Chapter 495: The Death of Xiong Jun and Changes in Heaven Dou
Night had fully descended.
In the pitch-black forest, a small, orange campfire burned brightly. Dai Yao, Bi Ji, and Zi Ji sat around it in an oddly tense silence, broken only by the occasional crackle of the flames.
Dai Yao appeared relaxed; Bi Ji maintained her graceful demeanor, but there was a barely perceptible unease in her posture. Zi Ji, who had returned later, avoided looking at the two of them altogether, staring instead into the fire, seemingly lost in thought.
Dai Yao and Bi Ji were fully aware of Zi Ji's mood but made no move to comfort her. To Dai Yao, Zi Ji's role in Di Tian's plan felt forced and ill-suited to her. She was here out of a sense of duty to the soul beast race, not because she genuinely wanted to be by his side. Taking advantage of her confusion was far from Dai Yao's intent.
As for Bi Ji, her motives were simpler. Zi Ji was her junior, and she wanted to protect her.
After a while, the rabbit leg Zi Ji had roasted over the fire gave off a mouthwatering aroma. Dai Yao sprinkled some spices on it, handed one leg to Bi Ji, and kept one for himself, leaving Zi Ji without.
Zi Ji, however, showed no sign of anger at this slight. As a beast who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years, she could go centuries without needing food. She and Bi Ji only joined Dai Yao in meals to match his human customs.
Zi Ji's cool gaze briefly flickered to Dai Yao before lingering on Bi Ji, her deep purple eyes filled with puzzlement at Bi Ji's choice. Bi Ji, noticing Zi Ji's stare, kept eating her rabbit leg, pretending not to notice the confusion in Zi Ji's eyes. But when she glanced up, she saw the unyielding look Zi Ji was giving her. Bi Ji reluctantly met her gaze, her usual gentle look now laced with a strange, unfamiliar distance.
"Bi Ji…" Zi Ji's voice came out almost as a whisper, as if she wanted to seek an explanation. But the moment she began, she faltered, realizing a chasm lay between her and Bi Ji—one deep and unbridgeable.
Just as Bi Ji opened her mouth to speak, Dai Yao set his rabbit leg aside and said, "I'll go for a walk."
"Thank you," Bi Ji murmured, offering him a look of gratitude, mistaking his departure as a gesture to give her and Zi Ji privacy.
As Dai Yao turned away, his casual expression disappeared, replaced by a grim focus. Ever since he had arrived at the Lake of Life, he had kept himself in a heightened state of awareness, monitoring every movement among the soul beasts.
Just now, a familiar presence had quietly slipped away, heading toward the direction of the Heaven Dou Empire.
"Could it be that Di Tian suspects something and sent Xiong Jun to check on Heaven Dou? Or is it simply a routine contact between the soul beasts and Tang San?"
At the thought of it, Dai Yao's gaze turned icy. "If Xiong Jun reaches Heaven Dou, he'll discover that the Wuhun Empire is gathering forces to attack the Southern Outpost, and my plan will be exposed! Whatever his reason, I cannot let him make it there alive."
As a breeze swept past, Dai Yao vanished.
Chaos Green Lotus, Third Soul Skill: Teleportation!
In an instant, he appeared thousands of miles away, directly blocking Xiong Jun's path.
In the dense forest, Xiong Jun abruptly halted, his bestial instincts alerting him to a powerful presence up ahead.
"Who dares block the path of your Grandpa Xiong! Are you looking for death? Show yourself!" Xiong Jun bellowed, his voice booming.
As leaves fell from the nearby trees, a familiar figure emerged through the foliage. Xiong Jun froze for a moment, then bared his fangs in a sinister smile.
"Di Tian was right—your intentions in coming to the Star Dou Forest weren't pure!" Xiong Jun sneered.
"So, you saw through it?" Dai Yao's voice drifted over as he stepped forward. But this time, he held not his Seagod Trident but a jade-like spear, its tip shaped like a lotus bud. The sight of the spear sent Xiong Jun's heart racing with dread.
