Chapter 333: Bai He vs. Dai Yao, The Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring!
As soon as the words fell, Bai He moved.
In the blink of an eye, all the spectators could barely catch a faint afterimage before Bai He reappeared directly behind Dai Yao, his hands calmly clasped behind him, his demeanor serene and effortless.
Bai He cast a dispassionate glance at the unmoving Dai Yao in front of him and said,
"Young man, you're quite impressive, but talk like that requires real strength. Otherwise, it's nothing but a joke."
As he spoke, Bai He extended a hand to pat Dai Yao's shoulder. If he made contact, he would win the wager. Yet, the next moment, his hand passed straight through Dai Yao's 'body.'
Bai He was instantly taken aback, and low murmurs of astonishment rippled through the crowd.
"Elder, thank you for the lesson, but I do believe I have the strength to back up my words."
The voice came from behind Bai He, filled with confidence. He spun around, and the Dai Yao in front of him vanished; the real Dai Yao stood behind him. The figure Bai He had tried to touch was only an afterimage.
Bai He's pupils contracted, and a flash of uncontrollable shock crossed his aged face.
Although he hadn't used his spirit yet, his speed was so quick that even some agility-type Spirit Sages would struggle to keep up. But this young man not only followed his movement but also reacted to it—an accomplishment that ordinary individuals couldn't achieve. His initial confidence faltered as he sensed a threat to his speed from a mere youth.
"Seems I've underestimated you," Bai He finally said, his expression darkening.
Like Bai He, Dai Yao now clasped his hands behind his back with the calm poise of a seasoned master.
"You flatter me," he replied.
Though Dai Yao was an assault-type spirit master, speed was also one of his strengths. At each new level, his agility had reached a speed comparable to that of same-level agility-type spirit masters. Currently, his normal speed was equivalent to that of a Spirit Emperor, but thanks to the amplifying effects of Xiao Wu's ten-thousand-year spirit ring, he now matched a Spirit Sage.
Moreover, the natural suppression of Bai He's Sharp-Tailed Swallow spirit by Dai Yao's Divine White Tiger spirit weakened Bai He's speed. This allowed Dai Yao to evade Bai He's initial attempt.
"I see I'll have to get serious if I don't want to lose to you."
With a grave expression, Bai He gathered his spirit power, creating swirling gusts that billowed his gray robes. In the next instant, his Sharp-Tailed Swallow spirit appeared, and eight soul rings—two yellow, three purple, and three black—emerged around him.
The moment Bai He released his spirit, a warning bell sounded in Dai Yao's mind. Without hesitation, he activated the White Tiger Eight Wings behind him.
Bai He's speed was so swift that Dai Yao couldn't even track his movements, and he barely dodged the space where Bai He had struck an instant before. Without the aid of his White Tiger Eight Wings to maneuver away, he would have lost then and there.
"So fast!" Dai Yao was inwardly astonished. Such a terrifying level of speed was rarely seen even among Contras in Spirit Hall—only Title Douluos might match Bai He in agility.
"Impressive—Bai He truly deserves his place among the single-attribute clans. If he fully uses his spirit abilities, even Title Douluos like Spirit Hawk Douluo might not rival him in sheer speed."
Not only was Dai Yao astonished, but Bai He also felt a pang of surprise. His initial strike missed, and as he prepared to attack again, he noticed Dai Yao's eight pristine wings. His eyes widened in shock as a chilling thought occurred to him.
"Are those… an external soul bone?" he murmured, stunned.
At the mention of an external soul bone, the breathing of everyone present grew heavier. For many, a soul bone was an unheard-of rarity, much less an external one. Bai Chenxiang bit her lip in silence, her gaze complicated. Remembering her earlier words and actions, she wished she could disappear. A spirit master with an external soul bone could never be a weakling, and she had actually dared to think Dai Yao was just hiding behind borrowed power.
"That's right. Elder, if you wish to win, you might need to show your true abilities," Dai Yao replied evenly.
Bai He knew that with the external soul bone, Dai Yao's speed, though slightly slower than his own, would give him enough protection to be challenging. Touching Dai Yao would be no easy task.
And yet, Bai He had no choice but to touch him. If he failed, he wouldn't only be unable to repay Dai Yao's kindness—his Speed Clan would also end up joining Dai Yao's sect. He had entered this wager fully confident, only to now find his clan's fate in jeopardy.
