"Tons… tons… tons… ha!"
Lu Yuan tilted back another jar of wine, throat working noisily before he smacked his lips in delight. "What joy!"
Before setting out on this mission, Xiao Xuexue had asked him sincerely if he needed anything. Anything at all—she would arrange it without fail.
What could he possibly want, other than alcohol?
Now he had dozens of jars safely tucked within his soul guide. That alone gave him courage greater than mountains.
The only irritation was Qian Renxue's disguise spell. When she sent him out into the world, she had covered his handsome face with the illusion of a scruffy thirty-something uncle: a wiry beard, ugly scars, and a sloppy, worn-out air.
Ugly! Absolutely unbearable!
Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupine (Porcupinefish/Porpoise) Douluo followed along behind him, black lines practically crawling over their foreheads.
Who carried a wine jar all the way from Heaven Dou City into this treacherous mountain soul beast forest—while still drinking nonstop?!
Only Lu Yuan.
"Old Snake, the mountain range ahead should be the location Miss indicated," grunted Porcupine Douluo.
Snake Lance nodded tightly. "That's right. Scouts, advance immediately. Report anything suspicious."
The two crack teams of Soul Emperors darted through the trees, vanishing into the shadows to investigate.
But moments later—
A sharp bird cry screeched across the forest canopy.
Snake Lance Douluo's pupils shrank. "Everyone! Be careful!"
The warning barely left his lips when he noticed something strange.
That "drunkard" ahead of him had suddenly lifted the long, black sword from his back. Its edge gleamed with inky mist, Sword Qi throbbing violently.
And Lu Yuan's glazed eyes? They glowed sharp and deadly bright.
"…Tons…tons…" He still drank even as his other hand rested on the sword.
Snake Lance Douluo truly wanted to kneel on the spot. At such a time, you're still drinking?!
But before complaints could leave, a suffocating murderous aura descended like a mountain over them.
The force made the Soul Emperors behind collapse to their knees instantly, eyes wide with despair. Just that aura alone nearly obliterated their fighting spirit.
Snake Lance and Porcupine Douluo exchanged looks, their own battle-hardened bodies stiffening. Yes—this killing intent, sharp as a million blades, could only belong to one man.
Tang Hao.
Tang Hao Appears
From the shadows of trees, he arrived.
A burly, unkempt middle-aged man stepped into view, his coarse hair tangled, his clothes messy, his beard thick and wild. He should have looked like a beggar, not a legend. But that suffocating pressure rolling from him betrayed his identity utterly.
Snake Lance and Porcupine Douluo trembled.
Is this really Tang Hao? This wreck of a man? He looks more like a black bear! But that aura… unmistakable!
Tang Hao's dark eyes calmly scanned them. "Two Title Douluo, hmm?"
The corner of his lip curled faintly. "Spirit Hall dogs. Sure enough."
He didn't need to ask why they were here. Ever since scouts began intruding again and again, he knew the hideout was compromised. He had planned to move Ah Yin soon—but here they had come to deliver themselves.
"Laughable."
Lu Yuan calmly thrust his blade into the earth.
A surge of jet-black Sword Qi roared out, a circular wave expanding violently around him. It tore the suffocating aura in half, colliding head-on with Tang Hao's murderous pressure.
Snake Lance and Porcupine felt their breathing lighten, their own suffocation easing.
They glanced at Lu Yuan out of the corners of their eyes. This brat? Not bad at all!
For a moment, relief bloomed. Perhaps Miss's decision wasn't so reckless after all.
Tang Hao's gaze sharpened, narrowing at Lu Yuan.
That sword—the aura pulsing from it, dark and brutal, was powerful. More powerful than many Title Douluo blades he had seen. And the boy wielding it… only five spirit rings?
Five rings… all glowing steadily.
Soul King?!
Tang Hao's expression remained unmoved, but in his heart, his calm was cracking. When had a Soul King carried such horrifying pressure? When had their spirit rings grown so dazzling, so strange?
