Word Count: 3,178 Words
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Du Busi unleashed his full state. Golden vapor billowed from every pore as a pair of fleshy wings tore through the skin of his back, the contribution of a Body Sect Titled Douluo whose Martial Spirit had been a pair of wings. All eight Titled Douluo were now part of the Golden Giant, each of them a component of that colossal frame, each of them lending him their power.
A single burst of acceleration was enough to blow the blood rain apart. Muscles knotted along both arms of the Golden Giant, and every punch fell with the force to shatter all things. Facing him, Ling Bai twisted at the waist. The curved blade of the Death Abyss Demon Scythe swept through a killing arc.
Eternal Scar!
BOOM—
Countless droplets scattered outward as a thunderous roar cracked the sky. Du Busi did not dodge, did not evade. He let the Death Abyss Demon Scythe carve one furrow after another into his golden body, the blood in his veins boiling with rage.
Even so, he could not crush the figure that looked so impossibly small beneath him. The Death Abyss Demon Scythe and eight Death Abyss Spider Lances moved like nine peerless divine weapons, meeting the giant's onslaught from angles no eye could follow. They slipped past his defenses like ghosts, split his golden skin in a blink, and drove the Death Abyss Spider Emperor Poison deep into his flesh!
Ling Bai had woven what seemed an airtight web. The Golden Giant thrashed and struggled within it, but in the end he was only prey, and the Death Abyss Spider Emperor's meal at that!
"Elder Xuan, in this state Du Busi is already a Limit Douluo, isn't he?" Yan Shaozhe asked in a low voice.
Elder Xuan's expression was grave. "The Golden Giant is a secret method only Gold-ranked Body Martial Spirit Second Awakenings can use. With eight Body Martial Spirits fused into his own, Du Busi's combat power is no weaker than the Dragon Emperor Douluo or the Death God Douluo..."
"And yet he's being beaten from start to finish."
Yan Shaozhe narrowed his eyes. An Ultimate Martial Spirit Super Douluo being comparable to a Limit Douluo meant they could trade a few exchanges, not that they were guaranteed to win. Ling Bai, though, was clearly off the charts entirely. Du Busi could throw everything he had and still not gain half an advantage!
"Elder Xuan, for the sake of the academy's ten thousand years of glory, I'm afraid we may have to wrong you..."
A quiet light flickered in Yan Shaozhe's eyes. Ling Bai had come fully into his own, and he now carried himself with every mark of the continent's foremost figure. History was written by the strong. As long as Du Busi fell here today, the question of who the Death Abyss Douluo truly was would be settled the moment the coffin lid closed.
Shrek Academy absolutely could not be the bird sticking its head out only to have it cut off, offending three Limit Douluo in in a single breath. Not to mention that the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could double the combat strength of those two people and one dragon.
Elder Xuan considered a moment, then gave a quiet nod. "I'm old. I won't live many more years. Xiaotao will become an Ultimate Fire Titled Douluo before long, and the Sea God Pavilion will have to be handed to her sooner or later.
Xiaotao and Ling Bai are close. Even if she doesn't become his wife, she can still shield Shrek. As long as Shrek remains safe, my own honor or disgrace amounts to nothing..."
The initial choice of sides no longer counted for much. Shrek Academy wasn't the only one wavering. Those sect experts who had thrown their lot in with the Body Sect were watching Du Busi struggle even with every trump card laid on the table, and every one of them wanted to weep without a tear to spare. They regretted bitterly not standing with the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan instead.
"Ha... ha... ha..."
Du Busi rasped for breath. His face had taken on a strange, greenish-black cast. Ling Bai had absorbed the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King's spirit ring and spirit bone, and the Death Abyss Spider Emperor Poison in his veins now carried blood poison mingled with it. That lethal blend crept along his bloodstream, gnawing at his internal organs.
The Golden Giant was like a shell hollowed out by spiders, held upright only by the one breath Du Busi refused to release. He could collapse at any instant.
Inside the Death Abyss Realm, blood rain poured in sheets. The scarlet edge of the Death Abyss Demon Scythe flared with blinding red light. Ling Bai came down from above, and where the scythe blade sheared through the air at blistering speed the friction burned white-hot. His stroke opened a line of death that ran a thousand feet across the sky.
