Chapter 451: The Eighth Spirit Ability - Spirit Ring and Bone of the Evil Demon Orca
The once-blue sea was now tainted with red, as thick blood spread across the surface. The salty, metallic scent of it filled the air, and lifeless remains, still warm, floated with the currents. The scene bore the marks of a brutal battle.
A large, scarred Demon Spirit Great White Shark swam over, cautiously approaching its leader. Gazing at the figure on its king's back—a figure emanating a fearsome, demonic aura—the shark instinctively lowered its head in fear, trying to avoid the piercing presence.
Seated cross-legged on Xiao Bai's back, Dai Yao remained still, his eyes closed as a brilliant red spirit ring circled around him. With each faint vibration of this ring, powerful waves were sent rippling outward, creating tidal surges in the surrounding sea. The energy he exuded was overwhelming, even to Xiao Bai's second-in-command, who looked at the carnage-strewn ocean with both sorrow and respect.
"Go," Xiao Bai instructed softly, exhaling a heavy breath. Her voice carried both the satisfaction of avenging her kin and the pain of loss. "Help the injured and gather our fallen for burial on Sea God Island. We'll wait here until the honored ones complete their absorption."
Her subordinate nodded, retreating to carry out her orders. Xiao Bai then cast a glance at the massive body of the "Evil Tiger," the Evil Demon Orca King, who had been her nemesis. Her eyes revealed a deep yearning; absorbing the Orca King's essence would no doubt grant her great power. Yet, she quickly quelled her desire—Dai Yao had earned this victory, and it was not her place to interfere.
The recent events replayed in Xiao Bai's mind, filling her with a shuddering fear. Though she'd always known Dai Yao was powerful—able to shatter her Demon Shark Domain, even—she hadn't anticipated the full extent of his might until their battle with the Evil Demon Orcas.
At first, Dai Yao had produced a mystical vial, pouring its contents over his arrows as he hunted the Evil Demon Orcas one by one. Though he took down fewer than a dozen, the havoc he wrought destabilized the entire orca pod. It was as if they were being stalked by an unseen sniper, forced to wait in dread, unsure when or where the next arrow would strike. This unbearable tension eroded their morale, and despite the Orca King's efforts, they couldn't locate the threat.
Exhausted and demoralized after several days of this unseen assault, the Evil Demon Orcas found themselves in a frenzied panic, ripe for an attack. It was then that the Great White Sharks launched their offensive, aided by Dai Yao's companions. With one side well-rested and at peak morale, and the other exhausted and terror-stricken, the tide of battle quickly turned. Yet even so, the Orca King—Xiao Bai's longtime enemy—remained a formidable opponent.
With his formidable strength of one hundred thousand years, the Orca King was still more than a match for Xiao Bai; she could barely hold her own against him, even with Ning Rongrong's support. When she prepared to intercept the Orca King's advance, Dai Yao, to her surprise, blocked her path.
Reluctant to leave him to face the Orca King alone, she watched in awe as the battle unfolded. Dai Yao fought a fierce, close-quarters struggle, his spirit power raging around him, and when his eighth spirit ring glowed to life, something breathtaking happened.
The sky darkened, the sea calmed, and even the surrounding air grew unnervingly still. In that eerie silence, a pillar of energy as thick as heaven itself crashed down, consuming the Orca King. The impact created waves so massive they swept other soul beasts away; only Xiao Bai, with her great strength, managed to hold her position. The thunderous sound of the attack rolled through the air moments later, and as the stormy sea calmed, a golden sunlight beam broke through a tear in the clouds above, casting an almost divine glow on Dai Yao.
Shaken to the core, Xiao Bai hurried toward Dai Yao as he stood unscathed amidst the devastation, his face serene. It took her a while to find her voice.
"Honored Successor… What was that spirit ability?"
"God's Descent," Dai Yao replied calmly.
The ravaged sea, the rift in the sky, and the chaotic turbulence all spoke to the devastating power of this skill…
…
Soon, the red spirit ring surrounding Dai Yao's body began to dim and eventually absorbed into him completely.
"Whew…" Dai Yao let out a satisfied breath, feeling the surge of spirit power within. A pleased smile spread across his face as he took stock of the changes.
After absorbing the Evil Demon Orca King's spirit ring, his spirit power had risen from level 84 to level 86. For most soul masters, a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring like this could bring an increase of at least four levels.
Additionally, Dai Yao's physical abilities had improved significantly. His body, tempered by the Evil Demon Orca King's spirit ring, was now among the strongest on the continent. He didn't dare claim it was unmatched, as he hadn't yet tested himself against Haotian Douluo Tang Chen, but he was confident he was among the best.
