Chapter 372: Dai Yao vs. the Seventh Elder – The Spear of Gods Shows Its Might
Inside and outside the palace, smoke and shouts of battle filled the air.
Outside the palace, Tang Sect disciples, members of the Clear Sky Clan, and the Golden Iron Triangle launched relentless attacks against the defense forces' line. Inside, those same defense forces were fiercely assaulting Emperor Xue Ye, who was guarded by the Second Elder and Tang San. Above, six Title Douluo clashed, and the entire Heaven Dou City seemed to tremble from the sheer force of their battle.
The Seventh Elder stood with his arms crossed, looking down at the masked figure standing on the palace rooftop. With a sneer, he taunted,
"Boy, at death's door, and yet you still wear a mask?"
Dai Yao looked up through the eyeholes of his mask, glancing at the fierce battle raging in the sky. Since the Fifth Elder had activated his Martial Soul True Body, it was clear Qian Renxue was beginning to struggle. Although she used her aerial advantage to barely keep up, her defeat seemed only a matter of time.
Dai Yao's heart tightened. If Qian Renxue lost, the entire battlefield would collapse.
Without Qian Renxue's support, Serpent Spear Douluo and Porcupine Douluo would surely be defeated by the Clear Sky Clan's two Title Douluo. Not to mention, if the Fifth Elder joined them, the battle would be devastating for Serpent Spear and Porcupine Douluo.
If he did nothing, Wuhun Hall's plans would fail, and the Clear Sky Clan would reign supreme in the Heaven Dou Empire. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Qinglian Sect, as his allies, would suffer a severe blow. Leaving unscathed would be a costly feat.
Dai Yao couldn't let that happen.
Thus, he had to take action to aid Wuhun Hall. Thanks to the power of his Chaos Green Lotus martial soul, he knew that even if he couldn't stall the Seventh Elder for long, he could escape unharmed.
Turning his gaze to the Seventh Elder, who stared at him with murderous intent, Dai Yao allowed a small smile. A surge of battle spirit rose within him like an overflowing dam.
Back then, he'd realized the terrifying potential of his God-Slaying Spear and had spent years perfecting his spear technique. Now, with both his skill and the spear at their peak, he was eager to see just how powerful the combination truly was!
Standing atop the palace rooftop, his robes billowing in the battle's shockwaves, he raised his spear and pointed it at the Seventh Elder, exuding fierce fighting spirit as he declared,
"Old man, who lives and who dies is still undecided!"
The Seventh Elder snorted, not taking Dai Yao seriously in the least. However, he felt an odd familiarity toward the masked figure, as if he'd seen him somewhere before, a feeling that left him inexplicably irritated.
With a furrowed brow, he summoned his soul power, and the Clear Sky Hammer appeared in his hand. Two yellow, two purple, and five black rings formed around the hammer, glowing ominously. In an instant, storm clouds gathered, with waves of pressure radiating from the Seventh Elder as the center.
All soldiers of the Heaven Dou City defense forces and Wuhun Hall's undercover agents felt a chill, instinctively clearing a space for Dai Yao and the Seventh Elder to battle.
Lightning flickered around the Clear Sky Hammer as the Seventh Elder said coldly,
"If you want to die, I'll grant your wish."
With a deafening crack, the Seventh Elder vanished, reappearing in a flash as he hurtled toward Dai Yao. The palace beneath Dai Yao's feet began to crumble like sand under his weight, forming a crater visible from above.
The pressure Dai Yao was under was evident.
Dai Yao felt as if a giant hand were squeezing him tightly, slowing the flow of his dense soul power.
A Soul Emperor challenging a Title Douluo with a thirty-rank gap was like trying to cross an unbridgeable chasm. Against such overwhelming power, most would struggle to even stand.
Yet Dai Yao's years of training under waterfalls allowed him to adapt, his body instinctively moving in a unique rhythm, dispersing the crushing pressure as if he were swimming through it.