Du Busi threw his head back and roared. The blood rain reversed and streamed upward. For the first time in his long life he had been pressed to this extremity, and the 100,000-year eighth spirit ring blazed to life on his body!
Blood-colored silk unfurled through the air. The Golden Giant staggered back three thousand feet, a hideous rift deep enough to bare bone torn open across his chest. The force of the Death Abyss Demon Scythe reverberated through every part of him. Even his eighth spirit ring's defensive skill could not hold back the Death Abyss Demon Scythe's Ultimate Death, and Du Busi could no longer stop the blood that erupted from his mouth in a torrent.
The Seraphim was an energy-type Martial Spirit, suited to wide-area sweeping attacks. In a direct, one-on-one kill, the Death Abyss Spider Emperor was the superior blade. The Death God's duty was to reap lives!
Hum—
A chill from the depths of his soul lanced through Du Busi. His head jerked from side to side, his eyes spinning so fast they became whirling halos. Through the pouring blood rain, he saw brilliant light erupt from the last of Ling Bai's spirit rings, the scarlet gold ninth ring!
The Death Abyss Spider Emperor's Purple-Gold spirit ring was already the strongest Martial Spirit Avatar Du Busi had ever seen. He dared not imagine what level of power that scarlet gold ring might contain. Pressure crept over his heart like a lengthening shadow. Even having forced his way into the Limit Douluo realm through a secret method, what he faced now was the looming shade of death!
The Death Abyss Demon Scythe turned the color of congealed blood. The illusory Death Abyss Spider Emperor roared, drunk with excitement over the prey before it.
Between Ling Bai's brows and inside his chest, the Yin-Yang Complement Twin Spirit Cores spun in a frenzy. His figure vanished from where he had stood. Along the path of his charge the blood rain parted before the scythe blade, blossoming into tragic red flowers.
The stray droplets that grazed the Death Abyss Demon Scythe flashed into scalding steam, like the searing breath of a great dragon. The blood-red scythe cut a diagonal line through the air, and the expanding blade light shredded space for half a mile!
Ninth Spirit Skill, Space Rending Abyssal Slash!
The scarlet gold spirit ring was the fusion of two Great Beasts, the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King and the Deep Sea Nether Dragon Emperor. Space Rending Abyssal Slash came from the Deep Sea Nether Dragon Emperor, awakening the destruction bloodline that belonged to the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon.
It was a strike that would not be turned aside. For a single heartbeat, space and time seemed to still, and every existing thing had no choice but to yield before this absolute violence!
Du Busi raised his fist. He too used a ninth spirit skill. The Golden Giant lifted his arm, and in that instant the colors of the sky changed, as though the will of all creation had fallen into his grip and now bore down on Ling Bai with crushing force!
BOOM—
An air blast that shook the clouds tore across the sky. A ring-shaped shockwave raced outward, still savage by the time it reached the spectating experts.
The wind lashed Ning Fengyu's azure-gold hair into a streaming banner. She lifted a hand against the storm and narrowed her eyes toward the heart of the battlefield, sighing to herself. Ling Bai's strength was more than enough to hang her up and beat her senseless. This life of hugging a thigh and winning while lying down was truly too good!
A giant's roar suddenly rang out from above. Every gaze lifted to find a golden arm as thick as a load-bearing pillar tumbling down from the sky.
The Golden Giant knelt on one knee upon the heights, scarlet blood spilling from his mouth. His left arm had been sheared clean at the shoulder, and his body trembled without his willing it. The Space Rending Abyssal Slash had destroyed the source of his vitality, and his life force was draining out of him at a terrifying pace.
Du Busi lurched back to his feet and pulled his lips into a grin, baring blood-streaked, ghastly white teeth.
"This old man... refuses to accept it!"
A Body Sect Master of his generation, a figure of true villain-hero stature. He had thrown the Douluo Continent into upheaval, brought the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to heel, forced his way into Shrek Academy, and struck at the Illustrious Virtue Hall by surprise. There was nothing in this world Du Busi had not dared to do.
He would not permit himself to beg. If he was to die, he would die in a blaze of glory!
Spirit power surged once more into the Golden Giant's body. The eight Body Titled Douluo within Du Busi felt their Sect Master's boiling blood and wrung out every last drop of their strength!
