novelraw Chapter 119 The Grim Reaper
Chapter 119 The Grim Reaper
No further orders were needed; the battle erupted instantly.
The seven people from the inner courtyard transformed into seven streams of light of different colors, carrying boundless rage, and charged headlong into the direction where the most foul and powerful aura was deep within the cave.
Brigitte's figure flickered, closely following behind, a soft emerald halo spreading out from her center, vaguely enveloping the seven people in front.
Bei Bei, He Caitou, Tang Ya, Ning Tian, Wu Feng, Xiao Xiao, Huo Yutong, and Wang Yan from the outer courtyard were clearing out the evil soul masters who had been alerted and were roaring and rushing out from their various side paths and lairs in the outer area.
These enemies are mostly emaciated with crazed eyes, and their martial spirits often possess strange characteristics such as blood, bone, poison, and darkness. Their soul power is not strong, but their methods are insidious and ruthless, often risking their lives for each other.
Zi Ji did not make a direct move; she was like a calm shadow, quietly lurking on the edge of the battle.
Her gaze was mainly fixed on the seven people from the outer courtyard, especially Huo Yutong and the others who were experiencing such a brutal real battle for the first time.
Whenever a sinister soul skill attacks from a blind spot, or when an enemy attempts to self-destruct and perish together with another, a spear shadow as fast as black lightning will silently pierce out, accurately striking the core of the soul skill or penetrating the enemy's vital points, instantly dissolving the crisis.
Deep within the cave, roars, explosions, the booming of soul skills, and mournful screams filled the air.
Brigitte's defensive barrier lit up several times, blocking deadly combined attacks or hidden poisons.
Ma Xiaotao's phoenix flames turned a large area into a furnace, Gongyang Mo's auxiliary light shone brightly, Dai Yueheng's white tiger claws tore through the darkness, Chen Zifeng's Soul-Chasing Sword was invisible and deadly, Xixi's figure was ghostly and unpredictable, Ling Luochen's frost froze the filth, and Yao Haoxuan's giant fist shook the rock wall.
The number of evil spirit masters is decreasing rapidly.
Just when the battle seemed to be settled—
"Hehehe... You all deserve to die if you dare to oppose the messenger of death!!!"
From the deepest part of the cave, a hoarse, frenzied shriek suddenly echoed. Immediately following, an incredibly terrifying surge of soul power gathered wildly!
"Not good! Retreat quickly!" Ma Xiaotao shouted sharply.
However, it was too late.
"Zombie Explosion! All of you, go down with me!!!"
"boom--!!!!"
A deafening roar, like the collapse of the heavens and the splitting of the earth! It was no ordinary explosion, but the simultaneous detonation of countless corpses, crafted using secret techniques and hidden throughout the cave!
Dark green flesh mixed with highly toxic and corrosive soul power transformed into a destructive torrent, wildly impacting and spreading in all directions! The entire mountain was shaking violently, and large sections of the rock walls peeled off and collapsed.
A gaunt figure shrouded in dense death energy and clad in a tattered black robe took advantage of the terrifying, self-destructive explosion to shoot away like an arrow towards the cave entrance!
It was that "messenger of death" whose eyes were filled with madness and the joy of escaping death.
However, his joy froze instantly.
A black ray of light, even before the flames of the explosion, pierced through the pervasive dark green poisonous mist and flying debris.
It was silent and stealthy, as if it had always been present on his escape route, accurately predicting everything he did.
Shadow Dragon Lance.
"Pfft!"
Blood splattered. The dragon spear pierced through his back and protruded through his chest, pinning him firmly in mid-air.
The black aura swirling around the gun instantly eroded all his vitality, even swallowing up his soul's wails.
The madness in the eyes of the Grim Reaper turned into disbelief, astonishment, and death. He opened his mouth but could not utter a sound. The next moment, his body, along with the purplish-black dragon spear, turned into scattered black light spots and completely disappeared.
The aftershocks of the explosion gradually subsided.
The smoke and toxic fumes were slowly dispelled and purified by a soft, emerald-green light.
Brigitte stood in front of the seven people in the inner courtyard, her hands outstretched. A huge emerald green light shield firmly protected the seven people within it. The surface of the light shield flowed with the power of life and purification, completely resisting and eliminating the terrifying poison of the corpse explosion.
Although the seven were slightly disheveled, they were all unharmed and looked at Brigitte with gratitude.
