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The flesh on Grey Wolf Douluo's left arm was sliced away by sword light. Red Tiger Douluo's flames were so weak they were almost invisible. Mystic Crane Douluo had lost a wing. Stone Turtle Douluo's shell was covered in deep cracks, and Green Python Douluo's poison mist was completely exhausted.
On the opposite side, Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and Yang Wudi had also reached their limits. Sword Douluo's white clothes were stained red with blood, and a deep wound on his left shoulder bled non-stop. Bone Douluo's Bone Dragon Avatar had collapsed, revealing his human form. His chest was sunken, and several of his ribs were broken. Yang Wudi's Soul Breaking Spear was covered in his own blood. His palms were split open, and his fingers trembled.
Ning Fengzhi stood at the very back. The light of his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had dimmed to the extreme. His face was as pale as paper, veins bulged on his forehead, and his body swayed. Providing full attribute boosts for four Titled Douluo for a whole day had taken a massive toll on him. But he didn't dare stop. He knew that if he stopped, the battle would be lost instantly.
"Fengzhi, stop," Sword Douluo said in a deep voice. "If you keep going, you'll die."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head, his voice raspy but firm. "I can still hold on."
Bone Douluo looked at him with complex feelings, but he stayed silent.
Yang Wudi gripped his Soul Breaking Spear tightly, pointing its tip at Gold Crocodile Douluo. "Let's go again."
Gold Crocodile Douluo narrowed his eyes, looking over the group before focusing on Ning Fengzhi. "Ning Fengzhi, you're at the end of your rope. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is strong, but your spirit power is almost gone. Once your boosts disappear, everyone here dies."
Ning Fengzhi smiled bitterly and said, "Then I'll make sure you die before we do."
Gold Crocodile Douluo paused for a moment, then slowly raised his right hand. "Since you want to die, I'll help you. Everyone, attack with full force!"
Behind him, the five Titled Douluo stepped forward, their spirit rings glowing brightly. Grey Wolf Douluo howled, and the shadow of the Azure Moon Wolf King tore forward. Red Tiger Douluo roared as dark red flames flared up around him.
Mystic Crane Douluo flapped his single wing, shooting a massive blade made of feathers through the air. Stone Turtle Douluo's shell glowed, turning his body into a giant mountain-like turtle. Green Python Douluo bit his tongue and spat out blood, turning his python shadow red as a toxic cloud spread.
The five attacks merged into a single destructive beam, rushing straight toward Dugu Bo and the rest. Gold Crocodile Douluo attacked at the same time. His golden crocodile phantom opened its mouth and fired a bright golden light beam that merged into the massive attack. The combined power of six Titled Douluo was enough to crush everything in its path.
Dugu Bo's face turned pale. His Jade Phosphor Serpent phantom was too weak to take another hit. Sword Douluo held his sword across his chest, gathering all his remaining Sword Qi, though he knew it wasn't enough to block this strike. Bone Douluo gritted his teeth, bringing back his bone shadow, but it was already full of cracks. Yang Wudi's Soul Breaking Spear turned into a blood-red dragon, but it shattered instantly under the pressure. Ning Fengzhi squeezed out the last drop of his spirit power to boost them one last time, but the light was so weak it barely showed.
"Am I going to die here..." Dugu Bo whispered with regret in his eyes.
Right then, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo looked at each other. They saw resolution, understanding, and relief in each other's eyes.
"Old Bone," Sword Douluo said softly. "Remember that move we practiced recently?"
"Of course I do," Bone Douluo nodded with a smile.
They both closed their eyes. Sword Douluo's sword flew from his hand, hovering in mid-air as it vibrated with a clear hum. Bone Douluo's bone shadow appeared behind him, aligning perfectly with the sword. Sword and bone, two totally different Martial Spirits, began to resonate together.
They opened their eyes at the same time and shouted together, "Martial Soul Fusion Skill: Shattered Sword and Broken Bone!"
In an instant, the long sword broke into countless tiny silver specks of light. The white bone shadow also broke apart into grayish-white bone dust. The silver light and bone dust mixed together, spinning wildly to form a giant vortex. At its center, a silver-white beam shot straight into the sky, piercing through the clouds before exploding into a massive celestial net that covered the sky. Every thread was sharp and tough, cutting and crushing the incoming attack from Gold Crocodile Douluo and his team.
"What?!" Gold Crocodile Douluo was shocked. He felt those silver threads were not just blocking their attacks, but also draining their spirit power and feeding it back to Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo.
"This isn't an ordinary Martial Soul Fusion Skill!" Grey Wolf Douluo yelled. "It's a Life-and-Death Contract Skill!"
A Contract Skill was a rare combined attack. It didn't need high Martial Spirit compatibility, only that the two users shared a deep bond of life and death. Once used, their lives, spirit power, and souls merged completely. However, the cost was heavy. Both users would become extremely weak afterward, and their cultivation levels might even drop.
"Slash!" Sword Douluo shouted, reaching out his hand.
