"Didn't you search for me for a long time? Now that you know, why don't you dare to come over?"
The gentle voice rang out again.
Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo exchanged a glance, made a hand gesture, and everyone pressed forward. Even if there was danger ahead, they had to try.
Passing through the dense forest, a wide lake came into view, a beautiful scene that defies description.
The lake, like a jewel, is embedded in the Starry Sky Forest. Its abundant life force brings a sense of comfort to everyone from head to toe.
Under the sunlight, the lake surface shimmered with golden light.
On the shore, a colossal beast, as imposing as a mountain, exuded an aura that instilled fear in everyone. It was none other than the king of the forest—the Titan Ape!
But on its shoulder stood a graceful figure.
A long, sheer white dress reached her feet. Her exquisite face was flawless. Her long, black hair cascaded down to the giant ape's shoulders like a waterfall.
Such stunning beauty immediately drew everyone's attention. Even Dai Yao couldn't help but marvel at her.
"As expected of the female lead in the original work, I never thought she would be so beautiful after growing up. She is only slightly inferior to Zhu Qing and Wu Tong now."
Xiao Wu, like a goddess of the forest, stood on the giant ape's shoulder, looking down at the group of Spirit Hall members below, her gaze utterly unmoved.
But when she saw Dai Yao, protected by a crowd, an uncontrollable chill appeared on her face. Gritting her teeth, she spat out two words:
"Dai…Yao!"
If it weren't for Dai Yao, she would never have exposed her identity and wouldn't have had to separate from her third brother.
When her identity was revealed, Tang San remained steadfastly by her side, melting her heart. Therefore, her hatred for Dai Yao became even more profound.
But she never considered that when they took out the Zhuge Crossbow, they also harbored murderous intent towards Dai Yao; Dai Yao was merely seeking normal revenge.
When she left Tang San, she remained relatively rational. If Er Ming were to kill Dai Yao, even with Da Ming protecting her, her safety could not be guaranteed.
"You scoundrel, I'll spare your life for now."
She turned her gaze to the two Title Douluos from the Spirit Hall and said calmly:
"Your Spirit Hall has been looking for me for a long time. Today, let's settle things once and for all!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the two lantern-like dim yellow eyes of the Titan Ape beneath Xiao Wu's feet suddenly lit up, like two suns, and an incomparably majestic and heavy aura emanated from them, causing huge waves to surge across the lake.
Terrified, Ghost Douluo simultaneously unleashed his martial soul, releasing all nine of his spirit rings to withstand the overwhelming power of the Titan Giant Ape.
"Everyone, stay where you are!"
Before anyone could react, Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo exchanged a glance. Despite not exchanging any words, their years of tacit understanding allowed them to immediately grasp each other's intentions.
A golden, extraordinary chrysanthemum soared into the sky, emitting rays of golden light. Its seemingly delicate petals were incredibly hard, making it the best defensive martial soul.
Meanwhile, Ghost Douluo transformed into a ghostly shadow and darted towards Xiao Wu on the Titan Giant Ape's shoulder like lightning.
One person was responsible for luring the monsters, and the other was responsible for catching the rabbits.
A deep disdain appeared in the Titan Ape's cloudy eyes. Just like in the original story, after using the Gravity Domain, Erming blasted the slowed Ghost Douluo away with a single punch.
Chrysanthemum Douluo, who was slower than Ghost Douluo, was also blasted away by the blue light spewed out by the Minotaur that suddenly emerged from the lake.
"Second brother, wipe them out, leave no one alive!"
A massive bull's head rose from the water, and its thick, serpentine body, even just partially visible above the surface, was tens of meters tall. The length of this spirit beast was unimaginable.
It coldly looked down at the group of more than twenty people from the Spirit Hall, its lantern-sized eyes filled with undisguised killing intent.
It was none other than the king of the forest—the Azure Bull Python.
The powerful voice had barely faded when an inexplicable force enveloped Chrysanthemum Demon Douluo, trapping him as if he were stuck in quagmire, unable to move.
"field?"
Chrysanthemum Demon Douluo exclaimed in surprise, realizing that this was a soul beast even more terrifying than the Titan Giant Ape. They couldn't even stop a single Titan Giant Ape, let alone the Azure Bull Python, which was even more powerful!
Just then, the Titan Ape leaped high into the air, crashing down on the two of them like a mountain.
"The final move!"
Kiku and Oni shouted simultaneously, colliding like shooting stars. The two stood facing each other, their eighteen soul rings lighting up at the same time, slowly condensing into a golden and silver ring.
In an instant, the world seemed to turn into gold and silver, and time and space stood still.
"We can only hold these two soul beasts captive for a while. You two grab that rabbit immediately and get out of here!"
Ghost Douluo's hoarse voice, filled with obvious anxiety, came from the ring.
A golden and silver halo, like a cage, trapped the Titan Ape and the Azure Bull Python. The Titan Ape's majestic body froze in mid-air, and the azure light spewed by the Azure Bull Python also solidified.
Everyone was taken aback for a moment, then immediately sprang into action.