All that power condensed into a single golden spear. Du Busi stood on the brink of death, yet his heart was paradoxically calm as still water. He lowered his stance and arched his back. Muscles and bones screamed in unison. The golden spear shot forward in a streak of brilliant light, like a meteor slashing across the sky to cleave the world apart!
The scarlet gold ninth spirit ring flashed again. The Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King unfurled its wings, blotting out the sky. Endless killing intent and brutality crashed through Ling Bai's mind until the entire world turned scarlet!
The Death Abyss Spider Lances drew inward, twisting together into a spiral. Blood-red light flooded over Ling Bai's body. Under that high-speed rotation, Ling Bai, the Death Abyss Demon Scythe, and the Death Abyss Spider Lances all vanished. What remained in the eyes of every spectator was a single spike, crimson from tip to base!
Ninth Spirit Skill, Second Technique: Scarlet Blood Desolation, Dead Spirit Spike!
The Dead Spirit Spike met the golden spear. The instant they touched, the sound of shattering metal exploded outward. The golden spear fractured inch by inch, its fragments tumbling into the Bloodsea below and kicking up only the faintest ripples of blood-red spray.
The Dead Spirit Spike punched through what remained of the golden spear and hurtled toward Du Busi without slowing. Wherever it passed, cloud and blood-fire seemed to meld into one. Life and death, severed. The Death God's final verdict upon a living soul!
"KILL!"
Du Busi poured all that remained of himself into one last battle cry. He threw his head back and locked his gaze on his opponent. Blood leaked ceaselessly from between his clenched teeth, but he didn't spare a thought for the agony ravaging his body. His eyes blazed with manic fighting intent.
Golden light wrapped his fist. The thick muscles of his arm swelled even further, as if he meant to pound Ling Bai into bloody paste!
The shriek of the sonic boom was swallowed by a deeper, muffled roar. The Dead Spirit Spike drilled into his arm and burst out through his skull. The Golden Giant's body shattered apart, then dissolved into toxic sludge under the corrosive poison of the Death Abyss Spider Emperor!
Du Busi, fallen!
The Body Sect's eight Titled Douluo perished alongside their Sect Master. Not a single fragment of their bodies remained. For a long moment, the crowd stayed immersed in the battle they had just witnessed, unable to process what they had seen. Only after an endless silence did someone notice the shimmering, resplendent spirit bones drifting in the air. A hoarse murmur broke the stillness.
"Du Busi... is dead..."
"The Douluo Continent is about to change..."
The Body Sect had always been a superpower ranked alongside Shrek Academy. Now, with its Sect Master and high-level combat force completely annihilated, a storm that would shake the entire Spirit Master world was inevitable.
The Death Abyss Realm slowly contracted. The apocalyptic blood rain stilled in the air. The dark clouds blanketing the sky thinned and parted, revealing a shaft of warm, blazing sunlight. The Death Abyss Spider Lances transformed into angelic wings, and holy radiance washed over Ling Bai's handsome face.
For a moment, everyone felt a strange daze. Was that peerless, cold-blooded killing machine from moments ago truly the same person as this sacred, luminous youth?!
Ling Bai waved a hand and the Body Sect spirit bones vanished into his keeping. He lifted his gaze to the gathered powerhouses of the Heavenly Soul Empire's major factions.
"Du Busi has been executed. From this day forward, there is no longer any Death Abyss Douluo in this world.
This Seat's Title, Holy Evil!"
Holy Evil Douluo, Ling Bai!
Terror and dread surged through every heart, as though a knife had been pressed to each throat. Quite a few wanted to bolt, but Ling Bai's aura pinned them down without mercy. It felt like ten thousand blades stabbing through their feet. The Holy Evil Douluo had finally shed his mask, and a single glance was all it took to nail every one of them in place!
"Yes... Holy Evil Douluo..."
They were all old monsters who had lived decades, even centuries. They understood what it meant to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, and the Body Sect had been the biggest, strongest rooster of them all!
Anyone who dared defy Ling Bai would have to weigh whether their bones were harder than Du Busi's!
"Very good."
Ling Bai chuckled softly. As expected, a man couldn't possess both power and cowardice at the same time.