After a moment of hesitation, he spoke with some difficulty,
"Very well, then, I'll cast aside my pride and 'bully' the younger generation if that's what it takes."
With that, his seventh soul ring glowed, and Bai He's entire body transformed into a smaller, more agile Sharp-Tailed Swallow. With his spirit in its true form, his speed would become terrifyingly swift.
Dai Yao braced himself, unleashing his six soul rings—the third and fifth rings lighting up in quick succession.
A hum filled the air.
White Tiger Vajra Transformation, White Tiger Titan Transformation.
Under the effect of the twin transformations, Dai Yao's aura surged, becoming so intense that it seemed to distort the surrounding space with a faint black shimmer.
While Dai Yao's appearance remained unchanged, his strength had multiplied, granting him speed on par with Bai He's.
Yet all eyes were riveted not on Dai Yao himself but on his sixth spirit ring—a blood-red ring whose presence seemed to stop time itself. A moment of stunned silence hung in the air before whispers exploded throughout the hall.
"A ten-thousand-year spirit ring? Am I seeing this right—is that a ten-thousand-year spirit ring?!"
"How is that possible? He's only a Spirit Emperor—how could he absorb a ten-thousand-year spirit ring? Isn't that only possible for Title Douluos?"
"Could he have a twin spirit?"
"Idiot! Have you ever seen anyone with a second spirit that has century or millennium rings on it?"
Sword Douluo abruptly opened his eyes, and two radiant beams shot from them as he gazed at Dai Yao's ten-thousand-year spirit ring in utter disbelief. Even he, as a Title Douluo, didn't possess such a ring. On the entire continent, only a handful of people were known to have one, each a legendary figure in their own right.
For Dai Yao to have a ten-thousand-year ring at his sixth level foretold immense future accomplishments. Sword Douluo shook his head with a smile, thinking back.
"Well done, Dai Yao. You've never failed to surprise me. When I first met you at Heaven Dou, your second ring—a millennium ring—had already shocked Ning Fengzhi. Then, your fourth ring—a ten-thousand-year one—left me speechless."
"To think that in just five years, Dai Yao has not only reached the Spirit Emperor rank but also gained a ten-thousand-year spirit ring…!"
Sword Douluo chuckled softly as he recalled Dai Yao's reaction when he had once mentioned that anyone wanting to marry Ning Rongrong would need a ten-thousand-year ring. Dai Yao's odd smile then now made sense—he had already acquired such a ring!
"Seems I was the fool," Sword Douluo mused, amused at his own misunderstanding. Turning to the enraptured Ning Rongrong, he thought,
"Rongrong, it seems I can confidently entrust you to Dai Yao now…"
Beside him, Niu Gao felt a surge of excitement as he took in the sight of the blood-red ring. Though he had already seen Dai Yao's ten-thousand-year spirit ring, the impact of seeing it again was no less astonishing.
At the very moment the ten-thousand-year soul ring appeared, Tang San's eyes turned a blood-red hue, and a murderous aura radiated from him. He stood like an avenger from the depths of hell, fists clenched so tightly his nails pierced his palms without him noticing.
That soul ring—it belonged to his beloved! Watching it fall into the hands of his enemy, powerless to intervene, felt like a swarm of ants gnawing away at his heart. Overwhelmed by guilt, helplessness, shame, and fury, only the restraint he had developed during his time at Yuexuan prevented him from recklessly charging forward to face Dai Yao in a life-or-death duel.
"Xiao Wu, I swear, I'll make him pay for this. He'll join you in death!" Tang San's entire being trembled with rage, teeth clenched as he seethed at Dai Yao.
Meanwhile, Ma Hongjun and Oscar watched in silent despair. The appearance of the blood-red ring confirmed they could never match Dai Yao; they would forever trail far behind him. For Oscar, there was a deeper, bittersweet pain; he knew Ning Rongrong would never return to him now.
However, Ning Rongrong's reaction was different. Her eyes sparkled with admiration, though her lips pouted in a mock reprimand:
"Hmph! You jerk, Dai Yao. You got a ten-thousand-year ring and didn't even tell me! And here I was worrying about you!"
