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The battlefield was a scene of absolute carnage. Lion Douluo, who was currently locked in a fierce struggle against the Crimson King, felt his heart skip a beat. His hair seemed to stand on end as he looked toward his fallen comrade.
His eyes went wide with a mix of shock and pure rage. He could hardly find his words, stammering out in disbelief, "What? How can this be? Another one of us is dead?"
He had come here expecting an easy win. In his mind, their team was an unstoppable force that should have crushed everyone in their path. Instead, the mission had turned into a complete disaster.
Losing two Titled Douluo in a single day was something he never thought possible. For Spirit Hall, this was the worst humilation they had faced in a hundred years. The loss of such powerful masters was a blow they could not easily fix.
"Roar! You filthy beast, get out of my way!" Lion Douluo screamed. He was shaking with anger, but deep down, a small seed of fear was starting to grow. He couldn't let it show, so he let his power explode instead.
The black Ninth Spirit Ring at his feet began to glow with a dark, intense light. His spirit power surged out of him like a volcano waking up. Behind him, his Martial Soul True Body grew even larger, looming over the area with a terrifying presence.
"Ninth Spirit Skill: Soul Shattering Sky Roar!"
He had fully merged with his giant Lion True Body. He opened his massive jaws wide. It wasn't just a loud noise that came out; it was a focused beam of dark golden energy. The shockwave was so strong it looked like it was ripping the air apart. It felt like it could tear a person's soul right out of their body. This beam of pure destruction flew straight at the Crimson King.
The Crimson King saw the attack coming. His three heads all looked very serious at the same time. He quickly gathered his Hellfire, spinning it into a thick shield around his body. But Lion Douluo was attacking with everything he had left. The Ninth Spirit Skill was too fast and too strong to be stopped easily.
The dark golden beam slammed into the fire shield with a deafening boom. The light from the explosion was so bright it blinded everyone for a second. The force of the hit was incredible. The Crimson King, despite his massive size, was pushed back dozens of meters. His flames flickered and became messy, showing that the attack had actually hurt him a little.
Lion Douluo didn't wait to see if the beast would get back up. He knew he only had a few seconds. He turned his head toward Azure Luan Douluo, who was busy fighting against Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Third Brother! We can't win this! We have to go! Retreat now!"
There was a panic in his voice that no one had ever heard before. Lion Douluo was a proud man, but he wasn't stupid. He realized that Tang Chen was way too dangerous. The young man had powers that didn't make sense. If they stayed any longer, Lion Douluo was sure that none of the Spirit Hall masters would ever leave Heaven Dou City alive.
Azure Luan Douluo heard the shout. For a moment, he looked frustrated. He hated the idea of running away from a fight. However, he looked around and saw the state of things. He knew his brother was right. He took a deep breath and let his Eighth Spirit Ring shine brightly.
"Eighth Spirit Ability: Azure Sky Cloud Sea Sound Annihilation!"
He flapped his giant wings, and suddenly, the wind began to howl. All the wind in the area rushed toward him. Within seconds, the sky above Tianxing Academy changed. A thick, swirling sea of azure clouds covered everything. It looked like a different world up there.
This wasn't just a trick for the eyes. It was a powerful Domain-type skill. It trapped Tang Chen, Dugu Bo, and the two masters from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School inside. They were cut off from everything else. Inside the domain, the wind was as sharp as a kitchen knife. It made it hard to see or move, and it slowly drained the spirit power of anyone caught inside.
"This is bad!" Bone Douluo Gu Rong yelled. "He's trying to trap us so they can run away!"
Sword Douluo Chen Xin narrowed his eyes. His gaze was like a blade itself. "Then we break it together," he said firmly.
The group gathered close. Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo looked at each other and nodded. They didn't need words to know the plan. They let their power rise to the very limit. Their Ninth Spirit Rings, the strongest ones they had, began to pulse with a deep black light.
"Ninth Spirit Skill: Divine Demon Double Slash!"
"Ninth Spirit Skill: Bone Transformation Divine Dragon!"