"What kind of weapon is that?" he thought, his blood running cold. "It feels even deadlier than the Seagod's weapon."
But he quickly dismissed the thought. "No matter how impressive the weapon, it's only as strong as its wielder. You're nothing more than a young, arrogant human! Today, I'll tear you apart and rid Di Tian of a problem. He should thank me!"
With that, Xiong Jun charged, his intimidating presence crashing down like a wave.
Dai Yao made no reply. He simply vanished and reappeared in front of Xiong Jun in a blur, a glint of icy light flashing before his eyes.
Xiong Jun's instincts screamed a warning as Dai Yao's spear thrust forward, precise and unyielding. With no time to evade, he raised his famed Darkgold Terrorclaw in defense.
"Break!" Dai Yao commanded, his gaze cold. With that word, the true power of his spear—the Deicide Spear—activated, effortlessly slicing through Xiong Jun's claws as though they were mere paper.
Xiong Jun staggered back in shock, unable to comprehend how his pride, his supposedly invincible claws, had been so easily defeated. Before he could react further, Dai Yao's spear thrust forward, driving through his chest.
Snarling in pain and defiance, Xiong Jun lunged at Dai Yao, his other claw gathering force for his Sky-Splitting Strike, a move even Di Tian would struggle to withstand.
But as Xiong Jun swung his claws, Dai Yao's speed exploded, closing the gap instantly. Dai Yao's weapon struck before Xiong Jun could comprehend, piercing his chest. In seconds, his massive form disintegrated, leaving only a dark red-gold soul ring and a piece of Darkgold Terrorclaw spirit bone on the forest floor.
Dai Yao exhaled slowly, lowering his spear as he inspected the remnants of Xiong Jun. "As expected of the Chaos Green Lotus's power. So-called apex beasts are nothing before it. Without needing to reveal my trump cards, I defeated Xiong Jun—who even gave Di Tian trouble—before he could use his strongest skill."
"Still, killing Xiong Jun won't go unnoticed," he thought. "But if I can buy myself a bit more time before Di Tian catches on, it'll be worth it."
Without wasting time to absorb the spirit ring or spirit bone, Dai Yao turned to the Chaos Green Lotus. A dark green glow emanated as a series of crimson rings rose from it—eight in total, each one deep red, a sight destined to remain unseen by others.
"Fourth Soul Skill: Temporal Lockdown!"
Xiong Jun's resonating soul ring gradually stilled, shrinking as it was absorbed into the Chaos Green Lotus before vanishing completely.
"With the time-stasis effect, Xiong Jun's soul ring won't dissipate in an hour. Once I finish here in the Star Dou Forest, I'll be able to absorb it," Dai Yao thought. "Back then, my third soul ring came from a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, but now, with Xiong Jun's forty-thousand-year cultivation, I'm curious to see the boost this ring will bring me. And this external soul bone, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw—it's a surprise I wasn't expecting. I thought it'd be one of the six primary soul bones, but this is an external soul bone!"
"And it's the prized right paw bone of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear!"
As Dai Yao picked up the external soul bone, even he felt a hint of excitement before quickly calming down.
"From now on, I'll rarely use the God-Slaying Spear," he resolved. "This weapon's power is frightening—even stronger than the Shura God's. I can't afford to use it again until I reach godhood, or my cover could eventually be blown."
Dai Yao knew that discovery of his secret could trigger dangerous interest from the gods, which could be fatal for him.
Though he didn't fear the gods' intentions for himself, he was concerned about his friends and loved ones. He understood that if they couldn't reach him directly, they would almost certainly target those close to him.
Hence, to prevent such risks, Dai Yao decided to refrain from wielding the Chaos Green Lotus again. Besides, with just his Holy White Tiger and Dark Devilgod Tiger martial souls, he was already among the strongest on the Douluo Continent.
With a final sweep over the battle scene, he noted that, aside from the fallen trees slashed by Xiong Jun's Sky-Splitting Claw, there wasn't much evidence of the fight. Even if others came upon this site, they'd likely detect nothing out of the ordinary. Nodding to himself, Dai Yao's figure disappeared into the night.