"Thank you so much, Teacher Biling!"
"That was close..."
Xuanzi instantly appeared near the cave entrance, his expression solemn.
Xuanzi looked at the cave, which was in complete disarray but had been quickly purified by the emerald light, and let out a long sigh of relief, his eyes still filled with lingering fear: "There is such a vicious and domineering self-destructive soul skill... If it weren't for Biling, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
At this moment, the squads of soldiers who had been lying in ambush earlier returned with several corpses or dying evil spirit masters to report: "Report! Nine people attempting to escape were discovered and killed on the outskirts, and all have been dealt with."
The squad leader bowed to Wang Yan and Xuanzi, saying, "This place is filthy and we should not linger. Please return to the camp to rest. We can handle the cleanup of the battlefield."
The Shrek members nodded silently, their hearts heavy.
They returned to the military camp, put away their light armor and soul-guided devices, rested briefly, and washed away the blood and fatigue.
When they set off again, Duke Dai Hao of the White Tiger personally saw them off outside the camp.
He didn't say much, but simply bowed respectfully to Xuanzi and the others. He would stay in Xingluo City after the Soul Master Competition ended.
Dai Hao's thoughts unconsciously drifted back to that day—
Standing in the quiet room, Dai Hao knew that what he was facing was far more than just a leap in cultivation.
Since Dai Hao had already reached the eighth level, Dai Mubai, in order to save trouble, had already completed the first six tests and received the reward when the Dai Hao Divine Test first arrived.
The ancient agreement among nations that "titled Douluo do not participate in wars" acts like an invisible shackle.
Dai Hao is the White Tiger Duke of the Star Luo Empire, the embodiment of the military spirit, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the front lines are still waiting for his orders.
But once he officially breaks through, he will be bound by these rules. How can he lead his troops? How can he fight a battle?
What weighed heavily on his mind was His Majesty's attitude. His breakthrough would surely be rewarded with an imperial decree according to the established rules. However, once his spirit ring configuration was revealed—purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black—such unusual spirit rings would immediately reveal an extraordinary opportunity to anyone.
What would the emperor think?
"That's enough." Dai Hao had made up his mind. "Now that we're at level ninety, the war is hopeless, and there's no point in thinking about it anymore. The most urgent thing is to grasp what we can control right now."
He stretched out his hand, and light gathered in his palm. The divinely bestowed soul ring floated out, radiating a powerful yet gentle energy fluctuation.
"A 100,000-year soul ring..." he murmured, a fervent glint in his eyes.
He sat quietly, concentrating his mind. Dai Hao slowly poured his soul power into it, and the divinely bestowed soul ring rose like the morning sun, merging seamlessly with his own soul power.
The process went unexpectedly smoothly. After an unknown amount of time, a crimson soul ring rose from beneath his feet, shining brightly alongside the other eight soul rings. The immense pressure flashed by and was quickly subsided.
Titled Douluo, achieved.
Feeling the new power surging within him like a great river, Dai Hao did not become too intoxicated.
On his way to the palace, he had already made up his mind.
First, one must be humble and loyal enough. Regarding the matter of the divine examination, one can be honest about the parts that are relevant, focusing on "the blessings of the ancestors" and "the good fortune of the empire," rather than "the private affairs of the Dai family."
He wanted His Majesty to understand that this power belonged first and foremost to Xingluo, to the Emperor.
Secondly, proactively reveal the truth to dispel suspicion. Regarding the unusual phenomenon of the soul ring, instead of waiting for His Majesty to question it, it is better to proactively mention it on the grounds that "the blessings of my ancestors have helped me to consolidate my foundation so that I can better serve His Majesty," thus firmly linking it to "serving the country."
Furthermore, by retreating in order to advance, he could have volunteered. He could have clarified the rule of "no participation in combat under the title of 'title holder'" and proactively requested to relinquish his direct command position on the front lines, instead focusing on the rear, training elite troops, and dealing with high-level enemy forces.
In this way, one can both abide by the rules and demonstrate a commitment to national affairs, while also gaining real power.
Finally, and most importantly, we must demonstrate our value to His Majesty.
A titled Douluo with divine potential and limitless potential is far more valuable to the royal family and the empire than a border general who may harbor resentment.
He wanted Xu Jiawei to feel that supporting Dai Hao and the Dai family was investing in Xingluo's future.