For Bai Chenxiang, it was a humbling realization. Compared to a true genius, her so-called talent was trivial. The frustration she had felt earlier over being disregarded by Dai Yao now melted into a faint, self-aware resignation.
On the sparring ground, Bai He, who had been about to strike, stopped in his tracks, staring at the six rings surrounding Dai Yao. The unconventional soul ring configuration and the presence of that ten-thousand-year ring were beyond comprehension. He swallowed hard, his voice hoarse as he asked,
"A ten-thousand-year soul ring?"
"Indeed," replied Dai Yao.
Bai He could only marvel, "Such heroic strength in one so young."
The appearance of the ten-thousand-year soul ring alone explained Dai Yao's confidence in challenging his speed, for it compensated for an entire level of disparity. And that didn't even account for the terrifying abilities a ten-thousand-year ring contained.
In an instant, many things became clear to Bai He: the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's support, Spirit Hall's leniency, and the justified anxiety of the Xingluo royal family. To have such an enemy must be an endless nightmare.
Yet he was equally aware that he had to win now—if he didn't, the Speed Clan would be bound to Dai Yao's sect.
Bai He's eighth black soul ring gleamed, and the hovering Sharp-Tailed Swallow split into five. This skill wasn't a simple duplication; for an agility-type spirit master, it was the ultimate escape technique. In Dai Yao's challenge, these five duplicates would form an inescapable net to corner him.
In a flash, the five swallows moved. Their incredible speed made them seem like teleporting figures, surrounding Dai Yao from all directions—above, below, left, and right.
To Bai He's surprise, though, he found he had only cornered another afterimage of Dai Yao.
While Dai Yao hadn't absorbed Xiao Wu's soul bone and thus lacked the teleportation ability, his White Tiger Titan Transformation provided a comparable speed to Bai He. Bai He's pursuit triggered Dai Yao's reflexes instantly, and he moved simultaneously.
Dumbfounded by Dai Yao's agility, Bai He continued to chase him through the main courtyard of the Defense Clan's residence. The only sound the crowd could hear was the sharp tearing of the air, while neither Bai He nor Dai Yao's movements were visible—their speeds had far surpassed what the human eye could register.
Five glowing figures darted around Dai Yao like predatory shadows, almost catching him several times.
"This kid's too agile," Bai He thought. "If it's just a speed contest, I can't pin him down. Well, then, forgive me for fighting dirty!"
With a flash of insight, Bai He's eyes sharpened, and his five glowing forms spread out, positioning themselves at strategic angles around Dai Yao.
This time, Bai He didn't merely pursue him; he utilized his agility to gradually close in, shrinking Dai Yao's movement range little by little until there would be nowhere left to escape. Sure enough, Dai Yao's space to maneuver quickly began to dwindle.
As the chase continued, Bai He pressed his advantage, giving Dai Yao no room to catch his breath. Five streams of light converged with even greater speed. Dai Yao finally had no way to retreat.
In the avian pupils of the Sharp-Tailed Swallow, a look of relief surfaced. To be forced to such lengths by a Spirit Emperor, even a victory wouldn't be a proud one. But victory was within reach, and with it, the Speed Clan's independence from the Azure Lotus Sect—and the return of Dai Yao's favor.
"It's over," Bai He murmured, his spirit power surging. With a piercing sound, Bai He appeared to flash through Dai Yao's location—but in the next instant, his eyes widened in shock.
"What?" he exclaimed.
He had passed through Dai Yao, yet there was no tactile sensation, as if he had slipped through empty air. Bai He initially thought it was another afterimage, but when he noticed Dai Yao's blood-red ring aglow, he understood: it was the effect of a soul ring skill.
Dai Yao's sixth soul skill—Void.
Void granted immunity to all physical attacks. Thus, all of Bai He's attempts to make contact were futile.
As the blood-red ring shone, a faint figure appeared next to Dai Yao. Though ethereal, her presence was breathtaking. A long scorpion braid reached past her calves, and her slender legs and delicate features emanated a soft, captivating beauty.
Yet, there was one lamentable flaw—her gaze was blank, as lifeless as a wooden doll, devoid of any emotion.
Seeing this beautiful figure, Tang San froze, his hands trembling as he unconsciously stepped forward, whispering in a hoarse voice,
"Xiao Wu…"
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