"Thankfully, I've trained under the waterfall for years. The pressure from the rank difference isn't too much for me. Otherwise, I'd be at a disadvantage from the start."
Dai Yao's eyes glinted with determination.
Back at Star Luo Royal Academy, he had used this technique to weaken Second Prince Dai Yaming's advantage, eventually defeating him. His waterfall training remained invaluable even now.
Seeing the Clear Sky Hammer looming closer, Dai Yao's skin prickled. The hammer, though heavy, emanated a piercing sharpness that stung his skin. Gripping the God-Slaying Spear tightly, Dai Yao leapt down and began sprinting across the palace rooftops.
Only a fool would face the Clear Sky Hammer head-on.
Boom!
The Seventh Elder's hammer struck Dai Yao's former position, reducing the palace there to rubble. With a whoosh, the Seventh Elder emerged from the ruins, surprised to see the masked man darting across the rooftops at remarkable speed.
"That strike should have been unavoidable. The pressure of my soul power combined with the hammer's pull—no Soul Emperor, not even a Soul Sage, should have escaped it. Yet, this boy managed to slip away at an impressive speed."
"What speed! Not inferior to my own. It seems you do have some skill; no wonder you dared challenge me. But can you dodge a second time?"
The Seventh Elder's cloudy eyes flashed with fierce light. Raising his Clear Sky Hammer, he charged toward Dai Yao.
Dai Yao ran ahead, while the Seventh Elder pursued him, the sound of their collision echoing through the palace grounds as one imperial structure after another was reduced to rubble beneath the Seventh Elder's hammer.
"Boy, is running all you can do?" the Seventh Elder bellowed, veins bulging in fury. The fact that he couldn't quickly deal with a Soul Emperor was a great embarrassment.
Just then, a glint of silver shot toward him, aiming for his face. The spear's shaft was unassuming, yet the aura of death on its tip made his pupils shrink. The Seventh Elder swung the Clear Sky Hammer to intercept it, and with a clash, the spear was deflected.
With a swift flick of his soul power, Dai Yao recalled the God-Slaying Spear back to his hand.
"How's that for a move, old man?" Dai Yao said with a sly smile.
That strike had been perfectly timed. He'd waited for the moment when the Seventh Elder was pulling back the hammer, exploiting the lapse between forceful attacks—a skill honed through his trials in the Slaughter City. To take down someone stronger, he knew he'd have to rely on such tactics.
Dai Yao's words were followed by a sharp gust that blew across the Seventh Elder, making his gray robe billow as a piercing screech filled the air.
The sound and wind from Dai Yao's thrust reached the Seventh Elder only after the spear had been withdrawn.
"What speed! His spear arrives before the sound of its movement—this boy's spear technique is frightening. If he were a Title Douluo, I wouldn't stand a chance. And his martial soul is unbreakable; even my Clear Sky Hammer couldn't leave a mark!"
The Seventh Elder's mind was reeling.
"Damn Wuhun Hall, producing both a Dai Yao who bests all our younger disciples and now a peerless spear master. Why do all the continent's geniuses fall under Wuhun Hall? I can't let him live; he must die here today!"
His sixth soul ring suddenly lit up.
The Clear Sky Hammer split in two, forming twin hammers. One spun toward Dai Yao from the front, while the Seventh Elder charged from behind. Simultaneously, his fifth soul ring emitted a dark glow, covering the area around Dai Yao.
Buzz!
Dai Yao felt an immense weight press down on him, as if a mountain had been placed on his shoulders. His steps grew leaden.
"Gravity Control!" Dai Yao thought, gritting his teeth.
If he had been using his Holy White Tiger martial soul, he could have countered with abilities like White Tiger Vajra Transformation or external soul bones, enhancing his physical limits and negating this technique.
But he was currently using the Chaos Green Lotus martial soul in the God-Slaying Spear form. Using his Holy White Tiger abilities would reveal his dual martial souls and his identity as Dai Yao. For now, the world believed he had only one martial soul, but if his dual martial soul talent were exposed, every force opposing Wuhun Hall would stop at nothing to kill him.