"Du Busi used his second Martial Spirit, the Bone Dragon, to wreak havoc across the continent. All four great empires have suffered at his hands. I propose that we jointly sign an agreement and issue a declaration, announcing Du Busi's crimes to the world and restoring peace and justice to the continent!"
"This..."
The gathered experts glanced at one another. No one dared speak first. Public opinion could be shaped, and Ling Bai was dragging them all onto his war chariot, using the mouths of the great sects to collectively confirm that Du Busi was Death Abyss Douluo, kicking him and the Body Sect into an abyss from which they would never climb out!
"Pah! You vicious little thief! What Holy Evil Douluo? You're clearly Death Abyss Douluo!"
"Brother Du was upright his entire life! The Body Sect is a Guardian Sect of the Heavenly Soul Empire! Your wolfish ambitions are plain for all to see!"
Two figures shot forward, jabbing their fingers at Ling Bai as they cursed.
"Aunt Yu, who are these two?"
Ling Bai didn't even bother looking their way. He turned to Ning Fengyu instead.
"Worships of the Heavenly Soul Imperial Family," Ning Fengyu said with a smile. "Heavenly Star Douluo, Martial Spirit Heavenly Star Furnace. Black Sprite Douluo, Martial Spirit Black Sprite. They were the closest of friends with Death Abyss Douluo Du Busi. The Body Sect becoming the Heavenly Soul Empire's Guardian Sect was largely thanks to the efforts of these two."
"So that's how it is."
Ling Bai understood at once. Confirming Du Busi as Death Abyss Douluo would deal a devastating blow to the Heavenly Soul Imperial Family's reputation. The people might even lose faith in the royal house itself. That was why these two had risked their lives to speak against him.
Heavenly Star Douluo bellowed, "Heaven watches what men do! You have harmed the innocent and committed countless atrocities! The gods will surely bring divine punishment upon you!"
Black Sprite Douluo rallied the other experts. "Everyone here knows the truth in their hearts! Sect Master Du died defending justice! Are you all just going to stand by and watch him bear a disgrace he doesn't deserve?!
Stand together! I refuse to believe he'd dare kill us all!"
"That's right! Our Tyrant Body Sect once owed the Body Sect a great debt. I, Tyrant Body Douluo, am not an ungrateful man!"
A massively built Titled Douluo stepped forward. Tyrant Body Douluo clenched his fists and roared, "Shrek Academy has always been fair and just! Sea God Pavilion Master Elder Xuan stands right here! Death Abyss Douluo wouldn't dare act rashly!"
Elder Xuan closed his eyes and shook his head bitterly. Just as he feared, the very next second Ling Bai's frigid, piercing voice rang out:
"Listen well, all of you.
In the midst of the battle between Holy Evil Douluo and Death Abyss Douluo, Tyrant Body Douluo was struck by a sudden malady and rose up to slay the two Titled Douluo Heavenly Star and Black Sprite!
This Seat expresses the deepest regret!"
Holy Dragon Judgment bit through Heavenly Star Douluo in an instant. Blood sprayed out like mist. Black Sprite Douluo's head exploded immediately after, Spiritual Annihilation killing him in a single blow. Ling Bai rewarded Tyrant Body Douluo with a Snowless Glacier palm to the chest, and the man's internal organs shattered into frozen powder.
Three Titled Douluo, slain in the span of a heartbeat!
"Anyone else?"
Ling Bai flicked the blood from his left hand. His smile was warm and amiable.
Silence. A long, suffocating silence.
"Ahem, ahem!"
Neither Jianmu Douluo nor Ning Fengyu was suited to speak at a moment like this. Yan Shaozhe, that shrewd old fox, knew it was time for him to step onto the stage. He drew himself up in the righteous posture befitting the Dean of Shrek Academy's Martial Spirit Department and declared in a resonant voice:
"Shrek Academy sternly condemns the Body Sect! Du Busi was Death Abyss Douluo, and the Tyrant Body Sect his willing accomplice!
Holy Evil Douluo is an outstanding graduate of Shrek Academy, cutting down evil in the name of the holy. Before this, he slew the Holy Spirit Cult Master and numerous other Evil Douluo. Today he has struck down the hidden Death Abyss Douluo and Tyrant Body Douluo as well. His merit is immense, and he ought to be revered across the entire continent!"