A massive flash of sword light shot out, looking like it could cut through reality itself. At the same time, a giant dragon made of white bones roared into existence. The dragon carried all the power and years of training that Gu Rong possessed. The two attacks hit the azure clouds at the exact same time.
There was a sound like a thousand windows breaking at once. The azure domain couldn't handle that much power. A giant hole was torn through the clouds, and then the whole thing started to shake and fall apart. The wind stopped howling, and the sky returned to normal.
But as the air cleared, everyone looked around and saw the truth. The area was a mess of broken buildings and bodies, but the Spirit Hall masters were gone. Lion Douluo, Azure Luan Douluo, and the others had used those few seconds to grab their remaining men and flee. They were already far away, moving so fast they didn't leave a single footprint behind.
Tang Chen watched them go. He let out a long breath and slowly deactivated his Blue Silver True Body. The scary spirit rings that were floating around him started to shrink and vanish one by one. He looked at the ruined academy. It was a sad sight. Finally, he looked at Dugu Bo. The old man looked tired and messy. Tang Chen felt a bit guilty.
"Old freak," Tang Chen said softly. "I'm sorry. I came back too late."
Dugu Bo waved his hand, dismissing the apology. He was pale and his breathing was heavy, but his green eyes were bright. He actually started to laugh a little. "Don't say that! You got here just in time. You were perfect!"
He wiped some dust off his clothes and continued, "If you had been even a minute later, these old bones of mine would be buried under this dirt. I would've been a ghost along with the rest of your teachers.
" He stopped and looked Tang Chen up and down, his eyes filled with wonder. "But seriously, kid, what happened to you? Six spirit rings that are a hundred thousand years old? You're like a completely different person. You're a monster!"
Tang Chen smiled. He was about to explain what had happened on his journey, but something caught his eye. He looked over at the body of Devil Bear Douluo. The man's head was gone, and he lay in a pool of blood. But on his left arm, there was a strange, glowing light. It was a pure, golden color.
"Wait, what's that?" Tang Chen wondered.
He didn't waste any time. He moved so fast it looked like he just teleported. In a blink, he was standing next to the dead body. He raised his golden dragon spear and gave the arm a quick flick. With a wet sound, the spear tip cut through the muscle.
The arm burst open, and the golden light inside flared up like a small sun. It was so bright that it lit up the dark corners of the ruins. A heavy, powerful feeling filled the air. It was the kind of energy that only comes from something very special.
When the light dimmed, everyone could see what it was. A left arm bone was floating there. It looked like it was made of solid, dark gold metal. It was beautiful and looked perfectly formed.
"A Spirit Bone!" someone shouted.
"It's a left arm bone from Devil Bear Douluo!" another voice cried out.
"Look at that shine," Ning Fengzhi said, stepping closer. "That has to be at least twenty thousand years old, maybe more."
The teachers and students who were still alive stared in awe. To a Spirit Master, a Spirit Bone is a dream come true. It's a treasure that can change a person's life. Most people go their whole lives without ever seeing one.
Tang Chen, however, didn't look excited. He remained very calm. He used his spear to catch the bone and bring it to his hand. It felt warm and heavy. He could feel the raw power vibrating inside the metal-like structure.
He looked at the bone for a second, then his eyes moved to Sword Douluo. He noticed the empty sleeve where the master's left arm used to be. The fabric was fluttering sadly in the wind.
Tang Chen walked over to Chen Xin. He showed great respect to the man who had risked everything to save the academy. Even though Chen Xin was tired and hurt, he still stood tall like a sharp sword. Tang Chen bowed his head slightly and gave a sincere smile.
"Senior Sword Douluo," Tang Chen said. "Our academy is still standing because of you, Bone Douluo, and School Master Ning. We won't ever forget what you did for us today. You saved our lives."
He held out the golden Spirit Bone toward the elder. "If you are willing to let me try, I want to use this bone to help you. I have a special way to fix your arm. I can't promise it will be exactly like it was before, but I can give you an arm back. I want you to be able to hold your Seven Kill Sword with both hands again."