At that moment, with a roaring wind, the twin Clear Sky Hammers closed in on him from front and back.
The Seventh Elder's face lit up with a look of triumph, as though he could already see the masked figure being crushed to a pulp.
Swish!
At that moment, Dai Yao, who had seemed trapped in an immovable mire, suddenly vanished. The twin Clear Sky Hammers collided with an earth-shattering crash, sending shockwaves that obliterated a vast expanse of the palace grounds. A swath of previously magnificent structures was reduced to rubble.
The deafening impact captured everyone's attention for a brief moment. Even in the sky, Serpent Spear Douluo, Porcupine Douluo, and Qian Renxue glanced downward, worriedly observing the battle below. The fact that Dai Yao had managed to stall the Seventh Elder for so long was beyond what anyone had anticipated.
Standing in the center of the ruins, the Seventh Elder looked around, his expression dark and menacing. Just as he struck the masked man, the figure had vanished.
"Looking for me, old man?" A mocking voice rang out from a distance.
The Seventh Elder turned toward the sound and saw the masked man—Dai Yao—standing unscathed on another rooftop. At the sight of Dai Yao's reappearance, Wuhun Hall's forces exhaled in relief. Serpent Spear, Porcupine, and Qian Renxue resumed their battles.
Having used both his fifth and sixth spirit skills without securing a victory over Dai Yao was infuriating for the Seventh Elder. He glared at Dai Yao with a twisted expression of suppressed rage and spat out coldly,
"Your mouth is sharper than your strength."
Yet, even as he said this, a trace of unease filled his mind. The masked man's teleportation ability was an exceptional survival skill. But what unsettled him was the absence of spirit rings when this masked man used his skill. He couldn't assess the nature of the teleportation ability or its limits.
An alarming thought crossed his mind: this masked man hadn't shown a single spirit ring so far.
Dai Yao chuckled confidently. "Thanks for the compliment."
Seeing the Seventh Elder move again, Dai Yao turned to flee once more. This time, however, the pursuit was much more dangerous, with the elder's fifth and sixth spirit skills now in play. But Dai Yao was not one to be caught twice. Adapting to the Seventh Elder's tactics, he launched a counterattack.
The two chased and evaded for a full quarter of an hour.
The Second Elder, surrounded by countless defense soldiers, struck down another enemy and shouted,
"Old Seventh! Stop toying with him! Finish that brat and come help us!"
The Seventh Elder halted mid-chase, his gaze shifting thoughtfully. This fight was nothing like the battle against Tang San on the Iron Chain Bridge in the original storyline. Here, he was using every ounce of his spirit power, yet he still couldn't take down Dai Yao.
If he activated his seventh spirit skill, his Martial Soul True Body, it would guarantee victory but not without costing him some dignity. But hadn't he already lost enough face? Failing to defeat this masked man left him with little pride intact. And with each passing moment, the risk of Wuhun Hall reinforcements arriving grew. The tide could turn against them at any moment.
"You're the one forcing my hand, kid!" he roared.
Casting hesitation aside, the Seventh Elder shouted, his seventh and eighth spirit rings glowing simultaneously. Massive soul power surged into the Clear Sky Hammer in his hands, causing the entire palace to tremble. Fragments of debris floated into the air, and the sky above the imperial city turned an ominous gray.
In that murky sky, the Clear Sky Hammer began to grow, expanding to the size of a small mountain.
Even those locked in aerial life-or-death battles paused and looked down at the spectacle on the ground.
"Has Old Seventh gone mad? Using his Martial Soul True Body against a Soul Emperor?" one elder exclaimed in surprise.
"Shameless! Using a Martial Soul True Body against a Soul Emperor—your Clear Sky Clan has no shred of dignity left!" Serpent Spear Douluo shouted, outraged.
"Hmph, in battle, strength is all that matters! The weak are doomed to die!" retorted the Third Elder, scoffing at the idea of honor.
