Fighting the Haotian Sect AloneAs the straw hat was removed, unfamiliar faces came into view. For some, memories that had been buried deep in their hearts for many years and that they did not want to recall suddenly surfaced, and their expressions changed drastically.
Tang San was stunned for a moment. Despite the years that had passed, he recognized Dai Yao immediately. His eyes turned blood red, his face became ferocious, and his killing intent surged uncontrollably. His whole body trembled slightly.
The Fifth Elder squinted, carefully examining the suddenly appearing figure, his pupils filled with undisguised astonishment and horror.
The thousands of soldiers of the Heavenly Dou Empire seemed to be confronted with an overwhelming sense of fear, and involuntarily took a few steps back, causing their originally orderly formation to become somewhat chaotic.
"Why are you here? Get out of here!"
Upon seeing Dai Yao appear, Shui Bing'er's expression froze for a moment, a hint of joy flashing in her beautiful icy blue eyes. But then she realized the perilous situation and said anxiously.
Not only Shui Bing'er, but Xue Wu beside her also looked extremely anxious, her brows furrowed. Although she didn't say anything, what she wanted to express was almost the same as Shui Bing'er's.
This is the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, home to countless experts. Nearly half of the five titled Douluo of the Clear Sky Sect are stationed here.
Shui Bing'er knew that Dai Yao and Tang San harbored an irreconcilable hatred, and the Clear Sky Sect wished nothing more than to eliminate him. Previously, Dai Yao had powerful protectors, so the Clear Sky Sect's experts had never found an opportunity. Now that Dai Yao had come to Heaven Dou City alone, how could they let this chance slip by?!
Although Dai Yao just defeated the Fifth Elder of the Clear Sky Sect with a single blow, Heaven Dou City has three Title Douluos and several others with combat power comparable to Title Douluos.
Moreover, this place is not far from Zhennan Pass. Once they realized the battle in Tiandou City, the titled Douluo who stayed in Zhennan Pass also rushed back. There were five or six titled Douluo in total. No matter how much Dai Yao has improved in the past few years, he could not possibly be their match.
Shui Bing'er didn't want Dai Yao to be trapped in a desperate situation because of her.
Now is the best time to leave, before the experts from the Haotian Sect arrive.
When Dai Yao met Shui Bing'er's worried gaze, his heart trembled. He raised his eyes slightly and met Xue Wu's eyes, which were full of longing but hesitant to speak. A sense of guilt welled up in his heart.
"I apologize for being late. I take responsibility for what happened at the Three Elements Academy today. Bing'er, Xue Wu, I guarantee that you will all leave Heaven Dou City safely!"
Dai Yao said softly.
His tone conveyed an undeniable firmness.
As soon as he finished speaking, laughter erupted from the soldiers surrounding Yi Feng and his group. Despite their strict military discipline, they couldn't help but laugh at such a joke.
There are countless powerful figures in Tiandou City. Not only are there three Title Douluos stationed there, but the other three Title Douluos can also rush back from the front line at any time. Even if this suddenly appearing guy can temporarily suppress the Fifth Elder, how can he be a match for a total of six Title Douluos?
Upon hearing this, Shui Bing'er's gaze, which had been fixed on Dai Yao, froze for a moment, and she pursed her purple lips.
Although it was only a short sentence, she already understood Dai Yao's feelings.
For the sake of the academy and her family, she would rather stay in Tiandou City than let Dai Yao stay here for her and Xue Wu. A deep sense of bitterness and regret welled up in her heart. Although they had reunited after a long separation, it was also a final farewell.
She took a deep breath, her gaze sweeping over the endless wall of people surrounding them, and pleaded:
"You'd better leave quickly, or it will be too late!"
Shui Bing'er's pleading and Xue Wu's undisguised worry left Yi Feng and the others somewhat puzzled.
Could this suddenly appearing powerful figure be here for Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu?
Ruoshui's heart skipped a beat.
She knew Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu's personalities all too well; they were somewhat distant towards juniors in the academy, let alone men of the same age.
Now, however, he showed unprecedented emotional fluctuations towards a man who suddenly appeared. This situation made Ruoshui suspect that this man was the one who took the bodies of the two women in the Star Dou Great Forest, and no matter how she interrogated him, she could not get his name!
She narrowed her eyes and scrutinized Dai Yao carefully. If it weren't for the urgency of the situation, she would have definitely asked him about his identity.
He defeated the Fifth Elder of the Clear Sky Sect with a single halberd strike, demonstrating top-tier strength even among Title Douluo. Yet, he appeared to be around the same age as Shui Bing'er, which seemed quite mismatched with his power. Moreover, for some reason, Ruoshui felt a strange sense of familiarity towards this man.
Upon seeing the man's full head of blond hair, a flash of inspiration struck Ruoshui!
Among the younger generation today, there is only one person who is so young and capable of defeating the Fifth Elder of the Haotian Sect.
That was Dai Yao, who had disappeared from the mainland for several years and was once the number one young person in the entire mainland!
