Chrysanthemum and Hammer
"Hmph~…"
Yueguan squinted through a bloom of glittering petals. His peripheral vision caught an odd glint—on the far flank, Bishop Salas was dueling Yu Luomian. Strangely, something on Salas's arm gleamed faintly. The hue was unique.
That's soul bone radiance.
Yueguan's heart jolted. When did this dog get a spirit bone?
He almost forgot Tang Xiao's furious charge until the Clear Sky Hammer was already upon him.
"Big Sumeru Hammer!" Tang Xiao roared.
"RUMBLE!"
The hammer smashed air. Yueguan's chest caved inward with force before his body screamed backward in tatters of chrysanthemum petals.
Tang Xiao's jaw set, hammer returning to his grip. He snarled, "Chrysanthemum, is this all you have?!"
He planted feet, muscles bulging with erupting aura. With doubled ring explosion brewing, his hammer doubled in size again, plummeting through wind.
Yueguan countered furiously. "Eighth soul ability—Gate of Holy Light!"
Chrysanthemum blossoms swelled gigantic, golden brilliance spurting from stamen. Hammer and holy beam collided, shockwave shattering the nearby hillside to rubble. Both staggered backward.
Sword Shadow
On another front, Chen Xin grew bolder. His ninth ring flared like black lightning, exploding into the skies.
"Ninth Soul Skill—Slash Gods and Demons!"
The Seven Kill Sword trembled. The air twisted and shrieked. Ning Fengzhi's pagoda blazed behind him, bestowing triple radiance with his fifth, sixth, and seventh rings. All of Chen Xin's stats soared again.
The fierce swordsman's power ascended another realm. "Human and Sword as One!"
Behind him, a phantom Chen Xin appeared, blade raised, two bodies moving in unison. The sword cleaved forward at impossible speed.
The targeted Title Douluo panicked. They turned and bolted different ways in sheer fright.
"Crack—!"
Too late. The edge seared through one unlucky man's arm, entirely severing it. His scream echoed across the academy.
Blood sprayed.
Crisis of the Rabbit
"Your Holiness!"
Lordiala limped back, feathers broken, bruised from Lu Yuan's beating. "The… the rabbit—it was taken!"
The words crashed through the battle like thunder.
"What?!" Bibi Dong's eyes flickered murderously.
Her hammer clash with Tang Hao broke as she shoved him away, heart flipping at the report. So many died for this plan, her Spirit Hall elite moved, her golden trio risked—only for Lu Yuan, that cursed brat, to swoop in for the prize?!
She stared, flames licking her pupils. "How long ago?"
Lordiala knelt, sweat falling like rain. "Two quarters at most. He chased us off, broke my wings. I barely survived to deliver word…"
Bibi Dong's lips curled with fury. She ground her scepter into soil. "Ning Fengzhi, Yu Yuanzhen—today's betrayal, I mark it." Her jeweled eyes swept across them and all gathered. "Spirit Hall never forgets."
Her voice cracked the sky. "Withdraw!"
The command rang absolute. Black cloaks moved instantly, obeying.
Today, her goal had been Xiao Wu, not war with three united sects. The rabbit was lost; if she pressed further, losses might spiral. Tang Hao's hammer, Dugu Bo's venom, Chen Xin's sword—she could not guarantee victory.
Spirit Hall's tide retreated in black currents.
Tang Hao and Tang San
The instant her forces vacated, Tang Hao bolted toward the forest edge.
"Little San! Little San!" His voice cracked like agony.
In a crater ringed with cracked soil, Tang San lay battered, face swollen with a footprint so large it nearly covered him. His chest moved weakly.
"Dad…?" his dazed eyes fluttered open. He hadn't seen this man since the age of six. The face above him was cragged with grief.
"Little San, who dared do this to you?!" Tang Hao's whole body shook with rage, fists crushing. Who dared put their foot on my son's face?!
Tang San shook his battered head. "I… I don't know. Suddenly, in midair, someone kicked me down, then darkness…"
He coughed blood. His lip trembled, desperate. "Dad—where's Xiao Wu? Where's she?"