The silver threads gathered into a massive sword over three hundred meters long, covered in bone-like patterns. Bone Douluo raised his hand, placing a bone shadow on the hilt like a tassel, dripping with death energy. The massive silver sword crashed down directly onto Gold Crocodile Douluo.
Gold Crocodile Douluo's face changed completely. He pushed his spirit power to the limit, calling out his crocodile phantom to bite down on the giant sword. "Gold Crocodile, Heaven Devourer!"
The sword and crocodile collided with a deafening boom. Star Luo City shook violently. The ground cracked, the walls collapsed, and the earth within ten miles was leveled.
When the light faded, Gold Crocodile Douluo flew backward, spitting blood as his crocodile phantom shattered. A deep sword wound ran from his collarbone to his abdomen. Grey Wolf Douluo was hit by the blast, losing his left arm completely. Red Tiger Douluo was sent flying into the rubble, his state unknown. Mystic Crane Douluo lost his remaining wing and fell like a broken kite. Stone Turtle Douluo's shell was smashed, burying him in the dirt. Green Python Douluo was thrown to the ground, bleeding from his face.
All six Titled Douluo were severely injured by that single strike.
Dugu Bo stared in disbelief. Yang Wudi held his spear, completely shocked. Ning Fengzhi stood frozen as his pagoda's light died out completely. He muttered, "This is unbelievable..."
Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo spat out blood, their bodies shaking. That move had drained all their spirit power and part of their life force, but they had won.
"Old Bone..." Sword Douluo said weakly.
"Yeah," Bone Douluo replied softly. "We're still alive."
They looked at each other and smiled with pure relief.
Gold Crocodile Douluo struggled to stand up from the rubble, looking at them with respect and bitterness. "What a combination... I've lived for decades and never seen such teamwork. You're both impressive."
Meanwhile, in the Sea of Death, the fog was thick. The Demon Empress's massive body slowly sank into the dark ocean, her blood spreading like ink. As she sank, her body dissolved into countless red specks of light that floated up into the sky and vanished. The sea gradually returned to its dark black color, as if nothing had happened.
However, a bright spirit ring remained above the water. It was dark gold with blood-red patterns, over sixty meters wide, condensed from the Demon Empress's million-year cultivation.
Tang Chen sat cross-legged on the Great White Shark's back, his face pale. Using the Asura Demon Sword to kill the Demon Empress had drained almost all his spirit power, making his meridians throb with pain. But he couldn't rest yet. The spirit ring would vanish in half an hour if he didn't absorb it.
"Kid, can you handle it?" the Great White Shark asked with concern. "Her resentment is too strong. If you absorb it now, her spirit might attack your mind."
Tang Chen looked at the ring and said softly, "I don't have a choice."
"Be careful then. I'll guard you," the shark replied.
Tang Chen nodded, jumped off the shark, and hovered in front of the ring. He used the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud to create a blue barrier around himself and the ring, blocking out external noise and suppressing the lingering hatred inside it.
He began the absorption process. The ring slowly dropped over his body. The moment it touched him, a massive shockwave exploded, clearing the surrounding mist and pushing the sea back. Tang Chen was swallowed by dark golden light, and his mind sank into the memories stored within the ring.
He saw the Deep Sea Demon Whale King and the Demon Empress when they were young, swimming together in the ocean before they became powerful Spirit Beasts. He saw them cultivate together over thousands of years, avoiding enemies and exploring the deep sea. He saw the battle where the Sea God Poseidon blinded the Deep Sea Demon Whale King in one eye. Finally, he saw the Demon Empress's last moments as she looked into the distance, longing for her husband.
"Husband... I'm coming to join you..." her faint voice echoed.
Then, everything went quiet. Tang Chen woke up from the memories, finding himself back on the sea. The blue barrier was still up, and the shark was still waiting nearby.
Tang Chen took a deep breath as power rushed through his body. Absorbing the ring had raised his rank from ninety-six to ninety-eight!
At the same time, a cool sensation hit his forehead. He touched his brow, and information flooded his mind about his new Spirit Bone.
Head Spirit Bone: Demon Empress's Lament. Skill 1: Abyssal Gaze. Uses the Demon Empress's pressure through the eyes to lock onto an enemy's soul, causing fear and loss of focus. Skill 2: Vast Sea Shared Sorrow. Creates a domain of sorrow around him.
Enemies inside lose thirty percent of their attack, speed, and defense, while Tang Chen gets a twenty percent boost to all stats. It drains spirit power continuously, but he can restore it by absorbing the negative emotions of his enemies.
Tang Chen opened his eyes, feeling the new power. The head bone merged perfectly with his mental sea, taking his mental force to a new level.
"Are you alright, kid?" the Great White Shark asked.
Tang Chen shook his head. "I'm fine."
"Two million-year spirit rings..." the shark said in shock. "You've completely surpassed normal human limits."
Tang Chen gave a faint smile and asked calmly, "Xiao Bai, how much further to the Evil Spirit Orca King's territory?"