Ruoshui's beautiful eyes flashed with a sharp light. For Tianshui Academy, it was indeed a disgrace that Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu shared a husband, not to mention that Dai Yao already had several wives. However, if Dai Yao could help them break through the encirclement, she wasn't unwilling to give him a chance.
"Bing'er..."
Ruoshui grabbed Shuibing'er's hand, shook her head, and signaled her to stop talking.
Under Ruoshui's stern gaze, Shui Bing'er, with her clever mind, understood her mother's meaning, but she had no intention of obeying. She wanted to say something more, but Ruoshui immediately interrupted her.
"Bing'er, only today do I understand why you wouldn't say anything no matter how much I pressed you. You know his identity; he has several women around him. If you want to be with him, you must get past me. If he can really get us out of here safely today, I can give him this chance for the sake of the academy."
Shui Bing'er's delicate face remained completely expressionless as she calmly said:
"Mom, as long as he loves me, I'm willing to go to the ends of the earth with him. Your opinion can't stop me. Compared to getting your consent, I don't want him to get hurt because of me."
Ruoshui was stunned.
She never imagined that her daughter would be so resolute for the sake of the one she loved.
Before Shui Bing'er could offer any further advice, a loud shout abruptly interrupted their thoughts.
"Kid, it's you!"
The Fifth Elder's eyes widened in anger as he roared.
Only then did he recognize Dai Yao's identity. He was the very same culprit who had single-handedly defeated all the younger generation of the Haotian Sect in their secluded place back then, and who had crippled the Seventh Elder's arm and caused the Seventh Elder to fall from the title of Douluo during the later Tiandou Palace Coup!
It is said that this person later founded a sect, allied with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and became the fourth largest power on the continent, second only to the three great empires.
If it weren't for the Spirit Empire's overwhelming offensive, which left them no time to attend to other matters, they would have already gathered their forces and wiped Dai Yao and his sect off the continent.
The Fifth Elder slowly raised the Clear Sky Hammer. As lightning flashed, the terrifying aura of a Title Douluo was suddenly released, causing everyone to feel a chill in their hearts.
"Haha, Fifth Elder, I didn't expect you to still be alive."
Dai Yao turned around and smiled nonchalantly.
The Fifth Elder's expression shifted several times. In just one glance, he knew he couldn't possibly stop Dai Yao on his own. His face slowly darkened, and he exchanged a subtle glance with Tang San. The best course of action now was to call for reinforcements as soon as possible.
He then said in a cold voice:
"Boy, as the saying goes, 'You have a path to heaven but choose not to, you have a path to hell but choose to walk through it.' Now that you've come to Heaven Dou City, you'll stay here forever! What a load of nonsense about guaranteeing that everyone will leave Heaven Dou City!"
Dai Yao shrugged noncommittally, not refuting the Fifth Elder's words, and shifted his gaze to Tang San, his memories of the past years flooding back.
The fierce competition in the Soul Master Competition, the undercurrents in the City of Slaughter, and the changes after the upheaval in the Heaven Dou Palace—now, Tang San, having continuously weakened his luck, has embarked on a path completely different from the original story.
No one knows what Tang San's fate will be.
"Tang San, it's been a long time."
Dai Yao said calmly.
Everyone couldn't help but look at Tang San, but they were horrified to find that Lan Hao Wang, who had always been incredibly elegant in front of everyone, now had a ferocious expression and was filled with murderous intent, like a demon from hell.
Is this still the refined and dignified King Lan Hao?
What is the connection between this suddenly appearing fellow and King Lan Hao? Why is King Lan Hao so furious about him?
Tang San breathed heavily, his gaze lingering for a moment on the Trident of Poseidon in Dai Yao's hand. For some reason, he felt a sudden tremor in his heart, as if he had lost something.
Looking up at Dai Yao, she clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh, and blood dripped down. The hatred that had been suppressed in her heart for many years surged up in an instant.
"Dai Yao, it's been years since I last saw you. It seems your strength has improved quite a bit!"
Tang San sneered.
Upon hearing the name 'Dai Yao', many people recalled the legends from the past, and their eyes widened as they stared at Dai Yao in astonishment.
Back then, he defeated the Spirit Hall team, won the Soul Master Competition, established the Green Lotus Sect, invaded the Star Luo Empire, and killed the Star Luo Emperor. These stories about Dai Yao had already been spread throughout the entire continent by gossips. It was quite unexpected to see him in person now.
Dai Yao raised an eyebrow, carefully sensing the fluctuations within Tang San's body, and thought to himself, "Just as I expected."
Without Xiao Wu's spirit ring and the opportunity on Seagod Island, Tang San's strength was far inferior to that in the original story, only reaching the level of Soul Saint, and he did not yet have those three 100,000-year spirit rings.
"Tang San, it's been years, but your strength hasn't improved much. Didn't you want to kill me to avenge that rabbit? Now it seems that your goal is getting further and further away."
Dai Yao brandished the Trident of Poseidon, which he carried on his back, and smiled faintly.
Tang San gritted his teeth and stared intently at Dai Yao.
He could feel the terrifying power within Dai Yao's body. He had only ever felt such a terrifying aura from his father and his uncle before.
He could hardly imagine what Dai Yao had gone through in the past few years to make such great progress. When Dai Yao disappeared from the continent, he was only at the Soul Emperor level. Now, Dai Yao is at least at the Soul Douluo level.
And what about him?
It's still a long way from Contra.
On the one hand, after he became the Blue King and took control of the power of the Heaven Dou Empire, balancing the interests of all parties and stabilizing the empire took up most of his time, making it impossible for him to concentrate on cultivation; on the other hand, the increasingly aggressive attitude of the Spirit Hall made him more aware of the Spirit Hall's ambition.
Now that he is the only one who can mobilize the power of the Heavenly Dou Empire, he can no longer concentrate on cultivation.
Although he could mobilize the resources of the Heavenly Dou Empire for his own use, after a long period of use, his soul power became unstable, and he eventually had to stop consuming those treasures that increased his soul power.
Back then, he could still rival Dai Yao, but now he can't even see Dai Yao's shadow anymore.
The pain of helplessness engulfed him like a giant wave, leaving him breathless.
Xiao Wu's death, her father's revenge, the disgrace of the Haotian Sect—all these past events made it impossible for him to defeat and kill Dai Yao with his own strength; it had become a pipe dream.
Taking a deep breath and calculating the time in his mind, Tang San's anger slowly subsided, his tightly clenched hands loosened, and he looked calm and elegant, a cold smile slowly curling at the corner of his mouth.
As soon as Dai Yao appeared, he immediately activated the secret order of the Haotian Sect, summoning all the elders of the Haotian Sect to come. The reason he pretended to be angry was to stall Dai Yao, conceal his true purpose, and buy time for the elders of the Haotian Sect to arrive.
"Dai Yao, you're right. In terms of strength alone, I can't compare to you. In fact, many of the older generation of top experts on the continent today are no match for you."
At this point, a cold glint flashed in Tang San's eyes:
"But you're too arrogant! You dared to break into Heaven Dou City all by yourself! Now, both elders of Heaven Dou City have arrived, and even several from Zhennan Pass are on their way. They'll be here in just a few minutes. I refuse to believe that five Title Douluos can't kill you!"
"Today, this Heavenly Dou City will be your burial ground! I will take your head to offer as a sacrifice to Xiao Wu!"
As soon as he finished speaking, four figures suddenly appeared in the sky above Tiandou City.
All four were dressed in grey robes, their garments fluttering in the wind, and each wielded a massive Clear Sky Hammer, its shaft encircled by nine spirit rings. Upon seeing the four appear, the Fifth Elder immediately shielded Tang San tightly behind him, pointing the hammer at Dai Yao.
Five titled Douluo from the Clear Sky Sect appeared together, their terrifying pressure causing the entire Heaven Dou City to tremble slightly. Those below the Soul Douluo level could hardly even stand.
The middle-aged man at the head of the group was none other than Tang Xiao, the current sect leader of the Haotian Sect.
He and the other three elders of the Haotian Sect surrounded Dai Yao from four directions. Even the Seventh Elder, whose arm had been crippled by Dai Yao and who had fallen from the Title Douluo realm, stood atop a tall building, coldly gazing at Dai Yao from afar.
Tang Xiao's cold gaze swept over Huo Rong and the others, finally settling on Dai Yao. The powerful aura emanating from Dai Yao made his eyes involuntarily flicker.
In just a few years, a young junior from back then has grown to the point where even he is somewhat wary of him; this progress is simply astonishing.
Give him a little more time, and there will be no one in the world who can rival him.
Although the relationship between Dai Yao and the Spirit Empire is currently somewhat sordid, there is no real conflict between them. Once Dai Yao joins forces with the Spirit Hall, it will deliver the final blow to the precarious situation, and the entire Heaven Dou Empire will be overthrown.
The Haotian Sect, which was subordinate to the Heaven Dou Empire, will also cease to exist.
This child must not be allowed to live!
This young man has now entered Tiandou City alone; it's truly a godsend. Dai Yao has become a major threat. If we don't seize this opportunity to eliminate him, he might become the culprit behind the destruction of the Haotian Sect.
Dai Yao glanced up at the faces of the five Title Douluos of the Clear Sky Sect, clicked his tongue, and said:
"Five titled Douluo, you really think highly of me."
At this point, Dai Yao's expression suddenly turned cold, and a domineering, almost tyrannical aura erupted from his body. Everyone present changed color slightly, especially the several Title Douluos from the Clear Sky Sect, who felt it even more deeply.
"However, it's wishful thinking to think that just five Title Douluos can stop me!"
Dai Yao, holding the Trident of Poseidon, said coldly.
Amidst the increasingly horrified gazes of the crowd, three astonishing spirit rings—black, red, and red—slowly rose... (End of Chapter)