High above, Qian Renxue looked down at the battle below, gritting her teeth. If not for her arrogance in dismissing Dai Yao's suggestion, he wouldn't be facing such a life-threatening situation now. As a Soul Sage, she could barely defend against a Title Douluo's attacks, even with her Martial Soul True Body on the brink of collapse. Dai Yao, who was even weaker than her, was in far greater danger.
A deep sense of regret filled her heart.
On the ground, Tang San, locked in battle with the imperial guards, kept an eye on the Seventh Elder's confrontation with the Shura Emperor. He couldn't deny that the Shura Emperor was far stronger than him. Yet, seeing the Shura Emperor on the verge of death brought Tang San a hint of satisfaction.
Anyone who joined Wuhun Hall was on the path to death!
…
Watching the Clear Sky Hammer grow larger, Dai Yao's expression became deadly serious. The True Body of the Clear Sky Hammer, known as the most powerful weapon spirit in the world, was enough to make anyone wary.
But in the next instant, a smirk appeared on his face, his gaze turning icy cold.
"I've waited long enough. Finally, the opportunity has come."
Since the start of this battle, he had been biding his time, waiting for a chance to unleash a single, decisive attack. The Seventh Elder's True Body transformation presented just that opportunity.
With a swift kick, Dai Yao caught the God-Slaying Spear as it spun through the air, gripping it tightly. He bent his knees, and his soul power surged like a raging river, pouring into the spear.
Buzz!
The once-ancient-looking God-Slaying Spear suddenly took on a sharp, deadly aura. Everyone nearby felt a surge of dread, as if facing certain death, their hair standing on end.
"Seventh Elder, don't let him gather his strength!" Tang San shouted urgently.
The Seventh Elder had realized this as well. Channeling his soul power into the Clear Sky Hammer, he completed his True Body transformation in just a few breaths.
"Die, boy!" he bellowed, swinging the mountain-sized Clear Sky Hammer down with all his might. Black ripples radiated from the hammer, accompanied by a deafening roar as it descended, the impact so powerful it tore buildings from their foundations.
A mocking smile appeared on Dai Yao's face.
"Too late."
An intense, icy aura filled the area, accompanied by a wave of killing intent so fierce it made everyone's hearts race as if a god of death had descended upon them.
"The Killing God Domain!"
Gasps of shock rose from those who recognized it.
But to everyone's surprise, Dai Yao channeled the Killing God Domain's power directly into the God-Slaying Spear, concentrating it at the spear's tip. The world seemed to fall silent. The dust and debris that had been suspended in the air by the Seventh Elder's True Body dropped to the ground as if crushed by an invisible force.
The wind, the sounds—everything ceased, leaving only the masked man and his spear.
Like an arrow loosed from a full-drawn bow, Dai Yao shot toward the mountainous Clear Sky Hammer. Compared to the hammer, his figure was as insignificant as a grain of rice.
"Foolish! He's seeking death!" thought the Clear Sky Clan spirit masters, eyes gleaming with excitement.
To them, the Clear Sky Hammer was the ultimate weapon spirit in existence. Anyone who dared to meet it head-on was courting death. Even the previous Pope had fallen to the Clear Sky Hammer.
But in the next moment, all eyes widened in shock.
When Dai Yao's spear made contact with the Clear Sky Hammer, cracks began to appear on its surface. To the crowd's horror, the supposedly indestructible Clear Sky Hammer started to shatter.
A murmur of disbelief spread through the palace grounds, as if a revered ideal had been shattered.
The Seventh Elder's entire body trembled, his expression one of disbelief as his Martial Soul True Body shattered. It felt as if countless needles were stabbing into his mind, and his heart throbbed with searing pain.
"Ahhhh!" he screamed in agony.
In that moment, a shadow appeared behind him. Dai Yao, spear in hand, looked down at the defenseless Seventh Elder, his gaze cold.
"It's over."
With a swift motion, he thrust the spear forward!
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