Tang Hao stilled. Silence answered.
"I… don't know. Someone intercepted her. She's gone."
Tang San's spirit cracked. His whole soul ached. He had only touched her hand, only glimpsed her unconscious face, and then fate snatched her away again.
He shut his eyes painfully, muttering as his strength broke, "Not again… Not like this."
His body fainted in Tang Hao's hold.
Tang Xiao approached grimly, hand on his brother's shoulder. "Hao, not here. Take Little San. Let's leave now, before Spirit Hall changes its mind."
Tang Hao trembled, but nodded finally. Better survival than death here. He lifted Tang San carefully, leaving scarred footprints of blood as they withdrew.
Sect Realizations
"Fengzhi, he actually got it."
Chen Xin's voice still shook with adrenaline.
Ning Fengzhi's eyes were dark. "Yes. Lu Yuan again. As if fate delivers fortune into his arms. A hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form, falling into his hands? He hides from storms now, but tomorrow he may drown from them."
Dugu Bo smirked maliciously. "That boy always manages to land face-first in treasure. Thinks himself touched by heaven. But this kind of thing… too hot to eat without burning the tongue."
Yu Yuanzhen's jaw tightened. He said nothing.
Everyone knew—it wasn't victory. It was the birth of another vortex at the continent's heart.
At the Star Dou's Edge
Night stretched infinity. Deep in the forest periphery, where mist thickened into silence, Lu Yuan crouched over a small figure laid carefully on the grass.
"Inhale—exhale."
He pinched Xiao Wu's nose lightly, pressing his lips against hers. His breath poured, forcing her trapped lungs to pump. Again. And again.
Her lashes flickered at the drunken rush of his breath.
"Hmm…" A faint moan left her throat. She stirred weakly, vision blurring as heat pressed against her mouth. Her eyes opened, head dazed, only to see—his lips sealed on hers.
Shock bolted her body. Her eyes widened huge—before she kicked in frantic panic.
"MMmm—!"
Her hands pushed, legs thrashing.
Lu Yuan pulled back at once with a laugh, licking his lips shamelessly. "Heh. Little rabbit, you're finally awake. Taste isn't bad either."
Xiao Wu gasped, face flushed scarlet with rage and embarrassment. When I first wake… my first kiss, stolen… by this bastard?
She shot upright, fury flooding her voice. "Lu Yuan, you—you lecher!"
But her legs collapsed as a stabbing pain struck. With a whimper she fell forward, right into Lu Yuan's arms.
He supported her easily, grinning wide. "See? You're injured. I bandaged you myself."
She looked down—her legs wrapped messy in vines-turned-bandages, still bleeding faintly. Her clothes intact, thank heavens, but the fury only deepened.
"You—you took advantage…" she muttered bitterly, lips trembling.
Lu Yuan rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. I just saved you from being dissected by Spirit Hall. Kept you alive, carried you all the way here, even fixed those legs. And you pay me back by yelling lecher?"
Her cheeks burned hotter. Humiliation and gratitude warred.
The memory stung: hiding in Erlong's hut, she felt sky split as powers crashed all around. She ran in panic—only to be plucked up by Lordiala like prey. After that, nothing but blackout.
Now here she sat, lips tingling, legs dressed, breath still heavy.
She bit down hard, glaring. "Still… that was my first kiss, you shameless bastard!"
Lu Yuan smirked devilishly. "Oh? Even more reason to be grateful then. Now your first kiss belongs to your savior. Who else deserves it better?"
Xiao Wu seethed, tears prickling. He had stolen her lips, her safety, her very fate. Yet deep inside, another whisper trembled: But… he did save me.
Lu Yuan leaned back against a stone, arms folded, eyes gleaming. "Rest. Heal. For now, you're safe. But remember—out there, Spirit Hall won't stop chasing. Beside me is your only safe place. So flip your anger however you want—just don't forget who your shield is."
Xiao Wu's fists clenched, nails digging her palm. She turned her head, but couldn't shake the truth. Anger still fumed, lips still sore—but in the glow of the forest, she realized:
Her fate… was bound even deeper to Lu Yuan now.
--
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