His hammer hand itched unconsciously. The world is changing. What monsters is this continent producing now? Perhaps when I next visit Xiao San, I should help him study the situation carefully.
The Clash
Snake Lance, feeling the opening, erupted first. Nine rings exploded from his body, shimmering brightly beneath the misted trees. His snake spear appeared, flickering forward like a deadly tongue as he dashed toward Tang Hao. Nine shadows burst behind his strike, aiming directly at the man's heart.
Porcupine Douluo roared and released his Martial Soul. His body ballooned grotesquely into a spiny, purple-tinged hedgehog beast. His first three soul rings flared, spewing out clouds of poisonous miasma that churned toward Tang Hao.
"Clowns." Tang Hao's voice was ice.
He stomped a step. Nine overwhelming spirit rings emerged, and the Clear Sky Hammer erupted into being—dark, red, and soaked in Shura's bloodlust. At the instant the hammer appeared, an apocalyptic wave of force swept everything backwards.
Snake Lance's spear shadows shattered instantly. Porcupine's poisonous mist was blown apart, vanishing beneath raw destruction.
The two Title Douluo gasped violently. Abnormal! Too abnormal!
If just that casual release of energy already crushed their strongest opening moves, what hope did they have? This wasn't a battle they could win—it was a punishment.
Tang Hao sneered. "My turn."
The hammer raised…
Lu Yuan Moves
But just as Tang Hao prepared to strike, his senses prickled. The Sword King aura wasn't where it had been.
Lu Yuan had vanished.
While Tang Hao's focus locked on the two Douluo, Lu Yuan had melted into the environment, suppressing his breath. Quietly, carefully, like a predator circling prey, he slipped away.
Not toward Tang Hao—but toward the faint sound of rushing water echoing further in.
The rumble of a waterfall grew louder. And beneath that—the scent of something familiar teased his nose.
"…wine?" Lu Yuan's pupils lit up.
He followed it eagerly, stepping out at a hidden valley where a tall waterfall crashed into a pool. Mist sparkled, and behind the curtain of water—he smelled it stronger. Alcohol.
"Ha! Knew I'd find it." His grin widened.
With a flash of blade, Sword Qi blasted across the waterfall, splitting the torrent apart just for a moment. He leapt through in that narrow gap to land on the stone ledge hidden within.
And what did he see first? Rows of wine jars.
"Heaven! Wine!"
Without hesitation, he grabbed one jar, popped the seal, and guzzled—
Spfft!
He spat it out instantly, choking and gagging.
"What the hell is this swill?! Scraping my throat raw—like poison water!" He nearly gagged again.
No matter how much he loved alcohol, this was undrinkable.
Then, movement caught his eye.
The Lovely Grass
There, in the corner of the cave, grew a stalk of shimmering blue silver grass.
At first glance it looked ordinary—but under careful eyes, its noble glow was unmistakable. Its lines curved with mystical symbols, pulsing lightly with spirit. Unlike any common weed, it radiated grace.
Lu Yuan slowly turned his head and cracked his neck.
"Oh? Who was the bastard that stuck such a lovely little grass in here?!"
The Blue Silver Grass rustled furiously as if reacting.
"I see!" Lu Yuan stepped forward with deep seriousness. "Such a cute little grass, stuck alone in this damp place—it's unacceptable!"
He crouched down, voice softening. "Do you want me to take you out? To see the sun?"
The stalk shook violently. Leaves swayed, almost trembling with excitement.
Lu Yuan's grin stretched. "You agree!"
It shook even more fiercely.
"You're excited!"
"Can't wait anymore!"
"Good! I'll take you now!"
His hand extended warmly, as though greeting a friend, ready to carry the lovely grass away…
The waterfall thundered behind, Tang Hao's battle shook the world outside, but Lu Yuan—half drunk, sword in one hand, tenderly coaxing a glowing blue silver stalk—looked like the most ridiculous yet unstoppable madman alive.
--
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