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By now the maidens had poured wine for all the guests. Dai Pojun raised his cup with a smile and said, "Gentlemen, please!"
"To the Emperor!" they replied.
Everyone drained their cups, and at Dai Pojun's signal they began to feast on the Titan Giant Ape's flesh and blood. Specialized soldiers, blades flashing, nimbly sliced off pancake-sized slabs of meat from the ape's arms and handed them around to the assembled guests.
The guests took their plates and devoured the meat ravenously. Some people refused all else — they neither drank nor ate anything but the Titan Giant Ape's blood and flesh, stuffing themselves as if someone might snatch the portions away.
Not only the guests acted this way; even Dugu Bo the Poison Douluo and Chen Xin the Sword Douluo, confronted with ten-thousand-year spirit beast meat, abandoned any pretence of restraint and joined the scramble for the ape's flesh.
The Titan Giant Ape was worthy of its ten-thousand-year cultivation. Its blood and meat were saturated with tremendous energy; several soul masters who had been stuck at bottlenecks found themselves breaking through after consuming that meat.
"I— I broke through!"
"Me too! My soul power reached level sixty-seven!"
"Me as well! I advanced to level forty — I can go claim my fourth spirit ring!"
"Ningrong, how do you feel now?"
After refining the Titan Giant Ape's vitality, Ning Fengzhi suddenly opened his eyes. A single meal of spirit-beast meat had pushed his soul power to the peak of level eighty-six, saving him four or five months of training. Looking at the meat on the great iron platter, he honestly felt that if he could eat a little more he might even edge into level eighty-seven — if only he weren't already full.
Beside him Ning Rongrong slowly opened her eyes and laughed with ecstatic delight. "Father, my soul power is already level fifty-three!"
A month ago Ning Rongrong had reached the peak of level fifty-one. Her aptitude for cultivation was even stronger than Ning Tianyu's, and though she was a few years younger, she had caught up with him. After consuming the Titan Giant Ape's flesh she leapt two levels to become a level-fifty-three Support-type Soul King.
"Heh heh, Rongrong, your talent is nearly catching up to your grandfather," Chen Xin said softly, reaching out to ruffle her little head.
"Uncle Sword, how do you feel?" Ning Fengzhi asked eagerly, eyes bright. If Chen Xin's cultivation could advance another level, the overall strength of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect would improve greatly.
"Truly worthy of a ten-thousand-year spirit beast — excellent stuff!" Chen Xin nodded with satisfaction. His soul power had long been stuck at the peak of level ninety-six, unable to progress by even an inch. But after taking in the Titan Giant Ape's vitality his bottleneck loosened a little. Through soul-voice he told Ning Fengzhi, "A year at the least, three at most — my soul power will surely advance!"
Ning Fengzhi's eyes glittered; the stronger Chen Xin grew, the stronger the Seven Treasures sect became.
Breakthroughs continued. More and more people advanced after eating the Titan Giant Ape's meat.
Bai Chenxiang's soul power rose to level forty-eight; Fire Dance (Huo Wu) reached level fifty and could claim her fifth spirit ring.
As for Feng Xiaotian — born with full soul power — those years in Gale Valley were not idle. He had already reached level fifty-five; after tasting the ape's meat he surged to level fifty-eight in one bound.
At Ye Lengleng's side, Dugu Yan also reached level fifty-five after taking the meat; her poison skills strengthened noticeably. Overjoyed at her advancement, Dugu Yan hugged her best friend Ye Lengleng and shared her excitement; Lengleng was genuinely happy for her.
After the two friends separated, Dugu Yan looked up brightly at her grandfather, Dugu Bo. He was still sitting with his eyes closed, refining the Titan Giant Ape's energy.
Dugu Yan's gaze brimmed with expectancy — she knew Dugu Bo had been stuck at the peak of level ninety-four for a long time. Perhaps this time, with the ape's vitality, he could surge through his bottleneck.
Time slipped by quietly. Half an hour passed. Then a terrifying soul pressure shot upward like a pillar, sweeping across the crowd and startling everyone nearby!
At once Chen Xin and Lin Qiuyang moved. They both released their martial souls — the Seven-Kill Sword and the Xuan Iron Sword — their sword auras competing brilliantly. The Seven-Kill Sword was fierce and cutting, imbued with a deadly intent; it was the quintessential offensive weapon, famed as the number-one attack sword. The Xuan Iron Sword, though not as razor-sharp as the Seven-Kill, felt heavier and more solid; its sword qi opened and closed in grand arcs, radiating robust Metal force — equally capable of offense or defense, a balanced blade.
Two surging sword auras rolled out, covering the imperial courtyard, and they tightly suppressed the soul pressure emitted by Dugu Bo.
Chen Xin raised an interested brow as he took in the Xuan Iron Sword in Lin Qiuyang's hand. He smiled, "A fine sword! I wonder how it compares to my Seven-Kill Sword."
"Sword Douluo flatters me," Lin Qiuyang replied modestly, but his heart leapt — being praised by the foremost swordsman was the highest honor for any swordsman.
"No need for modesty. Today is the Crown Prince's wedding day — not appropriate for blade fights. But one day I shall come to the Star Luo Empire to exchange a few moves and see what manner of sword you truly wield," Chen Xin said.
"Junior Lin Qiuyang thanks the elder for the guidance!" Lin Qiuyang returned the salute. He accepted Chen Xin's implied challenge. Though the knife has no eyes, a duel with Chen Xin might sharpen his own art and possibly break his bottleneck — a prospect he welcomed.
Chen Xin harbored the same thought: a fight with Lin Qiuyang might nudge him past his current limit and make him a level ninety-seven Super Douluo — a boon for him as well.
"Congratulations to Dugu Lord on breaking through to level ninety-five!" Dai Pojun could not restrain his words and offered his felicitations. The crowd turned startled — they had not expected Dugu Bo to breakthrough at such a moment, and now he had become a level-ninety-five Titled Douluo.
Level ninety-five — the pinnacle of ordinary Titled Douluo. Beyond it lay Super Douluo; throughout the Douluo Continent there were very few whose soul power exceeded ninety-five.
A level-ninety-five Titled Douluo is a formidable combat force anywhere.
At that notion, the assembled guests offered their congratulations in earnest. "Congratulations, Dugu Lord!"
Dugu Bo slowly opened his eyes. The corners of his mouth lifted in a satisfied smirk; he was in fine spirits. "Thanks to His Majesty providing me the ten-thousand-year spirit beast meat — without it, I don't know when I would have broken to ninety-five."
"Haha, now that Dugu Lord is a level-ninety-five Titled Douluo, I believe the day will come when you advance further and become a Super Douluo!" many replied.
Dugu Bo cupped his hands in salute. "I'll take Your Majesty's auspicious words to heart!"
(End of Chapter)