's Martial Spirit Avatar. The dark green skin blazed into dazzling gold, transforming into a glorious sculpture that seemed cast from pure gold. The terrifying pressure it exuded warped the sky overhead!
Body Secret Method, Golden Giant!