As for the spirit abilities granted, they were consistent with the original: Evil Demon Orca Mirror Capture, a control skill, and Evil Demon Orca Mirror Annihilation, a devastating single-target attack. Both abilities were immensely powerful. Although these were enhancements, he chose not to display the new ring in order to avoid triggering his alternate personality, which would complicate matters.
"You've succeeded, Brother Dai? A hundred-thousand-year ring must have granted you a big boost," Ning Rongrong exclaimed, delighted to see Dai Yao had finished his absorption. Noticing the heightened depth in his aura, she asked, "Your spirit power rose significantly, right?"
"Indeed," he confirmed. "I've gone from level 84 to level 86. With a bit more training on Sea God Island, I'll likely reach level 87."
Ning Rongrong, despite witnessing countless miracles from Dai Yao, was still awed by his progress. Gazing at him, she remarked, "If I'm not mistaken, you and I are both around twenty-three, yet you're already a Spirit Douluo. With your true power rivaling even a Hyper Douluo, there's no one in history to match you—not even the Haotian Douluo, Tang Chen, or Spirit Hall's Qian Daoliu achieved this at your age."
"You're a true prodigy," she added, smiling.
Dai Yao chuckled and gently tousled her hair. "You're incredible too, Rongrong. Were there suitable spirit rings here, you'd also be a Spirit Douluo. When we return to the mainland, your father, Uncle Sword, and Uncle Bone will all be so proud of you."
Ning Rongrong smiled at the thought of surprising her family with her progress. Turning to the others, Dai Yao asked, "Zhuqing, Yan Yan, Xiang Xiang—what level are your spirit powers after absorbing your rings?"
They had already decided before the battle to have Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan absorb Evil Demon Orca spirit rings, while Bai Chenxiang found one compatible with her. Feng Wutong and Ning Rongrong would wait to find theirs on the mainland.
Exchanging a look with Dugu Yan, Zhu Zhuqing replied, "I absorbed a spirit ring around ninety-five thousand years, so my spirit power is now level 83. Originally, I was level 82, but completing the trial raised me another level, so I'm at 83."
"I'm the same," said Dugu Yan. "My spirit power is at level 83 as well, and I absorbed a ring around ninety-four thousand years. Plus, the two soul beasts we killed were both females, apparently the Evil Demon Orca King's wives." She added, casting a playful glance at Dai Yao.
Dai Yao raised an eyebrow, chuckling. It seemed the Demon Evil Orca King's family was fated to be connected to them—all becoming their soul rings. Indeed, a family should always stick together.
"Chenxiang, what about you?" Dai Yao turned to Bai Chenxiang, asking with a gentle tone.
Under the group's gaze, Bai Chenxiang felt slightly nervous as she replied,
"I absorbed a soul ring around 18,000 years old. My soul power jumped by ten levels, and I'm now at level 60. Yan-jie told me my advancement was too rapid, so I should focus on solidifying my foundation before absorbing my sixth soul ring."
"Otherwise, an unstable foundation could hinder my future development."
From the moment Bai Chenxiang set foot on Sea God Island, her soul power had already reached level 50. While she passed the trials alongside Dai Yao and the others, including the Sea God's Light and Tide Body Refinement tests, her body retained latent soul power due to the absence of a new soul ring. After obtaining her fifth soul ring, breaking through to level 60 was only natural.
"Yan Yan is absolutely right," Dai Yao said, nodding. "A sudden ten-level increase in soul power and rushing to absorb a sixth soul ring would not be wise. When I obtained my sixth soul ring—specifically a hundred-thousand-year soul ring—my soul power shot up to level 68. Even then, I spent half a year consolidating my foundation before resuming cultivation."
"Though the Demon Evil Orca soul ring is excellent, don't feel regretful. I'll ensure you receive an even better soul ring when the time comes."
He gently stroked Bai Chenxiang's head, his voice reassuring. Bai Chenxiang leaned into him, feeling deeply moved, and nodded in agreement.
"By the way," Dai Yao suddenly said, "has anyone found any soul bones among all these Demon Evil Orca corpses?"
In the original story, aside from the one hunted by Tang San, no other Demon Evil Orca corpses yielded soul bones. Dai Yao was curious if this time would be different.
At this, Dugu Yan glanced at Zhu Zhuqing and remarked with a touch of envy,
"Of course, apart from the hundred-thousand-year soul beast you hunted, we found two soul bones. One came from the Demon Evil Orca that Zhuqing obtained her soul ring from, and the other came from a 9,000-year Demon Evil Orca."
