Chapter 40 – Chrysanthemum Douluo Unleashed: The Demon Suppressing Douluo's First Defeat
"Old Ghost, let me see just how powerful your hundred-thousand-year soul skill truly is!"
Glowing Feather Douluo's eyes gleamed with excitement as he drew his icy bowstring to its limit.
A shining arrow, formed entirely of condensed soul power, pulsed with a sacred and chilling brilliance. Frost rapidly crept along the arrow's shaft, freezing even the air itself—tiny shards of ice sparkled and drifted around him like snowflakes.
The bowstring trembled, emitting a sharp hum as if it could no longer contain the devastating power gathered upon it.
Across from him, Gui Mei's figure flickered faintly, shifting in and out of focus like a wraith. His voice was cold and mocking.
"Glowing Feather Douluo… show me what you've got."
The instant his words fell, Gui Mei's sixth soul ring flared with dark light.
A chilling, deathly aura swept outward, dropping the temperature in the area so sharply it seemed as though the battlefield had sunk into an endless abyss.
In the blink of an eye, hundreds of ghostly silhouettes split off from Ghost Douluo's form—each identical to the original, indistinguishable even to a Spirit Hall elder.
It was his sixth soul skill—Ghostly Mirage! Each clone could explode upon contact and divert damage away from the true body. It was a soul skill feared for both its offense and defense.
"Playing tricks in front of me?!" Glowing Feather Douluo sneered. "Before my divine light, all illusions will vanish!"
"Overconfident fool," Gui Mei's voice echoed eerily from all directions. "Light may counter darkness—but darkness swallows light all the same."
"Arrogant words!" Glowing Feather Douluo roared. "Then take this—Divine Frost Arrow!"
His sixth soul ring shone brightly as he released the bowstring.
The arrow shot forth like a falling star, carrying the dual might of Light and Ice, tearing through the air toward the countless shadows.
BOOM—!
A thunderous explosion erupted as the arrow collided with the spectral army. Waves of raw energy surged outward, distorting space itself.
To Glowing Feather Douluo's astonishment, not only had Gui Mei withstood his soul skill—he had even forced him slightly back.
Only a portion of the ghostly army detonated under the impact; the rest continued to surge forward like a black tide, swarming toward Glowing Feather Douluo from every direction.
"This… this is impossible!" he gasped. "Could it be the power granted by that hundred-thousand-year soul ring?! Has his strength truly surpassed mine?!"
At rank ninety-six, Glowing Feather Douluo had long believed his strength to be absolute. Yet now, even a probing strike had ended with him at a disadvantage.
Not daring to underestimate his opponent further, he activated his Martial Soul's True Body—Glowing Feather Bow.
A pair of crystalline wings of ice burst from his back, radiating divine brilliance as his speed skyrocketed.
"Old Ghost! Again!" he shouted, drawing another arrow.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield—Demon Suppressing Douluo was already engaged in fierce combat with Chrysanthemum Douluo.
"Yue Guan!" Demon Suppressing bellowed, his deep voice shaking the ground. "Let me show you the true might of my Coiling Dragon Staff!"
He struck the ground with his staff, unleashing a violent wave of soul power that swept the battlefield like a raging storm.
Stones shattered, the earth trembled, and swirling dust and debris filled the air.
With a single motion, the enormous Coiling Dragon Staff came crashing down toward Yue Guan. The dragon carved along the staff's length seemed to come alive, roaring fiercely as red soul energy surged, coiling around the weapon in an overwhelming aura of destruction.
"Hmph! Then I'll gladly test your so-called might!"
Yue Guan's eyes blazed with defiance. His soul power surged violently, and a dazzling golden light burst forth as the Chrysanthemum Martial Soul activated.
Behind him, the enormous chrysanthemum unfurled, its petals gleaming with lethal light. Each petal was sharper than steel, slicing through the air as they flew toward Demon Suppressing Douluo.
The petals screamed as they cut through the wind, radiating a force so dense it warped the very air.
"Petals? You think such tricks can stop my Coiling Dragon Staff?!" Demon Suppressing Douluo laughed disdainfully, slamming his weapon forward once again.
Demon Suppressing Douluo was arrogant by nature and didn't take Yue Guan's attacks seriously at all.