But the first to react wasn't them, but Tang San. However, he was firmly held by Dai Yao and couldn't move at all. At such close range, being restrained by Dai Yao, if he dared to make a move, he would surely die a horrible death.
However, to his surprise, just as he was becoming increasingly anxious, Dai Yao suddenly let go of his shoulder.
He was somewhat puzzled by Dai Yao's actions—why he had released his grip at the exact moment he was in a hurry. But he had no time to think; Xiao Wu was in imminent danger, and he had to save her!
Just as everyone was about to make their move, Tang San moved. He instantly released two Soul-Chasing Darts, and with a metallic clang, a cloud of smoke suddenly exploded, and countless tiny poison needles instantly enveloped the five Soul Saints in front of him.
With screams of agony, the five Soul Saints fell to the ground without warning.
Dai Yao seemed shocked by Tang San's actions, his expression one of utter horror. His eyes widened, and he delivered an Oscar-worthy performance, angrily saying:
"Tang Yin! What are you doing!"
Tang San ignored Dai Yao and instantly released his fourth spirit ring, enveloping everyone in a cage. At the same time, Tang San's hands didn't stop moving for a moment, and countless hidden weapons instantly covered the area.
However, given time to react, Tang San's move did not cause any damage; it merely served to obstruct the view.
With soul power flowing within the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone, activating its flight skill, Tang San soared into the air and rushed towards Xiao Wu like a shooting star.
A blue silver emperor with golden patterns emerged from Tang San's hand and swiftly swept towards Xiao Wu.
"Xiao Wu, let's go!"
Tang San shouted.
Xiao Wu was stunned for a moment. Although her appearance and temperament had changed, she still recognized Tang San. A smile that could eclipse the heavens and earth immediately appeared on her face.
He let the Blue Silver Emperor wrap around his waist and was instantly by Tang San's side.
In mid-air, Tang San turned around and glanced coldly at Dai Yao, his eyes filled with disdain and mockery:
"Dai Yao, even if you're as cunning as a devil, you'd never guess that I'm Tang San!"
These past two days, Dai Yao had been acting like a brother to him, which disgusted him to no end. Now he could finally reveal his true identity. He really wanted to see the look of astonishment on Dai Yao's face.
He did see the shock on Dai Yao's face, which made him feel very pleased. But just before he turned around, he saw a meaningful smile on Dai Yao's face.
At that moment, his hair stood on end.
He didn't know why, but he felt as if he had fallen into a quagmire, unable to struggle. The more he struggled, the deeper he would sink.
"Third Brother, with you by my side, I don't feel scared at all."
Xiao Wu looked at Tang San's face with tenderness, noticing the unusual expression on his face. She thought it was because there were too many pursuers behind him, causing Tang San to be tense.
Tang San suppressed his inner unease, forced a smile, and fled at lightning speed.
"Tang San!"
Hu Liena stared in the direction Tang San had left, spitting out his name through gritted teeth, clearly showing her intense hatred for him.
"That Tang San! He's actually outmaneuvered us! Chase after him!"
Before Hu Liena could speak, everyone angrily gave chase. In a mere instant, nearly seven of their comrades died at Tang San's hands. They wished they could tear Tang San to pieces!
The three members of the Golden Generation also followed, and Dai Yao used the White Tiger Eight Wings technique to catch up with them.
Seeing Dai Yao's serious expression, Hu Liena, remembering his intimate interactions with Tang San (who was pretending to be Tang Yin) over the past two days, couldn't help but comfort him:
"Dai Yao, don't worry about it. Tang San is just a clown. We will make him pay for deceiving us!"
Dai Yao said expressionlessly:
"It's alright, Nana, I'll make him taste the pain."
He glanced back at his seven colleagues lying on the ground, their fates unknown, and sighed inwardly. For the sake of his plan, he had no choice but to let them die as they did in the original story.
But to complete the plan, a price must be paid. Unbeknownst to him, Dai Yao had become completely different from his previous self. He had become more ruthless and rational, and would not hesitate to sacrifice others' lives for his own benefit.
"I'll go first."
With a flap of his eight wings, Dai Yao's speed surged once more, instantly surpassing the three members of the Golden Generation. He leaped forward and caught sight of Tang San, who was being chased by several Soul Saints.
······
More than a dozen powerful figures continuously blocked Tang San's escape. But Tang San lived up to his name; despite being trapped in a desperate situation, he calmly found opportunities in the gaps, trading injury for life, and continuously slaying powerful figures whose soul power levels were far higher than his own.
Tang San and Xiao Wu worked together seamlessly. Even after five years apart, they were able to coordinate as if they were one person the moment they met again. In the blink of an eye, they blocked the attacks of several powerful individuals.
"As expected of the God King Tang, even though I stole many of his opportunities, he still managed to find a way to cut off his tail and survive!"
Watching Tang San and Xiao Wu maneuvering amidst the attacks of dozens of powerful figures, Dai Yao thought to himself.
To his surprise, Tang San and Xiao Wu did not encounter the human-faced demon spider from the original story; instead, they appeared in front of him.
On the vast net before them, a gigantic black and white figure coiled, its exposed belly, revealed as it twisted, resembling a ghostly face. Its immense size proved it to be at least thirty thousand years old.
"Instead of hunting down Tang San, they've come to cause trouble for me. Could it be because of the White Tiger Eight Wings behind me?"
In a flash, Dai Yao understood why the human-faced spider had come looking for him.
Although the White Tiger Eight Wings possesses wings, its essence remains the eight spider spears of the Human-Faced Demon Spider. It's not surprising that the Human-Faced Demon Spider sought him out due to the attraction of this essence.
He was originally worried that by taking away many of Tang San's opportunities, Tang San would not be as strong as before, and that when he resisted the Spirit Hall's experts, he would suffer much more serious injuries than in the original story.
If he were to intervene again, Tang San might not be able to survive until he had to commit suicide to retrieve his bones. At that point, there might not even be a scene requiring a sacrifice.
"It's like a pillow being delivered to someone who's just fallen asleep. Now I have an excuse to not attack Tang San. But you beast, you've chosen the path to hell when there's no way to go!"
"Since you want to die, then I'll grant your wish!"
With a thought, Dai Yao's five spirit rings slowly rose, and the third and fifth spirit rings suddenly shone brightly. Dai Yao's entire aura changed. Although he still looked the same, the distorted air around him revealed just how terrifying he was at this moment.
Just then, Hu Liena and the other two arrived. Seeing Dai Yao being blocked by a 30,000-year-old human-faced demon spider, they were all startled. Just as they were about to help Dai Yao, he shouted:
"You all go after Tang San immediately, don't worry about me, I can handle this beast!"
Hu Liena was taken aback. Remembering Dai Yao's past achievements, she immediately abandoned her plan to help him. After all, he was someone who could single-handedly defeat all the young disciples of the Haotian Sect; why would he need their help?
Chong Daiyao nodded slightly, then quickly ran in the direction Tang San had fled.
In front of Dai Yao, ripples of air gathered withered leaves and surged outwards. The human-faced demon spider seemed to sense that Dai Yao was not someone to be trifled with; its eight legs bent slightly backward, as if it wanted to escape.
"Escape? Too late! If you leave, how am I supposed to explain this to the Spirit Hall?"
Dai Yao sneered.
Three sharp blades shot out from Dai Yao's left hand, their explosive and razor-sharp aura coalescing within his left arm. He held nothing back, immediately unleashing his strongest single-target attack—the Sky-Rending Claw!
A beam of pure white light, like a long knife tearing through the heavens and earth.
Upon seeing this, the human-faced spider's countless tiny compound eyes revealed a human-like fear, and it immediately tried to flee. But the snow-white light was too fast; the human-faced spider had just taken its first two steps when the Sky-Tearing Claw cleaved it in two.
Sizzle—
The hard carapace was split in two, and green blood gushed out. It fell to the ground, instantly corroding all the plants there.
The remaining life force of the human-faced spider caused its legs to twitch a few times before stiffening and remaining still.
He was clearly dead beyond dead.
Dai Yao walked to the corpse of the human-faced demon spider, looked at the cracked spider, and couldn't help but think:
"Giving you a quick death also spares you the pain of having your life force drained and being tortured to death by Tang San. I must say, I'm quite a philanthropist."
Suddenly, he felt a burning sensation emanating from the White Tiger Eight Wings on his back, as if it were yearning for something. Dai Yao let out a soft exclamation, noticing that the human-faced demon spider's corpse was still warm, and he immediately understood what the White Tiger Eight Wings were craving.
"Does he crave to devour? In the original story, Tang San absorbed the essence of numerous ten-thousand-year-old and one-hundred-thousand-year-old soul beasts, and finally absorbed the life energy of the Deep Sea Demon Whale before evolving the Eight Spider Lances into a god-level form."
"It seems that even after evolving through the Chaos Green Lotus, the White Tiger Eight Wings still can't avoid wanting to absorb the Human-Faced Demon Spider."
Without hesitation, Dai Yao plunged the tips of each of the eight wings of the White Tiger deep into the body of the Human-Faced Demon Spider, and streams of heat flowed through the eight wings into Dai Yao's body.
Because of the lack of spirit rings, the spirit power, which had been stagnant at level 60 for a long time, seemed to have loosened.
Although he hasn't broken through level 60, Dai Yao is certain that once he obtains a spirit ring, his spirit power level will be beyond everyone's imagination.
As the essence was absorbed by the White Tiger Eight Wings, the corpse of the Human-Faced Demon Spider became increasingly shriveled, and a faint silver light appeared on the main body of the White Tiger Eight Wings, as if it were evolving.
Dai Yao realized that as long as the silver light completely covered the White Tiger's eight wings, his external soul bone would evolve again.
"If I were to recklessly absorb all kinds of soul beasts in order to evolve my external soul bone, then I would be seen as an evil soul master by future generations."
Dai Yao thought with a light laugh.
He didn't reject any way to improve his strength, but he never considered indiscriminate killing to evolve into the White Tiger Eight Wings. Power is important, but mastering the restraint of power is even more crucial. (End of Chapter)