"Zhuqing's soul bone naturally belongs to her. The other, from the 9,000-year orca, has been allocated to Chenxiang. Once we return, she can absorb it."
Soul bones acquired from the same hunted beast as the soul ring often resulted in complementary boosts, which only fueled Dugu Yan's envy.
Hearing this, Dai Yao burst out laughing. "It seems my luck is pretty good this time—completely different from the original outcome."
Zhu Zhuqing chimed in with a smile,
"Luck is on your side. But Yao-ge, you should quickly retrieve the hundred-thousand-year soul bone from the Demon Evil Orca King's corpse. The currents might carry it away soon."
Dai Yao nodded and leapt toward the Demon Evil Orca King's body. As his soul power surged, a dark red soul bone emerged from the corpse.
The dark red soul bone glowed like amber, its hue resembling flowing blood, exuding an aura of violent ferocity. Like the Demon Evil Orca King itself, it radiated a domineering presence.
Dai Yao caught the soul bone, examining it briefly. With a flick of his finger, the bone emitted a crisp hum, like a sword returning to its sheath, before attaching itself to his left leg.
The soul bone contained remnants of the Demon Evil Orca King's spiritual energy, which retaliated fiercely as it sensed its impending absorption. The surrounding air grew oppressive, and even Xiao Bai dared not approach. Just as Zhu Zhuqing and the others began to worry, Dai Yao's gaze turned cold. His soul power surged, and eight soul rings rose in succession:
Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Red, Red, Red.
The pressure from the eight rings coalesced into something nearly tangible, rendering the surrounding sea unnaturally still, like a flawless mirror.
The spiritual energy within the soul bone faltered as though punctured, its resistance deflating like a balloon. Resigned, it submitted to Dai Yao's dominance and was absorbed.
"The Demon Evil Orca King's soul bone is exceptional," Dai Yao mused aloud. "Even among hundred-thousand-year soul bones, it's top-tier. But compared to those from ferocious beasts, it's still somewhat lacking. Of course, acquiring hundred-thousand-year soul bones isn't easy. This isn't the era of Peerless Tang Sect, where hundred-thousand-year soul beasts roamed freely."
"Strangely, soul beasts should become fewer over time. Yet, a millennium later, there are even more hundred-thousand-year soul beasts."
"If possible, I should aim to absorb soul rings and soul bones from those ferocious beasts in the future. They'll provide even greater enhancements. However, if I can obtain the soul rings and bones of the Sky Azure Bull Python or the Titan Giant Ape, that would suffice. Their quality compensates for any limitations in age."
Dai Yao silently reflected as he completed the absorption process. In mere moments, he had fully integrated the Demon Evil Orca King's soul bone. Rising into the air, he landed lightly on Xiao Bai's back.
After exchanging a few words with the women, Dai Yao gazed out at the vast ocean and commanded,
"Xiao Bai, let's set off for home."
Xiao Bai hesitated slightly before nervously asking,
"Successor, you've already absorbed the Demon Evil Orca King's soul ring and soul bone. Its corpse is of no further use to you. If possible, could you grant it to me? Absorbing it could lead to a qualitative leap in my strength."
Dai Yao glanced at Xiao Bai and replied coolly,
"If you promise not to turn on me after your strength increases, I can grant it to you."
Xiao Bai tensed immediately, embarrassed, and quickly said,
"Rest assured, my lord. You've destroyed the Demon Evil Orca for me—you're my greatest benefactor. Though I am a soul beast, I would never forget your kindness or harm you."
Dai Yao nodded slightly. "Go ahead, it's yours."
"Thank you, my lord!" Xiao Bai exclaimed joyfully.
Dai Yao chose another Demon Spirit Great White Shark to ride. Watching Xiao Bai dart toward the Demon Evil Orca King's corpse with unrestrained excitement, he nodded faintly.
Though Xiao Bai hadn't orchestrated any harm, her foolishness had contributed to past troubles. The Orca King's corpse held no further value for Dai Yao, and granting it to Xiao Bai was a gesture of goodwill. However, he had deliberately asserted dominance before gifting it, ensuring she didn't view the gesture as something she was entitled to.
Sure enough, the tactic worked. Xiao Bai became even more obedient to his commands.
As Xiao Bai began absorbing the Orca King's essence, the group decided to remain stationary for a while. Dai Yao sat cross-legged, focusing inwardly. Each new soul ring granted him a lotus from the Chaos Green Lotus.
Having recently acquired his seventh and eighth soul rings, he hadn't had time to inspect the lotuses due to the urgency of the trials. Now, with a moment of calm, he descended into his spiritual world to take a closer look.
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