A faint smile curved Yue Guan's lips.
This was exactly what he wanted. The real show was only just beginning.
He knew very well that Demon Suppressing Douluo wasn't an opponent to be taken lightly.
The Coiling Dragon Staff's offensive power was terrifying—rivaling even the legendary Clear Sky Hammer.
Even though Yue Guan's soul power was one rank higher, and he possessed two hundred-thousand-year soul bones, victory wasn't guaranteed in a prolonged fight.
The Coiling Dragon Staff's innate unyielding battle will make its wielder grow stronger the longer he fights.
And that Coiling Dragon Staff's suppressive effect was not to be underestimated.
Not to mention his ninth soul skill—All Beings Extermination, a technique so devastating it could turn the tide of any battle.
That's why Yue Guan knew he couldn't win by brute force. This fight required strategy, and it needed to end quickly.
And Yue Guan saw Demon Suppressing Douluo's arrogance as the perfect flaw to exploit.
When the distance between them shrank to less than a hundred meters, Yue Guan suddenly activated his right arm bone's skill—Gravity Control.
In an instant, a crushing force descended upon Demon Suppressing Douluo.
His body felt as if a mountain had fallen upon him; even the Coiling Dragon Staff in his hands grew more than ten times heavier.
"What's going on?! Since when did Yue Guan have a skill like this?! This isn't part of his soul skills!"
Demon Suppressing Douluo's eyes widened in shock.
He poured his strength into steadying himself, but the weight pressing down on him was overwhelming. His feet sank deeper into the ground, cracks spiderwebbing outward from beneath him.
"Demon Suppressing Douluo," Yue Guan's voice rang out, cold and sharp, "you underestimated me—and now you'll pay for it."
With a low snort, Yue Guan's soul power erupted once more, waves of pressure sweeping across the battlefield.
Within the Gravity Control, Demon Suppressing Douluo struggled desperately. The weight was unbearable—until, without warning, the pressure vanished.
In the blink of an eye, his body became light—almost weightless. The sudden change made him stumble midair, the Coiling Dragon Staff in his hands feeling no heavier than a feather.
"One moment heavy, the next light… what kind of soul skill is this?! How can Yue Guan wield such strange power?!"
Before he could regain his balance, a massive pulling force burst forth from Yue Guan's position—like an invisible giant hand clutching his body and dragging him forward uncontrollably.
His expression shifted drastically. He fought with all his might, pouring soul power into resisting the pull—but no matter how he struggled, that eerie suction refused to release him.
The distance between them closed rapidly.
The wind howled past his ears, and unease surged within his heart.
In mere seconds, he was less than ten meters from Yue Guan.
High above the ground, Yue Guan floated serenely, his golden eyes sharp as blades. A faint, icy smile curved his lips.
"Demon Suppressing Douluo… take my punch!"
The moment his words fell, Yue Guan's right arm flared with soul power.
A phantom fist—condensed like a blazing cannonball—shot forth with explosive force, striking squarely against Demon Suppressing Douluo's chest!
BOOM—!
The impact roared like thunder.
Demon Suppressing Douluo's body flew backward like a broken kite, crashing hard into the earth.
The ground split apart with a deafening crack, dust and stones erupting skyward as a massive crater formed at the impact site.
He lay at the bottom, trembling, pain wracking every muscle.
A mouthful of blood burst from his lips, staining the ground scarlet. His once-proud face turned pale as paper.
Above him, Yue Guan hovered midair, looking down with a complex expression.
He and the Spirit Hall's Worships had once shared the same ideals, fighting side by side for the same cause.
Yet now, they stood on opposite sides—forced into battle by fate and conviction.
When he unleashed that final blow, Titan Firmament Breaker, he had held back.
If he had gone all out, Demon Suppressing Douluo wouldn't just be injured—he might be crippled, or worse.
"Demon Suppressing Douluo," Yue Guan said softly, his voice steady yet cold, "for the sake of our past as comrades, I will spare your life today. But remember this—Old Ghost and I will never return to Spirit Hall. If you and the others keep pressing us…"
His eyes hardened, golden light flickering within them.
"...then don't blame us for showing no mercy next time."
—
End of Chapter