Only twenty seconds had passed since Dai Yao left the campfire.
...
That night, many tossed and turned with unease.
Outside the gates of Zhen Nan Pass, the campfires glowed brightly as countless soldiers lay in wait for orders. Roughly ten days prior, the atmosphere within the Wuhun Empire's camp had grown tense and strict, as rumors spread of high-ranking imperial figures arriving to lead the charge against Zhen Nan Pass. Few knew who these so-called figures actually were.
In the main command tent, Hu Liena, the commander on the front lines, did not sit in the main seat. Instead, she respectfully stood to the side. All the others present were Titled Douluo-level powerhouses, none of whom dared to show any objection. They all stood in respectful silence.
At the head of the tent, shrouded in a purple cloak, sat none other than the reigning Pope, Bibi Dong.
"Nana, it's been ten days. How goes the preparation?" Bibi Dong asked, holding her pope's staff as she looked intently at Hu Liena.
Hu Liena's heart skipped a beat.
Ten days ago, her teacher, Bibi Dong, had suddenly arrived at Zhen Nan Pass, urging them to prepare for an immediate siege. Since then, the forces of the Wuhun Empire had been operating at full speed. She didn't understand why her teacher was so determined to attack Zhen Nan Pass quickly, even going so far as to bring the elite experts from the Pope's Palace to the front lines.
If they maintained their current position, the Heaven Dou Empire's forces would inevitably weaken, making the pass easier to take. But if they chose to launch a direct assault, the sheer fortification of Zhen Nan Pass would increase the risk of failure. Since her teacher's mind was set, however, Hu Liena hadn't protested. She had instead moved to assemble troops with utmost speed, spending sleepless nights over the last ten days to prepare supplies, weapons, and rations for the invasion.
"Reporting, Teacher," Hu Liena knelt with her hands clasped before her. "The army is fully prepared. We await your command to launch the assault."
Seeing the weariness in her disciple's eyes, Bibi Dong felt a pang of sympathy. Nodding, she turned her gaze to the Titled Douluo around her and said coldly,
"Everyone, rest well tonight. Tomorrow morning, we'll rally the troops and begin the siege. I'll lead the attack myself, and you will all join me to face the enemy."
"Although we've taken nearly half of Heaven Dou Empire's territory, they still have a slight advantage in terms of conventional strength, especially with the natural defenses of Zhen Nan Pass. It's clear that taking it through conventional means would be nearly impossible. So our success hinges on the strength of our spirit masters."
"All these years, I may have been ruthless with you," she continued, "but I've always rewarded and punished accordingly, never shortchanging you. But know this: tomorrow, there will be no room for hesitation."
"Within three days, we must capture Zhen Nan Pass at all costs!"
"If we fail, you'll all go and join the soldiers who died at the gates."
Bibi Dong's merciless words left every Titled Douluo in the tent shaken. As they looked up at her in disbelief, they were struck both by her ruthless determination and by the mystery of her urgency. Why was Bibi Dong pushing so hard to take Zhen Nan Pass? What secret could be driving her?
Even Hu Liena, who knew Bibi Dong better than most, dared not question her teacher further. Familiarity had taught her to read Bibi Dong's resolve; this was not up for debate.
"Yes, Your Holiness!"
After a brief silence, all responded in unison. Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, Ling Yuan, Devil Bear, Thorny Porcupine, Ghost Leopard, Sacred Dragon, Salas, Ferdinand, and three newly promoted Titled Douluo—all twelve knelt in respect.
"Good. You may go now and get some rest tonight," Bibi Dong instructed with a dismissive wave.
The twelve Titled Douluo rose slowly and exited the tent.
Hu Liena stepped forward carefully and whispered, "Teacher, why are we rushing to take Zhen Nan Pass? An assault is sure to lead to heavy losses."
Bibi Dong didn't immediately answer. Instead, she walked out of the command tent, gazing up at the eternal full moon in the sky, and said softly,
"I'm only fulfilling a promise I made…."
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