Brilliant fireworks blossomed in the sky. Ten li to the rear, in a grove, Dai Tao and the others received the signal, simultaneously entered Martial Soul Avatar, and activated the martial soul fusion skill: Nether White Tiger.
"Roar!"
At once, eight black columns of light of varying size rose up. With a burst of tiger roars, the eight columns dispersed, and the sixteen figures in the grove turned into eight massive Nether White Tigers.
Then the eight Nether White Tigers beat the wings on their backs, shot into the air, and sped toward the barren mountain where Chu Chengzhou was.
Out in the distant sky above the wasteland, Cao Lie and the other four did not approach directly.
In their original plan, Chu Chengzhou would join hands with Heaven Dou and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to ambush them.
They were Titled Douluo, but the five knew their limits and did not advance recklessly. They intended to link up with the main force behind them and then move together.
Five Titled Douluo, all under level 95...
Chu Chengzhou saw it clearly. These five did not count as top hands among Titled Douluo.
The highest soul power belonged to a middle-aged man wielding a staff martial soul, level 94 Titled Douluo, with the optimal soul ring configuration.
Two were level 93 Titled Douluo, one with an Armored Tyrannosaurus martial soul, the other a leopard-type martial soul tinged blue and purple. The former did not have the optimal configuration, similar to She Long and the Ci Xue brothers, with even the fifth ring still purple.
The remaining two were lower, only level 92. One had a Silver Moon Heavenly Wolf martial soul, the other an ice-attribute bear-type martial soul, and this last one likewise lacked the optimal configuration like the Armored Tyrannosaurus Douluo.
Mm. Those who reach the Titled Douluo realm may not have been geniuses to start with.
But to lack even the optimal ring configuration and still cultivate to Titled Douluo—that is undoubtedly a true genius among spirit masters.
Seeing the five show no intention of making a move, and having finished probing their strength, Chu Chengzhou refused to sit still.
Star Luo had likely thrown in its full heritage this time. The pressure on him was not small.
To avoid flipping the cart, he planned to strike first and take down one or two experts, so he wouldn't face too much pressure once the siege began.
Go. But don't rush to attack. Remember to ambush.
Transmitting a soundless order to the "chibi" Xiong Da, Xiao Ming, and Xiao Hei, Chu Chengzhou circulated Earth-Leaping Golden Light. His body became a stream of radiance as he flew at high speed toward the five in the distance.
People say to pick soft persimmons, but Chu Chengzhou was different. He preferred to squeeze the hard ones.
Earth-Leaping Golden Light was extremely fast. As soon as he closed the distance a bit and entered the Void Illusion Realm's "maximum range," Chu Chengzhou set his sights on the staff-wielding Douluo who seemed the strongest.
Chu Chengzhou: I bet you don't have a precious head spirit bone. Even if you do, its age isn't high.
The Void Illusion Realm activated. Spiritual power surged out and descended into Azure Dragon Douluo Cao Lie's sea of consciousness.
In an instant, after a brief clash of spiritual power, Chu Chengzhou silently altered the other's consciousness.
As it turned out, his bet paid off. The opponent did not possess a precious head bone, much less a high-age head bone. His spiritual power lagged far behind.
Of course, this hardly counted as a real gamble. Few spirit masters on the continent possessed head bones, rarer still high-age ones.
Besides, this Titled Douluo's martial soul was not the White Tiger. He was not direct Dai clan blood. The Star Luo Empire might cultivate him, but they would not invest to that extent.
Afterward, Chu Chengzhou did not kill him outright, but chose to turn the enemy into a friend. That way he could add a Titled-level combatant to his side, perhaps even one with greater utility.
All this happened in a heartbeat. Seeing Chu Chengzhou streak in at extreme speed, the five, who had kept their attention on him and knew he was no easy mark, absolutely not to be measured by ordinary seven-ring Soul Sages, did not dare be careless and all activated their Martial Soul Avatars.
"Seventh Soul Skill, Armored Tyrannosaurus True Body!"
"Seventh Soul Skill, Wind Thunder Leopard True Body!"
"Seventh Soul Skill, Silver Moon Heavenly Wolf True Body!"
"Seventh Soul Skill, Ice Soul Demon Bear."
Among Star Luo's five Douluo, the four—Tyrannosaurus, Wind Thunder, Heavenly Wolf, and Ice Bear—were releasing their Avatars. And Azure Dragon Douluo Cao Lie, whose consciousness had been altered by Chu Chengzhou and who had already turned from foe to "friend"?
Azure Dragon Douluo Cao Lie's soul rings lit as well, but not the seventh. It was the ninth.
"Ninth Soul Skill, Dragon's Might Overwhelms the World, Azure Dragon Break!"
As surging soul power roiled, Cao Lie's ninth ring flashed. He thrust with his staff at the burly figure on his left.
Beneath the night sky, a cyan dragon shadow radiating awe-inspiring might blasted forth and struck the completely unsuspecting Ice Bear Douluo, who was in the midst of releasing his Avatar.
"Boom!"
The cyan dragon shadow exploded. A thunderous detonation rang out. Chunks of flesh and shattered bone fragments sprayed through the air.
For most strong-attack Titled Douluo, the ninth soul skill is their strongest offensive trump card.
How could the ninth soul skill of a level 94 strong-attack Titled Douluo be withstood by a mere level 92 Titled Douluo with only protective soul power and flesh?
Caught unprepared, facing Azure Dragon Douluo's ninety-thousand-year strong-attack ninth soul skill, with his Avatar not yet fully released and no time to employ a defensive skill, the Ice Bear Douluo died on the spot.
It was a rare honor indeed. Azure Dragon Douluo Cao Lie of the Star Luo Empire now counted among the few Titled Douluo on the continent with a Titled Douluo kill to his name.
With the Ice Bear Douluo fallen, the sudden turn of events shocked the three beside him.
"Azure Dragon, what are you doing?!"
The hot-tempered Tyrannosaurus Douluo Chu Xing immediately demanded.
"Retreat! Azure Dragon's been controlled!"
At this moment, Heavenly Wolf Douluo Du Ze seemed to think of something. While warning his two colleagues, he immediately opened distance from Cao Lie.
Cao Lie was a dyed-in-the-wool Star Luo man. His wife might not be a princess, but she was royal, and his children and grandchildren were all in Star Luo. It was obviously impossible for him to defect. The only explanation for him suddenly killing the Ice Bear Douluo was that Azure Dragon had been unknowingly controlled by Chu Chengzhou, who excelled in spiritual power.
Tyrannosaurus and Wind Thunder reacted quickly as well. After Heavenly Wolf's warning, they immediately pulled back.
"Hmph. To serve the great My Lord is the highest honor of Cao's life. You are gravely disrespectful to My Lord and already walk a path to death. Will you not swiftly submit to My Lord?"
With pious light flashing in his eyes, Azure Dragon Douluo Cao Lie snorted, leveled his Azure Dragon Staff, and barked unceremoniously at the three—Tyrannosaurus, Wind Thunder, and Heavenly Wolf.
Chu Chengzhou: "..."
He hadn't taught him that line. This Azure Dragon Douluo was a real talent.
Mm, just a bit "Tang-ified," starting in with "a way to die" at the drop of a hat.
T/N: For up to 30 chapters ahead on my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle