Outside Heaven Dou City.
After the platinum-white mushroom cloud blossomed, Chu Chengzhou, blown several li away by Dai Tao's self-detonation, finally steadied himself in midair.
Spirit bone skill: Crystal Body. Although within its duration it can completely block all physical and energy attacks below god-level, in practice it only grants the user extremely high physical and energy defense. The impact carried by the attack still acts on the body, it just does not cause damage.
"Tsk. Good thing I had an absolute defense technique. Otherwise I would be dead or crippled today."
He glanced at the Nine Heavens Profound Spirit Armor on him, now covered in warped marks, then looked at the platinum-white mushroom cloud lighting the distant night sky and clicked his tongue inwardly.
Earlier he had the "pious" Canglong Douluo contribute his last bit of light and heat with a self-detonation. He had not expected to take one himself in the next moment.
What goes around comes around. Heaven spares no one?
Fortunately his spiritual power was not weak, so he was not controlled long by that spirit bone mental skill. Blossom in an Instant and the Nine Heavens Profound Spirit Armor held for a heartbeat, and he then activated the absolute defense in time. Otherwise he would at least have ended the night severely injured, if not dead outright.
This was the closest he had come to death in his life.
But it was all over. This time the Star Luo Empire had likely thrown in its entire foundation. Thirteen Titled-level national pillars had been wiped out by him. The great enemy that was the Star Luo Empire was basically broken.
As for Titled-level experts the Star Luo authorities or royal clan had not sent, there might be some, but at most one or two to guard the house.
In theory, the Star Luo Empire could have more experts.
After all, every Titled-level Netherworld White Tiger combination he encountered was formed by a male White Tiger soul master paired with a female Netherworld Civet soul master.
In large clans the male to female ratio should be roughly equal, and barring a few prodigies, there should not be a major difference in cultivation talent between men and women.
So here is the question. Where were the Titled-level Netherworld White Tigers formed by a male Netherworld Civet paired with a female White Tiger?
In theory there should be cat-men paired with tiger-women, but in practice this did not exist.
Any talented girl of the Zhu clan would marry into the Star Luo royal family, without exception, aside from Zhu Zhuqing whom he abducted.
If talented Zhu clan men also married into the Star Luo royal family, the Netherworld Civet clan would fail to pass on its lineage.
There is no doubt the White Tiger martial soul inherited by the Dai clan is higher in quality than the Netherworld Civet martial soul of the Zhu clan. Once they intermarry, the offspring, male or female, will awaken the White Tiger martial soul unless a mutation occurs.
If the talented ones all marry out, what will the leftover riffraff use to pass on the Netherworld Civet?
Know this. If a clan produces no high-level soul masters and each generation declines, the quality of the inherited martial soul will degenerate.
Also, parents with strong strength do not guarantee high ceilings for their children, but the floor is seldom low. Conversely, if the parents are weak, the floor is low and it is hard to see a prodigy.
If the Zhu clan is left with only riffraff, then the Star Luo royal family will not be able to find Zhu clan girls of fine talent in the future.
To maintain sustainable development, Zhu clan men do not wed into the Star Luo royal family, but instead seek outside women whose martial soul quality is no higher than the Netherworld Civet yet who have fine cultivation talent.
As for women born to the royal family, set aside those without talent. Those with decent talent will all find partners who are also gifted soul masters.
Royal men marry Zhu clan women to gain the Martial Soul Fusion Technique, Netherworld White Tiger. Royal women marry gifted soul masters loyal to the empire and close to the royal clan.
In this way, while ensuring each generation produces many Titled-level Netherworld White Tigers, the strong who emerge within the empire also remain their own people.
This is the marriage doctrine of the White Tiger clan of the Star Luo royal family.
With thirteen more Titled-level experts lost tonight, the Star Luo Empire had become like a late autumn grasshopper. It might still jump, but not for long. Chu Chengzhou's mood was very good.
Barring surprises, the Titled Douluo of the White Tiger who just self-detonated should have been the former Star Luo Emperor, White Tiger Douluo Dai Tao.
As the former emperor and empress of Star Luo, the couple must have had many spirit bones on them, including high-grade ones. Add in those elders of the royal clan and the five Titled Douluo, and tonight was destined to be his harvest season.
Spreading out his spiritual power, Chu Chengzhou began to clean the battlefield.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Chu Chengzhou sensed two familiar auras coming from the northeast.
Before long, Chen Xin and Gu Rong flew over.
"With a commotion this big, what trouble did you stir up this time, kid?"
Seeing Chu Chengzhou safe, Chen Xin first let out a breath, then asked in irritation.
When he sensed a full eight Titled-level Netherworld White Tigers appear, Chen Xin had been shocked.
Among those eight Titled-level Netherworld White Tigers there were some whose strength could match his own.
Add to them the few Titled Douluo from before, and even with Chu Chengzhou's summoned spirits being formidable, two fists cannot beat four hands. Chen Xin had not believed Chu Chengzhou could handle it.
He had underestimated Chu Chengzhou. With so many experts from Star Luo, in less than a quarter of an hour, Chu Chengzhou had finished them all.
Question. What can you get done in the time it takes to take a dump once or twice?
Answer. Kill more Titled-level experts than you can count on both hands.
This was downright absurd.
Likewise, Chen Xin was puzzled. What great thing had Chu Chengzhou done to draw such retaliation from so many experts of the Star Luo Empire?
"A few days ago I only gave them a small bit of payback. I did not expect the mighty Star Luo Empire to be so intolerant."
Chu Chengzhou said with some indignation.
"A small bit of payback? Only a ghost would believe that."
Hearing this, Gu Rong could not help spitting back.
The Star Luo Empire lacking tolerance?
With soft targets they might not be harsh, but with hard cases they absolutely were, and very much so.
Take Spirit Hall for example. As long as they had not torn things completely, every year the Star Luo Empire forks over a huge amount of gold soul coins for Spirit Hall to distribute as subsidies to low-level soul masters, and they do not dare utter a peep.
For so many Titled-level experts to come this time, Gu Rong would bet on it. Chu Chengzhou must have done something earthshaking, forcing the Star Luo Empire beyond endurance and making them retaliate at any cost.
T/N: For up to 30 chapters ahead on my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle